When you visit a country for the first time, some things have to be done. You may not expect it to be the highlight of the trip, it may be overpriced, overhyped or you may have to stand in a long queue. But you still have to do it, because it's that symbolic of the place. Like you have to go see the Eiffel Tower in Paris and The Statue of Liberty in New York. Throw the coin in the Trevi fountain in Rome and shop at the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul. And when it comes to eating, every destination has its own local icons. Pizza in Naples, the Croissant in Paris, Ramen in Tokyo, Chili Crab in Singapore...and the list goes on. But when in London, its gotta be Fish & Chips.
The dish is simple and doesn't need much explanation. Just batter-fried fish, usually cod or haddock, served with chips. The dish became popular throughout Britain in the second half of the nineteenth century, when trawl fishing developed rapidly. The first fish-and-chip shop opened in Oldham near Manchester. This was followed by several similar establishments that came up throughout the country and made fish-and-chips ubiquitous in Britain, and especially in London.
There are plenty of Fish-and Chip shops in every locality in London, so trying to find the best one is a futile exercise. Every Londoner will have a different favorite and the argument will never end. It's like trying to find the best Vada Pav vendor in Mumbai. So I didn't bother finding the best fish-and-chips in London. I simply included fish-and-chips in one of my sight-seeing trips into the city.
It was Thursday morning and I was to visit the Tower of London. So I searched Google for good fish and chip shops nearby, and sure enough, there was one right next to the tower. It was highly rated, was a hole in the wall, served only the item in question and had no name. In other words, the kind of place discerning food-lovers look for.
Now European and especially British food tends to be a bit too bland for the Indian palate. This had been my experience with Pie and Mash - the chili vinegar wasn't enough. But that's not a problem when it comes to fish-and-chips. Coz condiments are plenty. There was ketchup, chili sauce, barbeque sauce, vinegar, mayonnaise and more. The fish was fresh, and though I'm not a big fan of things fired in batter, I liked this. The portion was pretty big too and at less than £3, it's good value for money in an expensive city. Everyone knows what it looks like, but still...
The dish is simple and doesn't need much explanation. Just batter-fried fish, usually cod or haddock, served with chips. The dish became popular throughout Britain in the second half of the nineteenth century, when trawl fishing developed rapidly. The first fish-and-chip shop opened in Oldham near Manchester. This was followed by several similar establishments that came up throughout the country and made fish-and-chips ubiquitous in Britain, and especially in London.
There are plenty of Fish-and Chip shops in every locality in London, so trying to find the best one is a futile exercise. Every Londoner will have a different favorite and the argument will never end. It's like trying to find the best Vada Pav vendor in Mumbai. So I didn't bother finding the best fish-and-chips in London. I simply included fish-and-chips in one of my sight-seeing trips into the city.
It was Thursday morning and I was to visit the Tower of London. So I searched Google for good fish and chip shops nearby, and sure enough, there was one right next to the tower. It was highly rated, was a hole in the wall, served only the item in question and had no name. In other words, the kind of place discerning food-lovers look for.
Now European and especially British food tends to be a bit too bland for the Indian palate. This had been my experience with Pie and Mash - the chili vinegar wasn't enough. But that's not a problem when it comes to fish-and-chips. Coz condiments are plenty. There was ketchup, chili sauce, barbeque sauce, vinegar, mayonnaise and more. The fish was fresh, and though I'm not a big fan of things fired in batter, I liked this. The portion was pretty big too and at less than £3, it's good value for money in an expensive city. Everyone knows what it looks like, but still...
