the Fish and Chips

While you stay in Australia, chances are that you at least will try once the national food of most Anglosphere countries, the fish and chips.

I remember that on time while I was working at the McDonald's in Moree, one of the coworkers asked me if I like Australian foods or not. I really could not think of any particular food that can be considered as Australian, so I asked what's the real Australian food. She told me "fish and chips, mashed potato...". Oh, well, if those are what representative, I can say that I'm disappointed. But most people in the world already know that in the origin of the Anglosphere, England, foods are well known for tastelessness. So I'm not really surprised of the answers.

Anyway, Australia is the smallest continent, but also the biggest island in the world. Seafood is common in most places close to the seashore, and especially fish and chips are not rare even in inland places.

Actually I like fish and chips. Typically I do not like eating fish while I was in Taiwan, but what really attracts me is that is a kind of battered fried food. It's needless to mention that I generally like potato chips or fries, but battered fish is also tasty to me.

In Australia, I've tried dozens of times of fish and chips in Darwin, Brisbane, Sydney and even Moree. There is a good fish and chips shop in Darwin which is close to Chili's Backpackers on Mitchell Street. Me and my friends had once bought 2 fisherman's basket, containing battered fish filets, chips, calamari rings, seafood csticks, prawns, all are fried of course, and some beers and went to sit on the outdoor platform in Darwin Wharf in the evenin, and it was a great memory.

There are some good fish and chips stores in South Bank of Brisbane as well. I was alone when travelling in Brisbane, and one day I had fish and chips alone at noon in South Bank. It was good nontheless in spite of that, unlike everyone around me, I was eating alone.

The one I tried in Moree is located opposite to the McDOnald's where I worked at. Theirs are among the worse ones I ever tried.

In Sydney, the most popular place, at least to tourists, to eat seafoods is the Sydney Fish Market. Most of the vendors there are, surprisingly to me, Asians. But I have to let you know that it is NOT the best place to find good fish and chips as well as other tasty cooked seafoods, and things there are mostly overpriced. Most of the food stalls there sell fried seafood. Imagine a full plate of fries, fried fish, fried calamari, fried prawn, fried crab, fried scallop...simply oily. According to my limited experience, seafoods are basically much more well cooked in Taiwan than in Australia, and are much much cheaper. The fried seafoods look delicious at first, but after eating for a while, most people would feel sick of the oily and unpalatable, usually cold already, batter crust. Sometimes you can find that if you rescue the shrimps, fish or calamari from the batter, they'll simply taste better.

I have to recommend a store for fish and chips lovers. The Fish on Fire restaurant is located at 217A Glebe Pt. Rd. Glebe, their telephone no. is 02-96604212. It's right at the corner opposite to the hostel I stay twice in Sydney, Rooftop Travellers Lodge. They provide not only fish and chips, but also grilled seafoods, burgers, salads and desserts. Their chips are among the best I've tasted; they can stay crispy even after being cold. Their grilled seafoods are very delicious. Fish, prawns, mussels, and calamari all are tasty. Their freshly made burgers are outstanding as well. And I like their creamy rice pudding. ANd the prices of their good foods are quite reasonable.