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.

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The Brunch Selection

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).

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Roasted Pork Belly

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.

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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.

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Grilled Gammon Steak

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.

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Pan-roasted Pork Chops

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.

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

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Location and Contact Details

Pink Belly

1 Lorong Kurau, Bangsar

Open daily, lunch & dinner

Tel: +6012-289 2570

Find: Contact details and map for Pink Belly