(Closed) Fat Monkeys – Mouthwatering & Sinful Western Fare at Kovan

Tucked in a coffeeshop in Kovan, Fat Monkeys sells remarkably tasty, albeit sinful, Western fare. While there are no fat monkeys at Fat Monkeys, there is a Ram. Ram is none other than the boss and stall owner.

Ram has a background in French fine dining, while his partner has previously held managerial roles in various establishments including hotels. Together, they set up Fat Monkeys as Ram had always dreamt of opening his own stall. We decided to pick 2 of the most popular items on the menu — the Deep-Fried Mac and Cheese ($4) and Da Bomb ($13.80). We also tried Fat Monkey’s Aglio Olio ($5.80).

The Fried Mac and Cheese ($4/2 pcs) had an extremely crispy breaded exterior. While the pasta inside was well-cooked and cheesy, I felt that the dish could have done with a little more salt and flavour. Nonetheless, this dish looks attractive in pictures, and perhaps you can give it a try for novelty sake. However, in my opinion, this was just alright, and was in fact a bit of a letdown. Personally, I would not order this again.

Da Bomb ($13.80) is a cardiac bomb waiting to happen. Enclosed within a deep fried dough casing, Da Bomb is made up of succulent beef/chicken patty, caramelised onions, cheddar cheese, crispy streaky bacon and a homemade bbq sauce. We opted for the beef patty instead of chicken, as a beef burger can never go wrong. Da bomb was literally the bomb, it was amazingly awesome! This dish was a literal flavour explosion, with each component pulling their own weight and bringing something to the table. The deep fried dough surrounding the ingredients was chewy and still a little doughy. The beef patty was soft, flavourful and bursting with juices, and the streaks of bacon added a lovely smokiness. The stringy cheese was strong, ooey and gooey, and brought everything together. A dreamy pool of meat juice and barbecue sauce oozed out when we dug into the burger… Omg? In essence, the different elements of Da Bomb came together beautifully. While this was exceedingly delicious, I must say that it was quite oily. I liked that the salad on the side was dressed in a goma (sesame) dressing, which provided a slight tanginess that lifted the dish. The fries on the side were crispy and well-cooked, but were a tad too salty.

The Aglio Olio ($5.80) was quite spicy and garlicky. I loved that the pasta was cooked to an al dente texture, but I must warn you that they are pretty heavy-handed with the chilli padi seeds. The aglio olio was well-seasoned and very tasty, but the portion was too small (which is forgivable, considering that it’s just $5.80.

Fat Monkeys does serve pretty interesting items. If you decide that you want to pig out, you know where to go! If you decide to visit Fat Monkeys, do bring some friends along to share the guilt. 

MissTamChiak.com made anonymous visit and paid its own meal at the stall featured here.