Fantastic Fish Fry on Friday Harbor

July 6, 4:00 PMSeattle Ethnic Restaurants ExaminerRachel Belle

Previous Next

Comment Print Email RSS Subscribe

Subscribe

Get alerts when there is a new article from the Seattle Ethnic Restaurants Examiner. Read Examiner.com's terms of use.

Email Address   Include other special offers from Examiner.com Terms of Use

Fish and chips, cole slaw and a beer = perfect meal on Friday Harbor, WA (The Hungry Clam)

Living in the Puget Sound region, you can't go long without catching a glimpse of glimmering water with a couple of picturesque sailboats bobbing on top. Sometimes all of that water and all of those boats can trigger a craving for fish, and sometimes a specific fishy craving for one of the best fried food combos ever invented: fish and chips.

Here in Seattle we have no shortage of fish shacks, each with its own take on the newspaper wrapped British classic. But I recently tasted the best fish and chips of my lifetime, after a day of bike riding and whale watching around San Juan Island. The Hungry Clam, on Friday Harbor, may have a cutesy name, but the food is far tastier than your average tourist-town restaurant.

As you can see in the photo, this is one handsome looking meal. First note the large hunks of beer battered cod. Those are some big chunks of fish! I feared this was a case of bulky batter: just a thick cape of fried dough deceptively hiding a wimpy little crumb of fish inside. Thankfully I was wrong. These massive fingers of cod are coated in just enough crunchy batter, are practically greaseless, and the fish is perfectly moist and flaky. Paired with a pint of ale on a sunny island day, you'll find it hard to maintain much cynicism.

We've spoke of the fish, now on to the chips. This is where it gets a little dicey. The fries were pleasantly thick and brown, but they were limp. I'd much prefer a crisper fry that can stand up to an aggressive dunk into the accompanying tartar sauce. But the cole slaw was bright and crunchy, not drowning in mayonnaise, and a nice refreshing contrast to the rest of the fried platter. We also enjoyed a sourdough bread bowl, filled to the brim with creamy, New England Clam Chowder.

While masses of vacationers and their hungry, crying children stood in line at a mediocre waterfront seafood spot down the hill, we slipped right in to one of the empty patio tables at The Hungry Clam. On San Juan Island there are endless opportunities to gaze at the glimmering water and picturesque sailboats, but discovering an excellent plate of fried fish after a long day in the sun is far more rare.

For more info: The Hungry Clam 205 A Street Friday Harbor, WA (360) 378-3474