Local chippie: The sign outside Te Awamutu's Simply the Best Takeaways says it all

Mike from Te Awamutu

In Te Awamutu, unless you are a local, the best place for fish and chips can be hard to find.
Tucked in the corner of the L-shaped building bordering the Countdown supermarket, you can see the doorway with the sign Simply the Best Takeaways.
Locals know to call ahead and be given a time, otherwise be prepared to wait up to an hour. Yes, it is very busy.
Operated by Mike and Jenny Shum for the past two years, Simply the Best is now famous in Te Awamutu.
Mike is no stranger to the fish and chip business, having helped out since the age of 10 in his father's fish shop
But rather than take over that business, Mike went to university and became an accountant.
Always wanting to run their own business, Mike and Jenny bought the takeaway bar and put their "own spin on it and it's really grown from there," Mike says.
With the business growing, Mike decided to quit his accountancy job to work alongside his wife Jenny.
Now with a staff of five working alongside the Shums they're flat out producing the traditional fare of fried food, burgers, salads and juices.
 "Our staff are important as they work hard and have the same standard and passion as we do," Mike says.
The menu is simple: three types of fish (snapper, gurnard and hoki), sausages, patties, spring rolls and burgers.
Simply the Best also offers a gluten-free option that's cooked in a separate fryer.
They work at delivering the freshest product to their customers, so have a good quality control system for the storage and handling of food.
"Our big thing is fish. It's freshly filleted, battered and cooked for each order, and although it takes more time, it's worth it." Mike says.
Draining time is also key, as is the production line to get orders out on time.
Rated : 4.9/5
The freshly battered fish (hoki) wasn't greasy and didn't leave that fatty aftertaste you sometimes get. The other fresh fish choices on the menu were gurnard and snapper. The chips were golden and crunchy on the outside, perfect on the inside. Source stuff.co.nz