The Dish That Keeps on Giving

Logan Square Macanese restaurant Fat Rice is one of those places on practically every Chicagoan's must-try list. That is, if you're an adventurous eater. I would definitely put myself in that category. I joined my friend and fellow adventurous eater Jonathan for a Wednesday night dinner after scoring a much-coveted reservation. Fat Rice features a menu of Macanese cuisine with influences from China, India, and Southeast Asia.

To start we tried the grilled Spanish octopus which was extremely tender and a very nice portion. Not only was it tender, it also had incredible flavor and nice spice. It seems like octopus is making an appearance on so many menus across Chicago, but this version is one of the best I've tried.

Grilled Spanish Octopus

A trip to Fat Rice is not complete without trying their namesake arroz gordo or "substantial rice". The name doesn't lie. The dish starts with a hearty base layer of jasmine rice with sofrito, Chinese sausage and salted duck. The rice is topped with a laundry list of different proteins including: Portuguese chicken thighs, char sui pork, linguica sausage, prawns, clams, and tea eggs. Talk about a high protein dish! To top it off, they add croutons, and an assortment of pickles and sauces. This is the dish that keeps on giving. Just when you think you've reached the bottom, there is another layer of rice. It was kind of like a culinary treasure hunt where you weren't sure what you would find next. As you can imagine, this is a great dish to share. It probably took us a good 30-40 minutes to reach the bottom! Fat Rice is truly unlike anything I've eaten before. The layers of flavors, spices, and textures were incredible. Jonathan said this was one of the best things he's eaten in Chicago.

Arroz Gordo

Despite being stuffed from the octopus and fat rice, I love dessert and thought I'd try the Macau Rice Crisp. Our server described it as a take on a rice krispie treat. It featured rice and marshmallows, as well as nori, sesame seeds, pork floss, and shallot caramel. It was super savory with a hint of sweetness from the caramel. I think it was the intense savoriness but we both were not fans of this dessert. But hey, we're glad we tried it out.

Macau Rice Crisp

If you're an adventurous eater that is open to trying new flavors and will eat anything, including meat and shellfish, I'd definitely recommend trying Fat Rice. The restaurant now takes limited reservations which makes it even easier to score a table in the small dining room. Additionally, the restaurant will be expanding over the next several months with a new cocktail lounge, as well as a Chinese bakery and snack bar.

I'm giving Fat Rice 4.5 ghosts out of 5!

Fat Rice
www.eatfatrice.com
2957 W. Diversey Ave.
Chicago, IL 60647
773.661.9170