THE colourful images of the three witches of the Mardi Gras adorn the walls, drawing you into Fatfire, a restaurant serving the food of the southern United States.

Expect fajitas, tacos, shrimp po’ Boys, burgers, and catfish ‘n’ chips, among many others at Fatfire in Lalaport, Kuala Lumpur.

We encountered tingly Cajun spices in the crispy batter of the Mississippi fried calamari, served with a zesty dipping sauce.

It was the same with the tilapia popcorn, fried diced tilapia meat in a spicy batter, served with Cajun mayo and remoulade sauces.

Flying high buffalo wings were grilled chicken wings seasoned with spices. These were moist, tender, and packed with flavour.

I enjoyed the Prawn-tastic tacos, a refreshing, delightful contrast to the crispy, spicy bites of tilapia popcorn and fried calamari. These were soft tacos, filled with marinated tiger prawns, mango salsa with diced avocado and red cabbage. Guacamole and a spicy slaw were perfect accompaniments to the tacos.

Mary’s Not So Little Lamb was our burger, assembled with a grilled lamb patty, grilled pineapple, lettuce, tomato, slice of cheese, and caramelised onions. It was a delicious burger, and the pineapple gave a sweet, juicy lift to the flavourful patty. It came with a basket of chips.

Louisiana in the US is the home of catfish, which are found all year round in the ponds, rivers, and streams.

Hence Fatfire’s Catfish & Chips. I liked the catfish, coated in a spiced batter and deep-fried. The chips were small deep-fried potatoes and together with a tart, creamy apple slaw and salad, made a balanced, satisfying meal.

The Fatfire Jambalicious pasta had al dente spaghetti in a tangy, spicy tomato-based jambalaya sauce with slices of smoky chicken sausage, tomatoes, and capsicum in it. The spaghetti was completely covered in the piquant sauce.

Desserts for us were a slice of key lime pie and New Orleans beignets with chocolate sauce.

The key lime pie had a lovely graham cracker base, and while I have had some sharply sour key lime pies before, this one was tangy and done just right, with a balanced, creamy filling on the crust. The New Orleans beignets were golden, crispy pillows of fried dough dusted with icing sugar, to be dipped in chocolate sauce.

We couldn’t resist the offer of three cocktails for RM70, so we sipped on Cosmopolitan, Sangria, and Moscow Mule. The last was vodka, lime juice, and ginger ale. Ordered separately, they would have cost RM24.90 each.

The food portions were large enough to be shared. The fried calamari was RM32; buffalo wings, RM28; and tilapia popcorn, RM27. The tacos cost RM30 and the lamb burger, catfish and chips, and pasta were RM37 each. Desserts were RM18 each.

The set lunch offers a main course and a drink at RM18.90. Fatfire is pork-free.

Fatfire is at Lot G-73, ground floor, Gourmet Street at BBCC, Lalaport, 2 Jalan Hang Tuah, Kuala Lumpur. The number to call is 03-2731 3555. – April 20, 2024.

* Eu Hooi-Khaw has been writing about food for the longest time, covering all aspects, from restaurant reviews to cooking and recipes, as well as the healthy side of it. She has written for major newspapers and magazines, published the cookbook Fresh Ingredients, and also writes for her website hooikhawandsu.com.