Catch of the day?

Today we're in Mangōnui. An adorable old fishing/whaling village that is now a tourist trap. 

Our adventure included lunch out at possible one of the most famous fish and chip shops in the world. (At least, that's what it says on the side of the building anyways.)

It's worth mentioning that this fish and chip shop has the most amazing business model and is basically a license to print money. It helps that it does have a nice waterfront deck to lure the innocent travelers in.

First you order from the counter, this saves them cash on wait staff, etc. Notice on the sign that one piece of fish is $6.70 (not bad, that includes tax.) The sign also reminds you not to forget the sauce (this part is very important to the business model.)

 

Once your number is up, you pick up your parcel and it's time for lunch.

Plastic cutlery included, as the restaurant also likes to keep the dishes to the minimum too.

Though the fish and chips were tasty, it was the bill was seriously memorable.

The restaurant charges you for each individual sauce. My "large ketchup" was a mini can and cost $3! The sauces were 15% of the bill. 

Those folks sure know how to do this. They even poke a bit of fun as the lemons are free. $44 NZD is about $35 CAD, divided by 3, it's $11.73 each (after tax, no tip required.) It's not egregiously expensive, but it's not cheap either. I should have read the reviews on TA first!

Anyways, the harbor view was nice and we did enjoy Mangōnui. If ever you visit here, go to the harborside takeaway (if you really want fish and chips) or the waterfront cafe instead.