I love my fish and chips. If there is comfort food in this world, it is the 'chippy' for me. Nothing quite beats having deep fried fish with thick oily fries wrapped in newspaper on a muggy day. A trip to England is incomplete till I do the trip to Croydon only to feast at my favourite McDermott's. Their cod and Maris Piper potato chips are made in heaven. And McDermott's is the benchmark by which I measure all fish houses. Just when I was really starting to moan about Singapore lacking a decent fish and chips place, I walked past one at Boat Quay. Unable to believe that the food Gods had actually heard my pleas, I promptly fixed lunch with a friend and we set off for Smith's.
The location is great - waterside as well as indoor seating is available along the Boat Quay riverfront. The decor is no-frills and its all about the fish. A smiling lady offers you a choice of classic cod, haddock, plaice, halibut, scampi as also the Asian favourite Dory. There is a choice of salmon fishcakes too and for non-fish eaters, there is chicken and chips. You can see the various fried fish pieces through the glass display. We settled on a cod and haddock each with chips and a side order of mushy peas. It is self-service at Smith's and the staff will only clean the tables for you.
Your order is wrapped in plain white paper (unlike in newspapers in UK). The cod was as it should be - tender and moist flesh cooked in a light and crispy batter. Haddock tastes similar to cod except that it is less flaky. Between the two, I prefer haddock and had no complaints with Smith's offering. The fish is fried in refined palm oil and leaves no after-taste. It is wont to serve the fish bland so you have to sprinkle salt and vinegar on it for some taste. The chips were quite good - crunchy, chunky and well cooked. A small gripe was they were a tad cold. Just so you are not surprised in case this is your first stop at a 'chipper', English chips are thicker than American fries and look more like potato wedges. In combination with the fish, these taste better than American-style thin fries would. Though not a favourite with me the mushy peas were decent and were just that - green, tasty and well mushed !
Overall, Smith's is as good a 'chipper' as you can find outside of UK and continental Europe. The place is run by Britons and the fish is flown in weekly. Whilst the chips are not made from Maris Piper potatoes, they are tasty nonetheless. The prices are reasonable. Cod, haddock are priced at SGD 18 and only the halibut and scampi are more expensive at SGD 24. Ideal for a quick bite or lunch meeting, I highly recommend Smith's. At last, there is a fish and chips outlet where I can satiate my fish cravings without having to go to Old Blighty.
The location is great - waterside as well as indoor seating is available along the Boat Quay riverfront. The decor is no-frills and its all about the fish. A smiling lady offers you a choice of classic cod, haddock, plaice, halibut, scampi as also the Asian favourite Dory. There is a choice of salmon fishcakes too and for non-fish eaters, there is chicken and chips. You can see the various fried fish pieces through the glass display. We settled on a cod and haddock each with chips and a side order of mushy peas. It is self-service at Smith's and the staff will only clean the tables for you.
Your order is wrapped in plain white paper (unlike in newspapers in UK). The cod was as it should be - tender and moist flesh cooked in a light and crispy batter. Haddock tastes similar to cod except that it is less flaky. Between the two, I prefer haddock and had no complaints with Smith's offering. The fish is fried in refined palm oil and leaves no after-taste. It is wont to serve the fish bland so you have to sprinkle salt and vinegar on it for some taste. The chips were quite good - crunchy, chunky and well cooked. A small gripe was they were a tad cold. Just so you are not surprised in case this is your first stop at a 'chipper', English chips are thicker than American fries and look more like potato wedges. In combination with the fish, these taste better than American-style thin fries would. Though not a favourite with me the mushy peas were decent and were just that - green, tasty and well mushed !
Overall, Smith's is as good a 'chipper' as you can find outside of UK and continental Europe. The place is run by Britons and the fish is flown in weekly. Whilst the chips are not made from Maris Piper potatoes, they are tasty nonetheless. The prices are reasonable. Cod, haddock are priced at SGD 18 and only the halibut and scampi are more expensive at SGD 24. Ideal for a quick bite or lunch meeting, I highly recommend Smith's. At last, there is a fish and chips outlet where I can satiate my fish cravings without having to go to Old Blighty.
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