H. Salt Fish & Chips

On Saturday, December 13 we attended the funeral of a former coworker who had died tragically the previous Sunday.  After we returned home we decided to have fish and chips for lunch since our coworker used to order fish and chips from Royal Fish House when we had fish for lunch at work.  My wife had noticed a fish & chips place when shopping at Fresh & Easy next door in the shopping center on Grand just north of Badillo in Covina.  As we approached it she noticed it was an H. Salt Fish & Chips.  She had known about them as a chain restaurant that had more locations when she was younger.  We entered and the woman at the counter said they only took cash.  We had to use the Wachovia ATM at Fresh & Easy that charged $1.75 for the transaction but it would be worth it.

After we re-entered H. Salt we studied the large menu above the counter.  It listed many different combinations of fried fish, fried shrimp, and chips.  Some had names such as Picadilly (1 piece of fish with chips) and London (2 pieces of fish with chips).  Some meals also included fried zucchini and they offered sides such as coleslaw for just a little extra.  The menu also included a mushroom dish.  We both ordered the Double Catch that consisted of one piece of fish, three fried shrimp, two pieces of fried zucchini, and chips.

The woman behind the counter asked if this was our first time at H. Salt.  She said that the place had been around and been family-owned for 43 years.  We weren’t sure if she meant this location or the entire chain.  Later research on www.hsalt.com revealed that she meant the chain.  The place was small with only 8-10 tables.  It was empty when we entered around 3 but it got more crowded within an hour.  On the walls were posters of clipper ship designs and maps of England and Scotland.  The map of Scotland had the family crests of each family name while the map of England had the banners for towns such as Brighton, Leeds, York, Liverpool, and Sheffield.  (We couldn’t find Crawley or Blackpool.  Sorry, Robert Smith.)  On the map of England we found London, Bath, and the Isle of Wight, the places we visited over four years ago.  I hadn’t realized that London and Bath were on opposite sides of England.

After about 15 minutes as she had said, the woman called out our orders.  They both came on one tray.  Each one covered a paper plate and came with small cups of tartar sauce and ketchup.  At a table next to the counter we obtained small cups of vinegar and mustard for the chips.  The piece of fish was shaped as a long scalene right triangle.  The batter was just thick enough and fried to the right crispiness.  Each shrimp actually consisted of two small or medium shrimp fried together into a little ring or wreath with the tails crossing to look like a little bow.  The zucchini were also the right combination of crispy outside and cooked inside.  Everything was good with the tartar sauce.  The chips were medium-sized and also just crispy enough.  They were good with the vinegar.

Around 4 pm when we had finished nearly every table was full.  I overheard someone else order the Double Catch.  The others were mostly older patrons.  Perhaps their demographic frequented the other locations when they existed.  We’re glad that this location has been around all these years.  To get a great taste of England we don’t have to book a flight on British Airways or Virgin Atlantic.  We can just drive a few miles to Covina.