Chumley Warner's - Wellington Point, QLD. Within Aquatic Paradise, just somewhat south of Brisbane, is an ex-pat community of Brits. Naturally, with any place that has enough ex-pats there are going to be a few places there to remind them of home. Often a way to remind people of home is to have the snacks of their home country readily available. All within this smattering of shops, there are three places dedicated to doing that: one is a candy store called Britain on the Bayside stocking all the goodies, a balti-style Indian restaurant - really liked by many British residents, apparently authentic - and the topic of review, a British-style fish and chip shop.
On a trip out to Brisbane's coastal areas, my dining buddy, his daughter, her boyfriend and I made a detour to this place after so long. Chumley Warner's is really simplistic, low-key and little beyond a takeaway (kudos given, though, for having a really clean, spotless look to the place). This is not a negative criticism, but calling a spade a spade. Chumley Warner's is not an eatery you come to for a fine meal. They serve the fish in paper wrapping, names are taken with orders to be called out when ready and the seating is akin to picnic tables out the front. There is a slight novelty factor to the place.
The menu consists of all kinds of British specialties, favourites and snacks. For the main part - the fish - it is all imported all the way from the Atlantic, fixed specials include pork pies with mushy peas and meatballs in onion gravy alongside all kinds of little sides that cannot be found anywhere else (e.g. battered mushrooms, wallies, deep fried Mars bar), pastries and - of course - the classics such as haggis and white pudding. At certain times during the week, there are specials for a cheap price. These include a Scottish Supper Night on late Thursday afternoon (not for when you are feeling healthy) and lunch to go during the mid-week with various burgers and pastries. That description might have reminded many former residents of Britain of home, yet will probably sound uncanny otherwise.
While my dining buddy got lunch from elsewhere - health reasons - it took my a while to decide what to order, but ultimately I just selected a few different items from the menu. Given a bit more money, I would have selected many more as there were at least half a dozen other items that sounded just too good. One of the items I got was a steak and kidney pudding. This served in a suet pastry, and it was really densely packed with meat. The cuts they used were tender, plus the kidney blended in well leaving any poor sucker none the wiser. Blended in was a thick, delicious gravy that was meat all encased in beautifully crusty pastry.
Another item got to be scratched off my eat-list, a scotch egg. For those not in the know, take a boiled egg, wrap some minced lamb meat tightly around it then quickly deep fry it. The egg that I got from here was really big; could not be eaten in one bite. To say that least, it is a bizarre delicacy that has a bit of appeal to it, but ultimately what I can say is that I found myself not being a fan. After a small bit of research (i.e. Google search), my dining buddy concluded that I was sort of shafted. The scotch egg at Chumley Warner's was served cold and in a bag, while to get the most out of a scotch egg it should be hot allowing the yolk to run over giving a sauce to the rest of the concoction. I will give them another chance.
To top it off, I also got a tray of onion rings. These might have been the best part of the meal. They were plentiful, really well sized and had a big lot of batter around each individual one - some don't like it, but I find myself a sucker for it. Also, not to mention the onions were deliciously sweet just between loosing the crunch and still maintaining a firm texture. They came with a thick vinegar-based sauce, which was also pretty good.
It was a pity that my dining buddy was not partaking as much, as that would have meant a wider breadth of items would have been sampled. Also, his daughter is not the best with sharing either; her boyfriend is okay with it. From their selection, I managed to nick some fries - which were okay, but nothing that stands out - and a bit of a pea fritter. Now this is also an unusual item. It is based off mushy peas, the British staple. Mushy peas are squashed together in a sort of patty then deep-fried. It tastes pretty good, and - again, with not many more apt words to use - is an odd little thing. Surely worth any trip to try the British-style fish and chips to add it on just to try.
Before the meal's end, there was something that caught my eye before I placed my order which sounded too opportune to pass up. It is called a "Jammie Wotsits". Essentially, it is a deep-fried jam sandwich. They recommend - and by this, the words underneath the picture on the sign say it - that you wait a while before eating it as contents are hot. They are not joshing when they say it, the jam is like lava. Jammie Wotsits are not unlike a jam doughnut, if need be honest. They are not bad, fairly simple and more crusty than doughy - these suit well enough as a dessert course to a fish and chip meal.
Chumley Warner's is competently run and managed. Being close to the sea gives it a more appropriate locality and atmosphere suited to the cuisine. It is real holiday sort of fare and can easily be shared among many people. The food is not too bad; with hindsight I might have changed my order somewhat - with the sheer size of the menu, it is hard to know what looks the best. As suggested, take a bunch of people here and get a whole lot to share for the best experience of the place.
An error has occurred! Please try again in a few minutes