A CRAVING for proper UK fish and chips will certainly be satisfied at The Laughing Fish by Harry Ramsden at Resorts World Genting. A drive up on a weekday morning took us just 40 minutes.

We liked the outdoor area but it was too chilly, so we retreated inside. The cosy interior is all wood and leather, just as you would find in a traditional English restaurant and pub.

Looking over the menu, deciding what to order was a no-brainer. Fish and chips, of course!

The Atlantic cod and haddock are coated in a light, crispy batter, and served with chips, tartar and curry sauces, mushy peas and gravy.

We ordered the “legendary” portion, which comes with three large pieces of fish on each platter, enough for three people to partake.

The cod is light, smooth and flaky, while the haddock has a chunky texture, great to sink your teeth into.

I loved the fish with the mushy peas and flavourful gravy, which is made by steeping chicken. It’s robust, much like a beef-bone gravy. There’s also the curry sauce for those who want some heat.

The chips, double-cooked to fluffy perfection, are irresistible. They are first blanched in oil at a low temperature, and then finished off at a higher temperature.

The cod and haddock, from certified sustainable sources in the UK, are flash frozen before being flown out, preserving their freshness and sweetness.

Laughing Fish’s English pub grub includes the Grilled Beef Bangers with potato mash and onion gravy, Sharing Platter with calamari, onion rings, mozzarella cheese sticks and chicken chunks, and Cod Burger.

The beef bangers, with bursts of thyme and other herbs, have a good bite.

Among the Sharing Platter’s offerings, the chicken chunks, covered in a flaky, spicy batter, are especially delicious.

According to Genting sous chef Mohanakrishna Nadarajah, the meat is soaked in milk and dredged in flour seasoned with a mix of Jamaican spices, including black pepper and cayenne.

The Cod Burger has crunchy battered fish, tartar sauce, mixed lettuce, tomato and spicy coleslaw.

The Piri Piri Chicken Leg, meanwhile, was created to suit Malaysian taste buds. Wonderfully spicy, it comes with a side of chips.

A standout drink is the Tamarind Cooler, which strikes a lovely balance between sweet and sour, and goes so well with the food here. The Signature Lemonade also does a good job of perking up the palate.

The Rose Lemonade, however, is too sweet.

We had two classic English desserts – the Sticky Toffee Pudding and Eton Mess.

The latter, an assemblage of strawberries, meringue and whipped cream, is believed to have originated at Eton College. Really “mess” it up to enjoy the treat’s true essence.

The Sticky Toffee Pudding, which has date pudding soaked in a toffee sauce, is moist and appropriately treacly. This is marvellous with coffee.

Laughing Fish at Genting is the first of the Ramsden chippies in Asia, a long way from the first shop that started operating out of a wooden hut in northern England in 1928. Word is that the founder developed the recipe for his batter by measuring the ingredients with a ruler, and perfected the art of frying fish by turning it over after exactly 2½ minutes.

For the fish and chips, the cod is RM58 and haddock, RM64, for the legendary portion, and RM40 and RM44, respectively, for regular. The Piri Piri Chicken Leg, Sharing Platter and Grilled Beef Bangers are RM35, Cod Burger (RM32), Eton Mess (RM18) and Sticky Toffee Pudding (RM15).

Laughing Fish is located at Level 4 of SkyAvenue in Genting. There is a takeaway counter outside for those on the go. The eatery can be reached at +603-601-1118. – February 22, 2020.

* Eu Hooi-Khaw has been writing about food for the longest time, covering all aspects, from restaurant reviews to cooking and recipes, as well as the healthy side of it. She has written for major newspapers and magazines, published the cookbook Fresh Ingredients, and also writes for her website hooikhawandsu.com.

* This is the opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insight. Article may be edited for brevity and clarity.