Fatty ‘Cue: everything about their name beckons me. Simple and self explanatory, it hints at the acute smell of wood fire and pork fat. Gluttons prepare for the recently added Fatty ‘Cue Late Night Menu, featured Thursday-Saturday at the new West Village hot spot. Just off Carmine Street, this Malaysian barbecue joint offers a real nightcap, the newest spot brought to us by the Seasoned Fatty Crew, masterminds behind its sister restaurant Fatty Crab.
Waiting at the black tile bar, we are surrounded by a hipster crowd resting their flannel elbows on the dark wood tables of the restaurant’s banquette tables and booths. The bartender is kept busy by the throngs but still managed to give us informative lesson on the nuances of their imaginative cocktails. We perused the menu and were enthused by a selective list of impossible prospects. The Smokin’ Bone is a drink that will do the trick while managing to taste like the wonderful char on a rack of ribs. Or go for the Shaolin Sour, named after a style of Kung Fu martial arts. If you aren’t up for something so conceptual, they do sell tall boys there (they aren’t ashamed to admit it) and of course, there’s a list of beers on tap.
Their Late Night Menu kicks off at 12 AM, a peculiar time for supper, screams the Minnesotan in me, but here in New York, the place is packed. The menu is brief, but every item is astounding. Seating us at a thick wooden bench, our waiter passes us the clipboard late night menus with a glimmer in his eye. Surprisingly, the menu offers up a couple healthy starters, and we kick off the meal with a salad, which rolls with large perfect chunks of sharp clothbound cheddar and ambrosial apples doused in a light cider vinigarette.
The ½ pound of deep fried bacon is a house favorite of the late night crowd, and the dish hints at coriander and has a lightly sweet verde salsa on it, to compliment the smokey flavor of the thick cut bacon. We braved the Trippa, a Malaysian prepared tripe which is not for the faint of heart. It is bathed in a red tomato curry sauce, and, beholden to the true funky flavors of Malaysia, it has a fierce tang of anchovy. The Heritage Pork Ribs are smoked to perfection, falling off the bone and succulent on the inside, smooth and crisped on the outside, featuring their signature fish sauce and palm sugar coating. The generous pair of ribs are emboldened by a kick from Indonesian long pepper and were exhaustively delicious.
Cross culture influences shine at this Fatty Crab offshoot, where the drinks are strong and the Asian flavor gives a multifarious shake up to the West Village. Highly recommended after a big night out, Fatty ‘Cue will captivate you from start to finish. We may have left the place stuffed, but I can’t wait to book my next reservation, and can only imagine what the Fatty Crew has in store for their spring menu.
