I walked into bellyQ subconsciously preparing to be disappointed. There was no way the latest Asian Fusion joint sitting on a corner of West Randolph was going to have anything as appetizing as the foods I had enjoyed in Asia while studying abroad in Hong Kong. To make matters worse, I was slowly being taken over by nausea—probably from taking an antibiotic clearly labeled “take after food” that I took before food. Nonetheless, I started to lighten up as the young hostess led us to our wooden booth.
The juxtaposition of the wood with metal furniture gave the place a modern yet natural feel. The restaurant’s high ceilings gave the sensation of openness even when every seat in the house was filled, plus it diffused the chattering of the roomful of happy diners. We started by ordering some items to share, then chose three barbecue items as entrees to split between the four of us, and couple of side dishes to add to the mix as well. Everything looked like it was going to be amazing as the friendly staff whizzed around with trays of well put together dishes.
Although our cheerily pregnant waiter was certainly busy, she rushed to bring us our drinks and moments later came to the rescue with some Thai Style Fried Chicken and a Goat Milk Feta Pancake. As soon as I caught a waft of the sweet chili sauce glazed over the chicken, I told the churning in my stomach to move aside. This appetizer came with four fist-sized pieces of perfectly tender chicken. The crispiness of the chicken combined with the richness of the sweet chili sauce and the tanginess from a dash of lime made for a perfect start.
As the poultry made its way down my digestive system, I went in for the pancake. The almost paper thin pancake was topped with goat milk feta, crispy rice fried noodles, and spinach. Never having really eaten something of the sort before, I was pleasantly surprised by different flavors and textures that went into this plate. The pancake was soft and salty and while the goat cheese added a creamy texture to the dish, the noodles and spinach added an interesting crunchiness to it all.
It was an impressive start, definitely a trip from the traditional flavors of Asian cuisine, but the freshness and quality of the seasonal and locally grown ingredients is uncontested. We finished the appetizers and while my friends enjoyed a nice bottle of cold sake as we waited for the entrees, I stuck with water and Coca-Cola—though I did see some interesting cocktails zipping by. The main courses arrived, we had the choice of having our meats barbecued at the small built in hibachi table in front of us, but we opted for having the dishes cooked in the main kitchen. Although we seriously underestimated the size of the portions—one entrée for two people should be enough—I was excited to experiment with these different plates.
I started by digging into the Braised Lamb Shank. At just the right temperature, the forkfuls of lamb were so soft I hardly needed a knife to get them off the bone. On the side, we had some fresh out of the oven Chinese Steam Buns that went perfectly with the lamb’s red Thai curry. Those cloudlike buns topped with the mild spiciness of the curry and the salted lamb made a perfect combo. As if my taste buds weren’t already having a mini rager, I glanced over at the grilled Pork Chop laying innocently on a bed of rice and I just had to cut myself a piece. If you love meat, then this piece of juiciness is for you. Perfectly grilled, almost to a slight toastiness, the pork was a spectacular way for me to end my meal—until dessert that is.
Although the dessert menu consists of a variety of soft serve delicacies, we opted for the one that was on the Restaurant Week Menu—Vietnamese cinnamon donuts with Seoul caramel. Probably not the choice to go with after an enormous and wonderful meal, but just one bite of those donuts was enough. Although each bite likely contains 1,000 calories, the freshness of the slightly fried dough was incredible, and the caramel sauce was one of the best I’ve ever tasted.
Not a splurge but definitely not a cheap eat, bellyQ is an enjoyable place to go with friends or family who love to experiment with unique flavors. But beware, this is not exactly a vegetarian friendly eatery, while some dishes are meat-free, the choices are quite limited.
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