Real Kato Blog: Restaurants: London Fish and Chips

There's a new fish-and-chips place open in Cary, London Fish & Chips. (British folks would call this place a "chippie", which is kind of funny to me, because here in the Colonies, a "chippie" is a prostitute.)

It's actually been open since April 2007, and has been quite popular, but it's garnered even more attention lately due to a recent review in the News and Observer. So for the last several weeks, I've been dropping by whenever I was in that part of town.

However, every time I went, they were inexplicably closed. Usually there would be several folks arriving at the same time, and we'd all give a collective WTF.

Finally, last Wednesday, I found them open.

London Fish and Chips

There are five booths and nine tables, so the place can only seat about 56 customers. You order at the counter, and a waitress brings you your food when it's ready. The place was full when I got there, so I put in a takeaway order. While I waited, I got a chance to observe the restaurant's operation.

Now granted, I did come during the lunch rush, but it seemed like they were trying to work out issues regarding the workflow. I waited a full half hour for my simple cod-and-chips order, an order which really ought to have been ready in less than five minutes. I think at least one of the young women working there must have been new; at one point, she had trouble distinguishing the cod, haddock, and pollock.

But when I did finally get my order, it was piping hot, and absolutely delicious. The fish was a little bit different than Harp-battered cod you'd find at The Hibernian (Hibernian's fish and chips have previously been rated the best in the Triangle). At London Fish & Chips, the batter was a little lighter, and had a taste that reminded me a little of the fried dough you'd get at the state fair. But still... scrumptious.

The chips were different than what most Americans would probably be used to... they're thick-cut fries that some might consider to be a little soggy. They're made this way intentionally; as Brown explains it, "We serve what I call the classic English seaside chip."

I'll try going again when they're not so busy, to re-evaluate the service. But for now, my rating is 4/5.

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