?? Best oysters ??

Hi, I’m a big oyster fan, looking for any experienced St. Barth’s foodies to share the best spots to enjoy them! I like them raw, Rockefellered, fried, etc…

Mostly found during holidays, but the big hotels are most likely to have them, probably on the half shell.

L’ISOLA

I have had them twice..raw, with cute little pitcher of vinaigrette dressing, a tiny tobasco jar, and fresh lemon. And yes, when we go back if they are still a special I will have them again! Sorry, I forgot the name, but they were good size and the brine was super too.

amyb said:

L’ISOLA

I have had them twice..raw, with cute little pitcher of vinaigrette dressing, a tiny tobacco jar, and fresh lemon. And yes, when we go back if they are still a special I will have them again! Sorry, I forgot the name, but they were good size and the brine was super too.

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They sound perfect, Amy!

For us- we don’t think of oysters on the island as we have seldom, if ever, seen them on menus there.

Thanks for the responses, I appreciate the intel, I will try L’Isola next time I am there this November.

amyb said:

L’ISOLA

I have had them twice..raw, with cute little pitcher of vinaigrette dressing, a tiny tobasco jar, and fresh lemon. And yes, when we go back if they are still a special I will have them again! Sorry, I forgot the name, but they were good size and the brine was super too.

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Hopper..the oysters served in St Barths are not menu items. When they arrive here they are offered as SPECIALS.

It would never occur to me to have oysters on SBH even if they were offered as a special. They key to a good quality oyster is freshness. I have to wonder how long an oyster has been in transit to get to SBH. Day to harvest, then ship on a truck to an airport, fly to another airport, transit to a boat before delivery to the island. It could be nearly a week before you have it served to you. Not a recipe for a great oyster. Looking at the picture, I'd say those oysters were either in transit for a while as there is no liquor left or if the liquor was lost at shucking, that was a poor shuck. I've been getting oysters during the pandemic from Island Creek on the South Shore of Mass. They harvest and ship overnight. Phenomenal. I highly recommend them. Couldn't get them fresher unless you picked them up yourself.

ETA: This thread has gotten me wondering why you seldom if ever see any shellfish. I know there are the mussels and scallops that are shipped in from France and there are local mollusks like conch/lambi. But things like clams and oysters are a rarity. I can't recall seeing them when I've been diving or snorkeling. I wonder if the water is to poor to sustain a lot of filter feeders. There were plenty of oysters and clams in the waters of Florida where I grew up so its not the temperature.

At the holidays Franck at Chef’s Market has a good pipeline direct from France.

They were firm and there was brine.I do not know how long they were in transit…enjoyed twice, fabulous taste, and no stomach issues ensued.

I have had salmon here shipped in from the Faro Islands, Scotland, and Canada..all good.

I enjoy foods from many nations, without having to be dining therein.

amyb said:

They were firm and there was brine.I do not know how long they were in transit…enjoyed twice, fabulous taste, and no stomach issues ensued.

I have had salmon from the Faro Zislands, Scotland, and Canada..all good.

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Salmon can be frozen and shipped where ever with little loss of quality. Can't freeze oysters. Not saying the oysters were bad, but that the quality has to suffer as the transit time is long. The best oysters I've ever had are the ones I pull off a rock, pry open and slurp down with nothing but salt water.

I recall I was in Berlin one year and was at a restaurant where they told me that they had gotten a shipment of Belon oysters in. So I ordered them. They were just ok. Probably had been on trucks for 3-4 days by the time they were served. I was not worried about getting sick. Just that the quality I got wasn't what it should be.

Amy - I would have thought that with all the oyster farms on Strong Island you would be getting some pretty good oysters at your other home.

Oysters enjoyed on the Isle of Long. Enjoy Wellfleets, Pine island and imports from Canada, Washington, Oregon and other areas.

The oysters are transported in coolers. Fresh water Shrimp from Guadeloupe, ouissous…yummy. Just enjoyed at Gran de Sel. Did not ask how long they were in transport here.

Thank you Amy- only serving them (oysters) as specials in SBH makes sense.

We enjoyed some French oysters a Le Papillon Ivre back in June. It looks like they bring them in frequently.

Glad you enjoyed that fresh supply, Debby.