We found Fatty's Chinese Kitchen to be very unassuming on quiet side of International Market Place with a small line. As we walked closer, the smell of chinese food coming through the double doors was very intoxicating. We entered the restaurant and was greeted by a woman dressed in a red polo shirt, we immediately noticed that the restaurant was only about 10 feet by 20 feet! The majority of the restaurant was mainly the open kitchen and a table/bar the wrapped into a letter J with 8-9 chairs for customers to sit in and eat. It was very clausterphobic or as I like to call it "very intimate". After accepting that fact, we saw, behind the counter in the open kitchen, that there's only one guy really cooking the food for all the patrons! The lady in red took our order (the famous Chicken & Salted Fish Fried rice for 2), while we sat down in front of the Master Chef, as he cooked with 2 giant Woks. Talk about dinner and a show!!! The high heat fire ROARED like it was a gateway to hell and on top of it was the searing hot wok, as he furiously tossed, mixed in herbs and spices into what ever he was cooking. We were mesmerized! We understood then that he needed to move quickly, dancing, always moving the food, tossing and stirring the inside of the Wok or else it would burn. Each dish he prepared only took about 2-4 mins to cook!
Then I saw him grab 2 eggs, take out cooked white rice, small pieces of chicken, and some cubed salted fish. We were about to bear witness to how they cook their famous Chicken & Salted fish Fried rice! The Master Chef sauteed the chicken and salted fish first, removed it, puts a little bit of oil, slammed in the cooked white rice stirs and tossed it furiously. He then puts back the Chicken and Salted fish, tosses in the 2 eggs, little soy sauce and mysterious seasonings. He danced a little more then tossed the whole thing in the air and caught it on our 2 plates! It was incredible!!!! Okay, it wasn't like that, but you get the idea that it was awesome!
The rice itself had a hint of toasted rice, the chicken and 2 eggs gave it life, and the soul of it was slightly saltiness from the salted fish. The fried rice was just exquisite... Absolutely amazing. No words can ever describe such palate of grandeur. Perfection doesn't even come close!
The food is not gourmet by any stretch of anyone's imagination, but what it is- is what people would call a perfect home cooking! Ever wonder how Chinese food is cooked with a wok? How can Chinese food veggies be fully cooked and tasty but still has a crunch when you bite into it? Fatty's Chinese Kitchen will show you with their Dinner and show! This restaurant became our nightly ritual as our "midnight diabetic snack" every time we went back. Sadly, while writing this, after 35 years of service, I found out via Yelp that Fatty's Chinese Kitchen is now Permanently closed... Due to massive renovation of the historic world famous International Market Place. Turns out that they will tear down the whole thing, shops/restaurants and all, to erect another mall...
Stay tune on for the last part! Part 5 of 5!!
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