The former space by Five & Dime at river valley road has been taken over by Fat Lulu’s, a place specialising in Asian modern barbecue dishes & desserts, brought together by Chef Sam, Chef Song and the owners of Five & Dime. I have never dined at Five & Dime, but I was pretty excited to try what Fat Lulu’s got to offer

The restaurant was pretty new in their opening with many walk-ins customers and friends to support both the chefs

Koppaberg Elderflower & Lime / Woodchuck Hopstation $13 each

Burnt Corn with smoked Sour cream, Oregano & Lemon $9

I didn’t know corns can be so delicious. The slightly charred taste with the sweetness of the corn and a light salty aftertaste was simple yet beautifully done

Nori Crusted Salmon with Lemon Fennel Salad, Ponzu Sago $17

Not a big fan of the salad, but I love the crispiness of the seaweed and the citrusy ponzu that elevate the sweetness of the salmon

Pork Buns $12 (Specials)

The pork buns were amazing. Super tender fatty meat marinated in Hoisin and their special sauce simply melts in your mouth with a sweet aftertaste

Ikan Bakar $22

The fish was nicely done, emitting fragrance of beautiful spices. The garlic chilli butter gave a nice butter texture though I thought the overall tone of the dish can be a little less salty. Paired with a side of cucumber achar

Apple Tarte Tartin $14

Slow cooked caramelised apple, puff pastry and burnt vanilla icecream

I didn’t quite taste the burnt in the burnt icecream, but I tasted a slightly charred taste in the puff pastry which was really fragrant, crispy and delightful. I like the apple wasn’t that sweet and it goes well with the dessert

“Atas” Kinder Bueno $16

A very deconstructed version with Bailey’s Hazelnut Icecream, Chocolate Sponge, Creamy Milk Chocolate and Bitter Chocolate Sherbet. I pretty much enjoyed this dessert. You could taste the different elements on its own but when you eat everything together, you could taste the different layers, texture and sweetness of the dessert as a whole

I enjoyed Fat Lulu’s, on their take on Asian modern bbq. I thought their mains wowed me more than their desserts, but overall, I thought the meal was pretty good and reasonably priced. It’s a place I will recommend, and also a place you can drop by if you want something different

Fat Lulu’s

297 River Valley Rd, S(238338)