Union Square Fish & Chips

With almost 20 years in the biz, owner Hazem Hazouri knows how to cook a piece of fish – and his latest chippy could be the reason for Brunswick’s great western migration. Plump fillets of barra, whiting, snapper or the ubiquitous flake emerge from the oil just-cooked and tender inside their crunchy batter jackets, devoid of the uncooked flour stodge of lesser specimens. And while there’s no brown rice or bok choy on offer (this is the chip shop of your childhood, people), chips are the real deal: a golden outer shell that shatters between your teeth and gives way to a fluffy, steaming interior. Being nestled in a suburban shopping strip, Union has décor as old school as it gets – plastic chairs, smock aprons and half-empty Coke fridge – but they up the fancy vibe with pumpkin fritters and battered Mars Bars. What’s that saying? The best side is the west side.