J’s Coffee and Fries

When you walk past J’s Coffee and Fries, there’s not a lot to take in. It’s a simple shop frontage with laminated photos of the menu, a neon “open” sign, and not much else. But, as with plenty of worthy dining spots, there’s more to this unassuming fish’n’chipper than meets the eye.

The shop has sold fish’n’chips for decades. But alongside classics like battered snapper, crabsticks, dim sims and Pluto pups, owners Eunji Kim and Jae Hwang Lee offer up Korean specialties of a quality you might expect from a much trendier CBD outfit.

The husband-and-wife team, who emigrated to Australia in 2015, opened the space after struggling to find Korean food in Bunbury. They’ve put their own spin on the fish batter. But the real hero is the traditional Korean fried chicken, slightly tweaked to the tastes of Australian diners.

The pair’s chunky, tender chicken thighs and wings come in a thin, crispy batter seasoned with a mildly spiced salt. You can have the wings doused in sweet, sticky soy or spicy sauce or sandwiched in a bread roll with American cheese and salad. It’s a simple offering but it easily surpasses expectations in this unassuming takeaway setting.