Blu By Australian Seafood Group
146 Gaffney Street, Coburg
03 9350 3200
Fish and Chips
$$$
Food
- Lunch Pack
- Grilled Rockling Combo
The Good
The Lunch Pack was enjoyable but unremarkable. The Fish of The Day happened to be Blue Grenadier, which we opted for it to be batter and fried. The enormous bowl was topped with the large fillet of fish itself, offering a light batter that enclosed a juicy and chunky inner that was soft and tender, though felt apart a bit too easily. The two Calamari rings were equally fresh and very tender, though lacked any seasoning so leaned towards the bland side. However, the batter used to coat all the seafood and potato cake was universally lacking in crunch and crispness, and felt a bit limp and lacklustre despite being fresh out of the fryer.
The chips and dim sim were simple and pedestrian. Not bad, but nothing to write home about.
The Mediocre
The Grilled Rockling combo was mediocre at best. Despite asking for John Dory and seeing it available in the display cabinet, it was apparently out of stock. The Rockling itself was perfectly grilled and aptly fresh, it’s protein was tender yet firm. However our biggest gripe was that the fish was served won’t a thick layer of lemon herb mayo. Not only did it look unappetising, it also masked both ghe freshness and aroma of the grilled fish itself. The salad and rice accompanying this felt very much an afterthought and we’re unimpressive.
The Bad
The Potato Cake in our Lunch Pack was disappointing. The batter was once again soft and lacking crunch. Within, the potato was a reconstituted mush with a powdery texture, instead of a whole sliced potato. Coupled with a lack of salt and lack of textural diversity, this was certainly not pleasing to the palette.
The Verdict
Coming highly recommended, Blu Seafood in Coburg has been on our to-do list for so long. We are glad to have finally gotten it out of the way because it was simply very underwhelming, and we certainly expected a lot more at over $20 per person.
While the gigantic portion sizes are bound to satisfy any hunger, the execution and finesse are both sorely lacking. As a result, Blu unfortunately failed to impress, and are pretty much just on par with any local fish and chip joint though at almost double the cost.
Would Penguin Eat Again?
At this price, we will pass.