I’ve had a few fish & chips in my time, and the version at Sid’s Pub @ Plaza Damansara gives me good reason to pull up a stool again. It doesn’t completely revolutionise the genre, but there’s enough here to make it a solid go-to when the craving hits.

First impressions & presentation

Walk in, and the place feels comfortably pubby — warm lighting, wood tones, casual chatter. The dish arrives looking clean and promising: a generous fillet of fish, long crinkle-cut chips, a wedge of lemon, tartare sauce on the side, plus a small scatter of fresh greens to lift things — simple, classic, no pretentious fuss.

Taste & texture

  • Fish: The fillet was well-sized, moist inside with a flaky texture. Probably a white fish — cod or similar — mild, clean taste. The batter coating was crisp enough on first bite, though towards the end (especially on the edges) it softened slightly (as such things do), but it survived the journey to the table without sogging totally.

  • Batter: Light enough, with just the right golden tone. Not overly greasy, which is always a relief. It carried a touch of seasoning — salt, maybe a whisper of pepper — enough to complement without overpowering the fish.

  • Chips: The chips were decent. They were crisp on the outside, fluffy inside, though a few were undercooked (in the sense of still retaining a slightly raw starch centre). The thicker ones fared better; the thinner ones got golden quickly and maintained a satisfying crunch.

  • Accompaniments: The tartare sauce was tangy, creamy, with bits of pickle or onion that added texture. The lemon wedge helped brighten everything — a squeeze was almost necessary. Greens were more decorative than functional, but fresh, which helps. Optional sides like mushy peas weren’t present (or weren’t what I ordered), but the core accompaniments did their job.

Other observations

  • Temperature: Good. Arrived hot, as one expects. Not blistering, but hot enough so the batter crackles.

  • Portion: Generous. I felt reasonably satisfied. Not so huge that you feel full-bloated, but enough to feel you got value for price.

  • Value: Pricing in a pub in Plaza Damansara tends to be reasonable, and here I’d say the cost matches what you get. It doesn’t blow you away with luxury, but you don’t feel cheated either.

What could be better

  • Crispness of some chips could improve — especially ensuring all are cooked through.

  • Batter might benefit from a slightly more flavour kick: maybe herbs, or a more distinctive beer-batter edge (if that fits the pub-style).

Verdict

All in all, Sid’s Pub’s fish & chips hits the sweet spot for comfort pub grub in KL. It won’t shatter your culinary expectations, but it delivers what it promises: a solid, satisfying meal with good fish, crisp-enough batter, warm chips, and decent value. Rating: 7.5 / 10 — well above average, good for casual meals, especially if you’re in the mood for pub classics.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Image
BOYS DON'T FRY Nestled inside the dated Wisma Cosway mall on Raja Chulan, BDF (Boys Don't Fry) offers us the latest iteration of  The Great Malaysian Fish and Chips Hunt . Taking inspiration from old British greasy spoon cafés, BDF’s aim is to give you an authentic experience when it comes to chippy food. Unlike other fish and chips restaurants here in Malaysia, BDF only offers one type of fish in its set: perch. You do, however, get a choice between baked beans or a pickle set as one of your sides. So, we ordered one of each and waited. It took about 15 minutes for the food to arrive—which is pretty standard—so we dug in. Let’s start with the bad, eh? As per usual, it’s the chips that let the side down. While not the usual thin-cut frozen variety, these are thick-cut. However, they’re still frozen, so that’s an instant point deduction. The fish, on the other hand, is fresh and—while not as meaty as barracuda—very well cooked and tasty. The batter, though crispy, is a bit too c...
Read more
Image
  COR BLIMEY Advertising themselves as 'the finest British Fish and Chips in Malaysia', this week on  The Great Magnificent Fish and Chips Hunt™ , we visit Cor Blimey at their SS15 branch in Subang Jaya. We were the first customers in that day, arriving just before 12pm for lunch (Cor Blimey opens at 12pm). They have by far the widest range of fish available to order — everything from the standard perch, barramundi and sea bass to speciality imported cod and haddock. To keep things fair with the other reviews, we ordered one perch with mushy peas and one barramundi with coleslaw, both of which came with chunky chips. The food took about 15 minutes to arrive, and then we got down to it. First off the bat, as per usual, are the chips. I’m happy to say they are freshly made, which is great. The issue, however, is that being so big and chunky makes them difficult to cook properly, and in this case, our chips were completely undercooked, bland and soggy. There is nothing worse than...
Read more
Image
BLUE REEF TTDI Since the first job I ever had was working on a fish and chips food truck—and given that I'm a complete snob when it comes to this sort of food—I've decided to start a weekly blog reviewing the best and worst fish and chips I've come across in Malaysia. We begin this journey with Blue Reef Fish and Chips, located in TTDI. Situated over two floors in the heart of TTDI, Blue Reef was recommended to me by a friend who raved about their food, so we just had to check it out. The space inside was laid out well, though that doesn't really matter to me when it comes to chippy food—I'm just there for the food coma, thank you very much. We got our seats and checked out the menu. You have a choice of five different types of fish: Tilapia, Barramundi, Snapper, Grouper, and Halibut, with a choice of either beer batter or a breaded batter for those seeking a halal option. We went for the beer-battered Barramundi with chips and sat back to wait for our order. Waitin...
Read more