Belly to launch in Kentish Town

A new bistro restaurant blending modern Filipino and European flavours is set to land in Kentish Town on 8 May. 

Experienced operator Omar Shah and family have been running restaurants for over two decades. Brought up in Kentish town and of Filipino and Bangladeshi descent, all of Shah's venues reflect his love of world food with Asia at their core – including Ramo Ramen in Soho, Mamasons Dirty Ice Cream in Chinatown and Kentish Town and his co-founded Filipino restaurant, Donia, in Soho. 

Wood-fired cooking

His new 35-cover restaurant, Belly, will focus on wood-fired cooking, with a menu designed to be both simple and unique. All dishes have been tailored to pair with hand-picked global wines, available by the glass or bottle. 

To start, guests can enjoy French classics such as steak tartar, given an Asian twist by way of cured yolk and nori seasoned crisps. Other options such as diver scallops cured and warmed with malt vinegar and fermented shrimp coconut sauce, or Pandesal cod tempura slider with ikura tartar, are also available. 

Mains include wood-fired wagyu picanha with peppercorn and liver sauce; oak-smoked tinola chicken with caper, ginger and coriander salsa verde; and Filipino-inspired beurre blanc, as well as wood-smoked sticky tamarind lamb ribs. 

Sides such as kombu butter and coconut vinegar wood-fired potatoes, or beef-fat fries with a housemade sriracha thousand island dipping sauce, are also offered. 

For dessert, guests can choose from frozen custard profiterole with fish sauce caramel or coconut pie with chantilly cream. 

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