Pink Belly @ Lorong Kurau, Bangsar

Bangsar's Lorong Kurau has long been best known for F&B outlets that promise chappati or cendol, coffee or cocktails, but this new venue could change that, specialising in the meat of a cloven-hoofed creature that's seldom sighted on this street.

Pink Belly's entire repertoire is premised on pork - begin with the brunch selection, served noon till way past sundown, & try the poached eggs on hash browns with smoked bacon, avocado, alfalfa & sun-dried tomatoes (RM22). Also available: Poppyseed pancakes with honey ham (RM19), French toast with bacon (RM17), big breakfast platters with the works (RM29).

But for thrill-seekers, the main courses might be where the real action lies - Pink Belly's piece de resistance is its roasted pork belly (RM34) with potatoes, carrots, braised red cabbage & a choice of jalapeno or honey BBQ sauce (both have their merits) - it's quite the slab of meat, suitable for two to share - a striking conversation piece layered monumentally with lean flesh & fat, rounded out by crackling that requires being chomped down hard on. Note that much of the flavour emanates from the sauce.

Pink Belly's team cautioned us in advance that they're still fine-tuning their recipes - there's an occasional disconnect between what the menu states & what the plate delivers. This is supposed to be an Irish-spiced, slow-cooked pulled pork shoulder burger (RM28), but it's not really Irish-spiced (Pink Belly's consultant chef is a visiting Irishman; the rest of the team hails from cafes like The Morning After & Kaffa Espresso) or pulled - still, it's tasty, with succulent, sweet-savoury slices of shoulder meat.

Pink Belly's grilled gammon steak features another UK-influenced recipe of cured pork drizzled with organic honey, served with apple sauce, potato wedges & coleslaw (RM35). The keyword's 'cured,' rewarding patrons with a robust tolerance for sodium.

Pan-roasted pork chops (not 'lean,' despite what the current menu claims, but that's fine) with vegetable risotto (RM30). Fairly priced for a supremely princely portion - again, the chunks of well-prepared meat should easily satisfy carnivorous cravings, though we wish the sauce were more nuanced & distinctive; the risotto could be more flavoursome, but Pink Belly's team insists it'd be challenging to create a more compelling risotto considering the low cost of this platter. We sympathise with that.

Wine is not currently available but will be soon. The nice news is that no corkage is charged for now at this friendly outlet.

Pink Belly

1 Lorong Kurau, Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur. Open daily, lunch & dinner

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