The Impatient Chef Fish and Chips Review - Fisherman's Korner Restaurant, Garibaldi, Oregon

The Impatient Chef loves Fish and Chips.  This is evidenced by the number of fish and chips reviews on this blog.  So, finding a new place to enjoy them is always a treat.  One such opportunity arose on July 9th in the small, coastal town of Garibaldi, Oregon, at a place called Fisherman's Korner.  

"Best Fish & Chips in Tillamook County"

The sign out front was a good omen, so we stepped inside. 

Bar Stools and All

The decor is 1960's and 1970's diner.  This is not a bad thing.  There have been some great meals served with little fanfare in such places.  The Impatient Chef has eaten quite a number of them (like Gracie's Sea Hag in Depoe Bay).  So, this looked promising.  The Oregon Coast boasts a shocking number of places that serve fish and chips.  Some of the best are in small, unassuming hole-in-the-walls, the foremost being The Bowpicker in Astoria (review coming soon), and some mediocre fare is served at expensive, trendy bistros.  

On to the review.

We ordered a cup of clam chowder to start.  

Clam Chowder

The chowder looked promising.  It was thick, but not too thick.  The clam flavor was, while not lacking, too muted, and there were too few clams and potatoes.  The thickener was at least partly corn starch, or some other alternative.  There may have been some roux in it, but it did not have that roux mouth feel.  All in all, it is serviceable.  It was not bad, and it did not have an unusual flavor.  I give it a 5 on the Gracie's Sea Hag Scale.

Next came the Fish and chips (we ordered the Halibut, Prawns and Chips).  

Halibut, Prawns and Chips

First, the tartar sauce: It was anemic, likely made of mayo and too little relish, and nothing else.  The saving grace was that it was a little too sweet.  

Next, the cole slaw:  Not too sweet.  The Impatient Chef normally steers clear of mayo plus sugar slaws, but this one was not bad.  

I used to make similar cole slaw in a small restaurant in Lebanon, PA at the age of 18, or so.  In fact, I was fired after making said slaw because the Hobart shredding attachment was dull, and it took me too long to make 200 pounds of it.  I didn't mention the dull attachment, so my replacement was likely fired too.

The Fish:

The fish was breaded, not battered.  The Impatient Chef does not prefer one over the other.  Both can be excellent, and both can be disappointing.  There was no old oil flavor.  The fish was fresh, moist, and flakey.  I can see why it got the People's Choice Award.  It is not a 10, but a respectable 7.  If you are traveling on Oregon's Hwy 101 through Garibaldi, and you are hankering for some fish and chips, keep this place on your list.  

Speaking of 10's and 7's.  Long time readers of this blog will note that the rating scale for fish and chips was known as the "Rose and Thistle Scale" due to that establishment having the best anywhere.  As I mentioned in a previous post, the Rose and Thistle recently changed its recipe.  While the new fare is good, it's not a 10, so a new benchmark is needed.  If you know of some astoundingly good fish and chips in the Pacific Northwest, please use the comment section to give me a heads up.  If they are good, they could be the namesake for the new scale.

   

The Prawns:

The prawns were the stars of this meal.  They were breaded like the fish, and they were not over fried, like is easy to do with prawns.  The cocktail sauce cold have used a little more horseradish, but that was not too much of a drawback.  They were flavorful, and delicious.  The Impatient Chef gives them a 9.

The Fries:

The fries were lightly breaded, but under fried.  While the outsides were crisp, and remained so through the meal, the insides were a little too mushy.  A little ketchup was necessary once they cooled a little.  They get a rating of 6.  

Overall rating:

The food matches the decor a little too well.  It is not adventurous, or standout.  The best word to describe it is "serviceable".  It will feed the masses, and they will leave happy, but it will not wow anyone.  You would not go wrong stopping by if you are passing through, but it's not worthy of a pilgrimage to bask in its deliciousness.  

Stay tuned for more reviews, and some more recipes.  Much cooking is afoot.  

Thanks for Reading!

--The Impatient Chef