[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

Birds Of A Feather 2022 @ Amoy Street

Finally, we are able to gather for a meal at one of my favourite places; Birds Of A Feather. Let's eat up a storm! And, we did.

Cocktail

Godfather of Sichuan @$30

Irish Tea @$25

Someone Like You @$23

Didn't try the cocktails though because all of those were ordered by my friends. I imagined if one places an order for the cocktail, will probably need to phrase their orders properly. For example, imagine if someone tells you, "I'd like to order Someone Like You..." Will you raise an eyebrow at that? Haha!

HH Brewerkz Golden Ale Full Pint @$12

Bang Bang

Bang Bang @$14

Cold Dressed Chicken, Mustard Green, Peanut

mix well and enjoy

Bang Bang is a new item and my first time trying it. Chef Eugene explained that the edible 'coaster' is made of peanuts and one is supposed to smash it before having it with the salad underneath. I like the 'coaster'. Tasted of peanut butter!

Find the Chicken in the Chillies

Find the Chicken in the Chillies @$19

This one need no introduction and my must-have every time I eat at BOAF.

Yu Xiang Eggplant (V)

Yu Xiang Eggplant (V) @$17

The eggplant dish is looking very different now. It has baby mozzarella, spring onions crumbs (that tasted like cookies) ontop and hiding the Japanese eggplant. Mix it all up and enjoy.

flavourful eggplants

Burratine & Tomato (V)

Burratine & Tomato (V) $26

Chef Eugene was explaining about the special tomato used in the Burratine dish and we were sold. Hence, we gave it a try. It was a good choice.

juicy sweet tomatoes

And, to have the burratine on a crisp toast with a slice of that tomato, it was heavenly. What a joy to eat. Thank you for the recommendation, Eugene!

Strange Flavour Prawn

Strange Flavour Prawn @$42

Ok, I must admit. Am not well versed enough in the vastness of Chinese cuisine, so when I saw a dish named as "Strange Flavour..." my mind was having a shutdown. Like, why would I want to eat strange flavours? So, its name is a literal translation of guaiwei 怪味 which is a seasoning mixture in Sichuan cuisine. Orhhhhh.

The prawns were lovely and nothing strange about the flavours. It was somewhat sweet with a touch of spice. Prawns were of a good size, fresh and firm.

Loup de Mer

Loup de Mer @$89

When you're reading the menu for Loup de Mer, it says "Whole European Seabass, Denise Pesto, Sweet Vinegar Joyn Tomato, Celtuce" . Then, if you're like me, you'd do a double take at 'Denise Pesto'. Aptly named as such because, the pesto sauce was concocted by Chef Denise. She's lovely.

Homestyle Braised Pork Belly

Homestyle Braised Pork Belly @$58

with winter truffles

This dish is surely a head turner when it was brought to the table. We could smell the aroma when the lid was taken off. And, we were in luck as the winter truffle was still available then.

Staff would assist to mix the ingredients. The braised pork looked like dongpo meat but not that sweet, and it was fork tender. You'll get burnt rice from the sides and bottom of the pot too. Yummy!

Pear & Jelly

Pear & Jelly @$18

Glutinous Rice Cake Rock @$17

I think I fell for the Glutinous Rice Cake Rock dessert. I could never imagined it as such, but loved the crisp outer of the cake and the soft, light texture of its inside. Looked and tasted like smokey mochi but doesn't feels 'heavy'.

I love how Chef Eugene innovates for the same dish. For example Yu Xiang Eggplant, be it the elements in the dish or the presentation, there's always something new even if the dish name is the same.

Once again, we were happy to be able to dine in a group, in a comfortable environment, and with lots of good food.

Thank you foodie friends for taking time for this catch-up. Special thanks to Eugene for feeding us, as always, and looking forward to your new creations. Till next time.

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: 12–3pm, 6–11pm

Fri - Sat: 12–3pm, 6pm–12am

Sun: 12–3pm, 6–10pm

[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)