Chinatown's Fat Mao has been a long-time favourite for big, steamy, savoury bowls of noodles, and soon there will be a second place in the city to dive in for a soulful slurp.
Fat Mao's chef-owner Angus An has expanded his already-impressive Vancouver restaurant empire with another location of the noodle shop which will reside at 983 Helmcken St. The location was previously Balila (a hummus-centric Middle Eastern spot) and before that the edgier Latab restaurant.
Opening day for Fat Mao 2.0 is set for Sept. 6, 2022.
This is An's first foray into Downtown Vancouver; in addition to Fat Mao he is renowned for his more upscale Thai restaurant Maenam in Kitsilano and the casual Longtail in New Westminster.
Fat Mao's menu of street-food-inspired noodle soups and share-ables is drawn from An's travels in Asia.
An explains: “Fat Mao is an ode to the small storefronts handed down through several family generations that specialize in making one single dish over and over. I
want our guests to pull up a stool and enjoy a bowl of their favourite noodle soup with a good novel for years to come.”
What's on the menu at the downtown Fat Mao
Fans and newcomers will find the second Fat Mao echoes the vision of the original with many of its dishes along with some exclusives for the 2.0 location.
In addition to core signature dishes like Fat Mao's Khao Soi, diners can also enjoy a new Albacore tuna ceviche, braised beef brisket noodles served with Asian celery and fried garlic, and Nam Ngaio, a Northern-style tender pork-rib noodle dish with pork-blood cake, red cotton tree flowers and fermented soybean. The broth is tomato-y and light, though it reads richer on the palate, almost like a classic western tomato soup, and it delivers a pleasant lip-tingling spice that is soft, not scorching.
Another dish you'll only find at this location is the Hot and Sour seafood soup, served with a thin, clear noodle. Diners of the original Fat Mao may know the Hot and Sour Pork soup, but that dish was built around sourcing the pork from a Chinatown butcher. With the new location - and the impending firing up of a centralized prep kitchen in the adjacent hotel - An says he wanted to create another dish that is exclusive to the downtown space.
As a sweet bonus, the downtown Fat Mao will also serve shaved ice with rotating flavours, like Thai tea.
Of course, there are plenty of dishes you can find at both spots that are worth trying. If you are looking for something more veg-focused, the fried egg salad is a bright, tangy dish that features two beautifully crispy fried eggs with creamy yolks that cut the bite of the dressing. The salad is one of An's personal favourites; he says a fried egg is the first thing he learned how to cook as a youngster, under his mom's direction.
The 25-seat Downtown Fat Mao will also work with local needs in mind, serving up quick lunches for busy office dwellers and offering a great option for people primed for an evening out at the theatre or movies.
The light, airy space boasts an open kitchen and touches like a pearlescent "noodle" light (and some special artwork to be installed later in September).
An says he didn't bring on architect for the project, but rather took cues from the first Fat Mao to set up a kitchen and dining area that works for their noodle-soup centric menu. Once the commissary kitchen comes online, An hopes to deploy a few time-saving strategies using new equipment that will free up staff to focus on serving guests and not be tethered to ingredient prep.
Fat Mao 2.0 will be open on weekdays from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.You can also visit the original Fat Mao Noodles in Chinatown at 217 E. Georgia St and follow them on Instagram at @fatmaonoodles.
Have a look at a few of the dishes and the new space when I went for a preview of Fat Mao 2.0:
@vancouverisawesome Sorry plant based friends, this one leads with meat. 🍜 #forkingawesome #vancouverbc #noodletok #noodlesoup ♬ All For You - Janet Jackson
This article was originally published on June 23, 2022, and has since been updated.
