Yaakov E.
Yelp
Ordered fish and chips tonight from Leo Burdock. It was a disaster. I'm from the Pacific Northwest in America, where we have fish and seafood easily the equal of that in Ireland, allowing that Ireland has some specialties unique to the Atlantic. But throughout the Pacific NW, from the Northern California coast through Oregon and Washington, up through British Columbia and Alaska, there are thousands of restaurants that serve cod fish and chips. I've eaten in dozens of places over the 54 years I've lived in the Pacific NW, and the fish and chips from Leo Burdock were by far, by a long, long way, the worst I've ever had. They were so bad, I took two small bites and threw the whole meal in a lovely trash can along the river LIffey. What was so bad, you ask?
When I walked in the place smelled bad, like old grease, like floors that rarely get cleaned, like things I can't even describe. In my head a small voice suggested I leave, with the thought that if the food was anything like the smell, I was in trouble. But I believed the sign, that there was something historic and epic about these fish and chips.
When I ordered, I specified that I did not want salt on the chips. I have a heart condition and try to limit salt. The man who took the order repeated what I asked for and assured me "no salt". Then I waited for maybe 9 or 10 minutes. When the order was ready, the same man handed me the bag and immediately informed me it had salt. Then he gave a thumbs up and said, "it's ok?" I said, no, it's not ok. That was the start.
Walking back to my hotel, I smelled the contents. They smelled like the store, not a good sign. Getting to my room, I ate one chip and took two bites of the fish. There was no real flavor. I've never had fish and chips where the fish had no flavor. Well, that's not true. The fish was also extremely greasy. So there were flavors: grease and that distinct "taste" of the restaurant that I can't really describe. And that's it.
Screwed up the order, greasy food, and no flavor. The place said it was genuine Irish fish and chips. If that indeed was the Irish version, I'll stick to the Pacific NW. And if any of you reading this are going to the American west coast in the future, come to Oregon, and try the fish and chips there. See what you think.