Feasting on Oysters

        Together with caviar and foie gras, oysters are considered to be a luxury food. Widely known as a powerful aphrodisiac due to their high zinc levels, these delicious mollusks also yield a host of health benefits like reducing blood pressure, lowering cholesterol levels and aiding in weight loss. Taste wise, you either love them or loathe them!
      Hubby and I belong to the first camp. We absolutely adore eating raw oysters. We have tried eating them grilled, poached, baked and even deep fried. But nothing beats having them wobbly and wallowing in their natural juices, pumped up with a squeeze of lemon juice and slurped into our mouths.
       Our 2017 New South Wales trip was extremely fruitful where oysters were concerned as these two fervent fans had five oyster feasts! The first feast was at the famous Sydney Fish Market. To be honest, this iconic Sydney attraction is not that big but it has the freshest seafood available and at affordable prices. In addition to having some really tasty cooked seafood at Peter's Seafood, we were thrilled by their Sydney Rock Oysters (A$21.99 for a dozen).

Excited to have arrived at the Sydney Fish Market, Pyrmont

Derrick chose the seafood and they cooked it for us 

Oyster Platter #1 for piggies

Oyster Platter #2 for piggies

        Having learnt that the Kiama Fish Market right smack at the Kiama Harbour also stocks oysters, we headed there right away upon arriving in Kiama. It is a small fish store but it offers plenty of fresh seafood. We ordered a dozen of the oysters (A$15), saw them being shucked, took them out to a table in front of the store and had another feast. The oysters, sourced from Greenwell Point (55km away), were incredibly sweet and juicy.

Ga ga over oysters

Both hubby and I enjoyed them so much that we popped back into the store for another dozen. We could have raised some eyebrows that day when we went into the store again for our 3rd dozen! Perhaps having the oysters mere seconds after they were shucked, being fanned by the sea breeze, inhaling the briny sea air and getting enthralled by the antics of a pelican, all contributed to why this oyster feast was so immensely delightful.

Mrs. Pelican eyes the seafood appreciatively

Mrs. Pelican tries to decide if she needs more seafood for dinner

       

Mrs. Pelican goes shopping!

       The next day, after a spectacular feast for the eyes at Little Blowhole, we joined the locals in having a picnic at the park. Instead of sandwiches or fish & chips, we feasted on 2 dozens of oysters! Sitting so comfortably and carefreely on the grass really added to the allure of the oyster feast.

Kiama's Little Blowhole in action

Behold the splendour!

Oyster picnic in the park

Temptation of juicy naked flesh!

        Our fourth feast of oysters was in Narooma, a town on the Sapphire Coast that holds an annual Oyster Festival in May. Reviews on the Internet pointed us in the direction of an

Catch of the day!

unassuming shed at the marina --- Narooma Bridge Seafoods. We got ourselves 2 dozens of Rock Oysters (A$15 for a dozen) from them, bought some cholesterol-laden fried prawn cutlets, prawn twisters, scallops and fish cake from Blue Water Seafoods along the main road, took them all to the harbour and indulged in a sumptuous seafood meal. We had company too...seagulls that kept swooping in, hopeful for some bites. 

Seafood lunch at the harbour

Feasting on oysters at the harbour

        It takes a true oyster fan to understand how passionate we are about oysters. Our fifth oyster feast was in the sleepy town of Bermagui. This time the summer heat was far too blistering and there was no way I was going to bake in the sun, just to enjoy my oysters al fresco. So we bought 2 dozens (A$18 for a dozen) back to our cabin at Wallaga Lake, stuffed them in the refrigerator, and had them as appetisers for dinner later. 
        Back home in Malaysia, it is usually at fine dining restaurants that we can obtain our oysters in their birthday suits. So we were mighty glad that we could have our fill of them Down Under.