We would give you directions, but circumnavigating this labyrinthine section of Khalidiyah through the throngs of diners and vehicle traffic is half the fun, because you know your reward is freshly cooked fish and chips, and pies with gravy. But be warned – don’t even try to drive down here. Walk or take a cab.
On approach, Simply Fish & Chips is basic, but it appears authentic, friendly and clean. There are a few tables giving you the option to eat in, or you can do the traditional thing and take your meal away. We arrive at 12.30pm. There is no one there but us, but the kitchen is humming so its takeaway business must be thriving.
The busy kitchen doesn’t slow down the service. We choose a standard table, and are greeted by a server. To get things going, we order bottled water and onion rings to start. We ask our server what to order for mains, to which she naturally replies that everyone comes here for the fish and chips, and the pies. Not in the mood for pie, we go all in for the cod fish and chips, and a fish burger with chips. Our server asks how we would like them, so we opt to have lashings of salt and vinegar – the way it should be!
The kitchen is open so we can watch the cooking process. Some chippies can feel greasy and smell stale but Simply Fish & Chips’ kitchen is bright and airy. We watch as our rings are made to order, then left for a moment so the last bits of oil can drip away. They are then brought to us piping hot, perfectly crisp and not too oily – a good sign.
We make light work of them and then moments later our mains arrive. The cod is also perfectly cooked, lightly crisp with tastes fresh. Our companion laps up the last salt and vinegar drops on the plate. The fish burger is dually crisp. It has a slice of iceberg lettuce and a slew of ripe red tomato slices in between the buns. Unfortunately, there is an enormous slathering of mayonnaise on the bottom bun. It’s enough to make the burger soggy and it’s a little too much to slide off with a knife, but we carry on as the fish’s crisp simplicity is enough for us to trudge forward.
The thick chips are hand cut and perfectly portioned small planks of goodness, golden brown and far beyond our expectations.
Simply Fish & Chips is worth the wandering you may find yourself doing to find it. What’s a 15-minute detour when authentic British-standard fish and chips is at stake? We fully enjoyed this meal, right down to the last chip.
The bill (for two)
Onion rings Dhs10
Fish burger (cod) and
chips small Dhs40
Chips Dhs18
Fish (cod) Dhs48
Total (excl. service) Dhs116
