How to Make: Fish & chips, the crispy and decadent Lad & Co style

It’s safe to say that fish & chips is one of the most beloved western dishes in Singapore.

Airy, crunchy batter and moist flakey flesh — there’s just something so satisfying about biting into a perfect golden-brown slab of fried fish.

Part of it is probably due to us Singaporeans growing up with the familiar taste of fried dory fish, which could be found at practically every single coffee shop.

But as local dining preferences have evolved, Singapore has started developing a small infatuation with the classic British-style fish & chips, too, as brands such as Lad & Co (and sibling concept Lad & Dad) started gaining popularity.

But have you wondered what actually goes into the dish, and what is it that makes it so addictive?

What are fish & chips?

Considered as a national dish of the United Kingdom, fish & chips is as ubiquitous in the UK, as chicken rice is in Singapore.

As the name suggests, it’s a very straightforward ensemble of battered fried fish & chips (how the Brits refer to fries).

Cod or haddock is usually the preferred choice of fish for authentic, old-school British-style fish & chips.

The dish is simple and doesn’t require much in the way of equipment, which makes it very accessible and, inadvertently, a favourite of the everyman.

Fun fact: It was even one of the few dishes that wasn’t rationed in the UK during World War II!

So you can say that heading down to a local “chippy” (UK slang for a fish & chips shop) and getting a serving of greasy, newspaper-wrapped fish & chips for takeaway is the quintessential British experience.

Related Articles:

Merci Marcel’s latest outpost at Robertson Quay is a vibey date spot

Golden Seed: Newly opened minimalist, IG-worthy tea cafe at Millenia Walk

Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 2025: Six Singapore restaurants on extended 51 to 100 list

Besides the two main ingredients, the dish may also be served with tartar sauce and/or a side of mushy peas, which are basically mashed peas.

While the fish can be eaten by itself or with tartar sauce, another popular combination is with salt and vinegar.

As for the chips, many Brits are also partial to dipping it into HP sauce (brown sauce — a type of tangy condiment popular in the UK)!

Bringing British food to the masses

Sure, the dish is popular in Singapore, but most Singaporeans would be more familiar with the local style that uses the cheaper dory fish.

It wasn’t until a few years ago that British-style fish & chips got a bit more attention in Singapore, gaining traction as establishments such as Lad & Co went viral.

If the name sounds familiar but also a bit odd, it might be you thinking of Lad & Dad, the original concept that later gave rise to Lad & Co.

Everything began in Serangoon Gardens Food Centre in 2015 by owner Keith Koh —and this year marks Lad & Dad’s 10 year anniversary!

Before Lad & Dad, Keith was studying in the UK and his first experience of getting fish & chips from a local chippy with friends left a deep impression on him.

While studying, he also worked in F&B, which contributed to a growing interest in the industry.

He then started going to culinary classes for home cooks and found himself surrounded by many housewives, and learned many tips and ideas from his classmates.

That sparked an idea: “People didn’t have the impression of British food but I had some really good experiences there. Also, European cuisine can be quite expensive in Singapore so I thought of making something that’s accessible.”

Eventually, he started cooking for his dorm mates and that was the precursor to Lad and Dad. In fact, he worked on his current business model for his final year project in University.

“I Skyped my parents and we had a huge argument when I said I wanted to apply for a hawker stall right after graduation. I had done relatively well and was supposed to go for a masters degree,” he recalls.

But he persisted: “I realised I wanted to do this and saved whatever I earned while working and even sacrificed my graduation trip, then threw all my money into the business.”

After a strong start at Serangoon, Lad & Co eventually relocated to Maxwell Food Centre in 2018, before finally settling at its current home at Tanjong Pagar in 2020.

Keith then opened sibling brand Lad & Co at Tanglin in 2021 and it became a huge hit on social media — some even dubbed it the best fish & chips in Singapore.

This is just the start, though, as Keith revealed expansion plans: “We’re planning to go into the heartlands, since we started with a vision of making it for the masses.”

On top of that, they also have plans for a separate halal brand in the works — good news for the Muslim foodies who are looking for some authentic British fish & chips!

How to make fish & chips

When you enter Lad & Co, one of the first things you’ll see is a wall decal that says “Home of the Better Batter.”

It’s evident how much pride and confidence the team puts into their fish & chips.

“We pay attention to every component of the dish and it’s something we’re really proud of. As customers can notice, we only have two mains on the menu,” Keith says.

The only other main dish available at Lad & Co is the bangers and mash, another quintessential British staple.

However, while Keith’s inspiration comes from his time in the UK, he describes his style as “inauthentic fish & chips” — since taste can be subjective.

The team has painstakingly tweaked the recipe to match their vision of what fish & chips they think will charm Singaporeans.

One downside: They’ve tried so many iterations of the recipe that they can no longer enjoy it!

Keith explains: “We did R&D day in and day out. Now we have a bit of PTSD now and we taste our food everyday, but we can’t eat a proper portion!”

So how does Lad & Co make their signature dish? We ask Keith for some insight.

Fish and batter

“We only use fresh haddock from Norway and we brine the fish overnight,” Keith says.

Brining is usually done to lock in fish’s moisture, so it keeps the texture better during cooking and also helps enhance flavour.

After the overnight brining, the Lad & Co team then start the day by mixing the beer batter, and dunking the prepped fish into it.

“Our signature beer fish & chips batter took a couple of years to R&D and we continued to make tweaks over the years,” Keith says, beaming with pride. “We also season our batter, unlike the traditional British way.”

Keith explains that formulating the perfect batter to best suit the fish is the hard part — different batter mixes might not stick as well, or complement the fish in the same way.

Then, we come to the actual cooking of the fish & chips, where the team puts great emphasis on details such as the oil.

“The oil temperature is very sensitive. It has to be right for the best batter texture. For our batter, it has to be 180°C,” he says.

Oil quality is also very important. To that end, they’d invested heavily into a specialised, state-of-the-art oil filtration system to handle the heavy frying, which keeps the oil clean.

“With our oil filtration system, you don’t have to worry about the nasty stuff, like the dark oil you see at the pasar malams,” assures Keith.

The fish gets around two to three minutes of pool time in the deep fryer, and is retrieved when it turns golden brown.

It’s then left to sit for a while so the oil can drip — which is the same way Japanese chefs deal with tonkatsu to prevent greasiness — then, finished with a sprinkle of sea salt.

“Basically, what we think is important is fresh fish, flavourful batter and clean oil,” he says.

The chips

While the fish is left to drip, it’s the chips’ turn to take a plunge into the oil bath.

Fries might sound like a straightforward enough component, but Keith actually has many considerations when preparing the potatoes.

“We use thick-cut chips, made with potatoes from the US for that potatoey flavour,” Keith says.

Even though the default fries at Lad & Co are true to the spirit of old-school English fish & chips, the team also thought of how to satisfy the local palate.

Those who aren’t quite convinced by the charm of thick-cut fries can also opt for coated thin-cut fries that are crunchier and more flavourful.

Condiments

The dish name might be “fish & chips”, but there’s a lot more to the dish — mainly the condiments.

One big challenge is making mushy peas, especially since most of us grew up being averse to peas. 

Here, it’s made in-house using New Zealand and Australia peas, depending on what’s in season, and uses plenty of spices to mask any unpleasant vegetal notes.

Similarly, the tartar sauce is also made in house using fresh eggs, lemon, onions and gherkins, and chilled to ensure freshness.

Besides these, each table is also stocked with a handful of condiments to go with the fish & chips. Keith lists them: “We offer sea salt, malt vinegar, ketchup, HP sauce, and even chilli sauce for the locals.”

What’s the right way, though? Keith recommends giving the traditional way a try — eaten with vinegar and salt, to cut through the richness and any trace of fishiness. 

But he stresses that the fresh fish means less fishiness and the team recommends the dish eaten as is, without any additional seasoning. 

Also, while that’s the tired-and-tested method, the trade-off is slightly soggier batter than what some might like. At the same time, Lad & Co’s batter is already seasoned, so locals might also find it a bit too salty for their liking.

Other than the usual stuff, lemon wedges are provided since it’s a popular ritual when eating fish & chips in Singapore, but it’s not something commonly seen in the UK.

For more ideas on what to eat, read our stories on the places to indulge the heartiest, sambal-filled Indonesian food and the hidden Tanjong Pagar cafe where you can get the creamiest scrambled egg sandwiches.

Now you’ve learnt what goes on behind the scenes, are you curious to know what the fish & chips at Lad & Co tastes like? It’s on the GrabFood delivery service and offers free delivery (up to S$3 off) with GrabUnlimited.

You can also make a reservation and book a ride to Lad & Co to check it out yourself!