Birds of a Feather, Spicier and Better

I've been a fan of Birds of A Feather since they opened because they provide the unique offering of contemporary Western cuisine with Sichuan influence, but you know, we Singaporeans can definitely do with more spice. So after several sojourns to Chengdu in the last year, Head Chef Eugene See has created a new menu with original creations of authentic Sichuan flavours.

I was sold on the Charcoal Grilled Pork Bits ($15), a dish derived from the roadside barbecue pork belly skewers. A garlicky-spicy Duroc pork belly was crunchy and numbingly spicy but so perfect that i could have this all night with a cold cider (because not a beer fan). There are other crunchy bits like crispy rice crackers, crunchy Japanese sweet potato, and smashed baby potatoes.

The Baked Eggplant ($14) is also love because 鱼香茄子! The sauce made in-house by frying garlic, ginger, soy sauce, doubanjiang, pickled chilli and black vinegar. Chef layers the yuxiang-seasoned Japanese nasu with mozzarella, grills it to perfection, before serving the dish with fingers of fried mantou. The brioche-like pillowy fried sticks were perfect with the sauce! In fact i was craving this so much that i made a version of this at home. 

Origin Grill Vintage Sunday Brunch

Brunch with style at Origin Grill's new Sunday Vintage Brunch which places a focus on a selection of vintage wines for the ultimate epicurean experience. Why? Because champagne brunches are so over. Adding to the romance and nostalgia is the sunlit grand railway decor that welcomes you as you embark on this gastronomic journey.

The dining experience commences with Chef de Cuisine Heidi Flanagan’s signature appetisers – Yummy Toast, Cured House Salmon, San Daniele Prosciutto, Flaky Pastry, Doughnut Time, Charred Asparagus and Origin Salad – at unlimited servings. Go easy with this, we ordered almost everything and struggled with the lot. Strategy- go with a big group of friends so that you can sample a bite of each and not let all that glorious food go to waste.   

I'm a huge fan of that Yummy Toast, which has a creamy sweet pumpkin slathered over it, sweetened by a floral wild honey, balanced with a touch of tart goat's cheese and given some crunchiness with the pistachio. Perfect little bites these are! The grilled asparagus with gorgonzola sauce, prosciutto and house-cured salmon are standard fare done well and they paved way for the main event.

We started off with some NV Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label Brut Champagne, and then moved on to their Vintage wines selection, a dry 2007 Domaine Trimbach Cuvée Frédéric Emile Alsace Riesling. I thought the petrol aroma was rather jarring but it was a lot better after the wine opens up. I much preferred the Tempranillo 2004 Bodegas López de Heredia, a Viña Tondonia Reserva.

Pick a main course of your choice with grilled mains or breakfast staples like eggs, which i would advise you to skip because what's a meal at Orgin Grill if you don't have one of their grilled dishes!
Steak lovers will Rangers Valley Striploin with Blue Cheese Butter, or the 35-days Aged John Stone Striploin. We had the striploin and it was very flavorful on its own!

What was even more gratifying was the Iberico Pork Chop which was absolutely the juiciest beast on a plate. This is the defining pork chop of my life and i thought it was even better than the steak. I enjoyed the hint of mustard along with the char.

If i have to give up red meat, i'd choose to have this Grilled Sea Bass Fillet for the rest of my life. 

treat yourself to the lavish spread of gratifying pastries, cakes and cheeses that changes weekly, and the live crepe station; as you end the brunch high- spirited with cocktails from the trolley. 

Sunday Vintage Brunch is available every Sunday from 12.00 pm to 3.00 pm; priced at $108++ for food & non-alcoholic drinks, $168++ for food, unlimited wines & cocktails, and $208++ for food, unlimited wines, cocktails & vintage wine pouring. 

Desserts- The Snickers Peanut Bar was more Mars Bar than Snickers imo. Well i can't fault the chocolate caramel but it was missing some peanuts i think. Nevertheless, that's my pick from the dessert section. The Matcha Lemon Cremeux Verrine was creamy but delightfully refreshing with a hint of matcha. The chocolate cone was great too but the rest of the desserts were rather plain. Fresh crepes are also served on demand. 

Lobby Level, Tower Wing, Shangri-La Hotel, Singapore 22 Orange Grove Road, Singapore 258350 

Opening Hours:

Lunch: 12noon – 2:30pm (grill) Dinner: 6pm – 10:30pm (grill)

Tel: (65) 6213 4398

Yàn August 2018 Dimsum Special

More National Day specials this August! How about a local inspired dim sum? Check out the array of bite-sized dishes specially crafted by Yàn Executive Chinese Chef Lai Chi Sum and his dim sum chef, inspired by our favorite local dishes available during lunch hours from 12 - 2.30pm from now till the end of the month. 

One of my favorite bite out of the special six is the Steamed Xiao Long Bao in Laksa Stock (4 pieces $5.80). Each soup parcel contains vibrant notes of shrimp in a sweet and fragrant laksa broth.  Instead of a rich coconut milk, coconut oil is used for the same aroma. I thought that this version is a lot better than the typical chili crab ones.

Le Binchotan National Day Supper

Happy birthday Singapore! It's been a while since i'm celebrating it from our sunny island and a first from our new home. Looking forward to the fireworks from our terrace later! :) Now if only i can get Chef Jeremmy Chiam's supper special at Le Binchotan delivered to my place, that would be perfect celebration! 

From now till end August, dig into some specials at this French-Japanese restaurant, like this elevated local Hokkien Mee ($17).

The broth is based off the stock for French seafood bisques, which is even more painstaking to cook than our local version. At least 2kg of fresh prawns, 2kg of prawn shells, and 2kg of lobster shells are roasted together with mirepoix, then sauteed over high heat with a dash of tomato paste. This is then simmered with water, bacon, dried japanese scallop, soy bean and pork belly for at least 10hrs. The resulting broth is then used to cook yellow wheat noodles and white rice vermicelli. And of my.. the flavors.. May i say its the best Hokkien mee in town? 

Skirt, W Singapore- Sentosa Cove

Skirt is raising the steaks and is now more than what you'd expect of a regular steakhouse. Using the season's best produce, Skirt is now serving a new menu of modern European cuisine with a distinct Asian overtone.

To prove that it's not just a steakhouse, the first appetizer we had was a Sri Lankan Crab and Caviar with Shellfish bisque and Lemongrass ($32). The cold sweet crab contrasted with the warm umami bisque, which reminds me very much of Thai food, probably due to the aromatics used in the dish. 

Another Asian tasting appetizer was the Marinated Raw Beef with Crispy Rice and Chipotle dressing ($28) which is only available for lunch (Skirt is now open for lunch on Saturday and they serve a bistro style menu). If you like your pungent onion, this spiced beef dish will hit the spot. Me.. well i'm more of a regular beef tartare girl. 

There are other slight twists to the typical steakhouse appetizers, like the Oven Roasted Bone Marrow ($45) which was stuffed with escargot and Café de Skirt Butter. I'm not a fan of bone marrow since there's absolutely no flavor in them are is always very oily. What worked here is garlic butter that flavors the escargot and the bone marrow at the same time. Fresh sourdough is served with this to help you mop up all that mess. 

Sweetbread vs Sweet Bread. Which will you go for? If you got that mixed up, well, you may think that the sweetbread in the Veal Sweetbread and Foie Gras ($45) is a doughy fried carb. Well, brain and pancreas do have that kind texture. I much preferred the pan seared foie gras which was buttery. The richness of the offals is cut by the tangy red wine jus but the mushrooms kinda soaked up all that oil. Definitely not a dish for the faint-hearted. Literally and figuratively.  

Of course, what's a steakhouse without a proper steak! We had the Chef's special, a Grilled Cape Grim Sirloin with celeriac foam, truffle and artichoke caviar. I had mine medium-rare and it was perfect. A similar cut is the Black Market Sirloin ($82) which is on the menu.

To accompany the meat, i'd definitely order the Baby Beets and Blunts with Labneh ($21) because it's cold and refreshing with a lemony burst. 

Eat your greens! The Broccoli Rabe ($11) was buttery and salty but still provided the dose of fibre.

For carbs, i'm likely to go with the Lobster Mac & Cheese ($19) instead of the layered Duck Fat Potatoes ($15) because who can resist gooey cheese! There are some chunks of lobster that required some poking around to find. Share this with company as it's unlikely one can stomach the whole plate, even though the cheese wasn't that rich.  

Dessert was a surprise to us and despite all that food, we all made space for the Banana and Pistachio Pizza ($18) with vanilla bean ice cream. YES WE EACH HAD ONE. Gosh that thin crispy filo pastry base was amazing and when the ice cream melts on it, it turned a little soft and chewy. Plus the pistachio fragrance was amazing.

Some hits and misses at Skirt but the steaks are still great, and there are alternatives for non cow-eating creatures, and boy you MUST have their desserts.

Skirt

W Singapore - Sentosa Cove 

21 Ocean Way Singapore 098374 

Tel: +65 6808 7278

Daily: 6 - 11.30pm
Sat: 12 - 3pm