Latest news with #FirebirdbySuetomi
Business Times
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Business Times
Flaming yakitori at Firebird by Suetomi
NEW RESTAURANT Firebird by Suetomi #01-05 Mondrian Singapore 83 Neil Road Singapore 089813 Tel: 9776 2476 Open for dinner only Tues to Sun: 5 pm to 11 pm THERE are two ways to experience Firebird by Suetomi – as a stickler for Japanese chicken-only yakitori, or one who thinks that so long as it has feathers and thighs, chicken is chicken, no matter where they hatched. Naturally, the second will be happier at this new import of a Tokyo eatery that reputedly has a one-year waitlist. The first will just quibble about the chicken's pedigree, the absence of gentle embers infusing a hint of smokiness into the meat, and the unsubtle bonfire that engulfs tiny skewered morsels and sends pungent fumes through the fibres of your clothing. Imagine a yakitori chef getting retrenched – him and his hibachi replaced by a flame-loving robatakayi guy with Etxebarri ambitions. That sums up Firebird, named for its show-stopping, multi-level wood-burning fireplace that seems like an overly dramatic way to cook chicken on a stick. But that's what made the original Makitori Shinkobe stand out among the other yakitori joints in Tokyo, and now in Singapore, where the admission price of this show is a cool S$188 for its chicken omakase. A NEWSLETTER FOR YOU Friday, 2 pm Lifestyle Our picks of the latest dining, travel and leisure options to treat yourself. Sign Up Sign Up Check tradition at the door and just go with the flow at this cosy, fire-facing counter set up at the Mondrian, where Firebird takes over the space vacated by the short-lived Spanish restaurant Noa by Olivia. Try not to get seated in the corner on the left, or you'll spend the evening dodging servers constantly passing you to get into the kitchen. Grilled chicken thigh. PHOTO: FIREBIRD BY SUETOMI The menu is straightforward – different parts of chicken fired up by affable chefs and served, alternating with side dishes to break the monotony. After a little bowl of chicken consomme, we get our first skewer of chicken thigh – juicy and well cooked on the outside but still a little red inside, thanks to uneven flame cooking. The Polish oak used for the fire does its magic on the little box of cold water spinach that comes next – with an intense smokiness that can't get any better if you wrapped up the burning wood chips and inhaled it. There's also a cold corn mousse topped with clear jelly to cool you off. Very sweet corn kernels are there for texture. A juicy skewer of chicken neck or seseri. PHOTO: FIREBIRD BY SUETOMI Chicken neck is one of the highlights, with much of the oil released and leaving some crisp fat and marbled meat that's bouncy with a good bite. It's followed up by smooth chawanmushi, topped with fresh sakura ebi and crunchy green beans. Chicken breast with harissa or spicy red-pepper relish. PHOTO: FIREBIRD BY SUETOMI The rest of it is fairly predictable – dryish breast meat topped with a red pepper relish and chicken thigh again, but topped with leeks. This time it's overcooked and dry. Anything with fat and skin works best, like crispy-skinned chicken wings, as well as offal-like chunky-chewy hearts. Chawanmushi with sakura ebi. PHOTO: FIREBIRD BY SUETOMI The chicken itself doesn't have much flavour to speak of, and it's not Firebird's fault. Unlike in Japan, where chickens can taste different from prefecture to prefecture, here it's like chicken you eat at home – just more professionally cooked. You can't help thinking that those French-breed, Malaysian-raised chickens may be good when they're brined and roasted, but they don't stand up to scrutiny, especially when the focus is on pure, clean flavour. Plus at S$188, it's pretty pricey for just, well, chicken. Claypot rice with marinated egg yolk. PHOTO: FIREBIRD BY SUETOMI While the yakitori itself doesn't spark joy, the main dish – claypot rice – does. Chicken mince is wok-fried over the flames and mixed with rice cooked in a donabe. Try it on its own first, and enjoy the savoury smokiness. We prefer it this way, but the chefs ply you with other condiments to jazz it up. First, there's a ginger sauce that gives it a Hainanese chicken rice vibe. To make it even more elaborate, the rice gets a shower of crispy tempura batter-like bits, and a marinated egg yolk to mix into the rice for a creamy, velvety sheen. Try not to polish it all off so that they can shape the leftovers into onigiri for you to bring home. To end off, dive into a scoop of cherrywood-smoked vanilla ice cream, paired with cold lapsang souchong tea. Firebird by Suetomi is visually fun and has novelty on its side, but it doesn't really lift the yakitori experience per se. The chefs do what they can with the quality of the meat they can get – although their skill at achieving super-crisp chicken skin is the true X-factor. If that's the reason for the year-long waitlist in Tokyo, coupled with their homegrown poultry, we can understand. Here, it helps, but it will take more than that for us to join any waitlist. Rating: 6
Business Times
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Business Times
Chasing beauty
Lasers, thermage, microneedling – you name it and there's an aesthetics clinic in town that offers it, and even more treatments that promise to restore your skin back to its youthful elasticity. But the pursuit of beauty isn't limited to the middle-aged and chronologically wrinkled. Millennials and Gen-Zers are adding to the numbers who are seeking out non-invasive procedures, and entire social trends have evolved around the pursuit of beauty, such as the highly popular Mommy Makeover. But, no pain, no gain. In the week's BT Lifestyle, read more about what treatments are trending this year and what pitfalls to look out for. And given that plastic surgeons from around the world are convening for the first time in Singapore this week for the annual International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery congress, now's a good time to do some research before you sign that consent form. In the Arts, get a head start on SG60 celebrations at the upcoming Artist Proof: Singapore At 60, which opens in July at art-logistics company Helutrans. The ambitious show features 90 works by more than 50 important Singapore artists (from Han Sai Por to Hilmi Johandi), reflecting on the journey of the country over the decades. Do also check out some of the latest watch launches, and find out how initiatives like the San Pellegrino Young Chef Academy Competition are grooming young chef talents. And in Dining, get a taste of yakitori from a brand-new Japanese import at Firebird by Suetomi. For all this and more, don't miss this week's edition of BT Lifestyle.
