Fat Fish - Los Angeles
Here’s why I love Fat Fish in West Hollywood: I get to try new flavors there. And it’s not from the (pretty good) sushi — it’s from the drinks. Fat Fish is the reason that I pay such close attention to drinks everywhere I go. Cocktails seem like lab experiments for layering flavors from all walks of life, and I’ve solemnly vowed, internally, to come up with cocktail-based desserts that can match their deliciousness.
One reason for Fat Fish’s success with drinks is its use of fresh ingredients — fresh purees, fresh fruit, even fresh rose petals for the occasional garnish (one of those drinks is not finished until it’s balanced just so); there are no awful schnapps here for flat flavor boosts. They use muddlers a lot. But what’s even better is that the alcohol remains on the center stage (not overpowered by juices, that is), and quite often, drinks are made only from alcohols of different flavors.
They also have one of the more fascinating alcohol selections that I’ve seen — common high-quality stuff, but also the esoteric. What’s more, the bartenders know how to mix them. Just ask the bartenders about an unfamiliar bottle, and they can probably put together an off-the-menu drink for you; or tell you that it’s not really worth it. So, sitting at the bar in the lounge in the back is really where the action is.
Last time we were there, we asked about the Feijoa-flavored 42 Below vodka. Feijoa is a fruit commonly found in NZ, where 42 Below is from; its nickname is “pineapple guava.” The bartender mixed it with pineapple, mint, honey, and soda for a drink. I don’t usually like pineapple juice in drinks b/c it’s cloying sweetness tends to mask everything else, but here, it blended in well with the other flavors to produce a drink that verged on the tropical, and yet was grounded in a pungent earthiness from the mint and honey.
We also asked about a bottle of Phillips Union Vanilla-Flavored Whiskey. We were given a drink with lemon juice, lime juice, mint, simple syrup, and the whiskey (about 2 shots worth). The immediate strength of the vanilla flavor ultimately swirled into the whiskey, sour citrus, and mint flavors, and the finish lingered with a cumulative flavor of of them all. It was a drink that you could savor for that reason, but since it was such a new taste experience, it was one that you wanted to get to know very well, fast.
So, those were two of my drinks during one night of Fat Fish. They also have nightly specials, like the Golden Mojito (w/ float of champagne), Blackberry Sangria, and a Cilantro Margarita. There are pages of cocktails and liquors on the menu — I usually order drinks like the Wonderland (w/ kiwi puree; my standby), Cucumber Martini, Lychiban Martini (sp? lychee, cherry, and vanilla, I believe), Zentini (sake, ginger-infused vodka, crystallized ginger), the 616, and the Secret Flower (one of our first times there, Chad liked the ingredients but didn’t look at the name until he ordered a “sec-ret… FLOWER?!” It’s made with champagne, cointreau, cranberry); there’s also a good selection of tequilas. Note that if you find their website, the drinks list is kind of dated on it.
To eat, the Seattle, Firecracker, FAT AASS, and Ichi Rolls are all good, as is the Stuffed Tomato appetizer (it’s actually tuna surrounding crab). For dessert, we usually get the warm chocolate cake with a special request for their homemade marshmallows (which are usually served on their banana split dessert).
My only caveat about Fat Fish is that we’ve been going for years and have been served by bartenders of varying abilities. Some nights we’ve left unfulfilled by average drinks. The proportions really have to be just right for them to be mind-blowing. Josh, and more recently, Marcello, are amazing.
And the ever-popular Abbey is just up the street… It’s one of the few places that you can a get a taxi easily in LA. Take advantage of this.
