World Champion ‘Shucker Paddy’ PIИK OYSTER Popup
The PIИK OYSTER – the exclusive 11-seat oyster degustation experience located in the Long Bar at the Waldorf Astoria Shanghai on the Bund – is always a treat for all the senses.
Yet, surely this week they have found their perfect partner in Patrick McMurray, or ‘Shucker Paddy’ – the moniker by which he is known to the world.
For he is quite the legend.
After honing his skills for a number of years, in 2002 McMurray became the first – and to date only – Canadian to win the World Championships of Oyster Opening in Galway, Ireland.
From there, he didn’t look back, as the Guinness World Records show – McMurray currently holds three world records for shucking oysters: 39 in one minute; 1,114 in one hour; and 8,840 in one hour as part of Team Canada.
He once took on Gordon Ramsey in a shucking contest, Shucker Paddy giving Ramsey an absolute shellacking.
Impressive statistics. But McMurray is far more than just his numbers; he is also a rapturous storyteller, or seanchaí as he likes to refer to himself – Gaelic storytellers who were the definition of entertainment in ancient Ireland, holding the key to all folklore, myth, and legend.
As one of the world’s foremost oyster experts, McMurray is an ambassador of oyster culture, bringing his culinary adventures to the PIИK OYSTER ‘stage,’ as he regales diners with anecdotes, expert insights, and a healthy dose of humor – all while serving up oyster after oyster after delicious seafood dish.
Central to the ‘show’ is the concept of merroir – a portmanteau of terroir and mer, the French word for sea; as filter feeders, oysters taste like what they eat, while the sea water, currents, tides, temperature, algae, rainfall, season, and location all play their part in the nuanced flavors you taste in each bivalve.
It is a personalized dining experience, blending the distinct flavors of the Atlantic and Pacific with the captivating stories behind McMurray’s culinary journey along Canada’s picturesque coasts.
It all kicks off with the Amuse, a ‘caviar kissed’ Kumamoto Oyster from British Columbia, which Shucker Paddy strongly advocates is consumed using the ‘slurp and bump’ method – warming the caviar to body temperature on your hand to bring out the taste, slurping down the oyster, and then finishing off with the warmed, flavorsome salty roe.
On the imbibing front, the Long Bar team at Waldorf Astoria have curated an exquisite selection of wines, while Shucker Paddy has thrown in some cocktails that reflect his personality and story.
The Amuse course is served with a classic Canadian Caesar cocktail, a Bloody Mary made with clamato juice – tomato juice, clam juice, and spices – served in a Montreal steak spice rimmed glass.
“The right beverage can truly elevate an oyster’s unique essence,” enthuses McMurray.
Next up, Welcome to Canada, a trio of SunSeeker British Columbia Oysters served up in three different styles: one with a mignonette of maple, red wine vinegar, chopped shallots and apples; one roasted with a maple-miso glaze…
… and the final one theatrically cedar smoked in la cloche.
Next up, the pun-tastically named Shuckuterie, another trio of dishes, including a tuna and oyster tartare and sliver of geoduck.
The latter takes its name from the Lushootseed language of the Nisqually Tribe; meaning ‘dig deep,’ that is exactly what you have to do if you want to harvest one of these mollusks, found as they are nestled beneath the sand on the subtidal beaches of the Pacific Northwest.
Also in the Shuckuterie is a butter poached spot prawn, alongside pink salmon belly cured in oyster liquor…
… and a generous portion of sea urchin.
This course is served with the ‘James Bond made famous’ Vesper Martini, but made with gin and vodka infused with algae, giving the drink a green tint and subtle hint of the sea, in keeping with the journey.
Shucker Paddy fully encourages foraging in the infusion bowl for what booze-soaked morsels remain, in order to elevate your buzz.
McMurray’s Dungeness Crab Salad sees pickled oyster mushrooms and sea greens, while the crab is binded in a lemon aioli made from emulsified oysters.
A bonus course split pea soup with lardons
The East Coast Lobster Supper is an homage to North America’s eastern seaboard, with a butter poached half lobster supplemented with a mussel, clam and Fanny Bay Oyster, while the fries are playfully topped with a lobster poutine – that most Canadian of Canadian dishes.
McMurray’s take on a Turf & Surf sees Montreal steak spice seasoned ribeye alongside a smoked sablefish that has been bathed in oyster butter.
Sorry – It’s the End features a final Canadian classic, the beloved Maple Butter Tart dessert given the Shucker Paddy treatment with flaked oyster salt.
It is served alongside – what else from this proud member of the Irish diapora – a creamy Irish Coffee that slips down just as easily as all those oysters.
The Patrick ‘Shucker Paddy’ McMurray show is only in town until Sunday, so if you want to join him on his culinary journey, and hear a whole load more oyster anecdotes, get your PIИK OYSTER seat booked now.
A Culinary Journey Along the Canadian CoastDates: October 29 to November 3
Time: 5.30pm & 7.30pm
Reservations: Call +86 (0)21-6322-9988, visit www.waldorfastoriashanghai.com
Address: Long Bar, Waldorf Astoria, 2 Zhongshan Dong Yi Lu, by Yan’an Dong Lu 中山东一路2号， 近延安东路
[All images courtesy of Waldorf Astoria Shanghai on the Bund]
