Make Me Fat. Please. At FAT Restaurant.

Honest, unashamed and adamantly unapologetic, real flavors with no holding back and without restraint. And that's the way I like my dishes...

...and that's exactly what you'll find at FAT Restaurant. Full, rich and comforting flavors the way it was meant to be, prepared and executed with modern French culinary techniques. Locavore's Chef Mikel Zaguirre brings back the flavor in some of the most inventive dishes at the new FAT Restaurant.  

FAT Restaurant is located at Forbes Town Center, near Burgos Circle at The Fort. Inside FAT Restaurant, the bare, clean, and uncluttered space becomes a statement in itself, with the raw, unfinished concrete walls reflecting a spartan yet contemporary vibe. The focus, after all, is the food more than the space.

Locavore's Chef Mikel Zaguirre is the culinary force behind Fat Restaurant, holding a copy of the book Fat by Jennifer McLagan (L), the inspiration behind the unique dining concept. Minutes later, Chef Mikel Zaguirre fires up the kitchen (R) to prepare our sampling menu with FAT's signature dishes... 

Bucking the growing trend on healthy cuisine, FAT Restaurant goes against the tide by recreating the rich and familiar flavors we used to enjoy long before counting calories became the norm, adding his own inventive spin in the many innovative dishes at the newest restaurant at Forbes Town Center. Take Fat Restaurant's Bar Mix (P 290), a comforting bowl with twelve kinds of spiced nuts and pop corn topped with minty micro-greens and drizzled with powdered sugar...  

...but the real fun begins when you pour melted butter (L) along with a sweet and thick caramel syrup (R) for even more flavors. Salty, spicy, and sweet, this isn't your usual bar mix, and FAT Restaurant takes it to a whole new level. The bold and unrestrained flavors burst in your mouth as different and distinct notes weave in and out.  

And that's just a first taste of one of FAT Restaurant's many innovative line of light snacks, whimsically described as "FAT Snacks" in the menu. Chef Mikel Zaguirre then served his playful and inventive Green Tea Chicharon (P 190), a large and impressive piece of homemade chicharon served with a honey vinegar dip, pickled vegetables, and green tea salt. Chef Mikel amused us with his story on the Green Tea Chicharon, describing it as an "accident," a parallel just like some of the most revolutionary "accidents" that led to some of the most iconic inventions. This kitchen "accident" may not change the world, but it's probably one of the best crunchy pork skin rinds I've had. The mere size is impressive, and one crunchy bite sealed the deal for me. Simply crack a piece, dip it in the sweet and sour honey vinegar, then dab some green tea salt, and enjoy. The rich flavors of the pork rind is tempered by the sharpness of the honey vinegar dip, and the green tea salt adds its on salty notes with a layer of nutty green tea for complex yet balanced flavors. Just can't get better than that. As I was taking photos of the pork rind, you could still hear a subtle crackling noise, and you just know this is going to be good. And it was. But it just kept getting better as more dishes were served...

FAT Restaurant's Pork's Ear En Croute (P 370) is Chef Mikel Zaguirre's homage to the classic Sisig, with tender grilled and chopped pork's ears drizzled with a nutty herb oil on sourdough topped with goat cheese and micro-greens, served with Mango Mayo, Saffron Aioli, and a refreshing and tart Pico de Gallo.

The mild yet rich flavors of the tender grilled pork's ears are layered by even more flavors from the herb oil, goat cheese, the mango and saffron aioli, and balanced by the tart pico de gallo. The play on flavors, though each one distinct, is seamless without overpowering the other for balanced flavors. The dish is an elegant version of the classic favorite, more refined yet draped in even richer flavors. And you can play with the flavors simply by adding the other components of the dish in different amounts. The creamy aioli, cheese, and pico de gallo pair so well with the grilled pork's ears, delivering familiar flavors yet refreshingly new and different.

Balance is always key in anything, and it's always a good idea to have a salad as part of your meal. FAT Restaurant's Grilled Unagi Salad (P 750), with its fresh and crisp Romaine lettuce, mango, and pico de gallo topped with unagi on a crunchy and bright colored beet lavash drizzled with sesame dressing and sour cream is yet another dish with bold flavors. The grilled unagi delivers that indulgent richness to the salad, with its soft and buttery texture contrasting with the lettuce and beet lavash. It's a great side dish before the mains...

Pasta gets the FAT Restaurant treatment with their rich Salmon and Uni Pasta (P 780), rustic seashell pasta with capers, parmesan, and arugula topped with 64 degree egg, uni, sous vide salmon, and crispy salmon skin. Gently break the 64 degree egg, adding its own unique layer of richness to this decadent pasta dish, complemented by the equally rich sea urchin roe. The salmon's buttery flavor and texture and the crispy salmon skin complete the dish. The cherry tomatoes add a burst of tart notes, with the mild peppery hint of arugula weaving in for a wide range of flavors in just one dish.  

The Moroccan Spiced Chicken Fillet (P 590) is another must-try dish at FAT Restaurant, with spanakopita, cherry tomatoes, sour cream, and pico de gallo. The chicken is perfectly grilled, with a light char on the outside while the chicken meat remains tender and juicy. The Moroccan spices do not overwhelm the delicate flavors of the chicken, yet the notes linger long after the first bite with just a whisper of soothing heat. Drizzle some lemon and add some sour cream to bring out even more flavors. A meal in itself, the crisp outer layer of the spanakopita and soft spinach filling rounds out the flavors.The complex blend of flavors in this chicken dish is another masterful execution by Chef Mikel Zaguirre and his team at FAT Restaurant.  

You'll probably resist at first, but you'll eventually give in to FAT Restaurant's signature Porchetta (P 770), slow-roasted for hours for tender and juicy pork with a crisp layer of crackling on soft whipped potatoes and served with a side of spinach and mushroom ragout. It'a pure pork bliss on a plate. 

The delicate notes of the pork comes layered with its familiar richness, and yes, fat is, indeed, flavor. Stuffed with aromatics, the pork absorbs the flavors during the slow-roasting process, released on the first bite. Everything you love about pork is represented here in this dish, and FAT Restaurant doesn't hold back on flavors. It's the kind of dish that puts a celebratory exclamation point to your dining experience at FAT Restaurant, and a perfect example of the restaurant's approach to flavors. Rich flavors, unrestrained.

Cap your feast at FAT Restaurant with their signature desserts, like the Flourless Dark Chocolate Cake (P 360) and the White Chocolate Cheesecake (P 360) topped with lemon rind candy.But if you still need a pork fix, then go all-out with FAT Restaurant's Bacon Baklava...

Eating well and eating right sometimes means enjoying all the rich flavors of the dish, the way it should be, and FAT Restaurant is one of those dining establishments that's doing it right.

FAT is located at Forbes Town Center, 29th Street corner Rizal Drive, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City or call 0917-579-1936 for inquiries.

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