Calling fans of Chicken Wings, Fries, Fish & Chips, Salted-Egg or Chili Crab. You need to add this to your to-go list.
Another younger generation hawker manifests itself in our heartlands. With younger hawkers, one can usually expect the unexpected as they tend to bring twists to the usual. Fish & Chicks is definitely bringing sexy back to Kopitiam Western food.
The name ‘Fish & Chicks’ may seem like just a goofy pun to Fish and Chips but in fact, it actually serves to succinctly sum up their entire menu – exactly just fish and chicken. No pork, no beef no other meats.
Started out by 2 friends, Justin and Albert – one with the entrepreneurial idea and one with the culinary prowess, Fish & Chicks is a humble venture driven by both pragmatism and passion. But don’t confuse their youth with insufficient preparedness.
To equip themselves with the best recipes, they searched high and low, researched days for the best batter formula, even asking goreng pisang sellers how they achieve that airy crispy batter that we love. They also make all of their own dips – wasabi mayo, truffle mayo, garlic aioli etc to ensure the most apt saucy pairings.
Crispy Fish Burger ($6.90)
Your ordinary fish burger with a pretty large piece of fish stuffed in there. The portions are generous considering the price but I would rather order fish and chips since the fried fish patty is the same.
But their fries though, their glorious, glorious fries. Fish & Chicks’ fries are like Long John Silvers’ back in the early 2000s. Coated with a thin batter, seasoned with cajun and some other spices. Crisp and soft at all the right places.
Usually not one to be obsessed over fries, their fried potatoes got me absolutely hooked. I’ve missed fries like these ever since LJS stopped them.
Best of Both Worlds – Chili Crab (without crab) & Salted Egg Fish & Chips ($12.90)
Probably the star of the show, have you even heard of salted-egg or chili crab fish and chips in Singapore? Great fish and chips foundation plus a killer fusion combination, this dish is out to steal Singaporeans’ hearts!
The salted egg yolk sauce was a glorious amber colour. Salted-egg flavour fans would be psyched to know that this sauce isn’t diluted, neither is it overwhelming – it hits the level of nicely-savoury and creamy. Mmm bliss.
As for the no-crab-chili-crab gravy, it tasted like legitimately good chili crab – robust, decadent with a kick of spiciness in its aftertaste. I was actually surprised at how real it tasted. I mean for a kopitiam western food stall to come up with such a good formula for just a gravy, seems rather impressive to me.
The sauce was sweet, tangy with shreds of eggs inside just like our chili crab sauce, just lacking some of that crustacean flavour. But still ultimately delicious.
They had to make both from scratch so you can imagine the effort just for that bit of sauce on the fish. Hence because of the effort-intensive work, both sauces are only in limited quantity. Also, because of the additional effort and ingredients required for them, the price for their salted-egg and chili crab fish and chips are steeper than their regular menu items.
Hawaiian Chicken ($7.90)
Popular with the crowd, the hawaiian chicken is not your usual kopitiam western food chicken chop. Imagine basic hawaiian style pizza toppings – cheese, pineapples and tomato sauce, slathered on top of a juicy slab of grilled chicken.
Pretty sure chicken and pineapple combination has been seen and done before but hey, it doesn’t hurt if it tastes good. If you’re not in the mood for fried things, this grilled chicken should be just right. The tomato sauce and pineapples gives the chicken tartness and sweetness, making it much more appetising than food of the fried & battered variety.
Was quite a fan of this but Seth wasn’t. He went ‘meh’.
Chicken Wings ($2.90 for 2pc)
Wholesome fragrance with a satisfyingly crunchy skin, Fish & Chicks’ Chicken Wings are pretty damn addictive. Even after leaving it out for quite some time (not recommended), they still maintain their taste and crispness – now that is commendable.
Although I probably wouldn’t be able to eat four on my own for the chance of feeling sick of it…
Half-Spring Chicken with Tom Yum Fried Rice ($5.90)
Their chickens (both spring-chickens and wings) are of the larger variety, so you can be guaranteed to get your money’s and stomach’s worth.
Despite looking too tanned for its own good, the chicken is still really tender on the inside. Even the breast meat, notorious for its stiffness, is soft. The batter is fragrant and crispy, just like the chicken wings which utilises the same batter.
This chicken embodies the saying of “it’s what’s inside that counts” very well.
Fantastic place. You should come to Fish & Chicks because:
Support local youngsters opening in a kopitiam
Best fries I’ve had in a long time.
Good Fish & chips + trendy flavours that did not disappoint – worth the travel/try
Value for money, portions were generous
Great chicken wings.
10/10 would recommend this to you.
Expected Damage: $6 – $15 per pax
