Victoria has a reputation for fish and chips. I’m fairly confident this reputation has more to do with throw back “old English” tourism marketing campaigns, then it does with a legitimate culinary tradition. One thing leads to another and I think it’s safe to say that a genuine fish and chip culture has emerged in Victoria.
Fish and chips are a lot like many simple and fast foods, in such that people have very strong preferences about their presentation and style. Over the years fish and chips have changed, leading to a variety of styles – Old English, Americanised and West Coast Contemporary. I will not remark on Americanised, other than beware of comical illustrations of fish, or fish that talk.
Personally, I like the Old English style. One of the things I like most about this style is the newspaper packaging – lead poisoning is no longer a threat, trust me.
As a kid, on special occasions (or especially lazy occasions) my mom would take me to the chip shop to collect a family dinner. As a family of five, she would emerge from the shop with two large bundles of goodness wrapped in newspaper. She’d plop the packages in my lap for me to protect as we drove home. As was always the occasion growing up on Vancouver Island, it would be raining. The car would fill with steam and I was comforted by the toasty hot bundles in my lap and the promise of fat laden carbohydrates and fish that was soon to come. Upon our arrival home, we would get our malt vinegar and ketchup ready and everyone would camp in the living room for a rainy day picnic.
As a school kid, my friends and I would scrounge chip money from our moms. With short legs and limited time, we would haul ass to the chippy for lunch. Served in newspaper envelopes, the trick was to get enough condiments in the package to last until the bottom and without saturating the chips on the top. Being a deep narrow package, it was pretty tricky. If we’d paid as much attention in science class, we would have all been engineers.
In the interest of health and variation, I am supportive of the west coast contemporary fish and chip innovation. Working with the traditional menu as inspiration, this style is not limited by convention. Look for long menu descriptions, complicated condiments, extensive product and sourcing information and alternatives to battered fish. These are good things in any restaurant
Where I eat fish and chips:
The Galley 2559 Estevan Avenue (250) 598-2711 - I’m totally biased, I’ve eating here since I was eight years old. That said, they bundle the chips in newspaper, it’s steamy inside and I love the boat replica décor. The Oak Bay location is perfect for a walk to the beach and there’s almost always someplace to park. The prices are reasonable and the service appropriately friendly and competent.
Red Fish Blue Fish (250) 298-6877 1006 Wharf St – Ya, it’s kinda a no brainer. Everyone likes Red Fish Blue Fish. For me, it’s not an all the time destination, but when I’m feeling like a change from the Old English style, Red Fish Blue Fish and their west coast contemporary style, has some nicely executed variations on the traditional menu. Similarly, I like the ambiance and the service has always been very professional. The tacones, while tasty, are a bit of a bump in the road for me, after a Mexican friend told me tacone is the word for high heeled shoe.
Old British Fish and Chips 250-598-6112 1507 Pandora Avenue – a little light an ambiance and natural lighting, I once wrote a poem about their halibut burger. I will spare you the pain of amateur poetry, but working Sundays nearby, in a different and very empty restaurant, I had lots of time to think about the delicate contrasts of bun, fish and tartar sauce. UPDATE: Tartar sauce at Old British has declined to the point of revoking of recommendation.