Perth Voice Interactive

KAILIS or Cicerello’s?

It’s up there with – Coke or Pepsi, Beatles or The Stones, Trump or Biden, Missionary or…

Sorry, I took that too far, but it seems that people visiting Fremantle for fish and chips have a favourite eatery and then stick with that place until they’re six feet under.

The argument often put forward is that Cicerello’s is cheaper and bigger and has superior views (plus lovely aquariums), while Kailis is more upmarket and uses better produce.

In the past I’ve been a Cicerello’s man, so I thought it was time to cross the Rubicon – well the short walk along the boardwalk – and see what Kailis Fishmarket Cafe had to offer.

Both eateries are situated in Fishing Boat Harbour, a fun and lively spot with folk promenading and boats coming and going.

On a gorgeous Friday afternoon, it was chockas with lots of families down for a bite to eat during the school holidays.

With a dedicated bar, BBQ seafood grill and traditional counter, Kailis is nicely laid out and feels clean and modern inside.

Plus there seems to be less interference from the pesky gulls at this end of the harbour.

The BBQ and raw area is particularly nice with fresh fish and seafood displayed on beds of ice.

The traditional counter had a nice range of fried fish including whiting, cobbler, flathead and sardines, as well as grilled fillets of snapper, WA emperor and the “market special”.

The menu also had a range of fish burgers and extras including mushy peas and gravy.

I was keen to try out the BBQ seafood which had a lovely selection including marinated octopus, sashimi, oysters and lobster.

I ended up going for the mixed grill plate, which at $42 seemed decent value.

Despite the place overflowing with hungry sunburnt punters, it wasn’t long before my buzzer was buzzing and doing a weird stuttering dance across the table.

My plate was piled high with seafood, chips and a large mound of creamy coleslaw.

Perched on top were two whole king prawns, which were nicely cooked with plenty of fleshy meat and a nice chargrilled tang.

Nestled underneath was the market fish kebab with red capsicum and herbs.

Again the fish was nicely cooked with charred edges and soft, moist flesh. The capsicum added some sweetness and the subtle marinade was on the money.

Shark bay cuttlefish can be a chewy fiasco, but this was well cooked and had a firm but pleasant texture. It tasted delicious with a squirt of lemon and some coleslaw.

The chips were top notch and had a crunchy exterior and weren’t greasy.

Overall it was a lovely, filling dish that ticked a lot of boxes – BBQ seafood for finesse, chips and coleslaw for comfort.

My wife and kids are traditionalists and went for the fish and chips.

The children’s version was very well priced at $11.50 and included a decent-sized fillet and a good serve of chips.

Portion-wise it was spot on and the quality looked good.

My wife “Special K” went for the single fried fillet and chips ($17.50). Two fillets was $26.50.

The fish had a lovely golden crisp batter.

“It tastes super fresh and the batter is nice and light,” she noted.

“Two pieces of fish is too much for lunch, so I like how they offer the single.”

Our lunch at Kailis was very enjoyable and it shattered a few myths about it being too expensive and not having enough space.

The kids fish and chips was very reasonably priced and there was cheaper items available from the BBQ grill, including daily specials.

I’m not saying I’ve completely switched from Coke to Pepsi, but from here on in I’ll be flitting between the two.

Kailis Fishmarket Cafe
46 Mews Road, Fremantle
kailisfremantle.com

by STEPHEN POLLOCK