Fish & Chips

Mickey

Posts: 34
Joined: Mar 2010

Post: #1 24-06-2010 03:33 PM I love a good old fish and chips .... nothing better that fresh potato chips , chunky flakes of fresh Cod in crispy batter. Sadly I feel we are really lacking in a good fish and chip shop around here. I tried the new fish shop on Forest Hill road ' Sea Masters' Sadly the frozen fish really didnt cut it for me! Anybody know of good fish and chips locally?

Jon Lloyd

Posts: 111
Joined: Nov 2007

Post: #2 24-06-2010 04:10 PM They're always good from Honor Oak Park's 'Traditional fish & chips ' shop.

ben

Posts: 14
Joined: Oct 2006

Post: #3 24-06-2010 04:13 PM Jolly Bee F&C (next to The Hop) is ok.

nevermodern

Posts: 708
Joined: Feb 2007

Post: #4 24-06-2010 05:43 PM Love Jolly Bee.

rshdunlop

Posts: 46
Joined: Jun 2008

Post: #5 24-06-2010 05:51 PM I like the fish at the Jolly Bee but not the chips . I've noticed recently that the chips from most of the fish 'n chip shops are just too fresh - they don't seem to have been fried twice (as they should be) so the potato is too hard and powdery rather than smooth on the inside. I heard something on the radio the other day about chippies all starting to use a particular sort of potato and I'm wondering if it is the wrong sort of potato. Anyone know where I can get a decent chip?

lyds_h

Posts: 4
Joined: Jun 2010

Post: #6 24-06-2010 07:24 PM I'm looking forward to the outcome of this! Am really keen to find a good place for fish and chips ! Have not tried the jolly bee yet so might have to go and give it a go.....

reverendlionelblair

Posts: 35
Joined: Apr 2008

Post: #7 24-06-2010 07:38 PM The Sea Cow in ED is expensive rubbish. The one at the end of Dartmouth Road on Kirkdale is actually not bad, huge pieces of fresh fish and nice chips .

seeformiles

Posts: 346
Joined: Apr 2005

Post: #8 24-06-2010 07:42 PM I think Jolly Bee's good too...and agree about ED.

rymerster

Posts: 33
Joined: Sep 2009

Post: #9 24-06-2010 07:56 PM Jolly Bee's fish and other stuff is great but I agree the chips are sometimes not the best. Not sure what to suggest, they just don't taste right, it may be the oil they're using but the fish is fine so I guess not. Worst chippy I've tried so far in London is the one opposite Mount Pleasant sorting office - not good - very greasy and I have no idea what that fish was supposed to be it certainly wasn't cod! Best chippy ever is Peter Chow's in Middlesbrough, just off Linthorpe Road. Always used the best stock, changed the oil regularly etc. Something I notice is that in the South they leave one side of the skin on the fish wheras in the North they always use a clean fillet. I like it both ways so don't mind.

Mickey

Posts: 34
Joined: Mar 2010

Post: #10 24-06-2010 08:41 PM I dont actually agree with any of the comments about Jolly Bee's, firstly I am not sure the oil is changed frenquently hense the strong smell out on the street, the fish is not of a high quality fresh fish - its definatley low graded frozen fillets. The chips are fresh potatoes but probably the quality of the oil being used again is not of a good grade. Sea Cow do use fresh fish, they use pre cooked vacum packed chips and not fresh potatoes. The enviroment is great but everytime I have been the oil has been really dirty resulting in not great finished product. Lewisham has a good chippy right on the high street opposite the shopping centre - very basic canteen style - but actually served a very good fish and chips . I also like Superfry in Waterloo, great fish and chips . Still looking for top notch fish and chips in the se23 area or close proximity..................

rockhound

Posts: 3
Joined: Jun 2010

Post: #11 24-06-2010 09:14 PM The fish and chip shop in mount pleasant is amazing. Easily one of the best I've been to. Although it was local to my work for a few years. Staff were rude but fish was great. I miss that place.

nevermodern

Posts: 708
Joined: Feb 2007

Post: #12 24-06-2010 10:04 PM The dish and chip shop on Mount Pleasant *is* amazing. And the Fryer's Delight on Theobald's Road. It was always an internal struggle of Shakespearean proportions to decide which to go for when I worked round clerkenwell/bloomsbury.

hasto

Posts: 18
Joined: Dec 2007

Post: #13 24-06-2010 10:42 PM If you are willing to travel to Brockwell Park, can't recommend Olley's highly enough, everything is top-notch!! http://www.olleys.info/

Red67

Posts: 36
Joined: Nov 2007

Post: #14 24-06-2010 11:04 PM Yep, 'Something Fishy' in Lewisham is brilliant; i think the guy in there is well worthy of the title 'master frier' - i really miss the upstairs 'posh' restaurant area (Blighty's) which closed due to lack of disabled access...... you could get a pint of beer up there with your fish and chips and it had a very 'saturday night fever' dance floor in the middle of the room...... Still (IMO) the best fish and chips in the borough though.....

wayfarer

Posts: 55
Joined: Nov 2006

Post: #15 25-06-2010 09:56 AM Pie, chips and curry sauce I've always preferred the Jolly Bee to any other offerings within SE23, decent price and flavour but more importantly they seem to be open later than most. In Honor Oak we have finally given up on the chippy on the main parade - poor quality, small portions. Tried the Brockley Rise chip shop last week and whilst not brilliant (curry sauce to thick) thoroughly enjoyed the pie and chips .

AudereEstFacere

Posts: 3
Joined: Jun 2010

Post: #16 25-06-2010 02:15 PM I'm going to have to stand up for the sea cow, yes it is a bit more expensive than usual fish & chip shops, but you know that before you go in. In my opinion it's worth it as you'll be hard pushed to find another fish & chip shop that does a takeaway with such a great selection of fish. However, I wish the mushy peas were actually mushy peas rather than pea soup!! Also, the Dolphin fish bar on Forest Hill Road has always been consistently good.

Baboonery

Posts: 429
Joined: Sep 2007

Post: #17 25-06-2010 03:25 PM If we're going as far as Lordship Lane, we should consider the place on Half Moon Lane, which is excellent. chips slightly drier and firmer than I'd like, but then that's the London style (up north we prefer them softer and soggier). Excellent fish. Now if only somewhere in London would sell Holland's Pies, none of this Peter's rubbish...

Steve Taylor

Posts: 1
Joined: Jun 2010

Post: #18 26-06-2010 01:37 PM I don't agree with mickey regarding jollybee. I've been buying my 4 portions of fish and chips every saturday for the past 3 years. I live In crystal palace and travel past a number of so called good fish shops. Regarding 'low graded frozen fillets' this is completely incorrect and fabricated. If it was true the fish you get from jollybee would have 'mussy' meat below the batter. However as they use fresh fish daily it is easy to see that the chunky fish fillets below the batter move apart like plates when pressed with your finger. Try this technique next time, I can definately say jollybee sells fresh fish. Regarding the smell of chips , they use vegetable oil, which is more healthy compared to 'frymax' fatty oils which conseals the smell. All I can say is that go and try them out yourself and you won't be let down

Mickey

Posts: 34
Joined: Mar 2010

Post: #19 26-06-2010 09:09 PM That's cool Steve, we are all entitled to our opinion. I have had a couple of very bad experiences there. Maybe it has changed recently and I was unaware? fish shops do not use vegetable oil to fry fish or chips because of its high water percentage, they use ground nut oil or a soya oil blend. Frymax is generally not used in fish and chips shops anymore, it tends to be used in fried chicken shops etc.

roz

Posts: 1,595
Joined: Mar 2005

Post: #20 26-06-2010 09:33 PM The best chippy ever is in St Andrews, Scotland however a little far to go unfortunately however I remember it well from when I lived in Scotland and visited friends near there. The Jolly Bee is ok especially when everything is done fresh but I have found it fairly hit and miss.

james wilcox

Posts: 22
Joined: Dec 2008

Post: #21 Yesterday 02:58 PM The finest fish I've had in London is from olleys in Herne Hill. Had some lovely fish there last night.

vhurleyp

Posts: 9
Joined: Jun 2010

Post: #22 Yesterday 07:59 PM if you really want a decent fish and chips get in your car and whizz off to whitstable oyster fisheries oh my lord yum diddy yum

michael

Posts: 1,578
Joined: Mar 2005

Post: #23 Yesterday 08:11 PM I can't believe nobody has mentioned my favourite fish and chip shop which is located in Mallaig, just a short ride on a steam train from Fort William. While eating your fish you can watch the seals in the habour looking for their own fish supper.

Yasmine

Posts: 9
Joined: Jun 2010

Post: #24 Yesterday 10:47 PM Did you know that battered fish was a recipe imported from Italy, the town of Genoa precisely ?

Yasmine

Posts: 9
Joined: Jun 2010

Post: #25 Yesterday 10:49 PM I am not sure, however, if the Genoeses imoported the recipe from Portugal or the other way round. I know, I am off-topic. Anyhow, do try the battered and fried salt cod if you stop in Genoa by chance one day.

davidl

Posts: 106
Joined: Oct 2007

Post: #26 Yesterday 11:12 PM Back to SE23 and its environs, I've been using the place on HOP for cod, chips and mushy peas regularly for a couple of years and it's always been pretty good in my experience. Portions are a decent size, service is friendly and I've never had a bad bit of fish. While I don't have the depth of technical expertise about oils and things which appears to be displayed earlier in the thread, the batter always seems fine to me. I've eaten at Olley's in Herne Hill and thought it was fine, but nothing more than that and certainly not spectacular. Not sure it would be worth the trip just for some cod and chips . Same goes for the Sea Cow - a nice place, and it does what it does very well, but to call it a fish and chip shop would be disingenuous. But then again, it's all about personal taste and everyone might have slightly different preferences. Best fish and chips I've ever had? A place called Longs in Belfast - but that might be sentimental memory. The Wensleydale Heifer in West Witton in North Yorkshire was a recent discovery and was fantastic - again a bit far to go just for fish and chips , though. For something slightly more local, you can't beat standing by the beach in Whitstable with some heavily salted steaming hot chips .

psyche9

Posts: 67
Joined: May 2008

Post: #27 28-06-2010 06:10 AM I was interested in Michael's comments about Mallaig. I remember ending up there in 1996, having gone with the intention of travelling on to Skye. We liked it so much we stayed in Mallaig the whole time and ate most nights at a fish and chip restaurant which had a takeaway round the side: there was a seal in the harbour we called Barkie. It was by far the best fish and chips ever - I don't know if it still going, as the place shown looked different.

rshdunlop

Posts: 52
Joined: Jun 2008

Post: #28 28-06-2010 07:55 AM @davidl- Johnny Longs in Belfast is legendary, and still is. Best fish and chips I had recently was also in Northern Ireland, in the seaside town of Bangor. But then again, they always do taste best by the sea. Back to SE23, where do I get decent chips ? Lots of the fish I've had is fine, but I haven't had a decent chip in SE23. Sema's in East Dulwich is good, but too far to go to regularly.

AMFM

Posts: 64
Joined: Oct 2007

Post: #29 28-06-2010 04:47 PM My grandparents lived in Belfast and I went to university there and never heard of Longs - I feel thoroughly deprived. When we were little and visiting our grandparents we always got taken to a brilliant wee chippy on the Stranmillis Road run by an old Italian couple - long since gone and I can't remember what it was called but it was great. If you're ever in Galway though, make a trip to McDonaghs - fantastic fish and chips and there is always a queue that is worth the wait. Closer to home, I quite like the fish and chips from the place on the High Street in Beckenham - think it's called the Daily Catch. fish is cooked to order and they have quite an interesting selection of fish too.

Gaz

Posts: 73
Joined: Jul 2008

Post: #30 28-06-2010 11:21 PM I rarely buy fish and chips anymore due to the cost (and I'm loathe order cod due to its endangered status - a nice bit of Rock if I'm in a fishy mood!). However, being stuck at the far end of Dartmouth Road, I'm a little stuck for a decent portion of chips (with a pie and curry sauce if I'm feeling particularly hungry!). The chippy along Kirkdale is very hit and miss - sometimes it seems that the chips cooked on Friday are still being served on Tuesday! Hard, dry and almost inedible... I find Jolly Bee to be ok, but nothing special IMO. I used to always use the chippy on HOP when I lived closer that way - and loved it in there (they used to do a cracking burger in batter - almost as good as like back home!). I also quite liked the Chinese run chip-shop on Waldram Crescent - a great, cheap & cheerful pie 'n' chips deal in there.

Mickey

Posts: 36
Joined: Mar 2010

Post: #31 29-06-2010 07:38 PM We need an exellent fish & Chip shop............ for sure!

roz

Posts: 1,597
Joined: Mar 2005

Post: #32 29-06-2010 09:21 PM Blimey are we all now Northern Ireland ex pats? I grew up in Derry but unfortunately my chippy memory only recalls very greasy fare served up in the previous night's Belfast Telegraph. Never made it to Longs. I forgot to mention Mevagissey in Cornwall and remember eating some fantastic food on the stone seats near the quay. Definitely you can't beat the sea. Looking forward now to chips at the seafront in Dunwich in a few weeks time.

rshdunlop

Posts: 52
Joined: Jun 2008

Post: #33 29-06-2010 09:27 PM I'm guessing Gaz is Scottish if he likes his burgers battered. I went to uni in Edinburgh and have very fond memories of battered burgers and chips with salt 'n sauce being good for soaking up the alcohol.

vhurleyp

Posts: 15
Joined: Jun 2010

Post: #34 29-06-2010 09:47 PM seriously a battered burger???

rshdunlop

Posts: 52
Joined: Jun 2008

Post: #35 29-06-2010 10:08 PM No different from battering a piece of fish or chicken, is it?

vhurleyp

Posts: 15
Joined: Jun 2010

Post: #36 29-06-2010 10:21 PM Guess not but I only batter fish never chicken and most definitely not a burger or mars bar! Each to their own!

Applespider

Posts: 183
Joined: Feb 2006

Post: #37 29-06-2010 10:23 PM Wait til you see what a Scottish chippy can do to a pizza... it's not battered but I'm sure the amount of oil it absorbs knocks a week off your life! I've given up on fish and chips in London. I don't like the skin on the fish and they don't do proper chippy brown sauce like the chippies where I grew up in Scotland (to an Italian family who used to own a chippy!) I'll wait for my next trip north of the border where I can get a good, skin-free crispy haddock and Maris Piper twice-fried chips with salt and sauce

rshdunlop

Posts: 52
Joined: Jun 2008

Post: #38 29-06-2010 10:26 PM Twice- fried chips - that's exactly how it's supposed to be done, but not in London, apparently. We go to the Supreme fish bar in Sydenham, near the Dolphin, because they don't leave the skin on.

Gaz

Posts: 73
Joined: Jul 2008

Post: #39 30-06-2010 02:04 AM Mmmm, proper brown sauce! Now you're talking! It's so annoying that you can't always get this (or even just gravy) in some chippies. (As much as I love Scotland, I'm actually from Pompey - we're a bit strange down there in that a lot of us have very northern/Scottish tastes - we like our brown sauce, gravy, batter, pies etc!).

showtunesgirl

Posts: 113
Joined: Feb 2008

Post: #40 30-06-2010 02:31 PM I like the Golden Hind on Marylebone Lane. Lovely fish and chips with cheerful staff to boot.

vhurleyp

Posts: 15
Joined: Jun 2010

Post: #41 30-06-2010 09:11 PM Oh good call I had totally forgotten about the hind it is very much worth a visit!

Mickey

Posts: 36
Joined: Mar 2010

Post: #42 01-07-2010 12:26 PM fish & chips @ 20 Berwick Street offer a very mean portion! Absoloutely love that place! Must also mention Beachcoomer in Greenwich - by day delicious chippy style fish & chips and by night scrumptious fish and seafood. Seriously ..... all this fish talk is driving me nuts........must be lunch time now???

showtunesgirl

Posts: 113
Joined: Feb 2008

Post: #43 01-07-2010 03:02 PM The Three Stags on Kennington Road is a gastropub and do an amazing fish and chips .

Mickey

Posts: 36
Joined: Mar 2010

Post: #44 02-07-2010 06:58 PM I think its fish & Chip Friday guys !!!

vhurleyp

Posts: 15
Joined: Jun 2010

Post: #45 02-07-2010 08:06 PM good call mikey, I'm outta here now cod or haddock?[/size][/font]

rockhound

Posts: 3
Joined: Jun 2010

Post: #46 03-07-2010 08:34 PM Every time I read this thread I start drooling. What about the fish & chip shop opposite the co-op? Don't know the name but does anyone recommend it?