Carefree Cooking

Authentic (?) Fish and Chips - Review

The first thing I did when I got to London was look for a good place to eat. It would be a shame if I didn't try fish and chips since that's what UK is known for. I could go to the local bar and order that, but I thought going to a small restaurant might offer good food at an affordable price. I was amazed by the number of items in the menu. There were different types of fish offered, some of them I haven't even heard of. I guess those are not freshly available here in Canada. I asked the chef what he recommends and he told me to go for the cod and chips. Who am I to argue with the chef right?

The dish consisted of a very long piece of fish, perfectly fried so that every bite had a crunch. It was served with some bland tasting fries, but that was easily fixed with a sprinkling of salt and some ketchup. The fish and chips restaurants that I've been to here usually offer three different types of dip for the fish: ketchup, vinegar, and tartar sauce. It seems that tartar sauce is not popular in UK as I didn't see any. The fish was good, very flaky, and evenly cooked. Unfortunately, just like the fries, there was absolutely no taste to the batter or the fish. The cod that I got still had its skin when deep fried. I thought this was a bit different from what I expected. The skin was a little chewy, which gave it more texture so it's a good thing in my book.

It's too bad the fish and chips didn't have its own flavour, otherwise it would make a perfect meal. I was also told that Indian food is fast becoming the national food of Britain. Perhaps when I visit UK again and have an inkling for some national food, I will hit one of the local Indian establishments.

posted by carefreecooking @ 12:01 AM