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1
Combine the tapioca or sweet potato starch with cold water and stir until fully dissolved into a thin, even slurry. Set aside. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs loosely with the fish sauce — the mixture should be uneven, with streaks of white and yolk still visible. Do not homogenise. Mix the sauce ingredients together until the sugar dissolves.
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2
Heat the oil in a wide pan or flat griddle over high heat until the surface shimmers. Add the oysters in a single layer and leave them undisturbed for thirty to forty seconds, until their edges begin to firm and curl slightly — they should be lightly cooked but still plump, not rubbery.
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3
Re-stir the starch slurry and pour it over and around the oysters. This step decides the dish: the slurry must coat the oysters and spread across the pan surface in a thin, even sheet — too thick and the interior stays raw; too thin and the characteristic gelatinous chew is lost. Leave without stirring until the edges of the slurry turn translucent and the underside is set.
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4
Pour the loosely beaten egg mixture over the surface in irregular pools — do not spread it flat. Scatter the garlic chives across. Allow the egg to begin to set at the edges while the centre remains soft, about one minute.
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5
Flip the omelette once, using a wide spatula or dividing into sections if needed. Press gently. Cook until the underside is crispy and golden and the egg is just set — the surface should resist lightly when pressed but yield immediately beneath. The finished piece should carry both crispy and sticky-gelatinous zones.
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6
Slide onto a plate and spoon the sweet-spicy sauce over the top. Serve immediately: the textural contrast between the crispy underside and the chewy, gelatinous interior deteriorates quickly.