Feb 22, 2009
Catch of the day
Fish and chips are making a comeback with restaurateurs serving their own versions
By Huang Lijie
Fish and chips are making a splash on menus here with restaurants that serve the deep-fried goodness using fancy types of fish and specially concocted batter.
The dish has long been a staple offering at English pubs and Western seafood restaurants, yet Singaporean diners never tire of it.
Still, to prevent the ubiquitous offering from becoming a cliche, different restaurants have taken to serving their own versions of the perennial favourite.
A classic rendition of the dish is to serve John dory fish encased in a beer batter crust with thick, hand-cut fries called chips and complementary condiments such as malt vinegar or tartare sauce.
Asian-style restaurant Grandma's, with outlets in Orchard Parade Hotel and United Square, however, uses both self-raising flour and Japanese tempura flour to achieve a lighter, crispier batter.
The Japanese inspiration for the batter stems from owner Mervin Goh's culinary background as the chef of the fine-dining Japanese restaurant chain Akashi, which has four outlets including one at The Paragon.
He also serves the dish at his Western-style casual eatery White Dog Cafe in VivoCity.
Mr Goh, 37, says he chose to make the dish available on the menu of Grandma's because it is a dish that appeals to both adults and children and would thus fit the family-friendly eatery.
Newly opened casual eatery Oriole Cafe & Bar in Somerset Road also has fish and chips on its menu.
The dish is a smaller serving of the popular beer-battered snapper fish version with shoe-string fries at its sister restaurant, Whitebait & Kale, in Camden Medical Centre.
Mr Keith Loh, 36, owner of both restaurants, says the dish was included in the Oriole menu because it has been a hit since it made its debut at Whitebait in 2003.
Chef-owner Damien D'Silva, 52, of the casual eatery Big D's Grill in Holland Drive, similarly uses snapper fish in his fish and chips.
He says: 'I prefer snapper because it is a good quality fish with firmer meat than some types of dory fish.'
For The Queen & Mangosteen, a gourmet British pub that opened in VivoCity last month, the dish was similarly a shoo-in on the menu, but not without a classy makeover first.
The gastro-pub uses fresh seabass fillets and a curry tartare sauce instead of the plain version.
Lending the dish its unique accent is the use of Archipelago Samui beer, which is on the tap at the pub and has a hint of sweetness with the fragrance of pandan leaves.
Another eatery that takes extra pains with its beer-battered fish and chips is The Pump Room, which has two outlets, in Clarke Quay and Great World City.
Its consultant chef, Karl Dobler, 45, says freshly brewed wheat ale or lager from its microbrewery in Clarke Quay is used to make the Pacific dory fish and chips.
He says: 'Fresh, yeasty beer with lots of bubbles is a good choice for the batter because it makes it crispier and have a better flavour.'
For the recently opened Australian seafood restaurant Double Bay in Raffles City, emphasis is placed on the freshness of the eight types of fish that diners can choose from for their fish and chips.
These include barramundi, sea bream, marble goby and snapper, which come from a nearby local farm and arrive at the restaurant within hours of its slaughter.
At Mad Jack Cafe, the chefs give special attention to the way its fish is fried.
Co-owner Jack Chin, 43, says the fish the restaurant uses - he would only say it is not dory - is fried individually in woks instead of a larger fryer.
He says: 'Frying the fish in woks means that the oil for the fish can be changed daily without wastage. This is unlike the oil in fryers used to cook the chips, which due to its sheer volume, makes it unfeasible to throw out before it has been used for two to three days.
'So, using a wok to fry the fish ensures that it does not taste or smell rancid from overuse of the oil.'
And for each version of fish and chips available here, it has its own group of fans.
Sales executive Amos Lim, 35, who eats fish and chips twice a month, often returns to Mad Jack Cafe for his fix because the fish is juicy and does not have an unpleasant oily taste, unlike those served at other restaurants.
For IT manager Tim Lavender, 52, who is a Briton, the beer-battered fish and chips at Molly Malone's Irish Pub & Brasserie in Circular Road is what seals the deal for him.
He says: 'The fish is cooked wonderfully with a crispy batter and its generous portion makes it a fantastic value-for-money offer.'
Fish and chips from the chain seafood restaurant Fish & Co., however, remains the favourite of Madam Collidear Chua, 30, a public relations manager.
She says: 'The batter is not too thick so you don't end up tasting more of the batter than the fish.'
Where to go
Restaurants churn out variations of the humble fish and chips dish to suit diners of every palate. Here is a list of eateries that offer the popular deep-fried comfort food.
Barossa
Where: 8 Raffles Avenue, 01-11, The Esplanade Mall, tel: 6534-5188 Open: Noon to midnight, Sundays to Thursdays, noon to 2am, Fridays and Saturdays
What: The batter is made with a mix of beer and tonic water to ensure that the Pacific dory fish stays crisp longer.
Price: $18
The Queen & Mangosteen
Where: 1 Harbourfront Walk, 01-106, VivoCity, tel: 6376-9380 Open: 11am to midnight, Sundays to Thursdays, 11 to 1am, Fridays and Saturdays
What: This gourmet British pub jazzes up its beer-battered fish and chips with seabass and a curry tartare sauce.
Price: $12
Oriole Cafe & Bar
Where: 96 Somerset Road, 01-01, Pan Pacific Serviced Suites, tel: 6238-8348
Open: 11am to 9.30pm daily
What: If everything in moderation is how you eat, opt for the fish and chips here, which is a smaller serving of the signature fish and chips at its sister restaurant Whitebait & Kale in Camden Medical Centre.
Price: $15
Whitebait & Kale
Where: 1 Orchard Boulevard, Camden Medical Centre, 01-01, tel: 6333-8697
Open: Noon to 2.30pm and 7 to 10pm, Mondays to Saturdays, 10am to 4pm, Sundays
What: Its beer-battered snapper fish and shoe-string fries is so popular with both grown-ups and kids that it comes in two sizes, for children and adults.
Price: $10 (kids) and $22 (adults)
Molly Malone's Irish Pub & Brasserie
Where: 56 Circular Road, tel: 6536-2029
Open: 11.30am to 10.30pm
What: The generous portion of its beer-battered fish and chips makes it a value-for-money deal.
Price: $17
Double Bay
Where: 252 North Bridge Road, 01-22A, Raffles City Shopping Centre, tel: 6334-6530
Open: 11.30 to 2am daily
What: Choose from eight different types of fish for your fish and chips, including barramundi, snapper, sea bream, salmon and marble goby.
Price: From $21.90 for barramundi to $26.90 for marble goby
Grandma's
Where: 1 Tanglin Road, 01-13, Orchard Parade Hotel, tel: 6732-3082, open: 11.30am to 3pm and 6 to 10.30pm daily, and 101 Thomson Road, B1-17, United Square, tel: 6356-5434,
Open: 11.30 am to 3pm and 5.30 to 10pm, weekdays, 11.30am to 10pm, weekends
What: The batter for its fish is a blend of both self-raising and Japanese tempura flour to ensure a lighter taste.
Price: $14.50
White Dog Cafe
Where: 1 Harbourfront Walk, 02-131, VivoCity, tel: 6376-9970 Open: 11.30am to 10.30pm daily
What: Like Grandma's, the batter for its fish is also a blend of self-raising flour and Japanese tempura flour.
Price: $14.90
Big D's Grill
Where: Block 46 Holland Drive, 01-359
Open: Noon to 2.30pm and 6 to 9.30pm, Fridays to Wednesdays, 6 to 9.30pm, Thursdays
What: Its beer-battered snapper fish with thick-cut chips goes best with malt vinegar or its home-made tartare sauce.
Price: $8.90
The Pump Room
Where: 3B River Valley Road, 01-09, Clarke Quay, The Foundry, tel: 6334-2628
Open: Noon to 3am, Sundays to Thursday, noon to 5am, Fridays and Saturdays, and 1 Kim Seng Promenade, 01-66, tel: 6887-3229 Open: 10.30 to 12.30am, weekdays, 10.30 to 2am, weekends
What: The bistro uses freshly brewed wheat ale or lager from its microbrewery for a crispier batter.
Price: $22
Fish & Co.
Where: 16 outlets, including 290 Orchard Road, B1-35, tel: 6733-0938
Open: 11am to 10pm daily
What: Its signature fish and chips is topped with a Mediterranean-inspired lemon butter sauce.
Price: $15.90
Mad Jack Cafe
Where: Four outlets, including 6 Duke's Road, tel: 6462-4300
Open: 11.30am to 11pm daily
What: The cafe fries its fish in woks and uses a fresh batch of oil every day.
Price: $8.90 for the standard offering and $14.90 for the premium option, which uses a higher quality fish
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