Upon starting theoysterblog, we discovered there was a group of New York City Foodies who shared our passion for oysters. They had organized to form the New York City Oyster Lovers Meet Up. And once a month, the group comes together to enjoy eachother’s company, meet new friends, and of course eat oysters. We immediately signed up and RSVPed yes to the next event; which was a dinner, hosted by renowned Chef Cyril Renaud at his restaurant Bar Breton.

For two people who usually prefer their oysters raw and in their natural state, we could not have been more impressed with Chef Renaud’s creations. The dinner, specifically catered to the group, consisted of four courses, each using a different type of oyster. The preparations were tailored in a way that the identity of the main ingredient was never lost, but rather amplified. And we simply could not get enough!

The meal began with a Trio of Oysters. The first was the Pipe Cove Oyster with apple and rose wine mignonette and pink peppercorn. For the second he used a Kumamoto oyster prepared with smoked salmon, horseradish and caviar topped with passion fruit ice foam. Just the mere beauty of this dish took our breath away. And for the third it was an Olympia oyster with sea urchin, foie gras and prune consommé. That combination of ingredients was a party in our mouths. All three oysters were outstanding, each toppling the other in the intensity of flavor and creativity.

For the second course, Chef Renaud served a Roasted Pacific Oyster with porcini powder in a four mushroom milk soup with nutmeg. This dish was simply incredible. We loved it so much, we asked the chef to consider putting it on his regular menu. Fingers crossed!

The meal continued with the third course. A butter lemon poached Mattaki oyster Rockefeller prepared with parsley, scallion, celery branch puree, bacon tuile, and licorice root powder all covered with bacon crème foam. This was definitely like no oyster Rockefeller we have ever had before.

For the fourth and final course, the Chef served a Shioguku Oyster. This oyster is exquisite on its own, but the Chef Renaud took it to a whole other level. It came engulfed in a polenta cake placed on top of roasted butternut squash, encircled by a port wine sauce and topped with a coconut foam. Absolutely extraordinary! Unlike the three pervious courses that were on the lighter side, this dish was more substantial and concluded the tasting menu perfectly.

And to complete our meal, Pastry Chef Lindsey served a Homemade Pumpkin pie, which was utterly delicious. The perfect sweet ending to our savory oyster dinner.

This is definitely a meal we will always remember. Chef Renaud is simply a genius in his culinary innovations. We can’t wait to go back to Bar Breton.

Bar Breton
250 5th Ave
New York, NY 10001
(212) 213-5539