Golden Sun
I started the annual fish and chip review with a stomach so empty it was rumbling. It was a bleak Sunday afternoon pouring with rain. The few people who had braved the dim outdoors were moving at an unhurried pace. I was slightly hung over, but ravenous, and the avalanche of assignments that arrive in an unwelcome blast near the beginning of each semester was yet to hit. (Since undertaking the review, the avalanche of internal assessment has sadly descended upon the mountain that is my almost-finished-but-not-quite undergraduate study. But you likely don’t care about that and this metaphor has also been dragged out for far too long.)The first port of call was far from costal, but the fish tasted better than expected. Golden Sun is situated on the corner of Great King Street and Dundas Street, the first outlet of many on the Fatty Lane one-way (if you’re heading North. Otherwise it’s the last). The service was very friendly, the place smelled clean, and the biggest fault was the insipid peachy-salmon interior paint job, which on the whole is no biggie.
The chips erred on the undercooked rather than overdone side and were pale in colour and lacking in grease. I personally found this a welcome change from the dripping-with-oil, fried-to-buggery chips that grace many fish ‘n’ chipperies, but hey, I get that some of you savour that kind of, well, dripping-with-oil, fried-to-buggery style of cooking. A slap of tomato sauce would finish them off nicely. The fish was pretty good – a thin, crisp batter and a decent hunk of fish that flaked away nicely and tasted genuine instead of like pulverised sardine-infused cauliflower. If you’re partial to greasier, fattier chips, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to pick up your fish from Golden Sun and your chips next door at Mei Wah. Read on …
Chips: $1.50. Rating: 7/10
Fish: $2 (Hoki). Rating: 8/10
Sauce: $1.80 (Rip N Dip)
Fizzy: $2.30 (355ml can)
Service: 8/10
Mei Wah
Mei Wah is the quintessential fish and chip shop in Dunedin’s student quarter. The selection on their menu defies imagination, though saucy noodles and burgers weren’t on the agenda for this visit. Their chips are a deep yellow, which is quite alarming, and leave a fatty layer on the roof of my mouth. Personally, I found this unpleasant, but I also felt as though this is all part of the chippie experience and embraced a decent portion of them. The chips are wonderfully soft, although it must be said that whatever they cook them in does not leave the greatest taste in one’s mouth.But while Mei Wah’s chips, despite their flaws, are pretty good value, their fish is not. It was like eating a piece of mediocre fish triple-dipped in pancake batter: too sludgy, and far too much batter at that. Still, you can’t help but be oddly charmed by the place, with its old-school gaming machines, plentiful supply of celebrity magazines and tables seating hordes of hungry students. You get what you pay for at this place, and with an Everest-sized pile of chips and a hunk of fish in a nineties fish and chip store-type atmosphere for $3.70, you can’t really complain. It fills the spot, but it’s comfortably mediocre.
Chips: $1.80. Rating: 7/10
Fish: $1.90 (Hoki). Rating: 4/10
Sauce: $2 (Rip N Dip)
Fizzy: $2 (355ml can)
Service: 6/10
Willowbank
The service is great, the chips are an oily nirvana and the fish is terrible. Just like the expansive lolly counter, this place is a real mixed bag. On that note, the lolly selection is quite admirable. Just like the “old days,” there are even lollies by the jar, though inflation has seen an increase from two-for-5c to 10c a piece. Steep. Anyway, back to the fried goods by which I had been lured in.The fish is a perfectly rectangular, crumbed piece of hoki and is largely flavourless; it’s not bad per se, but it’s certainly not worth the $3.30 price tag. Stick with the fried chicken. The chips, on the other hand, may sit in a warmer but boy are they perfectly soft, and coated in what is probably very unhealthy chicken salt. If you are hung over, or in the midst of a carb craving, or stuck in a rut and can only escape with a good load of grease, these are the chips for you. The portion is small compared to the likes of Mei Wah, but they are far better and come in a cute wee box.
Given that the place is a dairy, there are also biscuits, pre-packaged ice creams, a plethora of scoop ice creams, carb-loaded snacks and fridges full of every possible carbonated drink under the sun. If you’re really in need of some comfort food (and I’m not talking something honourable like mum’s best roast) then this is the place to stop. All the treats you could wish for and fish and chips. Oh wait, we already established that the fish was no good. Alright. All the treats you could wish for and hot chips. That’ll do.
Chips: $1.50. Rating: 8/10
Fish: $3.30 (Hoki). 3/10
Sauce: $2 (Rip N Dip)
Fizzy: $2.20 (355ml can)
Service: 8/10
The Flying Squid
Known as “Squiddies” by the locals, this haunt has an endless drizzle of patrons feeding in and out of its tiny premises, eager to get their fish and chip fix or even grab one of their $3.80 lunchtime special burgers. I used to be a Squiddies fangirl who conveniently lived a mere 20-second walk from the place, and would often get a jam doughnut craving around 8:15pm. Given the irritating trend of finding a new flat every single year in Dunedin, I no longer live near Squiddies. After this visit, however, I’m not particularly upset about this.Chips are available as fatties or skinnies and come in a paper bag. While pleasingly greasy, they are pretty soft and too yellow. Lo and behold, their fatties are now crinkle cuts, which is disappointing. If I wanted crinkle cuts, I would have bought a bag of frozen McCains from the local supermarket. Their fish is fairly interesting; though it’s certainly fish, its shape is a little too perfect (not quite in Willowbank fish finger territory, but getting there). The flavour is fine, and the batter is actually pretty good – crunchy and oily. Squiddies is decent enough as a fish and chippery, but it’s not quite as good as some of the other contenders.
Chips: $1.90. Rating: 7/10
Fish: $1.90 (Hoki). Rating: 6/10
Sauce: $1.60 (Rip N Dip)
Fizzy: $2.30 (355ml can)
Service: 7/10
Fish Hook
These new kids on the block could almost be pricing themselves out of the market if their fish and chips weren’t so damn good. It’s worth paying extra for them – what can sometimes be an experience that ends in regret, grimy insides and uncomfortably greasy fingers is instead delicious and actually closely resembles a meal, rather than a tragic experience of fingering around for the “good” chips.Fish Hook’s chips are hot, soft in the middle, with the slightest crunch at the exterior, and gently golden. They have all the magic of a good chip without that feeling of a lead weight in your stomach, typically left by the dense grease of many chips. Their fish is spectacular – excellent batter, crunchy whilst still having some body to it, encasing tender, delicious fish. I ordered the “house” fish (which is usually sole), it being the cheapest on the menu at $4.50. Tarakihi, brill, monk, groper, blue cod and flounder are also available (dependent on the catch of the day – these guys are always fresh), with prices creeping above the $8 mark for some.
The house fish was fantastic, and I was actually given two generous pieces. Unsure whether this was a mistake or deliberate, I was nonetheless very pleased at this fortuitous outcome, and very happy with the addition of a few lemon wedges to squeeze over the fish. You can elect to have your fish battered or crumbed and chips come as fatties or shoestrings. They even have wine by the glass (from Wither Hills to Central Otago pinot noir) and various beers to choose from.
It’s certainly a bit pricier than what you’d typically pay for fish and chips, but considering you can eat in, it’s worth the walk there to have what is a relatively cheap meal out. It’s definitely the catch of the Critic fish and chip review by a country mile (or an ocean, if we’re staying on topic).
Chips: $3.50. Rating: 9/10
Fish: $4.50 (Sole). Rating: 9/10
Sauce: 50c (small tubs of tomato, aioli, sweet chilli, tartare, sweet chilli aioli and vinegar)
Fizzy: $4 (by the glass)
Service: 8/10
Botanical Takeaways
Situated on North Road in the NEV, Botanical Takeaways is your classic fish and chip shop, with the comforting aroma of grease, bright artificial lighting, and one of those soft toy prize machines with the metal claws that never actually grasp anything no matter how many gold coins you optimistically put in the slot. There’s even a small selection of prepackaged ice creams, should you crave some sugary, dairy goodness in addition to your traditional oily dealings.Their chips are fairly generous in size (though nothing seems to beat the enormous portion provided by Mei Wah), with a bit of crunch on the outside and a sweltering, soft inside. They have a flavour to them that I couldn’t quite place – must be something in the oil – though it certainly isn’t unpleasant. A bit of sauce would take them to that next level of deep-fried-potato glory. The fish was pretty good, especially for $2; while the batter had a little bit of doughiness to it, it wasn’t too thick and made a satisfying crack upon being bitten into. The fish itself is hoki and tasted enough like fish to convince me of its authenticity. It’s not quite on the level of Golden Sun or Fish Hook, but it’s still pretty decent.
For those living in this end of town, the low price tag of $3.50 makes it worth keeping as your Friday night (or Sunday afternoon) regular. The most intriguing element of the place is the chiller cabinet, which houses the various battered items (from the various fish types available, to sausages, hot dogs, donuts, pineapple rings, chicken wings and wontons) much like a bakery would. In fact, I was about ready to ask for a custard square and a pie, it was just that confusing. Or perhaps hunger had made me slightly delusional. Either way, the well-stocked cabinet of goods before they are sent to their crispy demise in the deep-fryer is certainly a charming element to this place. Solid.
Chips: $1.50. Rating: 7/10
Fish: $2 (Hoki). Rating: 7/10
Sauce: $1.80 (Rip N Dip)
Fizzy: $2 (355ml can)
Service: 7/10
Best Fish:
Winner: Fish HookRunner Up: Golden Sun
Best chips:
Winner: Fish HookRunner Up: Willowbank
