Having launched his critically acclaimed restaurant Season Kitchen in 2010, restaurateur Neil Gill is to open a second site in Finsbury Park – this time modelled on the Northern Fish & Chip shops of his youth, but with an Asian twist.
Gilly’s Fry Bar will open Tuesday 19th September and will focus not only on fish & chip shop classics such as battered cod with scraps, but also on the art of tempura cooking – an idea that Neil (or Gilly) came up with whilst working with Alan Yau and pondering the cultural connection between the two nations’ love of fried food. The curry sauce that the Brits pour over their chips for example isn’t dissimilar to a traditional katsu curry, and whilst the deep-fried fish of British chip shops is significantly larger, the Japanese tempura is of a similar ilk, only lighter and considerably more delicate. With this in mind, Gilly set about marrying his Anglo-Japanese idea, and with a little help from a few friends – Edgar Wallace of Koya Bar & a few other industry mates – designed a unique and considered menu for his new Finsbury Park haunt.
The menu at Gilly’s Fry Bar will be split into five sections; Snacks, Fry, Raw, Donburi Rice and Sides and has been created with sharing in mind so that customers can taste their way through what is on offer and order as much or as little as they desire, much like the traditional Tempura bars of Japan. Please see full menu below in the editor’s notes.
To complement the food offering, Neil and his team have devised a fun but grown up Highball cocktail menu, introducing combinations such as Gin, lemon, cherry & elderflower | Vodka, Cointreau, lemon juice & cream soda and Jameson, spiced honey & lemon Shandy Bass – all priced from £4 each. Inventive shots, pickles & punches will also be available and include the Salt & Vinegar; a shot of whisky with salt & pickle juice, The Gibson; Gin / vodka with vermouth, onion vinegar & house pickles, and The Fish Bowl Punch for two; Rum & Cognac with peach, lime & Irn Bru.
The interior of the 35 cover restaurant – which is situated a stones-throw from the new City North Development – has been designed to be casual, accessible, fun and contemporary while making subtle nods to 1980’s Sunderland Chip Shops.
“Having established both Season Kitchen and The Lamb pub locally, I jumped at the opportunity to open another restaurant within the community that I call home. I love the idea of marrying traditional Japanese with traditional British flavours, whilst using age-old frying techniques in the process! I like fried food and I like highball cocktails, and my gut tells me it is a good idea!” Neil Gill.