The Fish & Chippy brings an English staple to Mount Pleasant

The Fish & Chippy first opened its doors and fryers to the public in September — the same day Queen Elizabeth II died, according to owner Galen Le Cheminant, a native of the U.K. Though it put a damper on the day, he didn't let it stop him from sharing his restaurant's staple English dish, as well as others such as Scotch Eggs and mushy peas.

"There was nothing really fish-and-chip oriented in Mount Pleasant," Le Cheminant said. "There are some places that do fish and chips in other parts of the city, but there's nothing over on this side. We thought there's a lot of people here in Mount Pleasant — it's a very cosmopolitan city — and that we could bring some English fare to the table."

The Fish & Chippy serves up traditional fish and chips, available in half or full portions (four or eight ounces), cod bites and fish "butty," fish and chips inside buttered "bap," or bread. The fish served here is exclusively Icelandic cod, which Le Cheminant claims is the best type of fish for this dish.

"We wanted the best cod," he said. "There's no local cod here. We could get Atlantic cod or Pacific cod, but in my opinion, and where I’m from, I think Icelandic is the best. It's a meaty, fatty fish."

While building the restaurant, Le Cheminant said he knew the kind of fish and batter he wanted in order to achieve a perfect, crispy fish. The challenge was finding the right chip.

"When you go to a rich fish and chips shop in the U.K., there's a whole production line [to take them] from a potato to a chip, and it's very tough to do. We don't have the space to do it in this location," he said. "After a few good tries, we found a good, thick chip that's going to stay crispy. It's just fried once; it's never fried twice."

Le Cheminant said if you’re eating fish and chips at the restaurant, the chips are going to be hot and crispy, but if you get takeout, the best way to keep the heat from softening the potatoes is to open up the bag and let the steam out.

"You’re never going to get it really crispy, unless it's a thin fry (fried more than twice)," he said. "It's just not healthy at that point. It's just a fat stick."

Ironically, Le Cheminant isn't a fan of tartar sauce, which is normally served with the meal. But one of the cooks, Jean Pierre, made a tartar sauce so good, it changed Le Cheminant's mind.

"I have to say, one of the best things here is JP's tartar sauce," he said. "He's put in a few bits that set it apart. It's just beautiful." Le Cheminant described it as more akin to mayonnaise and less vinegary than traditional tartar sauce.

If you want a taste of what it's like to dine like royalty, you can opt for fish and chips "The Queen's Way," described on the menu as "prepared exactly as desired by Her Majesty" — a full portion of breaded and baked cod drizzled with a tarragon Hollandaise and served with a stack of chips.

In addition to its staple dish, the Fish & Chippy also offers Scotch eggs and mushy peas. A Scotch egg is a medium boiled egg, wrapped in sausage, breaded and deep fried for a crispy, soft and creamy bite. Dip it in the house-made tartar sauce for a perfectly balanced snack. Le Cheminant recommends trying the mushy peas with malt vinegar for a creamy, acidic bite.

The Fish & Chippy is located at 565 Belle Station Blvd. in Mount Pleasant and open from 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Tues.-Sat.

Here are a few other places to find the classic English dish:

Love Best of Charleston?

Help the Charleston City Paper keep Best of Charleston going every year with a donation. Or sign up to become a member of the Charleston City Paper club.