For generations of Qantas pilots, there was one table in Singapore that never changed – even as everything else did. At Wing Seong Fatty’s, crew from different bases and different fleets would land after a long haul and find the same warm welcome waiting, meal after meal, decade after decade.
Now, as the beloved restaurant closes its doors for good, Qantas is making sure that welcome doesn’t disappear with it.
The airline has introduced two of Fatty’s signature dishes – crispy spring rolls and nuclear chicken – into its Singapore lounges at Changi Airport, served in the First and Business lounges respectively. It’s a small gesture carrying a big history.
Wing Seong Fatty’s story began in World War Two, when founder Au Yuen and his son Au Chan Seng – known to everyone simply as “Fatty” – quietly fed prisoners of war at great personal risk. Word of their courage spread among Australian servicemen and RAAF pilots, and in the years that followed, Fatty’s became more than a restaurant to them. It became a ritual. A place crews found their way to, and kept finding their way back to, for as long as the Kangaroo Route flew through Singapore.
“Fatty’s has been more than just a restaurant. It’s been part of the Qantas story in Singapore for decades,” said Nick McGlynn, Qantas’ executive vice president for Asia. “Singapore has been one of our most important international bases since the late 1940s, and Fatty’s has been woven into that history from the early days.
“Fatty’s holds a unique place in the hearts of our crew and customers. Showcasing their dishes in our lounges is our way of honouring a place that has shaped the experience of flying through this city for generations.”
The recipes were passed down to Qantas chefs by Skinny, 75, the third-generation custodian of Wing Seong Fatty’s, alongside his brother Kelvin, the wider Au family and the restaurant’s team – a handover marked yesterday at a function celebrating the restaurant’s long-held place in the Qantas community.
Qantas Chief Pilot Dick Tobiano said Fatty’s held a special place in the hearts of many pilots and crew.
“For generations of Qantas pilots, Fatty’s has been far more than a restaurant. It’s been part of our shared experience, a place where crew from different bases and fleets come together to share the same table.
“We’re very grateful to the Au family and their friendship over the years, and on behalf of Qantas we wish them a well-earned retirement. They will certainly be missed.”
