Manly Fish Market Cafe
25 South Steyne
Manly, NSW, Australia
Under the "non seafood" category on their menu board there's only one choice: some kind of chicken burger which they may have purposely made sound unappetizing. This is a sure sign that everyone comes here for seafood, especially the fish of which there were 10+ different catch of the day varieties.
Since it was raining outside, we decided to prolong lunch by ordering an appetizer (or, entree as they call it in Australia). The salt and pepper squid was extremely tender and not at all chewy. It was served with a sauce which I can only describe as a hybrid of sweet and sour and chipotle sauces.
J's main [course] of fish and chips was absolutely superb! The batter was fresh, light and crispy while the fish meat was tender, hot and juicy. I don't think I've ever had fish and chips quite like it! My grilled blue cod (one of the catches of the day) was also extremely good. It was simply seasoned, but cooked perfectly with the meat flaking off at the touch of the fork. Both mains were served with a fresh field of greens salad and very nicely fried chips.
When I come back to Sydney I will definitely be visiting this restaurant again. Yes, it's no longer a matter of "if", but "when." =)
1. Salt and pepper squid
2. Fish & chips
3. Grilled blue cod
