FOOD & WINE

Kristalbelli: Korean BBQ lunch with a twist in Midtown Manhattan

Published on: June 19, 2015 | Last Updated on July 30, 2018
Entrance to Kristalbelli (screenshot)
Entrance to Kristalbelli (screenshot)

Entrance to Kristalbelli (screenshot)

If you’re near the Empire State Building, don’t miss the Korean BBQ lunch at Kristalbelli.

When you escape the hectic streets of Midtown Manhattan and walk through the heavy, oversized, wooden entrance door at Kristalbelli on 36th Street off Fifth Avenue, you enter a long narrow space that makes you feel as if you’ve suddenly been transported someplace else.

Just beyond the contemporary glass wall-of-wines on the left side of the restaurant is a long line of banquettes. The marble tables have smoke-free crystal barbecue grills at their centers, each with the whimsical shape of a Buddha’s belly as its cooking surface. (The grills are rumored to cost $30,000 apiece.)

Table-top Buddha Belly grill

Table-top Buddha Belly grill

Although located only one block north of Koreatown, the ambiance here is decidedly more upscale that many of the other wonderful nearby eateries. In fact, Kristalbelli tops Zagat’s list for New York City’s Best for Korean BBQ. Because it is located within walking distance of both Grand Central Station and the Port Authority, it seemed like a perfect lunch spot to meet a friend from New Jersey. We came away wowed.

The dish

For an amuse-bouche, our waiter served each of us a single taro chip with a paper-thin slice of saucisson topped with a dollop of blue cheese vinaigrette. The tastes and textures were a great start.

Taro chip amuse-bouche

Taro chip amuse-bouche

The extensive lunch menu offered cold and hot appetizers, noodles and rice dishes, soups and barbecue entrees. Although we had read about the wonderful pork dumplings, there were none to be had at lunchtime. The waiter told us that the place had been extremely busy the night before and they completely sold out.

Instead we shared an appetizer of haemool-pajeon, mixed seafood scallion pancakes, grilled to perfection and served with a tangy Ponzu sauce.

Seafood scallion pancakes

Seafood scallion pancakes with Ponzu sauce

For entrees, we chose from the Bab Sang lunch box menu (all priced under $20), a combination plate that was served much like a traditional Japanese Bento Box dish. My friend ordered the pan-seared, soy-glazed red snapper dupbap, seared in a sizzling hot stone pot with rice and vegetables. I ordered the tender Wagyu ribeye dupbap, served medium rare (just as ordered.)

Wagyu ribeye dupbap

Wagyu ribeye dupbap

The whole enchilada

Bab Sang box – the whole enchilada

Both boxes included miso soup, housemade kimchi, beansprouts and pickled seawood salad. Everything we tasted was fresh and delicious. Service was attentive and the dishes (and boxes) were beautifully presented. The portions were so ample that there was plenty leftover to take home for not-so-lucky spouses.

Kristalbelli is owned by the JYP Entertainment group, a large entertainment conglomerate based in Seoul. The creative menu of this concept restaurant is described as Korean Fusion, a modern twist on the traditional. Chef Kay Hyun, a graduate of the French Culinary Institute, does a terrific job in its execution.

The dining room

The dining room

Bottom line

I’ll definitely return for three reasons:

1) The meal was interesting, delicious, and reasonably priced given its quality.

2) I still want to taste the dumplings and legendary popcorn ice cream.

3) I would love to try the three-course prix fix dinner (at $45 per person) and get to taste meat grilled on the Buddha’s belly.

BTW, it’s a great choice for tourists visiting the Empire State Building just around the corner.


IF YOU GO

Kristalbelli

8 West 36th Street (between Fifth and Sixth Avenues)

This post is part of a linkup with Budget Travelers Sandbox.

  • Reply
    Laura
    June 19, 2015 at 9:34 am

    That looks so good! I love lunch menu pricing. It’s so much more budget friendly.

  • Reply
    Kristin Henning
    June 20, 2015 at 3:47 pm

    OK, that’s it! I’m committed to going to this Korean BBQ joint – even if it is upscale, fushion – next time I’m in NYC midtown area. Sounds fantastic!

    • Reply
      Irene S. Levine
      June 20, 2015 at 3:53 pm

      It was so yummy! Wish I lived closer and could have dinner there tonight. But it is much closer than Korea!:-)

  • Reply
    Betsy Wuebker | PassingThru
    June 22, 2015 at 9:25 am

    Wow! I was thinking from your photos there had to be a little French somewhere among the Korean cuisine, and I felt so validated to learn that the chef was French trained! LOL What an amazing bargain for Manhattan this is! Everything looks delicious and the location, as you say, is prime for tourist visits. What a great find.

    • Reply
      Irene S. Levine
      June 22, 2015 at 5:07 pm

      I thought Kristalbelli was a great find, too. I’m yearning to return.

  • Reply
    Anita @ No Particular Place To Go
    June 22, 2015 at 12:28 pm

    Ooh – Yum! Here I am, salivating and dreaming of good Korean food and not a restaurant anywhere nearby… Hope to get to NYC this fall and will definitely remember Kristalbelli’s! Guess I’ll just have to keep dreaming and looking at your photos!

    • Reply
      Irene S. Levine
      June 22, 2015 at 5:09 pm

      I didn’t realize how few Korean restaurants were in my neck of the woods either. Tried one in Westchester today and it paled compared to Kristalbelli!

  • Reply
    Anita
    June 22, 2015 at 1:17 pm

    I shouldn’t read posts like this before dinner! NYC is a wonderful place for Korean food, but I’m surprised (and delighted) to learn about Kristalbelli’s right in Mid-Town. On my list!

    • Reply
      Irene S. Levine
      June 22, 2015 at 5:10 pm

      My visit has inspired me to learn more about Korean cuisine.

  • Reply
    Carole Terwilliger Meyers
    June 22, 2015 at 7:56 pm

    I will be visiting NYC next week and am on the lookout for good places to eat. Kristabellic Korean BBQ sounds like a delicious option, but I will be bopping around with vegans so won’t work this time. However, it reminds me that I remember going to a vegan-vegetarian Korean place in NYC on a past visit, so maybe we’ll try that one again.

  • Reply
    Suzanne Stavert
    June 22, 2015 at 9:23 pm

    How did you know what to choose? My husband is there right now and staying in Midtown and I am forwarding this post! Thank you for finding such a cool spot with delicious food.

    • Reply
      Irene S. Levine
      June 23, 2015 at 7:04 am

      I usually check on Open Table, Yelp and Foursquare to find out what to order~

  • Reply
    Jo
    June 24, 2015 at 6:20 pm

    Love Korean barbecues. The three course prix fix dinner looks a great price too. But you had me at, “for an amuse-bouche, our waiter served each of us a single taro chip with a paper-thin slice of saucisson topped with a dollop of blue cheese vinaigrette.” Oh yes please 🙂

  • Reply
    Nancie
    June 25, 2015 at 12:47 am

    What a find! I was expecting to see beef or pork cooking on Buddha’s belly! 🙂 Korean fusion can be found in Korea, too. Although, I would say that most traditional Korean restaurants in Korea specialize in one dish. I would eat here if I was in NYC. Thanks for linking up. #TPThursday

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