11 Dec Hooked, Hawthorn

Hooked is the brainchild of former DJ Ray Good (aka Sugar Ray), a British expat who grew up helping out at his uncle’s fish and chip shop. During his career as a DJ he got the idea for starting up healthy fish and chip restaurants and in 2006, he opened his first store in Chapel Street, then later started one in Fitzroy. The Hawthorn branch is the newest of the three, opening earlier this year. The store has gone with a maritime theme – bright whitewashed interior, old wooden furniture, and a multitude of picture frames adorning the wall.

Seafood and vegetables are delivered fresh and prepared on-site and the sauces which are available for extra, are also store-made. Hooked uses local sustainable seafood such as blue-grenadier, prawns and calamari to make up the bulk of its menu, though they also have fish specials such as garfish, salmon and barramundi. Also featured in the menu are burgers, tacos, burritos, salads and meal boxes. To follow the healthy theme, meals even come with the option of rice and Asian greens instead of chips if so desired. They are fully-licensed and have wine, beer and cider to enjoy with their seafood.

We tried some of the items from the new summer menu, going for the lobster roll and soft shell crab burger. Both can be upgraded for an additional $2.50 to get coleslaw and a mini serve of chips. The summer menu has also introduced panko-crumbed Blue Eye fish fingers, a fish finger wrap, Coffin Bay oysters, sweet potato chips and sweet potato cakes.

Louisiana soft shell crab burger – smashed avocado, shredded iceburg lettuce, pickles and chipotle mayo in brioche.

The Louisiana soft shell crab burger was seasoned with Southern spices and also contained smashed avocado, shredded iceburg lettuce, pickles and chipotle mayo in a brioche roll. The crab wasn’t quite as crispy as I’d like, but overall the flavours were good. We upgraded the burger to get some of our daily veggie intake in the form of coleslaw. The coleslaw wasn’t overly creamy and there some herbs in the mix to give it a bit of a twist. Yummy!

Lobster Roll – Hand-caught QLD Lobster, Iceburg Lettuce, Lemon-Zest Tarragon Mayo In A Brioche Bun

Hand-cut Sweet Potato Chips

The lobster roll had iceburg lettuce, lemon-zest tarragon mayo in a brioche bun. It was light and refreshing and I particularly enjoyed the mayo, which went rather well with the lobster meat. The crunchy and well-seasoned sweet potato chips were also a highlight.

Hooked is a refreshing take on fish and chips, often frowned upon by healthy eaters, and the new menu further expands its appeal to a broader market.

Disclaimer: I was invited to dine at Hooked as a guest, however, opinions expressed here are purely my own and not influenced by them in any way.

Hooked
669 Glenferrie Rd
Hawthorn, VIC, 3122
(03) 9939 4412
http://www.hooked.net.au/