Have a question about Erik’s Fish and Chips? Here are the answers to some of our most frequently asked questions about our delicious food.
What types of fish do you sell?
What’s the most popular fish?
What is the difference between chips and chunky chips?
How big is a scoop of chips?
Can I have my order gluten-free?
What is gluten-free food?
Is your hot dog Halal?
What is Halal food?
Is everything cooked in the same oil?
Are the curry and gravy vegetarian?
I have a shellfish allergy; can I eat here?
Is Erik’s nut-free?
Is your batter dairy-free?
How big is a piece of fish?
Do you serve alcohol?
Does the fish come as two pieces?
Is the fish fresh or frozen?
Where does the fish come from?
Why is blue cod more expensive?
Are your spring rolls really vegan?
What vegan options do you have on the menu?
Why are oysters only available fresh at certain times of the year?
How is your oyster? Does it come in a shell?
How big in your large chips?
Could I have a gluten-free donut?
What types of fish do you sell?
We have three types of locally sourced fish for you to try in your delicious fish and chips: Hoki, Dory and Blue Cod.
What’s the most popular fish?
Hoki is the best seller. Blue cod is very popular and famous with the locals. Dory is our favourite. All are very tasty and caught off the East Coast of New Zealand, so you can’t go wrong. Try them all!
What is the difference between chips and homemade chips?
Chips are like French fries whereas homemade chips are thicker cut, more like steak fries and with the skin on. Homemade chips are crispier and more popular with the locals.
How big is a scoop of chips?
We offer three different sizes of chips to suit your appetite. A small size chips is one scoop of chips and comes in a small tray, suitable for 1 person , a medium is in the next size tray and a large is in our biggest tray. Stop by our Queenstown fish and chips shops to see the sizes.
Can I have my order gluten-free?
Yes, in fact, everything we sell is naturally gluten-free (except for the malt vinegar – malt contains barley and the vinegar is fermented so it is unfortunately not naturally gluten-free). This is kept outside the trailer for customers to use it themselves.
What is gluten-free food?
Gluten is the group of proteins that are found in wheat, barley and rye. Common foods that contain gluten include bread, pasta and cereals. Gluten-free food is any food that does not contain any of these proteins.
While many people may experience an intolerance to gluten, it’s estimated that 1 in 100 people worldwide may have a genetic autoimmune disease called Coeliac disease in which ingestion of gluten causes damage to the small intestine. Erik’s Fish and Chips is certified gluten-free by the New Zealand Coeliac Society; our entire menu does not contain gluten.
Are your chicken and hot dog Halal?
Yes, and all of our food is Halal. We have no bacon, pork or alcohol on site. We have halal certificates for all the chicken and lamb we purchase. These are available for viewing in our trailer. We use se Canola Oil for frying.
What is Halal food?
Halal foods are those that are free from any component that Muslims are prohibited to consume and processed, made or stored using equipment that has been cleansed according to Islamic law. Some examples of foods that are not Halal include alcohol, pork and lard. Erik’s Fish and Chips only serves food that is certified Halal.
Is everything cooked in the same oil?
We do cook everything in the same oil (canola oil) so if you have any allergies to one of our products, we would advise against eating here. However, we are nut-free and gluten-free, and most of our food is dairy-free as well so hopefully your diet allows for our tasty fish and chips!
Are the curry and gravy vegetarian?
Yes, they are and also vegan! But with our secret recipe, they both still have the same rich, satisfying flavour of a meat gravy.
I have a shellfish allergy; can I eat here?
Unfortunately not, we sell a lot of shellfish and contamination would be likely.
Is Erik’s nut-free?
Yes, all of our food is nut-free.
Is your batter dairy-free?
Yes, our batter is dairy-free. The only items that we have on the menu that contain dairy are our donuts and the cheese we use for chips, gravy and cheese but we do have vegan cheese options.
How big is a piece of fish?
We weigh all of our fish to approximately 120g which we believe is a good serving size for one person.
Do you serve alcohol?
We are not licenced to sell alcohol but there are many bottle shops close to both of our locations. If you’d like to enjoy an alcoholic beverage with your meal, we recommend getting takeaway in Queenstown and bringing it to Perky’s Floating Bar. Or, grab your takeaway meals and enjoy them by the lakefront!
Does the fish come as two pieces?
Our fish usually comes as one piece but to get it to the correct weight we sometimes serve blue cod and monk as two pieces to ensure you’re getting a full serving.
Is the fish fresh or frozen?
Our fish is snap frozen at sea so it remains very fresh and we defrost it the night before use so it is as fresh as possible.
Where does the fish come from?
All of our fish is sourced from the coast of the South Island of New Zealand. We’re very proud to only use local ingredients, where possible and support local farmers and fishermen.
Why is blue cod more expensive?
Blue cod is more expensive than our other fish because it is sustainably fished in pots to ensure it doesn’t become extinct. It is limited by quota and therefore more expensive than other types of fish.
Are your spring rolls really vegan?
Yes, they are! We make our own spring rolls from scratch with all vegan ingredients, and they taste amazing!
What vegan options do you have on the menu?
In addition to spring rolls, we also offer vegan cauliflower bites and kumara chips. Plus, our tasty deep fried kiwi fruit, pineapple and banana are vegan!
Why are fresh oysters only available fresh at certain times of the year?
We source all of our oysters from Bluff on the South Island which are only in season between March and August. They are a New Zealand delicacy and therefore in high demand. We aim to get as many as possible, but due to quota we will potentially run out before the end of the season. They are also weather-dependent, so if the boats are unable to go out due to bad weather we may not have fresh oysters. Oysters are sustainably fished and run under a strict quota system so they are very expensive and a local luxury. We serve only first grade oysters.
We will usually have frozen oysters which we can cook for you. These are delicious.
How is your oyster? Does it come in a shell?
Our oysters are usually served battered and deep-fried. From March, when bluff oysters are in season, we are able to provide both raw without a shell and battered. Both are served with a wedge of lemon.
How big is your large chips?
Our large chips is 2.5 scoops, that usually feed 2-3 adults. This does depend on how much other food you have and how hungry you are.
Could I have a gluten-free donut?
Absolutely! Having gluten-free food is a dream come true in Erik’s Fish and Chips. We have a wide range of GF food for you here!
