Starfish

100 Adelaide Street East
Toronto, M5C 1K9
(416) 366-STAR (7827)
Google Map
http://www.starfishoysterbed.com/

Date: June 24, 2006
Cost: Dinner for 4, $225
What's on the menu: Oysters, seafood, small "from the land" section (seasonal menu)
Drinks: Beers, cocktails, champagne, wine list
Atmosphere: Cozy and intimate

Review:
Our first taste of fresh shucked oysters about 4 years ago didn't exactly leave a lasting impression on either of us - too expensive for so little reward we thought. Fast forward a few years and now our palate's have suddenly developed a liking for the sea dwellers. Toronto never known to be a hotbed for seafood limited our options. Rodney's or Oyster Boy? probably both good choices in their own right, but Starfish is where we've heard is the place to go.

Set on the rim of the financial district, Starfish manages to keep a low profile in an otherwise busy area. Inside Starfish we're startled to see tables filled this early in the evening. We know we've picked the right place when we're asked if we have reservations at 5:30. Luckily, we're told a spot is available for our party of 4. As we're seated, we admire the coziness of the restaurant - dim lighting, lit candles, tables placed intimately together. Our table is in backroom away from the action of the oyster bar, but still peering into the main dining area.

Not long after being seated, we're brought our menu - a single loose sheet of paper clipped to the wine list describing the daily changing menu for the evening. Oysters and other shellfish at the top, small area for "land" items and the remaining area dedicated to the sea. Seasonal oysters tonight include Malpeque's, Galway flats, Gigas, Glidden Points and a few others. Our waitress takes our drink order and asks to see if she can start us off with some oysters. She explains that not even world champion oyster shucker, Patrick McMurry (owner), can shuck fast enough for everyone. We order 30 Malpeque's, a steal for only $44, and an oyster stout for CEO.

Patrick's Oyster Stout was a joint development by Patrick and Durham County Brewing Co. 1 keg of Patrick's Oyster Stout contains the liquor of 1000 Malpeque's. Starfish's website claims this stuff is so potent that a couple of pregnancies are reported after an evening drinking Patrick's Oyster Stout. Drinkers beware!

Patrick lives up to his reputation (world record holder - 33 shucked oysters in 1 minute) and our Malpeque's arrive in no time. Set on a bed of crushed ice and served with lemon, fresh horseradish, champagne migonette and cocktail sauce... we take in the fresh smell of the oysters. Hot sauce is offered to us, but oyster purists advise against it - the spiciness overpowers the oyster. The rest of our order is taken. We decide on seared scallops, atlantic trout and a fresh 2lb maritime lobster.

Eating oysters offers a bit of challenge to rookies. Do we scoop out the oyster? slurp it? grab it out? Finally, we discover holding the oyster to our mouths and sucking the oyster out works best. Our first few oysters are combined with the grit of the oyster shell, but as we get the hang of it our oysters become sand free. The oysters are fresh, smelling like the sea, sweet in taste, a hint of saltiness with the horseradish adding a bit of a kick. Our dining companions (CFO's sister and friend), oyster doubters at first, are gradually converted into oyster fans. Almost as fast as Patrick shucks, the oysters are finished and we eagerly anticipate the rest of the meal.

Not long after, our dishes arrive in succession - scallops, trout and lobster. Scallops are seared to perfection, served with cured bacon the saltiness adds the right amount of flavour. Trout is pan seared, skin is crisp and meat is moist, but something is lacking in taste, garnishings are seemingly bland. The lobster is a big hit with CFO's sister. Boiled to the correct tenderness and cut down the middle it is served with clarifed butter so clarified we almost mistake it for olive oil.
As the final lobster claw is eaten, we are left a little hungry, but nothing else on the menu peaks our interest. We decide to order all 3 desserts - flourless chocolate cake, crème brûlée and a lemon tart. Our waitress, remembering that tonight was a birthday celebration adds a nice touch to the evening by presenting our dessert platter to the birthday girl. The flourless chocolate cake was a little too rich and creamy for us, but perfect for a true chocolate lover. As for the crème brûlée, it was good but nothing spectacular. Noble effort on all 3 desserts, but stick to what Starfish does best... seafood.

We wrap up the evening and reflect on the great dishes we had. Starfish provided a wonderful evening for a quiet celebration. In a city not known for it's love of the sea, we had found a place we could tell our friends was a great spot for seafood...world class oysters and seafood dishes worthy of high praise we're left pondering when our next visit should be.

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