The Fat Prince is ready for succession. After years of serving up jazzed-up Middle Eastern plates at its opulent store along Peck Seah Street, its latest dinner menu provides refreshed updates that are fit for royalty. At the helm is head chef Simon Bell, who most recently spent three years as senior sous chef at David Myer’s Adrift in the Marina Bay Sands. Now, his reign at Fat Prince will give way to fresh new creations that showcase a balance between freshness and spice.
Start by grazing along the lavish mezze spread where you’ll find velvety smooth roasted cashew hummus ($15), salt-baked beets and watercress with goat’s cheese ($24), and some smoked tomato pide ($19) zhuzh up with bone marrow. There are also lightly cured slices of kingfish ($28) that come with the vibrance of pickled mango and pink peppercorn. But whatever you do, do not skip around the carbs. By royal decree, get the table a serving of walnut sourdough ($7), which comes with a toothsome ottomani smoked date butter.
The feast continues with large sharing plates so you best save some stomach space. The headlining braised Wagyu short rib ($72) comes uniquely flavoured with tamarind and pairs brilliantly with aromatic pistachio tahini. Another highlight arrives as an unassuming slab of battered cod ($30/100g). It sports a perfectly crispy crust encasing flaky melt-in-your-mouth meat that eats well on its own, but better when paired with the fiery Marash chilli and some za’atar-laced cabbage.
Still hungry? The Fat Prince doesn’t shy away from desserts (from $15) so you can leave the guilt at the door. Indulge in a decadent housemade pistachio ice cream sandwich, citrusy rosewater pavlova, or the refreshingly light but irresistible olive oil sorbet. And don’t leave without raising a toast, or two. Sip on the nightcap-worthy Castenea Boulevardier ($24), an alluring combination of bourbon, chestnut, sweet vermouth and a splash of Campari or have a go at the Naenae Cay ($15), a fresh and approachable non-alcoholic tipple that strings green apple, lime, mint and sour plum together.
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Original review by Nicole-Marie Ng on October 17 2016
★★★★
Let Fat Prince show you a whole new world of Middle Eastern flavours, shining, shimmering and splendid. Designed to reflect Istanbul’s opulent café culture – think velvet navy chairs, wooden rafters lined with gold and Arabic mosaic embedded in the walls – it’s grand without being gaudy.
Chef Hunter J Moyes, who competed in Season 2 of Chopped Canada, leads the kitchen to produce modern Middle Eastern food with a focus on kebabs. There are currently six types on the menu, including baharat honey chicken, smoked kasar cheese and spicy beef Adana ($16/two, $24/three). Each kebab is palm-sized but packed with as much filling as it can possibly hold. Order the spicy Adalar prawn kebab, whose sweet pear salad base mellows out the heat of the marinated shellfish. Topped with a sour and slightly bitter pickled chayote (a type of gourd), the taco-resembling dish hits all the taste profiles in one mouthful.
Equally impressive are the small plates and salads. The Fat Prince hummus ($12) is a smooth blend of chickpeas, duck fat, garlic and lemon, and sprinkled with a mix of fragrant spices. Spread it over crispy bread chips and it’s filling enough to be a meal on its own. Similarly, the Turkish kisir ($14) is a mix of bulgur wheat and roasted vegetables tossed in herbs and pepper paste. The hearty salad will satisfy people in the CBD looking to eat clean but can’t quite give up on grains just yet.
Wash it all down with a pistachio latte ($7) or, for the adventurous, orange chilli mocha ($7) that has specks of chilli powder and zest from the citrus. For something stiffer, Fat Prince has wines ($16-$19/glass, $80-$190/bottle) and beers ($13-$18) from Lebanon and Morocco alongside specialty cocktails ($18-$22) infused with spices.
Time Out Singapore reviews anonymously and pays for all meals. Read our restaurant review policy here.
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