Gordon Ramsay’s Fish & Chips, LV
Erik
Whether at 2AM post pub, or at noon the next day, a proper fish & chips shop is one of the great simple pleasures of life and something that just must be experienced. For such “chippies” are the purveyors of a kind of magic better than anything Harry Potter could ever conjure.
A filet of North Atlantic Cod dredged in a crispy, flakey, golden-brown beer batter so fresh and hot from the frier that the malt vinegar all but evaporates as it hits the still sizzling crust, combined with chips too hot to touch and steaming from their own salt and vinegar bath, washed down with a crisp British larger, or maybe a malted brown on a colder night, and you have the pinnacle of British cuisine.
Here’s a concept: What if you took a proper British chippy and let an internationally famous, Michelin Star and award winning British chef like Gordon Ramsay try his hand at creating the ultimate comfort food. Now let’s put that chip shop in Las Vegas, where its 2AM and post pub 24/7 for somebody and you’d have the end all be all of take away chip shops right?
Unfortunately, no.
There is absolutely nothing proper about Gordon Ramsay’s Fish & Chips shop in Las Vegas. In fact, it’s so expensive with an execution so mediocre that it goes beyond disappointment and into the realm of scam. I honestly felt better about losing $300 at the $15 craps table in the Linq than I did about spending $75.80 for two boxes with fries, a domestic beer, and a non-spiked lemonade.
I ordered the fish box, and my wife the shrimp and lobster box. Which right away is kind of off theme. I lived in Dublin Ireland (where Chippies are Chippers), and have spent quite a bit of time in London and other British cities and never once have I ever seen either shrimp or lobster on board at a chippy. My wife’s reasoning though was that, “Hey it’s Gordon Ramsay. It’s gonna be good.”
Except, not really. After trying it though the best that could be said was, “meh”. Your standard lobster roll food truck is going to serve a better product for considerably less.
The fish. The most authentic thing about the fish is that it was par fried before you ordered it. You get three pretty uniform and regular pieces of cod. The fish was clean, the batter was crispy and flaky, but sticky like it was made with super glue (too much corn starch?), but both were completely flavorless.
The fries, because they are definitely fries and not British chips, are frozen, and basic. In fairness, the chips in the better chip shops are also probably frozen, but this is Gordon Ramsay. If In-N-Out, which is literally steps away, can make fresh fries, Gordon Ramsay should be able to manage as well. Gordon save a little cash, and instead of buying cheap Chinese truffles that taste like cardboard flakes, maybe hire a couple more people for the shop and cut some chips (not fries) fresh. Adding insult to the injury, the malt vinegar is an afterthought and hidden in the corner like a dirty secret.
There isn’t even a single British beer on the menu. The imports and craft beers are Bubble Stash IPA, Blue Moon, Corona (terrible choice for fish and chips), Heinekien, Stella Artois, and Peroni Nastro Azzurro. The last of which is Italian and probably the best selection up there for fish and chips. None of these are craft beers with the possible exception of the IPA, but it’s an IPA which are generally not recommended for fish and chips assuming you like IPA’s in the first place.
On his website Ramsay says,
“Fish & Chips is a really important dish to me, not only is it quintessentially British but it was part of my upbringing. I’ve found a way to elevate that classic dish, dress it up and really modernize the experience. I’ve had 3 stars in Chelsea for over 2 decades, 2 stars in France, restaurants around the globe – but my mum is most proud of the chippy,”
Really? The most authentic thing about this place is that the fish is par fried before you order it. I’ve eaten at a few of Gordon’s restaurants, both fine for fine dining and less elevated, both in the US and Britain and I’m a legit fan. My family’s experience with both Bread Street and Claridge’s in London in particular were exceptional. Having eaten at his Fish & Chips though, if I were Gordon Ramsay I would be ashamed of such a weak and pathetic imitation and obvious tourist trap. To say that his mother is proudest of this… dude.
It seems these days, Ramsay is more concerned about his television career than his restaurants, and calls to mind the character of Skinner from Pixar’s Ratatouille who wanted to cash in on a famous name while duping American with cheap frozen foods.
