Sweet, sour, salty, spicy: in a good bite of nasi lemak or beef rendang, all four flavors hit the palate at once. And that, says Fatty Crab general manager John Petry, is the magic of Malaysian food, whose blend of Indian, Thai, Indonesian, and Chinese culinary influences makes it one of the world's most deliciously eclectic cuisines.

The Fatty Crab kitchen crew amps up classic Malaysian dishes, drawing from traditional flavor profiles and cooking techniques to come up with something new. Below, Petry shares a few highlights from Fatty Crab's wide-ranging menu.

Fatty Duck: Not a traditional Malaysian meal, the signature Fatty Duck is one of the "inspired-by" dishes on the menu. First the duck is steamed to medium rare, then dredged in flour and pepper and deep-fried to a delicious crisp. It gets sweetness from gula jawa, an unrefined palm sugar with a molasses-like consistency. The sour comes from pickled mustard grains and thai chiles that hit the tongue with some heat.

Short Rib Rendang: This dish, says Petry, "is pretty much spot on" as far as classic Malaysian dishes go. The range of flavors comes from a precise blend of lemongrass, chiles, shallots, and coconut milk; the kitchen amps up this classic by using high-quality meat so "you get just this tender, fall-apart-as-you-eat-it short rib."

Nasi Lemak: Considered by some to be the national dish of Malaysia, traditional nasi lemak consists of white rice that's been soaked in coconut milk, wrapped in a fragrant pandan leaf, and steamed. Fatty Crab's version adds a sauce of ikan bilis, which are "little fried anchovies—like mini anchovies," Petry says.