BlackBird Cafe – Comfort food on Handy Road
PUBLISHED January 11th, 2012 10:06 pm | UPDATED February 28th, 2021 06:51 am
It’s become something of a mission to hunt out new cool cafes which also dish up some tasty grub. One of the venues on my hotlist was Blackbird Cafe on Handy Rd (the strip between Plaza Singapura and The Cathay)…
This unassuming place caught my eye when I discovered that it’s Kiwi (New Zealand) themed, which is pretty unusual to say the least…I mean what exactly is ‘New Zealand’ food? Isn’t it just lots of lamb? Baaeeehh. Anyway, I went there last night for dinner and again today for lunch to try a few more dishes.
Evening time, we started off with a simple Tomato Bruschetta ($8). One thing I love about this simple dish is that everyone does it just a little bit different, and Blackbird was no exception. Served on some warm, soft (though crispy on the outside) Turkish toast were some ripe baby tomatoes drizzled in pesto and covered in sprouts. Whist having a good texture, I found it a little bland, but thanks to salt and pepper, some great flavours came out. A good snack to start off with.
Next up, we decided to try a couple of pasta dishes (diet out the window again, oh well) – ‘Jay’s Risotto ($15) and the Lamb Tagliatelle ($19).
At first I was a little apprehensive ordering risotto in a non-Italian restaurant, but then fortune favors the brave, and indeed I was rewarded. Perhaps not much to look at, this creamy and flavourful risotto was gorgeous. It was pure comfort food. Eating it transported my imagination to a Swiss chalet drinking mulled wine, huddled next to a fire. The portabello and button mushrooms combine fantastically with the 3 cheeses (gorgonzola, parmesan and mascapone). The serving was pretty generous.
The Lamb Tagliatelle was again very comforting – strong, robust flavours and well cooked pasta. The ‘pulled lamb shoulder’ was soft, tender and really quite juicy. A simple but delicious dish.
Ok, so today at lunch, and this time with my partner-in-crime, Ms Demeanour, we decided to hit up some of the more ‘Kiwi food’, i.e. A Shepherd’s pie (something I’ve probably not had since I was in school 10 years ago!), a baked fish pie, and of course, a burger.
First to arrive was the New Zherperd Pie ($12). A Shepherd’s pie with a twist, still holding to a minced lamb base, the main filling was mashed sweet potato with some gooey mozzarella on top. I really brought me back to my childhood actually – quite authentic flavours, though I found the lamb just a little dry. But then maybe as a Brit, i’m just used to stodgier food!
Next up, THE MOTHER SHIP PIE! Ok, it’s not actually called that, but look at it! It belongs on Startrek! This Salmon and Leek Pie ($15) was decent. Very, very Anglo-Saxon food! Creamy and well-textured, I found it a little bland but Ms Demeanour seemed to enjoy it immensely.
Finally up was the Southern Burger ($15), a gorgeous charbroiled chicken thigh with avocado, brie, roma tomato, lettuce, relish and mayo all beautifully stacked to fit inside the soft sesame bun. I LOVE a burger with lots of fillings and this was a perfect example. As soon as I put the burger to my mouth and smelt it, I know it was going to be good, and boy did it deliver…No joke, it literally vanished in it’s totality in under 5 mins, just leaving a few leaves and some grease on the plate as evidence. Raaawwwrrrr!!!
I would definitely order this again or recommend it if you fancy a change from the usual beef burger.
Whilst being a pretty simple place, the service was timely and friendly. For a solid lunch, or a casual and reasonably priced pre-movie dinner, Blackbird Cafe is worth a try.
