21 June 2011

The Battery: Fish and Chips, Surry Hills (5 Dec 2010)

Shop 15, 425 Bourke Street,
Surry Hills NSW 2010
http://www.thebattery.com.au


All battered up

The Battery sure had its fair share of good and bad reviews since it opened its doors on Eatability and Urbanspoon. The bad comments usually revolved around being very expensive, which I guess it was, and that high expectations of the food weren't quite met. It was about 6 months ago when I check it out using a Spreets Deal that bought me $20 worth of meal for only $10 and I had one for me and one for the my brother. I just noticed Eatability says its now closed so I guess the public have made their vote that pricey fish and chips is not cool. I do remember finding the take away service a bit perfunctory and non-welcoming to the point that I got the feeling they had something better to do.

Anyway the Battered box for 2 ($30) came with 2 fish, chips, 2 salt and pepper squid and 2 sauces which we chose aioli and tartare. We had one fish battered and the other grilled. The batter on the fish was super crunchy (see video below) — very nicely done. The grilled fish was pretty good and the salt and pepper squid was tender but unfortunately got a bit soggy after a while from the heat of the meal. The chips were plentiful and thickly cut. It was quite a generous portion for 2 people and definitely filled us up. I always wanted to revisit to try the potato scallops which apparently were only available from the seated restaurant which I thought was a bit strange since they're very much suited for take away item. I never got to try the restaurant. I guess there's always the chance a place will close before you get the time to blog about it :-(.

SNAPSHOT REVIEW:
PROS: Batter was crispy, Quality of fish seemed pretty good, Some seating available for take away, Handy location from Taylor Square
CONS: I think they're closed now, Limited take away menu, Considered quite expensive, Service wasn't the most friendly, No bins for take away
MUST TRY: Finding another good fish and chip place in Surry Hills


Nice crispy crunchy batter

Battered box for 2 of 2 fish, chips, 2 salt and pepper squid and 2 sauces ($30)

Battered fish

Grilled fish

Salt and pepper squid

Chips

Inside the battered fish — pretty good fish

Aioli, Tartare sauce

Sprite ($3.60), Bottled Water ($3)

Menu board

Drinks menu





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The Battery on Urbanspoon

4 comments:

Tina@foodboozeshoes said...

Oh no! I never got to try it out... :( I guess pricing was a serious issue, especially in that very competitive area.

joey@forkingaroundsydney said...

I really enjoyed this place, but yes, the price was a little steep. The location doesn't help though, as the nearby Souk In The City in the same complex has also closed its doors.

JasmyneTea said...

Oh damn, I've been wanting to try the red onion rings for AGES. It does seem a bit pricey, although I'd be willing to pay for anything delicious!

Elle said...

To be honest, I've only eaten in Surry Hills a few times, and the service no matter where I go seems to be a bit perfunctory and a bit '"too cool for school". And no, it's not me :)

I know Surry Hills is a fashionable, hip area, but business won't survive if they charge inappropriate prices and their service sucks.

...still, the batter on that fish looks divine!

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