Ba Bellies

Ba Bellies Restaurant Review:

About the restaurant & décor: David Nguyen and Mike Yang are chef/owners of this bright, contemporary establishment. Generously spaced, wood-topped tables inhabit a cleanly designed interior enlivened by large graphics that suggest flavors and foods.

Food & Drinks: The duo dips deeply into their diverse Asian backgrounds for the dishes that compose an eclectic menu, and being American that means including flavors from the New World as well. And as Southern Americans, they have borrowed from that tradition, while gracing it often with their accustomed embellishments. Thus, deviled eggs come with bacon jam and sriracha along with mayo and mustard. Start with the pork barbecue baos, composed of heritage pork with gochujang sauce, a Korean chili paste. We were tempted by the Thai-style shrimp cakes, but went with the corn on the cob with kimchi rémoulade and the usual cotija cheese, chili powder and lime, a playful --- and tasty --- rendition of a Mexican street snack. Po's noodles, which may be ordered vegetarian, provide plenty for two in a combination of beef, pork, bok choy and smoked tomato jam. Then it was back to Vietnam for the coffee ice cream. The wine list is carefully composed to focus on organic and biodynamic examples, and that's fine, but we found the choices unlikely to go well with the food. So opt for the beers, and have a flight of four to sample different drafts.