The gang and I decided to venture downtown for dinner last night, and ended up at Rodney's Oyster House.
Raw oysters from P.E.I.
Raw oysters from Massachusetts
You can't go to an oyster house and not have oysters, am I right? I think this is the first real time I've had raw oysters — I remember having tried one when I was really young, maybe 8 or 9, but I have no recollection of how it tasted so I don't really count it. We asked our server what he recommended as first-timers, and he said to go with the P.E.I. ones. (They had an actual name, but I don't remember what they're called.) He told us that since it was our first raw oyster experience, we should have them without sauces — just a squeeze of lemon and some horseradish. So, we ordered one for the each of us, and I think we were all surprised at how tasty they were, delicately salty with a hint of sweetness. Surprisingly, the horseradish wasn't nasal-clearingly spicy; it just added a nice zesty kick. And the lemon juice just brightened the flavour of the oyster without making them really sour. We had such a good experience with that batch that we decided to order another round, so our server recommended the ones from Massachusetts. These ones had a stronger "sea" flavour than the P.E.I. ones, a little saltier, brinier. Also delicious, but I liked the P.E.I. ones a bit more.
"Johnny Bakes"
Lobster Club
Shawn and I decided to share two main dishes. The first one was called "Johnny Bakes," which was on their daily specials menu. Two fried Caribbean rolls are split and stuffed with a generous amount of ridiculously addictive warm salt cod and spicy shrimp chunks mixed in a flavourful creamy dressing and sprinkled with parsley. The rolls may not look like a lot, but don't let their smaller size fool you — one of those bad boys is way more filling than you think. They should seriously consider adding "Johnny Bakes" to their regular menu; it's just too good to be a temporary addition. The second main we shared was the Lobster Club, which is one of their signature dishes. Huge chunks of tender lobster lightly tossed in creamy dressing, perfectly crispy bacon, fresh lettuce and tomato, and a touch of mayo layered between lightly toasted bread. Even though I think it's more appropriate for lunch than dinner, it's one of the most well-executed club sandwiches I've ever come across, and I would certainly order it again (and again and again). As for service, our waiter was very nice, polite, informative, accommodating, and attentive but not cloying. And even though the prices aren't that friendly, the atmosphere was really fun and casual and I had an amazing experience.
Rodney's Oyster House
469 King Street West
Toronto, ON M5V 1K4
(416) 363-8105
I had the lobster club as well when I went along with a selection of different types of oysters. I tried them w/o sauces then ALL the sauces, just to see what the best combination was. I've had raw oysters before but never really enjoyed it until Rodney's. So worth a repeat visit! Don't try their chowder/soup though - it wasn't really up to par with the rest of the food.
ReplyDeleteSo what was the best combination of sauces?!
DeleteI guess I don't really have other places to compare to, but Rodney's has definitely made me want to try more oysters. :)
My friend ordered one of the soups off the regular menu and it was OKAY but nothing special. My other friend ordered the soup off the dinner specials menu, though, and that was REALLY good. I feel like soup wouldn't be my first choice to order there, though, lol.
There wasn't really a "best" combination in the end. I like the medium-hot sauces no matter where I go because too hot distracts from the taste of the meat and mild is just boring. I think I like just the oysters with lemon, that's it. The friend I was with was taking notes like she was going to study for an oyster test later so I figure I can refer back to that later when we go back, lol. Can't remember the fave shells by name - there are so many.
DeleteI love seafood soup so it felt worth the try. There was only one on the menu when I went - it must have been the OKAY one. ;)
LOL, oyster test! My notes would be like, "Kinda salty. Kinda ocean-y. Kinda sweet. Little more jiggly. Little firmer."
DeleteI haven't tried oysters with any sauces yet, though I love the simple lemon + horseradish way. I'm actually not a huge fan of hot sauces in general because I feel like -- as you said -- it distracts from the taste of the food.
All this talk is just making me hungry. :(
Um, SEA FOOD HEAVEN!
ReplyDeleteTotally wishing I had a couple of raw oysters right now.
Yum!!!!
RIGHT???
DeleteThere's a raw oyster bar near my area, actually. I really should check it out sometime... You know any good places?