Shuck Shuck is a new oyster bar located in Chinatown. They only serve oysters, and they serve them in a unique way. They are topped with a creative variety of ingredients, and carry names like the “Big Mac Kenzie” – a play on the famous burger.
The restaurant is standing room only, with a curvy bar filling up the space.
Upon entry, you head up to the counter to order your food and drinks, and then go find a place at the bar.
You can order individually, mix and match any four, or order all. They also have a weekly feature. We tried all including the weekly feature.
In terms of drinks, they have canned alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. I tried a white sparkling and it was decent. I think they will have to offer a greater selection of wines in order to attract more customers.
Here are my thoughts on the oysters in order of least to most liked:
Beau Thai – I would say that of all the ones listed, this had the most potential; ingredients included curry, ginger, lemongrass, coconut cream, lime zest, cilantro – could not really taste all the flavors present; in general it was good that none of the oysters were overpowered by the toppings but on this one, the toppings did not come through at all.
Cali Love – pomegranate, avocado, pistachio dust – nothing memorable
Lemon Meringue – sour lemon curd, meringue, lemon zest – tasted like a normal oyster with lemon
Feed Your Seoul – gochujang, kimchi, Asian Pear, Spring Onion – the Asian pear added a nice crunchy texture.
Big Mackenzie – thousand island dressing, pickle, white onion, sesame seed – this one I was very excited to try; it was ok
SE VEE CHE – shrimp ceviche on top – this one was very good. The shrimp ceviche complimented the oyster in many ways from texture to acidity.
Peeking Duck – hoisin, BBQ Duck, spring onion – the duck and hoisin surprisingly went well with the oyster. Very savory.
PB & J – spicy peanut satay sauce, raspberry jam, red chili, peanut dust – the flavor of the peanut went surprisingly well with the oyster and the sweetness from the jam added a nice surprise.
Canadiana – maple syrup, ketchup chips, bacon bits, extreme bean – this was by far my favorite. The chips and bacon added a nice texture and the sweetness from the maple syrup went well with the oyster.
Although the concept is very unique, I think they will have a hard time gaining traction due to COVID and the location. The concept would do really well in a market setting or somewhere with busier foot traffic downtown. I think that where it is now, it would have to be a destination, but it is neither a lunch nor dinner spot. Therefore, someone would come here pre-dinner or just for a few drinks (or if they were just craving a unique snack). However, because it is standing only, and drinks are limited, it does not really facilitate people coming for a few drinks. As a pre-dinner spot, maybe as there are some great restaurants in the area like Kissa Tanto.
Overall, I had a great time trying something new, and would recommend someone experience it for themselves.