Fatty Meats at Fatty Crab

I was already fan of the Fatty empire on my first visit to Fatty Cue in Brooklyn about 18 months ago. First, it was the super strong but well-balanced cocktails at the bar. Then, it was the intoxicating smokiness in the dining room that filled my head with visions of blissful backyard barbeques and farmland smokehouses. Then it was the food -- the noodles with meat juices, the fried bacon, the spicy pork ribs. 

Fatty Crab holds the same philosophy in meat, fusion and flavors, but with less of an emphasis on pork and more of hints of fusion -- in this case, Malaysian. While Fatty Cue is like Fette Sau in a hipster's tuxedo, Fatty Crab leans heavier in the Southeast direction.

My first trip to the West Village location on Sunday night lent itself to four types of meat. The beef rendang reminded me of Srirpraphai's beef penang curry, with tender, meaty and fatty short ribs melting over heaps of spicy coconut rice. The mussels were slightly sweet with yuzu. The bone-in duck was perfectly cooked, medium rare. But the stand-out was the crispy pork belly with watermelon, both with a crunch, with sweet and vinegary watermelon a refreshing reprieve to the saltiness of the hot pork. 

 Next time, I'd like to try the crab.

Fatty Crab

643 Hudson Street
(between Horatio and Gansevoort)