November 26, 2024
Ladies’ lunch at the Fishmonger
This is news to me. I know about butchers closing on Wednesday afternoons and that men play golf but I didn’t know it was a traditional women’s day out.
My friend adds that it won’t finish with lunch either. Wednesday is ladies’ night out apparently — when clubs offer discounts and ladies’ parties will carry on into the evening.
My friend feels that her life has become confined and that she doesn’t go out enough any more. She is too busy making ends meet, earning an income, managing the home, looking after the kids, taking care of school fees, putting food on the table.
And her man? Well he isn’t doing so good. He hasn’t had work for a couple of years and the weight has fallen totally on her shoulders. One income just isn’t enough. She is feeling beleaguered and stressed.
She is not a unique case. Just this week she is the third woman I have spoken with who is feeling the strain of being not only the home manager but also the breadwinner. The mother and father. What is happening to our men?
My friend is a fish lover — so we chose the Fishmonger. We are snuggled into the indoor dining space on a chilly, wet day and the place is packed — plenty of women true — but also families, business groups, couples. It’s crowded inside and on the covered verandah where the plastic awning is down because of the rain.
I want my friend to have a treat. She has been satisfying her fish craving with a local supermarket’s deep fried US$2 special. She won’t be as happy with that after enjoying the Fishmonger lunch.
She orders the hake and chips (US$16).
“I suppose its healthier to have grilled,” she muses as she chooses the deep fried option served with chips and tartare sauce. I opt for the grilled sardines (US$17) — they come with roasted green peppers and a choice of chips or rice.
While we are waiting, we are served good bread rolls with butter – plenty of it. We are both hungry and tuck in straight away. The main course portions are substantial — and very tasty. Her hake is sublime. Perfectly cooked, sweet white flesh coated in a lovely light batter, flaking off on the fork.
The sardines are good too — though I am hankering after a summer memory of a sandy beach, and sardines straight out of the sea grilled on hot coals. Hard to live up to golden summer afternoons. find myself wishing I’d also chosen the hake. Perfect fish and chips. And goes well with the dripping rain outside.
My friend is a baker. Somehow she fits that in too — late at night and at weekends — to earn extra money, and is eager to try the cheesecake, which is something she doesn’t do well, she claims.
This one is delicious — hints of coconut, cinnamon and almonds, drizzled with chocolate and served with a couple of scoops of ice cream. It’s not the usual thick wedge of cheesecake which we expected — but is a flat elegant slice. The chocolate mousse is close to the best ever. Next time I plan to bring my son, who has staked a claim as chocolate mousse connoisseur since he was about five. I think he would give this one several stars.
Big thumbs up to the Fishmonger. The restaurant has a nice ambience and the service was good on a busy day. Lunch for two including two mains, dessert and drinks (soft) came to US$42.
