Restaurant Review: Olde Yorke
OLDE YORKE FISH & CHIPS
96 Laird Drive ~ oldeyorkefishandchips.com Instagram: @oldeyorke Co-Diners: Tim Golem & Rick Lee
I'm sure that we can all agree that the best food to ever come out of England is fish & chips. It's a simple dish, but oh-so-delicious and comforting. blogTO says that Olde Yorke has got the #1 Best Fish & Chips in Toronto and I was more than willing to confirm it, you know, with my mouth. They've been open in Leaside since 1997 and come from a long line of family restaurants that began operating in the 1950s in England. They sound pretty legit. I visited on a Saturday evening and the place was buzzing. Ducking in from the cold, I was immediately met with the distinct aromas that only a chippie can provide: deep fried vinegary goodness. The atmosphere feels warm, pub-like and authentic. In fact, I've been to pubs in England that have looked practically identical. With dark wood and deep red upholstery, the slightly cramped dining area feels right. Each table is adorned with the required bottles of both white and malt vinegar. After a short wait to be seated, we settled into our corner table next to a window. Our server was very friendly - the only thing missing was a British accent! There are plenty of beers to choose from (many local brews and some from the United Kingdom) on the menu but nothing all that interesting in the non-alcoholic department. I went with a simple Pop ($2.25) and was pleased to learn that Dr. Pepper was an option. In the mood for a nice warm hug in soup form, I was pretty excited to try the Chowder ($6.75).
I really appreciated the appropriate bowl, complete with lion heads on each side. You can differentiate New England-style chowder from others by its thick, cream-based broth and common ingredients of potatoes, onion, and clams. This chowder was all of those things. Thick and hearty, this is the kind of soup that sticks to your ribs and warms you from the inside out. I enjoyed this classic a lot but could have used even more clams! I liked the creamy broth and tender potatoes. It should be noted that there are other things on the menu that aren't fish & chips. I don't know why you would want them. But I will say that the steak & Guinness pie sounds pretty legit. I went straight for the #1 item on the menu; the Cod & Chips ($13.25).
The food arrived in practically no time at all and I was ready to dig in! Everyone has their own little "system" of rituals in preparing to eat fish & chips and mine includes; squeezing the lemon onto the fish, salting my chips and then liberally dousing them in malt vinegar (and continuing to do so throughout the meal as the flavour gets absorbed), and finally adding some ketchup to dip my chips into. I eat my fish with as much tartar sauce as possible. Their deep sea fish is golden-deep fried and lightly battered in their famous family recipe. I liked the portion size of the fish and was pretty impressed by the fish-to-batter ratio. The batter was just right - not too thick or overpowering. It offered the perfect amount of crunch while still tasting light (not overly heavy). The fish inside was quite beautiful. It was meaty and very moist, showcasing the cod in all of its glory. One thing that I did notice is that in England, the chippies leave the skin on the fish, which they did not do at Olde Yorke. No where in Canada seems to do this (in my experience) even though it's the way that they do it traditionally. I could have used a ton more tartar sauce! One little cup just isn't enough! I prefer places that let you have an entire squeeze-bottle of the stuff. Tartar sauce is composed of mayonnaise and finely chopped capers... Which is why it's the best. Theirs was very good, I just wish that I had had more. Their chips are fresh and hand cut, however they were the low-point of the meal for me. The chips just didn't seem very special and were lacking in texture. The coleslaw was very good. Crisp and creamy, it was a perfect element of (somewhat) freshness on a mostly brown plate. Lastly, we went in for dessert. Because Deep Fried Mars Bars ($5.75).
For when you haven't eaten enough "brown" already! (I was also interested in their sherry trifle which comes full of booze. Next time!) These deep fried chocolate bars are always good. I remember the first time that I ever heard of them and how much they blew my mind. The novelty is a bit lost now, however you can't go wrong with melty molten chocolate encased in "deep fried." Definitely share this one because in no world do you require this all to yourself. I liked Olde Yorke because the ambiance really felt exactly the way that I want my chippies to feel. I enjoyed the food quite a lot and also found the prices to be very reasonable. Fish & chip cravings are a real thing and it's important to have a reliable spot on hand to cure them with. I would say that you can safely call Olde Yorke your place.