Is Japan ready for the deep fried Snickers? Are we?

Before the pandemic, Japan had a well-earned reputation as a destination for those wishing to gorge on true culinary excellence.

Samwell Galbraith and his wife, Kumi, in their Bonnie Blue van in Japan. PIC: SWNS.

Respect for local ingredients, precision in preparation and - more recently - a glorious collision of flavours and styles from across the world ensured the country was a hot-spot for Michelin-starred restaurants.

Which is why we salute expat Scot Samwell Galbraith, a respected chef from Aberfoyle, who has managed to take the very British staple of fish 'n' chips to the Japanese island of Hokkaido and sell it to the locals over lockdown.

As befits an alumni of a number of leading UK restaurants, including the Glasgow institution The Ubiquitous Chip, Samwell's van-based interpretation of a chippy – the Bonnie Blue – is classier than many.

The single large fish familiar to those of us stuck at home has been replaced by three smaller cuts of beer-battered fish, freshly caught and landed at the neighbouring harbour. Mushy peas have been replaced by pea shoots. We like the sound of it all being served with some fresh, crunchy coleslaw.

We will reserve judgement, however, on his dessert option - a deep-fried Snickers bar, which it is claimed offers superior characteristics to the tourist classic of the deep-fried Mars bar. No matter the delicacy of the batter, or the charm of the patter, we just can't see them helping the Bonnie Blue van to its first Michelin star.

A message from the Editor:Thank you for reading this article. We're more reliant on your support than ever as the shift in consumer habits brought about by Coronavirus impacts our advertisers.

If you haven't already, please consider supporting our trusted, fact-checked journalism by taking out a digital subscription.