I read somewhere that Parisians are the World’s largest consumer of fresh oysters. So I would not let go any opportunity to eat oysters in the city of lights.
Located in the heart of the famous Rue du Marché Saint-Honoré, L’écume Saint Honoré promises a taste of the ocean with a delectable assortment of seafood. At one end of the space lobsters, crabs, scallops, mussels and clams rest on crates of seaweed or crushed ice. The other half of the restaurant is lined with several wooden tables and chairs to enjoy freshly-shucked bivalves. The sound of seagulls are the background score of your visit.
With its appearance in the book of the great chef Alain Ducasse “J’aime Paris”, this charming restaurant is firmly established as one of the essential addresses of the capital for its saveurs iodées, literally “iodised (salty) flavours”, a French term of endearment for everything from the sea.
After you have made your choices, an iron bucket is placed on the table for you to dispose the shell. The French are so passionate about their oysters, they consume more of the hard-shelled delicacies than they export. Along with enjoying the taste of an oyster, there’s a type of French “etiquette” about oyster eating.
Oysters range in sizes from 1 to 6 or 7. Size One is the largest, yet the lowest in the taste “pecking order.” How should you eat a freshly shucked oyster? Heated debate centres around this question: swallowed whole or chewed first? No oyster aficionado would forego the subtle flavours (nut or cucumber, depending on the season) released when gently chewed.
North American tradition of adding horseradish or hot sauce is considered tantamount to manslaughter (or “oysterslaughter”). French restaurants offer the option of adding a few drops of lemon or shallot vinegar, which will not detract from the natural flavours. Lemon originally was used to check if the oyster was alive; if alive, it ‘cringes’ when the juice is applied.
Unbeknownst to many, oysters were a staple food for many civilisations such as the Romans, native Americans, and even New Yorkers back in the 1800s. Interestingly enough, unlike most foods that have increased in consumption over time (such as beef or pork), the consumption of oysters decreased over time – the normal individual today eats fewer oysters than he would have a few centuries ago.
We tried every type of oysters on offer and also a serving of clams. Belons No.00, fines de claires No.2, Gillardeau N.2 and N.3, all very good. Unlike in Singapore, the liquor in the oysters was kept. Only one out of all these oysters we have eaten was bad, and it was promptly replaced with a new one.
Les oursins or sea urchins are not available in the summer (May to October) because it is their reproduction season. Luckily for us, we were in Paris at the start of autumn and they just came on the market. Sea urchins are usually opened with scissors and eaten feet first in the water. To remove the impurities surrounding the gonads (the orange colour reproductive glands), the sea urchins are shaken firmly. These ‘sea chestnuts’ are traditionally eaten plain, without adding any sauce.
The gonads inside the sea urchin is scooped out with a small spoon and eaten. The exceptionally full-bodied umami taste is accompanied by mineral, sweet and slightly salty aromas reminiscent of the sea. The texture is extremely soft and literally melts on the tongue. But the quality and taste cannot be comparable to the Japanese version, primarily because of the processing that is done with Japanese uni.
King scallops became the symbol of the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela, which in French is ‘Saint Jacques de Compostelle’. Pilgrims collected them on the beaches of Galicia and proudly brought them home as proof of their journey. Hence, scallops are called Saint Jacques in French. Sliced and served as sashimi with soy sauce and wasabi.
Chilled tiger prawns, always delicious.
While they have a hot kitchen, don’t expect Michelin standards here. The escargot was OK at best, and I just need something hot after all those cold seafood. If only there was some warm baguette to dip in the minty garlic oil.
L’écume Saint Honoré is opened from Tuesday to Saturday. Professionals and connoisseurs themselves, the fishermen of the poissonerie/huîtrerie will be able to advise you on the source of your seafood platter, the choice of your fish and its accompaniment, as well as the wine that will complement your choice. Pricey (the meal costed 255,50€), but everything was very good and probably not all that expensive considering the location.
L’écume Saint Honoré
6 Rue du Marché Saint-Honoré, Paris, 75001, France
Tel : +33 (01) 42 61 93 87
Visited Oct 2024
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