Whilst Link@896 (formerly Sime Darby Centre, located just opposite King Albert Park MRT Station) had been opened for quite a while following its revamp, new tenants are still trickling into the vacant shop spaces here. With Bukit Timah being pretty much an enclave for expats, it is little wonder how some grocers had found themselves setting up shop here — one of them being Fishop; a seafood retailer which also runs another outlet at Anchorpoint. Apart from retailing fresh seafood and other products, their outlet at Link@896 includes a casual dine-in restaurant — the space is be linked with the retail section; both being side-by-side with each other. Being named the “Fishop Kitchen”, the menu here comprises of a la carte sides, western selections such as fish & chips and fish burgers, Japanese cuisine that includes sushi, sashimi and a single Donburi offering (i.e. the Salmon Ikura Don) as well as whole fish that is done with different preparation styles; think whole fish that are either steamed, poached, crispy fried or baked, with Kam Heong sauce or with Assam Pedas, Lady Finger, Tomato and Eggplant just to name a few.

Since I had made the trip there alone, I went with the Fishop Famous Fish & Chips; there are three choices of fish listed on the menu which included Barramundi, Snapper and Dory, though only the Barramundi was available on the day of our visit. It is also described to come with a “golden fried in beer batter, and served with fat chip, lemon wedge, and Fishop own chili sauce”. On first look, I had a minor issue with the slight inconsistency of the fried batter at the ends of both fillets — a small part seemed a little pale and didn’t seem to be fried for long enough considering how those parts were just pretty limp; perhaps something they could look into. That being said, the remainder of the batter remained light and crisp — the golden brown batter here being rather light and thin here as opposed to actual English-style Fish & Chips probably done on purpose to highlight on the freshness of the fish. Perhaps it was due to the choice of fish; while the fish was moist, the Barramundi’s inherent muddiness does get in the way somehow — easily fixed though with squeeze of lemon zest from the lemon wedge provided. The fat chips were pretty decent — no doubt thickly-cut; features soft potato within though best to be had when still hot. Personally felt that the “Fishop own chili sauce” fell a little out of my expectations; seemingly a mix of readily-available chili sauce mixed with mayonnaise or tartare; no doubt adds a creaminess that works with the dish, but the notes of chili didn’t really quite pull through after a few dips.

To be frank, their rendition of the Fish & Chips is actually a pretty decent one that I wouldn’t really mind having — it’s well-portioned while it’s execution is considered pretty decent if one isn’t really nitpicking on the details; it’s not particularly greasy, and the batter is light and crisp. Perhaps it is just myself having tried variations such as Lad & Co’s that pretty blew many other renditions of the same dish out of the water; still Fishop does a relatively good job in showcasing their fresh produce through various dishes served in their restaurant operations and education to their patrons for them to make informed choices on what to order. For those who are interested, I have heard things about their English Fish Cake; an item that features the catch of the day and paired with dressed rocket, aioli, and shaved parmesan — also one that is strongly recommended by the staff here as it seems.