Fat Lulu
297 River Valley Rd, 238338
Obscured, far from any MRT station, definitely not suitable to trek to in the middle of the dry spell but well served by a bus stop just sitting opposite it, Fat Lulu has been making the rounds in social media and this casual restaurant not only serves up delicious grilled mains, but also electrifying traditional desserts, all perfected with a polished service rendered even during the peak hours! It was small and we were fitted at the table near the kitchen initially; not being able to bear the occasional hot draft from the kitchen, and as foodies love to see the preparation in action, we opted for the bar counter instead and that was fun!
What makes Fat Lulu’s small but delicious menu less boring, is also the daily specials that are written on the huge chalkboard. That perhaps is the advantage of a smaller menu, that it gives the chefs space to wield their creativity, duly expressed in the specials! We got the fried curried cauliflower to start off with; made heavier tasting with the creamy madras curry yogurt while condiments like grapes, dill and mint were added to give a refreshing cut. $12.
That Iberico pork Satay is one of those on that special board and when it was served with its lightly sweet savoury aroma wafting towards me, I could immediately associate them to the likes of bak kwa. Well complemented with the sweet honey glaze and we felt the evenly marbled fats gave it a very fragrant savoury edge. $12.
This heavy tasting Spicy BBQ Pork Ribs main was ordered at almost every table; I guess that’s what customers do when we see the previous table getting such a humongous treat at just $28. It would be daft if this wasn’t ordered. Beautifully marinated with the smokey kichap manis sauce coming through strongly and well permeated through that block of protein, the meat was also perfectly grilled to a coveted tender consistency. We loved how robust the flavour of that fermented soy sauce has come through and how it is deftly cut through by the lime drizzle. This was the star.
I wanted some good fish and the Ikan Bakar was actually a pretty exciting fusion. The parrot fish may have tasted drier but this could be the nature of such fishes as they are perhaps less juicier than a cod. The only wish I had, was for them to be less heavy handed on their garlic chilli butter as they tasted really quite spicy to me and intermittent rests were necessary. I have to say though that the yellow tumeric coating did make them look very appetising. $28.
On that creative board again, we plucked off the very modern Ice Kacang which was slightly theatrical with the liquid nitrogen used but it was for a better purpose. What this Ice Kacang is about – Gula melaka shaved ice, topped with the chendol noodles, chewy atap cubes, furiously cooled coconut bits (by that lq N2) and that really smooth tasty coconut ice cream, all eaten to give you that seamless burst of flavours in your mouth, as they do away with the more traditional red bean and sweet corn that could have simply clashed.
What we really like about it here is the bold flavours that we get, the very substantial portions that were served and definitely the very thoughtful service that we get from such a small restaurant. My napkin was quietly replaced when I accidentally dropped it on the floor, but I noticed that. How attentive could it be! And needless to say, I drank a lot of refilled water without having to keep asking for it. Great day out indeed!
Verdict: A good restaurant 3.9/5.
Say Penang cuisine and with my limited South East Asian vocabulary, I could usually only dish out the favourite few – Assam Laksa, Penang Hokkien Mee, Penang Char kuey tiao, that sounds familiar to their Singaporean counterparts yet taste largely different. Sour instead of a creamy bowl of laksa, soupy crustacean packed instead of a dry Hokkien mee and savoury instead of the dark sweetened kuey tiao, these actually seem to be very popular among Singaporeans as well. Not a huge South East Asian foodie and therefore wouldn’t be able to authenticate its authenticity, this was actually pretty delicious in my opinion and with such a family oriented setting at our beautiful Changi Airport, Penang Culture is quite worthy of a visit for a casual family dinner. A new set of menu created by the head chef who aims to put a clever twist to the otherwise more common dishes, making it slightly more upmarket. The difficult bit I felt was making it a Halal chain, that means no pork and much effort has to be put in to compensate for that porky umaminess. Lets see…
Premium Lobster and Scallop Noodles – Highly packed with a heavy crustacean flavour, this broth came through strongly that is well deserving of an applause. With that chunky scallops by the side that are well textured, this was further made upmarket with the slipper lobster added. Beautiful flavour soaked up by the noodles and vermicelli but I reckon the lobster has been overly permeated by the crustacean flavour that makes it lose it natural sweetness. This could have been added last. $16.95.
BBQ Salmon topped off with the Chef’s sweet, spicy paste. My biggest favourite of that night as that umami packed spicy chilli paste lifted greatly the entire taste of the fatty crusty salmon fillet! $11.95.
Penang Fire Wings – Deeply fried these belachan coated wings are to an adequate crisp, with its fragrance further complemented by the sweet plum and Thai chilli sauce, this definitely looked influenced by the Korean culture. $6.55.
Premium crab meat and salted egg fried kway teow. Without the use of pork lard, this still has its character retained by tossing it with the heavy tasting salted egg. $15.95.
Salmon Assam Laksa. The biggest difference from its humbler rendition – the chunky bits of salmon there which mellowed the otherwise distinctive sourish taste. And unlike the thick noodles used by many eateries, Penang Culture uses those imported from Penang that is much thicker and actually resembles bi tai mak. $11.95.
Penang Curry Fish Balls made in Chicken curry. $4.95.
Penang Rojak with cuttlefish tossed within. $5.95.
With so much sinful dishes, this Ampla Juice (Indian Gooseberry) came at the right time as a palate cleanser. Packed with loads of Vitamin C and antioxidants, this is made even more refreshing with a sour plum for a salty kick. Great drink indeed. $4.95.
Durian Chendol – Such a huge, decadent dollop of fragrant durian that makes the entire chendol even creamier and fuller in taste.
While 
Riding on the current craze for Korean Food, Choo Choo Chicken managed to up the game with its Korean Seaweed rice that has the tangy, not overly-fermented kimchi sandwiched between which gave it a refreshing touch. All day sets available with fried chicken over here served in various flavours like soy, sweet, spicy, garlic, honey soy and sweet & sour. $12.90 for a set. This was apparently, the unanimous champion amongst all the other stalls that we have tasted, not because we are in for the craze (you know Korean isn’t my favourite).
Beautifully braised that the meat falls off the bone effortlessly. However, the only gripe could be the oilier base it is served in which could potentially stop me from having another piece. Angus Ribeye ($25, 200g); Grain-fed sirloin ($18, 200g) and Pork Chop ($18).
At Squeezed!, not only do they serve cold-pressed juices that have all the vitamins retained, lovely toasted brioche buns filled with the tasty savouries could also be found here. $4 for the toast.
Louisiana-style seafood cuisine served here presented in buckets of fresh crabs, mussels, clams and prawns, along with a serving of fries and cajun sauce of your choice.
A more playful Japanese place it claims with the more vibrant colours that don’t adhere strictly to the rules for a Japanese presentation; looking and tasting more fusion with American inspired sauces. Their highlights: Sunkissed Salmon roll (from $16.95) and Dos Amigos (from $14.95).
The only mediterranean stall in the premise, Pita & Olives does indeed serve up freshly baked pita bread; fresh ingredients such as olives, tahini, chickpeas to create the wholesome Kebabs, Falafels etc. And we love that smooth hummus there in the centre.
For some Vietnamese Street Food, An An serves quite a spread, such as the Beef Pho, Spring Rolls and Salad. And they will be launching their Soft Shell Crab Pho soon which isn’t on the menu yet. Beef Pho set ($12.90).
With the concept of donburi in mind, Grillo has decided to incorporate grilled seafood and seasoned meats on top of their rice bowls for a fuller meal. Menu highlight: The yuzu salmon Bowl with a house made slaw at $12.90.
The spot for your caffeine fix which also serves up pastries and sweet treats.
4 other stalls not tried, but that 10 was enough to send us home with a stuffed tummy. As for the quality of the food, hits and misses were as expectedly, prevalent which, given the benefit of doubt, may not be representative of the actual standard as some of the dishes were already pre-prepared to cater to the large crowd that night. Reviews equally split on their first principal branch at the Grandstand, it would be interesting to see how this second one fares as the traders over here seem to be serving up better quality food at an O.K. price.
Simply foodolicious! おいしい! 好吃! 맛있는! délicieux! delicioso! 好食! 