Italian-style chipper in Cork?

PreCocious

the beer revolu wrote: »

I just can't get my head around why I have such a different experience to this chipper than others. I'm genuinely puzzled.
How were the chips crap?

They weren't lovely fat chips that we'd traditionally call "chipper chips". They were like what are often called frozen chips - the style they serve in Chinese takeaways or that we'd cook at home before McCains came along (a long time ago). Plus they didn't offer salt 'n' vinegar.

the beer revolu

PreCocious wrote: »

They weren't lovely fat chips that we'd traditionally call "chipper chips". They were like what are often called frozen chips - the style they serve in Chinese takeaways or that we'd cook at home before McCains came along (a long time ago). Plus they didn't offer salt 'n' vinegar.

I must have been in a different chipper - every time.
I guess we aren't going to get to the bottom of this here.
It is rather interesting, to say the least.
I'm glad that there's at least one other poster here who doesn't think I'm making this up.

RINO87

You're hardly mixing up Lennox's and the Fish Wife on McCurtain St?
When PreCocious mentioned not getting salt and vinegar that really stood out to me too, we had to ask for them and they came in little sachets.
Chips were served in one of those white plastic trays with a plastic fork....

https://www.flickr.com/photos/infomatique/37560316224

they even have the "frozen" advertised with the "tuesday special" here.... 3 year old photo, i know

RINO87

RINO87 wrote: »

................

they even have the "frozen" advertised with the "tuesday special" here.... 3 year old photo, i know

It's an add not a photograph of their actual grub.

sporina

speaking of chip shops, my bro had fish and chips from the fish wife on grand parade the other day and he found the batter v v odd... v think and not at all good.. he later learnt that the people running it only took it over a short while ago.. guess that explains the poor quality fish..

the beer revolu

RINO87 wrote: »

You're hardly mixing up Lennox's and the Fish Wife on McCurtain St?

That would explain it alright but it's not the case.
First time I went, there was a big queue in FW so I thought I'd chance Lennox's and was pleasantly surprised.

Esho

the beer revolu wrote: »

To be honest, the only explanation I can come up with is a xenophobic/racist bias because the operators appear to be from the Middle East.

I'd love for someone who has never been there before and who knows about food to go there, order chips and report back.

Well, I just did!
The chips looked really good, were not frozen, cooked well, but tasteless, without flavour.- mystifying to be honest.

In terms of judging a place on the ethnicity of the owners....where to start with that? Especially in terms of take-out!!!!

But as I Dub in Cork, I can understand why might think that way 😆

Mushy

DuffleBag wrote: »

https://lovin.ie/amp/news/feature/this-is-where-to-get-the-best-bag-of-chips-in-every-county-in-ireland

Cork – Sorrento
Midleton Street, Cobh
AHHH, you thought we were going to say Lennox's, didn't you?
People appeal for Sorrento's number so frequently in Facebook groups that they screenshotted one comment and put it on the side of their delivery van.
Gas.
And their chips are gorge.

Well they ain't wrong anyway, lovely spot

fonecrusher1

I honestly don't get the big midlands / Dublin obsession with "Italian style" chippers. I've tried a few of them, decent food mostly but not a patch on a decent traditional chipper.

corks finest

Esho wrote: »

That is great!
Thanks folks!

I'll check them out, starting with one of them tonight. Nothing like a good bag of chips and a few frosty ones on a Friday evening

Its true - the Italians who originally ran the chippers in Dublin all came from the same village outside of Rome.
They charter a plane to fly back every Christmas - an Italian pal got a lift on it one year!

Is KCs worth the queue do you reckon?

KCs? FFS average to below average,,had Dino's last week Ballincollig,yum,,,,,Chi'sh n find Crosshaven a major disappointment, won't be back and used sing their praises, fish supper was awful , batter beyond crispy, chips hard / tasteless and cold, won't be back

fonecrusher1

fonecrusher1 wrote: »

I honestly don't get the big midlands / Dublin obsession with "Italian style" chippers. I've tried a few of them, decent food mostly but not a patch on a decent traditional chipper.

It's just what folk had growing up I reckon

bingo9999

sporina wrote: »

speaking of chip shops, my bro had fish and chips from the fish wife on grand parade the other day and he found the batter v v odd... v think and not at all good.. he later learnt that the people running it only took it over a short while ago.. guess that explains the poor quality fish..

The Fish Wife closed on GP at the start of lockdown. Has opened as a new place called Seasalt, have to try but instagram pictures look tasty, thought they would

the beer revolu

fonecrusher1 wrote: »

I honestly don't get the big midlands / Dublin obsession with "Italian style" chippers. I've tried a few of them, decent food mostly but not a patch on a decent traditional chipper.

Again I ask the question.
What differentiates an Italian Irish chipper from an Irish Irish chipper? I have never appreciated any difference other than the origin of the operators.

Lard/dripping/oil? Nope there is no pattern here.

What do people think the difference is?

fonecrusher1

the beer revolu wrote: »

Again I ask the question.
What differentiates an Italian Irish chipper from an Irish Irish chipper? I have never appreciated any difference other than the origin of the operators.

Lard/dripping/oil? Nope there is no pattern here.

What do people think the difference is?

I'm not sure to be honest. I think the difference is certain food items that you get in "Italian style" you don't in traditional chippers. I had food out of two places in Kildare years ago and they both did these manky saveloy yokes. Its like a hotdog sausage. Never seen it in any regular chipper in Cork. Also both places did "Italian style" icecream if I recall.

Don't the Italian chippers often do pizzas as well?

RINO87

the beer revolu wrote: »

Again I ask the question.
What differentiates an Italian Irish chipper from an Irish Irish chipper? I have never appreciated any difference other than the origin of the operators.

Lard/dripping/oil? Nope there is no pattern here.

What do people think the difference is?

The saga rolls on! Ok we had it confirmed that lennoxes Mc curtain st dont have frozen chips but they are taste poor.... First thing that springs to mind is maybe they don't use beef dripping.
What made me comment on how good C.F. Lennox Tory Top road was they definatley used beef dripping/lard. Thats all I can think of.

Herb Powell

the beer revolu wrote: »

I've brought this up before and I can't get to the bottom of it.

I've had chips from Lennox's, McCurtain Street maybe 4 times over the last 4 or 5 years and every time they were fresh cut, "proper" chips. Each time I commented on how good the chips were - cooked properly - not the flaccid, pale chips that so many Irish chippers dish out. Really good quality. I know the difference between fresh cut and frozen chips.

What I can't understand is why more than one poster here has mentioned the crap, frozen chips from Lennox's McCurtain Street.

Do they change their chips regularly and I've always been lucky and been there when they have fresh cut chips?? Not very likely.

To be honest, the only explanation I can come up with is a xenophobic/racist bias because the operators appear to be from the Middle East.

I'd love for someone who has never been there before and who knows about food to go there, order chips and report back.

Genuinely, among the worst chips I have ever had, and I went there twice!

This is really interesting though, I wanna solve this mystery

Esho

Herb Powell wrote: »

Genuinely, among the worst chips I have ever had, and I went there twice!

This is really interesting though, I wanna solve this mystery

Maybe their buyer goes for whatever is on special with their suppliers - one week frozen, one week pre-cut nice, next week pre-cut not nice?? Cos it's fresh produce, prices can vary.

Esho

the beer revolu wrote: »

Again I ask the question.
What differentiates an Italian Irish chipper from an Irish Irish chipper? I have never appreciated any difference other than the origin of the operators.

Lard/dripping/oil? Nope there is no pattern here.

What do people think the difference is?

Many of the "Italian" chippers use Silvio Rabbitte's produce, but I don't know what they cook the chips in. I'll ask them the next time I'm there- I'm curious now too!!!
The best chips are precooked before they are deep fried, so I reckon they must do that.

The Golden Fry's chips are good quality, but just don't have that extra tastiness of "Italian" ones IMO. Maybe that's the diff

Munstersrebel

Chips meh. What I miss is a proper frituur if one (re) opened and ye food conservatives 'd try you would realise how silly yer chips are... Twice fried golden crispy fries... Topped with stoofvlees sauce (beef stew) ooih sooooooo goood

PreCocious

corks finest wrote: »

KCs? FFS average to below average,,had Dino's last week Ballincollig,yum,,,,,Chi'sh n find Crosshaven a major disappointment, won't be back and used sing their praises, fish supper was awful , batter beyond crispy, chips hard / tasteless and cold, won't be back

All the talk about chips gave me a hankering for them so we went out to Crosshaven this evening. Had a walk around and then fish and chips from Chish n Fips.

The chips were really good, fresh, hot and tasty. Had fish goujons which were really just smaller pieces of fillet (yay) rather than glorified fish fingers. They too were very good. Lovely crisp thin batter made them not greasy. Place was doing a roaring trade.

the beer revolu

Esho wrote: »

The best chips are precooked before they are deep fried, so I reckon they must do that.

This is standard practice in all chippers (traditional style chippers, that is).
Chips are cooked in oil at a lower temperature, drained and allowed to cool.
The chips are then crisped and finished in hotter oil to serve. That's just how it's done.

the beer revolu

Munstersrebel wrote: »

Chips meh. What I miss is a proper frituur if one (re) opened and ye food conservatives 'd try you would realise how silly yer chips are... Twice fried golden crispy fries... Topped with stoofvlees sauce (beef stew) ooih sooooooo goood

I love Belgian and Dutch chips.
They cut them a bit thinner and the second frying seems to be hotter than is typical here.
They certainly can do chips there, although I don't get the fascination with the array of multicoloured, mayonnaise based sauces that they seem to love with them.

the beer revolu

Esho wrote: »

Maybe their buyer goes for whatever is on special with their suppliers - one week frozen, one week pre-cut nice, next week pre-cut not nice?? Cos it's fresh produce, prices can vary.

This is a possible explanation.

I also wonder if it's a case where if some people, for whatever reason, don't like their chips, they just, erroneously, dismiss them as frozen?

whisky_galore

It's funny, Italians with probably the best food in the world, emigrate to UK and Irl to open junk food outlets.

Usir

beer enigma wrote: »

Palm oil versus beef dripping

Beef dripping?? thats a new one for me, never heard of it. What is it?

salmocab

Usir wrote: »

Beef dripping?? thats a new one for me, never heard of it. What is it?

Delicious

the beer revolu

Usir wrote: »

Beef dripping?? thats a new one for me, never heard of it. What is it?

It's just rendered beef fat.
It's what all chippers would have used at one time.

salmocab

the beer revolu wrote: »

It's just rendered beef fat.
It's what all chippers would have used at one time.

And lots of mums in the chip pan

corks finest

RINO87 wrote: »

The saga rolls on! Ok we had it confirmed that lennoxes Mc curtain st dont have frozen chips but they are taste poor.... First thing that springs to mind is maybe they don't use beef dripping.
What made me comment on how good C.F. Lennox Tory Top road was they definatley used beef dripping/lard. Thats all I can think of.

Tory to road Lennoxs have decent chips,and give massive amounts

xabi

So which Lennox is the best? Jackie or CF?