Following the successful reign of Ramen Nagi in the Metro food scene, the same owners who are passionate about good food and travel brought another Asian concept to Manila — this time putting Taiwanese cuisine in the spotlight. Fat Fook, or “fat luck“ introduces its second branch in Robinson’s Galleria after the first branch in North Edsa became a hit.
We were happy to be part of the soft-opening in Galleria. Together with fellow foodies and bloggers, we joined forces in becoming the first judges of the much-talked-about Taiwanese restaurant.
I was so excited about this food tasting. I’ve been eyeing to visit Taiwan to explore its rich cuisine, a profound tourist destination for food trips. And since it’s my first time to experience Taiwanese food, I was eager to learn its beauty and uniqueness.
Fat Fook represents authentic Taiwanese cuisine in a minimalistic-themed space. Ceramic chinaware embossed on the wall is the restaurant’s main attraction. I like the simple design — it’s modern, elegant and not overly decorated.
We tried out Fat Fook Chicken Chop, Taiwan Style Fried Noodles, Taiwan Style Fried Rice, Salted Egg Xiao Long Bao and Tikoy Turon. These are a combination of Fat Fook’s best sellers and personal preferences. Contrary to other food-tasting events I’ve attended, this is more intimate, with only three of us bloggers in one table. This allowed us to share conversations and delve into topics other than our love for food and writing.
The Fat Fook Chicken Chop was a gigantic treat. It was crunchy on the outside, moist on the inside. No sauce is needed to emphasize the taste — it is good on its own.
A perfect match for the crispy Chicken Chop is the Taiwan Style Fried Rice. It’s already savory that can make any dish stand out.
Another winning delicacy was the Taiwan Style Fried Noodles. Sweet and mixed in a special sauce, it has a different take on the fried noodles.
The Salted Egg Xiao Long Bao was one of the recommended specialties at Fat Fook. The salted egg gave another dimension of taste to the stuffed meat and soup, but not to the extent of overpowering it.
The Tikoy Turon was love at first bite. This sticky dessert was tightly wrapped ala mini turon fingers and drizzled in sweetened milk and sprinkled with sesame seeds. I was crazy for it!
To melt down all the savory aftertaste, we ordered milk teas. Of course, Taiwanese cuisine is not a legit one without the famous milkteas! Sweetness level and sinkers can be customized at the Take Out counter.
The branch in Robinson’s Galleria features Fat Fook’s first ever Take Out counter. Taiwanese food lovers have now more reasons to enjoy the street favorites and milk teas at this section of the restaurant.
Fat Fook delivers an interesting mix of Taiwanese cuisine that is well-incorporated to the Filipino palate. Banking on imported, high-quality ingredients, meticulous preparation, Fat Fook sticks to the standard of Taiwan food while maintaining the authentic taste. We await for more branches, and an a more expansive line of Taiwanese food.
Fat Fook
Level 2, Robinsons Galleria, Ortigas, Quezon City
Phone: 637-5258
Opening hours: M to TH and Sundays: 10 AM to 9 PM
Fri and Sat, 10 AM to 10 PM
Facebook: Fat Fook Manila
Instagram: @fatfookmanila
Diamond in the Rough 