Oyster; I thought the best way was Taiwan-style, i.e., boil with Chinese sauerkraut or sauté with bean curd sauce...yummy. But that was before I had 焼牡蠣(kakiyaki) in Miyajima, Japan. People put palm size oysters on a grill until it simmers(The picture was taken off the internet but it is the same shogudo I went to).. The oyster shell was somewhat burnt when served with rice (OK, who cares about the rice ?). The best part of it is the hot and off-white oyster juice. I still can remember its flavor; seafood freshness with a hint of sweetness....soooouuuuu good. Well, I ordered only 4 to start with but I ended up finishing a dozen. The owner of the restaurant grinned at me when I finished. I left Miyajima thinking that this was it until I come back to Miyajima.

A couple months later, I was in Normandy for a couple of weeks and lived in a chateau. On a weekend, I drove to Cancale, the oyster capital of France ( I remember NY220 introduced this before). Being an oyster lover, I bought two dozens of palm size oysters for 5 Euros each. This was a very good price. Usually, it costs 10-15 Euros per dozen elsewhere in Normandy for large oysters. Fresh seafood must be enjoyed quickly and I finished a dozen of raw ones right there along the jetty with my 1 Euro oyster opener( I did not have a companion like NY220 depicted). The French oysters are actually better than Miyajima’s. The oyster juice is absolutely clear and has this "pure" salty taste. It has the "crispy" feel when chewed. The sweetness taste diffuses into your cheek....yummyyyyy. I drove back to the chateau with another dozen.

The chateau has a grill. I started cooking these large oysters on the grill. At the same time, I was having a Cotes du Rhone. When the off-white oyster juice started simmering, I had my memories of Miyajima came back right to me. Well, my conclusion is : This is the first time a sequel is better than the first one, with Cotes du Rhone. Normandy Kakiyaki, it spells paradise on that afternoon with Cotes du Rhone.