Hooked
Phone 03 9529 1075
Avast me hearties! Mel and I have been hooked by Prahran’s Hooked. As far as fish and chippers go, it doesn’t get any better than this. Located near the corner of High Street and Chapel, the first thing that draws your attention is the nautical decor of this neat little shopfront. Buoys, roped bollards, interesting wall stencils, and a shark-shaped fish aquarium provide a fun atmosphere without being over the top kitschy. Take-away is, of course, popular but you can also eat in at a long communal table with such weathered patina that it appears constructed from the hull of an old clipper. Interestingly, Hooked also allows BYO.
The menu includes a choice of flake, barramundi, snapper and salmon, filleted fresh on site and available beer battered or grilled in a range of special boxes and combinations. You can also get fish burgers, calamari (grilled or salt & pepper), scallops, octopus and king prawns, and there are daily blackboard specials. Chips are hand-cut, and tartare sauce, pesto and other sauces are hand-made. Healthy sides include a fabulous salad of mixed leaf, tomato, cucumber, bbq corn, ginger, bean sprouds and kumera crisps - good enough to order on its own, and will definitely rid you of scurvy. Arrrgh. You can also get tempura vegetables if you want to appear semi-healthy 
Packaging is very smart indeed - see above. I had the flake, whilst Mel had the barramundi in a light tempura batter with hand cut chips, home made tartare and lemon, and salad ($12.50).
What can I say - the flake was delicious. A fantastic beer batter ensured that the fish was oh so moist inside. The chips were hand hewn fritters of flavour that went a treat with good ol’ Heinz ketchup. Mel’s barra was also fantastic. What surprised us the most was the Hooked salad - not just the best salad that I’ve had in a gourmet fish and chipper but one of the best salads I’ve had ever! Crunchy, healthy and delicious, the Japanese-style pickled ginger and the BBQ’d corn added surprising yet tasty touches to the salad. I love the fact that Hooked tried to balance out the unhealthy with healthy options.
I know I’ve been waxing lyrical about what is essentially deep fried takeout, but Hooked is seriously good and highly recommended. It’s not as cheap as your usual suburban fish and greasies but quality and flavour are high, and I love the thought that has gone into the place. You Prahran people are so lucky!
Written by ElegantGourmand on
September 1st, 2007 | Tags: cafes, fish, restaurants, takeaway | Category: Uncategorized
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September 1st, 2007 at 9:50 am
Oh wow, that looks and sounds great. Hope they’re open on a Sunday, I feel a mid-afternoon indulgence coming on…
September 2nd, 2007 at 4:23 am
That looks amazing. If only I lived closer to Prahran…
September 2nd, 2007 at 5:40 am
I love hand cut chips! I must try it sometime soon
September 2nd, 2007 at 7:31 am
sounds wonderful! i dun mind fish n chips once in a while coz they are pretty oily. but they are hard to resist, aren’t they =D
September 3rd, 2007 at 1:19 am
Hey anna - yes, they are open on a Sunday. I hope you enjoy it! Let me know what you think.
Hi mel - I too would love to be closer to Prahran. Even better would be to live there
Hey plum - I must warn you, their chips are TO DIE FOR. They’re the best hand cuts chips I’ve had. They must boil/steam them before frying, cause they are just so soft on the inside. And they whack a nice seasoning on them too.
Hi there ironeaters - yes, I can’t resist deep fried goodness. The good thing about Hooked is that you don’t have to feel so bad, because the salad makes it seem somewhat healthy! And it wasn’t too oily either.
September 3rd, 2007 at 10:47 am
I was sold just on the packaging alone before I read your comment about the chips!
September 3rd, 2007 at 11:41 am
I am so jealous! I have to drive down to Byron Bay and go to fishmongers to buy fish and chips that even resembles what you can get at hooked. I will definately check it out when I’m next in Melbourne.
September 3rd, 2007 at 12:31 pm
Hey agnes - yeah, great packaging always gets me too (see ultimate lunch box at cafe vue). The chips though - o, they are damn gooood.
Hi goldie - yup, this is certainly one to put on your list.
September 4th, 2007 at 1:42 pm
Wow, fish and chips have gone all high class now. It does look good, and the hand cut chips have already got me. You can rarely find hand cut chips anywhere now.
September 4th, 2007 at 9:17 pm
Hi thanh - yeah, it’s a bit of a trend, huh? Pizza went high class (think Ladro, Pizza Meine Liebe, I Carusi), Burgers (Beer De Luxe, Urban Burger etc.) now it’s the Fish and Chippers turn. Hmm…what next?!? High class hotdogs? Charming chiko rolls and corn jacks?
September 14th, 2007 at 11:26 pm
Hi tummy rumblers! We checked out this place on the back of your recommendation last week (only just got our post up). The tempura veges were a bit of a let-down, but I can only echo your praise of the salad and chips! Thanks for sharing the chip-love around.
September 17th, 2007 at 11:37 am
Hi there cindy - glad you enjoyed the chips and salad at least! We didn’t try the tempura veg ourselves, and sad to hear they were not up to par.
The fish though…oh my g*#
January 2nd, 2008 at 8:34 am
omg. This review must be written by the owners… our local fish shop was closed so I went here… the worst fish and chips I have ever had - $34 for dry over cooked small portions of week old fish. They had run out of calamari in their box for 2, $6.50 extra for barramundi, $2.50 extra for flake, the heads were still on two of the three battered tiny prawns, and the box was filled with rough cut chunks of potato hardly resembling chips… I will repeat myself - Worst fish and chips ever. Stay well clear of this place…
January 2nd, 2008 at 10:35 am
Thanks for your comments. No, we’re not the owners, and sorry to hear that your experience at Hooked was not a good one. We reviewed based on our personal experience here, and on the occasion we went, the fish was excellent. However, things change and we haven’t been back to verify.
By the way, hand-cut chips do not resemble normal chips. They are meant to be rough cut and imperfect.
Hope your next fish and chip experience is a good one