Fêting Fatty Crab

From the moment word first leaked that West Village foodie hangout Fatty Crab might be coming to the Upper West Side, residents of that nabe—which not too long ago was known as Manhattan's "culinary wasteland"—were aflutter. That was November 2006 and in the more than two years hence, the unusually long foreplay that preceded the restaurant's arrival did nothing to dampen the buzz. And that's a good thing, because at last, Fatty Crab Upper West will unlock its doors to the public—this Wednesday night. Owner Zak Pelaccio threw a a sneak preview party on Saturday evening and anyone lucky enough to have been on his invite list got a sampling of some of the best Malaysian cuisine this side of Kuala Lumpur. The cocktails (especially the Fatty Sour) were pretty darn good, too. Yes, indeed: some things are worth traveling for. Even if getting there means taking the 1 train north of Columbus Circle.

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