Birds of a Feather with Friends @ Amoy Street

This has become my favourite place to indulge in 辣子鸡 (Laziji). The version at Birds is called "Find the Chicken in the Chillies" and yes, nowadays, I'll even munch on those chilies. Trained much!

Find the Chicken in the Chillies @$16++

What I like about this place besides the shiok food? The decor and vibes are comfy and up-casual. And, I'll let you on a secret (or maybe not?), Executive Chef Eugene is kind of like a heart-throb, doesn't he? Hehe. Anyways, he is nice and friendly. Always a pleasure to see him at Birds of a Feather.

Birds of a Feather entrance

our seats

Happy hour till 7pm, and we were there for lunch, so it made sense to get a bottle if you have more than 2 pax ordering alcohol.

the approach

Cava Grand Castillo (Cava Brut NV) @$50++ per bottle

cheers!

Finally, we tried the other starters since there were more of us this time round. Pigs ear. I thought it would be crispy. I was wrong. It was a salad!

Pig Ear Mosaic @$18++

have a slice

Crunchy, slippery pig ear slice coupled with the lovely sweet potato noodles in there and coated with those lovely tangy spicy sauce, was just tasty. Enjoyable.

If you love soupy, go for the Sichuan Oxtail Soup. Another favourite of mine. Those meaty bones, best! Thumbs up. Broth has depth and frankly if there wasn't anyone around, would pick up the bowl and slurp from there. Satisfying.

Sichuan Oxtail Soup @$24++

Hong Shao Short Ribs @$38++

Have been wondering how's the Hong Shao Short Ribs would taste like, so we ordered to try. Chunky fork-tender short ribs, placed on top of a rolled up potato noodles and topped with foam. Ok, I asked what's the foam and someone answered but I had forgotten again. Sorry!

Hong Shao Short Ribs (different angle)

Toss and mix, then enjoy. I love the well braised short ribs as expected. Wholesome flavours and lovely texture of the potato noodles. So far, am liking all the noodles from this place but I'll share with you which one is my favourite. It can be found in the oxtail soup earlier, or in another dish that you'll get to see in a few more sentences.

A man of his words, and as promised during a previous visit, Chef Eugene sweetly surprised Kris with this complimentary plate of 'sotong'.

Chef's Special - for Kris

We all dug in of course, and had a taste. Tangy, refreshing and with a kick.

Am glad we ordered the Truffle Alfredo Orecchiette pasta dish. Do eat it as soon as it was served. The thick truffle mushroom salsa on those ear shaped pasta was awesome if you like truffle. There's an egg in there for more runny yolk to coat the pasta. Suitable for sharing.

Truffle Alfredo Orecchiette @$35++

When we ordered the Sweating Mussels, the service crew informed that this would be akin to mala 麻辣. Ok, sounds about right!

Sweating Mussels @$29++

Presentation was on-point, and visually striking with its myriad of colours. But do be careful when trying this for the first time. The spice level was WoOoHooO! At least to me, it was fiery spicy. But will keep going back for more once the fire subsided abit. That's how good this dish was. Plus, it has my favourite yam noodles in there!

tadah~ my favourit'est yam noodles!

And then, Eugene surprised us one more time, with a complimentary dish of Wagyu Beef & Foie Gras Claypot Rice. So sweet!

Once again, the aroma of truffle and those thick slices of beef plus wobbly onsen egg and creamy foie gras, was all beckoning us for a taste. Hehe.

Wagyu Beef & Foie Gras Claypot Rice

let it flow~ let it flow~

As expected, it has a luxurious feel to the dish. While there was no 'burnt rice' or 锅巴, the soft rich taste of the foie gras, tender wagyu combined with the well flavoured rice was enough to send one to food heaven. Yummy!

Once again, thank you Chef Eugene for the delicious food.

We celebrated Shermaine's birthday and the finale of a Seasalt Chocolate Cheesecake, beautifully presented.

Seasalt Caramel Cheesecake @$11++

For hot beverage, the mocha here is pretty good, or one could go for the Ice Caramel Coffee Cubes Latte.

mocha @$7++

Ice Caramel Coffee Cubes Latte @$8++

Thank you Kris, Shermaine, Tiara, Rachelle, Ivan and Eugene for an enjoyable afternoon, and kudos to team Birds of a Feather for the lovely place to gather.

Birds of a Feather

Address: 115 Amoy St, #01-01, Singapore 069935

FB: https://www.facebook.com/birdsofafeathersg

Website: https://www.birdsofafeather.com.sg/en_SG/

Contact: 6221 7449

Business Hours:

Daily:

Mon - Thurs: 10.45am to 3pm, 5pm to 11pm

Fri - Sun: 10.30am to 12am (10pm on Sun)

Sweet and Fluffy Soufflé Pancake @ Flipper's Singapore (Takashimaya) and Flipper's Kyoto 京都

Flipper's Kyoto

First experience was in Kyoto 2018, and I was searching for pancakes to indulge in. There's plenty of options in Kyoto such as Happy Pancake, Flipper's, Cafe Elk etc.

The yellow banner was attractive from afar, and thus to Flipper's it was!

Flipper's 京都

 

The service staff was friendly and welcoming. As a tourist, I'd go for their Kyoto Limited Special Pancakes on the menu.

let's get Kyoto Limited

Kiseki Pancake Uji Match with Coffee Set @ ¥1400+ (~SGD19)

Curious guests could take a peek into their kitchen. The staff in there was cute too!

making pancakes

cosy cafe

of red beans, uji matcha cream

nice and fluffy

It was a nice experience at Flipper's Kyoto but the store has since closed.

Flipper's  京都 (Permanently Closed)

Address: 323-4 Ebiyacho, Nakagyo Ward, Kyoto, 604-8076, Japan

Flipper's Singapore (Takashimaya)

Fast forward to 3 years later, and Flipper's had arrived in Singapore. Managed to try it recently with Wendy. I realised that the 3 fluffy, airy pancakes is still too much for one person to have it all. Best shared!

Seasonal Limited Edition (Feb 2021)

Hahaa, the modus operandi seemed to be, just try those seasonal limited edition!

nice to see this colour again

outside seats

guess what Wendy chose

served with two forks

Japanese Awayuki Strawberry Souffle @$24.80

These pancakes in Singapore, was more eggy which I liked, but it also deflated pretty quickly too. Maybe due to the weather here?

Hinata

The strawberry cream was good and the fruit itself had a tinge of tangy and was mildly sweet.

pretty colour

We visited at about 3pm, and the interior were full, so only outside seats remained. Walk-in is possible during that time. Otherwise, could visit their FB page to get the reservation link.

Flipper's Takashimaya

Address: 391A Orchard Rd, #B1-56 Ngee Ann City, Singapore 238873

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/flippers.singapore/

Business Hours:

Daily: 11am to 9pm

Exploring Jalan Besar, Little India - 3 Days 2 Nights Staycation @ One Farrer Hotel

How did we end up at this hotel? I think we were bored and was just browsing anyhow to find a suitable area for the next staycay. Prerequisites? Plenty of good food nearby. We did Chinatown during our previous hotel staycation, read more about the experience here. So this time round, let's explore Little India area!

Took advantage of Citibank promo with Agoda where one gets 20% off. From time to time, Agoda does have certain promo with major credit cards ranging from discounts of 7% to a max of 20% for local hotel staycation. Paid $361.45 for 2 nights after the discount for the Urban Den room type with breakfast and free parking. Alas, I have no car to park though.

hotel entrance

landmark

Day 1 - Check-In, Have Brunch(es), Tea Break with Donki and Dinner at Jalan Besar

Reached the hotel in the morning and tried to check-in early but room wasn't going to be ready till after 2pm. Foodie buddies were already there and Ivan, actually stayed a day earlier. Hence, lompang the barang barang in his room first.

He was staying at the Skyline room, hence was on a higher floor. Had a chance to see the Skyline Studio and was impressed by the room size!

Skyline Studio (Room size: 49 m²/527 ft²)

large bathroom area

Since it was still early, we went to check-out the pool.

at the pool

therapeutic

Then, it was time for us to have brunch. Hence, we literally walked to Brunches Cafe. It's been quite a while since our cafe hopping days. 

we were there

After having our fill of coffee, dessert and savoury mushrooms, we walked around the area for abit. Here's some photos:

heading towards our next place

nice mural - Daily Delivery by Jaba

Then, we had another round of breakfast or was it tea break already at Azmi Restaurant ? Famed for their chapati and I think that was the first time I ate a chapati. But I was most excited to discover that they have apom! Wah... you don't know how long has it been since I had apom, which is so much easier to get in Malaysia. Finally, found one in Singapore, so it was a hurrah moment! Plus, tasted good. Thumbs up!

After that, we headed back towards the hotel to get the room keycards as the hotel had notified Tracy that her room is ready.

Turns out, mine was ready as well and I got a room at the 14th floor.

heading towards the Urban Hotel area

where's my room?

Urban Den (or now known as Mint Den)

The most striking thing when entering the room, is that it has a separate relaxation area that has a TV and a sofa, and after which, there's the bedroom with another TV.

Loved the bay windows too. Nice weather, nice mood.

Urban Den

Work desk with Herman Miller chair

lovely hotel

lovely day

ooh, illy coffee I likey

The room is equipped with a coffee machine, using illy pods. Hmmm, I think I don't know how to use it. No matter how I position the pod, the coffee that came out was just a tiny trickle. Not quite sure if that was what supposed to happen...

low yield, or user problem?

maybe should just drink tea instead

I had a funny incident, upon arriving at the room actually. I was searching for the bedroom slippers and the first place that came to mind, was the relaxation area which one would be at upon entering the room. So, after which, there's the bathroom. Not in there neither. Then left with the bedroom. But for the life of me, couldn't seem to find the drawer that contain that thing that I was trying to locate.

Hmm, I called the receptionist. 

"How may I help you ma'am?" she asked. 

"Hmm, I was wondering if the hotel provides bedroom slippers? I asked.

"Yes, we do." she answered.

"Hmm, may I know where is it?" starting to feel a tad funny.

"It should be in the bedroom cupboard, ma'am." she said.

I turned around wildly, and yes, am in the bedroom and searched every nook and corner but where's those slippers!

"Hmm, where exactly in the bedroom?" I asked and feeling the funnies seeping in.

She hesitated for a while and said, "I don't exactly know the room layout but it should be right beside the bed...

I stared at the bed and noticed a huge piece of mirror. Went over and slid it to the left and voila, the hidden cupboard. I thanked her for her help and hung up feeling pretty stupid. Probably the only guest who had trouble locating their bedroom slipper...

slide the mirror and find the slippers

bathroom

shower

lovely shower stuffs

soft wipes

toothbrush, mouthwash, lotions etc

Then, it was time for tea-break and what did we have? Food dabao'ed from Donki! (again? Yes, again!) Is this our staycation staple?

Japanese food from Donki

sashimi platter

pinching some sake from Ivan

So that night, we went for dinner at an old school restaurant along Jalan Besar, recommended by Hence and Tracy. Quan Xin Yuan Restaurant to try Hokkien food. It was raining but that didn't deter us. Turns out pretty good.

night view

Day 2 - Jalan-jalan, Dim Sum Breakfast, Lunch with LittleTinySun at Xin Tekka, Tea Break at ABC Nasi Kandar and Dinner at Socieaty

rise and shine

shops

Working Class Hero by Zero

colourful

Breakfast was at Dim Sum Haus but don't do like how we did it. Make a reservation first! We had every intention not to eat too much, but still... we wanted to try this and that.. and ended up, feeling quite full. Hahaa!

Next, our friend came back home after being away for a year and so, we met up at Xin Tekka. We had lunch, like about an hour after we finished breakfast? Keke, fierce. Now, pass me that digestion pill....

Then, on our way back to the hotel after the short reunion with Shermaine, we passed by this nasi kandar shop....

ABC Nasi Kandar

We made a mental note to come back later that day. And, we did. For tea-break at about 4pm. Our tea-break was most unusual this time round. We had nasi kandar, tandoori platter and naan. That's actually quite a lot of stuff!

menu decided by the boys

ayam masak kechap manis, pulao (rice), chicken curry and mutton curry

mix of everything

I liked the pulao and the gravy from all the sauces and curries were a symphony of flavours. The meat texture was rather tough for the chicken masak kechap dish. 

Tandoori Platter

naans and palak paneer

The tandoori platter was served on a hot plate and it came sizzling. The green chicken (no, that was not a broccoli) was rather fascinating for the fact that it looked pretty alienish! Tasted pretty good and the texture of the meat was firm but not tough.

green chicken

ABC Nasi Kandar

Address: 67 Desker Rd, Singapore 209590

Contact:  6732 4786

Business Hours:

Daily - 24 hours

After our 'tea-break', everyone was rather stuffed and all of us decided to rest till 8pm. Made a reservation at Socieaty before we went up to take a nap. Noticed that the place would be bustling by dinner time, so better to make a reservation. Staff are friendly and helpful!

Read more about the experience at Socieaty here.

Day 3 - Breakfast at the Hotel, Check-Out and Ate too much dumplings at Hand in Hand Jalan Besar

breakfast served at the white building area - Garden Pavillion

like banquet dining

breakfast menu

Requested not to have the full "Breakfast Welcome Set" as I wasn't that hungry. Requested for just the croissant and fruits. For drinks, opted for juice and coffee. Pro-tip: Do order your breakfast at one go. From observation, the team manning the breakfast area is a lean team. Hence, if you want to re-order, it will likely take a longer time to arrive. 

croissant and cranberry juice

coffee was decent

fruits cup of just watermelon and pineapple

American Breakfast with 2 eggs - omelette style

do you prefer scrambled?

My buddies tried the other things on the menu such as dim sum, prata and French toast. The mee siam was quite nice, although we had better one at Xin Tekka. I liked the banana french toast.

Mee Siam

Banana French Toast

prata set

All in all, I enjoyed the hotel stay at One Farrer. Conveniently located next to Farrer Park MRT and there's a 7-eleven nearby as well. Snack runs? No problem. Plus, the concierge team and the front-office staff are friendly and nice. Loved that they greet the guests every time we came back from our outside excursions. Though the hotel did not supply face mask in the room, one could request it from the concierge if need any.

The chambermaid team actually consist of 2 guys and they seemed to be always punctual and will knock on the door at 9am for the 2 days that I've stayed there.

Check-out process was a breeze and off we went to have our lunch at Hand in Hand.

Thank you to my makan and travel kakis; Hence, Tracy and Ivan!

One Farrer Hotel

Address: 1 Farrer Park Station Rd, Singapore 217562

Website: https://www.onefarrer.com/

Contact: 6363 0101