15 August 2011

Best fish and chips updated. Can anyone compete with Bernie?

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On my Sunday and Thursday night taxi shifts, I hang out for fares going to West Belconnen. If someone says “Charnwood,” I look on them lovingly.

Not because of the distance, but because Charnwood is home to Bernies from the Bay, and their fish and chips are, in my junk food opinion, the finest takeaway in Canberra.

Big slabs of crumbed fish, hot and tangy with lemon juice and salt.

But the chips – handcut, irregular in size and shape, crisp and delicious and glowing gold – are what keeps me coming back. Any other place, where they simply upend a bag of precut frozen industrial grade chips into the oil, stand clear for a minute and then foist them upon a hungry cabbie, well, they don’t match up.

The next passenger in my cab gets a heady mix of fragrances: glorious but fading bass note of fish and chips, overlying touches of vanilla and pine, and a hefty wallop of Minties. Often I get a request to detour via the fast food drivein.

I know that this has been explored in the RiotACT before, but the establishments mentioned with such obvious passion in past discussion have in many cases ceased to trade. Is there any fisho to compete with Bernie?

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I totally agree. Other than driving to the Bay this is Canberra’s best.

devils_advocate1:12 am 09 Feb 12

the fish and chip shop in dickson shops.

I dunno if it’s even open still but gees the grilled barra was just the best.

Been years since I worked in dickson – still went back there from time to time. Great stuff.

I was never a big fan of carbs but the chips were as good as any I’ve had elsewhere.

blisteringbarnacles said :

When to Bernies at Charnwood today, service was good, crumbed perch fish was ok – decent size, but the chips were absolutely dreadful. Very oily, soggy and not a nice colour either. Certainly did not eat many. Kind of a let down. Chips have to be the easiest thing to make….clean oil, right temperature, cook ’til they float.
Went to Yacht club last week for arvo fish and chips…much better, although more expensive.

Maybe you got a bad day/batch. Their chips are usually a highlight.

I’m not a Bernie’s groupie or anything… by QLD standards they’re pretty standard. But they do stand out in Canberra and I’ve always found their chips to be one of their better menu items.

blisteringbarnacles6:40 pm 08 Feb 12

When to Bernies at Charnwood today, service was good, crumbed perch fish was ok – decent size, but the chips were absolutely dreadful. Very oily, soggy and not a nice colour either. Certainly did not eat many. Kind of a let down. Chips have to be the easiest thing to make….clean oil, right temperature, cook ’til they float.
Went to Yacht club last week for arvo fish and chips…much better, although more expensive.

The Fish Shack, in Civic (Petrie Place), is new and I’ve been amazed by how good their grilled fish and chips is (their marinade it with lime and ginger, and have a few other styles). Prices are on par with other take-away joints (about $10).

Signs are up for a new Fish Shop @ Erindale inside and opposite Woolworths. Anyone know about this? Will they be serving up cooked fish or are they set up to be a Fish Market only?

Holden Caulfield10:14 am 29 Aug 11

So, based on the OP, Mrs C and I went to Charnie for fish’n’chips last Friday night. I was pleased to see whiting and flake on the menu.

But, the chips were not hand cut as has been previously noted on RA and the fish itself wasn’t that great either. To be fair, perhaps the 10min+ drive back home didn’t help. The service was friendly though, and while our first impression didn’t meet the reputation we have read I’d say we might try Bernie’s again one day to see if we just caught them on a bad night.

Ben_Dover said :

Hawker chippy does fine chips, best I’ve had in Canberra.

Wouldnt say they are a stand out

Bernies by far are the best

Dazzlar said :

Does anyone know of a chip shop that does Gluten Free fish and chips?

Not gonna happen. Do you know how hard it is to stop fish eating gluten?

Flatheads at O’Connor has improved significantly in recent times. I hadn’t been for a couple of years due to declining quality a while back but they have now improved.

The fish was well cooked and tasted nice, the batter was light and crispy and the calamari is nearly perfect.

Naked Fish was not that good last time I was down there and Fish Shack in the City was a massive disappointment both times I’ve tried them.

Does anyone know of a chip shop that does Gluten Free fish and chips?

+1 for the Yacht Club on a weekend, never having heard of Bernies but if I can find a stab proof vest I might head to Charny,

Bernies from the Bay is the best.

although we don’t need to tell everyone ….. I like it how it is.

Hawker chippy does fine chips, best I’ve had in Canberra.

Homebrand battered fillets in the oven. Amazing.

Holden Caulfield12:50 pm 15 Aug 11

I love good fish’n’chips, but sadly Canberra is not a great place for quality.

I usually go to the Fish Shack in the city or the Yacht Club in Yarralumla on a Friday night (when they’re open). Both are reasonably good, but don’t match the goodness available from any number of fish’n’chip shops in my home state of South Australia. All I want is a nice bit of Flake or Whiting.

Flatheads at O’Connor Shops just isn’t the same as it used to be. Mind, I haven’t eaten there for a number of years now, so happy to hear if it’s improved lately.

Thanks for this, I am not into fish but being from Scotland where all chips from “chip shops” are hand cut or at least cut fresh on the premises by a machine I appreciate the info. IMHO the use of frozen chips is just lazy, the difference in taste is quite remarkable. I’ll need to find an excuse to go to Charnwood, hope they are open when its light out!

I haven’t tried Bernie’s but I feel that the Naked Fish in Mawson deserves a mention. Their chips don’t rate too highly but they have one of the nicest light batters I’ve come across for a while.

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