The Orange Tree, Totteridge, London N20 8NX, 4 July 2020
Finally we are here at The Orange Tree, Totteridge, the Super Saturday. We have waited, waited and waited.
Sweet!
Ohhhh…. this is so good. Now, this is a booked table, table service, everything goes smoothly. Now, let’s have “Freshly Battered Line-caught Cod & Chips Rustic thick-cut chips, pea puree & tartare sauce” £14.25.
Delivered!
Socially distanced table
- Fish : 8/10 : Juicy cod flesh with skin was hidden under the crispy golden batter. Batter was just right thickness which hold fish together well, fish was ever so slightly undercooked.
- Chips: 8/10 : Chunky chips were steaming hot! As promised, crunchy outside and fluffy inside. They went so well with cold crispy well served beer, I could do with more of them.
- Pea puree 8/10 : Beautiful in the eye, bright fresh green and taste with hint of butter. Not puree enough as some chunks visible, I actually really liked them, great home made side. Should not call them puree here.
Overall great dining experience in this difficult circumstances. In fact, for the diners/drinkers for two, this was actually very present. We would normally given tiny table between groups, often felt “unimportant” during busy weekend evenings. But not tonight!
Thank you Orange Tree, we will certainly back!!!!
Street Food Bar, Royal Free Hospital, Hampstead, London, NW3 2QG, 6 May 2020
Hello hello hello, special edition of Fish and Chips critic is here today, from the Royal Free Hospital. I have previously reported from here but this is different. We are in “unprecedented times”.
Appealing!
Served by the cheerful chef!
Followed by the lady serving condiments. Sorry for the quality of the photo, I panicked because of queue behind me.
Big thumb up!
Great portion!
Overall 10/10!, Yes, batter was too thick, it was a bit soggy side, fish inside was nice thick chunk of flesh but overcooked. Chips were not chips but more like french fries. However, they were pre-seasoned well with hint of salt and pepper, perfectly enjoyable. The dish was served by a generous 1/2 lemon and tartar sauce, which was surprisingly tasty with good punch of acidity.
Dry overcooked fish coated by thick and soggy batter, but so what? It was a treat by the Royal Free charity and donations from public, served by cheerful hard working people.
Thank you NHS, thank you people! We will meet soon!
The Henry Addington, Canary Wharf, London, E14 4PH, 25 January 2020
YOYOYO! A Happy new year to you all, it has been 6 years since I posted my very first Fish and Chips Critic in January 2014. The main thing is, I am still here, critiquing. I will survive, so I will ask you to “love me little, love me long”.
Here we are at Canary Wharf, cold night but buzzing with people enjoying Winter Lights. After walking around Wharf for over an hour, we found ourselves in The Henry Addington.
Cheers!
Of course, our comfort food is THE FISH AND CHIPS! Simple Nicholson’s Fish and Chips, fillet of haddock hand-battered in our Nicolson’s Pale Ale and served with chips, mushy peas and tartare sauce for £14. I was outraged back in 2014 for being charged £13, now £14 feels somehow normal.
So…. Normal look, did not excite me…
At glance, small portion
- Fish 3.5/10 : Dry flesh, very little flavour, batter too thick. Luke warm
- Chips 3.5/10: Dry, no great texture (i.e, crunchy outside with fluffy potato substance) of enjoyment. Luke warm
- Mushy peas 2/10: straight from the tin, stingy portion, Luke warm
Overall very very disappointed 3/10. As you can see the common theme of this dish was “luke warm”. In the cold evening after some walk, this could be the best comfort food which made my stomach warm and heat to travel all my body for warms, joy and satisfaction, which obviously did not happen.
I will go on critiquing, so please don’t give up on me!
See you soon, Hello 2020!
BFI Riverfront, Southbank, Belvedere Road, Lambeth, London SE1 8XE, 25 August 2019
Amazing! London at its best with heat wave. What more can we expect? Lots of music, tango dance on the show, kids are running around along side of the fountain, lots of people spending time with friends and family, busy, but at the same time relaxing, hot! very hot! no need to worry about umbrella and bank holiday weekend…I can go on and on , how nice the atmosphere around here. Of course, I am also enjoying my bank holiday, let’s celebrate with fish and chips at BFI Riverfront terrace.
Crispy fish & chips, Beer battered cod, skin-on chips, tartar sauce, pea shoots, £13.50
I got annoyed with £13 fish and chips back in 2014, but now £13.50 feel absolutely normal, in fact, feels even cheap for the location, mind you, it is 2019….. I had fish and chips several times in here, I don’t tend to have good experiences. MMM….may be I should not be back here…
First impression… NOOOOOOO! This does not look good!
Tiny lemon, as before, what is your problem? Look the size against my thumb.
- Fish : 1/10 How disappointing. You don’t need to be chef to know that chunky cod is not suitable for deep fry. The flesh is too thick, it is difficult to cook through all parts of the flesh evenly, therefore strangely dry outer flesh while watery (not juicy) in the middle. Despite the chunkiness, no flavour. Also very disappointing appearance as the main star (obviously!) of “fish and chips”.
- Chips : 0/0 Very very disappointing. very dry chips. Good chips should be crunchy but feel some deep fry oil in mouth which added flavour and brings some element of “guilty pleasure”. There is non of this. so dry, are they airfried???? Not good!
- Pea shoots : 1/10 Strangely cold, watery, completely not integrated with rest of the dish with this odd temperature.
Tartare sauce was spreaded on the dish which is also bad idea, while eating the foods, all the surface started to dry up, horrible!
OMG….I must say, this is probably one of the worst fish and chips I can remember. As I did not particularly had good experience previously too, I won’t come back to eat, shame, as the location is super. This is probably why they do not need to make effort…
Lovely evening ended with disappointment, Good night!
The Marquis of Westminster, Pimlico, London, SW1V 1RY, 22 June 2019
Yo! Thought I will be famous but NOT ! after all. My interview by New York based food and wine web magazine took place. He promised me to promote me, but this was not happened, I was not cited on his article. Oh well, it was an experience, nevertheless, I still have hope… one day, one day, I will get there.
Anyway, sunny summer evening in London, having great pint at The Marquis of Westminster.
Yo Yo Yo!
High expectation to the Fish and Chips after being served a great beer and lots of people are enjoying food and drink. Simple and easy menu reads “Fish &Chips, A classic fresh haddock in beer batter, triple cooked chips, garden peas & tartare sauce £13.50”, nice one! Good pricing for the location – let’s ignore the fact that only a year or two ago, I was angry with this sort of price. Got used to the Brexit related inflation.
First impression – 3/10
I don’t like to be served my food in a camping plate after all, paying £13.50.
Where are the garden peas?
Found them. Literally these are all. 1 teaspoonful of peas.
1. : Fish : 5/10 – Far too greasy, In the end, I had to take them out. Fish – unable to recall due to grease overpowered by the batter.
2. Chips 5/10 – Nice, well seasoned. But, the big but, I wish there were more of it, I was given 8 chips. I counted.
3. Garden peas 2/10 – literally garden peas straight from frozen, just like you and me can have at home, but only 1 teaspoonful. Stingy portion with no twist.
I would be happy if this was served at a campsite, but no, not in the London pub. For that reason, I won’t be eating here again. Good night!
White Lion, Stroud Green, London, N4 3PX, 20 June 2019
Yo! I am famous! I was approached by the food and wine web magazine based in New York for exclusive interview about Fish and Chips. We had a Skype interview, I was all prepared, my hair, and “I 
NY” T shirt on me. Disappointingly, he did not seem bothered about it at all, did not turn the camera on. Even though I repeatedly promote myself with “special T shirt for him”. Anyway, let’s wait what he has to say on his article.
Celebrating long summer evening at White Lion, Stroud Green, near Finsbury park with Fish and chips, with DISCOUNT, cannot complain!
2 mains for £20. Good start!
Beer battered haddock, triple cooked chips, mushy peas, tartare sauce, would be £13 otherwise, so I am happy.
Woooo, not sure about first impression….
Funny presentation
Look this batter… reminds me following, these are called “American Dog” in Japan, cheap sausage cooked in thick batter, widely available at festivals stalls.
This is why I had some reservation even before the first bite.
- Fish 6/10, ah, as the expectation, the batter was far too thick, Fish was fresh and nicely cooked but without skin, definitely lacking in flavour. Already sprinkled some flakes of salt and pepper were nice touch, not too much nor too little.
- Chips 6/10 triple cooked fat chips, hot, crunchy, must be home made! then today, I was queuing at the Aldi supermarket till, and saw the lady in front of my buying frozen chunky chips which looked like exactly the chips I had in here…. so I am not sure now.
- Mushy peas 3/10 completely mediocre, straight from tin.
Big disappointment on the presentation, Tartare sauce and mushy peas should be served separately. Towards the end, all my chips were soaked in tartare sauce. All became too mushy like baby foods, Yak!
Though with well served beer and over 20% discount on Fish and chips meant I might, might be back!
Cheers!
The Fellow, Kings Cross, London, N1 9AA, 9 May 2019
Good evening, refreshing spring evening, we jumped into The Fellow, Kings Cross at 9:55pm, thirsty, hungry and desperate. We then told the kitchen will be closed dead on 10pm, absolutely no flexibility. By then, it was 9:56pm. 4 MINUTES LEFT TO ORDER. Of course, Fish and chips without seeing the menu, even before order the pint. Made it, before 10pm!
Then, my thirst was addressed. However, a bit disappointing Amstel, mediocre in every way, temperature, sharpness, a bit flat side….
Then, I studied the menu (food already ordered), Young’s beer-battered cod, triple-cooked chips, mushy peas, pickled onion, chili vinegar 15.5….! 15.5! Shocking.
Also, reading menu was such a hard work, these wordy description of fish and chips in tiny old fashioned typeface in the very dark pub, is this to disguise the unreasonable pricing?
First impression, brilliant!!!! So hungry!!
- Fish 7/10 : It was so dark, very difficult to see the foods. I knew batter felt really hard, only now I know from the above photo that it was overcooked. Fish was fresh but yes, slightly overcooked so dry. But good position size.
- Chips 10/10 : Totally impressive. Chunky chips are definitely cooked from scratch, so hot and mouth watering, very satisfactory carbohydrate loading! Skin on, vitamin C well preserved!
- Mushy peas 9/10 : Delicious, minty, buttery and a lot of it! Love them! This is a very good example of how to make healthy vegetables into calorific unhealthy side dish.
Overall good food, shame it was expensive and too dark to see them. With the mediocre served beer, I don’t think I will be back, but thank you for not turn down the last minutes order!!!
Cheers!
The Old Dairy, Crouch Hill, London, N4 4AP, 14 March 2019
YOYOYO! Thursdays are the new Fish and Chips days, here we are at The Old Dairy, Crouch Hill.
Fresh cold Amstel, taste would be better when served in a tall pint glass
Fish & Chips, beer battered haddock, pea puree, tartare sauce £14.00. We are witnessing a steady inflation busting price rise in the fish and chips world. In this rate, we will be paying £25 for a fish and chips within 2 years in the post Brexit Britain.
I was caught off guard with the shape of the plate.
No compromise in the portion size, good Old Dairy!
Check this out! Visibly thick flesh!
- Fish 8/10. I like it! This thick flesh was literally chunky, perfectly cooked, juicy, but not watery. This fresh quality fish with tasty skin was coated with the thin batter which perfectly added crunchy texture to the ever so slightly rawish fish (but cooked through – this is why juiciness was well preserved). Batter was simple without any funny twists. Yes, when foods are cooked properly, you do not need any funny twists (such as added herbs, etc).
- Chips 8/10. Delicious. Crunchy outside and fluffy inside. Lots of proper potato earthy flavour. I don’t believe they was pre-seasoned. However, I did not need to add any salt/pepper.
- Pea puree 8/10. I would not call “puree” for this texture, it was more like mashed. Nevertheless, fresh green colour was appealing on generally brown dish of the Fish and Chips, slight hint of butter was pleasant.
My peer was describing the tartare ‘zingy’. She was convinced this was special recipe. Great observation.
Munching mouthful of fish and chips provided us a slightly (not too much) greasy feel inside of the mouth as it would, which was easily refreshed with a mouthful of cold beer. HEAVEN!
Overall impressive 8/10, a good example of simple food executed very well. We will surely be back! Good night!
The World’s End, Finsbury Park, London, N4 3EF, 14 February 2019
YOYOYO! I am back! Confession…. I was having a bit of break from Fish and Chips. If I am honest, I was a bit bored of Fish and Chips. I know many people eat Fish and Chips every Friday….But I can assure you I still have a sufficient palate to be the Fish and Chips critic.
Here we were on Thursday night at Finsbury Park, North London, had a hard exercise of tenpin bowling at the cool Rowans bowling. After the session, there are plenty of choices for food and drink but we arrived at The World’s End.
Fish & Chips, Beer battered Haddock, mushy peas, mint, tartar sauce £13.5
AHHHHH! grilled lemon, actually very hot YAK!
Food served on metal oven tray
- Fish 4/10, We ordered 4 x Fish and chips and we were told only 2 left, so it must be a fresh fish. When fish is very fresh, usually the flesh should feel much firmer, which I did not feel. In fact, it was soft and watery, but different from under/over cooked, not a good texture. I had to attribute to sub optimal quality. Skin was removed, very little flavour.
- Chips 4/10. They were touched by some “flavoured salt”, One of my peer has more than average knowledge of these thing, two of us thought long and hard but did not know what it was….some sort of curryish flavour too…. I felt this was too much of a deviation and totally unnecessary.
- Mushy pea 8/10 This was probably the star of the dish. Hint of butter and mint but strong pea taste. Wanted more of them!!!
The worst experience was that as I was eating, slightly greasy oil from batter started soaking into the paper. Then paper started to break down, I had to be so careful not to eat broken paper which could stick to my food!!! YAK!!!
Overall very disappointing 3/10, my Amstel beer was felt flat too….
I won’t be back! Good night!
The Duke of Sussex, Waterloo, London SE1 7AY, 11 May 2018
I am back here at The Duke of Sussex, Waterloo, following the successful recent visit.
Ale Battered Haddock, hand cut chips, pea puree tartar sauce £13.50
I used to get shocked by the price, for example, I felt almost unforgivable paying £13.00 back in 2014. Since then, so much happening (including Brexit related inflation), I am not surprised by £13.50 anymore.
Steamy hot!
Too much salt flakes, with deep fried saturated fatty foods + too much salt, the heart attack combination
- Fish 8/10, batter well integrated with thick and juicy fish, salt flakes absolutely unnecessary.
- Chips 8/10 Lovely, definitely handout! steamy hot, crunchy outside, fluffy inside. Could do a few more of those
- Pea 6/10 this is not pea puree, puree should be smooth without bits, taste ok but discrepancy with the menu.
Great job again, for the consistency overall impressive 8/10. I will be back. Good night!
Matthew’s Kitchen Seafood Restaurant, Crouch End, N8 8PL, 26 May 2018
Hello! What a lovely evening, we did not have spring but we are having amazing early summer here in Crouch End. Visiting the Matthew’s Kitchen Seafood Restaurant with my peer’s strong recommendation.
Bargain! £12.95 for 2 courses of proper food. I pick “Fish & Shellfish soup, drizzled olive oil, croutons” for the starter, and for the main, of course “Beer-battered haddock, hand-cut chips, garden peas, tartare sauce”.
Lovely but drizzled olive oil was sooooo unnecessary. Just made it greasy, did not add any benefit.
This is what I was waiting for! First impression small portion, but, hey, it is a set menu.
Actually, not sure if the portion is small or a reasonable portion served in a small plate.
- Fish 7/10. Fresh fish cooked well but ever so slightly overcooked therefore dry. Batter was very yellow, not sure where this colour came from. But not greasy at all, crunch and hot! Great texture.
- Chips 9/10 Great chips, definitely hand cut. Nice and short, good mouthful size
- Pea 5/10 Nothing wrong, but garden peas.
Overall (including starter) great food 7/10, I was also checking what others were eating, all looks well impressive. I cannot wait to come back. I will eat every single one of items on this set menu. Now even think about it, I just want to be there! Thank you Matthew!!!! (did not meet him this time).
My little seafood odyssey – Introduction
Here, my little seafood odyssey. I am not all but fish and chips. I am deviating my journey. Following are the little tasters. Firstly, Cocorico.
Cocorico, Whetstone, London, N20 9HJ, 5 May 2018
Spaghetti con vongole, spaghetti with fresh clams, garlic, touch of chilli, paisley & wine sauce, £9.90
I must say it is a good price for fresh clams. And it was a lot of them (though smaller side) !!! However, shamefully, the sauce was far too much olive oil and far too much salt. So much so, I woke up 3 times during the night to grab a glass of water. Not a good outcome!!! 5/10.
Ciao Bella, Bloomsbury, London, WC1N 3LZ, 12 May 2018
Spaghetti all’ Aragosta, With Half Lobster in Fresh Tomato Sauce £20
Great portion sizes, yes definitely half lobster here. However, big however, when you turned the lobster around it is completely empty. Yes, there were a few pieces of lobster meat in the spaghetti but I cannot feel but cheated. Lots of fresh tomatoes, great sauce with lots of fishy stock flavour. Not too salty which often the disappointment. £20 for this is simply too expensive. 7/10.
The Blackfriar, Blackfriars, London EC4V 4EG, 7 April 2018
Good evening! I reflected recently that I don’t eat fish and chips often enough, but hey, I had one again at The Blackfriar, opposite of Blackfriars station.
Places are heaving with Tourists and locals.
My standard fish and chips, cod fillet hand-battered in Nicholson’s Pale Ale and served with chips, samphire tartare sauce an mushy peas are £13.25, not cheap, but what caught my eyes is the “Ocean Fish and Chips £15.50!!!!! Which apparently contains mixture of cod fillets and breaded whole tail Whitby Scampi.
This brought back my memory back in November 2014 in The Red Lion in Hythe, Kent. I was served Fish & Chips Platter £13.50, which contained cod, scampi and fish cake, piled on the plate, was not impressive. Love my fish and chips diary, enable for me to look back experience precisely.
So, of course, I reflect on my experience, went for simple fish and chips.
I can smell oil on arrival. Not good!
1. Fish 3/10. Too greasy, I suspect it was cooked in lowish temperature and oil was not drained properly before serving, hence oil smell on arrival. Furthermore, far too thick batter soaked all oil. Quite frankly I could not eat them. Fish itself was nice and fresh but skin was off. As I have to scrape flesh from thick oily batter, there was no enjoyment of mix texture of crunchy batter and flavour of hot juicy fish.
2. Chips 6/10. Well cooked, but standard frozen pub chips.
3. Mushy peas 4/10 Again standard, straight from the tin, no fuss whatsoever.
A disappointing £13.50, I will not eat in here again.
Good night!
The Duke of Sussex, Waterloo, London SE1 7AY, 23 March 2018
Hello! I am breaking the silence, I am alive and well!!!
Confession 1: I have not had a fish and chips for nearly 4 months.
Hey, but I am here tonight at The Duke of Sussex, near Waterloo station, cheering our favourite night (i.e., Friday night) with mis amigas! Nothing has changed.
Excited with the first fish and chips in 4 months!!
Confession 2: Too excited, too busy chatting and (possibly) a pint too much beer, all I can remember is that it was NICE!!!!
But I remember, we were asked by the staff “are you tourists?”. ………Thought I am more Londoner than Londoners…… ok, I get it, I must work harder on this.
Hey, this is 2018, new year (only March!), new me. It is time to spread my deep knowledge, critical and analytical views into larger seafoods world, I am going to be seafood critic as well as fish and chips critic. For example;
Things like this. Please note, this is not a deviation from Fish and Chips critic, but broaden my horizon!
Stay tuned!!!!
Good night!!!
The Perseverance, Bloomsbury London WC1N 3NB, 2 December 2017
Festive season officially begins! Good evening from The Perseverance, Bloomsbury near Holborn and Russell Square. We are celebrating the start of festive season in style, with the proud national cuisine, Fish and Chips.
Cheers!, Nothing like get together with great friends and chat about fish and chips, as well as reflecting back our year.
Bloomsbury IPA battered cod, chips, tartar sauce £13. This is normal price for the central London, yes, I accept. I don’t have to take time to decide what to have but others are wondering what to have from their simple but all pub essentials contained menu.
I just heard one of my peer decisively said “I am going to have fish and chips, I am on diet, it has to be fish, isn’t it!!!” oh, ok….. you are on diet….
Heavy cutlery and thick paper napkin noticed by her, true, it is certainly a good sign, it shows pride and care, nice touch!
Come on!
Some said the paper is on the plate is a bit naff, but majority agreed it is serving a purpose of removing excess oil. I have seen this before and indeed, it fulfilled its purpose.
Clearly see the fish skin. Mashy peas too, which was not mentioned in the menu.
- Fish 7/10 . The fish was very fresh, no doubt. I was on about fish skin then one of my peers questioning if ever, served without skin. I agree, it should not be but I have seen without, which is absolute NO NO. Anyway, it was ever so slightly overcooked (shame as fish was fresh) which takes edge of juiciness away. Also ever so slightly greasy on batter, the paper on the plate was not doing anything! Also no sign of “IPA battered” in terms of flavour.
2. Chips 8/10. Hot heart warming chips, I have a good feeling this is hand cut chips. Hot, well cooked, simple chips.
3. Mashy Peas 4/10. Straight from the tin. No wonder it was not mentioned on the menu. Shame as you can do a lot with mashy peas especially you are charging £13 for the whole dish. You do need to go an extra mile to add a value to the dish.
Overall respectable 7/10, my stomach was once again, warm and filled with joy. In this cold, dump and dark winter, fish and chips is a true shining star, boding friends together.
Good night!