Hokitika Townchip — Restaurant in South Island

This will be the very last time we buy fish and chips in Hokitka, unless a new fish and chip shop opens. We come through Hokitika every 2 years and the last 3 occasions have been hugely disappointing from both options. This shop has been refurbished and looks great, clean and tidy with good staff. The problem is the fish is pretty average and seriously overpriced compared to everywhere else we have been to in NZ. I suspect that the fish is pre battered and frozen, then cooked to death in the vat. The Blue cod was OK, but at $17 was the most expensive we've had this past 3 months. The Turbot at $11 was very average, while the cheap $6 Ribaldo while cheap compared to the others was cooked to death and too dry. The chips were just OK, but worked out to be around 20 cents each. Disappointing if this is the experience that tourists to NZ are exposed to. It isn't hard, fresh cooking oil (or lard) freshly battered fresh fish just before being fried, drain off the oil, and charge a fair price. As for chips, use Mr Chips for consistency. This is all we got for $40, so we are going back to buying frozen Blue Cod and cooking it ourselves in the motorhome. Better tasting and a fraction of the price even at $80 per kg. A kg feeds about...

Oh dear. It pains me when I have to write a review that isn’t going to be all unicorns and rainbows. But it’s also my civic duty to be honest so others can make their own informed choices. We only have fish and chips on New Year’s Eve. Due to a family emergency this year I had missed out. I was owed. Plus it was the Favourite Husband’s birthday followed by our wedding anniversary. I could eat whatever I wanted now, there was no pretty dress to squeeze in to. Anyway, I digress. Fish and chips and a bottle of bubbles in my new favourite place to visit and a West Coast sunset. Exciting. Nearly $50 later and my expectations were high. 2 pieces of blue cod at $16 each and a scoop of chips. Plus 2 large tomato sauces and a tartare sauce. I think the sauces were bigger than the fish. And the tartare sauce was not nice, as in inedible. The chips were ok, the fish itself was also nice, but in terms of value for money? There was none. Combined with staff who clearly didn’t want to be at work, I don’t think we’d go back. Such a shame. Roll on New Year’s...

After an arduous 40 minute drive from Greymouth with stomachs rumbling, my eyes lit up at the sight of Hokitika Townchip! Eagerly anticipating a delicious feed of fish and chips to satisfy my ravenous hunger! After remortgaging my house to pay the staggering $52 for a half scoop of chips, two fish and a burger, we sat down in anticipation of the feast to come! Imagine the immense disappointment that set in when I finally managed to rip through the 327 layers of newspaper which looked like a small forest had been felled to wrap this meal, to reveal a measly 26 chips and two fish that can only be described as malnourished! Tears started flowing down my face in bitter sorrow, the hope of a fulfilling meal now dashed in an instant. I was then reminded of the smug look of the cashier as I’d unwittingly purchased two pottles of tomato sauce, knowing full well that there would be an incredible surplus of such sauce when the light smattering of chips were finished after...