Fat Boy’s Burgers Bring Creativity to Match Their Sinful Shakes

Over the course of the month-long Burger Cup held in August, we uncovered a bunch of under-the-radar burger joints. While these may not have made an appearance on our readers' radar screens for the 2015 contest, they offer impressively innovative ingredients and toppings that give surprising twists to the conventional beef burger, and are sure to be contenders for 2016.

Case in point: Fat Boy’s Burger Bar. This small but robust chain was founded in Singapore in 2009, and now has branches in Kuala Lumpur, Phnom Penh, and as of late summer this year, The Place complex in Beijing. It appears to be positioning itself as Asia’s answer to the wildly popular and slightly upscale American Shake Shack brand. On that front, it’s mostly succeeding – for better (tastiness and quality) and worse (the premium prices). 

One of Fat Boy’s greatest assets is its vast selection of gourmet burgers – a whopping 15 in all. Many of those options are also intriguingly creative in terms of both grin-inducing names: the Pulp Fiction-inspired Royale With Cheese (RMB 68), featuring bacon, onion marmalade, barbecue sauce and melted cheddar; and unique ingredient combinations: the Mahalo (RMB 78) consisting of a bacon-stuffed pork patty, caramelised onions, grilled pineapple, melted Monterey jack cheese and mayonnaise; or the Pizza The Hutt, a beef patty topped with tomato, melted Monterey jack and pepperoni. 

We opted for the “Wimpy Burger,” which the restaurant cites as its most popular. Priced at RMB 88, the burger measures a little over 10cm in diameter and comes in beef, pork or lamb patty varieties. The “Wimpy’s” toppings include cheddar cheese, bacon, Fat Boy’s own barbecue sauce and – most intriguingly of all – half a fried egg (hungrier patrons can choose the “Fat Bastard,” which is essentially the same burger, except twice the size, for RMB 118). It’s an undeniably delicious burger, thanks in part to its chewy bun and a patty that’s tender yet firm enough to not crumble (a cardinal burger sin, as far as we’re concerned). The egg might make timid patrons initially squeamish.

But even picky eaters will find it to be a tasty addition that provides a special flavor juxtaposition like no other. Unfortunately the yolk proved a bit runny, which overwhelmed the taste of the beef at times. If that flaw were addressed, the “Wimpy” would come closer to warranting such a steep price tag, but it slightly misses the mark as is, despite its otherwise unique tastiness. 

The side of fries are straight cut and wide enough to practically be considered wedges, prepared to a golden brown that makes them simultaneously chewy and crispy enough on the outside. However, Fat Boy’s beverages might its chief asset, even more than the burgers. The RMB 38 A&W root beer and Sprite floats are certainly satisfying, but pale in comparison to the restaurant’s thick malt shakes. At RMB 58, these drinks are also a little steep, but this time the cost is more than worth it, thanks to their chocolate, vanilla and strawberry varieties, and their range of add-ons like crushed Oreo, banana, and marshmallows (an extra RMB 8 each).

Better still is their salty-sweet taste and near-ice-cream thickness, making each cupful a dessert in itself as much as drink. These shakes are astoundingly tasty, and rank among the best we’ve ever had anywhere, let alone in Beijing. 

While the restaurant’s malt shakes and plush cushy booths might evoke a Happy Days rerun for many patrons, Fat Boy’s remaining decor choices give the burger bar an unexpected twist. An obvious choice would have been to adorn the walls with portraits of Elvis, James Dean and other 50’s icons. But this American style diner has instead opted for stark black and white paintings of pistol toting, mohawked punks, engine gears and bolts, robots that look strikingly similar to Bender from Futurama, and the muscle shirt clad, apish bouncer that serves as Fat Boy’s mascot.

These tattoo-esque wall paintings provide a curious 80’s punk twist on the 50s diner proceedings, as if the designers were trying to visualise the punkabilly music genre for customers looking for a weird atmos-phere to go with their bizarre grub. 

All these features add up to a uniquely indulgent fast food experience. And while the lofty prices will keep most patrons from attending regularly, the premium quality and wide variety of ingredients  do indeed make an occasional trip to Fat Boy’s more than satisfying. 

Check back soon for our take on more of Beijing’s zaniest fast food sandwiches – from peanut but-ter topped patties, Moroccan renditions of burgers, and more. 

Fat Boy’s Burger Bar
Daily 11am-11pm. World City 8 Jinjiang Lu, Chaoyang District (8590 6168)
朝阳区金汇路8号世界城E座东门

Photos: Kyle Mullin