North Star Fisheries Merriman Avenue

Good day to you the reader

I have bought fish and chips here before… and the chips is always great.

Yesterday, 03/12/24, just after work, I picked the North Star fisheries in Stelmark Centre to buy my calamari. Keep in mind I have Nacional Fisheries, in Simonsrust centre, just opposite where I stay, but decided to give North star a chance. After I placed my order, and they ONLY take cash, paid for the R100 calamari, I asked for sauce. The person who only works with the till, said if I put the sauce over my calamari, its free but if I take it in a tub, its R5 and I paid. I asked for Tartar sauce, and he said secret sauce is nice and I insisted on Tartar sauce. To which he says they do not have. He then poured the sauce in a container; sauce of HIS choice and I said no thank you I do not want that sauce and asked for BBQ. He was upset because it was in a container now and said to me what must he now do with the secret sauce. Another lady I know walks in the shop and asked how the calamari taste to which I said, I am taking a chance today as this is what I really felt like. She also decided to take calamari. I think because I made too much “ noise “ about the sauce, when the one who cooked it , brought it to the front to dish in a container for me. The cash register person spoke in their vernacular to the one who cooked it. He dished for me and another assistant was dishing my acquaintances’ calamari in a container. Due to the calamari being too hot to put into container directly it was splattered in the display in front of us to see. So… just after the cashier person spoke in their vernacular, my server was making sure I see he is dishing me less than what is being dished for my acquaintance I persuade to also buy. Today I am glad she got more as it was SO overcooked, and the rind was horrible. ¾ landed in the bin. And when I asked her, she was not impressed either. And nor was her dad whom she shared it with.

My question remains, how can the visitors treat the locals like visitors, yet my hard-earned cash is welcome.