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| - I love oysters -- raw, baked, deep-fried, and even in congee! It only made sense I give Oyster Boy a try since I was in the area last night.
Considering it was a Wednesday night, my friend and I were quickly seated without a reservation. My initial thoughts: mellow atmosphere with rustic, oyster-themed decor and great service.
I checked Oyster Boy's menu on their website ahead of time, but when I sat down, I noticed the Bouillabaisse is no longer offered (as with a couple other items). The server told us that mussels are not in season and they are a part of this dish, so they temporarily removed it from the menu. Ah, I was really looking forward to it! I am not sure if all seafood restaurants do this, but it is nice to know that this restaurant does not offer something they know may not be good.
We started off with half a dozen of Cascumpec Bay oysters, as recommended by our server. I do not dress my raw oysters any more than a squeeze of lemon and a little bit of cocktail sauce, but I did try a bit of the horseradish with the vinaigrette and the gingery sauce, which were not bad.
We also ordered half a dozen of baked oysters, and we got to try Rockefeller, Rustico, and Royale. My favourite, by far, is the Royale because of the tasty crab meat and the creamy Béchamel sauce. Mmm... Next would be the Rustico, then the Rockefeller because it only reminded me of McCain's thin crust spinach and provolone pizza. =P
Next up, we tried the Crispy Crab Cakes. These were deep-fried to perfection. I'm not a big fan of lemongrass, and the flavour of lemongrass was strong in these crab cakes, but they tasted all right. The slaw was nothing special, but their house-made relish, known as "chow chow", was great.
I definitely do want to return to try their Bouillabaisse when mussels are back in season, and perhaps I'll give their deep-fried oysters a try too! Their Fish Tacos and BC Dungeness Crab & Bay Scallop Pasta sound delicious, too.
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