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Ask any Londoner, Scouser, Irishman or Scot living in Melbourne where to get the best fish and chips and they'll say there's none better than what you can get in the UK. You see, though we’ve got our fair share of excellent fish and chips in this town, it’s hard to find the niche chippie items beloved back in Britain.
Think a big fat chip barm (aka a ‘butty’ or roll) with finger-licking good curry sauce or crispy golden hunks of fish so unctuous and nutty-tasting you just need to know that batter recipe. With a side of satin-rich mushy peas, of course. When I was a child in Scotland, we called this splendid feast a ‘fish supper’. But I’m yet to find a proper one since migrating to Australia in 1998.
And then came the summer of 2019, when I stumbled across a colourfully renovated vintage caravan stationed at Edinburgh Gardens. Its groovy ‘70s-esque branding had drawn in a throng of park-goers who, like me, were curious. At last, we’d discovered Northern Soul: a food truck with a menu that makes the British heart proud.
Five years on, it’s no longer just a food truck. The Mancunian duo who run the operation, Jessica Tosh and Joe Grimshaw, have set up a permanent shop in St Kilda so you can get your Northern Soul fix from one spot (a really clever decision when you think about how many British tourists hang out there and are in need of a greasy hangover cure).
Spoiler alert: they’re absolutely slaying it. The fish and chips are a winner, better yet with the shop’s authentic British sides like housemade chippy gravy, real malt vinegar and salty ‘tato scallops – some of the best in Victoria, I reckon.
On a Friday evening, we check out the new digs for a taste of the spice bag, an Irish-Chinese takeaway shop special that’s been getting a lot of love on social media. You can only order it on Thursday and Friday nights, and it’s on the menu until they run out. The ‘90s dance hits are pumping and a queue of different accents and eager appetites snakes out the door. When a place is this busy and process-oriented – the fry masters are working hard out the back and go through a whopping 850 kilos of spuds a week – you don’t expect too charming a welcome but my partner and I are met with nothing but an infectious smile and joke at the counter.
Along with the spice bag, we’ve decided to get the Wigan Casino, a tribute to the iconic Northern England dance hall in the form of a majestic fish and chips ensemble. They’ve nailed that quintessential British technique with a crisp-laced batter that shatters with each bite. The smooth, rich fish parcelled inside ain’t no flake shark, either. Rather, it’s from the British-preferred cod and haddock family. And the chips? Ah, these Maris Piper potatoes from Gippsland are a revelation. Fluffy on the inside and doused in malt vinegar on the outside, these are the chips that Brits crave in the oddest of hours – the dead of night at musical festivals, first thing on a Sunday morning, for dinner after work – such is their immediate power to deliver comfort. They’re perfect for dunking into the accompanying mushy peas.
Speaking of which, they are certainly no afterthought. It’s giving velvety pea and ham soup in a tub. We’ve also ordered an Irish sausage (which we’ve chosen to enjoy unbattered in a last-ditch effort to make a healthy choice) and it’s juicier than The Daily Mail, its soft, creamy fat melting in our mouths. Though we’re huddled around our living room table, it almost feels like we’re in a cosy pub somewhere across the pond.
Starting to get full, we finally dig into the famous spice bag. In the box is a fragrant mix of fried chicken and chips tossed in Sichuan spices, served with a moreish curry sauce and prawn crackers. The chicken is prepared in distinct pieces, maintaining integrity rather than falling apart as a shredded mess. It’s a mash-up that might raise some eyebrows but it just works. Try it and you’ll see.
We can’t wait to pig out on one again when we haven’t first stuffed ourselves with fish and chips. But funnily enough, it’s actually the latter, the Wigan Casino, that I can’t stop thinking about. A slice of historic chippie magic has finally been brought to our shores and it’s best tasted in this classic homage. This Scotswoman couldn’t be more fluffin’ chuffed!