Fairfield Fish and Chips,

I'm a little buzzed.  In my head I have this epic post about beer, fish, good friends, Star Wars, improv theatre and going out drinking before Christmas.

The fact the above sentence needed twenty two corrections (and this one thirteen) suggests it's only epic in my head.  Just like the Phantom Menace was brilliants in the mind of George Lucas.  Sure, my fans might accept it, but everyone else will point at it and laugh.

As they should.

So instead, I'll keep it simple.

You want good fish and well cooked potatoes?

Go to Fairfield Fish and Chips.

Fairfield fish and chips : 1275 Fairfield Road, Victoria, BC


... okay I'm told this is not enough detail.  Damn you Andrea, and your rules you just made up that don't take into account my sobriety.

I went out for a beer or two with a good friend at the Ross Bay Pub, before heading to an improv show.  In between, we had planned a trip to a good 'chipper' and get some fish and chips before Christmas.  Turns out the Fairfield Chip Shop was on the way, and has very good reviews. The Fairfield Chip shop is a small place with no seats inside, with a short counter and few outside patio tables.  It's winter, it's raining, so we didn't use them.  We ran across the road and back into my friends mini-van.

We order haddock, halibut and small chips to share between us both.  Best part of this: under $20 for fish suppers for two. And this included tartar sauce for us to share.  We got our orders in under ten minutes, wrapped up in real newsprint and fresh paper.

The portions aren't huge.  A good sized chunk, but not the massive whale tail you might get in a British chipper (for three times the price).  Still it was clearly NOT a frozen chunk of a flesh, stored for days before being fast fried (Barb's place style).

It was a good serving size of fish, cooked for just the right amount of time.  The meat had turned to white inside the batter.  No under cooked translucent flesh.  And no flaking apart, dry meat that felt like chewing bitter leaves. It was cooked to a tender white mass. The flavour of the haddock was there. All savoury yet ocean-sweet.  Inside a crisp batter, that was not greasy. Big and puffy and golden brown, not over powering the fish. Not soggy and wet and slippery greasy. But crunch crisp, complimenting the fish.

The chips were solid chunks of potato.  Cooked and still fluffy inside, with a warm crispness.  And forward facing taste of the spud gardens. Not over powered by the fat or the flavours of the batter, or beaten into nothingness with an overcooked deep fry.

The only complaint was that the portions were about 2/3rds the size I'd want for a meal.  For the price, it was huge value for money.  But I was still a little hungry afterwards, and would have really wanted a bit more fish and a handful more chips.  But, at under $10, it's hard to complain.