Birds Of A Feather 2024
115 Amoy Street #01-01
https://www.birdsofafeather.com.sg/
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| Find The Chicken In The Chillies (SGD $19) |
Excellent Modern Sichuan Dishes, Always
(Ratings: On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 = Worst and 10 = Best)
Overall: 9
Ambience & Setting: 9
Food & Beverage: 9
Service: 9
Value for Money: 9
Spent about SGD $54 per person.
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Established since April 2016, Birds Of A Feather has garnered acclaim for their unique modern contemporary take on Chinese Sichuan cuisine. No in-your-face fiery burning sensations here, instead, their dishes elevate the bold flavours of the cuisine to an elegant art form. Coupled with the refined service and comfortable ambience, Birds Of A Feather is great for long lingering meals throughout the day.
Ambience at Birds Of A Feather is comfortable, eclectic, and plush. The warmly spotlit place has a black tiled floor, offset by ample natural light from the sun roofs, and faux greenery lending a lush feel. Wide and sturdy wooden tables along the walls are flanked by large sofas, great for groups. Hand-crafted art and copper pipes exude an industrial chic vibe, while a wall of decorative light bulbs next to the glass-walled kitchen emits a soft attractive glow. A long bar, stocked with all manner of bottles, completes the look.
Service at Birds Of A Feather befits a fine dining establishment (though it's not). Staff are immaculately dressed, according guests personalised attention when speaking. They demonstrate good product knowledge, able to describe components of dishes. I note they clean up tables quickly when diners leave, and also offer to clear finished plates throughout the meal. While you may have to sometimes request for a change of plates / cutlery, requests are fulfilled expeditiously. Staff also have a professional bearing, and make you feel welcome.
Food at Birds Of A Feather is Modern Chinese Sichuan cuisine. Think elements of that familiar spicy flavours, but elevated and refined for the discerning. Never too punchy or painful on the palate, each dish is masterfully crafted with fresh ingredients by Chef Eugene See and his kitchen team. Bold yet balanced in flavour, each plate is also a visual work of art, carefully plated to showcase the ingredients. Portions are medium to large size for individuals, but can also be shared. Prices naturally reflect the excellent standards, budget about SGD $54 per person.
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The Latte (SGD $7) is warm and comforting, with a robust medium body that carries toasty milky earthy sweet flavour. The foam head is medium thin. Good!
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| Latte (SGD $7) |
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| Latte |
The Crab And Avocado Bruschetta (SGD $18) is a little morsel of luxury. A base of fluffy soft toasted brioche bread is topped with a chunky moist tartare made from deshelled crab meat, avocado guacamole, and Sichuan spices. Garnished with crunchy pomegranate seeds, crisp green apple slices, juicy sturgeon fish caviar, and edible flowers. Bite in and you get the lovely smoky bready sweet vegetal earthy salty briny savoury fruity floral flavour. Highly recommended!
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| Crab And Avocado Bruschetta (SGD $18) |
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| Crab And Avocado Bruschetta |
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| Crab And Avocado Bruschetta |
The Find The Chicken In The Chillies (SGD $19), also known as Laziji / Spicy Firecracker Chicken / Mala Chicken, features marinated then deep-fried pieces of boneless chicken chunks, tossed with dried Sichuan chilli pepper, spicy bean paste, Sichuan mala peppercorn, garlic, ginger, leeks, spring onions, and white sesame seeds. Each satisfying bite of the crispy tender chicken releases a bold savoury salty spicy flavour, tingling the palate and piquing the appetite. Yummy and addictive, among the best renditions I've had. Highly recommended!
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| Find The Chicken In The Chillies (SGD $19) |
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| Find The Chicken In The Chillies |
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| Find The Chicken In The Chillies |
The Barramundi Chazuke (SGD $36) is now on its 4th revision. This latest version features a classic hearty Sichuan / Szechuan stew of pickled mustard greens, garlic, ginger, peppercorns, leeks, spring onions, and Japanese white rice, in a warm fish bone soup / broth that has been stewed for hours. The ingredients are soft and tender while the soup / broth carries robust grainy sweet savoury sour salty earthy spice flavours. 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. The boneless barramundi fish fillet is tender flaky moist, with a smoky sweet savoury flavour that is nicely enticing. The bubbling stew looks so appetizing when served, and the crisp rice wafer gradually dissolves within. Highly recommended!
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| Barramundi Chazuke (SGD $36) |
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| Barramundi Chazuke |
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| Barramundi Chazuke |
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| Barramundi Chazuke |
Chef Eugene See informed us that the Charred Marinated Octopus (SGD $32) would soon be removed from the menu, as the season was ending. This features a whole octopus leg, perfectly grilled then marinated in Sichuan pickled green chili salsa, sun-dried joyn tomato, feta cheese, and baby arugula / rocket leaves. Paired with toasted charcoal pita bread and spring onions, you mix everything together and stack it within the bun. This has soft springy juicy crisp textures, with lovely bready earthy savoury sweet vegetal herbal sour flavour. Good!
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| Charred Marinated Octopus (SGD $32) |
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| Charred Marinated Octopus |
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| Charred Marinated Octopus |
The Oxtail Mapo Tofu (SGD $38) was delicious, hearty, and filling. Served in a hefty stone bowl (which keeps it warm), the large bone-in braised oxtail has meat and tendon which just falls off the bone. Together with the rich mapo tofu (with tender minced beef and soft silken tofu bean curd) and its garnish of crisp spring onions and crunchy white sesame seeds, this carries rich meaty grainy savoury salty sweet spice vegetal nutty flavour. Accompanied by a bowl of soft fluffy moist steamed white rice dressed with crunchy black sesame seeds, carrying grainy sweet nutty flavour. Highly recommended!
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| Oxtail Mapo Tofu (SGD $38) |
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| Oxtail Mapo Tofu |
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| Oxtail Mapo Tofu |
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| Oxtail Mapo Tofu |
The Winter Melon Tea Ice Jelly (SGD $16) is a novel modern dessert creation. This features soft juicy compressed winter melon chunks, wobbly gelatinous winter melon tea infused ice jelly / aiyu jelly, chewy dried longan and goji berry / wolfberry meringue, and a rich compote of winter melon and dried longan, dressed with edible flowers. This carries a lovely aroma, with distinct fruity earthy herbal sweet floral candied flavour. Good!
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| Winter Melon Tea Ice Jelly (SGD $16) |
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| Winter Melon Tea Ice Jelly |
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| Winter Melon Tea Ice Jelly |
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Aug-2024: Returned to Birds Of A Feather just 3 months later to sample their refreshed menu. Thank you Chef Eugene See for having us!
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| Appetizers Flat Lay |
The Ume Tomato (SGD $14) is a refreshing palate-cleansing morsel, featuring ume plum juice marinated honey cherry tomatoes sourced from Looye Kwekers, juicy and soft and skinless, garnished with tender ume plum flesh, grainy ume plum infused crushed ice, wobbly sour jelly, and crisp salicornia / asparagus of the sea. All this combines for a refreshing sour zesty tangy vegetal earthy sweet fruity minty flavour. Highly recommended!
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| Ume Tomato (SGD $14) |
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| Ume Tomato |
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| Ume Tomato |
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| Ume Tomato |
The Ceviche (SGD $21) is intentionally made with fresh European sea bass fish, diced then marinated with 'Oriental Tiger's Milk', a blend of lime or lemon juice, fish stock, salt, chili oil, Sichuan mala peppercorn, and garlic. This has a bouncy chewy texture, with zingy acidity and a burst of sour sweet spice flavour. Garnished with citrus pearls, celtuce, cherry tomatoes, and chopped chili salsa, which lends additional vegetal sweet spice sour zesty tangy flavour, and juicy crunchy textures. Good!
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| Ceviche (SGD $21) |
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| Ceviche |
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| Ceviche |
The Pork Dumpling (SGD $18) features juicy tender pan-seared minced pork dumplings, served with chili oil and creamy butternut squash puree, bursting with smoky meaty savoury sweet buttery spice flavour. Now served with crisp fried sage leaves and crunchy almond lavosh, lending vegetal herbal nutty bready savoury sweet flavour, a nice pairing that's enjoyable. Good!
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| Pork Dumpling (SGD $18) |
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| Pork Dumpling |
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| Pork Dumpling |
The Spinach & Mushroom (SGD $17) is an interesting salad of crisp spinach, crunchy pine nuts, bouncy tea tree mushrooms, tender smoked bamboo shoots, and crisp rye bread croutons, coated in a rich fermented soy bean sabayon glaze. This carries robust smoky vegetal earthy salty savoury nutty flavour, very addictive, and several of us picked this as our favourite dish. Highly recommended!
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| Spinach & Mushroom (SGD $17) |
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| Spinach & Mushroom |
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| Spinach & Mushroom |
The Yu Xiang Eggplant Soba (SGD $18) is an improvement over prior renditions. The crunchy julienned vegetables (bell peppers / capsicum, carrots, celtuce) and soft soba / buckwheat noodles have to be mixed together for grainy vegetal sweet savoury sour flavour. The caramelised Japanese eggplant in Yu Xiang sauce is tender soft with smoky vegetal earthy savoury salty sour sweet spice flavour, yum. Good!
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| Yu Xiang Eggplant Soba (SGD $18) |
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| Yu Xiang Eggplant Soba |
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| Yu Xiang Eggplant Soba |
The Roast Duck Consommé (SGD $28) features an interesting Oriental roast duck consommé soup / broth, flavoured with black trumpet mushroom, cordyceps flower, and braised daikon radish. Elegant in presentation, yet packing a robust herbal savoury sweet earthy flavour. The duck ravioli was tender and juicy in texture, with good meaty savoury sweet salty flavour. Sophisticated and comforting all at once. Highly recommended!
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| Roast Duck Consommé (SGD $28) |
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| Roast Duck Consommé |
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| Roast Duck Consommé |
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| Roast Duck Consommé |
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The Chow Chow Prawn (SGD $43) has wok-fried, partially deshelled, large succulent juicy crunchy tiger prawns, fresh and sweet savoury spice in taste from being tossed in Sichuan / Szechuan spices. The primary dressing is chow chow relish, name resembling the fluffy dog breed, but is actually an American South relish made with green tomatoes, bell peppers / capsicum, red onions, and cabbage, pickled with white vinegar, white sugar, salt, mustard seed, celery seed, and turmeric. The resulting texture is a crunchy juicy fresh relish that bursts with sharp vegetal sour sweet tangy zesty spice flavour. Completed with coriander puree for added vegetal sweet herbal flavour. Complex yet satisfying. Good!
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| Chow Chow Prawn (SGD $43) |
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| Chow Chow Prawn |
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| Chow Chow Prawn |
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| Chow Chow Prawn |
The new presentation of the Barramundi Chazuke (SGD $36) features all the component ingredients displayed clearly in a porcelain bowl, though I do miss the heat-retaining properties of the prior stone bowl. The rice wafer has also been dropped in this rendition. Still features a classic hearty Sichuan / Szechuan stew of pickled mustard greens, garlic, ginger, peppercorns, leeks, spring onions, and Japanese white rice, in a warm fish bone soup / broth that has been stewed for hours. The ingredients are soft and tender while the soup / broth carries robust grainy sweet savoury sour salty earthy spice flavours. 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. The boneless barramundi fish fillet is tender flaky moist, with a smoky sweet savoury flavour that is nicely enticing. The bubbling stew looks so appetizing when served. Highly recommended!
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| Barramundi Chazuke (SGD $36) |
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| Barramundi Chazuke |
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| Barramundi Chazuke |
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| Barramundi Chazuke |
The sharing plate of Loup De Mer (SGD $98 for 600g - 700g) features a whole European sea bass fish, fresh with scales on, spiced and pan-seared till shimmering and crispy. The tender flaky flesh of the sea bass fish and the crispy crunch of the scales are so satisfying, with pleasant fishy meaty savoury salty sweet flavour. The whole fish is served over a bed of tender roasted potatoes with starchy salty sweet earthy flavour, crunchy asparagus with vegetal sweet flavour, tender black trumpet mushroom with vegetal earthy salty savoury flavour, crisp kale leaves with vegetal bitter herbal sweet flavour, and a garnish of Sichuan chopped chilli salsa for a sour spicy kick. The creamy vine pepper beurre blanc sauce completes, lending a smoky milky sweet savoury salty flavour that's addictive. We also picked this among our favourite dishes. Highly recommended!
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| Loup De Mer (SGD $98 for 600g - 700g) |
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| Loup De Mer |
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| Loup De Mer |
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| Loup De Mer |
The Citrus Block (SGD $16) has interesting contrast of tastes and textures. The dessert features juicy soft grapefruit terrine and orange terrine with fruity sour sweet flavour, crispy milk chips and yoghurt with milky sweet flavour, creamy spiced earl grey tea sabayon and sauce with earthy sweet spice flavour, and crunchy popping candy that lends a fizzing popping texture and candied sweet flavour. Nicely refreshing. Good!
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| Citrus Block (SGD $16) |
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| Citrus Block |
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| Citrus Block |
The Jujube & Strawberry (SGD $17) features a soft crumbly jujube cake with buttery sweet fruity flavour, tender dried and fresh strawberry slices with fruity sweet flavour, soft red dates with earthy sweet flavour, a thick jujube strawberry compote with fruity sour sweet flavour, a crunchy almond sable with nutty bready sweet flavour, and creamy jujube mascarpone cremeux which contrasted beautifully with fruity cheesy salty savoury sweet flavour. Good!
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| Jujube & Strawberry (SGD $17) |
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| Jujube & Strawberry |
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| Jujube & Strawberry |
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CONVERSATION