(PARTIALLY SPONSORED) I thought my clubbing days were long over until @fryingfishclub pulled up, and this is definitely more my type of club now that I’m the wrong side of thirty. They only have four entrées on the menu, making them a club of focus, commitment and sheer f-sorry. As their name implies, their claim to fame is fried fish, or more specifically, fish and chips.⠀
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I was feeling a little hot to trot that day, so an order of Spicy Shio Maguro Fish & Chips ($19.50 before ten percent service charge) was in order. Shio Maguro is the Japanese designation for albacore tuna, and this might be the first time that I’ve encountered tuna being used for fish & chips. It certainly won’t be the last time, as the shiro maguro is a marvellously moist & mildly oily fish that holds its structure well. The texture is terrific, as its firmness ensures that it flakes off in large chunks that can be speared easily by fork, compared to some other fish that are flaky but fall apart far too easily.⠀
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The batter used was immaculately crispy, and despite it being just a touch thicker than most other highly acclaimed fried fish, it did not absorb that much oil. I would later learn from a chat with one of the chefs that this was due to Frying Fish Club’s (FFC) insistence on keeping the batter fresh. The chefs would whip up & utilise a new batch of batter every three hours to ensure that the batter stayed as aerated & fresh as possible. That would certainly explain the airiness & crispness of the batter. With that said, I feel like FFC could’ve been a lot bolder with their mala spice applied to the fish, as the mala was only really a whispered suggestion in the grand scheme of things.⠀
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The accompaniments to the fish were superb as well. The fries used here are thick cut fries, and while potato purists may debate their status as proper chips, they are a damn sight better than poxy little shoestring fries. Shoestring fries are nice, but they simply don’t belong in fish and chips. The kani (no nabei here) salad was certainly a curiosity, with lots of shredded imitation crabmeat mixed with carrots in mayo. Not quite as refreshing as a proper ‘slaw, but this was sufficiently superb.