Westward

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What comes to your mind when you hear the word “seafood”? Sashimi? King crab legs? Clam chowder? After our delightful tasting experience at Rodney’s Oyster House and Oyster Bar, we once again sought out fresh slurping oysters on our Seattle trip.

Seattle is one of the best places in U.S. for people who love oysters. There are abundant oyster bar restaurants for your selection: The Walrus and the Carpenter, Elliot’s Oyster House, Shuckers, Taylor Shellfish Farms, just to name a few. If you are looking to enjoy oysters with great water views as backdrop, I would recommend dining at Westward.

Located on the north shore of Lake Union, the restaurant overlooked the lake and the city skyline. It would be nice to sitting outdoor on a sunny summer day, savoring the best view in the city!

The interior featured an open kitchen, wooden decor and nautical decorations, transforming the restaurant into a boathouse!

Connected to the Little Gull Grocery, the restaurant provided a cosy, tiny oyster bar for diners to enjoy fresh and locally harvested oysters. Of course, you can also order oysters from your table.

The grocery sold items for picnics or stocking up for the boat 😉 Restaurant souvenirs like mugs, t-shirts, blankets were also available for sale.

Let’s proceed our meal~

We were first given the oyster menu, which marked the types of oysters that were available in house that day as well as the locations where they were harvested.

Curious to find out the difference between various species, Kev and I ordered a dozen (USD$36)– 2 of each kinds, including Eagle Rock, Henderson Inlet, Baywater Sweets, Virginica, Kumamoto, and Wild Cat.

Wow~ look at those fresh, sweet-meated oysters! Some were firmer, some slimier, some mildly fruity, some had a hint of metallic flavor. Their housemade pink peppercorn mignonette served as a great condiment. After sampling all the different types of oysters, we each had our own favorite. Kev loved the Henderson Inset oysters for it plumpness and mildly salty taste, which came with an earthy sweetness and cucumber finish. I preferred the Baywater Sweets for their initial burst of brine and buttery sweet aftertaste.

Their menu featured contemporary Northwest and Mediterranean dishes. We ordered wood oven baked gigante beans ($9) and red wine wine poached farm eggs ($18) to share.

wood oven baked gigante bean

Paired with tomato based sauce, feta cheese, crunchy bread crumbs and marjoram, the soft-centered beans made a delicious, appetizing starter.

red wine poached farm eggs

The poached farm eggs which were served with eggplant and tomato stew, olive oil croutons, yogurt and Calabrian chili had a much milder flavor. All I could taste were the strong sour yogurt and a trace of bitterness from the red wine. It was too unique for me to appreciate.

The gorgeous view and fresh oysters are the selling points of this restaurant. If you are considering ordering from their regular menu, make sure you are open to bold contemporary cuisine.