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Foods from Cat's Fish and Chips
Reviews
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Mar 7
Make sure you ask if they have a separate fryer for the gluten free option. If it is fried in the same oil as the regular batter it is no longer gluten free. Some vendors do this, some do not. This is important if you have celiac disease or a wheat allergy, as opposed to dietary preference.
Mar 7
We got take out from here last night. Mr. ksw called first to place the order. He said the lady who answered was very friendly on the phone and in person when he went to pick up our order.
When he requested the gluten-free batter for me, she made sure to remind him that it cost extra (I would rather this than get a surprise later on the bill).
We were really happy with our meals. Everything was delicious. Yes....even the gluten free batter! I order gluten free options when they are available and am usually disappointed. This is understandable because you REALLY want it to taste like the real thing and it rarely does.
I would not have known it was a gluten-free batter if someone hadn't told me. HUGE plus for me.
The fish itself was fresh, moist and plentiful. I only ate half and have the other half for lunch today.
Fries were dusted with cajun seasoning and nice and crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside. I also got a chipotle mayo dipping sauce to go with it. This was ok, but I prefer the chipotle mayo at The Works.
Mr. ksw got the Lifeboat Basa: a filet of basa (?) cajun floured, pan fried and topped with herbed butter. He said it was really tasty.
He got a side of mushy peas which the lady said are made fresh on the premises and my order of fries was enough for both of us with some left over for my lunch today. (So note that you can get away with one order of fries for two people).
Coleslaw is the creamy kind (my fave)and was fresh and crunchy with a nice tang.
Overall we were really happy and will be going back again soon.
When he requested the gluten-free batter for me, she made sure to remind him that it cost extra (I would rather this than get a surprise later on the bill).
We were really happy with our meals. Everything was delicious. Yes....even the gluten free batter! I order gluten free options when they are available and am usually disappointed. This is understandable because you REALLY want it to taste like the real thing and it rarely does.
I would not have known it was a gluten-free batter if someone hadn't told me. HUGE plus for me.
The fish itself was fresh, moist and plentiful. I only ate half and have the other half for lunch today.
Fries were dusted with cajun seasoning and nice and crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside. I also got a chipotle mayo dipping sauce to go with it. This was ok, but I prefer the chipotle mayo at The Works.
Mr. ksw got the Lifeboat Basa: a filet of basa (?) cajun floured, pan fried and topped with herbed butter. He said it was really tasty.
He got a side of mushy peas which the lady said are made fresh on the premises and my order of fries was enough for both of us with some left over for my lunch today. (So note that you can get away with one order of fries for two people).
Coleslaw is the creamy kind (my fave)and was fresh and crunchy with a nice tang.
Overall we were really happy and will be going back again soon.
Sep 8
Went for an early dinner last week while waiting for a friend to get off work.
The restaurant is pretty small with simple decor and friendly waitstaff, a comfortable standard for fish n chip joints.
I was a bit surprised by the lack of fish n chips on the actual menu. For actual, classic fish and chips the only option was 1 or 2 pieces of Haddock, breaded or battered. There were plenty of other fish dishes though. Perhaps it should be "Cat's Seafood House" or something.
Despite the lack of selection, the fish and chips were quite good for Ottawa (a city I would have never considered being a "fish town" btw)
Served on Newsprint, the fish itself was very fresh and moist and flaked apart at the touch of a fork. Fries tasted fresh and were crispy.
The only negative I found was that the whole meal seemed to have been in the frier just a bit too long as parts had that touch of bitterness you associate with overfried (though not burnt) french fries. Some people REALLY like it well fried like this though, so I wouldn't hold it against the kitchen.
Having lived and gone to school all along the St. Lawrence, it's hard to find a Chippery that meets those levels, but overall I would have to say Cat's is a good spot for fish n chips without having to drive over an hour.
The restaurant is pretty small with simple decor and friendly waitstaff, a comfortable standard for fish n chip joints.
I was a bit surprised by the lack of fish n chips on the actual menu. For actual, classic fish and chips the only option was 1 or 2 pieces of Haddock, breaded or battered. There were plenty of other fish dishes though. Perhaps it should be "Cat's Seafood House" or something.
Despite the lack of selection, the fish and chips were quite good for Ottawa (a city I would have never considered being a "fish town" btw)
Served on Newsprint, the fish itself was very fresh and moist and flaked apart at the touch of a fork. Fries tasted fresh and were crispy.
The only negative I found was that the whole meal seemed to have been in the frier just a bit too long as parts had that touch of bitterness you associate with overfried (though not burnt) french fries. Some people REALLY like it well fried like this though, so I wouldn't hold it against the kitchen.
Having lived and gone to school all along the St. Lawrence, it's hard to find a Chippery that meets those levels, but overall I would have to say Cat's is a good spot for fish n chips without having to drive over an hour.
Aug 5
Had a great experience here last night! It was a humid Ottawa evening and this little place has a pretty great patio. Perfect place for the bf and I to enjoy a pitcher of beer and some yummy dinner. Now, it's true that this is not a swanky place but the fish (haddock) was excellent. I had my 1 piece order breaded (not deep fried) and had thin cut "chips" instead of fries, but with the coleslaw and pickle it was a great meal. I also had a side salad that was super tasty and full of actual vegetables, not just lettuce. Will look forward to trying the salmon dishes as well as the basa filet.
My bf is not much of a fish person so he had a chicken sandwich with a side of flavourful rice. Nothing bad there. The only miss was the dessert - a homemade chocolate donut, which we got "to go". The donut in the take out box tasted extremely dry, almost stale so that may be something to miss. The other desserts sounded good and the donut may have been better if we'd had it there instead of waiting a couple of hours.
This one small disappointment was totally compensated for by the welcoming service staff and the lovely owners - a couple who were very friendly. In fact, by the time we had finished eating, another couple had sat down and all 6 of us were chatting away like old pals. It was a great night and I'll definitely be back.
My bf is not much of a fish person so he had a chicken sandwich with a side of flavourful rice. Nothing bad there. The only miss was the dessert - a homemade chocolate donut, which we got "to go". The donut in the take out box tasted extremely dry, almost stale so that may be something to miss. The other desserts sounded good and the donut may have been better if we'd had it there instead of waiting a couple of hours.
This one small disappointment was totally compensated for by the welcoming service staff and the lovely owners - a couple who were very friendly. In fact, by the time we had finished eating, another couple had sat down and all 6 of us were chatting away like old pals. It was a great night and I'll definitely be back.
2012 May 8
I was really keen to try the new local place. Perhaps my expectations were too high, I was sadly disappointed. It's NOT a fish and chip place, oh yeah there's F&C on the menu, and its called Cat's Fish and Chips, but it's basically the same stuff you see in any pub. I would say less than half the menu (which is full of 'clever' names for things-Stowaway Sides for instance) is seafood. Anyway, I ordered a 1 piece fish and chips. Both the fish AND the chips contained cajun spice, or some kind of very salty seasoning that I didn't care for-not what I call an acceptable ingredient for real F&C.
I'm beginning to think Ottawa is not a fish town, there's a few places that are acceptable, but drive down the 416, every little village on the St Laurence has a chippy, Prescott, Brockville (I drive there for Don's every so often) Gananoque, Bellville. Toronto is lousy with little neighbourhood F&C places.
I'm beginning to think Ottawa is not a fish town, there's a few places that are acceptable, but drive down the 416, every little village on the St Laurence has a chippy, Prescott, Brockville (I drive there for Don's every so often) Gananoque, Bellville. Toronto is lousy with little neighbourhood F&C places.
Fish and Chips [3]
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Apr 5
Had some tasty fish and chips tonight. Went with the 2 piece beer battered and fries. The fish was melt in your mouth with a light fluffy moist texture. These large fillets had a nice crispy thin batter,nice to see the big eater optin available. Fries were fresh cut and thick reminiscent of the old beefeater style cut with a flat rectangular shape. No skinny stuff here. Coleslaw was creamy and peppery. Think this may be our new go to spot for fish and chips. After we arrived a line had formed by 5:30. Got the last table of about 15 in this cozy place. Listen for the fog horn and it might be your meal ready.
Salmon [1]
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