The cherry blossoms are out, and as of last Saturday, Pajo’s is open. Well, sort of.

In Port Moody, this little fish and chip shack is an 18-year-old Rocky Point institution. I love the place.

I don’t even know how to review the fish and chips at a place like Pajo’s. How do you disentangle the food from the experience, or the location from the warm good feelings you get from going to a place whose annual opening is a sign of Spring itself?

Let me try: the fish and chips are very good, and are surely helped along by being out in the park and near salt water. The smell in the air is just right. If I was forced to grumble, I might say that the chips are cooked limp, in a sort of traditional fish-and-chips manner. I wouldn’t mind crispier fries, but these ones are just right with a bunch of salt and slightly too much malt vinegar on them. My lovely bride appreciates stuff like the grilled salmon burger, and they have a few other menu items (I haven’t been brave enough to try the poutine).

I wouldn’t change the aesthetics a bit: they serve the fish and chips in paper cones, and the picnic tables have holes cut in them to fit the paper cones. Nice touch.

Now, about those opening hours: Pajo’s says on their website that this is the “shoulder season” until May 15, and
“hours vary.”

“A good rule of thumb is… if you are willing to be sitting outside eating your meal on the day in question, then we are probably open. ”

So there you go. If it’s nice enough to eat fish and chips outside, then fish and chips should be available. And since you’re in the neighbourhood if you go to the Rocky Point location, drop by the Port Moody Station Museum and say hi to Maktaaq.