Sampling V-Shine's Awesome Oyster Menu
By Justine Lopez
In the lower reaches of Sanlitun’s Topwin Center sits a pretty awesome new oyster bar. Of course there’s more to V Shine Oyster Bar than just oysters. It is also a bistro and tapas joint. But, if you ask us, the oysters are where V Shine shines.
It's OK if you're not an oyster aficionado, because the staffers at V Shine go out of their way to explain the differences between the many oysters they have on offer. The even serve up sample plates.
But in case you're looking to expand your oyster knowledge, Lao Ju, co-owner of V Shine, took some time out of his schedule to talk with That's Beijing about all things oysters.
As it turns out, not all oysters are created equal. And if you as Lao, that’s a good thing.
“Every oyster has its own special taste,” he says. “Just choose the one you love. If you have tried different kinds of oysters, keep trying new ones until you find your favorite one.”
Luckily V Shine serves up a wide variety of oysters, so it's easy to sample a bunch of different kinds to find out which flavors please your palate the most.
But in order to give you a better idea of what's going on over at V Shine, we asked Lao to share his knowledge about some of the restaurant's different oysters.
According to Lao, the following oysters start off on the sweeter side and gradually get stronger and more metallic tasting. He suggests that if you’ve never tried oysters before, start with the first ones. But if you’re an oyster veteran, feel free to dig into all five, especially the last one.
1. Black Pearl Oyster
"This type of oyster is sweet and bursting with seawater. It's better that the green hand start with this one."
2. Gillardeau Oyster
"This variety is extremely popular. The Gillardeau oyster is also sweet and has a light, fruity aftertaste."
3. Ancelin Oyster
"These oysters are bursting with crystal-clear seawater. The fresh meat is salty at first but sweet in the end."
4. New Zealand Oyster
"These taste fresh and plump at first – like the tip of the tongue tasting the cold and clear water in Fort Worth Bay."
5. Belon Oyster
"This one is a unique and amazing oyster. It has a strong metallic aftertaste. I recommend pairing them with a white wine."
Read our full review here.
Daily, 10am-1am, B1-11, Topwin Center, 1 Nan Sanlitun Lu, Chaoyang 朝阳区三里屯1号通盈中心B1-11
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