Fish and chips by the sea

There is nothing quite like the salty smell of sea in the air when you're enjoying fish and chips at the waterfront, writes VIMALA SENEVIRATNE.

TWO chunky pieces of freshly cooked fish and lots of chips wrapped in grease-proof paper served with malt vinegar and a light, tangy tartar sauce.

It was for a bite of this tasty dish that I got drenched to the skin when I dashed across the road in the rain to catch a ferry headed for Watsons Bay, a 20-minute ferry ride away from Circular Quay in Sydney. And I didn’t mind one bit.

Doyles Restaurant, said to serve the best fish and chips in town, was located right at the waterfront of picturesque Watsons Bay.

As the ferry drew close to the jetty, I could see scores of seagulls hovering overhead. Less than 10 paces away from the jetty stood the weather-beaten restaurant which had earned its reputation serving fish and chips to locals and tourists.

Founded by Newton Doyle and his wife in 1885, the restaurant, which used to be called the Ozone Café, is now run by the fifth generation Doyle family.

When the weather was fine, old man Doyle used to go fishing. With his abundant catch, his enterprising wife started a little business selling fish and chips to picnickers.

All they had then was a fuel stove in the kitchen and driftwood on the beach provided most of the fuel. Later, the restaurant underwent a name change to Doyles.

Apart from fish and chips, the menu also offers oysters, giant barbecued tiger prawns and grilled lobsters. The oysters are from the Manning and Hawkesbury Rivers, the whiting and bream fish are from the coastal rivers while crabs, lobsters, mussels, prawns, snapper, jewfish and pearl perch are from wherever the best produce is available.

Most customers come for fish and chips, comprising crisp, plump fish fillets fried in light batter and served atop thick-cut potato chips, some with the skin still on them. The meal comes with a wedge of lemon, malt vinegar and tartar sauce.

Eyebrows were raised when I asked for chili or tomato ketchup. No, they didn’t have them because no one ate fish and chips with such sauces.

According to locals, the only way to appreciate the juicy fish was to dip it lightly in the malt vinegar or to slap some tartar sauce on it. The chips, mercifully, were unsalted and not greasy.

Most people prefer to take away their fish and chips to eat in the park which is less than 20 paces away from the restaurant. You can, of course, eat in the restaurant and at the same time take in the view of Sydney skyline and the harbour bridge across the waters.

Ocean-blue table-cloths brightened the restaurant and on the walls were pictures of what your fish looked like before it ended up on your plate.

Customers kept a keen eye on the seagulls which did not hesitate to swoop down and take off with the food the instant you turned your back.

After the meal, you can walk around the town which still retained the atmosphere of a fishing village. Many of the small cottages, built of stone and timber, still stand. Beside them are more substantial brick homes built in the 1950s as well as some modern, contemporary houses.