It’s been a while since an island restaurant outside of Victoria has gotten this much buzz. Online and print publications will occasionally gesture to joints on the Pacific side, but rarely farther North, and somewhere deep in my former line-cook lizard brain there is a suspicion that someone got comped for it. Gigi’s Oysters is different; it’s us lizards that have been talking to each other over drinks, on industry Podcasts like Track and Food, and through a food truck window where a total champion told me, “oh yeah, go there.. That’s where I would be right now!”
Kitchen people appreciate simple yet profound indulgences like no-one else, so it was high time for my wife and I to swing by downtown Comox and slurp up the vibe. What a vibe we found waiting! Half an hour before opening on an unassuming Thursday afternoon and the line was all over the sidewalk. Even the host seemed surprised by the weekday turnout and asked if he could snap a picture.
Now, Gigi’s doesn’t take reservations, so coming early is a solid move. There’s only a handful of tables plus some outdoor seating and the bar, which as always is the best place to post up and watch the action unfold. We snuggled up beside the huge bin overflowing with ice and oysters and were immediately greeted by the team and our beaming, mustachioed master of ceremonies. He took our drink order, pointed out some great options on the menu and got about the serious business of shucking.
The cocktails are fantastic and very booze-forward, leading me once again to believe these Gigi’s folks are true kitchen kin. Crystal had the French 75 and just about fell out of her chair, “Wow, glad I’m not driving!” I had the Negroni because of course I did and was suitably impressed with how they flipped it on it’s head by swapping out the gin with tequila, “No, not tequila! It’s Mezcal!” Our host corrected me, noting how it made the finish smokey and warming.
With drink must come oysters so we ordered six fresh ones to start plus four broiled beach oysters. It’s shucker’s choice, which is why bellying up to the bar becomes such a part of the experience. As our host reached into the icy tough and withdrew pairs of bivalves he explained where they were from, what their individual flavour profiles were and why they played well with certain wines. I never knew we had so many varieties aside from the classic kushi and golden mantle. Oyster after oyster fell to the knife and was arranged on serving trays, each shockingly different in taste from the last.
Then came the broilers and true to her nature my beautiful and sometimes outspoken wife exclaimed in front of a bar full of oyster connoisseurs, “I’m not eating that!” referring to the size and general lumpiness of the shells. I could have died with embarrassment at this time, but I had organized this adventure and promised to pay so death seemed the coward’s way out. Our oyster disemboweler didn’t miss a beat and happily dug around for two slightly smaller options to fit her taste… Man, that boat trip in Ucluelet really messed her up… After a flash under the broiler two came out with garlic-chilli butter and the other two rockafeller-style. Both were delicious!
The rest of the menu is really interesting, focusing on a lot of small tapas-style seafood dishes that riff on classics; crudo, ceviche, tuna nicoise, a very tempting-looking roll that substitutes lobster with fresh shrimp. We had the crudo, which was very well dressed with oil, capers and basil while still keeping the seafood on front street. Alongside that came a Caesar salad absolutely buried in parmesan and topped with white anchovies. I spied another table order the house burger and was impressed by what swept by a couple minutes later. I guess Gigi’s could be a place to score more “traditional” late lunch or dinner, but I don’t know why you wouldn’t just go all oysters and day drinking… It’s the vibes!
Speaking of day drinking; the wine list is very well curated, with a lot of great seafood-friendly whites, roses and sparkling options that inspired me to keep the party going! I spied Pamplemousse Jus on the wine list and had a laugh, James Langford-Smith was the reason I had heard of this joint in the first place and was giddy to see his calling card on le menu.
I asked our host for a nice glass of whatever he would have with another round of oysters and laid back soaking in a luxurious feeling of contentment. Chatting with Crystal, dreaming of bringing our friends to this not-so-secret hangout, wondering if I could pull off the bartender’s haircut… Probably not, I’m not that cool. It was awesome, and as I swiveled in my barstool I noticed everyone else in the tiny dining room was feeling it too.
We stumbled out and wandered downtown for a while to clear our heads after our indulgences. The shops had all closed by then but here and there we spotted little pockets of late afternoon diners lounging on patios laughing and soaking up the vibes. Diggable Planets could be heard down an alley leading to yet another little bistro and I was reminded just how beautiful Comox is.