Hi, hello, good afternoon. We’ll cut straight to the chase. We have been waiting for this week for what seems like over a year now because it was approximately one year ago that we first sampled the ludicrously mouth-watering offerings of Fatty Bao’s menu in Bangalore. The culinary lovechild of restaurateur AD Singh and chef extraordinaire, Manu Chandra. At first glance, you might think there isn’t a need to get your panties (chopsticks?) in a twist—it’s a modern Asian eatery with a bar. There have been many before it and there will be more after it but even as the Mamagotos and Kofukus of the city’s most-frequented Asian watering holes have somewhat consistently earned our loyalty, this place still manages to bring an element of ‘never before’ to the table. Because somewhere between the familiar flavours and the seemingly known concept, there’s an incredibly fresh menu with a nod to indigenous produce, even while paying the utmost attention to detail. And let's not forget the fantastic pricing, despite the quality. As far as we’re concerned, it’s one of the many recent signs that a culinary revolution is well on its way for both Mumbai and India.
As a rule, we don’t do reviews. We just tell you when something’s delicious and the dishes you’re about to drool into are as mouth-wateringly good as it gets. Post our lazy Monday lunch there, we’re finally ready to narrow it down for you but only grudgingly. Honestly, everything is worth a one-time try here so don't be shy. Prepare yourself for ramens, asparagus tempura sushi, the tenderest of pork belly and….yeah, we’ll stop before we give it all way.
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2. Asparagus Tempura and Cream Cheese Rolls
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3. Assorted Dim Sums (Vegetarian and Non Vegetarian)
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4. Wakame and Crab Meat Salad
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Homegrown's Cocktail Pairing Of Choice:
More like The Fatty Star. We needed this, especially on a manic Monday afternoon. One of the better versions of a regular Whiskey Sour, the blend of Raspberries along with the whisky, lime and sugar (egg-white for me, please) is your best bet to wash down all that pan-asian goodness.
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10. Bangalore Broiled Oysters With Chorizo In Ponzu Sauce
We'll be honest. We didn't actually try these ourselves--we were way too stuffed--but several people we trust inform us this might just be one of the freshest, most worthwhile dishes on the menu. The oysters are incredibly fresh and flown in from Kochi while the combination of the chorizo, ponzu and lime make it a balancing act of massive proportions.
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[Our advice? Make your reservations right this minute. Open from 7 pm – 1 am; and from 6th July, open for lunch as well from 12 noon to 3.30 pm]
Images Courtesy: Kunal Chandra & Sanjay Ramachandran for Fatty Bao
