Matti B's

About

World class fish and chips, extraordinary burgers and much other wondrous stuff

Story

A Chip of History

According to my Belgian sources, Matti Boutsen had a problem back in 1680. That winter was a really cold one - the canal was frozen full-depth for the first time in living memory, so fishing was out - but how was he going to feed his offspring?

In a fit of jovial creativity Matti had a flash of brilliance which was to re-boot the whole culinary world in much the same way as Pavlova, Weet-Bix and Master Chef subsequently have; Meneer Boutsen took to a potato with his filleting knife, cut slices of it into fish shapes and fried them! The kids hoed in and voila! The Belgian Fry was born.
Somehow, during the first World War the Americans got involved and because they were never sure which country they were in at any given moment (they rarely are: “The world is but two nations - this, and everywhere else”; Eugene G Ford, 1868), and the locals seemed to be speaking French (as many Belgians do), the chips became known as French Fries. By the time the Belgians realised their invention had been hijacked, “French” Fries were on sale from a trailer outside the White House. Elvis was on the till. Thangyouverimuch.

Of course, we at Matti B’s don’t sell ‘fries’ - we sell chips! Today, “French Fries” are the totally thin slivers of potato-like substance so beloved of the fast food chains because they cook quickly, and (since they absorb heaps of oil) they drain really fast, whereas our proper “chips” are a lot thicker, and taste of potato. They’re a good bit healthier for you, too.
On the other hand, our fish tastes of fish, and what a wonderful product that is. We’ll cook it for you or you can take it home and see to it yourself, and here’s what makes our wet fish product so great: we only display the freshest and if it’s not still twitching, you can’t have it. Don’t forget - we’re not a fish monger selling fish and chips on the side; we’re a fish and chip shop mongering wet fish on the side.
The burgers and sandwiches are also worthy of mention - with delicate flavours derived from decades of experience in the science of critical burger consumption, and with a menu in a constant state of refinement, our burgers are not just works of edible art - they’re great meals in their own right. Our burger-wallahs can get anything between two bits of bread so come and sink your teeth in to one today. A burger, that is.
Whatever your tastes - be it fish, chips, burgers or sandwiches, mushy peas or curry sauce, the staff at Matti B’s are placed to serve you well. Pop in and loll around on the sofa in front of the box, or phone in your order upfront - either way, we’ll look forward to seeing you soon!