Saturday January 10, 2009
A sinful delight
By MICHAEL D’OLIVEIRO
Pork-lovers have little to celebrate when it comes to eating at reputable establishments. German food is good but the only thing sweet when it comes to paying the exorbitant bill is the smile on the waiter’s face.
But if you’re in the mood for some real pork, then a trip to BellyGood, just south of the Sunway flyover in Petaling Jaya, is a must.
It occupies what used to be Wendy’s Bistro. You will find that little has changed about the place, apart from the name, of course – it’s still warmly-lit and comfortable, and is neither outstanding nor bland.
Simply delicious: Well-marinated pork belly can be trimmed of fat. BellyGood is proud of their pork, displaying it on the glass counters, hoping to tempt one and all.
The seats are on the right side, with a tiny smoking area on the outside. The menu is extensive and diverse, and BellyGood claims to pursue a philosophy of fusion between East and West.
The signature dish is most definitely the Grilled Spare Ribs (RM23.90), which is marinated in a maripur sauce. BellyGood, or BG as I’ll call them, serves theirs in three, fist-sized chunks that are thick but tender – just the way I like it. Mashed potatoes and coleslaw complete the meal.
Special mention must be made of BG’s secret sauces, which help enhance the well-marinated meat. They say their meats are marinated for at least 24 hours and manually tenderised. I would have preferred the potato with a bit more butter for a richer taste. BG’s version is a little bland, even though the serving was a helpfully large one.
The coleslaw was a lot more appetising. I also enjoyed the rich sauce. A spicier version also exists, and I had quite a kick upon tasting it.
Something sweet: Cinammon Apple provides the perfect balance to a hearty meal. The Grilled Pork Belly (RM21.90) should be a favourite with many. As with the spare ribs, I found it equally tender and succulent. BG’s pork belly is marinated in a lovely, sweet sauce. A good advice, if you’re mindful of your diet, is to request for much of the fat to be trimmed off. BG’s management will gladly accommodate your request.
The Breaded Pork Chop (RM25.90) is deep-fried in their own version of breaded crumbs and, again, comes with their secret gravy. The large piece of meat came off easily with my steak knife and was tender to the bite. The “special” gravy didn’t quite do it for me. I would say that pork chops being pork chops, this was really nothing special. I would recommend the other dishes instead.
If you don’t want a chunky piece of cow to chew on, you can always try BellyGood’s array of sausages. It’s best to go for a Sausage Platter (RM26.90). You get to savour four sizeable sausages served with fries and Thai chilli sauce.
Their signature chorizo sausages (both pork and chicken) retained a tangy, smoky flavour. I tried the Hungarian Spicy sausage, too, but found it rather mild, un-spicy despite what the name suggests. But it did have a unique taste that hinted of various spices used in the marinade.
Unless you really have a penchant for fusion, I wouldn’t recommended the sickly-sweet Oriental sausage, which tasted like a high-end piece of lap cheong (sweet Chinese sausage) to me.
Finger-licking good: Succulent Pork Ribs fit for a king. We finished off with the sweet but refreshing Stewed Cinnamon Apple with Vanilla Ice Cream (RM12.90). It’s certainly something different from your other dessert. The firm Fuji apples, brandy and cinnamon combination is just the thing to balance out all that meat and sauce, especially with the generous dollop of vanilla ice-cream.
The service throughout was friendly and polite, with the food arriving relatively quickly. The foreign waiter even spoke good English! There’s definitely a great variety of pork dishes here – enough to make any meat-lover fumble for choice. All of it is tasty, too, thanks to the way BellyGood lovingly prepares them.
Pork has never tasted this good and the prices are surprisingly inexpensive. All in all, BellyGood is a great place to head over to when you feel like committing the sin of gluttony.
After just one visit, I’m now adding lust to the list.
BellyGood
No. 20, Jalan PJS 8/18
Dataran Mentari
Bandar Sunway
Selangor
Tel: (03) 5630 1699
E-mail: reservations@bellygood.com.my
Business hours: 11am-11pm daily except Mondays
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