Fatt Pundit

There’s been a number of exciting openings in London over 2019. One of them is Fatt Pundit, an Indo-Chinese restaurant opening in the heart of Soho and have received quite some hype on social media. They are actually a sister restaurant of the long-standing Bombay Chow in Hammersmith, but with a younger and trendier vibe. Bombay Chow is quite a local favourite so there’s no reason that Fatt Pundit wouldn’t be good as well.

Table of content:

Fatt Pundit: an Indo-Chinese affair

What makes Fatt Pundit (and Bombay Chow) stands out was probably the cuisine, which is essentially a marriage between Hakka Chinese and Indian cuisines – a fusion speciality that originated in Kolkata when a vast amount of Chinese people migrated over to the region in India. Both cuisines are very popular on their own and I love both a lot. Fatt Pundit offers a modern take on these two fascinating cuisines and I was particularly eager to try it out.

The Tight Tables

The restaurant was a lot smaller than we expected. Tables were placed much tighter than expected, which, to be frank, we find too crowded. We got a table in the front section of the restaurant, which got the tightest space. It was one long row of sofa with small tables lined up very close to one another.

It would’ve been alright if those tables were only for 2 people. However, they seated 4 people for the table on our left and they arranged the chairs (the non-sofa side) between the table gaps rather than leaving them opposite to the table. Just to explain how closely the seats were – the girl on the seat was flipping her hair and her hair kept invading, not just our space, but onto our actual table and might as well dip into our food. We kept trying to push our table away to escape her hair while wary not to accidentally join tables with the other table on the right but with absolutely no avail. Every movement particularly from the overcrowded table on our left, though no fault of their own, felt like it was invading our space and bothering our dining experience. Yes, we’re used to the compact dining spaces in London but this was just pushing it on another level of discomfort.

The Food (What We Ordered)

I must say the tight space didn’t set a nice impression to start our meal and we hoped that the food would make up for it. Chicken, beef, and lamb are halal on the menu, any of the game meats aren’t. Alcohol is served at the restaurant. Here is what we ordered:

Beef Momo (£5.50)

To start with, we ordered some momos, which the staff highly recommended. Momos are basically a Tibetian name for dumplings and come with different spices & flavourings to traditional Chinese dumplings. You can choose from vegetable, chicken, or beef (there’s also kid goat but it’s not halal).

The staff was raving about the beef momo being her absolute favourite of all, so we ordered one. Did it live up to the hype? We thought it was good but not as impressive as anticipated. The meat filling was generous and juicy overall. However, we felt it was missing a touch of seasoning and was slightly bland on its own. What it also lacked was a kick of spice and a good punch of flavours. Even with the sauces and chutneys that were served alongside it, we just found it underwhelming to the palate.

Chicken Momo (£5)

We also ordered a portion of Chicken Momos. Flavour-wise, we thought the chicken was actually better than the beef one. But we both agreed that it still needed more seasoning as well. The sauces and chutneys served were the same ones served for the beef momos. Again, rather underwhelming and didn’t do much to help elevate the flavours of the momo.

Chicken Lollipop (£7)

It’s a signature at their sister restaurant and they are serving it here as well. These chicken lollipops were fried incredibly crispy. The exterior crispy coating got a nice savoury touch and was generally well-seasoned. However, the meat itself wasn’t as succulent as expected. I’d say the dish has been decent at best but nothing outstandingly impressive.

Lamb Chops (£14)

Moving onto the grills, we went with some lamb chops. As you can see, these lamb chops were super thick and meaty. The rub on the exterior was aromatic but the flavours were again lacking. It’s a bit of a shame really as I thought the meat quality was good and it naturally carried quite a gamey flavour. What’s missing is that extra punch on the spice rub to really elevate the flavours and turn it into a more memorable dish. It’s also slightly overcooked in my personal opinion.

Stir Fry Broccoli (£4)

Craving for some vegetables, we decided to go for a little side of Broccoli – stir-fried with garlic, shallots, spring onions and toasted almonds. These were cooked just right to my preference. It was of the right amount of savoury touch and it gave me a little taste of home. I just wished it was of a bigger portion.

Summary

We feel that Fatt Pundit has still got quite some room for improvement. There’s certainly lots of potential in the concept but it’s not very well-executed just yet. Currently, it’s just a rather forgettable meal, to be frank. The tight spacing definitely didn’t help either. The concept itself could really set off in London’s competitive dining scene, but there’s still some way to go in order for it to stand out. 

Have you tried out Fatt Pundit? Let us know in the comments!

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Tel: 020 7287 7900
Website: http://www.fattpundit.co.uk/
Instagram: fattpundit

Nearest station: Tottenham Court Road / Oxford Circus

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