(photograph © Kiwidutch)
The eatery we have been recommended to find in Kaikoura is ”Hine’s Fish and Chips”.
My Aunt tells me that they have enjoyed the reputation of being the best fish and chips in the area for decades from both locals and visitors and that in the past a few international food writers have featured it in their magazines and books.
Although the signs on the top of the building and items inside still pertain to Hines’s, after talking to the man who is serving our meal I found out that the place has been under new management for a good few years now.
I cheekily ask if there is any hope of getting their fantastic and famous batter recipe for their fish, and with a grin and a laugh the man politely refuses.
It was a long shot but I figure that if you don’t ask, you will never get anything in life so even though in reality I never expected him to say ”yes”, it was worth a try.
The man who takes our order and serves us is really friendly and I’ve already got a very good impression of the place: any restaurant that warns customers that their order may take a little extra time because they are making your meal from scratch is definitely well worth frequenting.
(photograph © Kiwidutch)
As usual whenever I’m reviewing an eatery, I ask if they have a business card. Unfortunately they don’t have, and since we started at the wrong end of the shops and it took a bit of searching, I’ve added a photo that I took from a tourist brochure and added an arrow to mark roughly were Hine’s is located, should anyone who reads this ever wish to visit.
Since we are forewarned about the waiting time for our meal, Himself, the hitch-hiker guy we picked up outside Picton and who is our guest for lunch, and the kids are all busy looking around the main street whilst I sit and wait in the fish and chip shop.
We certainly weren’t disappointed with our lunch… we are (once again, we’ve been making a habit of this, this holiday) eating at an unconventional time since it’s three thirty in the afternoon (which also logically accounts for the ravenous appetites) and the fish and chips were one of the best I’ve ever tasted.
We will have no problems to return here on any future trips… Hine might not run this place any more but the quality of the product should ensure that the reputation of the place lives on.
(photograph © Kiwidutch)
(photograph © Kiwidutch)
The donations box for the local Rescue Helicopter…
(photograph © Kiwidutch)
(photograph © Kiwidutch)
(photograph © Kiwidutch)
(photograph © Kiwidutch)
(photograph © Kiwidutch)
(photograph © Kiwidutch)
(photograph © Kiwidutch)
