Fatty Cue

Restaurant: Fatty Cue
Meal: Red Curry Rubbed Duck, American Wagyu Brisket, Ikan Bakar

I recently read an article about the whole foodie phenomenon and why it's bad (and sometimes good) in Eddie Huang's (of BauHaus fame) blog. (Sidenote: BaoHaus is really fucking good-I need to get myself back there soon) He detailed the different types of food appreciators-essentially it's people who grew up in a food culture and always appreciated food; those who didn't grow up in that culture, but grew to enjoy food; and sort of the gatekeepers of taste: the culinary school, sometimes snobby type.

The first and third groups are pretty well established, but it's the second group that is important to how we consume and appreciate food, especially in a place like New York City. I definitely belong in this category, as I did not grow up in a household that appreciated or celebrated good food. That's not to say I didn't have plenty of fine meals growing up, nor did I fail to appreciate them, but food was always seen as more as a means to an end, and my family wasn't particularly adventurous.

It's only been in the past few years, and really only since I moved to Manhattan that I've really started to "get" food. I know this basically makes me a poseur, and I know I'm late to the party, but I think that's ok as long as I consume good food for the right reasons. And those are basically that it tastes good and I enjoy it. I know I tend to flock to the places Yelp and Grub Street tell me to, but I would never say I liked (or disliked) any of that food simply to comply with popular opinion. I don't have a very refined palette, or proper context for almost any ethnic dish, but that doesn't make my opinion any less valid.

I won't lie-I think I started writing this blog with vague aspirations of becoming some sort of tastemaker; I almost instantly regretted that notion. I do this now (however infrequently that may be) because I enjoy the act of writing, and I think it's good for me (and my friends) to have some record of the good restaurants I've visited, for posterity's sake or whatever. I'm embarrassed that I embraced the idea of being a foodie-I humbly rescind that claim. I'm a newbie for sure-but getting better.

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So what does this all have to do with Fatty Cue? On the surface this is exactly the type of place a hipster foodie goes to. It has all the staples of the current fads in NYC: fusion (but not called fusion-just a "modern take" on traditional food), location in hipster-friendly Williamsburg, tons of meat (especially pork), and gimmicks (fried fish bones!). The restaurant itself was small, cozy, and smelled like a fireplace. They served PBR tallboys.

And yes, I partially went here because the Internet told me I would like it. But the bottom line is none of this shit mattered once I started eating. Why? Because the food was good. Period.

We started with some curry duck, which was packed with flavor. There wasn't much meat on each bone, but the taste was so dense and meaty, we didn't need much. It also had a nice kick to it, which I usually don't see paired with duck. It was served with pickled daikon, which was a nice contrast, but I can't say I'm a big fan of pickled vegetables (other than the normal deli pickle).

The brisket was tender and delicious. It was eaten in buns, with some toppings that I can't remember off the top of my head, but the whole package together was great.

The final dish was probably not the best but certainly the most interesting. My friends and I struggled to get the meat off the bone of our smoked fish (some sort of mackarel I think?), and despite being cooked well and with a nice kick, the fish itself was a little too fishy. It wasn't a bad piece of fish or anything, I just tend to prefer milder fish. The best part though happened when we finished, as our waiter took away the bones, only to return a few minutes later with the same bones, deep fried. I'm proud to say I ate a fish's spine, and it was actually quite delicious.

So anyway, fuck foodies, enjoy your food, and definitely check out Fatty Cue if you find yourself in South Williamsburg.