Xinh Dwelley honorary GOO

Breaking Boundaries & Records

XINH DWELLEY

Xinh Dwelley knows seafood. Knows geoduck. And she really knows her oysters. And not just because she ran a successful seafood restaurant in Shelton for 25 years and knows how to cook them. From when she first stepped foot in America and settled on Washington’s Steamboat Island, as a bride of 19, she’s been honing her oystering skills.

Xinh married an American soldier, and he brought her to Olympia with their infant son. Speaking little English, having a young child, and not knowing anyone other than her new husband was frightening and overwhelming. To compound her isolation, when Vietnam fell in 1975, she lost all contact with her family.

Many would have crumbled. Not Xinh. Picking blueberries or mushrooms, digging clams, before ultimately shucking oysters. She took evening classes to learn English and was the quickest blueberry and mushroom harvester during the day. During night tides she could dig more clams than anyone else on the beach. As far as shucking went, she had an amazing speed and accuracy at shucking oysters early on.

The first day she shucked 8 gallons and broke all the records at Rock Point Oyster. The second day she shucked 12 gallons. That day she also shoved the shucking knife through her hand and

had to get stitches. This is her only oyster shucking injury and she went right back to shucking the next day.

When the first OysterFest hit the scene in 1982 they decide to host a shucking championship. Since it was a first year for the event they had to rally farmers to find shuckers who would compete. Although she was scared silly, Xinh was convinced to go on the shucking stage to compete in a traditionally male dominated realm.

“Oh honey, I was so scared,” she admits with deep feeling, “all those people watching and it’s just me there. And I was so slow. My hands were shaking and just didn’t want to make a mess of it. And I didn’t. I was slow but so was everyone else. And I didn’t mess up any. That’s why I won.”

History was made at Shelton Skookum Rotary’s first West Coast Oyster Championship – as Xinh beat the men at their own grueling game.

Each year Xinh’s confidence grew as she easily beat her own records. In 1989, her first place speeds was 3:08 minutes, taking Xinh on to win Nationals. In

1992, with five first place finishes – each faster than the previous years – she decided to retire from competing.

Her shucking skills are still unparalleled. Gloveless, dripping with jewelry and not breaking a nail, she attacks the side of the gnarliest oysters with precision and speed that’s a joy to watch.

Although her skills at handing shellfish were amazing, Xinh was starting to get noticed as a cook too. She wasn’t a trained chef but Xinh has a good memory and an innate understanding of flavors. “I make curry sauces from memory,” she says, “Our rice farm was in a tidal swamp; we had a lot of fish. That’s what my mother cooked.” Xinh’s curries and sauces are so intuitive that every ingredient is showcased but they never distract from the dish.

Many visitors to OysterFest will remember Xinh’s Clam and Oyster House on Railroad Avenue in Shelton, WA. For many years, an evening at Xinh’s was revered as a treat for birthdays or anniversaries. A trip to OysterFest often included a dinner at Xinh’s famous restaurant.

Over the decades her recognition grew. Her restaurant walls were covered with ribbons and plaques of the many honors her dishes earned as well as hundreds of images of her with famous people including Julia Child, Anthony Bourdain, and Mike Rowe from Dirty Jobs, when she taught him how to clean a geoduck.

In 2017, owing to a illness that was making it difficult to keep up with the restaurant pace, Xinh’s much celebrated restaurant closed it’s doors and Shelton lost a piece of its heart as Xinh Dwelley is known not just for her food but also her love of people and her welcoming and giving nature.

Like the principles of Rotary, Xinh constantly gives of herself – donating countless hours to charities and fundraisers. Even after her restaurant closed, she continued to volunteer to cook fantastic feasts throughout her community.

In 2019 Xinh Dwelley returned to visit OysterFest sharing the launch of her first cookbook celebrating her beloved recipes. Pacific Coastal Flavors, was a great hit that led to yet more awards and accolades for this celebrated chef, selling nearly 500 copies at the OysterFest 2019 event.

With the success of Xinh’s first volume of recipes, Xinh recently compiled her second cookbook, Flavors with Friends in 2021. Additional details on Xinh’s journey and her books are available for purchase online at cookwithxinh.com as well as at the 2022 OysterFest.

In 2022 Skookum Rotary is pleased to welcome Xinh Dwelley back to the Washington State Seafood Festival and West Coast Shucking Competition (October 1-2), this time as their “Honorary GOO.”

Xinh’s Bacon-Wrapped Oysters

4 cups small oysters, shucked

2 lb thin sliced bacon, cut in half

1 Tbsp soy sauce

1 tsp Johnny’s Seasoning Salt

1 Tbsp garlic, finely minced

1 tsp brown sugar

1 Tbsp basil, minced

Blanch the oysters in salted water, and then rinse in cold water. Make a paste out of the soy sauce, Johnny’s Seasoning Salt, garlic, sugar, and basil. Add the blanched oysters to the sauce, and coat them well. Wrap the bacon slices around the coated oysters and secure with a toothpick. Place on a cookie sheet. Broil in oven until the bacon is golden brown. Flip. Bake other side until golden brown. Also can be prepared on barbecue.