Fine fish from far away

A passionate interest in all kinds of fish is displayed by Pete Gottgens, who is South African and proud of it. For some years Gottgens has been running the Springbok Bar And Grill , and at the end of 2001 he opened a restaurant dedicated to South African fish - which would not be surprising were it not that he has chosen to do so in leafy Chiswick, which is some way from the abundant waters of the Cape.

At Fish Hoek all the ingredients are from far away. Due to the efficiency of the air-freight industry, fish can be landed and iced in South Africa and then pitch up in W4 in about the same time as they would take to get from Aberdeen. The restaurant is a light and airy place with those glassed-in, super-bay-window areas that Parisians are so fond of jutting out on to the pavement.

The walls are lined with Hemingway-esque black-and-white photos of big-game fishing. These are from the Gottgens' family albums, and if you look at the shot to the right of the door to the toilets you can see the proprietor of Fish Hoek - he's the small boy trotting along beside his father and that enormous fish.

The menu changes daily and features an impressive array of South African fish - 25 or so choices and most of them can be had as half or full portions. Try out three half portions and live a bit! Crispy fried ribbon snoek, fresh chilli, coriander and roquette mayonnaise is commendably simply cooked - as is pan-seared East-Coast blue shad which comes with pak choi and a ginger-and-lime sauce.

Fish is an ingredient that responds well when treated simply, and that rule seems to apply even when you are eating something that is completely unfamiliar like pan-seared Kabeljou fillet which is teamed with roast red peppers, mange tout and seared lemon, or Atlantic Hottentot fillet, sugar snaps and roast Zuma tomatoes.

Some non-South African fish stray on to the list - there may be Cuban mahi mahi, South-Coast plaice or Cornish mackerel - but the stuff from SA is well worth trying, as are the monster prawns from Mozambique. Fish Hoek is a pleasant and informal restaurant where they take a good deal of trouble over simple fish cookery.

If you're a piscivore you will eat very well without breaking the bank, and even if you wish to be extravagant there is an epic seafood platter at £60 for two which is served hot and features black mussels, langoustines, linefish, calamari, scallops, Mozambique prawns, crawfish and rice.

Restaurant Michael Nadra
Elliott Road, London, W4 1PE