[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

Tora Tora Tora Japanese Restaurant @ Oxley Hub 2 (Rooftop)

Made reservation and was surprised to receive a whatsapp notification, complete with screenshots on how to find the restaurant when you're at Oxley Hub 2. Nice.

I followed the instructions and managed to find the restaurant easily. 

entrance

let's browse the menu

The place looks cosy but the vibes coming from the staff was rather nonchalant.

interior

sip sip

mini chalkboard menu

we need food

We ordered a bunch of things, and I got myself an Asahi Black. This drink was smooth and malty, and a tinge of savoury akin to soy sauce.

Asahi Black @$11

Water is chargeable at 50cents per head and refillable.

Sashimi Moriawase 7 Kinds @$78

When we order, we enquired from the staff on which type of seafood/fish would be in the assorted sashimi platter. She said that it would depend on what the Chef wants the diners to have on that day itself. There were salmon belly, scallops, abalone, sea urchin, hamachi, white fish (maybe tai), kajiki and  lightly vinegared mackerel. Thank you Chef for indulging us with some premium selection in there!

admiring the  beautiful platter

best pairing for sashimi

I always liked to try tamagoyaki from the various Japanese restaurants and here is no exception. The version here is the typical sweeter version.

Tamagoyaki @$10

Tori Karaage @$13

Of course, there'll be fried food in the mix and tori karaage it is! Flavourful and enjoyable with the cold beer. Not the best but still decent.

Oden Moriawase @$19

The oden version at Tora Tora Tora was more similar to local yong tau foo because of its many pieces that tasted similar to fish cake, there was meatball and tofu puffs in there as well. Unfortunately, the daikon was not as soft as I'd like. Broth was nice and flavourful but temperature was not that hot.

Surume Ika @$23

The grilled squid looked kinda photogenic, don't you think? Hahaa. The texture was nice and tender but not too soft. Sauce was leaning on the sweet side.

Tontoro @$28

The cubed tontoro was nicely grilled with a slight crisp edges. Firm and gives a nice chew. Tasted of natural flavours and I liked it without the sauce.

Hokkaido White Corn @$12

The Hokkaido White Corn was lightly salted and grilled. Not as juicy as one might thought it would be, but it was definitely sweet! Dip it into the wasabi mayo sauce from another dish and it was nicely creamy and sweet.

Niku Udon @$18

Niku udon for the birthday boy and it has an onsen egg in it too. Pretty apt to order this. Of course, we stole some bites from his bowl. Hahaha!

Hamachi Kama @$23

My favourite dish for the night, is the grilled yellowtail collar (hamachi kama). Smallish in size but has plenty of white cottony soft flesh. Nicely salted too.

Wagyu Fried Rice @$30

The wagyu fried rice was recommended by the staff when we enquired whether the seafood fried rice or wagyu fried rice was more popular. The plate of the fried rice was about maybe 2 pax portion and the beef was tiny but adequately scattered throughout the rice. Strong flavours but I think I'd go for the regular fried rice for another taste test next time.

It was nice to be able to try a good variety of dishes here with the help of the legendary group. Here's wishing Ivan, a Happy Birthday!

Tora Tora Tora Japanese Restaurant @ Oxley Hub 2

Address: 62 Ubi Rd 1, #11-19, Singapore 408734

Website: https://www.toratoratora.sg/

Contact: 98529148

Business Hours:

Daily: 11:30 AM–2:30 PM, 6 PM–1 AM

Dessert Time @ Yat Ka Yan 一家人 Fortune Centre

It was a Friday evening and we decided to have dessert ahead of dinner because, why not? Located at Level 2 of Fortune Centre, it was about 10 minutes walk from Bugis MRT station.

We queued up at the entrance counter (cashier?) intending to place our orders first while waiting for a seat. And lucky us, a staff came over to aide and informed that we could be seated at Table 13 and then order from the counter.

interior

 

The place has a retro feel and the menu have a couple of savoury snacks that one could choose from instead of just having sweet dessert. Tempting, but we stuck to our mission of having the sweet stuffs!

menu

Ice Jelly Passionfruit with Soursop @$5.50

Durian Chendol @$7.50

Chendol @ $4

Fresh Mango Sago with ice-cream @$7

Service was fast and efficient with the desserts served within 5 minutes after placing our orders.

The Ice Jelly Passionfruit with Soursop was only mildly fragrant with the passionfruit sauce/syrup, and some sweetness with a slight satisfying tangy flavour, distinct to soursop. Jelly was not too chewy and slid down well after a few bites. Refreshing and perfect for the hot and humid weather. Noted that after mixing the ice, one might not be remember that there's passionfruit in this concoction. 

Yen was funny. She was raving about 'Avocado Sago' (as seen from Insta) and was recommending it to us when we were thinking of what to order. As you might have guessed from the photos, we didn't. Haha!

She went with Durian Chendol, so we ordered a regular Chendol to do a comparision taste test. Verdict, unless you have a craving for durian, I would recommend the regular chendol simply because when one has durian as a topping, the rest of the ingredients will be overshadowed. I enjoyed the original flavours of the chendol, and it was adequately sweet with the fragrance of the gula melaka. The texture of the green rice flour jelly, was one of the better ones I've tasted.

Personally, my favourite goes to Fresh Mango Sago Pomelo with ice-cream. That dollop of ice-cream was really generous! Plus, one gets chunky sweet mango and that brown sugar jelly bits in the bowl added to the enjoyment. A bowl of cold, creamy dessert with fresh mango. Yums!

Icy adventures with Jingwen, Yen and Eric.

Yat Ka Yan 一家人 Dessert (Fortune Centre)

Address: 190 Middle Rd, #02-08 Fortune Centre, Singapore 188979

Instagram: https://instagram.com/yatkayan

Contact: +6587989292

Business Hours:

Closed on Tue.

Mon, Wed - Thu: 12–10 PM

Fri - Sun: Friday, 1:30–10 PM

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