When restaurant week is upon us, it’a only right to take part in at least one of the restaurants offering a nice lunch or 3-course dinner for $29 or $42, respectively. I decided to try Kristalbelli. Perfect for yet another catch up dinner. Kristalbelli is located in the heart of Midtown Manhattan and serves very authentic Korean dishes. I love the prix fixe menu because you do normally get some pretty good options for a 3-course meal.
My friend and I decided to order different things for the appetizer, entree and dessert so we could essentially try various things. For the appetizers, we went with the crispy salmon and japchae. The crispy salmon was the favorite for the table which is salmon sashimi with crispy sushi rice. The japchae consisted of stir fried glass noodles with beef and seasonal vegetables. For the entree, I decided to try the wagyu marinated short ribs, a recommendation and highly praised dish from the waiter. To actually experience the grilling at the table, my friend went with the black tiger shrimp. You cannot come to this Korean spot and not have an entree cooked right before your eyes on the crystal Buddha belly. The entrees were complimented with a handful of sides including a fresh salad, Korean potato salad and a boiled egg to name a few. My favorite was the salad because it was so refreshing and added a nice touch to my short ribs. I was highly impressed with the short ribs. Talk about amazing! That was definitely a great recommendation.
For the dessert, we had the popcorn ice cream and apple rose. OMG both were delicious! I never even thought of having caramelized popcorn over vanilla ice cream. To balance the sweetness, there was salt sprinkled on the top as well. The apple rose was a nice pastry filled with caramelized apples and cinnamon, served with mascarpone ice cream. I am so glad I finally made it here. The food was great and you really get to enjoy traditional Korean dishes served right here in New York. I’ve always loved the diversity in cuisine in New York. To top it off, there’s a nice lounge right upstairs called Juga. I highly recommend stopping by this little hidden gem for a drink and some nice tunes. Check out pictures below from my Kristalbelli experience.
lifeofacitygal 