The Battery

It's time for fish and chips – the original Aussie fast food – to make a comeback. We want our fish battered, our chips salted and our milkshakes malted. The Battery heard us and replied with chips, shakes, fish, burgers and yes, even longnecks of Coopers.

The Battery is the newest offering from Paul McMahon, chef of Rose Bay fine dining restaurant Catalina's. A fresh addition to the St Margarets complex in Surry Hills, it's a veritable festival of fried things: polenta chips; chickpea chips; potato chips; anchovy chips. There's fish of all kinds deep fried, grilled or crumbed (and specials every day that don't give you an option of how you'd like ‘em cooked). Ironically, we love the beef burger: a bespoke mince from Vic's Meats of chuck, brisket and intercostal (just like every good burger place in the US does it), plus tomato and lettuce on a sesame seed bun. And on the side? A huge pile of hand-cut chips. The only problem with these golden nubs of deep-fried awesomeness is that they're not as well salted as we might like. But you can remedy that yourself.

The classic fish and chips is a must: two pieces of battered flathead with a side of hand-cut chips and a lemon cheek wrapped in muslin. In fact, call us heretics, but McMahon's fish and chips may be even better than the version at Fish Face (cheaper, too). If you're a total sauce nut, you're in luck. At the Battery, there's mayonnaise, aioli, sweet chilli, ponzu, chilli soy, romesco, nahm jim, beurre blanc, hollandaise, chilli jam, tomato fondue, tartare and rouille to choose from. Or try them all, you crazy nut. Still hungry? There's fried custard with orange and cardamom ice cream for dessert.

If the Battery is an indication that Sydney fish caffs are on the rise, then colour us pleased as hell. Myffy Rigby