Be the grill master of your own fate at Chubby Skewers - Review - New York - The Infatuation
"Having chefs cook your food is well and good, but you know what’s really fun? Moseying up to a refrigerator, grabbing a handful of skewers speared with things like brisket, lamb neck, and abalone, and grilling them yourself. That’s exactly what you’ll do at the first NYC outpost of Chubby Skewers, a Northeastern Chinese barbecue chain. The Midtown restaurant—with two sprawling floors that can easily accommodate groups of four on low-to-the-ground seats—is a lot of smoky fun. It also happens to be open until 3am every day. video credit: Will Hartman photo credit: Will Hartman photo credit: Will Hartman Pause Unmute There’s a huge variety of skewers—28 meat and seafood options, and 14 vegetables—and mix-and-match seasonings like a dry spice rub, cumin and chili powder. The grills are hot enough for a nice sear, but not so scorching that a short conversation with your friend could lead to a fire. The all-wagyu beef, and other quality ingredients give even novice grillers a head start, though the rest depends on your grilling skills. But even if you overcook something, you’ll have a great time here watching rendering fat drip and flare on the grill from your 20th skewer of the night while loud dubstep plays in the background. Plus, a charred skewer doesn’t feel like a huge loss: most are $1.20, with premium ones priced at $2.40. You could even get them for $1, but you’ll have to sign up for something called the Chubby Club which involves purchasing NFTs (it’s a similar deal at the affiliated Mikiya Wagyu Shabu House). We’re not sure if we’d go that far, but we’ll definitely add this place to our fun dinner rotation, especially once they get a beer license. Food Rundown Skewers The abalone is not to be skipped, nor are the scallops or cuttlefish balls. Besides those go for a mix of beef cuts (all from wagyu cattle), lamb, some fatty pork belly, and chicken hearts. And for dessert, a pineapple skewer sprinkled with a little bit of sugar for extra caramelization is a great choice. photo credit: Will Hartman Cold Noodles This bowl of cold, chewy noodles in a sweet and salty broth is a nice counterpoint to the charred, chili- and cumin-forward meats you’ve been grilling. It’s not a necessary order, but it’s definitely a good thing to have on your table. photo credit: Will Hartman Stir-fried Noodles Anywhere outside of this restaurant, we’d really like these salty, wok-hei forward noodles with eggs and vegetables. But they don’t provide the same change of pace that the cold noodles do, so point yourself to the former if you feel a noodle-y pull. photo credit: Will Hartman" - Will Hartman
