COCONUTS HOT SPOT — A cosy and hip 38-seater along River Valley Road, once the space that housed Five & Dime, is now a kickass Asian BBQ restaurant called Fat Lulu’s. (And no, it’s not really named after anyone, although it sure sounds catchy). Two chefs — Sam Chablani and Pang Ji Shuang (Song) — helm the savoury and dessert menus respectively, and each are different as night and day, but they’re given equal time in the spotlight here.
Chef Sam is the chatty, affable BBQ master who talks in hashtag-worthy phrases like #NoBurnNoTaste and #SpiceisNaise, and that gregarious nature is reflected in his punchy Asian-spiced meats, seafood and veggies. Then you’ve got Chef Song, who’s cool, calm and soft-spoken — his dessert creations are elegantly plated with intriguing flavours that are somewhat familiar yet offer a modern twist. Needless to say, these two make culinary magic at Fat Lulu’s, and dining there is quite the experience.
Let’s start off with the savouries, shall we? Most of the items are small plates, so we’d suggest you get a bunch to share. A must-order is the unassuming plate of burnt corn ($11), where sweet corn is rubbed with lemon and salt, then sprinkled with oregano and paired with smoked paprika sour cream (seriously, that smokey sour cream is ridiculously good — we even saved it as dip for other dishes).
Then there’s the Sataytay ($12), obviously a nod to the one and only Taylor Swift. It’s like an atas version of your street satay — think Iberico pork collar marinated in sambal and grilled to tender perfection.
For a carb staple, try the roasted potatoes in lamb fat with mushrooms and kale ($12) to change things up from your regular duck fat fries. The plate of fried baby calamari ($14) tossed in tumeric salt is pretty damn good too — you won’t be able to stop snacking on ’em.
Now we come to the meats. Definitely go for the spicy BBQ baby back ribs ($28) — drenched in a housemade sauce of chipotle, kicap manis and rice wine vinegar, this dish of fork-tender pork ribs goes great with a side of burnt asparagus in bearnaise ($14).
The herb-crusted lamb rack ($27) with potato gratin is another signature, as is the Duh Meat Board ($28) of wagyu inside skirt, pork collar and charred kai lan veggies sprinkled with garlic chips. But if you’re more of a fish person, try the ikan bakar ($28). This parrotfish is marinated in chilli oil garlic paste, ginger paste and tumeric, and comes with a side of what’s cheekily called the ‘kiss of Nicki Minaj’ (basically Fat Lulu’s rendition of achar).
Remember to save space for desserts, even if you’re just gonna get something as simple as the banana bread ($14) with brandy butterscotch, rice puffs and coconut ice cream. The pineapple and coconut ‘ice kachang’ ($14) is interesting, what with the mix of pineapple granita, coconut ice cream, coconut foam, atap seeds and chendol jellies. But our favourites are the sweet treats that come with a slight twist on our childhood favourites.
Like the Atas Kinder Bueno ($16) — a chocolate bar of Baileys, hazelnut, vanilla, white choc and caramel on a plate with milk choc Chantilly cream, choc sponge and bitter choc sherbet — it tastes pretty much just like its name. There’s also a dessert actually named childhood ($16), which sorta looks like a peanut butter popsicle smashed headfirst into the plate of chocolate cookie crumbles with frozen and puréed raspberries.
If you’re the brunch type of person, Fat Lulu’s offers more unique takes on standard brunch fare, with plates like pandan and vanilla rice pudding, fried chicken with Thai chilli sauce and pancakes, and Croque Tambi, which is a murtabak-style omelette soaked in sriracha and mayo then sandwiched between ciabatta slices. Messy, but delicious.
Fat Lulu’s is at 297 River Valley Rd, 9236-5002. Dinner: Sun, Tue-Thurs 6pm-11pm, Fri & Sat 6pm-late; brunch: Sat & Sun 11am-4pm.
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