Rodney’s Oyster House: Shucking Up a Storm in Vancouver

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Restaurant Vancouver

Rodney's Oyster House provided refuge from a rare Vancouver snowstorm.

Rodney Clark, “the Oysterman”, has showcased oysters in Toronto for over 20 years. Eight years ago, he opened a branch in Vancouver’s trendy Vancouver neighborhood. Hamilton Street, which houses Rodney’s Oyster House, holds plenty of culinary interest. I ate three times on a one-block stretch of Hamilton Street over a four-day span.


Restaurant Vancouver

Simple white seafood house décor suited the two-tiered oyster house.

Oysters Vancouver

The oyster bar holds a healthy daily selection of iced bivalves, each represented by a colorful placard.

Options on November 26 included Fanny Bay from nearby Vancouver Island; Metcalf Bay from British Columbia; and Glidden Point from the Damariscotta River estuary in Maine.

Oysters Vancouver

I told the lead shucker to select three local oysters, two each, whatever varieties he liked. He served me Fanny Bay (from Qualicum Beach on Vancouver Island), Phantom, and Buckley Bay.

Four house-made hot sauces accompanied impeccable oysters: Back From Hell! – “Grace Noel’s Grenadian pepper mixture” (Jamaican Scotch bonnets and vinegar); White Boy Soul Sauce – “…a little hotter than hell” (chile and garlic); Shallot Vinaigrette – an old French kitchen recipe (made with red wine); and Seawitch Sauce – “Formulated by fiends, concocted by the devil” (cocktail sauce). The sauces were fairly interesting, but the oysters were so good, they didn’t need any additives.

Horseradish Vancouver

The lead shucker even grated fresh horseradish to sprinkle on the bivalves, a flavorful gesture.

Seafood Vancouver

Rodney’s is justifiably known for more than just oysters. Scallop galette featured potato-crusted sea scallops, served with a soup spoon of plum sauce. Thin potato crusts offered nice textural contrast to the supple scallops.

Shrimp Vancouver

A heaping portion of shrimp in garlic butter sauce was simple but effective. Wedges of toast nicely soaked up rich sauce.

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Joshua Lurie

Joshua Lurie founded FoodGPS in 2005. Read about him here.

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