Top five potato scallops/cakes/fritters to sink your teeth into
In Queensland and NSW they’re called scallops (possibly from the French escalope, or slice), while down south they are plain old potato cakes. South Australia even calls them potato fritters.No matter what the name, we all know what they are: battered and deep-fried potato slices that go crunch and are bundles of oily, salty carbo-goodness. Grab your mates, hop in the car and track down the best examples on offer!
Bub’s Famous Fish & Chips, Nelson Bay, NSW
If you’re heading towards the north coast out of Sydney and need to stop for something delicious, give Bub’s a crack in beautiful Nelson Bay just past Newcastle. Located enticingly on the harbour, it has an enormous menu of fish and chips, seafood platters, oysters and more and the home-made potato scallops are a great accompaniment. The place is popular and the queues can be as long as the awards the food has won, but if you love a nice, salty scallop then you’ve hit the jackpot.
Ageing Frog Fish Bar, Beechworth, Victoria
The modest façade of this takeaway in Beechworth’s main street may not look promising, but the Ageing Frog humbly boasts the “best home-made potato cakes in Australia” and it’s difficult to argue. Light and fluffy inside, crisp and crunchy on the outer, they go perfectly with the grilled flake and other seafood delicacies, or even a big burger. Of course, you must visit the town’s other attractions while you’re there, but be prepared for a big feed.
Samo’s Fish Bar, Rockhampton, Queensland
This one has road trip written all over it and if you’re keen to drive up Queensland’s north coast you’ll need something to eat, Rockhampton has you covered. Drop into Samo’s where the deep fryer never stops and you’ll be treated not only to gorgeous, flaky fish with proper chips, but hand-cut potato scallops that are as airy and crispy as the best in Australia. In fact, Samo’s was a top-five contender in last year’s Australian Fish and Chip Awards and with scallops like these, it’s easy to see why.
Sotos Fish Shop, Semaphore, South Australia
There’s nothing better than packing the kids in the car on a summer’s evening and heading to the beach for a good feed of fish and chips. In Adelaide, try Sotos at Semaphore Beach just past Port Adelaide. Yes, the standard fare is very good but you’ll want to try a potato fritter (that’s what they’re called in SA) or two. Home-made, crunchy and just begging for some extra salt, you’ll definitely be fighting off the seagulls for these beauties while you watch the sun go down over St Vincent Gulf.
Tasmanian Gourmet Seafoods, Cambridge, Tasmania
These guys know their seafood and supply restaurants and the public with the best fish, crayfish and oysters that Tassie produces. But the warehouse out near Hobart Airport also has a pop-up cookery out the front that does fish and chips, seafood platters, burgers and the best darn potato cakes available on the Apple Isle. Home made and hand-cut, of course, and is perfect if you want to drive over for Sunday dinner or have just landed from the mainland and are feeling a bit peckish.
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