No Shucks to Give: Pearl Diver

During this week's Friday adventure, we visited Pearl Diver.  As the name implies, it is a seafood restaurant- I believe they're known for their oyster specials that run throughout the week.  But seeing as neither of us are fans of raw oysters, we opted to not partake in any oyster shucking.

The restaurant is located in the Financial District/St. Lawrence Market area and was only a short walk away from the office.  This stretch of Adelaide East isn't a particularly happening place (directly facing the St. James Park) but you'll definitely know when you've arrived.. assuming you've walked in the right direction.  The interior of the restaurant is very casual and welcoming with an ample amount of natural lighting.

Tawse Chardonnay and Gamays on tap!

Chalked-up blackboards adorn the walls and pillars.

Crispy Calamari ($9)
Sesame and panko crust, sweet chilli, ginger and lime dip

As usual, I started my meal with some calamari- they were crisp (as promised) and covered in black and white sesame seeds.  I've never had my calamari done this way and I really liked the way it turned out!  Also, the calamari was just the right amount of crispy, it was not covered in a thick coat of batter and deep fried beyond recognition.   It's aroma resembled that of the calamari served at Chinese dim sum restaurants.

Summer Chowder ($8/$14)
Tomato, double-smoked bacon, potato, clams and daily catch


This is probably one of the only seafood chowders I have actually enjoyed- likely due to the fact that there wasn't very much fishiness to it.  The flavour of the soup resembled a minestrone and the taste of the double-smoked bacon and clams were lost on me.  Stanley tells me there wasn't enough clam in the chowder but that worked out just fine for me (not a fan).  So.. if you're looking for a legit clam chowder, this may not be what you're looking for.

Pearl Diver Burger ($16)
Dry aged beef, carmelized onions, arugula, picked & PD secret sauce

I went for the burger over the Fish & Chips- I'm not sure what came over me as it's obviously not their specialty.  However, I was very pleasantly surprised!  The beef patty was quite hefty but was very moist.  The bun was flaky and did not serve as a distraction from the rest of the burger, more simply put, the bun was soft. The double-fried chips mainly serve as plating decorations.

Grilled Whole Fish - Sea Bream ($21/market price)
Served on the bone with grilled lemon


Stanley decided to get a whole grilled fish (that barbarian)... On this occasion, the fresh catch was a black seabream, salted and grilled. While the method of cooking was simple, it really helped to bring forward the flavour of the fish. This white-fleshed fish was lean, yet juicy and fortunately not fishy! The grilled fish doesn't offer much with regards to sides but is plenty of goodness for the fish lover.

We really enjoyed this meal and we were pleasantly surprised.  My only gripe with the restaurant is the fly problem- holy cow, all throughout dinner, I was protecting my food and drink from those little big buggers.