PUBLISHED December 30th, 2016 06:00 am | UPDATED April 18th, 2017 10:45 am
From the folks behind contemporary izakaya Neon Pigeon comes a hip, newish kebabery and watering hole in Tanjong Pagar. Named after a portly merchant the team met in Turkey while looking for inspiration (yep, that’s the man on the flying carpet), Fat Prince is one of the few, brave Middle Eastern establishments to open in Singapore this year.
Helmed by Chef Hunter Moyes (previously of Vancouver’s Tacofino and reality TV series Chopped: Canada), Fat Prince promises authentic Middle Eastern flavours, albeit with a contemporary twist. For instance, tahini (a sesame seed paste that’s a staple in Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisine) is replaced with duck fat in the Fat Prince Hummus ($12), lending more fragrance and flavour to the familiar chickpea dip without being too heavy in the mouth.
Baba Ghanouj ($12), a traditional Levantine dish of seasoned, cooked eggplant, is elevated by the addition of just the right amount of truffle, mint, and sumac (a tangy, citrusy spice). The nicely spiced Sweet Potato and Chilli ($12) complete our mezze plate, alongside crispy flatbread.
I usually avoid the salads (or anything that’s healthy, really), but the Quinoa Tabbouleh ($14) was surprisingly enjoyable. Usually made with bulgur wheat or cous cous, Fat Prince has used red quinoa instead for a grain with more bite and contrast with other ingredients like long leaf parsley, mint, pomegranate, and tomatoes.
Looking for something healthy that’s on the other end of the flavour spectrum? Go for the Turkish Kisir ($14). Think crunchy bulgur wheat playing off smoky roasted veggies amidst the backdrop of Turkish pepper paste and fresh herbs. If you want to have your cake and eat it too, you can have your choice of salad with any skewer from the kebab selection for $20, which brings us to the main event.
Priced at $16 for two and $24 for three, the kebabs are served on fluffy palm-sized pita bread. My favourite, and the tastiest of the lot, has to be the Spicy Adalar Prawn. Sweet and smoky after a quick roast over the fire, it’s served with pickled chayote (a pear-shaped veggie from the gourd family) and pear salad.
The Spicy Beef Adana is more of what you’d recognize as a traditional kebab – seasoned hand-minced beef wrapped around an iron skewer and grilled over the fire. Paired with pickled chilli, smoked tomato, and sumac macerated onions, it might not wow you but it’s still juicy and well balanced in texture. Even if you’re not vegetarian, give the Smoked Kasar Cheese – a semi-hard Turkish cheese made with unpasteurized sheep’s milk – a go.
Although we had smoked halloumi cheese (white, semi-hard brined cheese of goat and sheep’s milk) instead as Fat Prince ran out of kasar when we were there, the texture is quite similar. The key to this kebab is the smoking of the cheese, as well as its myriad condiments like avocado mousse, crushed candied nuts, and a pomegranate molasses vinaigrette – absolutely smashing.
We’re not people to eschew daytime drinking, so we had a couple of Fat Prince’s cocktails with our lunch feast like the Constant Gardener (a twist on the Pisco Sour with lavender and pineapple infused Pisco, apricot, lemon, and egg white) and the Hard Turkish Coffee ($20, Turkish espresso spiked with rum and chocolate & coffee liqueur). Fat Prince is also bringing in uncommon spirits like Raki, which is an unsweeted, anise-flavoured aperitif popular in Turkey and other parts of the Middle East. Bartender Vic Ram says he’s working on a raki cocktail so we’re looking forward to that!
Those of you who work in the Tanjong Pagar area will be glad to know that Fat Prince serves coffee by Sarnies, and they open from 8am for your caffeine fix. Try the Pistachio Latte ($6) to change things up a little – it’s nutty without being sweet like a hazelnut so-and-so drink from Starbucks – or the Traditional Turkish Coffee ($6), since they’ve actually built a heated sandpit to prepare Turkish coffee the traditional way.
What we’ve had is just the tip of the iceberg. Fat Prince offers a separate brunch menu on Saturdays and Sundays, and the adjoining space houses The Ottoman Room. The latter serves a mezze-focused menu featuring Ottoman era-inspired dishes like Vine-Leaf Confit Duck Wraps with Aegean Gremolata. We’ll be checking that out soon so watch this space!
Fat Prince is located at 48 Peck Seah Street, Singapore 079317, p. +65 6221 3683. Open Tue-Sat 11.30am-3pm, 6pm-12am, Sun 11.30am-3pm. Closed Mon.
Top Image: Spicy Beef Adana Kebab