31 March 2011

The Fish Shack fish and chips. $10 lunch review.

| johnboy
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fish shack fish and chips

$10 lunch reviews ride forth once more to cover the Fish Shack which has taken over the space previously occupied by the much missed Phat Duck on Petrie Plaza.

They’ve got an extensive seafood menu, but in the sub $10 category it’s the medium fish and chips (with choice of fish, batter, and dipping sauce), or fish burgers.

For $8.50 I got beer battered barramundi with a lime aioli.

As you’d expect with any new takeaway, they haven’t quite got their moves into muscle memory yet, it took about 15 minutes to get my fish and chips but I expect in a couple of weeks they’ll be faster still.

The wait, however, was well and truly worth it.

It was some of the lightest and fluffiest battered fish and chips I’ve ever had. The chips were good, and I got three wedges of lemon.

If you’re hankering for seafood they’re well worth checking out.

(For more sub $10 lunches in Civic check the tag, if you’ve got recommendations let me know.)


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Hells_Bells747:31 pm 06 May 11

Or Sushi or whatever they call that one, I’m thinking Sashimi is just raw fish with no rice? Who cares it looks nice 🙂

Holden Caulfield said :

We got the Medium sized meals both times (which is their smallest serving) and the ratio of fish to chips seemed good.

Following my previous disappointment with the fish/chip ratio I decided to try the large size meal. After a 20 minute wait I was provided with a medium box and an explanation that they were out of large boxes and the assurance that it was in fact a large portion. Given the seating area was full I scurried away to a bench in Garema Place to tuck in. On opening the bag I was confronted by about 2kg of chips and three pieces of fish no larger than a credit card and about 1cm thick. Needless to say I inhaled the fish and tossed 1.5kg of chips in the bin. Admitedly the fish was delicious and the lime aoli was tangy, but the portion size is woeful.

Still, I fared better than the customers in front of me who had been waiting 20 minutes only to be told their docket was lost and the food had not been prepared!

I’ve eaten here twice, and like it. I have to ask them next time not to give me a plastic fork when I order a fish burger (which comes with chips); unnecessary.

Holden Caulfield2:55 pm 27 Apr 11

Keijidosha said :

I tried this place out a few weeks ago. The grilled fish was delicious, however the ratio of fish to chips was heavily slanted in the potato’s favour, and I’m not comfortable eating that much grease.

Actually, it’s interesting you say that. As JB’s photo shows the fish is cut into thin strips. Our Good Friday meal, which was purchased not long before closing time, ended up having less fish in it than we got a few days later when we went back for lunch.

We didn’t mind too much on Friday as it all still seemed pretty good value to us. On Monday we, when we noticed more fish, we just figured they were probably running a bit low on Good Friday as the generally friendly staff had commented they’d been very busy that day (to be expected, of course).

We got the Medium sized meals both times (which is their smallest serving) and the ratio of fish to chips seemed good.

I tried this place out a few weeks ago. The grilled fish was delicious, however the ratio of fish to chips was heavily slanted in the potato’s favour, and I’m not comfortable eating that much grease.

Holden Caulfield1:40 pm 27 Apr 11

We ate a couple of meals from the Fish Shack over the weekend, including the obligatory Good Friday dinner.

I tried the classic beer battered and the steamed. Mrs C had the grilled both times and all options get the thumbs up from us.

Although, understandably, the steamed options comes wrapped in foil, so it gets a bit messy when eating your ships etc. So I’ll go for the other options in future.

John Moulis said :

The battered fish looks nice but the chips look a bit shrivelled. Perhaps they can outsource the chips from Maccas or Kingsleys.

Maccas “chips” aren’t chips, ditto Hungry Jack’s. Chips should be big and fat. I agree the chips look not as good as the fish, but I’m assuming that anyone who makes fish that good knows about chips too.

that’s proper chips that taste like potato that is!!!

The battered fish looks nice but the chips look a bit shrivelled. Perhaps they can outsource the chips from Maccas or Kingsleys.

hey, I have heard about this place already. have been considering the day trip to the coast for good fish – would rather get it in a 15 min drive, and I won’t mind if I have to wait a few minutes for my order. food too fast is just cardboard

Had the fisherman’s basket there the other day. Supoib.

And they make great hot chocolates.

You forgot to mention they are giving away free coffee at the moment (well, they were yesterday, not sure how long that promo will last).

Jim Jones said :

Is this the mob that’s associated with KOTO in Vietnam?

Been there a couple of times and it’s just outstanding. If there is some connection, I’ll be at this place in a flash.

Well not associated, no. But the owner, Brendan, most recently worked at KOTO.

PS. Agree they’re still getting their act together, although the emphasis is on freshly cooked-to-order.

I was planning to get food somewhere around Ainslie tomorrow night, but that review will make me drive to Civic for fish and chips!

Fiona said :

Fish? Nice fish? In Canberra? Awesome.

It’s not the fault of most fish purveyors here. There’s a dumb law that all the fish has to first go through the Sydney fish markets, so any fish we get will be at best 2 days old. Some restaurants have private (and illegal) arrangements with fisher-people on the south coast and word of mouth is how you find them.

The batter on that fish looks perfect, pale and crisp. Looks like they are using good clean, hot oil.

Is this the mob that’s associated with KOTO in Vietnam?

Been there a couple of times and it’s just outstanding. If there is some connection, I’ll be at this place in a flash.

Fish? Nice fish? In Canberra? Awesome.

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