Fat Mao
217 E. Georgia
604-569-8192
FatMaoNoodles.com
Open daily 11:30am-9pm
In certain – or, actually, most – circles, Angus An can do no wrong. Whether indulging in his always delicious (and incredibly priced) prix-fixe chef’s menu at Maenam, the Hainanese-style roasted chicken at Freebird, or his elevated take on Thai street food at Longtail Kitchen, the chef/restaurateur has won enough awards and praise (including mine) to justify a star along any culinary walk of fame.
When news hit in 2015 about An’s then-forthcoming Chinatown venture – which would focus on Thai, Chinese and Malaysian-style noodles – all I could do was salivate and offer up a small prayer of anticipatory thanks. After the typical delays occasioned by dealing with City Hall, Fat Mao opened in late summer of that year to long line-ups and nightly sell-outs of its menu – several hours earlier than the intended closing time. Since then, business has steadied, although line-ups still aren’t uncommon.
The tiny space (25 seats) has a long open kitchen running along one side, and seating on the other. Service can be a bit hit-and-miss: One night, my server couldn’t explain the difference between the two choices of noodles with certain dishes (“Rice noodle or rice noodle.” Huh?); on another visit, I had to give several enthusiastic waves to catch anyone’s attention after waiting 30 minutes (in a half-empty room) to order another beverage. But everyone is super-friendly here, and the hiccups were just that: small interruptions in an otherwise well-run room.
The menu focuses on bowls of hot, slurpy things, but don’t miss the sides. Roti with curry dipping sauce ($5.99) was itself good enough to encourage repeat visits. The bread isn’t made in-house (JS Roti Factory in Richmond is responsible for these delightful, buttery chunks), but when paired with the thin, flavourful sauce, it made for an easy, excellent snack. Likewise, the tasty century egg ($7.99) is made elsewhere in Chinatown, but is paired with very nice house-made tofu, making for a silky textural mash-up alongside fried shallot and bonito flakes. A standout was the tuna-and-mussels ceviche ($9.99), which came in a beautiful herbed dressing accompanied by excellent yam chips that I saved to go with my noodle bowl.
The noodles all come in under $12, and are a decent size for the price. The northern Thai-style changmai curry ($11.99) comes with both wonton and crispy noodles, a free-range chicken leg that is almost confit, and lots of turmeric. It’s rich, a little oily, and quite fragrant. Southern Thai beef laksa reminds me of a brisket broth I enjoyed as a child; this version is heartily spiced and dotted with peanuts and dried shrimp. You can choose the wonton noodles or steamed rice with this one. Here, again, a hint of oiliness seems to call for the absorbent rice, but it’s the noodles I’d rather have.
If the soft-serve durian ice cream ($5.99) is available, give it a try, as I’ve never found the infamously funky southeast Asian fruit a palatable flavour before. Otherwise, the Vietnamese-coffee affogato ($4.99) is a palate-cleansing finish. Fat Mao is also licensed now, meaning you can pair your meal with a good beer or even one of two cocktails, of which the Gin Mao ($8.99) is a good choice, with its Noilly Prat vermouth and hint of citrus.
There might still be a few kinks here and there, but there’s no denying that An has created another hit in his growing restaurant empire. And if the past is any indicator, things are only looking up from here.
Rating:
Food: ★★★
Service: ★★
Ambiance: ★★
Value: ★★★
Overall: ★★★
All ratings out of five stars.
★ : Okay, nothing memorable.
★★ : Good, shows promise.
★★★: Very good, occasionally excellent.
★★★★ : Excellent, consistently above average.
★★★★★: Awe-inspiring, practically perfect in every way.
Anya Levykh is a freelance food, drink and travel writer who covers all things ingestible. Find her on Twitter and Instagram @foodgirlfriday.
