worms on oysters?

eloki · #1 08-21-2008, 09:43 AM

I just came back from a fine dining restaurant, and I ordered fresh oysters for starters and some of them had live worms on the bottom of the shells... one of which made its way to the flesh...

The waitress told me it's normal since the oysters are fresh? Am I wrong to think it is unacceptable to serve oysters with live worms?

boar_d_laze · #2 08-21-2008, 10:11 AM

The server's conduct was unacceptable. I hate saying this, but whether or not the oysters were problematic, "depends."

A "gold" worm isn't a worm at all, but a sign the oyster has recently eaten. A few red or green worms on gulf oysters, are probably harmless. However, they're a sign the oyster wasn't thoroughly cleaned before shipping and wasn't properly shucked and cleaned before plating. Most worms you see with oysters aren't actually dangerous and were on the outside of the shell, or in shell tubes or crevices until bad handling knocked them inside.

The worms should have been cleaned before the oysters were shipped. At the restaurant, the oysters should have been rinsed in cold water at the time of shucking for the specific purpose of removing worms and grit. I imagine the oysters were gritty, too.

Back to the server: "Normal" in fresh seafood -- except in the sense that they are normal in "worm infested fresh sea food" -- is BS. Although I suppose it would have been a bad sign to find old, listless, dessicated worms instead of young, plump active ones. The restaurant needs to retrain their shucker; and the server should have removed your oysters from the table, removed the order from your bill, and comped you with a different appetizer and a bottle of wine. The answer to, "Miss, there are worms in my food," isn't, "Ain't you never et oysters? That's normal, be-yotch." So much for "fine dining." You were punked.

You should call the the restaurant immediately and let them know you were served worm infested oysters and you aren't happy about it. And ask them how they dealt with the problem; and if they are just now becoming aware, how they plan to deal with it.

BDL

eloki · #3 08-21-2008, 06:17 PM

Thanks BDL, as usual you are very helpful.

When we first informed one of the waitresses, she even looked grossed out in front of us (I was laughing inside). You can't do that in front of your customers, imagine how THEY would feel? They then had it replaced and discounted the bill.

It was just the comment the manager said while bringing in the replacement which shocked me, she said it as if WE should be aware that having live worms dancing around is quite common. DUH!!!

OregonYeti · #4 08-21-2008, 06:58 PM

"Just extra protein".

Man, that would gross me out.

tessa · #5 08-22-2008, 04:31 AM

the only time worms are acceptable are A. in a bottle of tequila or B. in the worm farm out in the garden. Never on a plate in any place and particularly never in a fine dining establishment

jerry i h · #6 08-23-2008, 12:32 AM

Ummm...I am glad you had such a jovial, forgiving attitude, moreover since the restaurant stepped up to the plate and comped for it. However, as a foodservice pro, surely you should have known better?

OTOH, what you were served were parasites and clearly unfit for human consumption. I would not patronize that business, anymore than you would for a restaurant that served you spoiled chicken and sent you to the hospital for a few days with food poisoning.

I have worked as an apprentice fishmonger for more than a year, an oyster shucker for day boats, and at least 2 restaurants that regularly served oysters Rockefeller. I have NEVER seen worms. However, I they have been described to me by old timers as really bad news that I should warn someone about.

You do not state what state this was in, but here in California, if you really wanted to make a big enough stink about it, you could probably make it the lead story for the evening news on a slow news day.

mpeirson · #7 08-23-2008, 07:08 AM

It just doesn't sound right. I do not care for oysters, and certainly not for WORMS!! My husband loves oysters, but if they came to the table like that it would have been ugly....

cheflayne · #8 08-23-2008, 11:21 AM

That is just totally wrong in more ways than one. In my life, growing up in Florida and working in restaurants for 30+ years, I have shucked more bushels of oysters than I care to think about and I have never encountered worms. They should never have made it in the back door of the restaurant. Obviously whoever is checking in orders is 1.) nonexistent; 2.) under qualified for the position; 3.) doesn't give a rat's posterier about quality or the position.

eloki · #9 08-24-2008, 10:59 AM

I'm in Western Australia (Perth). Maybe the ones we have here is different, I've never had much experience with fresh oysters, so I can't really be sure what to think...

Red Cabbage Food & Wine

After some enquiries, apparently it is not that uncommon to have worms, although the oysters obviously should have been thoroughly cleaned and checked...

eloki · #10 08-25-2008, 05:18 AM

I emailed a pro oyster shucker about it and here is the answer:

Thank you for your email.Not quite the remark to make but mudworm is usually found on Pacific oysters coming from Coffin Bay due to the fact sometimes that a juvenile oyster is plumped up for market by lowering them in the racks to the ocean floor where the mudworm can burrow into the shell and when harvested and sent to market and shucked in a restaurant it is disturbed and comes out,usually the chef tries to make sure that it doesn't end up in shell or on the plate,attention to detail,but luckily does not harm oyster or human.I do hope this answers some of your questions.

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