Kristalbelli

I am sorry in advance for the long review. I’m just really excited to write about kristabelli.*
This is hands down my favorite Korean restaurant. I wouldn’t mind taking MTA to come here again.
Like what other Unilocalers say– kristabelli is off from Ktown but a 5 minute walk from it.
I wouldn’t have been able to know it was kristabelli from the outside because there wasn’t any name on the store front. But I remember seeing the door on Unilocal and was able to walk right in.
When I first walked in, I told the host I came with a party of 6 who was already inside. She knew who I was with and led me to the table.
I haven’t been to the upstairs/​downstairs but only the main floor. It has a nice vibe and it’s casual yet fancy.
Although attire is casual, many were dressed in professional clothes– shirt and pants. I didn’t see anyone in a tank top, tshirt, shorts etc, you get the deal.
For starters, we had champagne. I’m not sure what champagne it was but it was bubbly and sweet. I’m not a huge fan of champagne but it was pretty damn good.
Then the appetizers came. We had the shrimp salad, pork full moon dumplings and the duck confit gujulpan.
1. The shrimp salad was on point! It is deep fried shrimp on salad in chili sauce and sweet mayo sauce. It had a spicy taste but it was really good. Thinking about how to word it got me salivating. If you’re conflicted on what app to order, order this; you won’t regret it!
2. The pork full moon dumplings. These dumplings looked like pancakes at first (look at the picture). But you pretty much separate it from the top and it’s individual dumpling. These dumplings were perfectly cooked. It was not burnt at all in any way, anywhere and to me, only the outside seemed fried and the rest was steamed. It was clean tasting and didn’t leave a fatty feeling at the end.
3. The duck confit gujulpan. Honestly I didn’t know it was even duck. I’m not a fan of eating animals outside of cow, pig and chicken and even then, I’m not a big fan of them. You wrap a flour like wrap with all sorts of pickled vegetables and the duck and eat it. It tastes healthy and light. The duck was well cooked and well I’m not sure how a duck is supposed to taste since it was my first time having it but it didn’t taste too different from chicken.
Now for the entrée.
To start of the entrée, we had a bottle of red wine. The wine wasn’t too strong and not too light either. It was a perfect balance of how I like my wine. It was perfect, tart yet sweet. From what I remember, it was one of their wine? Hrm not too sure. but at this point, with the apps and this delicious glass of wine, I’m sure everything they have here is good.
Anyways, for the entrée, we had the wagyu rib eye, dry-​aged rib eye, duck, and the grilled black cod.
1. The wagyu rib eye was AMAZING! It was cooked medium-​rare. The special thing about the wagyu is that supposedly they massage the cow and feed it the best things so the meat is more tender. And it really is. It’s soft and tender and delicious. The crystal grill they use is a crystal stone so everything that they cook on it and wash beforehand is clean. Unlike the charcoal grill which leaves chemicals behind even after you wash it. It also prevents you from smelling like kbbq (and i really did not smell like kbbq afterwards!)
2. The dry aged rib eye was my favorite. It was really tasty and the meat you can tell is of good quality. It was aged 4 years before we ate it and I do not regret enjoying it. It was worth every penny.
3. Duck. I personally didn’t eat the duck because I’m not a fan of duck. So I’ll skip.
4. The grilled black cod. The fish was so tender and soft. It was well seasoned and the fish melts in your mouth. If you’re a fan of seafood, definitely get this!
Lastly, you can’t have dinner without desserts! We ordered Black Forest baked Alaska, green tea roll, chocolate lava cake and some dessert I don’t even know the name to.
1. Black Forest baked Alaska. It’s meringue covered devil’s food cake layered with raspberry sorbet. The raspberry sorbet was tart and fresh and a good dessert to have after dinner. Eating this was refreshing.
2. The green tea roll had a perfect balance of green tea and citrusy cream filling. It came with a side of icecream and red bean. Eating this green tea roll reminded of the time I had a roll in jejudo ‘s green tea farm in Korea!
3. The chocolate lava cake. The chocolate cake was oozing with the lava of a chocolate. It was warm and the way to my heart.
4. The last dessert the name I forgot and don’t know. The cookie type was veryyyyyy good and chewy. It was sweet and the icecream on the side was my favorite. I’ll attach pictures! But this has got to be my favorite dessert.
On top of all this, all the staff here were great! They kept filling my cup with water and my glass with wine. They were knowledgeable with everything we had to ask in the menu, and they were very friendly.
I can’t wait to go again!

After eating here, I don’t think I can have kBbq anywhere else ever again. Everything was prepped and served perfectly. When you walk in you don’t know it’s a Korean bbq joint, there’s no smell or smoke. That’s right, no smoke or smell, I left with my clothes smelling how I walked in.
The manager and hostess were very friendly, everyone was very friendly. I dropped a spoon and someone rushed over to give me a new one before I even picked it up.
The half moon dumplings were amazing, the duck wraps were amazing and the meat, it was beyond amazing. Cooking on a crystal stone sears the meat to perfection. The wagyu and dry aged steaks were so delicious, I think i could’ve eaten those till bankruptcy. Fun fact: kristebelli is named so because it’s a crystal over the belly of Buddha.
Finally we had dessert which were all perfect, from the baked Alaska, the green tea cake to the chocolate lava cake, everything was perfect.

I went tonight for dinner with high expectations and was not disappointed. Two things to mention of Kristalbelli (aside from the food) are the great service and the crystal stone grill. The service is A+ ⁵⁄₅ 100%. The servers are attentive but not bothersome. The manager would answer the questions we had about the meat (why the wagyu was so sought after, the benefits of the crystal stone. etc), servers would make sure that cups were never empty regardless it be of wine or water, and they were all just really nice and accommodating.
The crystal stone that is used to grill the meat actually had a difference in the whole experience. For example, I didn’t leave the restaurant smelling of meat, and my jacket and hair didn’t soak up the KBBQ smell which actually feels really nice. Additionally, the meat was perfectly medium rare and they clean the stone after each meat.
I had the wagyu and the dry aged prime rib both of which were amazing and indescribable. Their red wine paired really well with both meats. The shrimp salad appetizer was DELICIOUS as well as the black cod dish! Both of which should be a must-​try.
And as for the desserts, my favorite was the chocolate lava cake and the black forest baked alaska!
It was such a great experience and I’d go back the next time I can!

Kristabelli is a Korean BBQ gem located away from the main K-​town strip. Food is cooked at the table, but on a crystal dish over gas flame, as opposed to over a metal charcoal/​gas grill. This leads to substantially less smoke and consequently you not smelling like a BBQ pit post dinner.
The meat selection is not only large and diverse but of excellent quality when compared to other traditional K BBQ establishments. I’ve had the dry aged prime rib eye, pork belly, marinated pork ribs, and bulgogi to name a few and all have been excellent. I should note that marinated meat items are cooked back in the kitchen and served table side versus being cooked at the table like all of the non-​marinated meat items.
In terms of appetizers, I have had the «Kristal» tartare and fried oysters, which were also extremely enjoyable.
One weak area of this otherwise fantastic establishment is the complimentary side dishes. The complimentary sides are quite small (typically 3 small individual portions) when compared with other notable K BBQ establishments.
Lastly, the wine menu is not only extremely good but also extremely affordable. They stock Stags’ Leap, which I can never say no to.
Overall, I very much enjoy Kristabelli for both its food quality but also its ambience. Service is always excellent and I love that I don’t smell like pork ribs when I walk out the door.
Until next time Kristabelli.

This is not your typical Korean BBQ joint. It’s located a few streets off of the main k-​town street. The atmosphere is intimate and quite elegant, the service is fantastic, and the meat quality is amazing. Best of all, you leave the restaurant smelling bbq-​free! This place uses a crystal plate to cook your meat and has vents on the side of the grill that suck in any excess smoke.
The jap-​chae appetizer was pretty good but a little bit on the salty side. The steak tartare is flavorful and delicious. For barbecue, I’ve had the wagyu beef ribeye, pork belly, bulgogi, and short ribs — all fantastic and at a reasonable price!
Only downside is that this place only gives 3 very small personalized side dishes. I’m a big fan of side dishes so this was a bit disappointing.
Overall, I’ve only had good experiences here. It’s also a great spot if you’re looking to go out after because you don’t leave smelling like meat/​smoke.

Off the usual Ktown block, this was an unexpected find.
You walk in and notice the restaurant is really long because of the mirrors in the back and feels narrow, but the tables are actually quite wide. It was awk that they seated us at a table for four, but whatever, more space. The seats are really comfy too! The place is pretty modern and dimly lit, so it’s nice for dates.
We got a waygu and the pork belly and also split a kimchi stew. They cooked the waygu perfectly and the porkbelly was delicious. The grills are crystal, so we left we no smoke smell.

Quite positive on this Modernized KBBQ joint — for quality and ambiance.
I find the set meal to be a fairly good deal, and have tried a couple of the a la carts supplements like the chigae and soondoobu.
The crystal cooking plate also dramatically reduces the amount of smoke in the room (smell of smoke in your hair and clothes hasn’t been perceptible to me, I usually have an urge to shower)
The steak (standard dry aged and wagyu been excellent each time — I could imagine there being some variance depending on who is helping you cook, but they have been attentive and my results have been delicious)
I’d recommend this place without reservations for KBBQ and I think it’s competitive for when you’re in a steak mood as well

Keep an eye out or you’ll miss it. That’s what happened when my husband and I tried to find this place. It was basically hidden behind it’s huge wooden door. There is no bright lighting so make sure you pay attention.
My first impression of this place was that it was the most upscale, classy Korean restaurant that I’ve ever been too. Everything was beautifully modern in design, including crystal grills which have special vents that suck up all the smoke so the place and your clothes doesn’t smell as bad as it would in a traditional Korean BBQ place. Since you are getting all of this, don’t be surprised if the price is more expensive than a mom and pop restaurant.
We went there on a special evening (for Valentines Day’s) so there was a set menu. We had like 6 – 7 courses. We were giving a palette cleanser and an amuse bouche to start. Fancy. Don’t expect «traditional» Korean food here. You will see a modernized version of your favorite dishes. I loved the bulgogi rolls with its tasty salad and the filet mignon as well. Basically everything came out delicious. I was even amazed by the fancy chocolate ball dessert. You know the one that they pour hot chocolate sauce over and then it opens up to reveal a surprise. In our case, it was fresh fruit.
My only issue was that since it was a holiday, we felt rushed. They cleaned our plates so quickly after each course. It seemed like they were watching the clock to make sure the next reservation was going to have the table on time.
I would love to come back here the next time I’m in NY. It is in a great location near all the hotels.

This place is not for me, I love the concept of a crystal grill that won’t leave you smelling like kbbq for days however their modernized Korean food did not impress me.
Avoid sitting at the front table closest to the hostess. There was a leak from the ceiling, apparently coming from the bar on the second floor AND apparently it happens all the time (according to the staff) but they don’t fix it.

Stumbled upon this joint after a bar crawl around the area. Heard good things about it so worth a shot. I pictured this to be a fancy korean restaurant with a modern twist. No typical bbq grill. Instead you will see a crystal plate on top of a grill of some sort. Looks nice.
I came during restaurant week so I ordered from there. I tried the following–
— Wild Mushroom: did not taste truffle at all (so expect a bunch of diff mushrooms in a small plate)
— Crab Salad: impartial
— Crispy Salmon: like it
— Beef Tartare: love it
— Wagyu Rib Eye: not the best wagyu rib eye I had but this is probably the best thing you can order from the entrée section– a lot of fat though
— Wagyu Marinated Galbi: not the best cut of meat compared to the rib eye (a given)
— Chocolate Cake: impartial
— Wild Mushroom Bibimbap: good, healthy version of a typical korean bibimbap
Staff was not friendly or nice. Asked for substitutions due to allergies and they said ok but ended up ignoring the request and giving me the original menu items. Also, asked for water. Waiter forgot about it. Had to remind them. For the name, I expected more. Won’t be back. I prefer the regular korean bbq restaurants.

Came for restaurant week — the NYCgo website says it is Koreatown, FYI it’s not in the actual Koreatown strip. It’s a couple blocks away.
At first I thought Korean restaurants wasn’t really as «worth it» as other restaurants like steak or French. But, kristalbelli proved me wrong.
Kristalbelli has really professional and attentive service.
I started with the mixed mushrooms, bibimbap for main, and sorbet for dessert.
The mushrooms were leaning on the salty side but it was really decadent. Great textures and taste.
Bibimbap in the stone bowl comes with miso soup. The gochujang sauce was on the side — thankfully! My spicy tolerance is not that good so I was able to portion how much I wanted. The beef was so tender and not chewy compared to other restaurants I’ve been to. The rice was crispy on the bottom of the bowl and when all mixed up was delicious.
Dessert was the infamous pear sorbet. I just wanted to try it after reading the reviews! It’s very good and fruity. Tastes almost like you’re eating the actual fruit. Just sweeter.
All in all, great place to be and very worth it for restaurant week. I definitely want to use the crystal grill next time I go.

Restaurant week has once again brought me back for a $ 38 pre fixe menu that is one of the best you can get.
This time we had the dry aged steak which was (for an extra $ 7) fairly huge and a wagyu burger. Both were great as usual and a 3 glass wine flight for an additional $ 22 was both delicious and worth far more than the price.
The Japchae as an app was a good serving and the glass noodles were extremely well done, but the crab salad was rich and had good pieces of meat, despite being a bit on the small side (even for crab).
Once again the service and attentive staff were fantastic and did a great job to not rush us at all despite the place filling up almost the entire front room.

I came here with two friends after work for happy hour and then had restaurant week reservations later on. The happy hour was just fine, decent deals for a ‘fancy-​ish’ place ($ 5 beers like sapporo and $ 9 signature cocktails). Dinner, however, was a little underwhelming. We were seated upstairs next to the lounge area, and at a table with a broken grill… when there were other open tables. After being seated for 10 – 15 minutes, our waiter noticed us of this, and said that if we wanted to have either rib eye entrees, we’d have to move. We all decided against steaks, but still kind of annoying. Otherwise, the service was generally fine.
For an appetizer, I got the crab salad, which was my favorite part of the meal. Lots of avocado and the spicy burdock was really interesting, with some nice heat.
For the entrée, I ordered the galbi, which had a nice marinade to it, quite flavorful… but seemed a little light on the amount of beef, and just with some diced/​roasted potatoes and dainty sides like kimchi, spouts, etc.
For the dessert, I had the brioche, which kind of tasted like a tough/​thick french toast. Probably should have gone for the sorbet.
I also ordered the soju pairing option, which I would recommend (Bekseju (Herb&Ginseng) — Bokbunja (Black Raspberry) — Seoljungmae (Plum)).
All in all, a fine meal, but failed to live up to expectations.

Came here for my birthday and I can see why people like coming here. The menu items are prepared immaculately. What I wasn’t expecting was the level of service that was provided. The training the staff here is closer to what you’d find in a fine dining restaurant; the plating to the food itself was presented as such. Does it justify the price? Yes and No.
It’s worth it when the ambiance and the overall dining experience counts (think special occasions) if you just want good food and if you’re on a budget, then probably not.

This is an elegant and modern Korean restaurant. I visited this place during Restaurant Week. The food and service were astounding!
Truffle Tteok and Cheese– It was like macaroni and cheese, but instead of macaroni, it contained chewy glutinous rice balls. The truffle taste and aroma were too overwhelming. Not a fan of it.
Fricassee De Champignons– Five different Asian mushrooms. It was so flavorful and delicious. It was interesting to experience a mixture of multiple mushrooms in one dish.
Wagyu Beef Rib Eye– I love that we were able to watch our server prepare the steak and vegetables on the crystal belly!
Fruit Soup– Passion fruit sorbet laid on a bed of blueberry soup, mixed berries, and mint. This was beyond refreshing.
Chef-​Made Gelato– Ginger gelato topped with crunchy ginger crackers. I’ve never had ginger ice cream before. It was exquisite.

What a great experience dining at this establishment. Upon entering Kristalbelli, you are greeted and taken to your seat in seconds.
Honestly, the customer service is way above standard. From the tone of the employees to their attire makes you feel like a high class citizen. Everyone is knowledgable and don’t hesitate on educating you about the food.
The food is cooked on a slab of crystal which eliminates the smell of food on your clothing. The filet mignon is amazing and so is the ribeye. The rice is tasteful too, you are the one who seasons it as much or as little as you want. There’s a lot of flexibility at this restaurant on how your food is cooked. Everything comes out super fast and the employees take their time with you.
I came here for a celebration and even got complimentary champagne and a plate decorated for a birthday with delicious sorbet! Mike, our waiter, and his manager were so lovely. I will return here and recommend this place to everyone I know.

Restaurant Week ’15.
Finally catchin’ up on reviews. Over due, but better late than never. So, I always do research for restaurant week. This is the one place I wanted to go earlier this year for RW, but couldn’t make it. I was happy when I saw them on the list again. What I really wanted to do was to use the cute Buddha grill at the table… sadly not this time.
Watermelon Salad –Beautifully plated. Refreshing. The colors of yellow and red melon really caught my eye. The sweet watermelon and spicy dressing was an interesting contrast.
Bibimbap — Colorful bowl of various veggies and beef. So simple, yet so flavorful (even without the gochujang sauce). It was a large size serving for lunch, I wish it was bigger, though.
Chef Made Gelato — Delicious flavored gelato, the yuzu was really refreshing, just the perfect amount of sweetness with a hint of tart. Didn’t taste much of the ginger, but I’m sure it was a major component to really pull the flavors together.
The only thing that is holding me back from giving a better rating was the service. Slowwwww, plus the gentleman did not look like he wanted to be there.

Food: 3.5
Service: 5
Kristalbelli is on the high-​end side of Korean BBQ. The beef dishes are all $ 33+ and the portions are relatively small. We split 3 meat entrees between 3 people and paid $ 45 each including tax and 20% tip. Was it worth it? For the most part.
The restaurant itself was pretty fancy, albeit small. However, there was no wait time around 6:30 on a weeknight which is a plus in my book. The tables are solid marble and the grill is really cool. It’s of a fat Buddha and they cook the meat on a crystal glass covering. This is great because the table doesn’t get smokey and the smell doesn’t penetrate your clothes.
The grill took awhile to warm up so they couldn’t start cooking the meats we ordered. But, we ordered the Marinated Galbi (short ribs) that is cooked in the kitchen. That came out relatively quickly and HANDS DOWN the most delicious part of the meal. Easily the most tender and flavorful Korean BBQ I’ve ever had (medium rare). I highly recommend this dish if you come to Kristalbelli. We also ordered the regular Galbi and Rib Eye under the Wagyu Beef section and those were kind of disappointing. The Galbi was good but nothing compared to the marinated version. The rib eye steak was too thick and harder to chew. Would only recommend the Marinated Galbi.
The service was great. I swear my glass of water remained full the entire time: that’s how often they came by to refill our cups. They were also quick and helpful with the Korean BBQ.
Overall a good experience.

Came here for dinner during restaurant week with a friend.
The atmosphere was really nice — pretty classy — and the service was excellent. The servers were very courteous and always made sure our glasses were full, and our waitress, after hearing it was our first times there, explained the crystal grill (about how it was different from normal Korean BBQ grills in that it cooks the meat evenly and the juices don’t leak out) and also provided detailed explanations and recommendations of the menu options.
They also include complimentary side dishes, which included kimchi, black beans, and edamame.
To start, I had the 5 mushroom soup (I’m a huge mushroom fan) and my friend had the truffle gnocchi. I really enjoyed the soup, but then again, I might be biased because I love all mushrooms. My friend also enjoyed her truffle gnocchi, which was quite cheesy.
For entrees, we both had what our waitress recommended, the rock sole, which was super tasty and flavourful — the sole was layered between a panko/​potato crust, and some cooked greens on the bottom, all atop a soy-​lemon sauce (which was pretty tart). Eating all 3 layers simultaneously was really good, because the top layer (potato/​panko crust) felt like it melted inside my mouth, and the sauce added a nice, tart flavour.
For dessert, I had the gelato — I have to admit, I was a bit wary initially because it was chili-​ginger gelato, and I’m not the biggest fan of ginger, but I was feeling adventurous, and it was really quite good! I didn’t really taste the ginger, and the gelato wasn’t overly sweet as well. My friend has the donut and espresso ice cream which was quite tasty as well.
Overall, it was a very good dining experience — Will definitely come back to try meat cooked on the crystal grill next time !

Grilled Korean food on Crystal see through pan.
This place is well vented and you won’t smell like you cooked in the kitchen — unlike other table grilled restaurants.
The food is good but our server who cooks our meat and the other server person who helped were a bit rude. They seem to get irritated if you request things. Maybe there was so many requests. However THE CUSTOMER IS ALWAYS RIGHT! In fact the lady just left us which is why a man came over who couldn’t care whether our meat got overcooked or not. Do you tip generously? No choice?
The cold donuts for dessert was a disappoint served with coffee ice cream. I guess it got lost in translation. We were thinking to have warm donuts with some coffee sauce.