Inside Cicerello's: Australia's favourite fish and chippery
Cicerello’s has been an iconic Australian eatery since its founding in 1903, offering the best of the Fremantle port’s amazing seafood selection.
For more than 100 years the name has meant not only the best fish and chips in the heart of Australia’s largest fishing boat harbour, but also the best freshly caught seafood enjoyed overlooking the water’s edge at both Fremantle and Mandurah restaurants.
In 1996, Nick Unmack and his father Tony along with Henry Liacos bought Cicerello’s from its original owners. Together, they renovated the humble sized shack and made it two stories high whilst maintaining its original charm by sticking with the original concrete floor and laminex tables.
“Cicerello’s is very Australian; it’s the iconic fish and served on paper and enjoyed with a can of coke. We want our customers to come here and experience the same thing with their kids as they did when they were kids. It’s really simple but there is a real science behind producing a very good fish and chip,” said Nick.
Watch our short interview with Nick at Cicerello’s below:
“At Cicerello’s we cook over 250 tonnes of chips a year. So when I talk about food science and the science of frying I’m referencing that there is a lot more to it than most people think. I’ve got a lot of people around town, some of which are big operators; they ask me how much oil I use. When I tell them they are stunned because I’m using on average a quarter of the amount of oil they’re using for an operation that’s three times the size of theirs. To achieve this we are not compromising on the quality of product it really comes down to the type of oil you use and how you use it,” explains Nick.
The extremely busy open kitchen at Cicerello’s is lined from wall to wall with a staggering 17 Frymaster MJCF fryers. “Frymaster fryers are very durable and long lasting. They have a fantastic life span and as far as I’m concerned they are the Toyota Land Cruiser of fryers,” adds Nick.
As expected, Sunday is the busiest day of the week at Cicerello’s, feeding on average a staggering 3,500 people! With most patrons being served within a five hour period (2.5 hours over lunch and 2.5 hours of an evening) it’s no surprise that Cicerello’s employs a team of over 100 dedicated staff and run a 24 hour operation to ensure that the restaurant is ready to feed the hungry customers.
After experiencing success in Fremantle, the team decided to open Cicerello’s on the Mandurah boardwalk. Both venues are extremely popular with locals and tourists alike, and it’s hard not to see why this venture has seen such immense success. Having recently featured on an Australia Post stamp issue celebrating iconic Australian tourist destinations, be sure to add a meal at Cicerello’s to your bucket list!
For more information on Frymaster fryers, visit https://www.comcater.com.au/brand/frymaster.
