But for the most part clients swallow them natural. One day Lim watched a couple of diners happily work their way through 14 dozen oysters between them.
And then there was the man who came in last month and ordered the July special, a Tomahawk scotch fillet, recommended to share between four, just for himself. The lone diner did pretty well; he nearly finished it but not quite.
Lim gets a Tomahawk from the chiller to demonstrate. It's enormous - platter, not plate, size.
Lim is fussy about his meat. He sources it from top suppliers like the Neat Meat Company.
"We use the best cuts we can find," he says. "If the better quality cuts are out of Australia then I'll do it."
His specialty is the Wagyu Hanger, the hanging tender taken from the diaphragm of a steer or heifer. There's only a little of it on each animal and it became known as the Butcher's Cut of steak because butchers often kept it for themselves.
But Lim is happy to share. He disappears to cook me a sample, served well seasoned and grilled rare. It's the most divine piece of meat I've ever eaten. Tender, juicy, full of flavour, melt-in-the-mouth delicious. At $49 for 200 gm it's not cheap but worth every cent and so rich I couldn't have eaten any more.
But Oyster & Chop is not just about oysters and meat. Yes, they'll cater for gluten-free vegans with allergies. There's chicken and fish on the menu, as well as favourites like braised lamb shanks and venison loin served with brandy whipped yams, Cipollini onions and worcestershire butter.
Oyster & Chop, Market Place, Viaduct Harbour. Open seven days, 11am until late.
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