Fish & chips — halibut + haddock beer-battered ($18.90++ + $22.90++)!

Dinner with BB at a proper UK-style fish & chips chain — went for the halibut ($18.90++) + haddock ($22.90++) twin order. The premium white-fish lineup. 😋

What was on the table ($18.90++ + $22.90++):

• Halibut plate (back) — a long beer-battered halibut fillet on blue + white striped paper lining the round plate, with chunky thick-cut chips (proper UK chip shop style, not shoestring fries) underneath, a lemon wedge, and a small silver ramekin of tartare sauce.
• Haddock plate (front) — two folded pieces of beer-battered haddock fillet on the same blue-stripe paper, chunky chips underneath, lemon wedge, silver ramekin of tartare sauce.

Proper UK-style fish & chips = the technique markers that separate the dish from generic fried fish:

• Beer-batter (not panko, not flour-only) — beer’s CO2 creates the light puffy crispy shell when fried
• Thick chunky chips (not shoestring fries) — the proper “chippy” cut, fluffy inside, crispy outside
• Tartare sauce (mayo + capers + pickles + lemon) — the British dipping standard
• Lemon wedge for squeeze
• Newspaper/paper-lined plate — the chippy heritage presentation (this version uses blue + white printed paper as the modern interpretation)

This restaurant did all five. The beer batter had visible bubbles + light golden colour + crispy texture (you can see the batter peeling on the haddock plate revealing the white fish underneath = proper crispy contrast).

Halibut vs haddock comparison:

• Halibut ($18.90++) = the flatfish, firmer meat, slightly sweeter. The mid-range UK fish & chips choice.
• Haddock ($22.90++) = the British classic (most popular UK chippy fish), flakier than cod, slightly smokier flavour. The premium pick — typically more expensive than halibut in SG because it’s mostly imported from North Atlantic.

The $4 price gap between the two = consistent with North Atlantic supply pricing (haddock has been getting more expensive due to North Sea quotas).

Chunky chips = the SG-rare carb. Most SG places give shoestring fries with fish & chips. The chunky version is 2-3x thicker, fluffy potato inside, crispy outside. Closer to a roasted potato chip.

Tartare sauce = both plates got their own ramekin. Mayo + chopped capers + chopped pickles + chopped onion + lemon juice + dill. The British dip standard.

Total: $41.80++ = roughly $49 after GST + service.

Overall: 4 / 5. Beer batter was crispy + light, chunky chips were proper UK chippy standard, halibut was firmer + sweeter, haddock was flakier + traditional. Premium tier execution at premium pricing. 😋👍🏼

Original IG post