The Best Thing I Have Ever Eaten in NYC: Han Joo’s Grilled Pork Belly
Han Joo is a popular Korean BBQ restaurant in Flushing, Queens and about two weeks ago their St. Mark’s Place branch opened up for business. Han Joo is perhaps best known for their cold arrowroot noodles with mixed vegetables; however their grilled pork belly is the best thing I have ever eaten.
To start the pork belly is grilled at your table by your server and it is quite the experience… it’s all about the smell as it cooks and the sound of the sizzle. The pork belly itself is not overly seasoned nor overly marinated as its natural flavors do not need to be masked. It is simply high quality meat, grilled until it is super crispy. One unique option is a pork belly rubbed with green tea. Who would have thought that off all things a green tea rub would complement the pork belly so well?
The pork belly is served with a number of sides such as kimchi, radishes, buckwheat, steamed egg, Korean omelet, and jalapeno peppers. There is a wide assortment of interesting flavors and this certainly helps further enrich the varying flavors of Korean cuisine.