The Place New yakitori alert in Singapore. Meet Firebird by Suetomi, a partnership of Singapore-based Ebb & Flow Group with celebrated Tokyoite chef and serial restaurateur Makoto Suetomi which just opened at Mondrian Singapore. It is the first overseas offshoot of the famed yakitori restaurant, Makitori Shinkobe, which boasts a one-year waiting list in Japan. The concept of Firebird is an intimate tori-focused wood-fire omakase, where the spotlight is on showcasing meticulously sourced chicken and seasonal ingredients prepared with techniques ranging from grilling to roasting, sautéing and smoking.  

The space and interior of Firebird by Suetomi is an intimate 12-seater counter where you get an up-close and personal interactions with the chefs. There is also a cosy 8-seater private dining room inspired by a hidden ‘house within a house’ concept, and a 5-seater bar at its entrance. 

Firebird’s Japanese Head Chef Yoshiki Furukawa, who trained at Makitori Shinkobe in Japan, is assisted by local Sous Chef Alvin Leong who boasts strong experience in Japanese and French fine dining.  

The Food There is only one menu for dinner – the Tori–focused Wood-fire Omakase Menu (S$188++) which highlights 13 courses alternating between skewers of various tori parts and dishes prepared from a wood-fire grill modelled after the original at Makitori Shinkobe. 

There are also daily specials that diners can add on if they fancy. In true omakase style, the chicken parts vary with availability, such as momo (thigh), furisode (shoulder), and at times, the rarer cuts of seseri (neck) and harami (abdominal wall muscle). 

In terms of beverages, there is selection of handpicked sake, shochu, wines, spirits, beers, and highball cocktails. Sakes (from S$18++ by the glass | from S$40++ per bottle) include premium first-to-market labels like the rare Aramasa Invisible Pink Unicorn 2021 and Aramasa Herctic 2022 with only 1,385 bottles produced. There are also shochu (from S$15++ by the glass | from S$75++ per bottle), old- as well as new-world wines (from S$20++ by the glass | from S$100++ per bottle), and spirits (from S$22++ per glass | from S$220++ per bottle) headlined by a selection of Suntory Spirits. 

Here is what to expect from the 13-course Omakase Menu: 

Chicken Consommé 
A clear course to start the meal is this comforting bowl of soup prepared over six hours using carcasses, sea salt and water. 

Chicken Thigh (Momo)
Organic French chicken thighs are skewered and seasoned with salt.

Sauteed Water Spinach (Kushinsai)
Smoked version of one of my favourite vegetables, which is delicious as this is lightly tossed in Japanese white sesame oil. 

Corn Purée 
Served with dashi jelly, this uses Japanese corn breed in Cameron Highlands and is topped with of lightly charred corn. I am a big lover of corn so this course is right up my alley.  

Chicken Neck (Seseri)
A very juicy cut of the chicken here with the right amount of salt. There is also a nice slight crisp at the edges for an added texture. 

Seasonal Chawnamushi 
Chawanmushi with chicken dashi, sauteed sugar snap peas, and fried sakura ebi. I love the contrast of the textures of the ingredients here.

Shiitake Mushroom Beurre Blanc 
The mushroom beurre blanc sauce here is the star as it is paired with the grilled juicy mushrooms.

Chicken Breast with Harissa
Chicken breast and shoulder skewer with Japanese harissa (bell pepper condiment).

Toast with Rillette
A delicious toast where umeboshi is spread over the toasted sourdough bread followed by the rillette and finished with Japanese sea salt. It is a nice soft texture which makes it quite light for a bread course.

Momo Ichimai Yaki with Shironegi Mustard Sauce
Organic French chicken thigh is grilled imchimai yaki (meaning grilled in one piece) to achieve a tender texture. The Shironegi mustard sauce is made by grilling Japanese white spring onions over wood-fire then marinating in a soy and Dijon mustard sauce.

Chicken Wings With Spicy Miso 
Chicken wing skewer with spicy miso from Niigata prefecture.

I also had a couple of add on items – Chicken Heart, Chicken Bonjiri & Chicken Inner Thigh. 

Chicken Heart (S$10)

Chicken Tail (Bonjiri ) (S$10) – super crispy edges with a juicy flavour 

Chicken Obi (Inner Thigh) (S$15)  

Shin Tamanegi 
A palate cleanser with chicken broth and yuzu. The steamed onion with chicken broth and yuzu zest is served with a broth that is made with chicken stock and soy sauce.

Soboro Claypot Rice
A popular signature of Chef Suetomi’s in Japan, I enjoyed the Soboro Claypot Rice which is a donabe featuring minced chicken. The chicken is served on fragrant Japanese rice, with the addition of charred firewood in the claypot for added smokiness. 

There are two ways to enjoy the rice – one on its own with pickles and the other topped with marinated egg yolk and a house-made ginger sauce inspired by Singapore’s iconic Hainanese Chicken Rice. 

Lemon Jelly
The first dessert is lemon Jelly with Japanese Setoka Mikan juice, segments, and micro mint.

Smoked Ice Cream with Lapsang Souchong Cold Brew
The last course and dessert is a delicious Smoked Ice Cream with Lapsang Souchong Cold Brew.

Rants There is only omakase menu here. You can’t order the ala carte add on items if you did not have the omakase menu.

Will I Return Again? There are quite a couple of new yakitori restaurants which opened in Singapore lately, though a wood-fire focused concept for yakitori is quite rare. I like the flavours at Firebird, robust yet innovative. It is also an elegant dining ambience where there is finesse in the execution of each course. Highly recommended if you love yakitori dining. 

TheRantingPanda says:
Taste bud: 4.5/5
Hole in the pocket: 4/5
Ambience: 4/5
Overall Experience: 4.5/5 

Firebird by Suetomi 
83 Neil Road 
#01-04/05 
Singapore 089813 
Tel: +65 9776 2476 

Opening Hours 
Tuesday to Sunday: 6pm to 10:30pm 
Closed on Monday 

Ranted by The Ranter