Lunch at Birds of A Feather @ Amoy Street

Am no stranger to Birds but it has been quite a while since I last dined there. Went back to enjoy a quiet lunch with Kris and Ivan. Glad that we made time for this quick catch-up.

Starters

Crab and Avocado Bruschetta

Crab and Avocado Bruschetta

The starters came in handy as I was feeling pretty hungry that day, having only had small pieces of pastries and coffee for breakfast. The rendition of "Crab and Avocado Bruschetta" is still visually stunning after all these years. Tasted light and healthy, with small burst of sweetness from bits of pomegranate and green apple slices.

Find the Chicken in the Chillies 

Find the Chicken in the Chillies @$19

You might have noticed that the "Find the Chicken in the Chilies" is my must order at Birds and yes, it still is. Noted that the spice level and numbing factor have been toned down. Still a nice snack especially if you're having ice cold beer or prosecco.

Main Course

Barramundi Chazuke

Barramundi Chazuke @$36

cracker on the side (to keep it crisp), chazuke (bubbling)

Barramundi Chazuke is indeed a dish that whets the appetite. Sour, tangy and deeply flavoured broth that soothes the soul. I liked it with the crackers. Fish taste was clean with firm texture. Be careful when sipping the broth as the hotstone bowl kept the soup bubbling for a short while after it was served. There is an equivalent of one bowl of rice in the pot, hence this is suitable to be eaten by self as main course or shared with a friend, with a side appetiser and a dessert.

Pan Seared Fillet, Classic Sichuan Sour Vegetable Fish Broth, Mustard Green, Japanese Rice

Charred Marinated Octopus

Charred Marinated Octopus @$32

Sichuan Pita, Pork Ragout

Sichuan Chopped Chillies Salsa, Baby Arugula, Joyn Tomato, Feta

Staff has informed us to mix well the octopus with the salsa before packing them onto the sliced Sichuan Pita (the charcoal looking mantou). Topped it up with the pork ragout. Octopus was nicely tender and I liked it with loads of the pork ragout for extra flavours.

Sichuan Pita, Pork Ragout and Octopus

Oxtail Mapo Tofu

Oxtail Mapo Tofu @$38

I believe most of us probably would have tried mapo at some point before, but mapo tofu with oxtail? This is my first time trying this combo! Expect the beefy taste of the oxtail that's fork tender and the lovely savoury bean-paste fragrance of the mapo tofu. Must eat with rice for the complete experience. I think one could eat two bowls of rice with this. This dish was pretty laid back in the spice quotient, so it could be enjoyed by most.

good with rice

Staff are generally friendly and would inform the guests to be careful of hot surfaces, water continuously topped up and would do a brief introduction of the dishes when presented to the table. Thank you Mei Zhen and Yiling for taking care of our table that day. Apologies if I had mis-spelt your name.

We ended our meal with a cup of coffee. Thanks for the nice latte-art! And of course, special thanks to Eugene for your kind hospitality, in making sure we were well-fed as always.

Mocha @$8

Birds of a Feather

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

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

Contact: 97557115

Business Hours:

Mon - Thu: 12–3 pm, 6–11 pm

Fri - Sat: Friday, 12–3 pm, 6 pm–12 am

Sun: Sunday, 12–3 pm, 6–10 pm

[Jeju] Boiled Pork Dinner at CheonJitGol 천짓골식당 @ Seogwipo

One of the must try traditional dishes in Jeju will be the dombe meat which means steamed and sliced pork served on chopping board. Tracy found one near our accommodation, so we dropped by for Day 3 dinner. It was a Saturday evening on our day of visit and we should've realised that restaurants in town areas should be busier than normal days. Hahaa, so we went and placed our name on their waitlist (there isn't any list per se but the staff did see us and knew we would like to dine there) and will call when there's a freed up table. So, we waited outside along with a few other chaps.

shop front

We were called in after waiting for 20 minutes. We noticed that the guests there usually comes in larger groups of 4 or more. Age range, I'd guess it's thirties and above.

interior

The menu was rather simple. Choose whether you'd like Jeju black pork or the normal one and the starting weight is 600gms. Add-on meat would be at 300gm each. So of course we got ourselves the black pork set to start and additional normal pork. 900gm to feed 4 pax, hence that's about 225gm for one pax.

The shop looked like it was run by a family. The young staff seemed to be the son, while the dad was busy delivering side-dishes to the tables and finally, the lady who performed the table-side service seemed to be the lady boss.

side dishes and lettuce

main course - Jeju Black Pork

lady boss slicing up the meat and teaching us how to eat it properly

The lady boss will enquire if we are first timers and if yes, she'll teach the table on how to create flavours using the sides given and which sequence works best. She'll slice up some pieces (one each per pax for the group), then shares which item goes with the meat (for example, a slice of marinated onion) and eat it. And she'll ask that you eat combi to ensure that you are enjoying the meat as it was meant to be. Hahaa, it was slightly stressful as her pace was pretty fast but glad she spent time to share with diners on how to enjoy the boiled pork.

sauce

The boiled meat itself was tender and tasted good even if it was just with a touch of salt. Our second round of meat came after the first was completed. Normal pork tasted good too although there was a slight difference in texture with a less premium feel. The fats in the normal pork felt a tad chunkier. But I enjoyed it all the same. Can't say no to meat!

normal pork (300gm)

The atmosphere in the restaurant is not unlike an izakaya, where guests enjoys small bites with their drinks, shares anecdotes with their friends and also shares some friendly banters with the staff. You'll see most tables enjoying their beer/soju/makgeolli. We had makgeolli because the carbonated rice wine with its slight sweetness, is the perfect foil for the boiled pork.

Overall, we spent ₩92,000 for the meal, which was roughly around SGD24 per pax (inclusive of makgeolli and some soda).

CheonJitGol 천짓골식당

Address: 294-10 Cheonji-dong, Seogwipo-si, Jeju-do, South Korea

Contact: +82647630399

Business Hour: 

Closed Sunday

Sat - Fri: 5pm to 10pm

[Jeju] Sightseeing at Cheonjeyeon Falls (천제연폭포) and Lunch at The Cliff @ Seogwipo

After a hearty breakfast at Jeju Osung, we went on a mini adventure to see the Cheonjeyeon Waterfall (천지연폭포). Here are some photos to share:

Cheonjeyeon Fall #1 (Pond)

accessible via these steps

I could only make it to one of the 3 nearby falls. Weather was gloomy and it was slightly drizzling while we were in there. The steps are made of rocks so it was uneven and slightly slippery, especially when there's moss and leaves.

on the way to Fall #2

drinking water, in case thirsty

Cheonjeyeon Falls 천제연폭포

Address: 132, Cheonjeyeon-ro, Seogwipo-si, Jeju-do

Website: https://www.visitjeju.net/en/detail/view?contentsid=CNTS_000000000019331

Seonimgyo Bridge

Then, off to The Cliff for some drinks and maybe a light lunch. It was just 10 minutes away from where we were.

let's go inside

chillax vibes

beach bar vibes

It's a self-service system at The Cliff. Order from the counter, pay and you'll get a buzzer to inform when food/drinks are ready.

splurging on drinks and bar food

Went over to the bar to see how the drinks are being made and tried to ask about the liquor used. However, language barrier was apparent as the bar tend tried to explain but I just couldn't catch what they were saying. I think they thought I was asking if there's alcohol in the drinks and obviously, they said yes. 

pretty drinks

We ordered both the alcoholic and non-alcoholic version of Seakdal Beach and both the cocktail and mocktail looked identical! So we had to be extra careful when bringing the right one back to Hence.

Seakdal Beach @₩17000

But hor, cocktail and mocktail are priced the same too! Hmmm interesting, yes?

We decided to order just 2 items for lunch since everyone was still pretty full from the heavy breakfast. Sausage and fries, and it was a toss between pizza or pasta. So glad we went for pasta as the anchovy pasta turned out to be amazing!

Long sausage and truffle fries @₩26000

Black Pork and Anchovy Pasta @₩22000

Why did the pasta tasted so good? One could not really taste the black pork but the saltiness from the anchovies and garlic was so so addictive. Oily, salty and tasty!

Ping Pong @₩16000

I liked my choice of drink; Ping Pong that has a slight hint of lychee. Presumably, they were using just lychee liquer and grenadine. Sweet and refreshing. Lovely contrast to the saltiness from  the sausage and pasta.

The cocktail gave the impression that it was super light but wait for it as the buzz will come only towards the end of the drink.

The Cliff

Address: 154-17 Jungmungwangwang-ro, 특별자치도, Seogwipo-si, Jeju-do, South Korea

Website: https://www.instagram.com/thecliffjeju/

Contact: +82 64-738-8866

Business Hours:

Sun - Thur: 10 am–1 am

Fri - Sat: 10 am–2 am

[Tasting] Basdban @ 51 Telok Ayer Street

Accessible via Telok Ayer MRT, this place oozes happening vibes in the evening. Think neon lights, attractive cocktails and tasty food. Great for nearby office dwellers, whom are looking for a place to unwind after a hard day at work.

Was invited for a dinner tasting at Basdban, so let's have a look at what's good there. Come with me!

entrance to Basdban

let's eat spicy then

all sorts of flavours

nice bar, let's get some drinks!

Flower in My Gin @$25

That's right, I go for the pretty ones. Hahaa, safest choice because it's Gin, Elderflower, Cucumber and Tonic. Not much of the cucumber taste. Volume is good and I can drink it for looong.

one more shot, because it's pretty!

Take a sip of Kyoho, and you'll find it very very familiar. Pretty sweet, easy to drink, vodka based.

Kyoho @$23

Negroni @$28 (HH: 1-for-1)

One could be childlike with Kyoho, but definitely adulting with Negroni. Smokey, bitter...herbal.

smoke gets in your drink

Negroni, ready and sexy

Drinks such as Kyoho, Oriental Flare and Sichuan Sour have their mocktails version as well.

 

Let's feed the bellies! First up, some slices of salmon sashimi swirled up in funky dressing. Contrary to its name, it tasted of good 'ol soy and nothing quite funky about it besides the catchy name.

Funky Fish @$18

Sticky Pork Ribs @$18

Fashioned after 糖醋排骨 , the sticky pork ribs with Sichuan sweet vinegar glaze were lip smacking good. Meat was firm to bite and decorated with crunchy pistachio. Housemade pickles were delish too.

The first two dishes were non-spicy, so we were eager to let our tongues tingle with the "Lalalalalala Fried Chicken" (why the name so long ah?). Served on a retro looking plate/shallow basin (?) and sprinkled generously with toasted white sesame. The Sichuan green chili looked dangerous.

Lalalalalala Fried Chicken @$28

lala (clams) and fried chicken

Pro-tip: White rice with Lalalalala Fried Chicken equates to ooh-la-la kind of euphoria.

white rice

Was it spicy? For sure! For me, it was like level 7 out of 10. But I think there could be some chilies in there that wasn't as spicy. My friends said so. I had my doubts because every bite of mine, it was super shiok spicy! What I liked about Sichuan green chili, is that the spiciness was sharp and strong at the front and eventually fades away after a short while. If it gets too much, I had Flower in My Gin to cool me down.

Next, was a vegetable dish. Wok-fried broccolini, caulini and minced tofu. Strong flavours of savoury salty. The leaves were juicy and sweet though.

Two to Tango @$23

BB Prawn Aglio Olio @$28

If you're wondering what does Sichuan style Aglio Olio tasted like? Hmm.. it is unlike a classic aglio olio. Definitely saucier, and slightly sweet. Prawns were of a good size, and juicy.

slurp it up

If you want to eat 烤鱼 (grilled fish), order up the 'Wholey Fish'; Barramundi in mala broth.

Wholey Fish @$48

Was super duper full by this time but let's eat some Unagi Donabe! Portion was meant for 2-3 pax.

Basdban Unagi Donabe @$45

Sichuan waxed meat, Spicy sausage, Unagi, Dried Sole, Morel mushrooms, lard, special shoyu

Must must eat the scorched rice. Good stuffs!

precious scorched rice

And of course, we'd wrap it up with dessert.

Glutinous Rice @$15

Let's talk about Glutinous Rice done three ways; fried, pudding and boiled. Glutinous rice pudding was interesting. It has the aftertaste of 红糟 (wine lees).

Pick Me Up! @$15

Pick Me Up! is actually somewhat of a deconstructed tiramisu. There's sweet, bitterness from cocoa, crunchy, soft, coffee flavours, mascarpone and yes, contains alcohol. I like!

Thank you Kris for the invite and Basdban for hosting the dinner. Special thanks to Chef Eugene for feeding us! And Sharon, for taking care of our table. See you again.

Basdban

Address: 51 Telok Ayer St, #01-01, Singapore 048441

Website: https://www.facebook.com/basdban.sg/

Contact: 9755 1058

Business Hours: 

Sun: Closed

Mon-Fri: 11am–3pm, 5–11pm

Sat: 11am–11pm