Bao_Therapy

One of the best parts of living in Hamburg is that you can get fresh seafood of many kinds. But the interesting thing is: many Germans don’t enjoy eating anything „fishy,“ „shrimpy,“ or simply „tasting like the sea.“ Setting that fact aside, I found by chance an amazing seafood vendor who specializes in anything with a shell, especially oysters – „AusterRegion“ (Oyster Region).

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Let’s have a quick overview of AusterRegion:

• Food Review:
  • Price range: from 4€ / per piece (We bought „Irish Oyster“ / 5€ per piece)
  • Size of oyster meat: approx. 7 x 3 x 2 (thickness) cm (if that’s how you can measure the size of an oyster?)
  • Overall taste: VERY juicy & smooth (in Mandarin: 鮮嫩多汁), ocean-like saltiness but has a bit of sweetness. And good texture (if you know what a good oyster tastes like)
  • Rating (out of 5 🥟): 4.5 🥟
  • Repurchase intention (out of 5 🥟): 4.5 🥟 (for a treat-yourself-occasion is a perfect choice. And you don’t need much of it)

• Vendor Information:
  • Opening time & Location: Friday 08:30-14:00 Isemarkt & Saturday 09:30-15:00 Marie-Jonas-Platz
  • Dine-in: At the market stand, there is some standing tables for immediate consumption (and yes they prepare the oysters for you to just slurp in)

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As a Taiwanese, I grew up eating all kinds of seafood and am still a big fan of it. I’d say l’ve tried quite a lot of oysters in different styles – from pure fresh meat, Japanese fried oyster (Kaki Furai), to the famous Taiwanese “Oyster Omelette（蚵仔煎）“made with juicy local small oysters. My personal favourite is undoubtedly the omelette, as it has too many personal strings attached, but my second favourite is actually a nice piece of fresh oyster meat, as you can just taste the complex „ocean“ flavour in one slurp (not even a bite).

The Irish oyster from AusterRegion is simply a delight for any oyster lover or amateur. According to their website description, this species takes at least 3 years to fully develop its flavour and shape, using a very specific method called the „Claire System“, which seems to be another fancy French term to impress any non-French speaking person who struggles to pronounce any French word except Louis Vuitton and Hermés. But when you consider the time it takes to grow them to ready-to-eat condition, the €5 price tag suddenly becomes more acceptable 🧐.

In addition to various types of oysters, they also sell other kinds of seafood such as scallops, seaweed, caviar and more. The range varies depending on the season They have 4 key promises: freshness, seasonality / product variety, hand-picked seafood, and only selling environmentally friendly species. It’s not uncommon for small business start-ups to aspire to be a more sustainable brand and environmentally conscious. I certainly hope they deliver on their promise and brand just looks cool, especially the packaging design – fun, bold illustrative elements. What is not to love?