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2019-10-21
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Summary: Still packed every night months after its opening, Birdie delivers tasty yakitori that i'm just not sure is worth the price. Good food, solid drinks, and attentive service make for a great celebration venue, but if you're just looking for just some decent yakitori, there are other places. Check it out when (if) the hype dies down.We have been trying to get a booking at Birdie for weeks now, and this time, we succeeded by calling on Monday for a Thursday 8pm spot; i couldn't tell you ano
We have been trying to get a booking at Birdie for weeks now, and this time, we succeeded by calling on Monday for a Thursday 8pm spot; i couldn't tell you another yakitori spot in HK that gets this kind of attention. I get it though; on the top floor of the uber-hip H Code Japanese restaurant/bar complex, its part of the 298 Nikuya family, and is izakaya-food polished to a mirror shine. Cool interior, tight, focused menu, full drinks list, it's built to impress. They're not related, but it actually reminds me a lot of Nojo on the ground floor of H Code; from the lighting to the menu. Service was knowledgeable and attentive, and i liked how they staggered the food a bit rather than rushing everything out like a lot of izakayas do.
We sat around the grill peninsula, so our yakitori should have been as fresh as they make them:
Here's the menu: kushiyaki and side dishes
Drinks menu: pretty reasonably priced i think, and the fresh lemon sours are delicious
Here's what we had:
Deep-Fried Tofu
If you like pure tofu, you'll enjoy this dish, which is nothing more than fried (lightly and beautifully it must be said) tofu. The garnish adds some crispiness and complexity, but not much flavor. No surprises here.Potato Salad
I have probably mentioned how I always order potato salad at izakayas - it's like my shrimp dumpling (har kow) test for Japanese casual eateries. Birdie has an excellent potato salad - diced cucumbers and unmashed potato chunks give it some varied texture, and the onsen egg on top was icing. Seasoning is perfect, and the mayo was not heavy-handed, leaving it chunky but not dry.Chicken Liver Pate
Love how they provide warm, toasted bread along with this pretty great pate. Creamy and rich, but not gamey. Nothing surprising, but If you like pate this is solid.Mixed Yakitori; Clockwise from Top Left
Chicken Soft Bone
Chicken Skin
Chicken Liver
Chicken Gizzard
Chicken Thigh (not pictured)
All average to above-average yakitori, though I wish they gave the option of salt/sauce (shio/tare). We prefer salt in almost every case, and they add to that preference by overdoing it on the sauce in virtually every case. The chicken skin was the one exception, as it was dripping in sauce yet was still crispy and not overwhelmed. The liver was too saucy for me, while the gizzard was perfectly cooked (just salted thank god) and bouncy. I forgot to take a picture of the chicken thigh, but it's a must-order; salted and incredibly juicy, it's what grilled chicken is supposed to taste like.Leeks with Pork / Pancetta with Mozzarella
The pork with leeks were drenched in sauce and a bit chewy, so I'd probably avoid that. However, to my everlasting surprise, the pancetta and cheese really works. It's a firm, dry mozzarella, so even after grillingit retains some bite, providing a foundation for the bacon to work its salty magic. The cheese doesn't ooze away, and while it's not tough, you'll chew through it several times wondering how it's still in one piece. It's a less explosive, less tart version of bacon-wrapped tomatoes. Corn and Tsukune
Both of these soaked in sauce, though they come out okay. The tsukune mixture itself seems to have egg added to it, making it fluffier and less-dense texture than usual chicken meatballs. No raw egg on the side for that reason.Grilled Riceball
Expensive at 40$ but they put a lot of time into grilling it, giving it a wonderful, even crunch all-around. Wrapped with 2 shiso leaves, I'm not sure it's worth the price but it's definitely good.Overall, Birdie isn't bad. Not sure why they feel like bathing yakitori in sauce is a thing, but apart from that, the food is above average. Nothing made me go "wow," but they execute their dishes confidently and with some style. The menu is well thought out, with an interesting variety of both grilled items and appetizers. In terms of pricing, you'll need to order more than you think; we ate a fried chicken sandwich at The Chicken Bar downstairs just before dinner, and we were still barely satisfied after we finished. Our meal came out to 850 for the 2 of us with 1 drink each - I'd imagine for a full meal and 2-3 drinks each, we're talking about 600-700 pp, though you can probably get away with 500 if you're not drinking much. I'm not sure a meal at Birdie is worth that much, and with how hard it is to get a reservation, I rate it as a solid yakitori joint in a city full of solid yakitori joints. Give it a shot if you're a fan of kushiyaki, but maybe when the lines die down... it's not worth the fight.
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