fish and chip shops

[ginger chef]

one thing i loved in austrailia and nz was the chippies perfectly fresh fish and different batters etc. whats your favourite item on the chippy menu. also what is chicken salt.

[The Chefs Office]

I do hope you managed to have a chiko roll whilst here.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chiko_Roll

or

http://www.simplot.com.au/Hosting/corp/Sim...A256F27000D2C01

if not, come back.

[Taubear]

one thing i loved in austrailia and nz was the chippies perfectly fresh fish and different batters etc. whats your favourite item on the chippy menu. also what is chicken salt.

←

I love a good potato scallop and of course a crab stick to go with my fish and chips. Who really knows whats in a crab stick [i am sure it's NOT crab] but I like them Also the crumbed crab claws are pretty damn goo too......actually it's all good.

Chicken Salt - Another unknown in the fish and chip world. Probably made from chicken stock cube and salt. Best added to the chips. Me I just like plain old sea salt.

Edited to add chicken salt comment

Edited February 13, 2006 by Taubear (log)

[PCL]

Chiko rolls rock. Had a few on the weekend actually.

Also had some good fish and chips yesterday as a matter of fact.

Flathead fillets and chips, crab dim sims.

All fried. Too good.

Other fantastic fish options are flake, ocean perch, blue grenadier, snapper... list goes on and on and on... throw in a couple calamari rings and scallops... bob's your uncle.

[whisks]

tasmanian scallops, battered oysters, dim sims and chicko rolls are always on my order. prawns and octopus are also high on my list. if i get to bondi beach, i always order the gourmet dessert pack which consists of a banana fritter, pineapple fritter and mars bar fritter. i love it, mind you, the mars bar fritter is really made for sharing cos one whole one to oneself may be just a tad rich, believe it or not.

if i know i have to share my loot from the fish and chip shop with my nephews, i also get a serve of fish and chips

Edited February 13, 2006 by whisks (log)

[Syrah]

one thing i loved in austrailia and nz was the chippies perfectly fresh fish and different batters etc. whats your favourite item on the chippy menu. also what is chicken salt.

←

Did you try the chicken salt?? I am not keen personally when it comes to fish and chips, but if I am getting just chips and gravy .. it's chicken salt all the way.

[ginger chef]

i loved chicken salt the only thing i thought it was is possibly crushed bouilion and msg. i dont know what chikko rolls are though enlighten me. i liked big fat mussels on sticks in batter in nz they were awesome. cheers guys any other strange chippy dishes.

p.s potato scallops do they have another name.

p.p.s forgot about the melbourne floater. wickedly good

[ginger chef]

now know what chiko rols are could nt mopen the link this morning. thanks.

[whisks]

what's a melbourne floater?

[Dim Sim]

here is some detail on Chiko roll http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chiko_Roll

what's a melbourne floater?

←

I live in Melbourne I never heard of Melbourne floater, it is not the same as the pie floater in South Australia, is it ? that meat pie in pea soup dish. It actually tastes better than it sounds.

Oop , didn't see The Chefs Office has already posted the same link.

Edited February 14, 2006 by Dim Sim (log)

[Shinboners]

Bubs Seafood in Nelson Bay, NSW. Best fish and chips ever.

Unfortunately, my local fish and chip shop (out here in the 'burbs) is rubbish. I suppose walking in and seeing Chinese behind the counter should have tipped me off. You see, us Chinese have no history of fish and chips, so we're really not going to be terribly good at this kind of food. Then there was the vat of industrial batter that should have made me walk straight out.....and if not that, the smell of oil in the air should have done it.....but sometimes, hunger takes over from logic, but I'm never going in there again.

And to add to the others, what is a "Melbourne floater"? I've lived in Melbourne all my life and I've never come across one.

[ginger chef]

yes thats it a pie floater i had it at a chippy/cafe in melbourne . like pie and liquor over here. the name intrigued me cause floaters are something else in the u.k. to be honest they look quite similar.

[whisks]

sorry to hear that you local fish n chip shop isn't any good - mine is wonderful and surprise, surprise, it's run by chinese! they don't have much imagination as far as salads and things, but whatever works for them. the burgers are also great - the traditional beetroot, bacon n eggs, everything deal. the fish the get in is really wonderfully fresh as well. and this is in the 'burbs.

actually, now that u mention it, i like it better than the one i frequent in the city when i live there, which is run by greeks - i figure that because it's in the city (they're in circular quay) they don't have as much repeat business ('cept me n other residents) so they don't have to try as hard. u should see the trade they do on new year's eve tho - it's awesome - nothing to do with quality - everything to do with position position position.

[Shinboners]

There's always a few exceptions that prove the rule. Near my best mate's place, the fish and chip shop is run by Asians and they're not too bad. Their steak sandwiches are great.

Over on Glenferrie Road, they've got one of those "Bottom of the Harbour" fish and chip shops. I remember going there when they had the original owners. The fish and chips were excellent, the seafood was superb (if overpriced), the staff were great, and the place was always full. Since then, the original owners sold them off as franchises, and Chinese bought the one in Hawthorn. To them, it's just a business rather than a passion. So, the fish and chips aren't as good, the seafood looks dreadful, the service is non-existent (I have never seen the two owners smile), and thus, the place isn't as busy as it once was. I once got given a crumbed piece of fish that had been reheated from the previous night - I haven't returned since.

[lamington]

yes thats it a pie floater i had it at a chippy/cafe in melbourne

That's amazing. Never seen a pie floater in Melb! Or Syd. I thought they really did stop at the SA border:)

[Dim Sim]

yes thats it a pie floater i had it at a chippy/cafe in melbourne

That's amazing. Never seen a pie floater in Melb! Or Syd. I thought they really did stop at the SA border:)

←

It is quite hard to find one even in South australia. In adelaide there are a couple of pie carts, where they wheel out at certain time, I was told the one near the Hilton Hotel is pretty good, I don't think it will pose any threat to Cheong Liew's Grange

it actually looks quite pretty serve on a plate, vivid green color and golden crusted pastry, actually come to think of it, I am sure if Gary Rhode were an South Australia, he will come out with a spectacular version of it.

Just out of curiosity, ginger chef can you remember the name or vaguely the location of the place in Melbourne that you had this ?

Edited February 15, 2006 by Dim Sim (log)

[jamiemaw]

what's a melbourne floater?

←

Dead guy in the Yarra?

[whisks]

harry's cafe de wheels in wooloomooloo in sydney has pie floaters, n the cornish pasties r pretty good too. if you don't need the atmosphere of the actual pie cart and location, they also have harry's pies at the pie shop in circular quay; i don't know whether they have the floater tho.

[Tae.Lee]

chicken salt :

http://www.mitani.com.au/cs.htm

the 24 bakery in North Adelaide does pie floaters in winter, and there is a small soup shop in the city that does gourmet pie/soup floaters..

i've lived here 30 years and i haven't had one yet..

maybe this could be split into a separate thread?

[Taubear]

chicken salt :

http://www.mitani.com.au/cs.htm

the 24 bakery in North Adelaide does pie floaters in winter, and there is a small soup shop in the city that does gourmet pie/soup floaters..

i've lived here 30 years and i haven't had one yet..

maybe this could be split into a separate thread?

←

Quote from the site

even though the name may suggest it has a chicken flavour, there are no chicken extracts or concentrates added which adds to it's versatility.

This is a worry What the hell's in it if there's no chicken extracts?

[lamington]

This is a worry What the hell's in it if there's no chicken extracts?

Looking at the ingredients list of many stock cubes/powders can be a surprising adventure too. Science. Gotta love it.

[helenjp]

Quick survey of my boys reveals the popularity rankings.

Fish and chips. Of course.

Spring rolls.

Battered mussels and oysters.

Most of our local F&C shops are run by recent-immigrant Chinese families. They certainly do a better job with batter than the average Bruce.

[ginger chef]

hi cant remember where i had the floater exactly but it was part of a foodie tour of melbourne when i was out there in 98 for the chefs conference. i was competing. and i had it on a night out after a few beers and thought this is alot better than a doner kebab. chicken salt seems intersting you dont know if we can get it in the u.k.

simon

[Dim Sim]

To me chicken salt tastes a little bit like those Maggi 2 minutes noodle seasoning (chicken flavor) it makes you salivate, slight tingling sensation, like if you have too much msg in your food, I wonder that is what the Japanese meant by unami . Ginger chef have you heard of celery salt ? I have to go down to my local super market to check up the ingredients on the jar.

the best fish and chips I had was in Port Fairy, a little fish exchange along the jetty, I had the most memorable scallop there , firm and flavorsome , and the batter stay crisp, not the 'all too common' watery soggy type, and the fish is nice, moist and fresh, the batter was thin and crisp, certainly wasn't the cardboardy type, or the one that the batter was thicker than the fillet. May be sitting near the water have soemthing to do with it. this was taken in the middle of last year, in the evening, still as good as how i remembered it from more than 10 years ago.

[Tae.Lee]

This is a worry What the hell's in it if there's no chicken extracts?

←

from another part of the site:

Here Con Mitani began hand blending his own mix of herbs and spices to create a now greatly successful product known as MITANI CHICKEN SALT.

i suppose people said it tasted like chicken at the beginning and it stuck..

wiki says:

Chicken salt is a flavoured salt composed of herbs and spices and (in some brands) monosodium glutamate (MSG). It is sold across Australia.

Chicken salt is most commonly used in fish and chip shops and other take-away food shops, where it is often the standard seasoning on chicken, hot chips, fried seafood, red meat and so on.

Most take-away shops also offer the option of "normal salt". Chicken salt contains no chicken extracts or concentrates which adds to its versatility. It is not related to the chicken flavouring or seasoning that is found on potato crisps, although it can be similar in appearance (both have a slight yellow colouring).

Mitani, which does not use MSG in its ingredients, claims to be the largest supplier of chicken salt in Australia.

The ingredients of Mitani brand chicken salt are:

Sea salt

"Herbs and spices"

Garlic powder

Onion powder

Dextrose

Soy sauce powder

Vegetable oil

"Natural flavourings"

Citric acid.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicken_salt

Edited February 17, 2006 by Tae.Lee (log)