BIRD BIRD

Bird Bird is the newest restaurant of Singapore's bad boy chef, Bjorn Shen.  Fans of his popular Middle Eastern restaurant Artichoke, are in for another cheeky surprise with this casual Thai street food restaurant just like those found in the back streets of Bangkok.  The place is simply but thoughtfully designed with mismatched plastic stools, simple wooden tables, multi-colored soft drinks crates stacked up by the bar and colorfully decorated walls with their cheeky slogan "Bird Bird Satisfy You Long Time" to the stenciled red rooster painted with the line "This is the S#*t".

I went with a group of friends recently and we all had the set lunch menu ($13) which comes with your choice of a main course and a drink: soft drink, Thai soda water or soy milk. If you top up a few dollars more, you can have one of their signature slushies (we had the Thai iced milk tea or Thai milk coffee blended with lots of ice to make a refreshing drink which was sweet enough to combat the spice).

We had the Khao Soi (spicy chicken curry soup topped with fried noodles) and the chili basil minced duck Gra Pow which came with steamed rice and the usual fried egg.  We added a few other dishes to share - the som tum (spicy green papaya salad) and a big plate of their famous Gai Tod (southern-style fried chicken wings with chili jam), the bird-bird from which the restaurant got its' name.  For dessert, six of us shared their homemade ice cream Neh-Neh pops (another of Chef Shen's creations) - we had sneekers (just like a chocolate covered ice cream dipped in crushed pretzels and marshmallows), a cherry cheesecake (cherry flavored ice cream dipped in graham cracker crumbs) and the Thai flavored Mango sticky rice (mango ice cream dipped in white chocolate and rolled in crispy rice).  The food was good, the place was fun, the service was friendly and the price was right - what more can one ask for?  We'll be back for sure.

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Bird Bird

18 Ann Siang Road, #01-01, Singapore 069698

LUNCH
Tuesday - Saturday | 1130am - 230pm

DINNER
Tuesday - Thursday | 630pm - 10pm
Friday & Saturday | 630pm - 11pm

CLOSED ON SUNDAY & MONDAY

Walk-ins only for groups of 5 or less.
Email hello@birdbirdsg.com for reservations for groups of 6 and more. A minimum spend of S$45++/pax is required for all reservations. Your reservation is only confirmed after we've sent you a confirmation reply.

HAWKER CENTERS

2014 ended with a fantastic two-week trip a deux to Paris followed by my sisters' visit over the Christmas and New Year holidays.  2015 started out busy with dinner parties, getting the kids back to school and the the recent Chinese New Year celebrations and just like that, March is almost here. I wanted to get back to posting and I just couldn't write about another restaurant and ignore one of the best reasons for a foodie to love living in Singapore - hawker centers - that unique outdoor food court that locals love and frequent every day.


I've been to several over the years but it was only when we moved here that I was taken to several hawker centers by my friend D (you know who you are) who loves good food and good deal as much as I do.  We meet up about once a month to try out new places or hang out at food centers and do an afternoon of hawker-hopping . Our first trip was to the Zion Riverside Food Center (70 Zion Road), we tried the black carrot cake, which is actually not made with any carrot but with radish, wok-fried then tossed in dark soy sauce and also shared an ice jelly dessert. At another hawker center near Holland Village, we had the  wanton mee topped with char siew (roast pork), wilted greens and a few wantons with a plate of the classic chicken rice along with a fresh-pressed sugarcane and lemon juice.

Another time, we met up at the East Coast Lagoon Food Village (1220 East Coast Parkway, Bedok)  before going to the famous 328 Katong Laksa for spoon laksa  (where the noodles are cut short so you can it just with a spoon) - a large bowl of sinus-clearing prawn broth and coconut milk filled with rice noodles, cockles and prawns and served with a side order of banana-leaf wrapped otak-otak (ground fish meat mixed with tapioca and spices, wrapped in a banana leaf and grilled) was a great lunch.  This was followed by another short drive to the Old Airport Road Food Center - a few blocks of hawker stalls in three separate buildings. There we had a delicious mutton soup - a clear broth with fresh herbs and mutton ribs from Hougang Jin Jia Mutton Soup (1-23) and the best bang for the buck I have ever had at a food court - the $5 fresh prawn noodle soup from Kallang Cantonese Prawn Noodle (1-83) - where the auntie fishes out three large live prawns from an aquarium and drops them into the piping hot prawn broth along with some noodles, fresh herbs and topped with chunks of crispy pork lard which melts into the broth.  I would drive all the way there just for that delicious bowl of soup. We finished our meal with some banana and jackfruit fritters along with a green fruit juice, the name of which escapes me at the moment.

Of course, our family favorite, Newton Hawker Center which we consider our "local", even if we live in Sentosa, is where we usually go when we just want a quick meal and can't be bothered to cook.  Many say that Newton is a rip-off and that it's expensive and tourist-filled but we still enjoy going there and eating at our preferred stalls - perfectly crispy gooey oyster omelets from Hup Kee, grilled pork satay from the uncle at the far end near the washrooms (I don't even know what his stall is called), hokkien mee - slightly soupy stir-fried yellow and white noodles with prawns, chili and herbs, hot and buttery roti to be dipped in the curry sauce or just eaten as is or fluffy garlic or butter naan with grilled prawns and crispy baby squid sotong goreng in the sticky sweet sauce.

Singapore's hawker centers are a great way to experience the local culture through food and even if I've been here for over a year now, I haven't even scratched the surface.  Thank goodness there's lots more to try and loads of new places to eat in.  Here's to more hawker-hopping with family and friends!

ROPPONGI HILLS

My last Tokyo post is all about a whole day in Roppongi Hills, the so-called city within a city of modern skyscrapers, high-end hotels, luxury shops, green spaces, world-class museums, numerous bars and night clubs and lively back streets.

My friend Rumi lived nearby so we decided to meet at the 45th floor lobby of the Ritz-Carlton Tokyo for a quick view of the city stretched out below.  We started our walking tour outside Tokyo Midtown where we walked around the park, over the bridge and the tiny brook and by the manicured green areas dotted with park benches to the concrete bunker 21_21 Design Sight off to one side.

From there, we walked several blocks away to the bustling area around Roppongi Hills where the Mori Art Museum and the Eiffel tower lookalike Tokyo Tower are located.  On the way there, we stopped for a takoyaki snack - Japan's street food.  Takoyaki are deep-fried flour balls made with octopus, tempura scraps, green onion and pickled ginger and topped with bonito flakes and Japanese mayonnaise.  Traditionally eaten as an after work bite along with a highball, a shot of whiskey topped up with ice cold soda water served in a large mug like a beer, Rumi knew that it wasn't the right time to eat the takoyaki but she and I decided we wouldn't be able to wait till sundown.  We split a highball and six takoyaki which were delicious and hit the spot for more wandering around the shopping mall nearby passing by the Mori and admiring Maman, Louise Bourgeois' humongous bronze spider sculpture.  We stopped afterwards at the beautiful terrace of The French Kitchen in the Grand Hyatt for a cold drink and some sunshine before walking back and trying to find a simple place for lunch nearby.

We finally stumbled on a small ramen place on a side street.  A vending machine greeted us at the entrance and Rumi dropped the appropriate coins for two bowls of hot ramen topped with roast pork and a medium boiled egg.  As soon as we sat at the counter, we surrendered our tickets to one of the ramen cooks and waited for our order and enjoyed the rhythm and blues music blasting in the restaurant.  I noticed that the place was packed with Japanese men again and we were the only ladies there (just like the other evening at the yakitori place)  and I asked Rumi why it was that Japanese women weren't often seen eating in traditional Japanese restaurants.  She explained that the ladies preferred more sophisticated Western food for lunch than casual Japanese fare.

The ramen noodle soup came with self-serve pitchers of iced tea and the usual condiments of chili oil and seaweed flakes.  We dug in and slurped like the locals and started to sweat from the hot soup and it was only then that we also noticed that all the men having ramen were eating cold ramen to stay cool on such a hot day.  We started to laugh because it seemed like we were in the sweltering American south listening to John Lee Hoooker while enjoying our hot soup and keeping our hair away from the broth.  We finished our ramen and on our way out, we laughed even harder as we realized there were paper bibs and elastic hair ties on top of the vending machine at the front to hold one's hair back from getting into the soup and cover one's clothes from the splatter.  Another dining culture experience shared with my foodie partner Rumi.

We walked lunch off and returned to Tokyo Midtown where we escaped the heat from the streets for a wander around the mall, looking into the Umami boutique (a shop selling umami flavored everything from crackers to sauces to nuts), Toraya (the traditional Japanese tea cake place) and for a quick espresso at Dean and Deluca.

After that, it was a short walk through Hinokicho park to Rumi's neighborhood in Akasaka where we put our feet up and relaxed before heading out to a Yakiniku (Japanese table barbecue) dinner nearby - again filled with Japanese businessmen.  I don't know how we managed to eat several platters of beef and offal with a large green salad tossed in a sesame dressing.  We were both so full that Rumi insisted we go to the local pharmacy for a tiny bottle of an herbal concoction that Japanese drink the night of food or alcohol excess to avoid indigestion and a hangover.  We downed them right then and there while the pharmacist watched us in amusement.  It didn't taste bad, jut like a shot of herbal liqueur without the alcohol.   It was a fun-filled, food-centered, non-stop walking day which gave me a chance to explore a part of town on foot and enjoy the city quirks with a Tokyo native.

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Tokyo Midtown

Tokyo Midtown Design Hub

Roppongi Hills

Mori Art Museum

National Art Center Tokyo

Suntory Museum of Art

Tokyo Tower

NANO BOX

Dorado just got a food truck a few months ago.  Nanobox Gourmet Bites and Catering is usually parked behind La Hacienda and Walgreens on weekends and is run by Culinary Institute of America-educated chef Nano and his brother.  The menu changes often and has modern Puerto Rican bites served in takeaway boxes.  They have a few appetizers (pa'picar), mains (pa'comer), desserts (pa' endulzar) and sides (por el lao).   I've been there several times and have had the bacalaitos (shrimp fritters), the Asian-inspired carne frita (crispy pork in sweet spicy soy), mampo tacos filled with carne frita and the box burger.  Service is quick and friendly, the food is good and it's fun. 

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Nanobox

Parked behind Walgreens and La Hacienda

Dorado, Puerto Rico

Phone: +1 787 615 9991

* Usually on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from around 2:00 p.m. till late

48 Hours in Beijing: Day 2

On Saturday, we had the whole morning and decided to explore 798 in Dashanzi.  This area of former factories and dilapidated warehouses, including the main Factory 798 which produced electronics, has been transformed into Beijing's trendy art district over the years.  Most of the buildings and warehouses in Dashanzi were designed by the East Germans in the 50's Bauhaus style and Located in the northeast part of the city, towards the international airport, the area has many art galleries and studios, cafes, restaurants, design boutiques, bookstores including a bar situated in the old 798 factory aptly called the Old Factory Bar and anchored by the impressive collection at the UCCA (Uhlens Center for Contemporary Art).

The UCCA was created by Belgian couple, Guy and Myriam Ullens, in November 2007 and is housed in an original 1950's Bauhaus-style brick factory.  Aside from their extensive collection of Chinese contemporary art that the Ullens' own, the UCCA holds exhibitions of other contemporary artists.  On our visit last month, the main hall had a large light structure by Tatsuo Miyajima (until October 8) and a larger art installation by Song Dong (which ended on Sept. 8) reflecting the life in Beijing's traditional Hutongs (courtyard-based residences found in narrow streets and alleys of Beijing), many of which have now been razed to make way for larger, newer developments.

We spent some time at the museum walking through the exhibits then finished our visit with a long look through the stylish UCCA museum store.  There were lots of fun things to be had and we especially liked Sui Janguo's Made in China colorful dinosaur resin scultpures.  In the end, we settled for a poster of Yue Minjun's Great Criticism series to add to our kitchen wall collection.

We walked around 798 and saw the cafes and restaurants start to fill up for lunch with a mix of trendy locals, expat residents and tourists.  On the main square was a large Botero-like sculpture and everywhere else were whimsical street art installations fronting galleries.  For local flavor, there were also several bike-mounted food carts on or around the main square.  We spotted coal roasted sweet potatoes, candied fruit on a stick, assorted fried pastries and a delicious-smelling extra-thin pancake spread with a black sesame paste, sprinkled with herbs and filled with a crunchy cracker which was then folded up into a rectangle piece - a Chinese version of the French crepes.  It was past noon and the day was humid so we wandered around for a bit more before we hopped in a cab to head back to our hotel in the Financial District and spent the rest of the afternoon getting ready for the big museum event that evening.

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798 Art District in Dashanzi

Most galleries are closed on Monday

Map of 798

List of 798 shops & services from Time Out Beijing

UCCA (Ullens Center for Contemporary Art)

Open Tuesday to Sunday from 10:00 - 7:00, Closed on Monday
Free admission on Thursdays

Fast Food

It's the middle of the summer holidays and the kids are bored - what to do?  We've been to the beach almost every day, to the new play area Cubby House in Seminyak, to Ubud on day trips and to the Bali Galleria's Time Zone, eaten lots of ice cream and tried several fast food places.  Here they are.

MM JUICE

I first tried this fast food restaurant at the food court of the Carrefour on Sunset road.  After a morning spent grocery shopping, my son and I spotted the juice sign and decided to have a fresh mango juice which was wonderful.  We were all set to get some takeaway pizza from the PepeNero stand when we noticed that all of the tables in front of MM Juice were full so we sat down and shared a Nasi Goreng special - fried rice with sausage and chicken and topped with a fried egg and served with some achar and melinjo crackers.  It was a surprising find - the food was freshly cooked and delicious and the service quick.

They have another branch at the Bali Galleria which is more like a restaurant with brightly-colored wooden tables in an air-conditioned space.  We had lunch there a few days ago and this time, I ordered the stir-fried beef kway teow (flat rice noodles) which was a large portion of flavorful fried noodles with chunks of beef and egg - a satisfying lunch for such a reasonable price.  Fast and cheap food.

WARUNG BUNANA

Another little spot I've been meaning to try is the stand just at the end of Jalan Danau Poso which we pass often on our way home.  There is a large sign advertising Roti Canai (flat bread) & Teh Tarik (milky tea).  They also have a few other branches around - one of which is in Seminyak.  I finally stopped by the other day and ordered one portion of plain roti which was rolled out, slapped around and cooked to order right in front of me.   I took it home and opened the brown paper package of hot flaky bread which came with the standard curry dip.  Perfect as an afternoon snack and again, another cheap and cheerful place.

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MM Juice

Carrefour Food court on Sunset Road

Bali Galleria Food court area, ground floor

Warung Bunana

At the Sanur bypass just at the end of Jl. Danau Poso

On the Kerobokan road, Seminyak