Macau Pork Belly At MingHin Testaurant | Chicago

The first two pages of the menu at MingHin, the newest addition to the Chinatown Mall, are dominated by seafood specialties, including live fish and shellfish, stuffed sea cucumber, and an abundance of abalone.

But to start, turn the page once more and zero in on the "BBQ" section: There you'll find Macau-style pork belly, an essential way for pork fans to begin a meal.

It's more akin to roast suckling pig than Chinese char siu barbecued pork (Macau was a Portuguese colony until 1999, after all), with belly braised until soft and then roasted, yielding layers of silky fat and tender meat crowned with a sheet of crisp, crackling skin.

The cubes–15 to a plate–come unadorned, save for a small ramekin of sugar. Sprinkle this liberally over the skin for a kick of sweetness that transforms the snack from excellent to addictive.

Get an order ($9) to eat while perusing the menu, or as part of the BBQ combination platter ($14), which pairs the belly with glazed barbecued pork and barbecued duck bathed in its black-pepper-spiked juices.

MingHin Cuisine, 2168 S. Archer Ave.; 312-808-1999 or minghincuisine.com