Sunday, September 23, 2012

M.a's Fish & Chips Plus

Brooklyn has extended its arms to welcome the highly anticipated addition M.a's Fish & Chips Plus to its Bed-Stuy family of restaurants. Nestled in amongst the ever expanding Nostrand Ave. and neighboring soul food, seafood and fast food spots, M.a's was sure to have some competition. I must admit that because this grand opening has been in the making for years I was expecting booming flavors, fresh fish and long lines, what I got however was completely different. When I ordered the catfish fingers and fries ($8) I definitely finished my fries, the homemade tartar sauce was excellent and flavorful but the catfish fingers were undercooked, lightly fried and still very moist inside (and not in a good way). Since I am aware of trial and error I decided I'd speak with the cooks/owners and wait awhile before I gave them another try. After about a month I returned and this time I was ready to chow down. I noticed desserts like cupcakes and pie had been incorporated into the menu. They also have different flavor iced-teas which are a bit on the sweet tea side and might need to be watered down if you're a diabetic. However, at $2 for a small and $3 for a large its well worth it. There are seats to sit and eat if you'd like to have your food to stay. you can also catch a show on their tv or enjoy the neighborhood with their large window seats onlooking the bustling Nostrand Ave. On my second return I ordered the whiting fish & chips ($7) because this is after all what their named for. Into my second bite of the fish,, before I added any tartar sauce, ketchup or hot sauce I realized that this was not fresh fish at all. From the texture of the fish I immediately knew this was frozen fish which is very unlikely for a restaurant that specializes in fish. On my most recent visit I stopped in to grab a tea and decided to try something different so I ordered the fried chicken breast dinner ($10.95) with macaroni & cheese and collard greens. There was a minimal wait for my food, the macaroni and cheese was skimped on the cheese and some of the noodles were really hard and the collard greens were good but had meat (smoked turkey) in them which I was not told until I inquired. All prices are plus tax (not including tax) and they only accept cash but they do deliver. With Halsey Street Grill just down the way offering better, fresher seafood at an affordable price and Magic Soul food coming to Nostrand soon M.a's may have to come up with some specials or rethink their whole menu as far as the pricng goes, there's too much competition to skimp on anything and I want people want their moneys worth. Hopefully they haven't tanked out yet, they have potential and I'm rooting for the underdog.