Oyster prices are skyrocketing in Sydney where rarer varieties are becoming luxury commodities,attracting prices of up to $16 each at fine-dining restaurants.
Where a diner could once order a dozen fresh oysters for as little as $12,it's now become common for venues to charge between $5.50 and $9 for a single,briny bivalve.
Those prices depend on a variety of factors,from the age of the oyster,to the rarity of the species,to what they are served with. But years of heavy flooding and disease outbreaks have compounded those costs by diminishing the supply of mature oysters,driving up wholesale prices and requiring restaurants to rethink the way they serve their little sea gems.
"Winter of 2022,prices shifted significantly up at the farmgate,"says third-generation oyster farmer Brad Verdich,from East 33.
"That was a reflection of the farmer needing to earn a higher price per oyster due to the limited amount of oysters they had …[allowing] the oyster farmer to reinvest in their business,to be there in 50 years time or 100 years time."
"It started with limited availability and … then they really skyrocketed in price,"says Nick Mathieson,head chef at Surry Hills restaurantThe Rover.
"There's no way[prices can keep increasing],or oysters will end up as dear as caviar."
For some,such as acclaimed seafood chef Josh Niland from two-hatted Paddington restaurant Saint Peter,higher prices necessitated the creation of"luxury and reverence"in his venues'oyster service.
Extreme care is taken to ensure live oysters are stored and served at optimal temperatures (between 12C and 14C for a rock oyster),and cleaned without removing any of the natural"liquor".
This,says Niland,allows diners to pick up on the unique texture and tasting notes of each oyster in much the same way they would a flight of exquisite wine.
"If you're asking people to invest up to $42 for a half-dozen oysters you want them to feel the love that goes into them,"he says.
This includes education from the kitchen on how to best consume oysters (two to three chews before swallowing to generate enough sugar to offset the salinity);what flavours to watch out for;and the husbandry process.
"This is new information for most guests. People don't understand that oysters don't just crop up in six or 12 months. Growing them is a laborious task that takes years and great craftsmanship,"Niland says.
At other restaurants,such as The Rover or CBD omakaseBesuto, value is added through an increasing range of oyster varieties. In Sydney,keen-eyed diners may spot golden-shelled Royal Miyagi oysters;wild belon oysters;and new WA varieties the Akoya and the Albany rock oyster.
It's the Akoya that attracts a price tag of $16 each at two-hattedBentley Restaurant and Bar, where it's grilled and served with koji butter.
Leeuwin Coast operates the only commercial edible Akoya farm in the world,off the coast of Albany in WA. Harvest Road general manager of aquaculture Justin Welsh describes the Akoya as"a hybrid of an abalone and an oyster with the sweetness of a scallop".
"We are really excited to see the year-on-year growth in the[NSW and Victoria] markets,"he says.
On the Northern Rivers,You Beauty executive chef Matt Stone has been experimenting with the Akoya,first presenting it to diners last week as an oyster kilpatrick ($18 for four).
"It's a hard thing for guests at the moment to understand that food has to cost more or restaurants won't be able to open,"Stone says.
"It's a difficult,sensitive issue.
"But oysters are a special thing to have at a restaurant. In terms of healthy,sustainable,delicious eating you can't beat an oyster."
$11.50 for half a dozen Sydney rock oysters at Sydney Fish Market
One of the cheapest ways to enjoy oysters in Sydney is at the Sydney Fish Markets,where retail oyster prices vary between $1.40 to $2.50 an oyster,depending on the day."Over the past five years they've slowly crept up at about 5 per cent per annum,"says spokesman Alex Stollznow,who recommends taking the oysters down to the beach to kick off a good barbecue.
Corner Pyrmont Bridge Road and Bank Street,Pyrmont;sydneyfishmarket.com.au
$1 Sydney rock oysters atBistrot 916
Hatted Elizabeth Bay restaurantBistrot 916 serves $1 oysters every Friday,Saturday and Sunday from noon to 3pm. Co-founder and sommelier Andy Tyson says the oysters are fresh and high quality,despite the low price. The restaurant boasts a solid relationship with their Sydney rock oyster supplier at Merimbula Creek,allowing them to sell oysters at a slight loss during these periods.
22 Challis Avenue,Elizabeth Bay;bistrot916.com
$2 Sydney rock oysters atMaybe Sammy
The $2 oyster special kicks off every Saturday at award-winning The Rocks cocktail bar Maybe Sammy. Oysters are served with mignonette or lemon and tabasco,and available until sold out. Pair them with a $38 martini trolley (with four mini martinis) for a glam night out.
115 Harrington St,The Rocks;maybesammy.com
$5.50 to $7.50 for a variety of species atPetermen
Diners will be able to order a flight of oysters at Josh and Julie Niland's newest restaurant Petermen,when itopens at St Leonards on Thursday. Niland recommends trying the Sydney rock oysters sourced from Wapengo Rocks,the first certified organic oyster farm in Australia."They tick all the boxes for Sydney audiences to really love because they're sweet,well-rounded and plump,"he says.
66 Chandos Street,St Leonards;petermen.com.au
$6 to $9 for a variety of oyster species atThe Rover
The oyster specials change daily at Surry Hills'seafood bistro The Rover,where head chef Nick Mathieson works with suppliers to bring in everything from Tathra oysters to Royal Miyagi oysters."For good oysters people are happy to pay up to $8 or 9 a pop,"he says."It is a bit steep but how often do you get to experience these special nuggets from the sea?"
75 Campbell Street,Surry Hills;therover.com.au
$13 to $15 jumbo Pacific oyster atXOPP
The live jumbo oysters at Haymarket restaurant XOPP are as large as the palm of your hand,says restaurateur Billy Wong. While they can be cooked to your liking,Wong recommends ordering them steamed with ginger and shallots,then served over rice noodles with XO sauce."They're not something you can just get down at the supermarket,it's something people look forward to experiencing at a restaurant,"he says.
Level M,Shop 31/1 Little Pier Street,Haymarket;xopp.com.au
$195 for omakase and Haku martini atBesuto
A 15-course omakase dinner at Besuto may be your best chance to try the most unusual oyster species available in Sydney. Depending on seasonality,the menu is one of just a few to have featured the wild Belon oysters:10-12 year old oysters that only exists in one reef off the coast of Tasmania,where hand divers harvest a maximum of 20,000 each year."It is coming to the point where oysters are kind of like buying lobster,something you do on a one-off occasion when you go to a restaurant,"chef Joel Best says.
6 Loftus Lane,Sydney;besutosydney.com
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