If you have any suggestions for reader DN please leave a message in the blog.
Hi John-
My husband has been in search of a restaurant in the Santa Barbara area that serves pork belly. Can you please ask your readers if they know of any?
Thank you in advance.
DN : )
I am pretty sure that the Hungry Cat sells a plate that features this. . .
Arlington Tavern has pork belly and it’s good!
El Zarape Restaurant on San Andres and Micheltorena sells it on Saturday and Sunday. It is called ‘buche”. Can be made into tacos, mixed in with carnitas, as a combo plate, etc. It is good!
I’ve had pork belly at Julienne
State & Fig has a tasty pork belly sammy
Sama Sama Test Kitchen does, too! As does Anchor Woodfire
Kitchen.
Yes, State & Fig! My husband was making loud yummy noises when he had that sandwich – and shared a single bite with me. They also have it often in one of their brunch hashes, fabulous!
Bell Street Farm in Los Alamos has a wonderful Pork Belly
sammy. Its a bit of a drive but such a quaint town and a great
little delicatessen. Go up for the afternoon, do some wine tasting,
visit some of the Los Alamos antique stores and have a Prok Belly
Sandwich!
Can’t do better than a stop at the Bell Street!
iGrill the new Korean BBQ place has it on their menu.
http://www.igrillkoreanbbq.com/ I haven’t had a chance to try them
yet.
sure miss the pork belly at kobachi
I think Ahi Sushi (same owners as Kobachi) have pork belly on their izakaya menu.
Woodfire has a pork belly sandwich w/coleslaw….really decadent. Oink! Oink!
Oh sorry…Anchor Woodfire that is.
Ballard Inn in the Santa Ynez Valley does an amazing pork belly and Sides Hardware and Shoes in Los Olivos make Pork belly bacon that is too die for!!
Yes, we have amazing pork belly here at seagrass
restaurant. we can have it made as a app or entree or dessert, what
ever you would like… cheers ruben
Arts & Letters also.
Bouchon has an amazing pork belly appetizer… And the biltmore had it a few weeks ago as part of their Thursday night seafood buffet… Not exactly seafood but it was excellent!
Bouchon has a braised pork belly appetizer. Its a pretty generous serving size.
Julienne has a pork belly with the most airy and crispy skin/fat.
Arlington Tavern’s is good too, braised, slightly crisped on the outside.
Arts and Letter has a tasty pork belly sandwich with sweet and spicy pepper jam.
If you want to try a popular traditional Chinese dish, you can get Mui Choy Khaw Yok (Stewed Pork Belly with Preserved Vegetable) at Ming Dynasty in Goleta. Very tasty with rice.
Oh, and if you get as far up as Santa Maria, SizzlinGogi Korean Restaurant will have it. Classy interior!
Thank you all SO much for all your suggestions! My husband
is thrilled there are so many choices to try : )
The question is….where to purchase pork belly to make at home….??
I’ve lived in SB for over 10 years and I still have never seen pork belly for sale. The last time I made it, I bought some (really high quality stuff) from a Korean grocer in Orange County and brought it back packed in ice. I heard they have it frozen at the Asian market next to South Coast Deli on Patterson and Hollister and also supposedly at Indochina on Hollister, near Storke.
I simply don’t get why this very common cut (look at how many restauratns serve it) is so hard to find. The butchers at Whole Foods say they can special order it but they need a lot of advanced notice and (I suspect there is) a minimum order.
Whole Paycheck – I mean Whole Foods carries it in their butcher department. If you don’t see it, ask for it. They also cure their own bacon, so they have the resources to prep you some up (uncured). Absolutely delicious!
Thanks
A friend recently bought it, but was surprised at how much she had to purchase – get a friend or two to go in with you. I believe it was from Shaloob’s (although I checked the menu & didn’t see it listed, so call first!).
I had pork belly once at Julienne, primarily because it was only one of two entrees being offered. it was tasty, not too salty. I haven’t had it since anywhere and don’t exactly crave it again but it was well prepared.
Szechuan on the Mesa has it. It is not on the regular menu, but on the Chinese, but just ask.
You can buy it at farmers market at the Jimenez Farm booth.