The Fatty Crab (http://www.fattycrab.com/) is a quintessential NY restaurant. Equal parts Attitude. Ambiance. And the food. Oh, the food.......
What started as a small, nondescript little joint in the West Village has become a cult and popular fave among anyone who's ever tasted their unique, no-frills take on Asian BBQ. To be more precise, it MALaysian cuisine, but it's the kind you can imagine you'd find if you travelled to Malaysia and stumbled into a place a friend of a friend of a your tour guide knew about, but didn't really want anyone to find out about for fear of it becoming too crowded.
I met my longtime running mate Darren at their newer, UWS spot, and we ate at the bar. The vibe is gritty and laid back, and I must give props to the varied old school tunes that were played at just the right volume so as to add to the aura, not distract from it. The "crew" is no-nonsense, but friendly and accommodating at the same time.
I wanted to go with some menu mainstays, so we started with the Pork Buns. They come out with a silver dollar pancake-size bun folded around a juicy, succulent slab of pork. On the side is a dressed salad with some sliced, cooked egg, and a soup spoon filled with a semi-thick, sweet and salty sauce. As is customary and encouraged, diners at Fatty Crab should embrace the mash-up, and we did. Mixing it all together was the foreplay...tasting it was... well, you get the idea... what a starter! Could the rest of the meal live up??
Simply put, it did -- D and I shared the Fatty Duck (steamed and fried, on a bed of sticky rice, called tamaki) that would convert even the most ardent anti-duck eaters. Again, eating with our hands was part of the visceral experience, but the flavors were so rich and layered, and the texture of the fat and the meat itself so intense that you really couldn't imagine eating it any other way. Also had the Singaporean Black Pepper Mussels, where the only minor 
complaint was not having any bread to soak up the incredible both with. Finally, the Short Rib Rendang, braised with kaffir lime, coconut shavings and chili spices. Served in a pile atop more sticky rice, it was a cinch to pull apart and just as easily melted in your mouth. The key, as I've learned, is using the coconut milk as your braising liquid. Just sensational.
complaint was not having any bread to soak up the incredible both with. Finally, the Short Rib Rendang, braised with kaffir lime, coconut shavings and chili spices. Served in a pile atop more sticky rice, it was a cinch to pull apart and just as easily melted in your mouth. The key, as I've learned, is using the coconut milk as your braising liquid. Just sensational. Another badass bastion of exceptional eating in NYC...
