Dreaming of Fish & Chips in Bangkok

[Larry_in_Bangkok]

Searching for premium fish & chips in Bangkok.

Good means quality fish like Atlantic Cod, or Haddock or Pollack, not that cheap "Pacific Cod", or Panglosius trash fish.

Good means crispy batter in fresh, clean oil, no taste of old, over-used, burnt oil.

Good means comes with hand-cut chips, from fresh potatoes, not frozen, skinny, factory-made "fries".

Mushy peas would be nice.

With delivery in central Bangkok.

Willing to pay ... not expecting cheap price.

Is there any hope for this dream?

(Before posting this topic I searched and searched for "fish chips" on this forum.  Nothing found.  There are some "best of..." from searching on the web, but those appear to be paid advertising just pretending to be "recommendations".)

Edited September 13, 2023 by Larry_in_Bangkok

[Marc26]

Here is a good article

Buster's looks great!

https://www.bangkokpost.com/life/social-and-lifestyle/2018975/classic-british

[Marc26]

Sportsman Pub is on Soi 13

It's a proper pub, even comes with a miserable grumpy Brit owner   :)

I never had their fish and chips but on the menu

https://sportsbarbangkok.com/food/

[BigHewer]

UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand. 

“Good” fish and chips don’t exist outside of these four countries. The best you can hope for elsewhere is “acceptable” fish and chips, though I can’t think of any in this category in Bangkok.

Sharples in Pattaya is close.

[Marc26]

  On 9/13/2023 at 2:21 PM, BigHewer said:

UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand. 

“Good” fish and chips don’t exist outside of these four countries. The best you can hope for elsewhere is “acceptable” fish and chips, though I can’t think of any in this category in Bangkok.

Sharples in Pattaya is close.

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I have eaten Fish & Chips in UK and wasn't any different than I have had in US/Canada

Although I am sure there are some amazing places that are top notch in UK/AUS/NZ

I am not a huge Fish&Chips guy(don't love the batter)

But had a good one in Vancouver Island in July(well at least to my liking

[Grumpish]

  On 9/13/2023 at 2:21 PM, BigHewer said:

UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand. 

“Good” fish and chips don’t exist outside of these four countries. The best you can hope for elsewhere is “acceptable” fish and chips, though I can’t think of any in this category in Bangkok.

Sharples in Pattaya is close.

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Is that the place in Soi New Plaza? The last time I was there was pre-covid, I remember it as being not too bad. But then I live up North in the UK, where we still have proper chippies, everything fried in beef dripping, not that sandals and man bun vegetable oil stuff.

[Mamachigawa]

Chef  does not have a BKK shop yet?

[BigHewer]

  On 9/13/2023 at 7:23 PM, Grumpish said:

Is that the place in Soi New Plaza?

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That’s the one. Definitely says something though that if you could magically transport the local chippie in Birkenhead to Thailand, it’d instantly be the best n the country 555

[Larry_in_Bangkok]

  On 9/13/2023 at 7:23 PM, Grumpish said:

everything fried in beef dripping

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Yes!  Exactly!  That would be part of my "impossible" dream for fish and chips.

Edited September 14, 2023 by Larry_in_Bangkok

[Larry_in_Bangkok]

Yesterday, after posting this topic, I ordered fish and chips  (claimed to be Atlantic Cod) from Buster's (via Lineman).

My second time eating Buster's food.

I wouldn't recommend it.   Many reasons.

But the milkshake was a treat, and I do recommend that.

Edited September 14, 2023 by Larry_in_Bangkok

[nuffy]

  On 9/14/2023 at 1:02 PM, Larry_in_Bangkok said:

Yesterday, after posting this topic, I ordered fish and chips  (claimed to be Atlantic Cod) from Buster's (via Lineman).

My second time eating Buster's food.

I wouldn't recommend it.   Many reasons.

But the milkshake was a treat, and I do recommend that.

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I love busters and get it once a week. But the last 2 times has been a little downhill

[Karolyn]

I don't eat fish, and even before I gave up meat, I never liked the fish. This is one of the bland foods eaten for its texture, not it's taste, so really you're tasting salt and vinegar, anyway.

[McTavish]

  On 9/16/2023 at 8:11 PM, Karolyn said:

I don't eat fish, and even before I gave up meat, I never liked the fish. This is one of the bland foods eaten for its texture, not it's taste, so really you're tasting salt and vinegar, anyway.

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That's the dumbest statement.  Quality ocean caught fish has a superb texture and taste and the addition of lemon juice or similar only enhances the flavour.  Fish doesnt need salt, that's for the chips.  Vinegar helps to cut the oil or dripping in batter although many prefer to simply peel the batter away and enjoy the fish.  Personally, I like tempura style batter.

I don't eat pangasius or fresh water farmed fish, or Norwegian salmon due the methods and feedstock employed.

[Larry_in_Bangkok]

  On 9/17/2023 at 1:24 AM, McTavish said:

That's the dumbest statement.  Quality ocean caught fish has a superb texture and taste and the addition of lemon juice or similar only enhances the flavour.  Fish doesnt need salt, that's for the chips.  Vinegar helps to cut the oil or dripping in batter although many prefer to simply peel the batter away and enjoy the fish.  Personally, I like tempura style batter.

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... Hear!  Hear!  Thank you, @McTavish for clear and sensible reply

  On 9/17/2023 at 1:24 AM, McTavish said:

I don't eat pangasius or fresh water farmed fish, or Norwegian salmon due the methods and feedstock employed.

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... Right on target, especially about Norwegian salmon -- which is widely sold here.  If its cheap, the locals will eat anything, and Norwegian salmon seems to be just one step away from garbage.

[Marc26]

  On 9/18/2023 at 6:34 AM, Larry_in_Bangkok said:

... Right on target, especially about Norwegian salmon -- which is widely sold here.  If its cheap, the locals will eat anything, and Norwegian salmon seems to be just one step away from garbage.

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For me, I eat the fish that is from the region I am in...........

I have zero desire to eat Salmon in Thailand, can do so in Canada

I don't eat Lobster in Vancouver, I am from Boston and eat it when I go home

Around the US, certain regions have certain fishes

Now if someone wants Fish&Chips in Thailand, obviously they have to rely on the frozen kind they would like

[justdavid]

  On 9/13/2023 at 11:54 AM, Larry_in_Bangkok said:

Searching for premium fish & chips in Bangkok.

Good means quality fish like Atlantic Cod, or Haddock or Pollack, not that cheap "Pacific Cod", or Panglosius trash fish.

Good means crispy batter in fresh, clean oil, no taste of old, over-used, burnt oil.

Good means comes with hand-cut chips, from fresh potatoes, not frozen, skinny, factory-made "fries".

Mushy peas would be nice.

With delivery in central Bangkok.

Willing to pay ... not expecting cheap price.

Is there any hope for this dream?

(Before posting this topic I searched and searched for "fish chips" on this forum.  Nothing found.  There are some "best of..." from searching on the web, but those appear to be paid advertising just pretending to be "recommendations".)

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Where do we normally buy these foods in Thailand? Can we find it in street foods? 

[Larry_in_Bangkok]

  On 10/3/2023 at 7:03 AM, justdavid said:

Where do we normally buy these foods in Thailand? Can we find it in street foods? 

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Street food fish & chips??  I've never seen that.  Possible, just very unlikely.  Could try Khao San road.  But almost always street food is prepared to fit a low price, not to reach high quality.  

You can get acceptable fish and chips at any of the British pubs.  Usually not a wonderful meal, because they usually use cheap Pacific Cod fish or the even cheaper Panglosius trash fish.  Results, for me, are less than enjoyable.

As for dedicated "chippies" they come and go rather quickly.  The few I've sampled recently (for delivery) have not been worth a second order.  Years ago there was a New Zealand chippie in Sukhumvit soi 11 with consistently excellent fish.  But it's long gone.  

So, @justdavid, If you find street food fish and chips that are decent quality, please post a report here.  Will be others on this forum who would appreciate knowing about it, sure.

[justdavid]

  On 10/3/2023 at 6:32 PM, Larry_in_Bangkok said:

Street food fish & chips??  I've never seen that.  Possible, just very unlikely.  Could try Khao San road.  But almost always street food is prepared to fit a low price, not to reach high quality.  

You can get acceptable fish and chips at any of the British pubs.  Usually not a wonderful meal, because they usually use cheap Pacific Cod fish or the even cheaper Panglosius trash fish.  Results, for me, are less than enjoyable.

As for dedicated "chippies" they come and go rather quickly.  The few I've sampled recently (for delivery) have not been worth a second order.  Years ago there was a New Zealand chippie in Sukhumvit soi 11 with consistently excellent fish.  But it's long gone.  

So, @justdavid, If you find street food fish and chips that are decent quality, please post a report here.  Will be others on this forum who would appreciate knowing about it, sure.

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Sure @Larry_in_Bangkok I would really post one if I see a decent one. I think finding a good quality of fish & chips might be hard because mostly in the street isn't good. But I wonder how does it taste?

[Larry_in_Bangkok]

  On 10/4/2023 at 1:09 AM, justdavid said:

mostly in the street isn't good. But I wonder how does it taste?

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Street food is cheap.  Cheap in price and cheap in quality.  Taste enhanced by soaking in water and MSG before cooking.  MSG (Monosodium Glutamate) is very cheap so most food sellers here use a lot of it.  I can't imagine why anyone would go looking for fish and chips from a street vendor.

I've noticed a change in recent years: chippies would offer a choice of the fish: cod, haddock, or maybe pollock.  But now-a-days, no choice of fish.  The menu might state the variety, Barramundi, or Grouper perhaps, or "cod", but if they say only, "cod" it means the cheap and somewhat tough texture Pacific Cod, not the tender, sweet and flakey Atlantic Cod, which is very costly.  And if menu doesn't specify fish variety, it is almost certainly cheap-cheap trash fish, Panglosius.

Finding nice fish and chips used to be easy.  Anywhere in Thailand that offered fish and chips, offered a good to excellent serving.  But now, difficult to find a quality serving of fish and chips here.

... still dreaming.

[justdavid]

  On 10/5/2023 at 6:41 AM, Larry_in_Bangkok said:

Street food is cheap.  Cheap in price and cheap in quality.  Taste enhanced by soaking in water and MSG before cooking.  MSG (Monosodium Glutamate) is very cheap so most food sellers here use a lot of it.  I can't imagine why anyone would go looking for fish and chips from a street vendor.

I've noticed a change in recent years: chippies would offer a choice of the fish: cod, haddock, or maybe pollock.  But now-a-days, no choice of fish.  The menu might state the variety, Barramundi, or Grouper perhaps, or "cod", but if they say only, "cod" it means the cheap and somewhat tough texture Pacific Cod, not the tender, sweet and flakey Atlantic Cod, which is very costly.  And if menu doesn't specify fish variety, it is almost certainly cheap-cheap trash fish, Panglosius.

Finding nice fish and chips used to be easy.  Anywhere in Thailand that offered fish and chips, offered a good to excellent serving.  But now, difficult to find a quality serving of fish and chips here.

... still dreaming.

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I think it does really taste good. That's really sad right? Things does really changed as the years go buy. what we used to love cannot be there anymore just like the food it does change as time passes and everything is nostalgia. 

[Polkadot]

  On 9/13/2023 at 1:27 PM, Marc26 said:

Sportsman Pub is on Soi 13

It's a proper pub, even comes with a miserable grumpy Brit owner   :)

I never had their fish and chips but on the menu

https://sportsbarbangkok.com/food/

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You ever met a happy Brit?

[rattlesnake]

  On 9/13/2023 at 2:21 PM, BigHewer said:

UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand. 

“Good” fish and chips don’t exist outside of these four countries. The best you can hope for elsewhere is “acceptable” fish and chips, though I can’t think of any in this category in Bangkok.

Sharples in Pattaya is close.

Expand  

That's what I tell French people in Thailand: don't look for a proper baguette or croissant here, there are none. Enjoy the delicious, varied Thai cuisine.

[cowslip]

  On 9/13/2023 at 4:56 PM, Marc26 said:

I have eaten Fish & Chips in UK and wasn't any different than I have had in US/Canada

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then you haven't eaten F&C in UK in the proper place - you problebly had it from a restaurant?

[cowslip]

John Dory or Hoki make good substitutes for Cod and Atlantic fish in fish and chips whe in the tropics or Southern Hemispshere.

UK fish and Chips are like French coffee and Italian pasta, it just doesn't taste the same outside the mother country.

Although the fish has to be mild, white and flakey, I think making the batter and chips is probably more important. Ingredients in batter even different combinations of flour, cornflour baking powder and even the use of turmeric will affect taste and appearance

T idea that you can eat fish and chips in a restaurant as part of the general menu is just a joke.

It is also worth considering the frying oils - ish and chips in the UK were traditionally fried in beef dripping or lard. These days  vegetable oils like palm oil, rapeseed oil, or sunflower oil are the primary frying mediums. But it may well improve the overall flavour if the oils are used longer - you can expect  the oil to last at least 3-4 days in a fish and chip shop, maybe up to 7 days, this may not actually be such a bad thing.

I used to live in Oz, and I NEVER found anywhere that could compete with UK fish and chips - they did a lot of other things that were nice - but Brtish fish and chips was impossible for them.

America's just a joke - most of th country is simply too far from the sea.

[cowslip]

  On 3/29/2025 at 6:43 PM, rattlesnake said:

That's what I tell French people in Thailand: don't look for a proper baguette or croissant here, there are none. Enjoy the delicious, varied Thai cuisine.

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Unless you go to Laos where you can eat delicious baguettes and REAL French-style coffee .... and patisseries!