I know it’s dumb but I am not crazy about the name of Dublin’s newest pan-Asian eatery. As a person who gets paid to eat, I am a fat brat and it pains me to be reminded of this. “Actually, Faat Baat can be translated loosely as wishing good fortune,” our lovely waiter reassures me. Turns out the name FAAT BAAT comes from the Chinese word to “prosper” (FAAT) and the number 8 (BAAT).
Faat Baat is housed below the Dawson Street Hotel & Spa and is part of the business group that owns a considerable amount of this street. Its website talks about Faat Baat as a guy – hopefully one not sensitive about his weight – who was inspired by the Asian food of New York and wanted to bring home a bit of Shanghai Joe’s and Momofoku to Dublin. Those are big, fat shoes to fill. “What we have taken from them is their sense of vibrancy & cool,” manager Joey tells me after my visit. “This is personified through our interior & music that we play. We use neon, wall graphics and we have a bar that lights up. This sets us apart from any other Pan Asian restaurant in Ireland.”
Back to that blue-lit GoGo Bar. A powerful lychee martini (€9.50) is the special of the day and it nearly blows the head off my dinner guest – in a good way, obviously. I’m very pleased with the fieriness of my ginger beer based mocktail (€4.50) which provides a welcome break from the overly sweet drinks non-boozers often have to quaff in the absence of alcohol.
Our starter of spring rolls (€7.50) go by without much remark. They’re thick and stout rather than my preferred long, thin and crispy with insides that don’t inspire. The Nasi Goreng (€16.95) is presented with panache but lacks the deep flavour punch that I’ve come to expect from this Indonesian stalwart. My Hoisin glazed pork belly (€16.95) cheers me up. Sticky chunks of tender pork belly are soaked in a sweet but most definitely naughty sauce that is complimented by simply steamed rice and a pile of asparagus (imported from China or Peru I wonder?). Our bowl of Asian Greens (€6) are crunchy pak choi and beans sprinkled with spice and sesame seeds. We’re into the heat of the shredded green papaya Som Tam salad (€8.95). that makes up our meal. Our chocolate brownie dessert (€5.95) is probably our most enjoyable course, but I’m not sure that is the greatest sign for a pan-Asian restaurant. Our bill, which includes a decent espresso, comes to €80.25.
Friendly service and really good cocktails aside, I’m a bit underwhelmed by the experience. Perhaps we didn’t do it justice by visiting mid-week as a big feature of Faat Baat appears to be its party atmosphere and resident DJs, which includes Niall D’Arcy in the roster – one of my favourite Dublin DJs. The menu to me feels a bit pan-predictable, with dishes that are done really well for less elsewhere in the city. In saying that, their signature dish of Bo Ssäm sounds like my kind of fat fest. It’s a whole, slow-cooked pork shoulder that’s served in a Korean BBQ style manner with a collection of rice, lettuce and kimchi served alongside your choice of 3 plates. It serves between six and ten people, costs €140 and you have to pre-order it in advance along with your reservation.
I’ll go back for the cocktails and maybe for that Bo Ssäm deal some day. But for my spring rolls and phos, I’ll stick with my Capel and Parnell Street favourites.
FAAT BAAT
35 Dawson Street
Dublin 2
01-6774444
Words: Aoife McElwain
