For a long time now I have been craving for a good serve of fish and chips! But with the iconic Cicerello’s being worthy only for it’s pensioner’s special, I was in need of a new haunt. Luckily enough, my needs were answered with the return of the Groper and his Wife at City Beach. Today, I paid a visit to the revamped restaurant which is now in the hands of Aaron and his wife.
The Groper & his wife is not your typical neighbourhood takeaway! I liked what I saw, and could not wait to taste what was about to come!
Seeing the menu left me with a typically eaters dilemma! WHAT DO I CHOOSE? But no worries! The Groper & his wife packed a small serve of Italian squid, a stuffed giant prawn and a serve of Peri Peri crumbled snapper into a takeaway box, all very carefully separated!
How did the little darling and I find the food?
Let’s start with the Peri Peri battered snapper!
While the Peri Peri spices were least evident, the fish itself was a plausible star. Fresh snapper fillets is a specialty at this eatery. The Groper & his wife sources their fish from WA; bringing them directly from the harbour before filleting it on site and cooking it to perfection! I had two different bites on the fish. One bite just by itself, and the other, with a squeeze of lemon! It was just so yummy! A bit of an exaggeration for battered fish but it was good! Oh, and do not forget to try the fish in the 5 other methods they have to offer! I think there were two grilled ones, a plain battered one and two crumbled one!
These delicious squid rings sautéed in a hearty tomato sauce was the highlight of my lunch! The sauce was an absolute delicacy! Instead of using the cream sauces, I instinctively dipped my chips into this sauce. What can I say? It is a must have as a side dish! The squids themselves were cooked just right. Not raw at all yet not overcooked with a rubbery consistency. Honestly, I would not mind having the squid with my pasta!
The last of the trio was the large prawns.
The large prawns is stuffed with seasoned spinach mousse! It was pretty yums but didn’t have that added complexity my tongue was hoping for. Never the less, it was still alright!
And how can we forget the chips!
The Groper & his wife makes one of the best chips I have ever eaten. Officially! Darling quickly fell in love with what it had to offer. It was super crunchy! And to my joy, not greasy! It was GOOOD! And do not forget to help yourself to a serve of the restaurant’s homemade tartare sauce!
And guess what?
Cholesterol free oils~~ Truth be said, I thought most oils were cholesterol free hehe!
But that was not all that the little darling and I ordered. To add a little freshness to the meal, we also had a serve of Dutch Potato Salad.
A very un-salad salad! Tastes good anyway, and that is all that matters!
Oh and rejoice! This place does not requires you to go home to soggy fries and fish! They actually have a pretty impressive sitting area!
There was enough sitting areas for all. Quite funnily it was described as a little sitting place! This sitting area could easily fit 30-40 people? :)
Once the little darling and I were done, the shop owner Aaron asked me about his food. Easy! The food was fantastic! The fish was definitely a highlight that the Groper & his wife can continue to boast if it keeps its quality constant. The Italian squid, was one of the best squids I have ever eaten, and the sauce, WOW! Once I was done today, I quickly pounced on the internet to get some useable vouchers for the future. It was quite tempting really, only $36 bucks for a serve of 4 snappers etc. But I was not the only one. There are 500 people already! Quite a sale I must insist! Can’t wait for the next time!
WenY