Special thanks to Fatboys’ Kitchen for extending this food review invitation.
Update: This business has ceased its operations.
I used to visit Khoon Hiang Cafe (群香茶室) regularly when Ah Leng Char Koay Teow (亚龙炒粿条) operated here. However several years ago, Ah Leng has moved to Restoran Tong Hooi (东园茶餐室) just across the road.
Khoon Hiang Cafe was also the original location of Dayumm Burger. Although Dayumm Burger no longer operates here, Fatboys’ Kitchen is making this place its home now. In fact, Fatboys’ Kitchen is the rightful successor of Dayumm Burger, albeit under a new management team.
At Fatboys’ Kitchen, each patty packs 120 grams of genuine pork, which is satisfying enough for most people. The proportion of lean versus fatty meats is finely tuned to give the ideal mouthfeel that loyal customers of Dayumm Burger have enjoyed.
Fatboys’ Kitchen uses an infrared grill for cooking. Although cooking gas is the fuel source, it is only used to heat ceramic tiles. In turn, the tiles produce infrared radiation which cooks food. This method of cooking food is considerably healthier because fire does not make direct contact with food.
First-timers to Fatboys’ Kitchen should start from the Complete (RM11.00) burger. The constituents of this burger are pork patty, smoked bacon, fried egg, molten cheese, button mushrooms and iceberg lettuce – all sandwiched between two halves of a wholemeal raisin bun. Thousand Island dressing is used to improve flavor, although I personally prefer minimal sauce such that pork takes the center stage.
Aspiring gluttons can go for the supersized burgers: Ultimate (double ingredients) or Godzilla (quadruple ingredients). So far, several customers have opted for these monster portions on regular basis. Are you ready to take up the challenge?
If you just want to enjoy pork and nothing else, order some Meatballs instead. Each order comes in either 6 pieces (RM7.00) or 12 pieces (RM12.00). Similar to the pork patty, the Meatballs are succulent on their own. The Meatballs are topped with tomato and Thousand Island sauces. It would be nice if the sauces were poured on the side, as some people prefer less sauce or no sauce at all.
As for customers who prefer something less sloppy, the Wrap (RM5.00) is a viable option too. Folded in tortilla bread are grilled pork and other ingredients similar to the burger. Surprisingly, I find that the tortilla bread works pretty well with pork and its accompanying sauces.
From time to time, Fatboys’ Kitchen introduces special dishes to gauge customers’ response. Today’s special is Lemongrass Chicken Burger, where the chicken chop is flavored by lemongrass juice. The aroma of this burger is welcoming, but it is the succulent juiciness of chicken chop which truly shines. I think this burger should be able to gain mainstream acceptance.
As a fan of pork burgers, I am impressed with Fatboys’ Kitchen as much I was with Dayumm Burger before. Whereas countless similar businesses have come and gone, the fact that Fatboys’ Kitchen perseveres is attributed to the fact that the stall holds on to its core values: genuine pork, no gimmicks.
Name: Fatboys’ Kitchen
Address: 358, Jalan Dato Keramat, 10150 George Town, Pulau Pinang
Contact: 011-2674-8498
Business hours: 9:00am-4:00pm, closed on Sundays
Website: https://www.facebook.com/fatboyspenang
Coordinates: 5.41285 N, 100.31947 E
Directions: Khoon Hiang Cafe (群香茶室) is located at Jalan Dato Keramat. Coming from Dhoby Ghaut (洗布桥), it is located on the left shortly after Petron gas station. Fatboys’ Kitchen is one of the stalls inside this coffee shop. There are parking spaces along the adjacent Jalan Dunlop, but this one-way street only be accessed from Anson Road (Jalan Anson).