From Farm to Table — Oysters

Hong Kong’s local oysters mostly come from Lau Fau Shan in western Yuen Long.  The second generation owner of oyster farm Chan Cheung Kee decided to satisfy the palate of oyster lovers by opening the Best Oyster Noodle restaurant in Prince Edward.  The oysters served at Best Oyster Noodle are sourced only from Joey’s family-run oyster farm in Lau Fau Shan.

Lau Fau Shan receives fresh water from the Pearl River Delta.  Where sea water meets fresh water, oysters can grow.  As such, Lau Fau Shan once had a vibrant seafood trade, and its oysters were particularly famous.

Chan Cheung Kee has had fifty years of experience as an oyster farm.  Joey told us that the farm only supplies to Hong Kong’s restaurants on a wholesale basis.  Furthermore, the farm specializes in dried oysters, a standard item on Hong Kong’s Chinese New Year menu.  To be able to taste the fresh oysters from Chan Cheung Kee, the only way is to visit Best Oyster Noodle.

Like all food, oysters are seasonal.  They are the best between November and April each year.  On this October day we came at the low season for oysters.  As such, some key items that we wanted to try were not available.  We could still pick out a few sought-after items though.  My friend ordered oyster in congee.  I ordered the set menu of oyster pancake with scallop and shrimp in rich shrimp-based soup.

I took some of my friend’s congee and I thought it was good.  To make oyster congee, the oysters have to be small – that is how their sweetest taste will come out in the congee.  The congee was tasty.  Since all the big oysters were out of season, and so we could not have their fresh oyster noodles.

My shrimp and scallop noodle in rich shrimp soup was very good.  I thought their generous use of scallion and parsley really brought out the strength of seafood-based soup.  However, because my friend tasted my noodle first, the congee that she had after tasted bland according to her.  I am sure it was because of the richness of the shrimp soup base that overwhelmed the relatively light-flavored oyster congee.

My oyster pancake was tasty, although perhaps more oysters would make it even better.  Again, small oysters are for the pancakes.  What makes this pancake special, as compared to what we usually have at Chiu Chow restaurants, is that Joey uses duck eggs instead of regular eggs in the batter.  Furthermore, this pancake was half pan-fried and half fried.  As such the texture was a nice balance between crispiness and chewiness.

Golden oysters were also available on the menu but we did not order that.  Joey told us that the golden oysters were dried for just 2 to 3 days under the sun.  Therefore it preserves the juice of the oyster but with a slight sun-dried saltiness.  I am certain that we will try it next time.

We would have loved to try the oyster in pepper soup, the oyster in noodle soup and the pan fried oysters.  These dishes require large oysters, which mature beginning in November each year.

The restaurant is very small and so expect some wait at peak hours.  We went just before lunch hour started, and so we had a small table to ourselves, and lots of chat time with Joey.

Best Oyster Noodle

Address: Shop C&D, Cheong Ling Mansion, 258-260 Sai Yeung Choi Street South, Prince Edward.

Sources:

Chats with Joey at Best Oyster Noodle

Weekend HK, The First Oyster Noodle in Prince Edward (Chin) September 23, 2020

The Wikipedia on Lau Fau Shan