Aotea Seafood is a fish and chip shop at 27 Aotea Drive in Porirua, holding a 4.7 Google rating. Good fish and chips come down to discipline in the fryer: clean oil, a batter that sets crisp rather than turning leathery, and fish cooked to order instead of sitting in the warmer. At New Zealand takeaways the fish on offer often shifts with the catch, so it pays to ask what came in fresh that day — gurnard or tarakihi have more character than the usual hoki. Chips should arrive thick-cut and properly hot, and regulars time their visits for quiet stretches, when nothing has been sitting under the lights. A queue of locals at a small shop is usually the most honest review going. For hours and the latest updates, Aotea Seafood's Facebook page is the place to check before making the trip.