My current workplace is close to 1Utama Shopping Centre, so I thought of stopping by for lunch. The mall was packed even though it was a weekday, and there were long queues snaking out of several restos – so I decided to do takeaway and just enjoy my meal at the office. Came across a fish and chips place called Big Fish, Small Fish, which didn’t have a line – so I gave it a try. The place touts itself as “Singapore’s 1st Fish and Crisps”.

The resto is open for dine-in, and has a nautical-themed design and colour scheme (yellows, blues, lots of wood) – which is not unlike many seafood-centric chains, but gives off a fun and engaging feeling. Service is warm and friendly. For the Classic Fish and Chips meal, you get to choose from several different types of fish, such as Pollock, Dory, Salmon, Halibut and Seabass, served with two sides of either mushy mint peas, BBQ mixed beans, buttered coleslaw, mashed potato and garlic toast.

The Fish and Crisps set comes with crisps rather than the usual chips, and you can also substitute it with pilaf rice or salad. For a healthier option, go for the grilled rather than fried fish. If you feel like having something else rather than seafood, they offer fried chicken as well.

Waiting for my takeaway order. If you dine-in, you get to enjoy free flow of sauces – Cheese, Salted Egg and Curry Mayo. 

Wanted to try a wider variety of items, so I got the Seafood Sampler (RM28+) to share with my colleague. The portion is sizable and contains a generous amount of squid rings, large and juicy whole-fried prawns and fish cutlets. I liked the shrimp and the squid, but not the fish. Ironic, since that is what they’re supposed to specialise in. I wasn’t expecting the fish cutlets to have bones – and it had an overwhelmingly ‘fishy’ smell that indicated to me it wasn’t fresh. Which was a shame, as the seasoning and batter were actually quite nice.

The staff gave me tiny little containers to fill up with sauces, so I got all three. The cheese was the best – mild and slightly sweet, while the salted egg and curry mayo were both decent.

While I won’t necessarily write off visiting Big Fish, Small Fish in the future, I think I’ll stick to ordering the sides like the fried squid for now. Prices are mid-tier, averaging about RM20++ for their fish and chips sets.

BIG FISH, SMALL FISH 

 LG 221C, One Utama, 1, Lebuh Bandar Utama, Bandar Utama, 47800 Petaling Jaya, Selangor

Opening hours: 10AM – 9.30PM (Daily)