Fish and chip trio keep standards high

Press, 1 September 1989, Page 30

Fish and chip trio keep standards high

Who sells the best fish and chips in Christchurch?

A random survey by "Press” reporters produced half a dozen favourites, but on closer inspection, the standard in some had fallen and one, sadly, had closed down. In the end, three fish and chip shops stood out. ST ALBANS SEAFOODS 101 Westminster Street Phone 553-427 ANABRIGHT HAY Friends in St Albans introduced me to the crunchy delights of St Albans Seafoods in Westminster Street. Judging from the numbers who also lean over

its counters in search of sustenance it is a popular spot, and well worth the pilgrimage from my suburb on the other side of Papanui Road. The chip servings, at 90 cents a scoop, are generous, and usually there are still some left at the end of my meal. These chips, plump, irregularly cut, and with the odd eye as testimony to their origin, are chewy, filling and not too oily. The batter, while sometimes a little heavy, is light brown and crunchy and often has those wonderful curly bits at the edge of the fish, sausage or fritter.

The service is speedy and efficient and the decor bright and cheery. It is clean but retains the atmosphere of the real

Kiwi fish and chip shop I miss and dream about when overseas. At 90 cents for chips, 90 cents for a hot dog, 90 cents for a pineapple fritter and 90 cents for a piece of fish my ample lunch cost $3.60. A wide range of takeaway food is offered, including hamburgers. In my life-long search for the best New Zealand fish and chips, I’ve always believed fish shops are preferable to take-away bars. One reason for this is the sort of fresh fish one finds in the window of St Albans Seafoods. THEO’S FISHERIES 82 Riccarton Road Phone 485-632

STAN DARLING For my family, there is only one place to go when the need for fish and chips suddenly strikes (usually after work and school, on a Friday) — Theo’s Fisheries in Riccarton Road.

The more discerning can have a lightly battered sole or groper, while the rest can have the regular the same way and “extra well done” — and they always know that that means extra crispy — with the chips. There is a delightful variety of fresh and smoked fish on display. Next door is a games parlour for a little overexcitement while you wait.

The cost of one sole,

three regular fish and two scoops of chips is $B. GOLDEN FISH BAR 181 Riccarton Road Phone 487-308 Patrick Mclennan The Golden Fish Bar is on the comer of Riccarton Road and Wainui Street: an ideal spot for tired workers returning home to the horrors of an empty fridge. The service is quick, and the shop is clean and mostly vapour-free. Remarkably, in my five years of regular meals at the Fish Bar, its standard has never faltered. And such a high stand-

ard: the chips, as crisp as they are thin, are one thing; the fish portions, in a thin batter, are large and held together splendidly; but the hot dogs! They are a home-made concoction that has drawn me back from over the seas. On a Sunday evening, my partner chose a bacon-and-egg burger, which she described as firm and succulent, with “ample” bacon. A piece of fish, a sausage, a hot dog or a scoop of chips costs $l, while a spring or curry roll is $1.30. Burgers range between $2 and $3. A symbol of order in the culinary chaos of Christchurch, the Golden Fish Bar remains both a gourmand and greasefreak’s delight.