Exemplary
Once in a while these ridiculously priced things deliver and I am happy. Tea tree mushrooms, ridiculously tender Duroc pork belly that's perfectly fatty, crispy claypot rice that's better than most hawkers(it's not burnt at all), fried kale, sichuan spices and onsen egg.
Blast after blast of incredible umami and texture. One of the best things I've eaten
The wait time is more than 20mins so call ahead to let them prepare in advance
Must try
Moody and atmospheric restaurant with perfect lighting; vibes alone are enough to impress a date. Service was also top-notch, always polite and with a smile. Food-wise, the dishes we ordered were all presented beautifully and delicious.
Our favourite was the Oriental Bolognese ($26) which was capellini pasta in an asian-inspired pork ragout sauce. The onsen egg added creaminess to it and the sauce was the standout of the dish. Equally as good was the Find the Chicken in the Chillis ($19) - the the dish doesn't deviate too much from the ubiquitous la zi ji of Chengdu cuisine, except perhaps I wished there were more of the popcorn chicken because after a few morsels I was, true to its name, finding if there were any more chicken in the chillis. The Yu Xiang Eggplant ($17) was mentioned in several reviews, but personally I thought it was just average, with the eggplant being small in portion and slightly too mushy in texture. The mozzarella balls and spring onion 'biscuits' also didn't really add to the dish. Overall felt that this dish was a bit of a mess. We washed all the food down with a glass of Bird's Rebujito ($18) which was refreshing.
Overall, the food had some hits and misses but I think the vibes and service made up for it. Would return to try their Sharing Menu for Two.
Someone said this is the best dessert she's had in her life. While that isn't the case for me, I have to say this ranks right up there
Most of the components were unique. From the peanut brittle, to the peanut ice cream(I believe there's some secret ingredient, I tasted ginger but the service said I was wrong), and the godly charcoal mochi. The mochi is not super chewy, forms crumb like structures and is loosely packed with a soft texture. The charcoal shell also has a distinct taste, on top of being uniquely crunchy.
There's also pomegranate and rice crackers, as well as a touch of savouriness from the sea weed which was brilliant.
Only gripe is that the ice cream melts somewhat quickly(partially due to the hot mochi), otherwise this was a genius masterpiece of flavours, subtlety and temperatures
PSA chope set is just normal lunch set with $4 discount
Food:
Served w a fried rice cracker, with peppercorn snow(which is rlly rlly fragrant, it's brilliant, plus it doesn't melt easily in the soup)
They will ask to help you pour. Please politely reject them, there's way too much broth and it's way too hot, it turns into just soup instead of chazuke.
I like how their sourness and heat are unabashed, very very unexpected for a somewhat atas place. The numbness only comes from the snow as mentioned above, there wasn't too much numbness in the broth originally
The barramundi is abit confusing for me. If it's meant to be eaten separately, then what's the point of serving it on a chazuke? But if it's meant to be eaten w the chazuke, the almost deep fried skin turns soggy and rubbery when it meets the broth. The skin doesn't fit a chazuke at all
Overall innovation is there but execution for the main piece, the barramundi, leaves much to be desired
Foam was slightly herbal, the pork dumpling was meaty and the chili oil was well spiced, this is why they're good. A lot of these fusion places cut back on the spices. Theirs is toned down but the essence is not lost at all
The almonds and raisins added texture and sweetness too. The skin has a little bit of the al dente texture, that's rlly their own innovation cos it's not entirely Chinese but not entirely pasta either
Pretty good, much better than expected
^thats the name of the dish because be prepared to really hunt for the chicken pieces! That said, at $19, I think the portion is okay. I would have appreciated if there was more chicken just because of how good it was. The chicken is fried perfectly. It’s crispy, tender, not oily, and leaves a slight tingly numbing feeling in your mouth from the mala spices. It’s only a little so non-spicy eaters would be able to try this as well - just avoid the chillies!
Burratine & Tomato ($26):
Something about burratine paired with sichuan sesame dressing just didn’t work for me. The dressing was overpowering and just an odd combination. Birds of a Feather has done really well with their fusion concept for other dishes but this was a miss!
Pork dumplings with Sichuan dressing, sage foam, butternut purée, almond bits, and fried sage ($17):
You can literally taste everything at once if you scoop up everything and put the whole dumpling in your mouth with all the sauce. It’s juicy, salty, spicy, sweet, sour… I could go on and on. So many flavours and textures happening together like a symphony! Best dumpling I’ve had.
This is a delicate and refreshing dessert.
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And with good reason, the blend of gelatinous ice jelly / aiyu jelly, juicy osmanthus flower poached pear, juicy marinated kumquat, wobbly white fungus, crisp marinated cucumber, and crumbly pistachio soil, is delicious.
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You get a complex but soulful layer of fruity vegetal floral sweet tangy sour earthy herbal nutty flavours, yum.
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A treat for the senses, so delightful.
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Birds Of A Feather
More details:
https://ivanteh-runningman.blogspot.com/2022/12/birds-of-feather-2022.html
This visually impressive plate features juicy pan-seared dumplings filled with minced pork, on a bed of creamy smooth butternut squash puree, surrounded by sage foam and fried sage leaves, dressed with almonds and Sichuan chili oil and spices.
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The pork dumplings yield gently to a bite, releasing a beautiful meaty savoury salty spice flavour.
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Then you get the layered taste profile of the other ingredients, being vegetal earthy sweet herbal spice nutty in flavour. Yum.
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Birds Of A Feather
More details:
https://ivanteh-runningman.blogspot.com/2022/12/birds-of-feather-2022.html
This premium beverage is a riff on that iconic Mandopop rock song "One Night In Beijing" by Xin Yue Tuan (Shin), with equal parts punchy and flowery, just like the song.
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A blend of either Lang Jiu baijiu or Mou Tai baijiu, with tanqueray gin, egg white, yuzu, peppermint, and lemon, this has a distinctive sea green blue colour, with strong boozy floral tangy sour sweet fruity flavour.
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Pleasant yet robust, I loved this tipple.
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Birds Of A Feather
More details:
https://ivanteh-runningman.blogspot.com/2022/12/birds-of-feather-2022.html
This features a nice medium sized whole European sea bass fish, expertly filleted and butterflied down the middle, the bones completely removed to expose the delicate, moist, succulent fish meat with clean sweet savoury flavours.
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Sliced celtuce, crunchy with vegetal sweet herbal notes, is overlaid like a blanket.
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The juicy Joyn tomatoes, dressed in a sweet vinegar and garnished with shaved almonds, burst with a sharp vegetal sweet sour nutty flavour.
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Completed with Denise pesto, a house-made special pesto sauce courtesy of Chef Denise Ang, where instead of basil leaves, she uses carrot tops as the primary ingredient, giving the sauce a more pleasant mild vegetal sweet herbal flavour.
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Goes great with the sea bass fish.
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Birds Of A Feather
More details:
https://ivanteh-runningman.blogspot.com/2022/12/birds-of-feather-2022.html
This features a blend of Irish whisky, aomori apple, cinnamon, and moonshine apple pie.
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Served warm, with a golden colour that resembles apple juice.
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Naturally, it has an enticing fruity sweet spice earthy boozy flavour, feels like an apple pie dessert for adults.
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Birds Of A Feather
More details:
https://ivanteh-runningman.blogspot.com/2022/12/birds-of-feather-2022.html
Now at version 3, this latest version features a classic hearty Sichuan / Szechuan stew of pickled mustard greens, garlic, ginger, peppercorns, spring onions, and Japanese white rice, in a warm fish soup / broth.
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The ingredients are soft and tender while the soup / broth carries robust grainy sweet savoury sour salty earthy spice flavours.
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The medium large slab of pan-fried barramundi fish fillet sits on top, with a garnish of juicy ikura / salmon fish roe that bursts with briny salty flavour.
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The barramundi fish is tender flaky moist, with a smoky sweet savoury flavour that is nicely enticing.
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The bubbling stew looks so appetizing when served, and the crisp rice wafer gradually dissolves within.
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Birds Of A Feather
More details:
https://ivanteh-runningman.blogspot.com/2022/12/birds-of-feather-2022.html
Also known as Laziji / Spicy Firecracker Chicken / Mala Chicken, this features marinated then deep-fried pieces of chicken.
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Tossed with dried Sichuan chilli pepper, spicy bean paste, Sichuan mala peppercorn, garlic, ginger, leeks, spring onions, and white sesame seeds.
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Each satisfying bite of the moist tender chicken releases a bold savoury salty spicy flavour, tingling the palate and piquing the appetite.
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A garnish of crisp fried kale with vegetal sweet flavour lends a twist to complete.
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Birds Of A Feather
More details:
https://ivanteh-runningman.blogspot.com/2022/12/birds-of-feather-2022.html
Named for the distinct knocking sound when you eat this.
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This features a base of crisp vinegared cucumber strips, crunchy pickled mustard greens, and tender cold chicken marinated with Sichuan spices.
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A firm crushed peanut coaster sits on top; crack through it with several knocks to reveal the ingredients beneath.
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When eaten together, the ingredients have a layered vegetal tangy sour salty sweet savoury spicy nutty flavour, without much chili heat.
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A playful, whimsical appetizer to jog the appetite and open the palate.
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Birds Of A Feather
More details:
https://ivanteh-runningman.blogspot.com/2022/12/birds-of-feather-2022.html
$20 | assorted vegetables, lotus roots, golden mushroom, cauliflower, quail egg, chicken, glass noodles
Dipped in Sze Chuan soup - it’s alright, I love the quail egg the most
