The crowd at the Kuala Lumpur Oyster Festival was bustling last Sunday. Adults were laughing over food and wine, children playing, chefs cooking, and music playing merrily in the background. What better way to spend a Sunday!

Held at Southern Rock Seafood at Bangsar's Jalan Kemuja, it was a fun-filled street party with face painting activities for the kids, poetry reading, music and exciting oyster shucking competitions.

It was my first time witnessing an oyster shucking competition, and I must say, it is quite exciting!

Competitors must race to shuck a dozen oysters. They are judged on its appearance, having the mussel intact, and ensuring it is totally severed from the shell. It is amazing how quickly these experts shuck oysters!

The winner of the oyster shucking competition was Zeeshan Ehsan in first place, Mohd Fizly Norazlan in second, and Md Faysal in third. Both first and second place winners will be heading to Ireland to compete in the Galway International Oyster Festival.

Since the highlight of the event was oysters, we just had to try the famous Gallagher oyster (three for RM60). We enjoyed it with a squeeze of lemon and a few drops of Tabasco sauce.

The oyster is juicy and plump, and not too salty. It is by far the best oyster I've tasted!

The Tragheanna Bay Irish Oysters pales in comparison to the premium Gallagher Oysters. It was just as fresh, but a wee bit brinier.

We enjoyed the oysters with a glass of Hole in the Water Sauvignon Blanc (RM20 per glass) from New Zealand which was fresh, fruity and well balanced.

We also had the red wine sangria (RM20 per glass) with fresh apple and orange segments. We've had better sangria, but it was a refreshing option that paired well with the paella.

The Paella (RM20) from La Bodega was cooked perfectly and topped with a generous helping of seafood. It was absolutely delicious!

We also had to try the Fish and Chips (RM20), and we did not regret it one bit! The kibbeling fish had a beautiful light batter that was lovely and crisp. The fish was soft and fresh, and served with thick cut chips.

The tartar sauce that went with the fish was to die for! I loved the chucks of pickle relish and onion, with the tanginess of lemon juice.

As a sweet ending to our lunch, we tried a serving of Jersey Jack Gelato's Baileys gelato (RM10 per cup) which was incredibly smooth and creamy.

Unfortunately, we weren't able to try the many grilled seafood options or Fierce Curry House's briyani or kebabs. Next year, maybe!

We thoroughly enjoyed our afternoon at this year's Kuala Lumpur Oyster Festival, we are looking forward to next year's party already!

But if you are craving seafood and can't wait till next year, you can visit Southern Rock Seafood at:

Address: 32, Jalan Kemuja, Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Tel: 03-2856 2016

Opening hours: Mon-Fri 10am to 10pm

#oysterfestival #fiercecurryhouse #gelato #sangria