birdie num num bar, kembangan.
it was their name that caught my attention at first. walked past a few times but they were always closed (operating hours are from three onwards), sadly ruling it out for lunch. but i was eventually motivated to head there for dinner after reading several positive instagram reviews (i'm a sucker for underrated, hidden finds).
out of the three starters they had available, we got two- foie gras and pan-seared scallops, both $7.90.
the foie gras was on top of a caramelised slice of apple. i loved the tangy sweetness of the caramelised apple (thought it was pear at first, then re-read the menu) paired with the richness of the foie gras. couldn't really discern the grape puree, probably because of how strong the flavours were already. also would've liked a fatter piece of foie gras, but then i'm probably asking for too much, given that it's only $7.90.
X didn't quite take to the foie gras, and much preferred the pan-seared scallops. the scallops came perfectly cooked- golden brown, as the menu promised, on top of cauliflower puree. also came with caviar, but i found the caviar to be unnecessary, since it didn't add too much to the dish. but okay, i'm probably just nitpicking here.
our mains came shortly after (in fact, even before we've finished taking photos of our starters). X got the pan-seared salmon while i chose the miso cod, both $15.90.
the pan-seared salmon was certainly generous in portion- a huge slab of salmon, with a golden, crackly skin, over a bed of creamy mashed potatoes and salad on the side. X found the salmon to be slightly overcooked, but the end that i tried was alright. she loved the mashed potatoes though! it had a dominating flavour that was familiar, but we couldn't seem to really place it. i thought it was bacon, while X guessed truffle. whatever it was, the mash was delicious.
my miso cod came with two pieces of perfectly cooked cod, marinated in miso, making it sweet and salty at the same time- yum! it was served on top of creamy risotto, with greens on the side. quite liked the combination, though i found quite a few bones in my cod. aside from that hiccup, it was really pretty good. and for $15.90!!!
what i didn't understand, though, was the need to have squiggles of sticky, black balsamic sauce on top of all the dishes. i found it superfluous, given that the taste of the dishes were on the strong side to begin with, so adding the sauce wouldn't have made much of a difference taste-wise. X liked the black balsamic though, and was scraping it off the plate to go with her mash.
it was a sunday night when we went, but the place was pretty quiet. a good place for a quiet, relaxing dinner, away from the bustle of more central restaurants. they serve up honest, unpretentious food; reasonably priced to boot (prices are nett!). highly recommended.
birdie num num bar
54 jalan kembangan
https://www.facebook.com/birdienumnumbar
