Willow Glen, California Since 1992
Cafe Willow Glen
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in British 'fast food' 
British Fetish: H. Salt, Esq. Fish and Chips restaurant owners Cher and Vincent Huang purchased the 34-year-old business, located on Meridian Avenue, two years ago and continue to use the original recipes passed on to them from previous owners. By Staci L. Jameson There are two stories of how fish and chips became a staple of English cuisine. The first is that a monk, known as "Brother Salt," concocted the recipe by accident. While Salt was frying fish for a visiting monk's dinner, some potatoes fell into the frying pan. Even though no one had ever fried potatoes before, it was considered a sin to throw away food, so Brother Salt quickly pulled everything out of the pan and dipped the fish into a batter so that they would resemble the potatoes. The meal was a hit with the visiting monk, who spread the word. Brother Salt's dish became famous. The second story is that the poor people of England were trying to devise a new taste for the inexpensive and boring fish and potatoes that had become their main diet. A pub cook used a batter, and it became very popular with the locals. Travelers who tried the new dish returned home with the recipe, spreading the word to their local pubs. Mild fish coated in batter and quickly deep-fried became popular in the United States when immigrants began arriving and opening shops. The tradition called for the meal to be wrapped in newspaper„because it was cheap, soaked up the excess oil, and kept the fish and chips warm. The folks at H. Salt, Esq. Fish and Chips don't wrap their meals in newspaper anymore, but they've kept the same menu "because it was so successful," says owner Ming Huang. He and his wife, Mimi, purchased the restaurant two years ago, and are the third owners at that location, 905 Meridian Ave., which has been a local favorite for 35 years. The original H. Salt, Esq. Fish and Chips was established in 1965 in Skegness, England. The favorite English "fast food" came to California when Haddon Salt moved to Sonoma and established his restaurants here. "The regular customers expect the same food and the same quality, and that's what we have done," says Huang. H. Salt, Esq. was a franchise operation until about 10 years ago. Now each restaurant is independently owned here in the Bay Area. "Los Angeles still has some franchises, but that's it," says Huang. The restaurant offers the traditional malt vinegar with which the British like to season their fish and chips. Veggie items such as mushrooms, zucchini, artichokes and other seasonable vegetables are found on the H. Salt Esq. menu, too. They are also lightly fried. The Huangs offer calamari and shrimp as well. "We specialize in seafood here. Fish and shrimp are the most popular, but a lot of people like the vegetables, too," says Huang. Not much has changed in the 35 years of the restaurant's history. The only new item on the menu is the meat kabob. "We have a very good reputation. We don't have to advertise because there are so few of these places around. There are maybe five H. Salt Fish and Chip restaurants in the San Jose area," says Huang. This is the first restaurant for the Huangs. Mary, who works a couple of days a week, said, "We have one lady who comes in here every day. She only orders one or two different things, but she's here for lunch every day. She must know that fish is good for her." H. Salt, Esq. Fish & Chips is located at 905 Meridian Ave. Its hours are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Saturday. The restaurant is closed on Monday. For more information, call 408.295.5419. |
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