Before heading uptown to see Larry David’s hysterical Fish in the Dark, we stopped in at Kristalbelli, the stylish Midtown restaurant serving traditional Korean cuisine with a modern upscale twist.
While looking over the menu and sipping on our chilled mineral-rich New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, we nibbled the crunchy creamy and sweet pumpkin fritter amuse bouche served over a yuzo aioli, artfully garnished with edible pansy flower.
Next we had a skillet filled with chopped octopus and udon noodles ($17), in an amazingly complex spicy sauce created from Korean chili peppers that warms your mouth. The dish arrived sprinkled with two-colored sesame seeds. I would highly recommend if you like spicy foods, but suggest you request the octopus being undercooked as ours was a little rubbery.
I learned that the owner — J.Y Park — designed the dinner tables with a the crystal belly shaped grill at the center. When you order something 
from the BBQ menu as we did the tiger shrimp, the waiter cooks it at your table where it grills sans smoke and is served with some Korean side dishes that change daily.
We nibbled the six jumbo black tiger shrimp ($27) served with kimchi (spicy fermented cabbage), soy glazed black beans, seaweed salad and mashed pumpkin. We were also served julienne scallion salad and pickled radishes topped with a Fuji apple pear vinaigrette used to clear our palate.
A classic dish is the Kristal bibimpap ($19), served in a hot stone topped with rice and thinly sliced assortment of mixed vegetables with Korean chili paste on the side. You add as much heat as you want and toss it all together.
I would have loved to sample more, but we had to run. When you hae time, I do recommend you try the sophisticated robust Korean flavors at Kristalbelli.
– bonnie
Kristalbelli
Midtown West
8 W 36th St
New York, NY 10018
(212) 290-2211
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