Fatty 'Cue
In a little-known passage from his 1609 journals, Henry Hudson wrote, "People on the Islan'd to the East of Manahatta tell of a Place in the Land where They believe Meats smoked with the Spices of the Indies will one Day appear the Heav'ns. For my Part, I can imagine no such Place, and confine it to Myth . . ."
Scholars believe this to have been the first reference to Fatty 'Cue, the much-delayed Malaysian barbecue restaurant that has, after months of speculation and rumor, finally opened in Williamsburg. Judging from the enthusiasm of the staff, no fewer than eight of whom greeted us, they're as excited as diners are.
We ordered three small plates and one large, all to share. Unlike typical American barbecue, which uses smoke to drive the flavors, the food at Fatty 'Cue mixes spices and tastes, flecking curries with whiffs of the grill and playing fish sauce and garlic off the rich tang of pork. A custard made from yellow curry, for instance, smoothed out the salty pop of the coriander bacon without overwhelming its fatty goodness. (Though really, the bacon is tasty enough to eat on its own.)
Our concession to the American Heart Association was nasi ulam, a rice salad tossed with turmeric and ginger and leavened with whole fried anchovies known as ikan bilis. Our bowl was a little over-leavened, in fact, and we left a goodly number of the little guys behind.
The shrimp-and-scallop sausage, dosed in green curry, wasn't as soul-satisfying as that at Perbacco, but it was fine, and it did look like typical sausage, which should score it some points, we guess, especially on St Patrick's Day (get it? 'cuz it's green.).
Lastly, the wagyu brisket arrived --- a make-your-own steamed bun adventure. Any austerity on the plate disappeared as we got our fingers smeared in chili jam and brisket juices. It was worth the wait.
Scholars believe this to have been the first reference to Fatty 'Cue, the much-delayed Malaysian barbecue restaurant that has, after months of speculation and rumor, finally opened in Williamsburg. Judging from the enthusiasm of the staff, no fewer than eight of whom greeted us, they're as excited as diners are.
We ordered three small plates and one large, all to share. Unlike typical American barbecue, which uses smoke to drive the flavors, the food at Fatty 'Cue mixes spices and tastes, flecking curries with whiffs of the grill and playing fish sauce and garlic off the rich tang of pork. A custard made from yellow curry, for instance, smoothed out the salty pop of the coriander bacon without overwhelming its fatty goodness. (Though really, the bacon is tasty enough to eat on its own.)
Our concession to the American Heart Association was nasi ulam, a rice salad tossed with turmeric and ginger and leavened with whole fried anchovies known as ikan bilis. Our bowl was a little over-leavened, in fact, and we left a goodly number of the little guys behind.
The shrimp-and-scallop sausage, dosed in green curry, wasn't as soul-satisfying as that at Perbacco, but it was fine, and it did look like typical sausage, which should score it some points, we guess, especially on St Patrick's Day (get it? 'cuz it's green.).
Lastly, the wagyu brisket arrived --- a make-your-own steamed bun adventure. Any austerity on the plate disappeared as we got our fingers smeared in chili jam and brisket juices. It was worth the wait.
Comments
Best,
Roger
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