Pajo's Fish and Chips - Gates Park, Port Coquitlam

Ahoy,

About a week ago, I had the pleasure of enjoying a beautifully sunny day with the day off of work. Lucky me, a chance to try the legendary Pajo's Fish and Chips. Pajo's has won numerous local media awards and highlights as the "best fish and chips" in the lower mainland. They have 4 locations and on this day, I ventured to their location at Gates Park in Port Coquitlam.

The fish: I had a 'small' order of Cod which includes 1.5 pieces of fish as displayed above. There is a reason this joint has year over year won local best fish and chips awards. The fish was fresh. The fish was soft and almost melted in your mouth. The batter was thin, crisp, and did not take anything away from the taste of the fresh cod. If anything, the batter somehow managed to enhance the cod flavour. With or without tartar sauce, this was an enjoyable piece of fish. - 9.5/10

The chips: The chips were exactly what they were supposed to be. A nice compliment to the fish. Hand cut. Crisp. Not an overwhelming amount where your belly gets far to full. Nothing funky. They tasted simply like a fried potato fry which is exactly what I want from my chips. - 9/10

The venue/presentation: This particular location was located nestled in the centre of a large city park with baseball diamonds, soccer fields etc... I think this is a very uniquely situated location perfect for the park and city. I am well aware the three other locations are set right by the water and will be sure the visit them as the summer gets into full swing. The food itself was just the right portion. I believe it takes away from the experience when too many fries or coleslaw is provided which makes you uncomfortably fool, or feel bad for having to throw it away. With that said, I found the paper/cardboard cone the food is provided in to be very awkward. It was near impossible to use utensils properly, which made me at times to pick up the fish like a chicken strip and eat with hands. - 8.5/10

The price: 1.5 piece cod meal - $9.99.

The overall verdict: 9/10 - Overall, the core of what Pajo's is about is their food. They had very friendly down to earth service. The food was exactly what I expected it to be - and that was very tasty! I will certainly be visiting another location of Pajo's before this years end, so consider this to be part one of their review. I know the food will be just as great.

Website: http://www.pajos.com/


- Matthew and Abigail the Connoisseur

C-Lovers Fish and Chips - Pine Tree, Coquitlam

                                                             2 piece halibut and chips

                                                             1 piece cod and chips

Ahoy,

Today was a lazy rainy sunday in Vancouver, perfect to work up an appetite and head over to a local fish and chips joint: C-Lovers fish and chips. C-Lovers is a chain restaurant which claims to have "the best fish and chips in town" on the website. I visited their Coquitlam location.

The Fish: Their menu states their fish is "thinly battered" and this could not be more true. Their batter was light, crisp, and perfect. It was as if the batter blended right into the fish and I couldn't tell where one started and the other ended. Both the cod and halibut were exceptional. I truly noticed they used fresh fish which remained juicy and tasty even after the frying. I could tell the oil was clean and fresh as they highlight this with their open concept kitchen. - 9.5/10

The Chips: Something left me unsettled with the chips. They seemed unseasoned whatsoever, they were squished and soggy, and lacked any character. Somehow, C-Lovers even managed to rob the potato of the potato flavour. - 6/10

The Venue/Presentation: This particular location is located in a plaza in the suburban Coquitlam setting. I believe these types of fish and chips joints are a staple in their industry (in addition to the classic by the water setting). There is a friendly no-frills approach to the restaurant with friendly service, and presentation as if I was being served by my mom at home. This has a nice "homey" feel to it. - 9/10

The Price: 2 piece halibut meal -$19.49, 1 piece cod meal: $9.49 (notice they gave a free piece of cod).

The overall verdict: 8.17/10 - Overall I had a very pleasant experience at C-Lovers Fish and Chips. Again, with friendly service and atmosphere, and delicious fish, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this fish and chips spot to any other striving connoisseur out there! Unfortunately, the only thing from holding C-Lovers back from being the top spot in this city is the lack of any flavour in their chips.

- Abigail the Connoisseur

Go Fish Ocean Emporium - Granville Island, Vancouver

Ahoy,

Today was a beautiful sunny day in Vancouver so I decided to head for another stroll on Granville Island. It is finally time to review the ever famous Go Fish fish and chips located in a parking lot on the wharf.

The fish: I tried both the halibut and cod fish. They have a home-made beer batter using the local Granville Island beer. The fish is also locally bought. I found the fish to be average. The cod was a little over cooked which was noticed as the juicy fishiness of it was absent, and it was actually rather dry. I had no complaint's about the halibut, it was just an enjoyable piece of fish. - 7/10.

The chips: Perfectly salted, light, crispy chips. No need to say more. - 9/10.

The venue/presentation: This unique location on a wharf just off of Granville Island is wonderful. It is a perfect setting for a stroll along false creek and afternoon lunch. There is no doubt the atmosphere contributes to the idea of the fish and chips tasting better than they actually are. Unfortunately, this pleasant back drop was horrendously balanced against a VERY long wait (20 minutes) to order the fish, and a LONGER (30+ minutes) wait to receive your fish. Further, the staff are rude and unpleasant. Yes Go Fish staff, you are running a highly successful business, but there is no need to be conceited and rude to fellow Vancouverites. - 4/10

The price: 2 piece cod, 1 piece halibut, 1 chips, 1 salmon tacone was over $30.

The overall verdict: 6.66/10 - It was a bit pricey, but I was shocked that the highly praised Go Fish could ruin a beautiful Vancouver Sunday afternoon experience with their attitudes. The food was average, but the backdrop made up for this.

- Abigail the Connoisseur

Edible Canada Bistro - Granville Island, Vancouver

Ahoy,

Today I enjoyed a Sunday afternoon lunch of our favourite delicacy, fish and chips, at Edible Canada Bistro located on Granville Island, Vancouver.

The fish: They offer a steelhead salmon fish which in essence is a trout-like salmon. It was a bit odd biting into a pink centre which really tasted too 'fishy' for my liking. The batter was a rice flour tempura, which sounded like a nice light batter. Upon ordering, it was heavy, overpowering and overcooked - which led to a clumpy hard shell around the fish. - 5/10

The chips: Luckily the chips saved the plate as they were perfectly sized, shaped, crispy and just delectable. They are done in duck fat which perfectly complimented the potato flavour. This, added to a housemade ketchup makes this, one of the best chips I have had thus far. - 9.5/10

The venue/presentation: Located right in the heart of Granville Island, Edible Canada Bistro is in a prime location to attract a fish and chips lover out for a meal. The restaurant has a great ambiance feel to it, with nice service and a down to earth atmosphere.
Something didn't sit right with me upon the presentation of my dish, however, as the fish seems thrown to the side and not the centre of attention. - 7/10.

The price: $16.

The overall verdict: 7.17/10 - The overall 'asian' theme (rice flour tempura, asian coleslaw, duck fat) I believe didn't due justice to what a classic fish and chips could be. Given this was not a traditional seafood or fish house per say, I will give the restaurant some leeway in their creative input in this wonderful dish called fish and chips!

- Abigail the Connoisseur  

The Fish House - Stanley Park, Vancouver

Ahoy,

This elegant presentation of fish and chips was when I indulged in the fine cuisine at The Fish House located in Stanley Park, Vancouver.

The fish: The Haddock fish offered a nice alternative to the typical cod and halibut options most places have. It had a light crispy beer batter which did not overpower, so as to allow the natural flavour of the fish to be experienced. - 8/10

The chips: They were thick, and too soggy for my liking. One might suggest the moist texture would compliment the the crisp fish, however, this was not the case. -  5/10

The venue/presentation: Located on the end of beautiful Stanley Park, Vancouver, The Fish House offers a beautiful setting for a classy place to sit down and have fish and chips. The presentation was clean and simple as viewed above, however sometimes, fish and chips can be more appreciated when wrapped around in the local newspaper. - 8/10

The price: $18 on the lunch menu.

The overall verdict: 7/10 - For the expensive price, I would hope to see an improvement in the quality of the chips. It was nice to see Haddock as the staple fish which offers a nice alternative with a crisp beer batter.

- Abigail the Connoisseur

My Fish and Chips Ranking

Ahoy,

My name is Abigail, and I am an expert when it comes to the art of fish and chips. The purpose of this blog is simple: to reveal the best fish and chips in the world. I love fish and chips, and want to share this love with you. During each of my travels, I will indulge in what each city has to offer, I will rank it, and post it here for you. This way, when you come across the same way, and your heart is set on fish and chips, you will know exactly where to go.

I love fish and chips and I hope you do too!

- Abigail the Connoisseur