KERBISHER & MALT

Kerbisher and Malt - the best fish and chip shop in London (?) I know it's a bit of a grand statement, but it's one I've been thinking about a bit recently. You see, I've been to Kerbisher and Malt twice now. The first time I didn't get it - it was good, but it was just fish and chips. But I went back recently and I've changed my mind. I've changed my mind because I've realised, that although there are a couple of places in London that sell excellent fish and chips, that's all they sell, and your arms normally stick to the tables because they're so greasy, and you clean up after yourself, because they're just takeaway shops that happen to have a few seats/tables. But Kerbisher and Malt is different. It really stands out from the rest. It's fish and chips but it's more, it's an actual restaurant for a start, where you pay after your meal, and where the waitresses bring your food to you and take it away when you're done. And they also bring you booze if you so desire. And their food is really, really good.

There are 4 branches of Kerbisher and Malt, all in West and South London - Ealing, Brook Green, Mortlake and Clapham. I went to the Ealing branch last Saturday to try their menu out again. What I really love about the menu at Kerbisher and Malt is the choice. You don't have to have fish and chips there, though as I was reviewing it, I did go for fish and chips. They do haddock, cod, plaice, pollock and coley and you can choose between battered, grilled or matzo meal (an unleavened bread made from flour and water). The fish is then cooked in rapeseed oil, and the oil is then recycled to make biofuel, which I think is pretty amazing, and something all restaurants should do. I chose the pollock in matzo meal, which was so delicious. The fish was moist and flaky, and the matzo coating was crunchy and light, unlike some fish batters which can end up being more voluminous than the fish itself. The most popular option at Kerbisher is the battered fish, but it was really nice to try something different. I had chips with my fish, which are handmade on site, and were excellent. Lots of little crunchy end bits in between the big chunky chips that were crispy on the outside and soft inside. They double fry them to ensure they come out perfectly.

To go with our fish and chips we had a portion of calamari, that also seemed to have been coated in matzo rather than batter. They were light, and soft, and a really generous portion. Some calamari can be chewy and tasteless but these were the complete opposite. We also had half a pint of prawns, that come in their shell, and were so juicy and delicious. I think I finished the prawns before I even ate anything else. And we had a fennel and dill salad, that was thin slices of raw fennel, mixed with fresh dill and a slightly tangy vinaigrette that cut through the aniseed of the fennel. This was such a nice accompaniment to the fried fish.

There's something for everyone at Kerbisher and Malt and despite "just" being a fish and chip shop, it's actually a lovely restaurant to go to, and would be great to take the kids to, though it wasn't overrun with them when we were there. Do check them out if you're near one of their branches, you might end up going back for more!