A last minute late afternoon trip to The Fatty Bao proved to be the best thing I did yesterday – delicious panAsian food and fresh air.
I’ve been hearing about this place for months, lots of people talk about going there or having eaten there, and how delicious the pork is, and did I know they also have beef. Well, for a change, some of the hype might really be worth it.
We wandered into this place around 2:50pm on a Sunday to meet some friends, so had already placed a few orders. And were chilling on the rooftop. With all the hype about the ‘bao’, we decided to order the Char Siu and Beef, along with a Salmon Dill roll and a Prawn Tempura roll.
The ‘bao’ came out on an adorable stand, and I was a little surprised to see that it was actually a steamed bun, not a bao [also called a baozie or humbao – which are filled first and then steamed, like a dumpling]. Nonetheless, one bite in, and the naming started to matter less and less.
Aside from a touch-too-much sauce on the pork bun, everything about the meal was perfect. The waiters were sweet, even if the service a little slow. The rolls were tightly put together [which often doesn’t happen, and they crumble as soon as you pick up]. Surprised to see only 4 pieces on each roll, instead of the usual 6 or 8, but hey – delicious. After seeing a few pitchers of sangria float by, we even got a pitcher of the white muskmelon variety – which was delightful. A tad more alcohol would’ve been ideal for a Sunday brunch.
This place is no Momofuku, but it certainly comes pretty darn close without a trip to NY.
Appyrae 