Smiths Authentic British Fish And Chips

After a hankering for traditional British Fish and chips we headed here having eaten here and at the now closed Boat Quay location. Confident that the high standard of those previous visits would be maintained, we discovered that alas, this is not the case. Despite a busy Sunday evening in this ex-​pat area of Singapore, the restaurant was largely deserted when we got there. Have others concluded the same thing?
Anyway, the problem here is that Smiths was always expensive. Now if quality levels are maintained, then you can get away with that, but if quality slips and slips far enough, then customers will look elsewhere. That is my conclusion after tasting the Haddock and Chips. Now I know haddock isn’y fished locally and has to be imported frozen, but something was wrong with mine and my wives. Flavour was missing and texture seemed all wrong. Batter was very greasy and not that crispy. The chips were nicely cooked, but had no flavour.
It’s a shame really as this is the only place I know in Singapore to get Haddock to my knowledge. Now I will look elsewhere for my Fish and Chips fix.

While deciding what to eat at Balmoral plaza, decided to give this place a try as the lunch menu that consist of dory fish, chips (fries), side order and soft drink for $ 12.
It wasn’t crowded on a Monday afternoon and I was one of the few customers. Walked up to the counter to order my food and the lady greeted me with smiles. I asked her for the choice options of the side orders (baked beans, curry, gravy and peas) and she responded to fast that I had to politely asked her to repeat twice.
After deciding the side order, she asked me to pick a soft drink from the fridge next to the counter. The choices are coke, diet coke, A&W, sprite and ice lemon tea in the form of cans. I picked up A&W. I then passed her the amount of the order and was given an order number.
Next step was to find a seat and get the cutleries located at the other end of the counter. It was easy to find and there was a note saying to get the cutleries and napkins sparingly.
Food came in a few minutes later like a wrapped burrito (paper on the outside and oil paper on the inside) and I was given a small cup of gravy.
Using the gravy as the sauce for the chips was a good choice on my end. The chips were well cooked and crispy. It was medium sized cut fries and the gravy was flavourful and warm which made it delicious to eat.
The dory fish I thought that it will come in a smaller portion but I was wrong. Was given 2 times more than what I imagined. The outer layer of the dory fish was fried till golden colored and it was easy to cut with the plastic cutleries provided. Was tender on the inside and the fish was very fresh!
While having my meal, the same cashier person approached me and commented that she liked the way I eat (fries and gravy first) then dory fish. One of the bosses also came while I finished my food and asked me about the food. I told him it was great and he patted me on my shoulder while going back to another table to discuss with another boss about this place.
Overall, excellent customer service and even though it was a little pricy, I think I’ll come back here again when I’m around the area. Do stop by here if you got a chance :)

The main problem with Smith’s is how greasy everything is. The fish and chips is SO oily — to the point where the crispiness is pretty much lost. Flavor wise it wasn’t bad; it was seasoned pretty well. I initially thought $ 18 for a serving was insane, but a single serving is actually quite large so the pricing is understandable.

Authentic? Yes. Quality? Not really. They serve your order in grease proof paper, whether you do takeaway or not. So for $ 18, you’ll be paying for a considerably large piece of cod and a heap of fries in minimal packaging. Speaking about cod, I think they use frozen ones cos it just doesn’t taste as fresh as it should. I’d very much prefer the one from greenwood. And if you do takeaways over there, it is half the price of the cod here.
They’re generous on the serving of fries though, if that’s what you’re after. Oh and they dun serve water so remember to prepare at least $ 2.50 for a can of sweetened drinks

I know that Smith’s is a chain with three outlets in Singapore but I consider this a neighborhood hang out; somehow this particular outlet at Balmoral Plaza just feels more like home. Smith’s could be considered to be relatively pricey by Singapore standards for neighborhood fish and chips, but then again this is not neighborhood fish and chips that you get at Smith’s. I guess what I’m trying to say is that the setting belies the quality of the food that you would expect to get at what is apparently a neighborhood fish and chip joint.
The chips are just that, big chips of potato that are sliced off a spud, deep-​fried, and sprinkled with salt before being wrapped in paper and sent along to you. Now it’s all up to you, You can enjoy them as they are, with ketchup, or like me, drenched in malt vinegar. The experience Is so ethereal for me that I’m considering bringing my own bottle of balsamico modena; I bet it’d ROCK!
You should definitely ask about the fish because like any authentic chip shop, the fish tends to be seasonal. It’s also nice to allow the friendly staff to show their product off a little bit.
I always wash it down with a pint of Boddie’s, which does come in a can and makes me wish that they had it on tap.
I’ve always considered fish and chips to be one of the primary remedies for a hangover, something to do with that perfect combination of grease, starch and salt. Smith’s certainly has a very respectable rendition of just such a remedy.