Sep 23, 2016 Cheap Eats
FISH AND FRIENDS
414 Titirangi Rd, Titirangi
An ex-O’Connell Street Bistro chef heads the kitchen at this local chippy, and it shows. He serves buttery fish in a cloud of beer batter, handcut chips (skin on), homemade pork and fennel sausages in squidgy, gourmet hot dog buns and vibrant (it’s possible!) mushy peas. The All Good Organics range and Mister Milkshakes complete the fast-food-made-gourmet experience. Stephen Ward has raised the bar for fish and chip shops everywhere. Open Wednesday to Sunday nights only.
Fish and chips, new listing
THE FISH POT CAFE
99 Tamaki Drive, Mission Bay
The queue for takeaways — even mid-afternoon on a rainy Sunday — points to the reason generations of Aucklanders keep coming back to the Pot: it’s reliably good. Nothing too fancy, no surprises, just consistently fresh fish, calamari, mussels and the like, served with decent chips, and the choice of eating in the old-school dining room (more choice, more expensive), or joining the queue and having a feed on the sand.
Fish and chips, new listing, licensed
FISHSMITH
200 Jervois Rd, Herne Bay
The mantra of Scott Brown (ex-Sofitel and Huka Lodge) is freshness, starting with his hand-cut twice-fried potato and kumara chips to his salads and slaw and the fish he sources at the markets. Less traditional options include calamari, soft-shell crab and spicy chickpeas — served in buns — and spiced fish tacos.
Fish and chips
GREENWOODS FRESH CATCH
1 Pah Rd, Epsom
Fresh-every-day fish and award-winning chips cooked by the happiest man alive make for a winning Friday night in. Thomas Ng left Hong Kong as a young man to work as a chef in mid-century New Zealand (some wonderful history there). These days, the octogenarian and his wife Lilian fervently plug the simple, top-quality-is-best approach to fish and chips, for which we love them.
Fish and chips
JIMMY THE COOK AT GREY LYNN RSA
1 Francis St, Grey Lynn
The menu is blackboard-short, orders are cash-only, and the shoebox of a kitchen is open for just two hours on Wednesday to Saturday nights. But don’t let that deter you. Seafood maestro Jimmy “The Fish” Gerard (ex-Ponsonby Central), born again as Jimmy the Cook, chalks up an oft-changing menu of mostly steaks, pasta and seafood (go for the smoked-fish pie with salad, if it’s on). A bit of friendly banter with Jimmy is usually on offer, too.
Fish and chips, new listing, licensed
MT EDEN VILLAGE FISH SHOP
438 Mt Eden Rd, Mt Eden
Justin Pilkington, former owner of Oceanz Seafood at Farro Fresh in Mt Wellington, has been behind the deep fryer here since May. He clearly knows his snapper, tarakihi and gurnard, encased in light-as-air batter (grilled or crumbed are also options).There’s always a fish of the day — perhaps gemfish, trevally or blue warehou — and anything from the seafood cabinet can be cooked up if you fancy. Big fluffy chips, and a few little crunchy ones, complete the hot steaming parcel. Fish and chips to cross town for.
Fish and chips
THE STORE
22 The Promenade, Takapuna
Hip Group’s beachfront restaurants each have a takeaway arm. At Takapuna (and also at Kohi Corner and St Heliers), you can skip the wait for a table by ordering from a shorter menu of gourmet fish and chips, wagyu cheeseburgers and filling seasonal salads to go. Tease the seagulls by eating on the beach, and then return for gelato.
Contemporary NZ, fish and chips, free range
