A Salt and Battery

A Salt and Battery
www.asaltandbattery.com.au


Ahhh memories.

Sometimes, you don't realize how much time as passed until you spare a moment to reflect. I took my parents to A Salt and Battery recently because I promised them what many students view as the best fish and chips in Brisbane.



Even though I'm a UQ student, I don't have classes on St Lucia campus anymore. When I think back to 1st year, when I had science lectures there... it feels like a lifetime ago. So many things have changed.


My friends and I used to go to Hawken Drive for food because it's a reasonably close collection of food outlets. Since that period of my life, I've developed a kind of repulsion towards St Lucia because in the last couple of years, my only time spent there was for study and exams. It's enough to make anyway swap their good memories for an association of brain torture.

Having not visited A Salt and Battery in a while, my memory of the place was of crunchy chips, perfectly battered fish, large servings and lots of customers.

Fish, chips and bits

We went on a Saturday at lunch time. My parents and I ordered a piece of battered cod each plus some chips and a pumpkin salad to share.

I don't know if it's just that my palate for fish has improved over time (I used to hate the stuff; now I can appreciate good fish cooked well) but I thought the cod was a bit 'tough' and not that fresh.

Close-up of battered fish

The battered coating was lovely, golden and crunchy though. My mum agreed with me about the fish itself.

Chips were definitely up to scratch: crunchy outside, soft inside and well-seasoned. They tasted freshly fried, as opposed to soggy and old which is the worst thing you can get from a fish and chip store.

Dad also had a crab claw and some crumbed calamari which we decided was very uneventful.

Leafy pumpkin salad

The salad was quite fresh and it did well in being a welcome change from all the oiliness but it wasn't what I'd call a 'delicious salad'. It was just something healthy to have on the side. The dressing was overly tart for my liking and I normally love pumpkin but the pumpkin pieces here tasted bland and the skin was tough.

I wouldn't say that A Salt and Battery lived up to my memory. I suppose this shows that your impression of a restaurant and how much you enjoy it isn't just determined by the food. Sitting around a long table with a huge group of friends, chatting away and munching on the group package meal (mountains of fish, chips and salad) is something that extends beyond the taste of food itself.