Fatty 'Cue

Fatty ‘Cue has been on my radar for months. A new concept in BBQ, it mixes southern style cooking technique with Asian flavors mostly Thai and Malaysian flavors, and it's pretty hard to ignore. What is also hard to ignore is the massive amount of press this place gets. Everything is covered, from videos on how they smoke their meats to how they decorate the place, a lighting fixture shaped like a pig hangs in the main dining room - these guys are serious about BBQ.

This was my second time going to Fatty ‘Cue. My first experience didn't go so well. I was on a date and ummm… let's just say I was happy the night ended quickly and I didn't have to resort to stabbing myself in the eye with a chopstick to speed things along. Fatty ‘Cue is located on South 6^th Street in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, not far from Peter Luger’s Steakhouse and the Williamsburg bridge. A good thing to know, for you Manhattanites who might go buck-wild one night and cross the bridge, even though it's in hipster land, I promise you won't return to Manhattan a liberal.

As my friend and I entered the place, a dude bro rocking a fedora let us know it would be a 45 minute to one hour wait. That didn't scare me because from what I can recall on that train wreck of a date, the food was the best part of the night. I was down to wait it out. So my friend and I made our way over to the bar.

Fatty ‘Cue was dimly lit with a packed bar that took up 1/4 of the space. A few tables took up another 1/4 and hipsters took over the other 1/2. They also have a main dinning room, which I didn't get to see again, where the pig light fixture hangs, maybe next time..  I ordered a drink called the ‘CUE ($9), Wrey & Nephew Rum, smoked pineapple, citrus, Tabasco sauce, Pernod and served in a tiny martini glass for my big, bruised knuckled hands to enjoy. The potent scent of citrus from waffed into my nose, my friend had a cold but even she could smell it. The drink was sweet and tangy, and left me with a minor burning sensation, it hurt so good. Bravo, Bartender.

(courtesy of always hungry)

 My Friend and I spotted a nice little nook with two bar stools for us to hang in while we wait. As we waited, any argument ensued between my friend and I, Can we just eat here? I wasn't sure, so after 15 minutes of yapping back and forth on the issue my friend took matters into her own hands and asked the dude bro with the fedora if we could eat there and, before she could finish her question, dude bro said yes. Shit, sometimes I wish I was a cute Asian girl. Life would be so much easier.

The waiter came by with two plates, some chopsticks and a bottle of tap water. No need for menu's I already knew what we were getting: The 'Cue Coriander bacon ($14), the cucumbers($6) , the noodles ($11) and the Brandt Ranch beef brisket ($21). While waiting for our food my friend and I noticed someone eating  heritage pork ribs ($12) at the bar, so we added that to our meal.

And here it comes…

The noodles were drenched in meat juices and served with a scallion and chili sauce.  I added a little hot sauce to make things interesting. The noodles were firm, the meat sauce gave it a nice flavor with a nice kick in the balls from the hot sauce a few seconds later. HOLY FUCK! These had to be the best tasting Asian noodles I’ve ever had in my life!

The cucumbers were diced up with smoked chili peppers, brown rice vinegar and topped with sesame seeds. They didn’t really play with my emotions as much as the noodles did, but they were good and fresh and had a nice crunchiness to them. I guess that’s all I can say.

The bacon had a hint of coriander and was served with toast and yellow mustard. I didn’t try the mustard but I can tell you one thing: I used to think Peter Luger’s had the best bacon, but now, Fatty ‘Cue gets my vote for best in show. Tender pieces of perfectly seasoned bacon with a perfectly fat-to-meat ratio gave me a little poke in my pants. 

(courtesy of wanderingfoodie)

 The ribs made me feel like Fred Flinstone. They were huge and tender with every bite. A little spice, a little sweet and a little Asian flavor made them perfect.

( courtesy of glenwood )

Last but not least came out the Brandt Ranch Beef Brisket - a sliced brisket, charred perfectly and served with chili jam, aioli, steamed bao buns, pickled red onion and a bone broth. I started to put together the perfect brisket bao sandwich for myself, consisting of all the sides, except the aioli, and it was perfect. The brisket was soft and juicy, and leaked as I bit into it. The chili jam gave it a little kick but cooled off at the end, as I got a hint of sweetness.

(courtesy of brigidpearson)

As the night went on, the service started to slow. It was difficult to find our waiter at times but, needless to say, when he was around he was helpful. The total came to $85 plus tip, which is damn cheap for the amount and the quality of food Fatty ‘Cue serves.

Fatty ‘Cue, I think I love you.

Fatty 'Cue
91 South 6th street, Brooklyn NY
(718) 599 - 3090
http://www.fattycue.com/