Fishing the Frying Scotsman

We're big fans of fish here at the blog. Wifey and I love the fresh salmon and halibut - some of the healthiest fish, not to mention the yummiest - you can get here in the Northwest. And while we love the salmon on a cedar plank on the grill or a foil wrapped pouch of halibut with lemon, butter and some spice, deep fried fish and chips is never a bad thing.

Enter the Frying Scotsman, a food cart run by a bona fide Scot over in the NW Industrial Area of Portland. It's in an area without food options directly nearby, tucked into a garage. The handy part about that is if its raining, customers don't have to worry about waiting in the elements for their flaky fish to finish frying. Say that five times fast.

The cart offers a few different kinds of fish - cod, halibut, red snapper, haddock - as well as a daily soup and chips (or fries, or cooked potatoes - whatever you want to call them).

Wifey and I decided to go for one each, so she ordered halibut - something we both love - and I ordered haddock, a fish neither of us had ever eaten. Each order came with two pretty good sized portions of fish and what looked to be an entire potato each. The breading is light and not oily, something I'm a big fan of since that overly oiled fish and chips you get some places just makes my stomach turn.

The halibut was every bit as good as one should expect from halbut - flaky goodness. The haddock surprised us. We weren't sure what to expect but it has a sweet flavor to it that gives it nice contrast to the rest of the meal. Note to self - keep an eye out for haddock in the store... This is apparently the most traditional fish used, so it's good to know we can be appreciative of the classic.

The chips were plentiful and yummy. Not a lot of seasoning, but just the right amount. It also came with a tartar sauce and some coleslaw (strong on the onion). We also ordered a cup of the soup of the day, a vegetable barley which was very good.

So, two thumbs up from us. But, don't listen to what we say, know this: The two people who ordered before us in line were both from the UK (I'm sorry, I don't know the accents well enough to place them exactly, to know if they were English, Scottish, Irish, Welsch, etc.) and both were extremely appreciative for this cart existing because it reminded them of food from home (my interpretation - they seemed happy). One guy even bought his food to "take to the pub" with him, which I thought was interesting.

The prices are also good. Halibut is the most expensive at $7.50 an order, but that's a lot less than you usually find it around town. Cod and snapper are $6.25, and haddock is $6.50 (prices include the chips).

Good stuff - go and enjoy.