Oysters gets Beard endorsement

Greer Wylder

Chef Scott Brandon’s Asian-inspired cuisine at Oysters Restaurant is

so provoking that it recently captured the attention of a James Beard

Foundation committee member who dined at Oysters.

The foundation member raved about the food, then personally

invited Brandon to cook at the James Beard House, the country’s only

historic culinary center, in New York. The foundation offers culinary

artists scholarships, educational opportunities and it also serves as

a resource for the culinary industry.

Nearly 100 guests enjoyed Brandon’s dinner in early January. Now

Brandon has cooked in the same league (kitchen) as some of the

country’s top culinary talents, including Daniel Boulud, Suzanne

Goin, Emeril Lagasse, Nobu Matsuhisa, Jacques Pepin, Douglas

Rodriguez, Susan Spicer and Charlie Trotter.

Brandon’s talents are remarkable and enviable. He’s self-taught

and never attended culinary arts school. It’s hard to believe, but

Brandon doesn’t get ideas from cookbooks, cooking shows or food

magazines, Oysters co-owner Cary Redfearn said. He’s gifted with his

own culinary imagination.

“He’s incredibly creative,” Redfearn said. “He can tweak a few

ingredients, and suddenly has wonderful Asian-flavored dishes.”

Redfearn said his dishes aren’t anything you’d expect to find at

typical Japanese or Chinese restaurants. He’ll take a classic Italian

dish, bruschetta con le fave (fava bean toasts) and put his own Asian

take on it, pureeing edamame in favor of fava beans. The result is

one of the popular appetizers, truffle and edamame crostini, shaved

Reggiano Parmigian, white truffle oil and toasted ciabatta ($9)

Brandon mixes unusual and common ingredients, with subtle and

intense flavors. He frequents his favorite Asian market, 99 Ranch

Market on Culver Drive in Irvine, to buy specialty produce, like

tatsoi (baby spinach); enoki mushrooms and togarashi, small, hot, red

Japanese chiles. They even have four to five varieties of bok choy.

Brandon relies on two suppliers for fresh fish selections. Like every

other restaurant, Alaskan king crab, calamari and shrimp are frozen

-- the rest is fresh.

“We have a very small freezer,” Redfearn said. “And our meats come

from the best meat company this side of the Mississippi-Newport Meat

Co.”

Oysters Restaurant has turned the tide since it first debuted 15

years ago. Its lustrous metamorphoses emerged from serving simple,

grilled fresh seafood with side dishes, then to composed seafood

dishes.

“It’s evolved over the years,” says Redfearn. “What we set out to

do isn’t exactly what we have today.”

The changes have been good ones. The independent bistro is an

inviting change from Orange County’s prolific big-name restaurant

chains. Its decor resembles a major-city restaurant, something

straight out of San Francisco.

The entrance features one of the best design souvenirs from the

1920s, white and black hexagonal tiles, that can bring any room right

back to that period. Acquiring the historic bar was a major find for

the restaurant. The bar, built in 1902, migrated here from the

legendary Pump Room Restaurant in the deluxe Ambassador East Hotel in

Chicago. The beautiful Brunswick bar, made of rich mahogany and

cherry wood, features intricate moldings, three arches, and mirrors.

It houses a collection of premium spirits and serves as a relaxing

gathering place for locals. It was once Chicago’s celebrity hangout.

There are practically three environments here within one building.

There’s the active bar room with live jazz or piano, the main dining

room situated close to the bar and the quieter garden room.

On the seasonal menu, the Kung Pao calamari appetizer is most

requested, yet there are 14 other great selections. For oyster

connoisseurs, there are fresh oysters, including Fanny Bay from

British Columbia, and from Puget Sound, Hama Hama, Hood Canel and

Kumamoto oysters. Oyster samplers (two of each) are $16. The oyster

Tom Kha soup combines freshly shucked oysters poached in Thai curry

coconut and lemongrass broth with Asian vegetable brunoise ($9).

There’s a light, grilled pear salad with endive, frisee and

tatsoi; Cabrales bleu cheese, almonds and shoyu (soy sauce) dressing

($9). From the seafood selections, two outstanding choices include

the incredibly thick-cut swordfish that’s marinated in honey and

soy-ginger, and then oak-grilled, served over braised shiitake

mushrooms with baby bok choy. It comes with Thai jasmine rice and

soy-mirin (sweet rice wine) butter ($27).

The flat, iron-seared Hawaiian ahi is first marinated in

ginger-mirin, then seared rare, with jasmine-nori (paper-thin, dried

seaweed) rice. It comes with spinach and soy-chile glaze ($26). From

the steaks and chops selections, choose from wood-fired prime filet

mignon. It’s marinated in ginger togarashi and served with wasabi

panko fries, crisp asparagus spears and a soy-citrus demiglaze ($28).

And, there are the special plum wine-braised Angus beef short ribs,

with roasted Yukon gold potatoes, Maui onions, slow cooked greens and

shiitake mushrooms ($26).

Dessert choices include ginger and five-spice shortcake with wild

berries, Meyer lemon curd, ginger-whipped cream ($8); Fuji apple and

cranberry cobbler, served with vanilla bean gelato ($8); and a trio

of sorbets with fresh fruit ($9). Oysters’ signature cappuccino comes

with tropical liqueurs mixed with house blend espresso, steamed milk

and foam ($8).

Oysters is proud of its prestigious wine award from the Wine

Spectator. It’s one of 500 chosen in the world to receive the “Best

of Award of Excellence” for its wine selections. Because of the

restaurant’s age -- they’ve collected wines for 15 years -- they have

access to hard-to-find allocated wines. A great wine bargain is

offered on Sundays through June 1, from the regular wine list --

bottles are half-off. More than 120 bottles make up that list.

Oysters’ co-owners also have other restaurants and businesses.

Walt and Mona Babcock own Babcock Vineyards in Santa Ynez and Walt’s

Wharf on Main Street in Seal Beach. Cary Redfearn just opened Oceans

33 at the Shops at Mission Viejo.

Happy hour is from 4 to 6 p.m. daily. Live jazz or piano begins at

6 p.m.

* BEST BITES runs every Friday. Greer Wylder can be reached at

greerwylder@yahoo.com; at 330 W. Bay St., Costa Mesa, CA 92627; or by

fax at (949) 646-4170.