A Lobster to Remember

By Christina Kim - July 31, 2015

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Lobster is almost the King of seafood, or at least, in my humble opinion.
(Well, the crown was at least awarded to one of its species; the Canadian Atlantic lobster)
It is not hard to understand why.

This crustacean species is a highly prized and valued kind in the seafood family, often associated with the theme of luxury and opulence due to the way it is deemed as such in the food industry, though much of it owes to fact that
The lobster is certainly glamorized in the modern days; coming a long way from its humble beginnings as the food source for servants or the lower class community of Maine in Massachusetts, located in the northern region of America. The area is populated with lobsters, which, due to its mass numbers were considered unworthy and with it being the integral part of the lesser earned population, lobster were even considered as inferior food.
This species of the seafood were deemed lowly and were not given much attention; even served in prisons where the prisoners were also not particularly pleased with this being their meal.
Lobsters were even considered worthy as fertilizers or rather utilized as fish baits instead of presented to the dining table; let alone see the light of the fine table setting furnished with chandelier.
The lobster was definitely not as glamorous as it is today.

It was only until the middle of the 19th century when they see a change in their fate; starting from it gaining attention from the city dwellers in New York and Boston.
The trend of the lobster smack; where boats were customized to include an open deck to keep the lobsters alive while they fish for it, started introducing the concept of live lobsters and also the discovery of the difference in the tastes of a freshly cooked lobster which further catapulted the crustacean kind into the limelight.

It is hard to imagine that this highly prized seafood had once gone through such a shady past, but gone were the days when they were ignored for today, all eyes (and appetites) are on them and they are now highly sought after as a symbol of prestige and luxurious indulgence for one to have at a meal.
A meal with lobster included is most likely to put a dent in one's wallet, and that is attributed to the fact to of course, the rise in its popularity which led to the high demand further hurling its price further.
Another reason for the lavish price tag on lobster is due to various factors including the challenges faced in breeding lobsters (lobster farming); accompanied by the biological factors such as the slow growth of crustaceans in general and it is also a feat to raise the eggs produced by them.
Furthermore, the crustacean species are known to have a large appetite and as if that is not enough, they are also apparently susceptible to a type of disease affecting lobsters which also happens to be contagious, adding to the many reasons of the difficulty in breeding lobsters.

While the biological and rearing part proved to be arduous to get by and have creased various eyebrows, there is another element which adds to the weight of the sack; lobsters are best and the most superior in its taste/quality when it is cooked alive.
The keyword being alive, has led to many putting the focus (and their energy) on keeping the caught lobsters alive. Of course that is not so difficult, if you were to catch the lobster in the sea beside your house and then serve it on your table; which is, most of the time, not the case.

Lobsters are found in the certain areas while the demand for their fresh flesh are everywhere around the world and that means one thing; there is the need to import/export which means shipping these lobsters to all corners of the world where they are in demand.
The sweat-inducing task that I mentioned, you got it right, is to ensure that these lobsters are shipped alive (fresh) and that is no easy feat.
If you have ever even considered bringing something which is alive (plants or fresh fruits, not animals) from overseas (it is usually prohibited too), you must have gone through many cracking moments figuring out the method to preserve it in its condition until it reaches your destination.
Same with the lobsters; the temperature (cool), moisture level and the supply of oxygen are crucial to ensure their survival along the journey.
All that trouble to ensure that it does not die on the way so that it could be killed and cooked on the spot to be served in a superior and posh style on your table; the irony of the whole thing.

Lobsters are considered to be a fine food, for all the reasons above and of course, for many of the lobster lovers out there, I am sure many would agree that the luscious and mouthful bites of the fresh lobster flesh is just unforgettable, leaving that lingering lust in one's palates.
The moist and juicy flesh is simply insatiable with only one serving, though one has to practice moderation not only because of the price but also because all fine delicacies are better when they are rare.

If you are a seafood lover, you are likely a lobster lover for it is impossible for one not to enjoy lobster when they claim to love seafood (unless you have allergies to prawns, crabs, or scampi in general).

Lobsters remain popular today and are in fact trending, motivating witty commercial dwellers to source for and serve lobsters in their businesses to attract these seafood/lobster aficionados and ravenous epicureans alike.

While they remain high in their prices in general, there are also many places introducing them at attractive prices to draw the crowds.
I have enjoyed the Australian live lobster before, and even the Canadian lobster, all at highly esteemed prices due to the gourmet chefs behind the preparation and also, the reputation of these valuable crustaceans themselves.

Nobody says no to lobsters, and of course how could I resist reliving the tastes of these plump flavorful flesh again? Never, it would be foolish to turn down the offer.

Lobster (800gm) prepared the simmered way; served with superior stock, a popular method of serving among the North Americans. 

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There are many styles of serving the fresh live lobster; hailing from different cultures and countries as stated on the menu (from Chinese, French, Italian, etc) but my personal preference is always to have it steamed, simmered, charbroiled to preserve that taste of freshness of the flesh.
That would be, in my humble opinion, the real unpretentious tastes of the lobster.

The sweet, tender flesh bursting with the flesh juicy flavor is just to die for.

(Warning: Content of the images may be explicit )

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To enjoy more of the mouth-watering tastes of lobster, the Lobster Bisque is the answer to that.
I did not personally try this, though the aromatic scent is rich enough to drown one in fantasy as to how it would taste like.
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Appetizer in the form of Sautéed scallop and pacific clam (only one of each) on a bed of spinach topped with creamy and melted cheese

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Boiled spinach to a soft mashy pulp was just the cushion for the generously-sized scallop and pacific clam to sit on.
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Lobster was indeed the star here at the restaurant, but there were a couple of sides as well which made up our meal, though they were not able to quite steal that limelight from the crustacean lead.

Charbroiled salmon steak served with vegetables and potato wedges

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I have personally high regards for this fish, and my expectations for it.
I personally have seen the better of salmon, in my personal tastes and preferences.
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The supporting side of mashed potatoes
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The meal left me craving for lobster after that, and I would not mind going for another round.

The lobster here are fresh and reasonably sized in four sizes to serve individuals to groups (sizes available are 550gm, 700gm, 800gm, 900gm), and priced below MYR200 for each of the range; making it affordable for anyone to enjoy and just satisfy that craving for lobster without burning a huge hole in the pocket.
(I did not say it will not burn any hole at all, but it's at least minimized in its size :-)

Lobsters are definitely still top on the list of the most lusted/wanted seafood; and I am convinced that it was once despised by the prison inmates because it was not served fresh.
That must be it.

Maybe they were in abundance once, and they still are found in oceans everywhere, living on the bottoms from the shorelines.

Gone are the days when lobsters are considered as lowly subjects and hail them as one of the kings or at least, royalties of the seafood kingdom.

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As lobsters can also live up to an estimated 70 years old, shall we say, "Long Live the Lobster?"

Yes, we shall and keep them fresh and live, while we are that, though I would prefer to keep them away from facing me when served, thank you very much.
(There's just something about me with live seafood in view or them facing me, it is just that guilt).

May the Lobster rest in Peace~
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Location:
The Lobsterman, SS2


What we ordered and the prices:
Lobster (800gm) Simmered ala North American style:  MYR158
Sauteed scallop and pacific clam (Appetizer): MYR18
Lobster Bisque: MYR18
Charbroiled Salmon Steak: MYR39
Mashed Potato (Side): MYR5


*Note: 
This is not a sponsored post, and solely based on author's personal opinions, tastes and preferences and do not represent the general public. Experiences vary from one individual to another.



Special Note:
Thanks to my dear friend and colleague for introducing the place and for the wonderful lobster dinner treat :-)







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