Brits are not known for being an excitable bunch, but news a much longed for fish and chip shop had opened opposite Roppongi Midtown caused a bit of a stir in Tokyo. (If the fact a link to the site was my most liked Facebook post of all time is anything to go by…)
Fish and chips is available in Tokyo in some of the British bars and pubs. The Hub which seems to pass off absolutely anything off as “British” certainly has a stab. Overall it’s been a disappointing effort, with the best efforts resembling the work of McCains and Captain Birdseye on a hungover day. So an authentic chippy has been up there on the Expat Wish List, alongside a roast pork sandwich shop and a decent pasty purveyor, since the British first landed.
My first visit was at the earliest opportunity – the first pay day after I discovered its existence. The shop is a cleaner, cuter version of a chip shop and has a few seats. The menu includes three sets – large cod, chips and mushy peas (A), regular cod, chips and mushy peas (B) and pie and chips (C) ranging from JPY 1250 and JPY 1500. Fish cakes, battered sausage and a fish finger is also on offer, with curry sauce but gravy apparently “coming soon.” ‘Real’ lemonade and ginger beer are on the soft drink list, with BrewDog beer also sold by the bottle.
Showing uncharacteristic restraint I went for the B set. The food was freshly fried meaning there was a short wait before it was served in a cardboard box, charmingly covered in newsprint featuring the most British of stuff, like Princess Di.
Lemon? Well posh.
Salt and vinegar lashed on, I tucked in – with a little wooden fork!! (It’s the little things). The fish was fantastic, white, chunky and beautifully battered. No complaints. I’m a bit picky about mushy peas but these were the pale green I like and tasted pretty good, if a little salty for my own tastes. The chips weren’t on a par with the fish – my dad (a Yorkshireman with several decades experience of fish and chips) would have dubbed them “a bit anaemic” – but as I was the only customer perhaps they felt like I shouldn’t be kept waiting. I’ve been twice more since and asked for my chips a bit browner and they were much better – by far the best chips I’ve had in Tokyo in fact.
Read while you eat
The owners have gone to some serious lengths to ensure as authentic a taste as possible, and say the only thing not British about their frying methods is the location. The fish is responsibly sourced and the fryers trained by a Brit. The shop itself is even named after Joseph Malin, who may have opened the UK’s first chippy in London. Or it might have been another man, a northerner – I bet his chips were full-blooded.
Lashings of ginger beer old chaps
There is still a Japanese twist; Mr Chips and Ms Malins are genki little chip-fork mascots. And there is information about the “healthy” nature of our bag of grease. After my first trip, when one of the owners handed over his meishi and I was asked for my opinion on the taste, I was a little nervous about Malin’s future – would Tokyo take the chippy to its heart? But having been twice more I’m happy to say it was much busier – word is spreading! My small contribution to ensuring our chippy stays put is to give directions to every local who says “You are from England? Do you eat fish and chips?” I do now!
Malins
1F-A,Roppongi 7-12-3,
Minato-ku, Tokyo 106-0032
+81 3 5413 6851
www.malins.jp
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