Bird Bird (Singapore) by Bjorn Shen

Years after establishing Artichoke and bringing its Middle Eastern-inspired brunch to the height of its popularity, dude chef Bjorn Shen has fielded his other trump card, Bird Bird.

A no-reservations Thai-style eatery in the heart of Ann Siang Road, Bird Bird is a mishmash of loud music and neon lights matched with a dressed-down setting of benches, stools and, in the case of the outdoor pavement seating on weekends, a kaleidoscope of plastic racks.

The casual Thai fare, dubbed dude food by the owner, is unlike what its poultry-centric name suggests. Apart from poultry, the plastic laminated menu proffers much more - “bar snacks”, “not bird”, “green & sides” as well as “desserts”.

For the perfect meal, you must order the Isaan BBQ chicken (S$22; 4.25/5), a stack of lemongrass-smoked half chicken doused in a heady “jaew” BBQ sauce; waterfall lamb (S$26; 4.5/5), Thai herbs-flavoured lamb ribs with tear-jerking smoked chilli and roasted rice powder; and umami corn (S$10; 4/5), sesame seeds-studded BBQ corn with sriracha mayo and shrimp dust.

There are other gems like the saucy dish of basil duck tater tots with runny fried egg (S$18; 4/5). If you have kids, don’t miss the Big Mac fried rice (S$24; 4/5), Shen’s take on the famous burger that arrives as a bowl of minced wagyu beef fried rice complete with burnt cheese and pickles. Even if you don’t approve of Mamee snacks, your soul may yield to the Mama Slaw (S$14; 3.75/5), straight-from-the-packet instant noodles paired with a riot of vegetables and century egg wedges in a lime and tamarind-based mayo dressing.

Don’t leave without sampling the Thai donuts dipped in salted Thai kaya and coconut ice (4.25/5); like Shen says in the menu it’s “very nice”. And if you haven’t tried his “neh neh pop”, the Sneekers Pop (caramel, peanut, chocolate) is one of our favourites (4/5).