Tonight we visited the Frying Scotsman, an “authentic” Fish & Chips shop here in Taipei.
They’ve got a number of items, fish and non-fish on the menu, but I was here strictly for some good old-fashioned cod.
There are two kinds of cod on the menu, Canadian and the more authentic (and expensive) European variety. I had two pieces of European cod, chips and a drink.
The first thing you can’t help but notice is the price, this meal was $NT320 ($US9.52) which is on the high end, although the scarcity of European cod has been driving the prices up in England for several years now. It’s too pricey for regular visits.
They did have everything you’d expect and perhaps more, including malt vinegar, tartar sauce, brown sauce and even salt. (I never expect to find salt in Taiwan.)
The cod itself was good, with that characteristic lack of fish flavor that makes cod so much better than other kinds of fish. The batter was very plain, but well within the range of typical British fish & chips. The chips were fresh cut, thick and greasy – in a word, “authentic.” If you’re looking for fish & chips, this is the real deal.
The shop is equally authentic. The proprietors, who are Scottish and have hired Taiwanese staff who speak English well, have purchased the fixtures of a Scottish fish & chips takeaway shop and transported it to Taiwan.
They’ve chosen what appears to be a good location, near Taipei 101 with all the foreigners, and right down from a bar which seems to be packed with foreigners all the time. The restaurant itself had about 8-10 people eating there. Only 1 Taiwanese man was there by himself, the other patrons were all of European decent or their Taiwanese wives/girlfriends. By the sound of them, apart from myself and one young lady who came in later, they were all from the UK.
The area in the back had a TV which was showing a Billy Connolly DVD, which is as Scottish as you can get, and that seemed to be holding most of the patrons entertained.
Unlike most small shops in Taiwan, they’ve really spent a lot of money on self-promotion. They have custom printed cups, table mats, napkins and even bien dan boxes for the food all printed with their logo, the British flag or the Saint Andrew’s cross.
Although we didn’t try anything other than the cod, other items on the menu included typical things you’d find in a chip shop: sausages, peas, hamburgers and deep fried chocolate bars.
They also had other kids of fish, including shark, plaice and catfish.
It’s not a discount meal, but certainly recommended for a change of pace and perhaps a taste of home.
One disappointment: rumors that they had Dr. Pepper turned out to be false.
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