mindless ramblings

I had a really late lunch (5pm) at Pajo’s in Steveston today. We first noticed Pajo’s about two weeks back, when we visited another restaurant in the area (which I really should write about soon). Since trying Go Fish, I’ve never really felt the need to try fish and chips anywhere else, cos to me it’s really that good. However, this branch of Pajo’s (they have 4) is quite similar to Go Fish in a number of ways. It’s next to the water in a little shack, they have close access to fresh fish and they seem pretty crowded all the time! Moreover, despite being a late, windy (and thus slightly chilly) spring afternoon, there was a steady stream of customers out for some good fish and chips. Could this be the Richmond version of Go Fish?

The menu offers 3 different kinds of fish: cod, salmon and halibut (in order of affordability). They also have burgers and hot dogs for the carnivores out there. I picked up a large halibut and chips and got myself seated. After what seemed like forever (probably not, it was 5pm and I was eating lunch!), my number was finally called and I picked up my food. The food arrives in an interesting paper cone, with the fries at the bottom and the fish lying on top. You then place the cone in these tables with holes drilled into them. A interesting concept, but my cone was slightly askew and it threatened to topple over and spill it’s contents onto the dock. I was pleasantly surprised by the not-insubstantial amount of fish I got. 4 fair-sized pieces and a coneful of fries… not bad!

Initial attempts to eat the halibut with a fork and knife proved to be very difficult, with the fish falling to pieces when cut, and the limited space afforded by the cone. Other people seemed to be using their hands, so we did just that. The fish itself was quite good, tasting fresh but it came across as being pretty oily. The fish was inconsistently fried too, with one piece being completely crunchy to the point I thought it was just fried batter.

The fries were equally inconsistent. Some were fried nicely, with slightly browned skin. However, the lower we went in the cone, the fries became less cooked, with a whole clump of 4-5 pretty raw-looking fries stuck together. We ended up raiding the condiments shelf for a bottle of cajun seasoning to help us down the remaining fries.

So is Pajo’s the Richmond Go Fish? It’s probably one of the better fish and chips places along the wharf. The rest of the restaurants have never excited me much, they feel much more like a tourist trap. However for me, it has fallen in the trap of being compared to a superlative establishment. Go Fish is the reference point for me now, and compared to Pajo’s, it still delivers the killer blow.