Oyster Express

The Atmosphere:
Oysters. In Chinatown. What?! If you have lived in Vancouver for more than five years and someone tells you to hit up an oyster bar, the immediate answer will be Rodney's Oysters; now try directing them to Chinatown and they will give you a rather peculiar stare, like trying to convince someone that the best place for a five star meal is your local McDonalds... This was my exact reaction when my aunt took me here the very first time (I have already been to this oyster bar several times since the writing of this food bite, but I had never given it a proper review yet), and man was I wrong.

The outside of Oyster Express is dingy, gloomy, even drab sometimes on the sunniest of days, which does not exactly give this place a welcoming first glance; but as soon as you walk in you are greeted with a completely different atmosphere, stepping into the wardrobe and walking into Narnia. Now don't get me wrong, I am not saying that the inside is lined with gold and filled with magic; what I am trying to convey is that you will feel like home the moment you step inside, heated with an electric fireplace and dimly lit with several pendant lights hanging from the ceiling.

The Food:
Before I get into the obvious culprit here, let me touch base on the selection of goodies they offer other than natures' natural aphrodisiac.

There are many restaurants out there that have one featured item on their menu that brings in the crowd, and then fill up the rest of the space with mediocre items that could be done without, but this is not one of those places. Oyster Express offers a small medley of treats that may entice individuals who may not have a strong affinity to oysters, ranging from steamed mussels, a fish/Manhattan style chowder, and even (honestly, my personal favourite other than the oysters) a grilled cheez (yes this is how they spell it) sandwich. The mussels are great with the bread they provide, the chowders are chock full of fresh ingredients, and the grilled cheez (yes I will continue to spell cheese in this fashion) is just... Go there and order it.

The oysters. Where do I begin? Well for starters I will start by saying that I am no expert when it comes to oysters, but when I do go for oysters I still try to follow some guidelines, or areas of focus that I think should not be compromised; the quality of the shuck, the quality of the oyster itself, and how wide a variety of oysters the restaurant provides. I'm going to keep it simple here: not once have I bit into a chunk of shell stuck to the oyster, I have opted to not use any sauces because the oyster itself already provides such intense flavours (ranging from salty, sweet, and/or creamy depending on which oyster being consumed), and Oyster Express provides one of the widest selection of oysters I have ever seen at an oyster bar in Lower Mainland.

I would say a picture is worth a thousand words (pardon my use of a cliché here), but my subpar camera phone does not do the quality of the oysters justice; you really just need to physically go there and try it for yourself.

Overall:
Part of what makes Oyster Express an amazing experience are the people who run the show. Shawn and Gary are some of the nicest people I have met running a restaurant, and their knowledge of the craft shines through as they explain each oyster in great detail, time and time again when bringing them to your table. I feel that I am sounding quite biased so far, so if I were to throw in one caveat, I would say that they could increase their selection of liquor that is available. It is quite a limited list at this given time, with only a choice of two draft beers (the rest are bottled), and only a handful of wines to pick from. For the record, after speaking with Gary tonight he mentioned that it is a work in progress and they are looking at bringing in more draft selections, so that's a plus.

Final Thoughts:
There is a hidden gem in Chinatown on the corner of Gore and Keefer; go to Oyster Express, enjoy some oysters (they even have buck-a-shuck deals during the week), have a great time, and go back for more.

- Malffej

From my "food bite" on my blog: http://ffejiebytes.com/2013/12/01/food-bites-oyster-express/

On a quick two day road trip to Vancouver and wishing to try some oysters we went to Yelp and based on positive reviews we chose to try Oyster Express. Most easy to find and great parking close at hand
The owner came to greet us and most friendly and went thru the oyster lineup of what on hand
Went with his choice of Apex, one I had never heard of but found them most excellent Full of flavor and just a great oyster taste. We loved them and ordered a second go around
Also had the yam fries, thin like i prefer and more than good. Also had a half order of fried oysters and again a real hit. The iced tea we had was especially delicious
Cute and cozy room, not large by any means and most comfortable
When leaving Vancouver the next on the way home to USA we were fairly close by and what the heck we motored over and partook of another dozen Apex. Again the owner greeted us and we had a nice chat
So if you happen to be in Vancouver and have a craving for great oysters you cannot go wrong by stopping and eating at Oyster Express


Jim at Maplelag in Minnesota

Mom and Pop joint that opens almost daily from 4pm to 8pm. Love that they have Happy Hour prices from 4pm to 7pm. Happy Hour oysters rotates daily and are for $2.50 each.

Boyfriend promised me oysters this past weekend and we ordered a dozen of the daily specials - local Sunseeker oysters. They were delicious and we ended up getting half a dozen more plus the fried oysters.

Cute small joint with fresh oyster and good sauces!

Came here for Happy Hour the other night with my friend and ordered a dozen oysters at $2.50 each to split. They were delicious. I hear oysters are in season (fall/winter), which may be why they were so tasty...super fresh, briney, with a hint of salt.

Also ordered yam fries, which arent totally my favourite, a bit soft but still tasty.

The husband and wife operation was friendly and the quaint little tables make the place quite welcoming.

I believe Happy Hour runs from 4-7pm. The location, tucked away in Chinatown, makes it a hidden gem. We'll be back!

Simple go-to place for oysters. I walked in a few times and always got a seat right away. I wouldn't recommend for a large group because it's a small venue.

They know their oysters and will give you recommendations if needed (size, texture, brine, finish). They always have one on special all day so no happy hour nonsense. Just go before 8pm (when they close).

I went for three kinds of fresh ones and the fried one, the two on special and a medium size one. The effingham was perfect size, plump and creamy, clean finish. The okeover was salty, more flavorful but smaller. The gorge Inlet was a good size. I preferred the effingham but we all have different tastes.

Spicy Ceasar was on special for $10, also delicious. I should come more often.

Coziest little oyster bar ever! I don't know if it seats more than a dozen people, but I am glad I was one of them last week. Top class fresh oysters, usually 6-7 varieties to choose from.
The raw shucked are outstanding - the shucker is a master. We had 2 dozen raw and each was a work of shucking art - each oyster perfectly separated from its shell, undamaged in any way. And with the liquor intact. Every single one. That is some skill. Oh, and the homemade chili-vodka condiment is excellent.

The fried oysters were big meaty west coasters, perfectly crispy, juicy.

I want to go back with a bigger group, so we can try them all.
Big thanks to the owners - such nice people

My husband and I were visiting Vancouver and I was craving oysters. I saw this place on yelp and said we had to go. I'm so glad we did! The restaurant is small, but still provided a nice ambiance. They have a very limited menu so I see this as more of a light meal before you head out for a concert/show/the night rather than a main dinner. There was only one server who may also be the owner. She was super friendly and very knowledgeable about the oysters they were serving that day. We tried all of them and found some new favorites. We would have gone again, but ran out of time on our trip. Definitely stop by and give this place a try. We got there just after opening and it was a rainy day so there was no wait for seats during the whole time we were there, but there was a moment where there were only 4 seats left so it can fill up fast. We did meet some regulars who kept raving about the restaurant. We also ordered some chicken wings and local beers which were also delicious!

This place was so good! We love oysters and try to eat them in every city we visit. The attention to detail at Oyster Express is incredible. The shucking is a deceptively complicated part of the whole experience, and Sean did an excellent job. Service was great, non invasive but attentive. Minimalist but fun ambiance. Run don't walk, these guys are killing the game.

Love this mom and pop shop - a little gem in Chinatown. The owners here are super friendly and make you feel at home.

The selection is great! The oysters are super refreshing especially during the summer time heat. We got one of each from the happy hour menu and they did not disappoint!

The oils and condiments that they had also elevated the flavors of the oyster without masking it, which was a nice touch. Recommend to try!

Delicious oysters!

As the restaurant name suggests, this place is all about oysters. There aren't too many choices otherwise but if you're a fan of them, you'll enjoy this restaurant.

There are two oyster specials each day, a cheaper one and a premium one. We mainly ordered the cheap one (Nanoon Bay) but also got some premium (kusshi) and some varieties on the larger list. My favorites were the pink pearls, so clean and sweet tasting!

Every oyster was shucked well (no shell fragments)! Mignonettes and sauces were available right at the table which was convenient. There was a vodka pepper sauce that *lowkey* got my fiancé very drunk so just remember, it's straight up vodka lol.

The restaurant is very quaint but cozy. Had a handful of beer options that are listed on the board. Service was super nice and very knowledgeable. A must visit for oysters in Vancouver!

Small little spot in Chinatown. Couldn't seem to make it here in time for happy hour but don't worry, even if you miss the 5-7 window you only have to pay 40cents more for the daily special oysters.

All the oysters were super fresh and shucked to order. Came with variety of sauces including cocktail, vinegar, vodka, and horseradish. I think it tasted great with just a spritz of lemon. They also have $5 beer specials.

Service was very friendly and attentive. Might be hard to get a table during happy hour so come early. The space was small but literally emptied out right after 7.