It’s around 6pm and we’re sitting at Redfern’s newish local, Redbird Chinese, when we overhear our neighbours say: “It’s very busy for a Wednesday.” We look up, and see they’re absolutely right. The whole place is packed with arty groups wearing red berets and clinky jewellery; and couples getting stuck into delicious smelling dishes that are making us behave like a Labrador at the airport. I don’t think I can spot a free table. The other thing we notice? Everyone seems to be having a jolly time. We’ll have what they’re having, please.
The baby of legendary restaurateurs Hamish Ingham and Rebecca Lines, Redbird is at the top of buzzing Redfern Street, the outside slick with tiles as dark as the fur of a black bear. The dining room, designed by Surry Hills design studio Luchetti Krelle, is cosy and polished, with striking white stone flooring, exposed brick walls, rattan light fixtures and a mixture of bentwood, rattan and dark wooden chairs.
Chinese influences – a red lacquered timber cabinet repurposed as a host’s desk; lazy Susans made from lava-like stone – seamlessly blend with contemporary furniture and finishings, like custom-made terrazzo tables speckled with brick, stone, cork, bronze and timber; and an eye-catching pink and orange abstract work by Jonny Niesche. We’re told it’s meant to feel like an extension of home – albeit a very handsome and grown-up one.
We kick things off with a leaf-shaped prawn toast coated in sesame seeds, the outside golden and encasing a tender prawn filling flavoured with fragrant ginger and spring onions. We dip the toast in a clear and sweet sauce dotted with sliced chilli and Sichuan peppercorns, and let the numbing games begin. Thankfully, we have wine – a glass of Millton La Cote pinot noir from Gisborne, NZ, which is bright and tastes like cherries – on our side.
A bowl of plump pork and scallop wontons comes sitting in a vivid orange Sichuan chilli oil and topped with fresh coriander and sliced spring onions. The sauce has a beautiful fruity flavour from Tasmanian yuzu, while Chinese red vinegar brings it to life. We wish there were ten more.
We’ve eaten a lot of sang choi bao in our time, and just like pizza, most are pretty good (it's hard to go wrong with the winning combination of salt, fat, freshness and crunch). Redbird’s one is better than good – coming with a medley of vegetables – corn, carrot, onion, bean sprouts and enoki mushrooms – with ground pork and slices of lap cheong, all coated in a deeply savoury, glossy sauce. We load up the cos lettuce, take a bite, and the contrast of textures is a joy to eat.
A gleaming white bowl of steamed Murray cod comes out looking like a showstopper, skin-side up and topped with ginger, coriander and spring onions. The silky-soft meaty fish is cooked incredibly well, so tender that we cut it with a spoon. The braised wombok underneath does an excellent job of mopping up the sauce, though we find it a touch on the sweet side.
But we’re here for one thing, really, and here it comes: The Red Bird. While the star of the night changes often – some weeks it’s duck or pigeon, and tonight it’s spatchcock – it’s always steeped in their signature Cantonese red braise. And she is a beauty.
Our chook comes out deeply bronzed with crisp skin and succulent meat. The braise itself is layered, complex and aromatic, with cinnamon, star anise and mandarin peel. A shaved kohlrabi salad brings freshness, and native Geraldton wax adds citrus and floral notes. All up it’s a comforting yet elevated dish with harmonious, balanced flavours. We pair this with a bowl of rice to soak up the sauce, and Sichuan braised Japanese eggplants, cooked down with onions and red chillies, so it’s rich, jammy, and yum.
Most families have a favourite Chinese restaurant, one that they return to time and time again because they deliver on comfort, classic flavours, and a relaxed vibe. Redbird does all this, but in a fresh and exciting way, making the old feel new again. We reckon it’s time to shake up your local and check out this fiery bird. Who knows, maybe you won’t look back. We sure haven’t.