The gourmet scene in Singapore is indeed brewing with much excitement. James Beard nominated and award-winning Yardbird Southern Table and Bar, operating under the name, The Bird Southern Table and Bar has finally come to our shores. This new swanky restaurant brings U.S. Southern comfort cuisine to Singapore in its first Asian venture.
Well-known in the United States for its culinary excellence, there is certainly a high expectation for The Bird. Helmed by John Kunkel, the founder and CEO of 50 eggs Inc., The Bird is now taking off in Singapore with their warm Southern hospitality and farm-fresh ingredients.
The atmosphere here is indeed very different here from other restaurants. It feels like you’re right in Texas where everyone greets you with a warm welcoming smile. Nevermind about the food, I felt comfortable being just here with their friendly and approachable staff. Good service makes a huge difference.
I was here at The Bird a few days back to try out some of their classic Southern dishes like Chicken ‘n’ Watermelon ‘n’ Waffles, Lewellyn’s Fine Fried Chicken, Buttermilk Biscuits and Butter Lettuce and Grilled Mango salad. These farm-to-table dishes are quite rustic and they come in generous-sized portions.
This 190-seater two-storey restaurant also has a semi-private dining area with two large communal tables that are great for families or large gatherings.
Its interior has a modern-rustic design with industrial touches. I love the accents of the reclaimed wood and their use of recycled machinery parts, Whiskey bottles and mason jars as decorations to the restaurant a homely feel. They also incorporated additional greenery and live plants unique to the cultural roots of the Singapore garden.
Fried Green Tomato B.L.T
It’s a pleasant savoury bite of house-smoked pork belly, pimento cheese, smoky tomato jam, frisée pickled lemon vinaigrette. This makes a great appetizer and I love how the smoky pork flavour complements with the smoky tomato jam.
Deviled Eggs
This egg mountain, like poached eggs, where you can’t bear to devour destroy and devour it at one go. The dill, chives and smoke tout roe gave that egg an expensive taste. Otherwise, it would just be plain eggs to me. Nothing too impressive but I appreciate the effort that goes into creating stuffed eggs with herbs.
Macaroni Cheese
This old-time American favourite dish, made with Torchio pasta, five artisanal types of cheese and crispy herb crust, will bring back nostalgic memories for any Americans. It’s best eaten when it is still warm. I would prefer the Fried Green Tomato BLT over their Macaroni Cheese. I read that their skillet cornbread is pretty good too.
Butter Lettuce and Grilled Mango Salad
It’s a beautiful medley of fresh char-grilled mango, smoked pecans, red onions, tomatoes and benne seed vinaigrette. The salad portion is good for sharing and I love the crunchy butter lettuce. Some restaurants are stingy with their greens but not for The Bird.
Chicken ‘N’ Watermelon ‘N’ Waffles
A signature must-try dish over at The Bird which is served with honey hot sauce, chilled spiced watermelon, Vermont sharp cheddar cheese waffle and bourbon maple syrup. The chicken they used is not treated with hormones or dyes. Before coating the chicken pieces with spices and flour, the chicken undergoes a 27-hour brining process. This brining process keeps the meat tender and moist.
I have to say that the highlight of this dish for me is not so much of the chicken but the crispy savoury waffles that have herbs and cheese bits in it. It goes really well with the chicken. These waffles are made for the grown-ups and the bourbon maple syrup gives it an exquisite taste.
To balance out all that savouriness, there are refreshing spiced watermelon chunks helps to wash down your palate.
Do note that this dish is recommended for sharing because the 4 pieces of chicken and waffles are huge. It’s great to share about 2 to 4 people.
For desserts, we tried their Café crème brûlée that comes with almond orange biscotti and orange gremolata. I have to say that the desserts here are very rich and creamy. Thus, I would really recommend sharing it or pair it with some coffee or tea to balance out the sweetness in your mouth. The coffee in the crème brûlée goes really well with the orange gremolata and it is an interesting take on this Italian dessert.
The banana pudding had rum soaked banana cake with chantilly cream, fresh banana slices and vanilla wafers. This dessert didn’t work quite well for us as the banana cake has a strong artificial banana flavouring. We wished they have included more banana chunks to more texture and natural flavours to it.
The welcoming vibe here is indeed very inviting and I wouldn’t mind coming back for some drinks and to enjoy the scenic view of the waterfront promenade from The Bird.
The Bird Southern Table & Bar
B1-07 (Galleria Level) and L1-82 (Bay Level)
The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands
2 Bayfront Avenue
Singapore 018972
Opening Hours
Open from 11 am to 11 pm daily
Lunch: 11 am to 4 pm
Dinner: 4 pm to 11 pm
Signature Weekend Brunch: 10 am to 4 pm
To make a reservation, call 6688 9959 or email: TheBirdReservations@MarinayBaySands.com
For more information, visit http://www.marinabaysands.com/restaurants/american/the-bird-southern-table-and-bar.html
