Celebrating decades of crew tradition: new dishes in the Singapore lounges

Wing Seong Fatty’s story began in World War Two, when founder Au Yuen, and his son Au Chan Seng, fondly known as ‘Fatty’, quietly fed prisoners of war at risk to themselves. As the word spread among Australian Servicemen and RAAF pilots, Fatty’s became a place crews found their way to and kept coming back.

For Qantas pilots in particular, Fatty's was the familiar table waiting at the end of a long flight, a place whose welcome never wavered however much the world outside it changed. For crews flying the Kangaroo Route through Singapore over the years, the restaurant was as much a part of the journey as the flight itself.

After Fatty's confirmed it would close, Qantas worked with the Au family to bring two of the restaurant's signature dishes to its lounges at Changi Airport, carrying a part of Fatty's forward. The crispy spring rolls will be served in the First lounge and the nuclear chicken in the Business lounge.

The dishes were passed down to Qantas chefs by Skinny, 75, the third-generation custodian of Wing Seong Fatty's, together with his brother Kelvin, the wider family and the restaurant’s team. They were showcased recently at a function celebrating the restaurant's long-held place in the Qantas community.

Qantas Chief Pilot Dick Tobiano said Fatty's had long held a special place for many of the airline's 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.”