Toronto | Oyster Obsessed & Diana's Seafood

By July 18, 2014 , ,

I've had a relatively productive day, my room is sparkling clean, my clothes smells like fresh lavender, and I went grocery shopping at four different places so my fridge is officially stocked with everything from prosciutto to greek yo. Today's post is also going to be about food, but something a little different.

Those of you who know me will know that I try to bring oysters into every conversation, or at least most. If you ask me what we should grab for food, the answer is probably oysters. I don't care if it's breakfast, lunch, dinner or even midnight snack. Oysters are always a good idea.


I don't eat oysters a lot in Winnipeg simply because it's difficult to find a good supplier. Toronto is another story though and Diana's Seafood is the place to go to fulfill all your seafood cravings.

All of them.


Most people are wary about eating raw oysters because they dislike the texture and flavor. Others think that eating filter feeders are probably not the greatest idea. I slurped down my first raw oyster at the age of 6, completely ignorant of these concerns, and I've never really looked back since.


When I'm in Toronto, I try to round up a group of unsuspecting family and friends into having a rawbar party with me. The deal is that I will go shopping for oysters and other raw foods (scallop, tuna, clams), I will lug the heavy bags into the car myself, and best of all, I will shuck every little tasty bivalve and all they have to do is sit there and slurp. I find some kind of personal satisfaction each time I hear them pop open. It's really quite exhilarating.




Oysters are sold here by the dozen, or by the case which usually involves 60 or so oysters. I brought my sister along for the ride and after deliberating for 20 minutes between malpeques or XXL Beach, we decided to go with the both. Too tempting to not.



We decided because the XXL Beach oysters were so large, it'd be difficult to consume them raw. So, a couple swipes of garlic butter and on the grill they went. They were a pain to shuck though. Absolute nightmare.

The malpeques however can't be cooked, unless you are satisfied consuming oysters the size of a dime, but a squeeze of lemon and tabasco makes them go down so smoothly! I can almost taste them as I write this post.





Oysters are a fun, but shucking can be a pain. It's not difficult though, even though I'm nowhere near a professional.  The first time I shucked an oyster was when I was 10, and I had no idea that a shucking knife existed. Don't be like me and use a butter knife. Had I known at that time, it would have saved me a lot of arm ache.

I'm not a pro shucker so I have to use three different knives. These three in combination are what I use depending on the size and profile of the oyster.


There's this debate over whether oysters should be consumed in month that don't have an 'R' in the name. Personally, I've never paid much attention to this rule, but as you can see, the oysters in the Summer months are translucent due to it being spawning season. It does affect the taste, but not enough for me to stop eating them entirely.




And of course, there is no better way to end a night of oyster shucking than with a good book, a smooth green tea latte, and long conversations with friends.


This post is literally making me hungry and speaking of Toronto, I'm in the middle of trying to find tickets to head back. Hopefully something opens up. More oyster posts super soon.

Diana's Oyster Bar on Urbanspoon

xx

naomi

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4 Lovely Replies

  1. How much is it for a case there?? Do you know if they sell sushi grade fish as well? Thanks

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    1. They definitely have sushi grade fish there, I think I saw tuna and salmon last time I went :)! The cases range depending on the oyster you are getting and the count, the Beach XXL's were 78 I think?..for 48. Their prices are on the website too!

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  2. Why is everything good located in Toronto?! oh my goshhh, those oysters looks delicious!

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    1. Toronto is just one big food hall haha, the oysters on the grill were even better than the raw ones this time. Im hungry just thinking about it

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