[Hong Kong] Fatty Crab - From New York City to Hong Kong

Rating: ❤❤❤❤

Located on Old Bailey Street, Fatty Crab comes to us from New York serving Malaysian, Thai, Indonesian, Vietnamese and Singaporean cuisines while using western cooking techniques. I actually brushed shoulders with the original Fatty Crab in NYC but never got to try their food until they opened a branch in HK. The restaurant itself is quite hipster and unpretentious with graffiti concrete walls throughout its bar and main dining room which were both dimly lit, making for a casual ambiance for eating while throwing back a drink or two.

The entrance is at the bar area while the main dining room is located in the next room - I got confused at first when I first arrived at the restaurant because I didn't realize that this bar was part of Fatty Crab as well. Turns out that the drinks here are something to rave about since the cocktail menu was designed by an award winning mixologist in NYC. Along with the food, the drinks here also reflect that SE Asian influence by incorporating ingredients like spices and homemade infusions.

The Vangster ($120) - with tom yom infused vodka, aperol, agave and fresh lime. Yes you read that right - it's a drink that tastes like tom yum soup with a hint of spiciness, sourness and sweetness that actually works as a cocktail. A one-of-a-kind drink that is definitely worth a try here!

Anime Star ($120) - with shochu, sparkling wine, passion fruit, cinnamon vanilla sugar and fresh lime. To be honest, I was more intrigued by the comic more than the drink actually (that naughty crab!) but the cocktail was right up my alley as it was fruity and well-balanced in flavors. I love passion fruit as well!

Snap Dragon ($120) - gin, blanco tequila, muddled snap peas, dry vermouth, pineapple and fresh lime. Another refreshing and interesting drink with the use of snap peas but I'd prefer the previous two cocktails over this one. 

One thing that differentiates from the NYC branch is the introduction of the raw bar here in HK with daily selections of oysters, razor clams, shrimps, crabs and more!

Daily Selection of Oysters - HK peeps love their oysters so we had to try them which were supposedly from [somewhere in] Canada. I love these kinds of small oysters which tends to be less creamy with a more briny flavor and they reminded me of the Kumamoto oysters from Washington. More interesting was that the oysters were served with green chili sauce as opposed to the usual condiments so you can add a bit of spiciness to your oyster if you'd like. 

Smoked Norwegian Salmon Tartare ($90) - with fermented tofu aioli and culantro. I've had beef and tuna tartare before but not salmon and it was quite fresh and chewy to eat with the crispy prawn chips. 

Crab Cakes ($100) - with jumbo lump crab cake meat, smoked chili aioli and mixed greens. The crab cakes were well-executed as they were extra crispy on the outside with big lumps of crab meat inside, plus I just love how every dish has that hint of spiciness in it. 

Laab Moo Scotch Egg ($100) - with soft boiled egg and spicy minced pork wrap. An interesting twist to Scotch eggs by replacing sausage meat with Laab Moo which is a classic Isaan pork dish from Northern Thailand. The spicy pork lent a spicy kick in flavors which was oh-so delicious to eat!

Pork Buns ($60/pc) - with braised pork belly, soft boiled egg, kecap manis and sriracha. These pork belly buns were awesome! With fluffy soft buns and tender pork belly, I couldn't stop putting these into my mouth one after another. Wait you can actually do that with their all you can eat buns special on every Wednesdays for only $120!

Crispy Pork & Watermelon Pickle ($150) - pork belly, thai basil and ginger-lime dressing. I love this pairing of pork belly with watermelon which was refreshing while the pork was awesome as it was perfectly crispy on the outside while tender on the inside!

Kang Kong ($60) - malay water spinach and chili tomato sambal. My favorite veggie dish of the night as it was sweet and spicy!

Romanesco ($80) - green cauliflower, coriander bacon and shallot-raisin sambal. My first time eating Romanesco which resembles a spiky cauliflower and was quite crunchy to eat. 

Ka Prao Shrooms ($60) - mixed mushrooms, holy basil and krachai. 

Ikan Bakar ($220) - whole sea bass with chili and lime marinade which was wrapped and grilled in banana leaf. I felt that the fish could have been more flavorful while parts of the fish was a bit chewy. 

Smoked Duck Curry ($170) - red curry, thai eggplant, pineapple and grapes. I love duck curry and while I felt that this could have been spicier, the red curry was spot on and perfect for eating with the coconut rice it came with!

Chili Crab - we ended the night with crab of course since this place wouldn't be called Fatty Crab without a crab dish! A signature dish here with a sweet and juicy pacific northwest Dungeness crab soaking in a spicy tomato sauce along with pieces of fluffy pullman toasts. This is a must-have dish especially if you like Dungeness crab like I do but that spicy tomato sauce stole the show for me. It was so good to eat with the toasts that we had to ask for more toasts so we can eat every last drop of it!

Verdict - Fatty Crab is a great place for you to get your grub on especially if you like spicy and innovative South East Asian food and drinks!

* By Invitation

Fatty Crab
11-13 Old Bailey Street, Central
Tel: 2521 2033
Closed Monday
http://www.fattycrab.com.hk/


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