Sherman's Food Adventures: Pajo's

Pajo's

Alright, after grabbing a Screamer from Danny's Market, we headed over to Steveston for some lunch. Yes, I got dessert before my meal. While driving along Williams and making a turn onto #3 Road, I ended up following a student driver. Great. I was following a student driver in the heart of Richmond. What did I do wrong to deserve this inhumane punishment. Luckily I was able to pass the student driver and carry on my merry way. My restaurant of choice today was Pajo's, which is known for their fish & chips. In fact, Pajo's can be seen as some sort of novelty since their location at Steveston is right on the pier (translation: tourist trap). However, despite this, I've always enjoyed Pajo's fish & chips.

Today, Viv and I decided we were only going to share a meal since we were planning to eat an early dinner. So that we could get a little of everything, we went for the One of Each, which included one piece each of halibut, salmon and cod. Included with this were fries, tartar sauce and lemon wedges. This set me back $13.00. Influenced by Kim (I'm Only Here for the Food!) I decided to take a picture of all the condiments while I was waiting for my order. If you look at the bottom right hand corner, there are 2 small cups of ketchup. Yes, they were mine. I decided to get the ketchup before I received my order because I knew I wouldn't be able to dispense the ketchup while holding a cone-shaped paper container. Well, for the first time in my life, as I turned around for a split second to get my order, someone jacked my ketchup! For only reasons known to the thief, they took ketchup that had already been dispensed. Suffice to say, I was a bit confounded and a bit ticked off because I had to go back for more ketchup (we were seated on the upper level of the pier).

If you look at the picture of the condiments again, you'll notice something is missing. Yes, it's the malt vinegar. Where was the malt vinegar? Well, it was actually at the table behind us. I can't believe they took the only malt vinegar and hogged it for themselves. First ketchup stealing, then malt vinegar hoarding? What has this world come to??? Despite it being quite easy, I'm not going to blame this on Richmond. In terms of the fish & chips, it's pretty decent. The fish is fresh and the batter is not too thick. Nicely fried, crispy and easy on the grease. Chips are crunchy without being oily. Not the best fish & chips I've ever had; but considering the venue, it's solid. I find the prices quite reasonable for what you get. It ain't cheap; yet not exactly gouging either. And yes, there is the novelty factor as well. You can't really beat the fact it's right on the water and especially on a nice day like today; the whole experience cannot be replicated in a restaurant.

The Good:
- Unique location
- Decent fish & chips
- Prices are reasonable considering it's a touristy location

The Bad:
- Not really enough places to sit when busy
- Aggressive crows and seagulls, do not leave your food unattended


Pajo's Fish & Chips (The Steveston Wharf) on Urbanspoon

8 comments:

Anson said...

Agree with your assessment of Pajos. Fish = Thumbs up. Fries = Leaves a lot to be desired.

Hey, have you gone to the Dollarton Crabshop in North Van to do a comparison of their fish and chips?

- Anson

Sherman Chan said...

Thanks Anson. No I haven't been, but I did pass by it when I went to Cates Park. I guess I'll pay it a visit!

KimHo said...

While I have not been to Pajo's myself, at least, the excessive competition of fish & chips shops in the area sort of guarantees they will try their own.

About the catsup, well, that happens, man... At least they didn't take your wallet! XD

Jessica604 said...

I'd blame the ketchup stealing on Richmond. :)

I wonder if you left your order unattended, would that go missing too?

Sherman Chan said...

Jessica, I wouldn't be surprised. I still can't believe it. Stealing a parking spot is one thing, but my ketchup?

holly said...

Please share your favourite fish and chip place, as Pajo's is still my favourite, and I've tried other ones far and close. Anyways, I'm still open to finding the best fish and chip shop.

Pajo's offers a great outdoor atmosphere and the "british" touch with the cones adds to the experience.

Sometimes their halibut is not as fresh as it can be, but I always go away full.

Sherman Chan said...

Well Holly, it's hard to pin down the "best" but I do like the fish n chips from Ocean Ave and C-Lovers. But I really enjoyed the large pieces of fresh fish at Ocean Ave. Their batter is not the same as Pajo's and C-Lovers; but is good in it's own right. But that's just my opinion, everybody have their own favourites. I think Pajo's is solid and can give other fish n chip places a run for their money.

holly said...

Thanks for the tips.

I have never heard of Ocean Ave but it sounds interesting. Must try the next time I get a craving for f & c.

I think I may have already tried C Lovers but I'm not sure, so I'll have to check it out again.

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