Chef Bill Kim expands his Asian influenced restaurants with bellyQ through a partnership with Michael Jordan and Cornerstone Restaurant Group. bellyQ is a Korean barbecue inspired restaurant with influences from all over Asia and featuring an array of small plates designed for sharing as well as hibachi tables for groups should you choose. The bar staff is talented and produce excellent craft cocktails.
Each dish was executed impeccably and each had such unique flavor profiles. The Thai Chicken was crispy with a perfect balance of spice. The Lamb Buns were savory awesomeness and the varying textures gave the dish interest. The Spring Hot Pot didn't have the most creative eye appeal at first ghlance (a giant bowl of green soup), but it ended up being the group favorite that night. We went on to the BBQ Chicken, Korean Ribs, Papaya Cucumber Salad, Hamachi, Sweet Potatoes, and the Chinese Broccoli. The menu features an ever-changing "pancake". The selection this night was the Nueske Bacon Pancake. The focus is on the more savory and salty flavors versus the traditional "breakfast" flavors. Kim's take on sticky rice and traditional Asian vegetable dishes are interesting and inventive.
To round out the meal we tried the traditional Vietnamese coffee which is very rich with rum cream. For desserts we tried the bellyQ Donuts, jelly filled fried doughnuts rolled in sugar and served with vanilla soft-serve; the Grapefruit Float which consisted of grapefruit soda with the house made vanilla soft-serve; and the PB &J which was a layered dessert of fruit preserves, peanut butter soft-serve and vanilla soft-serve.
Spring Hot Pot
Kale & Green Papaya Salad
Sticky Lamb Buns with Mint Pepper Jelly & Smoked Onion
Korean Ribs w/ Homemade Hoisin and Asian Coleslaw
Sticky Rice with Shrimp Togarashi, Chinese sausage and mushrooms
Nueske Bacon Pancakes
Vietnamese Coffee with Rum Cream