The oyster omelette, also known as o-a-tsian, o-chien or orh luak (Peng'im: o5 luah4), is a dish of Min Nan (Hokkien and Teochew) origin that is renowned for its savory flavor in its native Minnan region and Chaoshan, along with Taiwan and many parts of Southeast Asia, such as Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia or Singapore, due to the influence of the Hokkien and Teochew diaspora.

Ingredients

The dish consists of an omelette with a filling primarily composed of small Pacific oysters. Starch (typically sweet potato starch) is mixed into the egg batter, giving the resulting egg wrap a thicker consistency. Pork lard is often used to fry the resulting omelet. Depending on regional variations, a savory sauce may then be poured on top of the omelette for added taste. Spicy or chili sauce mixed with lime juice is often added to provide an intense kick. Shrimp can sometimes be substituted in place of oysters; in this case, it is called shrimp omelette (蝦仁煎).

Names

In different Chinese languages, the "oyster omelette" is known by various names in different Chinese geographical regions.

Thailand

In Thailand known as hoi thot (lit: "fried shellfish"), it was adapted to mussel omelettes (hoi malaeng phu thot, ), though the original oyster version (hot nang rom thot, ) also popular but more expensive. In Bangkok, notable areas for oyster omelettes include Talat Wang Lang near Siriraj Hospital and Wang Lang (Siriraj) Pier in Bangkok Noi where there are two restaurants, Yaowarat neighborhood, where there is one Michelin-Bib Gourmand restaurant with Charoen Krung neighborhood in Bang Rak, among others. In 2017, the World Street Food Congress announced that oyster omelette is one of the three most notable street foods among the street foods of Thailand.

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