Real Chips

[discofly]

http://flickr.com/photos/67859658@N00/1770176/

that place there is just off marylebone high street. Been in a couple of times. Undoubtedly very nice - yet typical of London - pretentious as f*ck!

I used to work very close to it and fanced some chips to takeaway. I wanted chips and something else - not fish. They only do fish - no patties/ sausages/ fritters etc. So I go in and say can I take some chips away please?

"There is a minimum charge at lunchtimes"
I looked around and the place was empty.
"I understand, but one - I want to take them away, and two, I dont' want fish"
"Sorry - there's a minimum charge"

I walked out laughing.

Minimum charge for take-away! Arrogant tw*ts!

 

[bluestreak]

or is it Chips are made by frying potatoes, not roasting them!

Do please resist the temptation to poncify this most staple of foods.

sorry, i got my chips. very nice they were too. nice and fat, oil in a oven dish, chips in, coating of oil on top, roast in the oven for a short amount of time so as not to actually roast them right as such, but it frys them nicely for people who don't have a deep-fat fryer! very nice it was too.

 

[Monkeynuts]

sorry, i got my chips. very nice they were too. nice and fat, oil in a oven dish, chips in, coating of oil on top, roast in the oven for a short amount of time so as not to actually roast them right as such, but it frys them nicely for people who don't have a deep-fat fryer! very nice it was too.

Fair enough!

 

[Monkeynuts]

I noticed it on the bus on Kingsland road that there is a Fish and Chip shop that also has a restaurant attached, which is pretty unsual, so I checked it out when I cycled passed the other day. It was still pretty early but it was closed, the menu was a bit of an eye opener.

9.60 for the fish??

I have to eat there now, because I think that is probably the most expensive fish and chips ever.

There are a few places like this. It's a bit expensive for fish and chips but less than you might pay for a main meal in a restaurant I guess (trust you do mean to eat in, niot take away?!) and cod is getting scarcer unfortunately due to overfishing.

Some other "posh chippies" if you really feel the urge:

North Sea nr St Pancras (q expensive and old fashioned)
Sea Cow, Lordship Lane, East Dulwich (bit less expensive, "trendy", good selection of fish)
Name escapes me, Roman Rd nr the canal

 

[Zappomatic]

The best chips are cooked in artery clogging dripping.

 

[zoltan]

Sea cow in E Dull - very good - go for the haddock rather than the Cods ( not many cods left in the sea sadly )

Olleys is still pretty good for you Sarf Landanars

avoid ChickKing( " a royal delight " ) or any fried chicken place. appalling

 

[pootle]

Olleys is still pretty good for you Sarf Landanars

I've never quite understood the appeal. or rather reputation of Olley's. the fish is pretty good, but the chips are too dry, and not "soggy" enough, if you know what I mean. They seem like poncey chips, tbh.

 

[loud 1]

i want real chippies tonight

 

[littlevixen]

there used to be a really good one just over the road from Finsbury tube station. not sure if it's still there or not.

 

[blossie33]

Agreed about the one near Finsbury Park tube station but also not sure if it is still there - it is/was actually on Seven Sisters Road.
There was also a really good, award winning Fish and Chip shop on Stroud Green Road when I lived in that area over 6 years ago but it closed - have no idea why.

 

[Sunray]

The best chips are cooked in artery clogging dripping.

This is the difference between good and great.

Wonder where they still do their Fish and Chips in lard. It tastes fantastic.

The use of vegtable fat in Fish and chips is there so they can sell chips to vegi's and save a few pence.

 

[Iguana]

Thanks for all the local and local-ish suggestions. I'm going to have to go on a chip finding quest. I'm grateful, though my arteries hate you all .

There's a place near where I used to work in Victoria which occasionally has a special fish and chip lunch time offer for £10. Some people have way more money than sense.

I tried some once and they weren't even any good.

 

[Sweetpea]

There are a few places like this. It's a bit expensive for fish and chips but less than you might pay for a main meal in a restaurant I guess (trust you do mean to eat in, niot take away?!) and cod is getting scarcer unfortunately due to overfishing.

Some other "posh chippies" if you really feel the urge:

North Sea nr St Pancras (q expensive and old fashioned)
Sea Cow, Lordship Lane, East Dulwich (bit less expensive, "trendy", good selection of fish)
Name escapes me, Roman Rd nr the canal

To add to that list:
The Flying Fish in Camberwell.
It has a very pleasant sit down restaurant and an excellent lunchtime deal. I understand that they source their fish fresh from Billingsgate and they also sell wet fish

 

[Sunray]

Here is TO's page on the subject and it answers my question.

http://www.timeout.com/london/restaurants/features/28.html

I'm gonna have fish and chips dripping in dead cow. Hope the cycle to Holborn will help out the blood vessels.

 

[George & Bill]

To add to that list:
The Flying Fish in Camberwell.
It has a very pleasant sit down restaurant and an excellent lunchtime deal. I understand that they source their fish fresh from Billingsgate and they also sell wet fish

the chips are too dry tho, and the 'large' take-away portion. costing £2, which is double the cost of a standard portion, is much less than twice the size! They also use a silly paper bag instead of learning how to wrap chips up properly or make a cone!

 

[George & Bill]

Here is TO's page on the subject and it answers my question.

http://www.timeout.com/london/restaurants/features/28.html

I'm gonna have fish and chips dripping in dead cow. Hope the cycle to Holborn will help out the blood vessels.

The fryers Delight, you mean? I find them dissapointing; too soggy, not really fresh. Personally I don't find that the much exalted beef-fat cooking method adds anything over vegetable oil either, but I suppose if you are a devotee of that particular flavour it may be worthwhile.

That other oft-mentioned and creatively named central london chippy, the Rock and Sole Plaice, retains its quality inspite of the potential temptation to rely on reputation (presumably what the FD has succumbed to), but is increasingly overpriced.

I find Bert's, on East Street near the corer with the Old Kent Road, among the best chippies I have frequented, and happily it is only a couple of minutes walk from me. The chips have an excellent combination of chunkyness, crispyness, and soggyness/'cohesion', the fish is flavoursome, with tasty and crispy batter. One downside is that 'standard' size cod is sometimes pre-cooked; they will happily cook you a fresh one, or you can just order 'large', for 50p more, which will not have been pre-prepared.

 

[Brixton Hatter]

There is a chippie near where I work which does the real chips (on Strutton Ground in Westminster, if anyone is interested)...

I work near there too - it's called The Laughing Halibut - great name!

Proper chips also in the Seafresh Cafe (Elm Park, SW2) and Chris's Fish & Chips (Loughborough Road, SW9)

 

[Tank Girl]

I find Bert's, on East Street near the corer with the Old Kent Road, among the best chippies I have frequented

the chips in bert's are lush - they're quite often my downfall on the way home from work probably my favourite chips in london.

there's another place on east st, in the middle of the market, that does lovely chips too - they're my lunchtime downfall

somewhere to avoid - olley's in herne hill - their chips are absolute shite, very dry and look processed and tasted like cardboard. and more expensive, to add insult to injury!

 

[sojourner]

Does no one cook their own chips anymore?

Twice a week we'd have chips with something when I was a kid. A chip pan was in every house, and no one has one anymore. I've kept mine, but I don't use it. But if you want fantastic chips, do yer own, with lard, and the double dipping technique

 

[Tank Girl]

I don't have a chip pan or fryer, but when I did, I always double dipped - my chips were lovely.

I don't have room for a fryer here, so if we have chips it's frozen oven chips so rather than buy them, I sneak off to the chippy at lunch time or on the way home

 

[beeboo]

That other oft-mentioned and creatively named central london chippy, the Rock and Sole Plaice, retains its quality inspite of the potential temptation to rely on reputation (presumably what the FD has succumbed to), but is increasingly overpriced.

If you're eating at the Rock & Sole Plaice on a budget then you could do worse than their reasonably priced and very delicious fishcakes.

Like eating there on a quiet evening on the outdoor tables under the trees

 

[sojourner]

I don't have a chip pan or fryer, but when I did, I always double dipped - my chips were lovely.

Temptress

 

[Tank Girl]

we mustn't derail a thread about chips, I couldn't forgive myself
























































*does the double dip*

 

[sojourner]

we mustn't derail a thread about chips, I couldn't forgive myself
























































*does the double dip*

 

[Brixton Hatter]

Does no one cook their own chips anymore?

Twice a week we'd have chips with something when I was a kid. A chip pan was in every house, and no one has one anymore. I've kept mine, but I don't use it...

some people obviously still cook their own chips - the Lambeth Country Show has a demostration by firemen about the dangers of chip pan fires!