Nanking Takeaways

REVIEW LOCATION:
Wellington

Store: Nanking Takeaways, 50 Cleveland St.
Price: $5.30

Amount of chips:     4/5
Chip quality:        5/5
Size of fish:        5/5
Fish quality:        4/5

Total Score:         18

Well drained of oil?: So-so
Satisfied?: Yes - I feel full and in good spirits.

Comments: This place was a pleasant surprise - way less busy than the chip shop up the road and a much lower score comparatively by the plebs on Zomato but was quite good as far as I'm concerned. Classic dive-chippery decor with a Chinese twist. Had one of those nostalgic NZ fish types posters hanging next to a bunch fishing magazines. This was one of the best places for chips so far with that pleasant crunch with amazing fluffy center. Only criticism is I wish I had more because they were so yum and easy to pack away. The fish was a very decent size and pretty tasty but would have been better if it were a little thicker as the flesh was a touch dry. The batter ratio was on point and it was cooked v well but could have done with a little more attention and patience with the bang and hang. Over all the meal was perfectly seasoned and I am feeling well fed and ready to turn the heck up!! Who up?

Bay's Takeaways

REVIEW LOCATION:
Wellington

Store: Bay's Takeaway, 138 The Parade, Island Bay.
Price: $5.50

Amount of chips:     5/5
Chip quality:        3/5
Size of fish:        5/5
Fish quality:        5/5

Total Score:         18

Well drained of oil?: Yes
Satisfied?: Yes - I feel good.


Comments: I counted 8 staff behind the counter at one point and it was chaos with everyone climbing over the top of each other which was crack up. There were some powerfully underwhelming amateur photos of their Chinese menu on the wall tucked out of sight in the passage thru to the rear exit. It was almost as though they were embarrassed of them but someone higher rank insisted they keep them up. They were very generous with the chips but they followed the old xtra hot oil trick and the chips got tough and stuck to my teeth which I'm really not ok with - maybe it's a new phobia of mine. Also their home cut chips were really thick which I'm not a huge fan because it makes the chip bland and the middle is like you're biting into a boiled potato. The fish was a decent size, very chunky and juicy. It was cooked well and the batter ratio was almost bang on. It was so enjoyable that I had almost finished it before I even made a dent in the chips so I had to consciously pace myself so that there was some left near the end of the meal. Quite under seasoned overall but the oil drainage was so good that I don't even feel like I just piled a bunch of deep fried food into me and there is no sign of grease on my mitts.

Fisherman's Plate

REVIEW LOCATION:
Wellington

Store: Fisherman's Plate, 12 Bond St.
Price: $8.50

Amount of chips:     5/5
Chip quality:        3/5
Size of fish:        5/5
Fish quality:        2/5

Total Score:         15

Well drained of oil?: Nope
Satisfied?: I am full but I feel oily and gross.


Comments: This place has a real cool awkward ambience. There's an abrasive humming and I can't figure out where it's coming from as the woman on the table next to me goes through an identity crisis. There's free wifi and laminated newspaper reviews from David Burton and the singer from Phoenix Foundation plastered on a few of the grubby walls. Granted, the Vietnamese cuisine they have on the menu looks pretty amazing but they really shouldn't even bother when it comes to fish and chips imo. The pile of chips was pretty epic but I would kind of expect that for $4. They followed the common mistake of cooking everything way too damn hot leaving the middle of the chips dense and undercooked with a chewy plasticy outer. The chips were pretty flavourless and had a subtle hint of dirt and dry wood. The fish was a thin piece of veiny shark which was also bland and undercooked. Every few bites had a muddy taste which seemed to linger well after the meal was done. By the end I was drenched in oil and my mouth had a thick grease coating which needed a bottle of fizz to cut through it. These sucked but edible at least I suppose.

Te Aro Fish Supplies LTD

REVIEW LOCATION:
Wellington

Store: Te Aro Fish Supplies LTD, 85 Aro St.
Price: $5.50

Amount of chips:     5/5
Chip quality:        2/5
Size of fish:        4/5
Fish quality:        2/5

Total Score:         13

Well drained of oil?: Yes
Satisfied?: No I couldn't finish these.


Comments: Where do I start? I felt skeptical as soon as I walked in and noticed none of the deep fryers were switched on and wondered how my fish and chips were cooked. Who knows? The chips were abundant for a half of a scoop and I was unable to finish them but this wasn't due to the generous quantity but because they were dry and powdery and got caught in my throat and also had an offensive plasticky flavour reminiscent of garden hose water. It was like trying to do the cinnamon challenge with every chip (but not spicy obv). The fish was a pretty decent size and the cut was not a bad flavour and texture but the batter content was very high so the batter under the surface was very doughy and the flour seemed to taste stale. Trying to remove the batter only resulted in the fish becoming a crumbled mess. This place was shit but they are great when it comes to oil drainage let me tell you.