The Magnificent Fish & Chips Bar @ Changkat Bukit Bintang

My family loves a good fish and chips (especially my son) but many offered by cafes these days are usually from the frozen variety (!) which aren't all that good.

So we came looking for The Magnificent Fish & Chips Bar @ Changkat Bukit Bintang that has lasted some 10-odd years on this street (and that's no mean feat)...and, hopefully, true to its namesake, some magnificent fish and chips! ;)

Reminiscent of a small English pub with its dark wood furniture and chalk board menu, there were several tables for indoor seating, mostly alfresco dining, as well as a space upstairs.  We chose to sit somewhere between indoor and outdoor (for better lighting for photo taking) as the indoor area was a bit dim.

Ordering from a paper menu, we went with the server-recommended Salt & Pepper Calamari @ RM32, served with a chilli dip that tasted like Thai chilli sauce, for sharing.  I think the pepper seasoning was probably part black pepper and red pepper flakes (maybe some paprika too) in a bread crumbed-like batter but don't expect the batter to be crunchy (coz it's not) but still very nice.  The calamari, on the other hand, was super duper tender.  

I used to think that squid and calamari were one and the same and that the name was used interchangeably by restaurants (some still do) only to realise later that squid is tougher (and cheaper) while calamari is more tender (and also more expensive).  Now I know why I've had different outcomes when I ate this previously...some were obviously salt & pepper squid (yikes!) while some were salt & pepper calamari (yay!)...and some were salt & pepper squid passing off as salt & pepper calamari (argh!).  The portion size wasn't all that big (for the price) as some would say but then this is the more pricey calamari we're talking about here, so I'll take it.

It would be a travesty to come to a fish & chips specialist and not order fish & chips, so we chose Battered Barramundi @ RM44 served with tartar sauce and a wedge of lemon.  You can also opt for grilled and your other fish choices would be butterfish, Icelandic cod or catch of the day.

Well, it looked like any traditional English fish & chips should be...with a nicely battered, rather large piece of crispy, moist fillet and chunky, hand-cut chips that's crisp on the outside but soft within.  The batter is not the light and crisp type but the thick and very crunchy type, maybe just a whisker too thick for my personal liking.

I noticed that the chalk board menu listed some other fish choices...must be the specials for the day....halibut, blue perch @ RM32 and silver cod @ RM52 (catch of the day).  The server said I can have it battered or grilled, so I ordered the Grilled Halibut @ RM48 coz (I'm thinking, right) it'll be a bit of a waste to have it deep fried for a fish that price and that delicate.  When it arrived, my eyes almost fell out of its socket when I saw how tiny a portion it was...probably enough for a very small-eater (and I'm no small-eater)! O_o Ah well, supper is in order then.

It was served with pan fried potatoes at the bottom with some sauteed asparagus and cherry tomatoes.

Notwithstanding the small portion, the halibut was incredibly soft and delicate.  It had crispy skin and the fish was so fresh and utterly flaky that it just disintegrates in your mouth.  I had to eat it slowly in tiny bite-sized pieces to savour every bite, otherwise one could finish it in 3 mouthfuls if one wants to....kekeke! :D

I was told that my halibut comes with a side and that I could choose to have either chips, mash or salad.  Since we already have chips and I didn't want mash or salad, I asked if I could have mushy peas instead since it's a quintessential accompaniment for fish & chips.  I told the server that just a small portion will do and was delighted that she agreed   The portion that arrived was quite generous I'd say (the price of a side of mushy peas on the menu is RM14 incidentally).  The lightly mashed mushy peas were chunky and soft to the bite. The buttery peas had some bits of beef bacon thrown in the mix for added texture.

For drinks, we went with some Chilled Juices of Pineapple & Mango @ RM12 each.  When we were there, the tele was playing some old music videos (from the 80's and 90's) which I thoroughly enjoyed.

Side Story:
Parking on this street is a nightmare (this being my first trip to the area)!  The first open-air parking we approached wanted to charge us RM20.  The second one we went said they offer the cheapest rates here at RM10.  As we were there for an early dinner (knowing that this street, full of pubs and bars, would be riddled with drinkers at later hours), we noticed some cars parked illegally by the roadside next to the restaurants and decided to do the same as we knew we'd be there probably for an hour, tops one and a half hours.  That's when we told ourselves, ok we won't be here for long, let's take a risk and park by the road since there was a space right outside the restaurant we intended to eat at.  But, just as we tried to do that, a "parking tout" (even though he's part of the so-called parking "management") came over to say that we have to pay RM15 for parking....what the...?  You even have to pay for parking illegally on a public road?  It's like these people own the streets! >:(

My Personal Opinion

Known for one of the better fish & chips in town, it was certainly a decent fish & chips....just not as magnificent as it should be...for the price we paid!

The food prices here are on the higher end, for sure, and the clientele on this street seems to be mostly expatriates and tourists staying in the area who want to chow down on some food and then soak in the night life by going pubbing and clubbing till the wee hours of the morning.  The place seems more suitable for the younger/singles generation, if you ask me (like TREC KL)...not feeling the family vibe ^_*

With cut-throat parking rates and parking being a nightmare, I'm not sure if I'll want to come back to this area (even if the food was decent)! >_<  

The Magnificent Fish & Chips Bar
28 Changkat Bukit Bintang
50200 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 03-2142 7021