The Fatty Bao is Finally in Delhi!

The Fatty Bao has finally come to Delhi! Yay! Ever since it opened in Bangalore, I would have to hear from my Bangalore friends how awesome it is and how ‘I didn’t know what I was missing’. Well, no more! The brainchild of Chef Manu Chandra and restaurateur AD Singh, this much loved Bangalore restaurant, hailing from the same F&B family as Monkey Bar, is now here in Delhi.

Housed in the swanky Sangam Courtyard in R.K. Puram, this restaurant with a Panda for its mascot, serves up delicious Pan-Asian delicacies that leave you wanting more. Or so I’d heard. Well, when you consistently keep hearing such glowing reviews of a restaurant, you just have to visit when said restaurant finally comes to your city. And so a plan was made and some fellow foodies and I decided to head there for lunch with stomachs empty and expectations sky high :)

On arrival, we were quickly seated and ordered some Bira beer and a plate of California rolls from the Sushi section, as well as some Baos (you can't go to The Fatty Bao and not order the Baos).While we waited for the food to arrive, we took in the ambience. I have to say I love the way this restaurant is done up. Colorful walls dotted with quirky graphics, custom made lamps and multicolored chairs gave the place a playful, yet chic vibe.

California Roll with crab meat

 First to arrive was the Sushi. The California roll (with crab meat) was good, but not exceptional. I was a little worried. Was I going to be disappointed? You usually tend to be when you visit a restaurant with such high expectations. The after a short wait, the Baos arrived. We had ordered the Char Siu and the Tenderloin Bulgogi. I bit into the Char Siu and it was love at first bite, a foodgasm for all three of us. The pork belly in the Bao was the best pork belly I have ever had! It was juicy, tender & melt-in-the-mouth and worked so well with the green apple kimchi. WOW! With a glass of chilled beer and a plate of Char Siu and I’m pretty sure the problems of the world could be solved :) Admittedly the Char Siu is a hard act to follow, and sadly we made the mistake of trying the tenderloin Bao after it. All three of us were a little disappointed. The let down for me were the strips of tenderloin, which I felt weren't tender enough.

The Char Siu

The Tenderloin Bulgogi

On the advice of the manger, we ordered the Pan seared scallops with Fujiko Butter and The Fatty Bao PB&J from the Small Plates section of the menu. Once again we were very impressed with the quality of the pork in the PB&J which was delicious, and the scallops which were plump and succulent, literally melted in the mouth.

The Fatty Bao PB&J

Pan seared Scallops with Fujiko Butter

With just enough space left for dessert, we settled for the Zen Forest, which is a Yuzu Parfait (Yuzu is a citrus fruit that has a lemony flavour), with a black sesame seed sponge, beetroot ice cream and sesame nougatine. When the dessert was placed in front of us, we were floored by how beautiful it was- almost like a little forest on the plate. And it tasted as good as it looked, with the exception of the black sesame sponge which I found to be very dry. The lemony parfait was refreshing without being too tart. And I loved the earthy taste of the beetroot ice cream.

The Zen Forest

Overall, The Fatty Bao met all my expectations and exceeded them too with a few dishes. It is a little pricey, but understandable considering the quality of the ingredients used. Aside from the taste, every item was beautifully presented and I was very impressed with their attention to detail. I definitely plan to visit again. I plan to try some of their signature cocktails as well as the dim sums among other things.

The Fatty Bao is definitely worth a visit or two or three :) It’s not just the food that’s great, but the entire dining experience, from the décor, the service and the presentation of the food. I would give it a 4/5. The highlights for me were the Char Siu Bao, the Pan Seared Scallops and the Zen Forest dessert. Keep up the great work guys!

*Disclaimer: All Things Nice reviewed this meal anonymously and paid for the meal

[All images clicked by Shalini Pereira. Please do not use without prior written permission]