Is the Upper West Side becoming a Mecca for hip eateries? Long derided as a culinary wasteland–some of my friends insist I live in the “suburbs”–the family-centric ‘hood is now snagging imports from more stylish areas of the city.

First, the East Village eatery, the Mermaid Inn, opened an outpost at 568 Amsterdam Ave.

Now, according to the New York Times, the Fatty Crab is creating a branch of its small West Village Malaysian restaurant at 2170 Broadway, at 77th St. Let’s hope that this new 62-seat dining spot will produce the same great food we’ve sampled at the original location.

Related posts:

1. Upper West Side Fatty Crab Finally Opens
2. Upper West Side: Fatty Crab Throws Itself a First Birthday Party
3. West Village Restaruant: Fabulous Fatty Crab