With a menu inspired by a love of Japanese cooking techniques and flavours, Grillbird presents a wander through the many culinary specialities of the country. Casual plates cooked with precision, ​Grillbird offers a faithful interpretation of Japanese cookery, using the highest quality produce, including chickens sourced from Fosse Meadows, and meat from HG Walter.
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Ramen takes the focus for the next three weeks, showcasing three varieties: the Pork Tantamen - a Japanese classic with Szechuan roots - a Chicken Tori Paitan; and a Miso-Mushroom Shoyu. The Tantamen is made with 48-hour roasted pork bone broth, soboro pork - spicy pork mince - and is topped with leeks, Szechuan pepper rayu and an Onsen egg (a gently poached 60-degree egg) that is designed to be stirred into the broth. The Chicken Tori Paitan is made by slow-roasting the chicken bones until they begin to break down, at which point they are blended into the stock and sieved for a smooth, creamy, emulsified chicken broth - this is served with grilled chicken thigh, spring onion, pickled ginger, thyme oil and a ramen egg. The vegetarian broth is made with mushrooms and miso, in the 'shoyu' style for a deep savoury flavour - this comes with soba noodles, grilled oyster mushroom, pickled shimeji mushrooms, chive oil, spinach and spring onion.
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Starters and snacks include Grillbird classics: the Devilled Ramen Egg - a soy-cured golden yolk egg topped with spicy mayo, crunchy rayu and trout roe. Chicken Karaage - crunchy fried chicken thighs drizzled with a spicy maple syrup. Mackerel tartare, dressed in citrus and soy-cured egg yolk, and served in nori sheets. And the Stuffed Chicken Wing - a deboned wing that is filled with pork mince, lemongrass, chilli and galangal, and drizzled with black garlic and shiso mayo.
The kitchen is open Wednesday – Saturday, with a Set Menu on Wednesday (£25 dinner and a drink). ​The menu will change over the course of the residency, as well as some chef collabs, where Chef Ben will design and cook a joint menu with another chef - more details below:​​
5 - 23 NOV: RAMEN
26 - 30 NOV: JAPAN V MALLORCA. Chef collab: Elies Salva Ruiz de Villegas x Ben Smith
3 - 21 DEC: IZAKAYA V. CHRISTMAS
WED 5 - SAT 8 DECEMBER
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For one week only, Grillbird's Chef Ben (@grill.bird) is joined by Chef Elies Salva Ruiz de Villegas (@eliessalva) - who was in the Jazu kitchen over the summer, cooking up a menu of southern Spanish fare and Mallorcan specialities, as well as his own creations, including the OctoDog and XO Tortilla.
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The two chefs have designed a menu that combines Japanese and Spanish cuisines and techniques, and there will be a one-off supper club on Wednesday 26th November, which sees a five-course set menu (more details below, tickets available here).
The full à la carte menu - published soon - will be available Thurs 27th, Fri 28th and Saturday 29th Nov.
Wednesday 26 November: THE SUPPER CLUB
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A menu of exclusive dishes, served banquet style, for one night only. Tickets available through Eventbrite, with the first sitting at 6.30pm, and the second at 8.30pm.
The five-course menu (details below) will be £40, and there will be an optional drinks pairing available too.
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Spanish guitar will play, courtesy of Guillermo Monroy (@mrgmusico), and the live set will be followed by records of a Spanish or Japanese persuasion afterwards...
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