I
recently chatted with a dear friend upon whose pop culture knowledge I
depend as a gauge for what’s new and noteworthy. I asked “Do you know
who JYP is?” Her response, “He’s the Puff Daddy of Asia.” And as usual,
she hit it right on the head. Jin-young Park is one of the biggest
entrepreneurs in the Asian music industry. Park was the originating
force behind the current Korean pop (Kpop) invasion that is
battering down the doors of the West. Besides having his own successful
pop career in Korea, he is the man who discovered singer/actor, Rain,
the closest thing Asia has to Elvis, and was the first Korean songwriter
to crack the Billboard Top 100 when his protégés, The Wonder Girls
charted in 2009.
Park
has never been one to run from a challenge and so in front of the
toughest audience in the world, he opened his first restaurant,
Kristalbelli in New York City’s Korea Town. The upscale “Korean comfort
food” is prepared on a special grill created by Park himself that bears
a gold, Budai/Hotei-type jolly monk framing a solid crystal plate at its
center, or “belly (i),” that equalizes heat and accelerates the
cooking time. The Diva Review was invited to attend the grand opening
celebration of Kristalbelli, hosted by JYP himself along with special
guests The Wonder Girls, and have a look around. We sampled a menu
prepared by Chef David Shim, formerly of famed eateries, Gramercy Tavern
and L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon, full of succulent meat dishes prepared
in flavourful Korean spices and yummy organic veggies.
We
enjoyed the hominess of the main dining area and chilled luxuriantly in
the cool, sleek interior of the upstairs lounge, where we were treated
to a fabulous DJ spinning a mix of American and Korean pop, helping us
work off all that deliciousness. We were waited on by the
preternaturally efficient, gorgeous, enthusiastic staff that treated
every diner like a V.VIP.
Emerging from the many lumps of coal on the New York restaurant scene,
Kristabelli is pure diamond.
How
do you say “Yum!” in Korean? Some of the delectable eats served at
the party:
·Premium
Wagyu Beef cooked on the Kristalbelli BBQ – NY Strip, Rib-Eye (Filet
Mignon and Galbi are also available)
·Milssam
– Korean-style crepe rolls with assorted vegetables and beef
·Dak
Gangjung – Korean-style chicken nuggets
·Kochi
- Pork belly, beef and ginko nuts skewers
·Twigim
- Fried sweet potato and burdock
·Jaeyook
Burger - Spicy pork bulgogi burger
·Japchae
- Stir-fried glass noodles with vegetables, with choice of shrimp and
beef
·Dessert
was Chaps! by B E S F R E N – Handmade, gluten-free Korean rice
cake blended w/ artistic flavors: Choc Caramel Chips, Cheese Cream Oreo,
Vanilla Blackcurrant Berry (Think high-end Mochi cakes)