Fatty Bao- Bangalore

Had been to Bengaluru on a business trip and people whom I knew had told me that Fatty Bao was one place that was not to be missed if you have a penchant for Asian cuisines. There are very few places in Hyderabad which dish out some real Asian delicacies, and so I was a bit apprehensive on how such a fare in Bengaluru would turn out for me.

I actually reached the place along with a friend without any reservation. Lucky me, the lady at the reception counter allowed us a table after a good 10 mins of wait! (being a weekend there was heavy rush). The interiors obviously had an Asian theme with some catchy paintings adorning the walls. But with the lighting a couple of notches below, it gave me a more bar like feeling. Would have preferred a little bit more of light. 

The menu was laid out in front of us the moment we were seated. I was quite clear on what I had planned to eat, and so we made no delay in placing our order for Salmon and Dill Roll(sushi), Spicy Chicken & Celery Gyoza, Grilled Lamb Chops, Chicken Katsu Ramen, red wine Sangria, Sangria Senorita and virgin Mojito.

The mojito arrived first and it went to my friend. No worries, my Sangria would follow soon!

Virgin Mojito

But what followed next was the Salmon and Dill sushi rolls served with wasabi, sushi ginger and sushi sauce(soy). the sushi was perfectly made and the salmon tasted quite fresh and absolutely yum! The soy sauce was quite standard, but what stood out were the wasabi and ginger. The punch that tiny piece of wasabi packed! I would remember it for a quite long time. Its almost comparable to wasabi that I have always liked at The Westin (Hyderabad). sweetened ginger had a bit stronger taste of vinegar, but it was quite tender and definitely worked out well with the sushi rolls and wasabi.

Salmon and dill sushi rolls

Next to arrive at our table was the chicken & celery gyoza, and I was growing impatient as to why they were not bringing all the dishes at once! A gyoza is a sort of fried dumpling. Identified as a Japanese dish, it has orgins in China and hence is quite similar to dumplings. I couldn't trace the celery(or may be my taste buds were blind towards it) but the chicken filling was a wee little bit spicy and quite tender. Accompanied with 3 sauces, the names of which I am forgotten, the dumplings were relished by all of us. Would surely recommend this to whoever is visiting Fatty Bao!

Chicken and celery gyoza

Aah! The Sangria arrives! But what is this? Instead of cubes or slices, they had the fruit julienned and I didn't like that. The wine did not really carry any of the fruity flavors(the juices), and I doubted if they had been mixed for long enough. Okayish....and this led me to think about the wonderful Sangria I have tasted in Olive Bistro(Hyderabad). Would give this a miss if I ever visit again.

Red wine sangria

The service staff, although very courteous, had decided to make our table a course-wise dinner table. Every time I would get impatient for the food not arriving on our table(I was quite tired due to my travel and wanted to finish off my dinner early) the service staff would bring in a plate, and this time a very tangy spicy flavored wafted off from it. The grilled lamb chops are an absolute delight here. No meaty smell and the the chops marinated in tamerind and chilli were just fabulous with a great balance of sour-sweet(a tinge of sweetness) and chilli. I so wanted to order more and gorge on them! Definitely recommended to anybody who visits!

Grilled Lamb Chops

And finally the last course on our table was the main course. The bowl of chicken katsu ramen is actually quite a meal in itself. It would be almost enough for two moderate eaters and since we were quite full, we shared a bowl among ourselves (The picture of my bowl after sharing between two). Somewhere in between clear and fuzy, the ramen(soup and noodles that is) had Japanese style fried chicken(Katsu) and a half boiled egg apart from veggies. Not quite sure if a half boiled egg added up to the ramen, but the soup was delectable and with a softer tone on flavors!A very good combination and I started comparing it with Pho(vietnamese) and Khow suey(Burmese). The base of noodles soup in same for all the cuisines but many other ingredients and taste varies from country to country. Quite satisfied with this bowl of ramen. It defintely is a tummy filler.

A very satisfying and full dinner. Pricey definitely, but I felt the dishes were upto mark(if I ignore the drinks) A very courteous staff made my dining experience pleasurable. Definitely recommended for a dinner experience!

Ambiance - 3.5/5
Food - 4.5/5
Service - 4/5
VFM - 4/5(ignoring the drinks)