Situated in a prime position a few doors from the Bristol Hippodrome, amid a myriad other late night restaurants and international takeaways, Just Chips has been open a few short weeks. The usual large service counter dominates the shop interior, with a couple of window seats and stools for customers during the busy times. What provides the hint of Holland is the pattern of attractive line-drawn windmills and bicycles included on the yellow and red wallpaper. The small corner takeaway specialises in, as you might expect, just ‘Dutch-style’ chips – with a variety of topping sauces including vegan options. So what are Dutch-style chips?
If you talk to an aficionado of Dutch-style chips, he will tell you they are produced from Dutch potatoes, cut into chips or fries, and blanched twice. This double blanching before full frying provides a fluffy potato texture inside, with a crispy outer coating. However, ask anyone from Holland, and they will tell you plain and simple, Dutch-style chips are more about the topping, than the chip itself.
While Brits may prefer gravy, tomato or curry sauce liberally poured over a portion of fries, the Dutch prefer their friets with lashings of mayo, or other more exotic sauces. Considering the Dutch are estimated to consume over forty-one million kilos of the things a year, and each Netherlander eats around forty pounds of frozen potatoes per annum, they should know a thing or two about the best accompaniment for a portion of good old fries.
Will a takeaway that sells just chips survive, we certainly hope so. What a pleasant change, to be able to stroll along, savouring every single chip from a cone of fries with your favourite topping. Rather than taking a bite out of a baguette or wrap, and having half the contents fall on the floor. Just Chips is in a choice position close to the Bristol Hippodrome in an area popular with tourists and university students alike. Cone sizes are small, medium and large and reasonably priced. With their extensive range of the more usual, and unusual sauces, the shop should do well, although they may eventually have to extend their opening hours past 11 pm.
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