UK Oyster Expedition: Shaka Zula!

Sometimes I find oysters in unusual places. On my recent trip to London, I was anticipating easy access to some European Flats, perhaps the famed Belons from France or those farmed at Kelly Galway Oysters. France and Ireland are nearby, right? I imagined a cozy pub, a pint of Guinness or glass or Sauvignon Blanc, and a dozen gleaming bivalves. But after two strikes—when the local fish market in Cheswick was sold out, and being informed the famed J. Sheekey Oyster Bar was closed for a private party (after spending an hour on the tube to get there)—I saw my oyster options dimming as my departure date crept closer. That’s when my fellow journalist pal Gregory Katz, who resides in London, had a great idea. Why not meet him for some oysters near to where he works in Camden?

That’s how I ended up eating oysters in Shaka Zula, London’s largest South African restaurant (27,000 square feet!) that’s a visual and culinary adventure. This was most definitely the first time I’d eaten oysters in a restaurant with an escalator. And walls of stunning African-inspired carvings. And a statute of some African King. And it’s certainly the only time I’d been in a space blessed by a Zulu King: HRH Goodwill Zwelithini.

Ah, but I’m supposed to be writing about oysters.

More surprises! They didn’t have any European Flats, but instead were offering rock oysters from Cornwall. (I asked the waiter for more details, and I thought he said they came from Fowley Farm. A subsequent internet search makes me guess he said Fowey Farm, as Fowey is a small town at the mouth of the River Fowey in south Cornwall.) Fun Fact: It is believed that oyster fishing has taken place in Cornwall since the earliest trade with the Phoenicians over 2,000 years ago.
 
We had oysters two ways at Shaka Zula, fresh shucked (for me) and baked with plum tomato, shallots, gratineed breadcrumbs and drizzled with a caviar dressing (for Greg).
 
The baked oysters (also served with mussels) were as good as any baked oysters I’ve had, including the always-tasty oysters Bienville as served at Finely J.P.’s in Wellfleet on Cape Cod.

However, “nekkid” is my preferred oyster-eating method, and the freshly-shucked half-shells were my faves. Shaku Zula serves its oysters on a bed of ice with a shallot-caper mignonette. Each is decorated with a bright red burst of avruga caviar and a tiny sprig of green. I loved the way they looked, but after trying one as served I found the roe added sweet and fishy flavors that messed with my pure oyster experience. So I happily picked the plump red morsels off and ate them separately, letting them pop in my mouth as a preview to the main feast.

The shells of these oysters look like prehistoric beasts: Long, gnarly, barnacle-covered, white and green with occasional purplish streaks.  (“They’re called rock oysters because the outside looks like rocks,” said the charming GM, Obi Megafu, who hails from Nigeria.)
 
I’m now a certified fan of Cornwall rock oysters. Plump, meaty, and juicy, they open quiet and mild, then burst with a big salty middle followed by lingering seaweed and marshy finish. At least that was my experience. The seaweedy-ending made me guess they were farmed near a source of fresh water, and it seems I might be right.

To accompany the oysters, Shaka Zulu serves wines from South Africa with many offerings by the glass. (There’s also quite an extensive menu of creative meat and seafood dishes. including wilderbeest, zebra and buffalo. My grilled halibut with Malay spices was perfection.) And, I have to admit, it's a pretty sexy place to indulge in succulent bivalves!
 
P.S. Even though my oyster adventures in the UK were limited, I’d love to return and taste more oysters from the region—perhaps some of the varieties described by Taste Club in the UK. I also learned there’s a Rock Oyster Festival in the summer in Cornwall that involves oyster eating, live music, circus acts, kids’ entertainment, alternative performing arts, a shopping bazaar, and—oh yay!—a shucking competition.