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What to Expect From Belly Restaurant’s New ‘Bacon Omakase

So much pork. Photo: Melissa Hom

The idea behind Belly is relatively straightforward: Pork belly is forever — or at least warrants its own nine-course tasting menu. Instead of a solitary stunt dish, the new Williamsburg restaurant’s owners are escalating things with an entire menu ($45) built around the classic ingredient. It’s what they’re calling, with a bit of marketing gusto, a “bacon omakase.”

Opened by friends Phillip Cho, an advertising executive, and Anna Lee, who works in marketing communication strategy, Belly’s tasting menu features pork in every course except bread service and dessert. Executive chef Brian Crawford’s menu has its fair share of kimchee and dishes inspired by Korean standards, like soo yuk and the twisted doughnut kkwabaegi, but it’s by no means traditional. Expect dishes like pork schnitzel and pasta with creamy kimchee sauce, too.

Along with the tasting menu, there are also four à la carte dishes available (menu here), including a sandwich with gochujang-glazed pork belly and pork jowl with glass noodles. Booze means plenty of sake and soju along with mostly Californian and French wines, which will come in handy when you go downstairs to croon in one of their 12 karaoke rooms. Called BEATS Karaoke, it offers buzzer service for drinks and is BYOB for hard liquor.

But enough about all that. You’re here for the bacon-omakase experience. Check out the full set of offerings.

Balthazar Bakery bread with kimchee butter. Photo: Melissa Hom
Pork-belly sushi. Photo: Melissa Hom
Cooked pork-belly carpaccio. Photo: Melissa Hom
Grilled pork jowl with miso-walnut sauce and chive kimchee. Photo: Melissa Hom
Pasta alla belly with housemate sausage and creamy kimchee sauce. Photo: Melissa Hom
“Bacon steak” with gochujang-glazed pork belly with grilled scallion stalks seasoned with salt, pepper, and olive oil. Photo: Melissa Hom
Schnitzel with demi-glace sauce and house pickles. Photo: Melissa Hom
A take on bibimbap features pork shoulder, eggplant, egg yolk, soy-sauce dressing, and white kimchee. Photo: Melissa Hom
Hurricane doughnut with smoky whipped cream and Korean plum tea. Photo: Melissa Hom

Belly, 219 Grand St., nr. Driggs Ave.; 888-777-0087

What to Expect From This Restaurant’s New ‘Bacon Omakase