THE BAKERY AT FAT RICE, LOGAN SQUARE, CHICAGO

Here I am in Chicago – ‘city of the big shoulders’ – gradually making my way to New Orleans. It’s the start of my year long sabbatical from KERB, which I started nearly 5 years ago.

The time had come to get out there and see what else is happening in the world. I chose America because for me, nowhere else has such variety, such extremes, contradictions, blends, mixes, mash-ups and new versions of the old (and old versions of the new). Though it is a really challenging time over here right now, it is also a really interesting time – and, as a long-time lover of this country I wanted to get deeper under its skin. So a-trawling I will go…

Nearly 3 weeks in, I’ve made my way over from the Pacific North West to the heart of the Midwest. I’ve got quite caught up in Chicago, actually – very meaty place, lots to get stuck into.

Here is my discovery of the week:

Unassuming entrance, some flashes of faded pastel, almost looks closed with its turquoise blinds all down (much like it’s big sister restaurant next door), but push the door open and enter a twisted world of baked goods that mess with your mind at every turn. All looks fine at first, a nice piped matcha layer cake, some meringue Nutella sandwiches…

Some freshly baked pasteis de nata...

Then it’s all of its Macau magic blown through the roof – glossy domed buns filled with curry chicken and sambal, char siu pork with a pineapple cookie top, a Chicago-style hot dog bun (slices of beef wiener embedded in a sweet, brioch-y round), pang susis (ground pork with sweet potato dough).

I select a few items – my mind veering all over the place with choice and awe – then see they have Rice Krispie treats. Oh wait, it has nori on it and what? it’s woven through with pork floss and comes with a side jolt of fish sauce-spiked caramel sauce…

I’m not going to say I liked this bar of weirdness – there was just too much telling my brain it was a chewy prawn cracker – and the salty seaweed straining through the marshmallow was screwy – but hell, do I love a place that is bold enough to tell you what’s up. This treat will live in my mind forever – and gotdam, is fish sauce a great addition to caramel.

The owners of Fat Rice settled upon a corker in focusing on Macau. They get to play with all of those nations that came into its port and made it their home and all of those flavours that bounced in from other colonies: Portugal, Brazil, India, Malaysia, China … and I get to broaden my taste scope as well as learn about a place I knew nothing about before…far far away from it and all the way over here in Chi-Town. Mash-up extraordinaire.

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