Demun Oyster Bar

Unfortunately, this restaurant has closed.

I finally got to go to the Demun Oyster Bar for the first time thanks to a STLwinegirl Traveling Table event there after passing by it a few times on my way to Sasha’s Wine Bar. Even though the place is small, with an equally small kitchen, I was very impressed with the large, half circle bar surrounding the tray of oysters on ice.

The main thing that surprises me about oysters is that there are so many kinds! I guess I am naïve from living in the Midwest? The chalkboard on one wall lists the different types available along with their prices. On that night we started with a Mirada Oyster, which was paired with a Brut sparkling wine. Since oysters have such a slimy texture, it’s good to have the proper seasoning or drink to help wash them down.

Unfortunately, I’m not sure if the kitchen was able to handle serving a large party because the next course took a while to come out and one lonely oyster wasn’t quite enough as a starter, but I do admit that the Scallop, Lobster, and Asparagus Gratin was amazing. It came out in a small dish like a stew and the bread crumbs covered the huge chunks of seafood. The only problem is that it was so hot, I almost burned my mouth and I had to cut the chunks of lobster to get them to bite size pieces.

This is definitely something that should be on the menu, although at the appropriate size and temperature. I almost forgot about the wine since the seafood took away all the attention, but I was just happy to have a crisp Chenin Blanc from Vouvray, France to help cool me down. The flavors were very subtle to allow the fish to stand out.

I actually enjoyed the Snapper en Papiollote even more although I had never seen a dish come out in parchment before! It was much like unwrapping a present since the package contained another stew-like collection of seafood: a filet of snapper, clams, and mussels along with saffron and confit potatoes. This was paired with a Rose of Syrah from Chile, which had a little too much bite to it since the snapper was so light, but at the same time it did help cut the grease of the potatoes and the buttery flavor of the clams and mussels.

Unfortunately, I had to miss out on the dessert course but the pairing sounded wonderful: Grand Marnier Cheesecake Napolean with a Sauternes from Bordeaux, France.

Resources:

Demun Oyster Bar = http://www.facebook.com/demunoysterbar

STLwinegirl = http://www.stlwinegirl.com