[Tasting] A Refreshing Look at Contemporary Cuisine with Sichuan Influences @ Birds of A Feather

Birds of a Feather is located at 115 Amoy Street and has been around for years. I like the place for its classy, cosy vibes. Plus, of course a place to enjoy a bowl of freshly fried "辣子鸡" or as they called it there, "Find the chicken in the chilies" with a glass of bubbly prosecco.

Was invited back for a taste of new inclusions in its menu, as well as new presentation of existing favourites. Thank you Kris for the invite and Chef Eugene for your hospitality.

table art

Beginning

Ceviche

Ceviche @$21

It was a pleasant surprise to see ceviche served in an oriental setting. Imported European seabass, and celtuce both cutely diced, topped with chopped chili salsa, oriental "Tigers Milk" and citrus pops (that light translucent golden boba). "Tigers Milk" is a Peruvian sauce/liquid for marinate made of lime juice, sliced onion, chillies, salt, and pepper. The Oriental version had subtle taste of ginger, while maintaining the lovely sharp acidity of the lime. The fish had a slight firm, texture. A fun, fresh and zesty dish to wake-up the taste buds.

like a beautiful painting

Ume Tomato (V)

Ume Tomato @$14

Ume is a type of plum, and one could still distinguish its flavours infused into the skinless tomatoes. Served with ume granitas, sour jelly and Salicornia. Okay, I admit I had to Google what is Salicornia. Well, good to learn more about the ingredients in the food that we eat, yes? Also known as asparagus of the sea, this succulent had a crunchy texture with a slight salty taste.

topped with ume granitas

The ume tomato has an addictive quality which appeals to the older folks for its familiar taste that's more mellow and leaning towards sweet-tangy.

Yu Xiang Eggplant Soba (V)

Yu Xiang Eggplant Soba @$18

pickled eggplant, julienned vegetables, puffed buckwheat, soba

This dish changed my mind after tasting. I had tried some of the previous renditions of Yu Xiang Eggplant at Birds before, but this version has to be one the tastiest renditions by far. Mix well, the small portion of soba with the julienned vegetables (bell pepper, celtuce, carrots) and get those lovely oil coated onto each strands of the noodles. Crunchy texture, tangy flavours and topped with well-braised eggplant by its side. Yums.

mix well for a tasty slurp-up

Spinach & Mushroom (V)

Spinach & Mushroom @$17

If I looked at the menu and saw "Spinach & Mushroom", I'd probably be picturing that dish from wedding dinners... But of course, why imagine when one could try it for ourselves at Birds of A Feather. This dish sure looked fancy with the Ferment Soy Bean Sabayon on top.

packed with earthy-smokey flavours

I left this dish out for quite a while before trying it but man, it was packed with that lovely smokey flavours. There's crunchy bits from the pine nuts and rye croutons as well. If vegetables tasted like this, then give me more please!

Pork Dumpling

Pork Dumpling @$18

Flavourful meaty pork dumplings pan seared, served with sichuan dressing with a hint of heat, dollops of buttersquash puree for that sweet and creamy accompaniment and now comes with crunchy lavosh. I do like the lavosh crackers.

lavosh crackers

Ongoing

Roast Duck Consommé

Roast Duck Consommé @$28

This dish exuded elegance in its presentation. The consommé was comforting in its mild herbal flavours, and not gamey at all. The daikon was clean tasting and the ravioli was packed with the duck meaty flavours.

duck ravioli

Chow Chow Prawn

Chow Chow Prawn (5 pieces) @$43

Wok-fried spiced tiger prawns, served with chow chow relish and corriander puree. Prawn was firm and easy to eat since the shell at its body had been thoughtfully removed.

closer view

Barramundi Chazuke

pan seared barramundi fillet, Japanese rice topped with sauté romaine, kale, mustard green

 Classic Sichuan Sour Vegetable Fish Broth

Liked the new presentation as one could see the components clearly before the staff pours the broth.

Barramundi Chazuke @$36

Taste-wise, it has a balanced quotient of spicy and sour. But man, the spice is real! Best shared with a partner/friend. Loved all the greens in there too.

Apportion

Loup De Mer (600g - 700g) 

Loup De Mer (600g - 700g) @$98

Imported European seabass, spiced with scales on and pan-seared till golden. Served with deliciously baked ratte potatoes, vine pepper beurre blanc, asparagus, kale and chopped chilies salsa.

apportioned for sharing

Balanced well-seasoned flavours in every bite. Loved the crunchy texture of the scales/skin and the firm flesh of the seabass.

delicious

Finale

Citrus Block 

Citrus Block @$16

Fruity flavours from the grapefruit and orange terrine, eaten with the spiced Earl Gray and sabayon sauce and a change-up in texture with the crispy yoghurt/milk chips/popping candy.

closer view

Jujube & Strawberry

Jujube & Strawberry @$17

The component that drew me to this dessert was the "Jujube Mascarpone Cremeux". Cheese in dessert is a good idea. And, surprisingly, I quite liked the jujube cake for its spongey-bready texture. Lovely end, with a cup of hot mocha.

Once again, thank you Chef Eugene for opportunity to learn more about the ingredients in each of the dishes that we tried and also thanks to the staff at Birds of A Feather for your care during the day of our visit. Take care and see you again!

Birds of A Feather

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

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

Contact: 97557115

Business Hours:

Mon-Sat: 12–3 pm, 6 pm–12 am

Sun: 12–3 pm, 6–10 pm

[Tasting] Birds of A Feather - Sharing Menu @ Amoy Street

My favourite place to enjoy Happy Hour till 7pm and "Find the Chicken in the Chilies". 

Birds of a Feather, interior

Happiness in a glass, Prosecco (@$10 Happy Hour)

Bird's Snack

I always look forward to something new when returning to familiar places. This time round, the creative kitchen team had come up with a new snack, which is an elevated spin from prawn toast (面包虾).

Bird's Snack - deep fried onions, land caviar, minced scallop on brioche

Encountered a short dilemma as the snack was too pretty to be eaten yet, it was beckoning for a taste. In the end, the stomach triumphed. Balanced flavours and simply enjoyable.

If you're in a party of 2, they have "Sharing Menu for 2 " @$128 per pair or the "Anyi" menu for a minimum of 2 pax @$102 per pax.

Birds Avocado & Crab Bruschetta

Birds Avocado & Crab Bruschetta

lovely starter

One is never short of flavours at Birds. Aesthetically pleasing as well. Enjoyed the canape in two bites.

Yu Xiang Eggplant

Yu Xiang Eggplant, tart

Wow, I didn't expect an eggplant dish to be looking like this. Thought it was a chocolate tart dessert! There's baby mozarella, edible flowers and somewhere in there, lay pickled daikon and juicy eggplant. Yums and this was a meatless dish.

Pork Dumplings

Pork Dumpling, from Anyi menu

The pork dumpling dish looked mighty fine, I must say. Pan-seared with distinct marks, surrounded by sage foam, topped with crisp almond and fried sage leaves. The secret, is in its sichuan dressing. Don't be shy and do scoop up more of the tangy vinegary sauce to enjoy with the meaty parcel. So good.

Anyi 安逸, means feeling comfortable and relaxed. And I do get that feeling at BOAF. Then, coupled with bubblies, delicious food and informative conversation with Head Chef Eugene, one leaves happy.

But don't leave without trying the slow-roasted Angus Beef Short Ribs.

Beef Short Ribs

delicious slow-roasted Angus Beef Short Ribs, part of Anyi menu 

Sichuan rub, broccolini, morels and ratte, potato fricasse

Oooh, I think this is my first time having beef short-ribs in this style. Super love the sichuan rub for its familiar flavours. The meat was tender yet with a good chew. Mouthfeel was luxurious and best paired with a drink (or two!). Definitely need 2 to finish.

For something lighter but equally luxurious, their Loup de Mer was nothing short of amazing.

Loup de Mer 

Loup de Mer, Sharing Menu for 2 (+$35)

Beautiful European Seabass, topped with House Pickled Shitake mushroom slices, salsa verde and broccolini.

The dish is worthy of two thumbs up! Fish deboned, lightly baked and pickled shitake lends an interesting lift to the sweet, super cottony flesh of the fish. Wow, I think I could finish more than half of the fish on my own.

I believe I have found my favourite chicken, beef and fish dishes at Birds!

For dessert, both menu offers Pear & Jelly.

Pear & Jelly

Pear & Jelly, Classic Ice Jelly

Wah... as usual, Head Chef Eugene and team, exceeded expectations. Beautiful plating, and the inclusion of pickled cucumber did tickle the palate by introducing an unexpected element yet so matching.

Thank you Kris for inviting and Chef Eugene for the delicious food, as always. Kudos to team Birds for lovely experience. With Shermaine and Tiara.

Birds of a Feather

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

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)

[Island-Wide Delivery] Birds Of A Feather Amoy Street

It is really convenient to have delicious food from Birds of a Feather delivered to the doorstep. Placed an order via https://www.birdsofafeather.com.sg/en_SG/ the night before, and received confirmation within the next hour. Free delivery for orders above $50 during this Heightened Alert (HA) period.

The only headache was which food to choose so that it will survive the travelling all the way to Choa Chu Kang.

But, my must-order is non-negotiable. If you had read my posting before, then you'd know which one. Chose for it to be delivered around 1 to 1.15pm and it arrived, quite punctually. Thank you to the uncle who brought the food over.

nicely packed

For the Signature Braised Beef Noodle, while the soup was packed separately from the noodles, it was unfortunate that the noodles had clumped together after the long journey.

Signature Braised Beef Noodle (mixed soup) @$14.90+

Braised Pig Intestines 冒肥肠@$5.50+

Had chosen the mixed soup, which tasted mild with a touch of spice. Loved the tender beef chunks. Top-up for the braised intestines but it wasn't as soft as I liked. Nevertheless, still enjoyable and go for the beef.

Sea Prawn Garlic Oil @ $ 20 +

I read the ingredients before ordering the Sea Prawn Aglio Olio. It stated "Garlic, chilli padi, white wine, fresh herbs, extra virgin oil, fried garlic crumble."  Now, that didn't sound like it was going to be that spicy, right? Wrong! Hahaa!

While the level of spiciness was more than expected, as predicted, the pasta dish travelled well. Presentation looked good when delivered. There were 5 pieces of good-sized prawns that were cooked just nice. Crunchy, in fact.

spicy shioks

Not forgetting, my favourite tongue numbing snack. I called dibs. Ok, but being the good sibling that I am, I ate half of everything except the beef noodles (my bro can have more of that because it was the least spicy amongst the 3! Sollie~)

Find The Chicken in the Chilis 辣子鸡 @$16+

Yummy

And of course, there's dessert. Guess what I ordered.

Basque Burnt Cheesecake by Chef Pang 巴斯克烧芝士蛋糕 @$7+

The cheese cake was nice but not molten as others. Liked that it was not too sweet.

see you guys soon!

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

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)