Merchants Oyster Bar, a cozy new oyster bar on Commercial Drive, will seem familiar to some. That’s because it’s the sister restaurant of Cork in Fin in Gastown. Similar in concept and design, the menu is a bit different. From when I walked in to when I left, the service was warm and helpful.
Our server Doug was very knowledgeable, he knew exactly how our food was cooked to where it was sourced. I love that, we’ve all been to restaurants where servers weren’t sure of the ingredients in the dishes they were serving, embarrassing.
My main take away from my experience at Merchants Oyster Bar, was that their ingredients were fresh and every dish was prepared with care. Their dishes were simple and on the lighter side and, it suited me just fine.
Starting with raw oysters, of course we had to order oysters it’s an oyster bar. It was fresh and absolutely scrumptious. I love oysters of any kind, so I could be bias.
Baked truffle oysters were amazing. My eyes actually rolled when I popped it into my mouth, I absolutely recommend the baked oysters. There are other styles, miso baked oysters was good but, the truffle was excellent.
Flat Iron Steak, butter poached with potatoes.
The cooking method was interesting, I forgot the term. They submerge the vacuum bagged steak in water in controlled temp water, ensuring that the meat is evenly cooked throughout. You can tell how evenly cooked it is by the edges of the steak and, how it is still pink to the very edge.
Pomme Au Gratin, not as heavy as traditional French gratins but still creamy.
Bison Tartare, cornichon, homemade mustard, a simple flavored dish.
Pork belly with Provencal salad. I would have liked a bit more flavor to the pork belly. Overall this was a nice light dish. Usually I don’t associate pork belly with refreshing but with the combination of the light flavors from the salad this is a good summer dish.
Roasted Bone Marrow with parsley salad was delicious! I could eat this all day.
Overall, it was a generally nice experience. I would definitely go back again.
