Restaurant Review – Fatty Crab, St John
A Taste for Fatty Crab, Cruz Bay, St John
The food at Fatty Crab isn’t your run-of-the-mill seafood joint or Caribbean-inspired Burger spot! Nope, this place wants to put as much distance as it can between itself and the seen-that-done-that food that’s popular at most tourist destinations.
The location is great – just a short walk from the center of Cruz Bay and nestled behind a thick hedge of palms. The atmosphere is Indonesian-meets-NYC in all the right ways. Lighting is perfect – intimate but bright enough to read a menu. Dark woods, comfortable tables and booths, an attractive bar and walls adorned with all manner of art and craft.
“Yeow! Back at Crabby fatso … presently surfing wave of yumminess,”- Tweeted celebrity chef Mario Batali
The food is wonderfully spicy and enticing and served in a multi-course style that never allows your tongue to get bored. Dishes like Green Mango Papaya Salad, Watermelon Pickle and Crispy Pork, calamansi-chili-rubbed Brisket and Coconut Rice seem inspired by Portuguese, Indian and Indonesian cooking. Each dish is a balance of flavors and holds the highest respect for the individual ingredients, really! And the service was anything but island-style. The dishes arrived perfectly timed and hot from the kitchen. Staff is attentive – without hovering.
And the perfect pairing …their drink selection is just as interesting. Sip a perfect “Chupacabra” made with tequila, chillies, fresh watermelon, pineapple and lime. Or perhaps you’re in the mood for a “Love City”? An intoxicating mix of gin or vodka, cucumber, basil, cardamom and lemon.
Menu prices range from $11 to $27 per dish and $5 to $11 for beer and mixed drinks. Here’s their menu …
Fatty Crab St John Menu
T’ingz
Green Mango Papaya Salad | palm sugar, chili, nuts, cilantro | 11
Crispy Shrimp | sweet chili sauce | 27
Fatty Sliders | mini spiced beef & pork burgers, chili aioli, pickles| 10
Vegetable Tempura | local veggies, fish palm glaze | 8
Josephine’s Greens | creamy green peppercorn dressing | 11
Crab Ramen | pork, peekytoe crab, Smoked lobster broth, egg, sprouts | 14
Local Sautéed Vegetables | chili, smokey pork jus, lemon | 10
Fatty Specialties
Watermelon Pickle and Crispy Pork | 24
Yellow Curry Chicken | freebird organic chicken, coconut rice, pickles, poached egg | 24
Indonesian Fried Rice | shrimp, pork, chicken, fried egg | 22
Roti | green curry, local vegetables, rice | 17 add chicken | 4
‘Cue
(smoked in-house, low-and-slow)
Pork Ribs | Indonesian long peppercorn, fish-palm | 12
Pulled Pork | smoked BBQ pork shoulder, sweet rolls, pickle | 17
Brisket | calamansi-chili rub, sweet rolls, chili jam | 16
Sides
Coconut Rice | 3
Kim Chi | 6
Pickled Local Vegetables & Fruits | 10
Crispy Potatoes | curry spices, aioli, sweet chili sauce | 10
Dessert
Coconut Panna Cotta | cucumber, rum raisin, chili-sugar-salt, lime | 10
How to get to Fatty Crab
in Cruz Bay, St. John , US Virgin Islands – Google Map with Directions
18-11A Enighed, Cruz Bay
St. John, VI 00831
ph: 340.775.9951 | fax: 340.775.9770
Wednesday – Monday | Dinner, 5PM to 10PM
Sunday | Brunch, 11AM to 3PM
Closed Tuesdays (from July 1 to October 31)
