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

[Tasting] Sichuan Alley 川巷 @ 51 Telok Ayer

If you're around the vicinity, and has cravings for some noodles or, a cocktail or two with small plates, Sichuan Alley may have just the thing that you're looking for. Fuss free and straight forward. Let's have a look at their menu. This was an invited tasting.

Sichuan Alley

If you're thinking that the location looks familiar, you're right. This was formerly occupied by Basdban.

Sichuan Alley caters for a variety of diners. There's plenty of small plates between $5 to $14 to enjoy along the oriental cocktails. Or come for their daily Happy Hour between 2pm to 9pm, and enjoy a pint of beer (selected) for only $8++.

For noodles lovers, we tried a few and it was tasty, plus generous portion!

food and beverages menu

food menu

I was curious about their cocktails which had very Oriental sounding names, like Bamboo Breeze? Hehe, it turned out to be a cute looking panda soaking in a bamboo container. Cute.

Bamboo Breeze (bamboo green tea gin, pineapple, peach, jasmine) @$16++

Bamboo Breeze was light and refreshing. Tasted predominantly of green tea and jasmine. I think this might be the Oriental version of 'Long Island Tea'? The panda, is made of chocolate but it was a tad too hard for my teeth. Only managed to bite off a bit of the ear.

Mister Kiwi (vodka base) @$18++

Chengdu Fizz (gin, kumquat, chia seed, sparkling water)

Had mistaken Mister Kiwi and Chengdu Fizz to be mocktails as it was sweet and seemingly looked like a cooler/thirst quenchers. But, we checked with the bar, and indeed, it has alcohol! So, probably not a good idea to gulp it down too fast.

With drinks on hand, let's have some food. Small plates first.

"Zhangfei" Beef Slice @$11++

Mala Black Fungus @$5.50++

The beef was smoked and thinly sliced. Tasted natural and light flavours of the meat. The spices added a touch of flavours but non-spicy. The black fungus dish hits the spot with a punch of flavours. Garlicky, crunchy and spicy. Am biased towards black fungus. One of my favourite.

My first time having smoked liver and I can say, am not a fan. There's nothing funky about it though, but the texture was something that I didn't find it appealing. 

Smoked Pork Liver @$7.50++

egg yolk in the center

Been wanting to try the fried intestines and finally managed to have it here. It was nicely deep fried, and the addition of leek is a good idea as the leek provided some natural sweetness to the dish. Doesn't feel greasy but has a good mouthfeel. Lovely with alcohol. Will order again.

Fried Pig Intestines @$7.50++

Eat, drink (responsibly) and be merry!

Ume Plum Wine @$18++

cheers!

Ume plum wine was deceptively easy to drink as well. Like a dessert wine. 

And when you have more drinks, then there's got to be more food. Bite sized dumplings that's familiar in taste with ample meaty flavours. The sauce looked fiery but actually, pretty mild. Not to worry if you're not too good with spices. This one is only at level 0.5 in terms of heat. Yes, looks can be deceptive. The mala fungus was probably more spicy than these two.

Crispy Pork Dumplings @$6++

Hot & Sour Pork Dumplings @$6++

Braised Ox Tongue @$11++

Other unique finds would be the Braised Ox Tongue. On-point texture and pretty tasty with all the sauce and condiments. Thank you Chef Eugene for the never ending line of food on our table!

Braised Beef with Bamboo Shoots @$9++

Braised Beef with Bamboo Shoots managed to win me over with the superbly tender beef. There's some smokiness in the bamboo shoots. Will order this again.

Lalalala Fried Chicken @$22

The Lalalala Fried Chicken is still available and still as tasty as the previous time. Portion size and the price has been reduced slightly. No, we didn't have it with rice this time round to save some tummy space for the noodles.

Let's slurp up some noodles at this point in time. Noodles are main course portion sized.

President Noodle (Red) @$24.50++

President Noodles would be what I deemed as "all-in" version. It has a big bowl of noodles soup, fried egg, some shanghai greens and side dishes of braised beef cheeks, intestines, crispy chickpeas and pork ribs.

At first, I thought the side dishes of the meats looked a tad dry but it was tender and easy to chew. Good. Was this spicy? Actually, not quite.

If you prefer the earthy mushroom-my flavours, then go for the Mushrooms with Chicken Broth Noodles. Wholesome flavours for a cooler evening.

Mushrooms with Chicken Broth Noodles @$11.50++

While I was wowed by the variety of sides that came along with President Noodle, the best tasting noodles for me that night, was the Fresh Chilies Minced Beef Noodles.

Fresh Chilies Minced Beef Noodles @$13.50++

give it a good mix

enjoy!

For me, this has the strongest and tastiest flavour profile of all the noodles that I've tasted that night. Thoroughly enjoyed this noodle dish.

No.3 Lady @$18++

No.3 Dry Gin, Lychee Liquer, White Wine, Pink Grapefruit, Rose

Tried a bit of the Black Plum Iced Tea (non-alcoholic) and it was good as a thirst quencher plus, it helps to cut through the fullness of all the food we inhaled. And, it's a sweet drink. Not sure why but initially it didn't occur to me that this drink will be sweet so I was surprised when I first drunk it. Haha!

Black Plum Ice Tea @$8++

Mini Hotpot @$14++

One thing about the noodles, is that it absorbs the soup pretty good so after a bout of drinking, usually I'd like to have some warm soup. The Mini Hotpot is perfect for this. Spicy 'malatang' with tiger prawns, tofu, homemade liang fen and mushrooms. Careful as the pot will continue to bubble for a little while after it was served. The warmth in the tummy was comforting.

It's a vibe here at Sichuan Alley and No. 51 Telok Ayer has a chic, vibrant nightlife feel, while next door at 51A Telok Ayer has a more casual feel to it. Both spaces share the same menu.

Thank you Kris for the invite, and special thanks to Chef Eugene and Sichuan Alley for hosting the dinner.

Sichuan Alley 川巷

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

Website: https://www.facebook.com/sichuanalley

Contact: 9755 1058

Business Hours: 

Mon-Fri: 10:30 am–10 pm

Sat-Sun: 10:30 am–9 pm

Burger and Lobster @ Raffles Hotel

Ok, so this was an 'atas' (similar connotation to high-class) tea session. Hey, once in a while, it's ok to pamper ourselves. Nevertheless, it was rather rare for us to be having a meal at 3.30pm. But then, it's Happy Hour (3pm to 6pm) at Burger and Lobster too!

Tip: If you're taking a cab/grab, drop at Raffles Hotel Seah Street side. Otherwise, it was a one big round walk to Burger and Lobster.

The usual temperature taking and Safe Entry check-in before admission. Was late, hence the group had already ordered and started by then. Ambiance was cosy and I enjoyed the view of the lovely looking bar.

lovely bar view

Besides admiring the bar, of course I'd be trying the cocktails. Cocktails at $10 during Happy Hours, yay! To start, had a South Side. My first time trying it. Gin based with Angostura Bitters, lemon and a mint leaf. Refreshing. 

South Side 

Old Fashioned

Ok, let's get some munchies with the drinks. Friend had already finished with her lobster roll and she enjoyed it tremendously. I went with the flow and had a small bite with whatever else that was on  the table. The Salted Egg Yolk Baby Squid was good. Not too tiny, tender yet with a soft chew.  The coating/batter of the salted egg yolk was tasty and goes so well with the cocktails. Best eaten when it was still hot. Lovely!

Salted Egg Yolk Baby Squid @$12

Another friend had Lobster Thermidor and it looked so pretty. There's something about gratinated cheese that looked inviting. Served with garlic toast. 

I had a bite of the garlic toasties, and because we ordered the Lobster Rosti, I made a small bite by breaking off a corner of the garlic toast, placed a good amount of guacamole and some lobster meat on it. Hehe.

Lobster Thermidor @$31 (Half Lobster)

say cheese~

Talking about Lobster Rosti, here's a pic of it. Light tasting and value for money. 

Lobster Rosti @$18

The place tends to get busier after 5pm on weekends. A good place with $10 Happy Hour cocktails, and lobster rolls.

Burger and Lobster

Address: 328 North Bridge Rd, Singapore 188719

Website: https://www.burgerandlobster.com/menu/raffles-menu/

Contact:  6971 6127

Business Hours: 

Daily 11am to 930pm

The Gong By Drinks & Co @ Duo Galleria

Revisited this place for one of our wine nights because there's tasty food and reasonably priced drinks. Another motive was partly because we were curious if the food still tasted good on a regular visit as opposed to a tasting session. 

drinks menu

Decided to get myself a glass of beer while waiting for the rest of the peeps. Hey, it's Happy Hour after all! An iced cold Sapporo would be nice.

かんぱい Sapporo Premium @$11

Soon, the rest of the gang arrived and we decided to munch on truffle fries and enjoy our pre-dinner drinks. Loved that the fries was served piping hot, but thought something was missing from the bowl. Ahhh....I think am accustomed to having truffle fries topped with shaved parmesan so when this version was served without it, it just felt lacking. Sorry, brain had been wired in this way!

three is not a crowd

Skinny Truffle Fries @$16

pretty bottle of soda water

beer and fries

"What's nice here?" Asked our friends who had never tried this place. The majority of us smiled and nodded. Most of the dishes were recommended based on our past experience during the tasting session and the rest was based on preference of individuals.

To start, we tried the foie gras. Served glistening, on a piece of crisp toast and adorned with sliced strawberries and grape. The liver was quiver-y, rich and decadent tasting. We had but the tiniest piece as the 6 of us was sharing for this item and as per the rest of the meal. Hahaa!

Pan Seared Foie Gras @$25

We also had the Gong Salt & Pepper Squid. Anything that has the namesake of the restaurant, better be good! The squid was battered and deep fried to a golden hue. There were some cut chilies, peppercorn and garlic crisp tossed into the mix, salted and the plate was finger licking good. I was actually scooping up the bits of garlic chips to munch. So tasty especially with that hint of peppercorn.

Gong Pepper & Squid @$17

For mains, we ordered carbs! Lots of carbs! Somehow carbohydrates and alcohol, goes well together. To accompany our meal, we picked a bottle of red off the shelf. 

Big Bunch Merlot (Hawke's Bay 2014) @$48

juicy and yummy

Let's dig into the mains, shall we? First up, and by popular demand, the Assorted Mushroom Pizza. We absolutely loved the flavours of the mushroom pizza the previous time but again, it looked the same yet there was a difference in taste. We figured out, it could be the mushroom paste was reduced this time round, and hence there was a reduction in the umami flavours of the mushrooms.

Assorted Mushroom Pizza @$26

up up and away, lingering cheese pull~

Pizza was still good and we enjoyed it through and through. We also revisited another favourite (although mine was the Hokkien Mee!) and that is the Crab Meat Claw Fried Rice with Tobiko. Colourful plate and best eaten while still hot.

Crab Meat Claw Fried Rice with Tobiko @$14

How can we not order any meat? Impossible! And, so we had meat. An expensive Bangers and Mash, the lovely Iberico Pork and our favourite New Zealand Lamb Rack.

Bangers and Mash @$27

Loved the crispy fried onion rings. Lovely big ring but alas, only that few pieces. It has the English Cumberland sausage, that prompted me to search wiki for it, and it's supposed to be long.  But ours was short lei, how? Haha! Enjoyably meaty, salty enough to reach for a sip of the wine and loved that caramelized onion gravy on that bed of soft mash.

We craved for meat and of course, ordered our favourites from previous visit. The Iberico Pork came looking sexy with its charred bits. The center piece (pun intended) was amazingly good. Juicy, flavourful and tender. Lovely texture of the pork, enjoyed the charred broccoli and lovely eggplant puree (but this was less smokey in comparison).

Iberico Pork @$24

amazingly flavourful, tender pork

Quite consistently, the New Zealand Lamb Rack (250gms) was the best performer. It was as good as we remembered it. Well, previously, we had it in the Mixed Grill Platter but this time round, the spotlight is on the lamb rack and lamb rack alone and it delivered!

New Zealand Lamb Rack @$34

side view

Well seasoned. and superbly grilled, the lamb rack was succulent to bite and loved those meat near the bone. Smokey, salty and flavourful, plus non-gamey. Served with roasted baby potatoes, grilled  broccoli (gotta love this!) and pickled shallots. Sneaky to have pickled shallots in there but it's refreshing to the taste bud with a sharp tangy sweet jolt.

Service was friendly, and efficient. Overall, a good place to dine with good food and reasonably priced bottled wines.

The Gong by Drinks & Co

Address: 7 Fraser St, #01-59/60 Duo Galleria, Singapore 189356

Website: http://thegong.com.sg/

Contact: 9619 4568

Business Hours:

Daily 11am to 12am