The Early Word on Zak Pelaccio's Long Awaited Fatty ‘Cue

Following two years of anticipation, Fatty ‘Cue finally opened its doors last month, and was heralded as the neighborhood maker Southside Williamsburg had been waiting for. Now, after having a few weeks to establish itself, Zak Pelaccio's Malaysian BBQ joint has its share of ravers and detractors. On to the early word:

The Good News: Tina Wong, a k a The Wandering Eater, had high praise for both the ribs and the brisket. "The best thing I've eaten was Zak's brisket served with smoked fish sauce and palm sugar syrup topped with Indonesian long pepper. The brisket was smoky, super tender that you don't have to chew much, and really juicy." And the pork spare ribs "had a hint of smoke mingling with the sweetness of the marinade. In my opinion, this was a good attempt on Asian style-ribs that leans on the American style." [Wandering Eater]

The Pricey News: While Fork in the Road's Sarah DiGregorio enjoyed the pork spare ribs, she had some gripes about the restaurant's prices. "Some of the dishes, like a modest bowl of clams for $17, suffer from a small-portion-big-price problem--you might encounter the same issue at Fatty Crab." Also, DiGregorio advises to steer clear of the dessert menu. "And there's no point in leaving room for dessert as the pie is terrible. Terrible!" [Fork in the Road]

The Very Good News: Over at The L Magazine, Benjamin Sutton actually has a lot of love for the restaurant's pecan pie, which "comes with a shot glass of heavy local cream, which is one of the richest substances you will ever consume." Sutton's main praise is for the duck appetizer which is "perfectly spiced with red curry and tender, juicy meat that might have been the best duck I've ever had." Still, Sutton also has trouble with the price points: "The prices aren't the most affordable; snacks are $3 to $14, specialties (meaning mains) run $14 to $22; but the food is extremely inventive and successful, and fun to eat." [The L Magazine]

The Bad News: While a majority of Yelpers seem to be very happy with their dining experiences, a few reviewers lashed out at what unsatisfying portion sizes. Cobra C. said "I usually like small plates, but not when they are $20 each! The waiter tells you to pick five for two people, which is $100, too expensive for me especially when the food is just OK. The service was fine except for they brought me the wrong thing." Anna S. echoed the desire for larger portions. "SWINDLED.... AFTER SPENDING $80, WE WENT OUT FOR A SLICE OF PIZZA." She also felt that the service was too overbearing. "The server was overbearing at the door, constantly at our table, explaining the concept, making unwarranted suggestions about what to order, and very obviously pushing us to order more off the menu, although he didn't seem too interested in our needs. At one point, he even stood by our table staring at us while we were eating (for what seemed like 15 minutes), making us extremely uncomfortable." [Yelp]

The Great News: Despite a few impassioned detractors, the majority of Yelpers are fond of the new barbecue joint. Kevin M. says that the best policy is to sit back and let the waiter help guide your meal. "Fatty Cue is a concept and exercise in trust -- sit down and get told what you're getting, kowtow to the chef's brilliance. You can order what you want, but your waiter will say 'oh, you should get this and this, instead of this...' Yield to the Alpha Server and entertain the suggestions, while ordering the Lamb Shoulder and the simple rice dish that cost about $7." Harry H. agreed with the generally positive assessments of the clams dish. "The tiny 'manila' style clams perfectly cooked in a broth which was great to drink after I eat the clams. Among the clams were chunks of bacon; house smoked, not fully cured so you have the look and feel of pork belly yet with the taste of bacon and the smoking did render out some fat so it wasn't too fatty; really perfect." [Yelp]

The Twitterific News: Over on Twitter, posts are mostly of the overwhelming love fest variety. @mjbarros3, or Matthew Barros, chef at Boston’s Myers + Chang found a new favorite restaurant on his New York trip: "new spot in NYC fatty cue, best meal I've had in NYC!!!" @tastyjoy raved about the entrees: "Just finished amazing barbeque @ Fatty Cue in Broklyn. Try the lamb and the clams - Fu*king amazing!" And, @michaeldempster was satisfied enough to die: "If my neighbors put a bullet through my head, know I died happy: Fatty Cue in my stomach, beer in my hand." [Twitter]
— Thomas Garry
[photo credit]