Paper Bird, Potts Point

Having heard rave reviews about their Fried Chicken, I couldn't help paying Paper Bird in Potts Point a visit. Having been to their previous restaurant, Moon Park in Redfern, I had very high expectations. My friends and I decided to go with the banquet menu, which at $60 offered very good value given the amount of food on offer.

We start off with the Ddeokbokki, Korean glutinous rice cakes. They are crispy on the outside with a kick of heat thanks to the red chilli paste Gochuchang.

Ddeokbokki, gochuchang & peanuts $8

Next was the Menbosha, a modern take on prawn toast. The toast was deep fried goodness and the filling of prawns and cabbage was creamy and delicious.

Menbosha: a prawn toast & cabbage sandwich $8 ea

The dish of Pork and squid ink sausage, grilled calamari and almonds looked simple but was bursting with flavour - a truly great stir fry dish.

Pork & squid ink sausage, grilled calamari & almond $22

The Eggplant with black pepper sauce and cashew was expertly cooked, almost taking on a meaty texture.

Eggplant, black pepper sauce & cashew $14

The signature dish - the Shrimp brined fried chicken - lived up to all expectations - a crunchy coating on the outside, succulent on the inside. The syrup drizzled on top added just the right balance of sweetness to the dish.

Shrimp brined fried chicken, soy & syrup $27

The Jeonbokjangbap which consisted of abalone slices, rice, nori, egg yolk and cucumber kimchi was another delight in terms of flavour and texture. The thinly slices of abalone could easily have been overcooked but were just perfectly tender. 

Jeonbokjangbap: soy braised abalone, rice, nori, egg yolk & cucumber kimchi $29

Turning our attention to desserts, we started with the Coconut rice, lychee, strawberry & hazelnut.  The combination of the lychee with the stawberries was spot on.

Coconut rice, lychee, strawberry & hazelnut $13

The final dish of Milk bingsu, green apple, melon sorbet & white chocolate was a refreshing way to finish off the meal.  Bingsu is a popular Korean shaved ice dessert and Paper Bird's version was light and fluffy.

Milk bingsu, green apple, melon & white chocolate $13

The food of Paper Bird is fresh and exciting, offering a great modern Asian menu with heavy Korean influences. I'm looking forward to coming back and trying their brunch menu.