Well the snow has been pretty much non-stop in the past few days, and although I did get to have one glorious morning in Strawberry Fields yesterday, for the most part I have been stuck inside at work. Grrr.
I have done what any girl would and turned to food to comfort me, and tonight I have a particular hankering for good old fish and chips. ‘Huh,’ you might snort, ‘good luck finding that in Japan.’ And it is true that my previous encounters with Japanese fish and chips have not always ended satisfactorily.
A mouthwatering serving of battered cod and crispy chips
Enter The Flying Fish with trumpets and banners. This modest looking little van pulled up on the vacant block next to Seicomart offers deliciously fresh and crispy battered fish, heavenly calamari rings, and perfect chips – and I am a chip connoisseur, people.
Get chatting to owner and operator Matt and you will soon figure out why. An Englishman through and through, Matt started The Flying Fish after living in Japan for over a decade and having that gnawing feeling that something was missing from the food scene.
Matt and Yooja, my new favourite people
“I’ve eaten so well over the last ten years, but after a while you just start to miss some things,” Matt comments, as he prepares my order of fresh battered cod. “The Japanese batter is just a little stodgy, and the cod is usually frozen- and once you’ve had fresh cod there is just no going back.”
I have to agree with him as I tuck in to my juicy piece of fish, delicate enough to break apart in my hands and yet firm enough to pack a tremendously satisfying mouthful.
Ben wasn’t happy when I tried to steal his chips
The secret to the golden batter is the English Bass Pale Ale, Matt tells me, which is one of the only ingredients not locally sourced. The cod is fresh from Yoichi and the potatoes are, of course, Niseko crops.
Each piece of seafood is battered to order before your eyes by Matt or his lovely colleague Yooja, and served up with thick-cut chips in a quaint newspaper package. The chips have just the right amount of softness in the middle and are fried to a golden crisp on the ends. They are literally mouthwatering when accompanied by the homemade tartare sauce.
If you need that extra kick to recover from the festive season, I reckon The Flying Fish could give you a boost. Guaranteed to line your stomach and put a smile on your face, visit Matt and Yooja at your local chippie for some good old-fashioned comfort.