Halibut at Goose's
A reader requested that I review some fish and ‘chipperys’. Always eager to please, I recently tried a few of the British favourites. For the uninitiated, the fish, usually cod or flake, is dipped in batter or bread crumbs and deep fried. It’s usually accompanied by hand cut chips (French Fries, if you’re American—huh?). A deservedly popular establishment is Goose’s Fish and Chips, located on Pattaya Second Road between Sois Seven and Eight. Goose’s is open daily from noon until 10 pm (Tel: 087 133 4240). The traditionally-styled, blue and white shop provides a touch of home for its expat customers. Goose’s has an extensive menu which includes filled pies, burgers and Thai food; but, my friend and I stuck to their trademark fish and chips. They offer five kinds of fish: Pacific Dory, Halibut, Cod loin, Cod fillet and Haddock. My dining companion went with the Dory (195 baht for a large portion) and I tried the Halibut (245). The fish itself was very tasty and tender and seemed quite fresh, indeed. The beer batter was light and crunchy; and was accompanied by real tartar sauce. In addition to the delicious, traditional chips, sides are included, such as garden or mushy peas (another British favourite), beans and salad. We ordered two sides of coleslaw, which were perfectly prepared. The meal is also accompanied by bread and butter. There’s a big selection of ‘extras’, including gherkins, pickled egg and onion rings. You shouldn’t leave hungry.
Another ‘can’t miss’ choice is the Jolly Friar, on Soi Lengkee, between Third Road and Soi Buakhow (Web site: www.jollyfriarpattaya.com). They’re open daily from noon to 2 am. They also offer five types of fish, fried in beer batter or breadcrumbs. I tried the cod in breadcrumbs (large size for 200 baht). Everything is a la carte; so, I ordered a ‘small’ portion of chips to accompany my fish. Based on the size of the serving, I’d have to have been starving for a week to handle the medium or large size chips. I must say the fish was perfectly done, tender and moist and the coating was nice and crunchy. The homemade chunky chips were out of this world. This time, my companion was Thai and he ordered spicy seafood, which he said was, indeed, phet mahk and very arroy. The café is also done up in the traditional blue and white motif. Jolly Friar has a loyalty program: after you buy ten meals, your next one is free.
For the last stop on my fish and chips odyssey, I visited The Village Chippy, located just inside The Village housing estate, off Third Road (opposite the Pattaya Fire Station). Their sign, at the entrance to The Village, wasn’t lit on the night I visited. So it was easy to miss; but, fortunately I did find it. They’re open daily from 11am to 11:30pm. Although decidedly not a fancy joint, consisting of a couple of outside tables and a small inside section, primarily for ordering takeout, The Village Chippy makes up for its lack of ambiance with the quality and selection of its food. As with the Jolly Friar, everything is a la carte. I ordered the medium size cod at 130 baht (Portions come in ‘medium’ and ‘large’ sizes.) and medium chips (40 baht). I washed it all down with a pint of Asahi beer for 90 baht. The cod was light, moist, tasty and perfectly coated in crispy batter. The chunky chips passed muster with flying colours. They also offer dory and shark [let’s hope they discontinue that ASAP. Ed.], as well as other traditional British fare, such as steak and kidney pie. You can check out their menu at: www.thevillagechippypattaya.com.
I was glad to know that there’s an abundance of fish and chips places here in Fun Town. Now, how about a nice, juicy steak?
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