Sometimes making Month of Oysters work is more a game of logistics and timing than taste and aesthetics.
Tuesday night I had an evening meeting so I had to work around the timing and location of that commitment.
It was an engagement worth accommodating. One of my favorite authors, Richard Russo, asked for my help rounding up younger writers and publishing types to give feedback on what the Authors Guild could do to be of better service to them. So I got to hang out for a few hours with Rick and about a dozen writers.

The Guild is just outside Koreatown in Manhattan, so on my way to their office, I scanned BBQ restaurants, buffets and karaoke joints looking for oysters. Thankfully, among the tofu and dumplings, IchiUmi on East 32nd Street made themselves hard to miss.

I took the stairs down to IchiUmi Cellar and entered a dark, throbbing night club atmosphere. Not the kind of spot I’d usually hang out, but I was on a mission.
When I ordered my half dozen oysters, bartender Jason told me the $1 oyster deal ended at 8 p.m. — the giant sign outside said nothing about a time constraint — but I arrived just after 8 p.m. so he said he could still get me the deal. I already liked him.

Then I watched a couple of big trays of oysters come out and figured if I wasn’t the only one in this basement eating raw seafood, that was a good sign.
I asked what I should drink with them and Jason first suggested beer, which isn’t my thing, so he said they have Mondavi as house red and “whatever the white is.” I went with Mondavi, which was quaffable.
Jason and his fellow bartender, John, didn’t know what the oyster variety was, but John thought it was “something Japanese.” The firm, clean, tangy oysters came with an unremarkable but fine cocktail sauce, lemon and chopsticks. I’ve never used chopsticks with oysters but when in Koreatown …

A few people have inquired how I feel after daily oysters, I think because most oyster eaters (and a good number of former oyster eaters) have been felled by a bad oyster at one point.
I’m not even a week in and one observation is I feel less hunger. I’m not a girl who misses a meal, and today I skipped breakfast, yesterday I didn’t eat lunch, one day this weekend we didn’t have dinner. Maybe this would be the same with any serving of straight protein but I don’t think so  — I eat cheese and fish enough to feel a difference. I’m not skipping meals because I feel queasy, but because I feel sated.
During Month of Oysters, I am eating a half dozen oysters every day at a different oyster happy hour. I’ll share my thoughts on the oysters, the service and the vibe, as well as observations on how I feel. I’ve read so many articles about the physical and emotional benefits of oysters and I’m curious to see if I notice anything in a month.
IchiUmi did not discount my oysters or drink, but did give me the happy hour price. They didn’t have advance notice of what day I was coming, I did not disclose I was doing a review until after I was served and IchiUmi did not have prior review of the content of this post.