The Best Fish and Chips to Put You Off Meat (Forever)
Fish and Chips, a.k.a. our local fast food restaurants’ go-to “Lenten offering,” is actually of Jewish descent. According to food and travel author Simon Majundar, Peshkado frito, fish and chips’ ancestor, is a deep-fried white fish dish—typically cod or haddock—that came to British shores from Sephardic Jews who fleed the Spanish Inquisition in the 15th century. In the 18th century, someone in the U.K. (origins are quite uncertain, depending on who you ask) decided to pair the fried fish with fried chips, and the rest is history.
Today, people all over the world are enjoying this British import, including us Filipinos. Although ours aren’t always authentic (here, a “chippy” is less a fish-and-chips shop and more a famous junk food snack), we all enjoy a good warm helping of this simple, straightforward dish. Frying may seem easy, but it has to achieve crispy goodness on the outside while maintaining the tender flakiness of the white meat on the inside. Here are some of the best takes on fish and chips in Manila.
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1| Fish & Co
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Arguably the first local restaurant you think of when you’re craving fish and chips, Fish & Co offers three different takes on the dish: Best Fish & Chips in Town, the original recipe of fried, crispy dory served with tartar sauce, Philadelphia Fish & Chips, which serves the fish stuffed with cream cheese, and New York Fish & Chips, where the fish comes with parmesan cheese stuffing.
2| Mulligans
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This local Irish pub is known for its massive servings, and its fish and chips is no exception. Served on a warm bed of fries, accompanied by two sauces, and topped with lemon slices, Mulligan’s beer-battered fish is big enough to be shared by two.
61 and 107 Aguirre Avenue, BF Homes, Parañaque
3| Belle & Dragon
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Euro-Asian fusion concept Belle & Dragon may serve pub staples with a twist, but its fish and chips sticks to the basics. Beer-battered cod fillet is fried to perfection and served with thick chips, a side of tartare sauce, and a scoop of mashed corn and peas.
100 OPL Building, C Palanca Street, Legazpi Village, Makati
4| Union Jack Tavern
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UJT’s take on fish and chips is pretty straightforward—beer-battered fish is fried to a crisp and served with chips, tartar sauce, and a big helping of runny mashed peas. Nothing new? Yes. Timeless? Definitely.
Legazpi Village, Makati; Festival Mall, Alabang, Muntinlupa
5| Bondi & Bourke
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Chef Wade Watson’s version of fish and chips uses snapper instead of the usual dory, the former a common catch in his native Australia. Instead of vinegar, Bondi and Bourke serves its dish with Marie Rose sauce, a light pink blend of tomatoes, mayonnaise, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, and black pepper.
G/F Cattleya Condominium Building, Salcedo Corner Aguirre Street, Legazpi Village, Makati
6| CargoFish
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Fish and Chips the British way—but also, rice? CargoFish blends its chefs’ (Early Bird Breakfast’s Matthew John Hornsby-Bates and Matthew Kenneth Chan Lim) different tastes into a unique chips shop concept. CargoFish offers its diners the freedom to create their own fish and chips combo with seven fish or meats, seven sauces, and five sides to choose from, including the very non-British rice option. Though Bates argued it was not authentic, Lim fought for Cargo rice, a compromise that three years and one more branch later, has proved quite successful.
Uptown Mall, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig; City Golf Plaza, Pasig
7| Draft Restaurant and Brewery
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Draft’s Fish and Chips is perfectly cooked. Fried just right to produce tender, creamy fish, it is encased in Draft’s Fresh Pilsner craft beer batter. Aside from the usual sides—tartar sauce and fries—its version of this popular bar chow comes with a tiny heap of greens for a fresh contrast to the oily fry.
8| Chili’s
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Chili’s hand-battered fish is well-seasoned, which means you don’t need to dip much into the tartar sauce for additional flavor. Aside from the thick Chili’s fries lying beneath the brown and crispy fish, this version of the dish comes with a corn on the cob on the side for extra carbs.
9| M&S Cafe
While M&S Café is more known for pastries and coffee, it also serves savory treats from its native U.K., including of course, fish and chips. A massive slab of deep-fried fish is served with thick-cut fries and a green salad, alongside M&S’ own dips and dressings.
Central Square, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig; Main Mall, SM Mall of Asia, Pasay
