Shigokus, Kumamotos and (another) Cassoulet at COMME CA

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There’s nothing like a long, oyster-fueled lunch. Especially when you’re salivating over shigokus and kumamotos.

For the uninitiated, shigoku (“ultimate” in Japanese) oysters are the brainchild of Taylor Shellfish farms. They grow in bags attached to lines in Willapa Bay, Washington area — the point of which is to tumble the developing shellfish, as the tides go in and out, so the edges of the developing oyster shell chip off, forcing it to deepen and the muscle to grown thick and fat. Shigokus are relatively new, first coming on the market in ‘o9, and have a flavor described as “light, clean, and cucumber-like.”

That pretty much fits the ones we had at Comme Ça the other day, but to that description we would add: briny and fishier tasting than the creamy kumamotos we usually order. Both are ultimate expressions of the west coast oyster, but we always find ourselves drawn to the creamy, nuttiness of the kumos.

Interestingly, as noted by Christopher Hall in his article on kumos (named after the prefecture in Japan where these modest-sized flavor monsters began):

“Only five species, each with distinct flavors, are commonly found in raw bars – Pacific (Crassostrea gigas), Kumamoto (Crassostrea sikamea), Olympia (Ostrea conchaphila or lurida), Eastern (Ostrea virginica) and European Flat (Ostrea edulis). Any other terms usually refer to where they were harvested.”

As ELV has noted many times, the varying tastes come from the water they grow in, as oysters are known to filter up to eight gallons an hour through their small shells in their quest to feed and grow.  So an erster that might taste more seafood-y one time, might be more copper-y and mineral-y the next. Such are the joys of slurping these salacious psalms to salinity that every shell is surprising. But you can always count on good ole kumos and these shigoku whippersnappers to be smaller, deeper, rounder and rich with flavor.

Comme Ça might is now competing with Bouchon for Vegas’ best bivalves, and once you’ve polished of a dozen of so Casseotrea gigas, we at ELV are happy to announce that you can tuck into the cassoulet without fear of offense. Everyone from Comme Ça Chef Brian Howard to Slapsie Maxie has now weighed in on what makes a proper one, and whatever flaws were present a month ago have been eradicated. Our guess is that the chefs here simply remembered  their culinary training/cookbooks and spent a few minutes brushing up and re-discovering what makes this dish a classic. Howard and Executive Chef Sheridan Su give their new, improved cassoulet a bit of an update by incorporating the bread crumbs throughout the cooked beans and spreading his duck confit across the top (probably in a nod to efficiency, but to ELV’s thinking, counterproductive), but other than that, his version now does this Southwestern French standard proud.

For dessert? Why, the apple tarte of course…just because it’s so damn good.

ELV’s lunch for two came to $98 and included  several glasses of wine.

COMME ÇA

In The Cosmopolitan Hotel and Casino

3708 Las Vegas Blvd. South

Las Vegas, NV 89109

702.698.7910

http://commecarestaurant.com/las-vegas/

3 thoughts on “Shigokus, Kumamotos and (another) Cassoulet at COMME CA

  1. Great photos, especially of those little delicacies from the Pacific Northwest. We take a lot of pride on our oysters up here and gladly share them with the rest of the world.

    As far as the cassoulet goes, I’m sure it was delicious–for the most part. And of course, you’re absolutely right to quibble about the duck confit being scattered across the top. A true cassoulet is a matter of both regional tradition and personal taste, but really, the duck confit should be left on the bone and placed into the depths of the pot to stew with the beans and flavors of the other meats, (not shredded and strewn on top).

    Finally, the breadcrumbs are more than a garnish–they should act to encase the rich stew beneath and form a crispy crust. The “denouement” coming at the table when the crust is broken and the perfume of the cassoulet is released.

  2. Hi John,
    Thanks for suggesting that Comme Ca is a great place to eat. I would concur.
    We ate there recently and I found that the service was very attentive. I had the Onion Soup and it was by far the best I have ever had, anywhere. Awesome. The Beef Bourgignon was perfect too. Loved the mini baguettes they serve. The frites were thinner than I like but tasted great. Unfortunately, my friend had the chicken breast and it was served to him undercooked and raw (!), but they made it up to us with a substantial number of apologies, and comped a dessert for both of us. The General Manager was on his knees apologizing and it is understandable that mistakes can happen. My only regret is that we couldn’t try more things on the menu, but that will happen the next visit to Vegas. Thanks again for your site, it is certainly very helpful.

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