Man, time sure does fly, doesn't it? The last time I posted on Mr Fish and Chips was well over seven years ago! Sheesh, seven years…..seven years! Just think, the first iPhone was released in June of 2007 four months after this post…..Twitter was less than a year old…and it seemed that Mr Fish and Chips had been here forever.
For some reason, this little mom-and-pop….and daughter operation kind of flies under my radar. It could be that I just don't consume that much fry-o-lated food anymore. It could be that it's tucked away in the strip mall that I hardly visit….the one that's been undergoing renovation for what seems like forever.
So I was rather surprised when frequent commenter "Soo" mentioned that a fire had shut down Mr Fish and Chips. I eventually did check out the location after taking my sweet old time and they were indeed closed. I'm sure Soo was happy when they reopened.
So after waiting a couple of months, before we left on our trip, I decided to drop by….you know, just to see. Apparently Soo wasn't the only one happy to see them back in business. They really knew all their regulars and what they ordered, the older Korean woman even chastised one of the men who hadn't visited since they reopened.
I went with the Fish Plate ($8.99) with Fries. This is straight up fried fish….no flavor of the month seasoning, nothing frou-frou….very old school.
The fish is decent, it ain't tilapia or swai, or anything you'd find on a 99 cent fish taco. The batter is closer to tempura, crisp, light, slightly lacquered. The fish was moist and flakey, very mild in flavor. The fries….sigh….are SYSCO-lated, but I expected no less. I would usually order the onion rings…..but decided my batter quota was already being met. I thought the simple coleslaw was better than I recalled, cold, nice vinegar…..maybe I've been longing for something simple and old school.
For some reason, I really thought the Malt Vinegar was weak and insipid….perhaps my tastes have changed, but I couldn't get the flavor I wanted no matter how much of that stuff I poured out. Don't ask me about the tartar sauce….just don't.
In the end, I got what I expected and came here for. What more could I have asked for?
Mister Fish & Chips
5647 Balboa Ave
San Diego, CA 92111
Hours
Mon-Sat 11am-9pm
Closed on Sundays