Rock On The Knysna Oyster

I fell in love with Knysna in 1964. I came to live here in 1983. But it wasn’t until 1984 that I realised just why this place was so special to me.

It was the 25 cent oyster that made it so.

I remember it clearly: we bought a hundred of them and took them to the lawn of Noel’s house on Cearn Drive, Leisure Island, on New Year’s Day 1984, and we scoffed them with champagne and orange juice while we watched the passing parade, the boats on the river, and The Heads in the background.

And I thought: “Yep, this is the way I want to live.”

Since then, oysters have punctuated every important event, every celebration - and not a few poignant wakes - of my life in Knysna.

And while they’re not 25 cents each any more (but what is?), it’s good to know that they’re still here. Even if the Knysna Oyster Company’s tumble-down farm sheds (remember them?) and the Oyster Tavern on Thesen Island have gone forever (after 60 years, its lease ran out), the Knysna Oyster Company lives on at the water-side Oystercatcher Restaurants in Knysna and Port Elizabeth.

And this is good news for the tourism industry - and especially for tour guides and tour operators - because both shops have products that you, the operator, can use, and both have dedicated staff who understand your needs.

THE OYSTERCATCHER, KNYSNA
If you’re an old friend of Knysna you’ll remember the Jetty Tapas   (hell, even some people who’ve never been to Knysna remember the Jetty Tapas) - which was an institution in its day and a favourite eating, drinking and meeting place. It burned down about 10 years ago, and its regulars held a wake for it at - you guessed it - The Oystercatcher.

And they’ve been partying there ever since, which means that you can safely visit The Oystercatcher if you’re looking for an authentic Knysna experience. (Sunday afternoons here have become something of an institution of their own with live music rocking the crowds ‘til 6:00 p.m.)

For tour operators, it offers oyster tastings and set menus with (obviously) a definite seafood bias, although meat dishes - like chicken kebabs or rump steaks - are also available.

Their tastings concentrate on the differences between the wild and the cultivated oysters that grow in the Southern Cape - and I won’t be giving away any secrets if I tell you that you can differentiate cultivated oysters from the wild variety because the cultivated ones drink champagne while the wild ones prefer a glass of Mitchell’s Forester’s Lager (Knysna’s other famous export, that is, naturally, available on tap at The Oystercatcher).

The company has done a deal with Knysna Charters, and can arrange to take your guests on a water-borne tour of the Lagoon to visit the intertidal racks where the cultivated oysters are - well - cultivated.

The Oystercatcher trades daily from mid-day to 10:00 p.m. (although the management can arrange to open earlier for larger groups), and prefers to limit its booked seating capacity to between 30 and 35 guests.

It’s run by the very friendly Sue Landers: +27(0)44 382 9995 - oystercatch@mweb.co.za

THE OYSTERCATCHER PORT ELIZABETH

In the harbour, on the water’s edge - you couldn’t ask for a better spot.

And here’s something interesting: you know those genuine Knysna Oysters? Many, many of them come from the oyster farm in Port Elizabeth, where, as the ad used to say, “they taste so good ‘coz they eat so good.”

I haven’t been to the Pee Eee branch for some years now, but Manager Roger Hilligan tells me that the restaurant (which has a seating capacity of 250) now has two boats with a total seating capacity of 40 passengers (note: “passengers,” not “pax.” You’re a guest, not a number at The Oystercatcher) for harbour tours.

“What do I want to tell the tourism industry?” he said, when I mentioned that I was writing to you about his oysters. “I want to tell them that we’re very flexible when it comes to tours, functions, and staff parties, that we’ve got a new, expanded menu, and a sushi bar, and that by the end of this week, our new pub - it’s kind of a sports bar with bog plasma screens - will be ready for service.”

And that’s the thing about Roger, he’s excited about what he’s doing at The Oystercatcher, so it’s difficult to stop him once he gets going.

But who would have it any different?

Contact Roger Hilligan at The Oystercatcher Port Elizabeth on +27(0)41 582 1867 rogerhilligan@telkomsa.net

EATING AN OYSTER
I have a philosophy about food: if you have to acquire a taste for something, it’s probably not worth acquiring. But the first time I popped an oyster, I just knew: I was eating the essence of the sea.

And it suited me grandly.

As they’ll tell you at The Oystercatcher, you don’t have to eat them with lemon and Tabasco (the ‘traditional’ way): there are many, many other ways of doing the deed (in fact, the company sells a book of oyster recipes), and every one of them is correct.

But since you asked: my favourite is to eat them straight out of the water, splashed with just two or three drops of Laphroaig (a smoky single malt whisky of note) to heighten the flavour.

Oh, no, wait. I prefer them with just a squeeze of lemon…

Or no, maybe the Tabasco does do it for me…

And they’re not bad accompanied by a tomato cocktail or a well-made bloody Mary…

Although you could have them char grilled, the way they do at The Oystercatcher…

Or better still…

Sigh. I think I’d better stop now. I’m gettin’ all sentimental.

Now - go away on holiday. It’s in the economy’s best interest… and

Have a GREAT Tourism Week!