foodswings

Just two days into its opening, we descended upon the newest eatery in K-Town called FatSal’s. Charcoal grey brushed walls juxtaposing a wooden funky wall on the side, large overhead black lamps, tungsten bulbs, wooden benches and planks, coloured bottles, black-aproned humming waiters and the young entrepreneurial couple Maha and Salman welcomed us.

As soon as we were seated, we scanned through the black and white menu card, which proclaimed "Chicken Wings and a lot more", and we were automatically nudged towards ordering only those. Large variety, sold by weight, we were told that ‘Pik a Pok’ reigned supreme. Mr. A obviously lost track of the size of our pack and ordered for every hunger pang he felt.

Pik a Pok

Brined for over six hours, crispy on the outside and moist and compact from the inside, they boasted of Thai/Vietnamese flavours. Gently sweet, mild undertones of salt and savoury, lightly specked with red chilli - no doubt they reigned supreme.

One word (or maybe two) - Thoroughly Persuasive

Asian Double Crunch

Strong soy-based flavours, rich mahogany glaze, roughly chopped Szechuan peppers (that actually taste like candy), and double crunch that was doubly wholesome. Bordering more on the sweeter side, I would have preferred it slightly spicier; nevertheless they were hearty, meaty and deep on flavours.

One word - Purposeful

Honey BBQ

My convincing powers are rather abysmal for I attempted to catch Mr. A’s eye and tried to convince him to order a spicier set of wings, yet he seemed convinced that these were good enough to satiate his hunger pangs.

Deep orange and honey-glazed, these were doused in the in-house barbeque sauce which hinted a pleasant smoked aroma and taste. The combination was extremely appetizing and ideally I would have liked the honey to be omitted so that I could enjoy the barbeque flavour to the fullest. The marriage of these two flavours certainly sits well; perhaps it only needs to come out stronger.

One word - Faint

Mushroom Burger

As we continued to pile meaty bones on our plate, an extremely luscious looking Mushroom Burger appeared on our table accompanied with chunky fries. Ground beef, burnt brown, yellow languishing cheese slice, and a hearty mushroom sauce peeped through a smiling sesame bun.

FatSal’s in-house meat blend is grounded at the premises using a self-devised spice mix - this burger only tells us that a lot of attention and sweat (no pun) has gone into this burger. No one flavour overpowers the other and the burgers are hearty, greasy and fixed with an intent to please and totally instagrammable!

One Word - Lustful

Beer-battered Onion Rings

Non-alcoholic to begin with, the beer-battered rings arrived on a bed of chopped cabbage and a little silver trolley, paired with an in-house mayo based dip. The thick onion rings were covered with a thick, chewy and soggy batter, featuring mild flavours.

One word - Unconvincing

Tangy and Zesty Prawns

Yes we hogged, but Mr. A decided to order another dish to finish off our meal. Crispy battered, chunky prawns neatly blended with an in-house dip mix. Mouthful, powerful and soothing at the same time and perfectly bite-sized these T&Z Prawns have a bright future

One word (sorry, two) - Undoubtedly Dynamite

Chocolate Obsession

Only when I managed to convince Mr. A that we were now abusing our guts (in the real sense), the prodigal cubs took over and demanded a dessert. On the waiters’ recommendation, (we did not require much convincing anyway) we ordered the Fried Mars bar.

I want to raise my hand here and say that they were utterly and magnanimously sweet. Two fried Mars chocolate bars, served with vanilla ice cream, and lightly drizzled with chocolate sauce, they were nothing short of a kids’ dream come true. Boozy and woozy, this is a shareable dessert but please have it when you have space for it.

One word - Babysitter

Beverages

The Mars milkshake, again a sugar punch, comes chilled in a mason jar and rules the bar. Mint Lemonade, Iced tea - all have balanced light flavours, which marry well with the dishes on the menu.

Food Opinion: The Yays & Nays

Brimming with energy and a good vibe, primarily exuded by the young couple Salman and Maha, and further ingrained by the cheerful staff, FatSal’s is definitely here to stay, and they will most definitely be trend changers. Whilst many other cafés offer chicken wings, they are often "to begin with" or "filler" items. FatSal’s will make sure that you start, stay and fly off with wings. The other items on the menu are by no means any less of a treat. Devised and conceptualized over three years, the recipes have been tried and tested repeatedly to reach the desired taste, texture and flavour.

* The wooden serving blocks, colourful tin utensil holders, mason jars, ramekins and canned (yes no fountain) soft drinks - all speak of eclectic and earthy detailing.

* Wings alone will convince a loud and applausable ‘YAY’

A side accompaniment, apart from fries, with all main entrées would be a sure welcome

*  Onion rings , need to be revisited - on immediate basis

* Price Range - Fits the median of a standard café food, PKR 1000 and over.