Fab Review: Brunch at Fat Rice

Fat Rice draws upon the spirit of Macau, a former Portuguese colony along the southern border of China, whose incredible cuisine is heavily influenced by both cultures to create foods with a delectable fusion of flavors right here in Chicago.

Fat Rice is a bold place. Their logo emphasizes its graffiti lettering, their interior decor is flourished with pieces of in-your-face art, and their menu and flavors certainly walk the walk. The dishes take cues from both Chinese and Portuguese cuisine, with items such as dumplings, radish cakes, fermented black bean, linguiça, and pastel de nata. Trust me, this fusion is definitely something to be excited about.

{Ambiance}
The interior of Fat Rice has an industrial-chic look that’s so popular in many Chicago restaurants these days. There’s dark unfinished wood paneling, exposed pipes and vents, and rock music playing in the background.

What makes Fat Rice stand out from other similar restaurants is their eclectic collection of trinkets and decorations. There are beautiful decorative plates, vases modeled after those from the Ming dynasty, and little ceramic dolls and figurines.

The bathrooms are covered with fun screen prints, and they keep a fully stocked shelf of their cook book, The Adventures of Fat Rice. The entire restaurant really isn’t that big, but the open kitchen gives the illusion of a much bigger space and adds a welcoming feel. As for seating, patrons have the option of bar seating, communal tables, individual tables, and (for warmer weather) al fresco dining.

{Food}
Curry Vegetable Samosas
These are delicate little samosas filled with curried mushroom, cabbage, and other vegetables, served with a tamarind mustard-seed chutney. The filling reminds me of what’s commonly found in spring rolls, and the samosa skin is thin and crispy like a spring roll – so in actuality, these are spring rolls disguised as samosas. Moving beyond semantics, they are quite tasty.

Minchi Croquettes
These croquettes are made of minced linguiça, a smoke-cured pork sausage mixed with paprika and garlic. They’re topped with cilantro and red peppers and served with plum sauce. I love minced meat croquettes (which are usually chorizo), and these are as good as any I’ve had.

Hong Kong-Style French Toast
Peanut butter and banana stuffed French toast with maple-bacon and mushroom maple syrup. How can you read that and not order it? There’s peanut butter, bacon, maple (the mushroom was virtually undetectable) – a lot of ingredients with strong competing flavors that could easily overwhelm the dish. It’s a miracle that Fat Rice has managed to achieve balance with so many different things going on. I do love HK style French toast, which is basically a milk bread and peanut butter sandwich dipped in egg batter and fried. Fat Rice’s version is topped with caramelized egg wisps (amazing – how does someone even think of this?) and comes with a thinner maple syrup, which works well with the heaviness of the other ingredients. I will say that the bacon was a little tough, the peanut butter dry, and the banana flavor a bit understated. That said, the French toast is fluffy, and the flavors work very well with each other. If you’re looking for a lighter brunch, go for something else; however, if you want to indulge, this is the dish for you.

FAB TIP: You can also opt for seasonal fruit in place of maple-bacon if you want a lighter French toast.

Minchi Hash
Minchi is the name for the Macanese dish of minced ground beef or pork cooked with soy sauce, often served with a fried egg. The minchi hash served at Fat Rice is actually made with both ground beef and pork and is flavored with light, dark, and sweet soy sauce. There’s an incredible depth of flavor to the ground meat, and it’s quite reminiscent of Taiwanese café food. I grew up eating meat dishes that were often cooked with multiple soy sauces, so this was very nostalgic and comforting. The coconut rice is wonderfully aromatic and the baby bok choy sautéed to perfection. Mixed in were crisped potato and red peppers to provide some contrasting texture, and the sunny side-up egg rounds out the stunning dish. The minchi hash definitely holds true to its Macanese flavors, and I would highly recommend this.

Portuguese Egg Tarts
My brother is obsessed with egg tarts, so we often had a box of them in the house growing up. They’re not on the top of my dessert list, but I do appreciate a good egg tart when I get one. Fat Rice’s egg tarts definitely ranks as one of the best egg tarts I’ve ever had. The pastry was so flaky and beautifully browned, and the filling was soft and light. Best of all, it was just the right sweetness. As their menu says, these tarts are made with love and secrets.

{Experience}
Brunch only comes along twice a week, so it’s a valued time in my life. Spending one of my brunch opportunities at Fat Rice was a great choice. My love for fusion food is well-known, and Fat Rice brought fantastic Macanese and American flavors to the table. The standout dish by far was the minchi hash, so be sure to order that when you go. The service is also stellar, and I’d like to give a shout out to our waiter Tony, who was very attentive and happy to explain any questions we had about the food. Unfortunately, we didn’t finish our meal in time to go visit the bakery, so I’ll probably be back to check that out and try their dinner menu as well.

FAB TIP: Their brunch hours are 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays, but 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sundays, so be mindful when planning your trip.

{Location}
Fat Rice
Logan Square || 2957 W Diversey Ave || Chicago, IL || P: (773) 661-9170

{Price Range}
$$ ($11-$36)

{Fab Rating: 4 Fabs}

Have you ever tried Macanese food or been to Fat Rice? What are your thoughts?

Live, laugh, eat,
Senxi

Note: This meal was not complimentary. The views and opinions expressed herein are those of the writer.