Paua vs "Paua" at Wadestown Seafoods




I'm hungry, broke and lazy so I head to my local chippie. After perusing the menu online I spot something intriguing. For $2.90 you can get a "paua fritter" or, for more more than double you can get a "Real Paua Fritter" (please stand up please stand up). The friendly chef is a bit puzzled by my request for one of each , but obliges. It is a cozy little place neighbouring a catering company and a cafe (that's a review for later). In the tiny waiting area there are two chairs, a drinks fridge stocking the coca cola range and that ubiquitous Seafood of New Zealand poster. It brings back memories of anticipation at my childhood fish and chip shop pouring over the various photos of aquatic life in the days before smartphones (also, my mother wouldn't give me 50 cents to play Mortal Kombat). Classic old-school kiwi entertainment.

The chef assures me it will only take ten minutes. There are a large variety of deep-fried goodness to choose from, including the artery-clogging deep-fried Moro bar. There is also fried chicken and affordable burgers starting at $4.80 for a simple hamburger. Perhaps a review for another time, though chip shop burgers can be terrible!

There is also the option to purchase fresh terakihi or warehou at prices comparable to those of New World. While I wait, I trawl the web for a mock-paua recipe. My search is fruitless, aside from one smart Alec who recommends purchasing diving gear instead and getting the real deal. A savoury aroma wafts from the deep fryer with no odour of grease. The chef deftly and liberally a-salts my food and swaddles my precious bundle of joy in paper. 

I eagerly unwrap my parcel. A golden fish fillet, a pile of irregular, wabi-sabi hand cut chips and two fritters. I have been told that the smaller one is the genuine article, the larger also containing paua but cut with flour to bulk it out . I bite into it. It is firm and tastes mildly of the ocean, less mildly farinaceous: a not particularly appealing shade of greenish-grey. New I sample the "real" one. The difference is enormous and I can instantly see why it is nearly three times the price. It is pretty much just paua and nothing else. Moist, crumbly and unspeakably delicious. My flatmate, who is an up and coming young chef has a nibble and exclaims aloud with delight. Traditionally, Maori prize paua as "taonga" or treasure and I can certainly see why.

Next, the fish. The batter is perfectly crispy and crackles beneath the teeth. The fish (blue warehou) is succulent: piscine perfection with no "fishy" taste. Warehou are native to New Zealand and Southern Australia and can reach 75cm in length. This particular fillet tasted fresh from the net and I will definitely purchase some fresh fish from Wadestown Seafoods in the not too distant future. 

Chip time! The chips are hand cut and home made (though for 50 cents less you have the option of frozen), a more than generous serving. Don't be fooled by the picture, I gave the lion's share to my other flatmate. There was about 6 times the amount pictures in a scoop. They have a pleasant crunch to the outside and are beautifully soft on the inside. Some of the smaller ones are completely crunchy, reminiscent of a crisp.

The real paua fritter was the star of the show, the fish a close second. While not quite disappointing, the "paua" fritter pales in comparison and I struggled to finish it. I am stuffed! A proud carnivore at heart, with seafood this good I could almost go pescetarian. Comparatively speaking, Wadestown Seafoods is quite pricy but for fresh, quality ingredients and home made chips it's totally worth it and costs only $15 for a massive feed of choice kaimoana. 

Food: 8/10
Ambiance: 6/10
Service: 9/10
Cost: $15 for a fish fillet, two fritters and half a scoop of chips

15 Sefton Street, Wadestown

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