Birdie's by Chef Kevin Lee — Restaurant in Oklahoma City

My Culinary Exploration of the 405: Dining at Birdies with Dave Cathey

My culinary exploration of the 405 continued as I returned to Oklahoma City to meet Dave Cathey, The Food Dood, for dinner at Birdies, a Korean Steakhouse in Edmond, Oklahoma. Birdies, once a Fried Chicken Restaurant, is owned by Chef Kevin Lee, a prominent figure in Oklahoma's culinary scene and a contestant on the Food Network's "Tournament of Champions; Season V." With Dave's guidance, I anticipated an extraordinary evening of Korean cuisine.

After a long drive from the 918 and an intense 4 a.m. workout, I was ready for new experiences with new friends and flavors.

Atmosphere

Approaching Birdies, the thumping music outside initially worried me, but stepping inside revealed a visually stunning interior with appropriate music levels. Birdies boasts a chic ambiance with sleek black tones and gold accents. A bold red neon sign and a subtly lit open bar create an inviting atmosphere. The tables are well-spaced for privacy and comfort. The aroma of cooked meats sets the stage for the culinary delights awaiting us.

Service

Service for the evening was primarily provided by Alex, a charismatic young man with previous experience at Birdies. Alex was engaging, knowledgeable, and attentive, adding to the lively atmosphere with his anecdotes. We also received excellent service from Quincy and another Alex.

Alex, the manager, exceeded expectations with his personable and energetic approach, enhancing our evening with warmth and hospitality. Chef Lee himself stopped by our table, humble and engaging, and later invited us for a drink at the bar, sharing insights into Oklahoma City's culinary scene and teasing upcoming developments.

Food

Our culinary journey began with the sweet potato burrata, featuring candied sweet potatoes, sweet potato puree, pomegranate, SP chips, and sourdough. Each bite was a sensory delight, harmonizing sweetness, creaminess, and acidity.

The beef tartare, with garlic ginger beef, chives, toasted sourdough, pickled onions, egg yolk, and caviar, bordered on transcendence. The delicate flavors of beef, ginger, and soy were elevated by creamy egg and caviar, creating a perfect harmony.

The hamachi crudo showcased yellowtail, tomato water chojang, red cabbage, cherry tomatoes, salted cucumber, fresno pepper, and jalapeno sesame. Each bite offered sweet cucumber notes, bright tomato flavors, delicate hamachi, and subtle sesame undertones.

The crispy kimchi pancake, served with yuzu ranch, crispy chickpeas, and fresh dill, was a texture explosion with a crispy crust and a soft center. The double-cooked sticky baby back pork ribs, infused with perilla and sesame seeds, had an incredible crust and mingled savory beef flavors with sweet notes and a hint of Chinese five spice.

The hot stone bibimbap, featuring crispy rice, zucchini, carrots, bulgogi, sunny-side egg, sesame oil, and roasted garlic gochujang sauce, was a delightful blend of sweet, salty, and savory flavors. The special of the evening, scallops with creamed cream cheese corn and cilantro, offered a custard-like interior atop a tangy-sweet sauce.

The main event, the house American Wagyu steak, was cooked to perfection, delicate and delicious, with sauces that complemented the beef without overpowering it. For dessert, the black sesame crème brûlée had a caramelized sugar shell and a velvety consistency, while the Melona popsicle provided a refreshing contrast.

The evening at Birdies was an immersion into Oklahoma's evolving food scene and the profound impact Chef Lee is making. Chef Lee's humility, engaging demeanor, and genuine warmth revealed his passion and dedication to his craft. Birdies is not just a restaurant—it's Chef Lee's vision brought to life.

I urge you to embark on your journey to Oklahoma City, creating new memories and forging meaningful connections through food.

Overall: 92/100; A wonderful dining experience through...

The restaurant is by reservation only - however you could probably sit at the bar if there is just two of you. We made a reservation for 8:45. The atmosphere was a little loud at at the beginning - due to the high ceilings but by 9 :15 it felt much quieter as early reservations began to leave.

The dining feels intimate. It is a small restaurant with limited seating which I love and during the meal nothing was rushed. The dishes came out one at a time with plenty of time to taste, chat and enjoy before the next dish came. This a huge factor for me personally. I want to feel relaxed and enjoy the conversation. Our waiter (Shane) was friendly, knowledgeable on the menu and made great recommendations based on what we liked. He provided excellent service- we never were short for drinks, food or removing dirty dishes but again without ever feeling rushed along.

Food:

Hamachi Crudo- this is something I had to ask the waiter about because I couldn't picture the dish and I had never heard of it. Think white tail sashimi in garlic oil, tomato juice, herb sauce and cucumbers. Only order if you like raw fish (which I do). The fish was tender, and the crunchy bits of veggies with a burst of a cherry tomato made an excellent texture and flavor combo.

Kimchi Pancake: Crisp on the outside, fluffy on the inside filled with sweet onions and slightly spicy kimchi ( which was excellent because I'm sensitive to spicy) and served with a ranch style dipping sauce. I would order this every time I go. It amount of onion reminds me of a WAY elevated version of a blooming onion- but with a deep, fermented, salty umami flavor that I would not get otherwise. Absolutely delicious.

Sticky Spicy Ribs: Fall off the bone tender sticky ribs piled high on plate. Highly recommend.

The Wagyu Strip: We asked the waiter how well they recommended it be done (I'm a medium rare girl) and he recommended medium because the way the steak cooks is slightly different than a normal steak. They brought the 14 oz steak out cut into bites which make sharing easy and it comes with 3 sauces and lettuce cups. I recommend cutting it into quarters so each bit has the perfect mix of seasoned edged crust and juicy middle. It was tender, melt in your mouth steak. Absolutely Delicious. I now want to try the other steaks on the menu to see if I get a similar experience but I would order again for a special occasion.

The Black Sesame Crème Brûlée: The color was beautiful, the black sesame giving a blue and green color instead of the usual soft yellow or white. The brulee topping delightfully crisp and the custard felt light and smooth.

Another wonderful bonus was that the dishes are all meant to be shared. As a foodie this is the dream dining experience. The recommendation is to get 1 or 2 small plates, a large plate and a steak for you and your date to share and it was the perfect amount of food for my husband and I without feeling overly stuffed. We did have leftovers of the sticky ribs (they are LARGE) and the kimchi pancake that the restaurant boxed up for us and kept in the kitchen while we dine which was also nice.

All in all- I will go back. I loved the service, the food, the atmosphere, and the variety of tastes and textures. It felt genuinely special, relaxed, and high quality. Be prepared to spend a pretty penny if you are going to get the Wagyu and want to try a lot of dishes but there are other steaks on the menu that makes it accessible within a variety of budgets -especially because everything is meant...

What an amazing experience @ Birdies OKC!!!!!!! From the first moment walking into this fabulous looking place, to the great from the host, to pre-drinks at the bar, to seating at the table. It all started off amazingly. Now thats just the start of the service. We had a cocktail at the bar before seating, The savory Sesame martini. A sealant fat washed mole tomato gin.a very unique but flavorful taste. The salted cucumbers and the rice wine vinegar rinse really made this a new favorite in my Martine selection.

Now on to the table service. I really enjoyed our service with multiple guest checks by the Manager Cole, a welcoming smile, great energy and just really amazing Hospitality. Our server was exceptionally proffessional as well. We started with the Beef Tartar, a delicate and deliocous plate. the portion size was right on. Our next plate to try were the HG Brussels, and they did not dissapoint. Next we chose the Sweet poatao Burrata. Beautiful and nicely pureed sweet potatoes add the mouthful of sweeteness, which mixed perfectly.

Time for a second drink. The Sparkling Sake Spritzer. I chose the Valley gin, which paired nicely with the sparkling peach sake, lemon juice, simple and angostura bitters.

Sticky Spicy Ribs where chosen next. I try to eat with great etticate by using a fork, but you just have to pick them up and bite right in. The flavor and spice were mixed nicely. Thje presentation was amazing!

Time for a third drink. The Mangiacotti Margarita... floral and well balanced margarita. the sweetness and the citrus made it delightful. a perfect cocktail for the tequila drinker.

The last plate I chose was th 8 oz Filet. Now you would think we were full, but our body and mind made room for this most delicous and juicy filet. We really enjoyed this plate the most and I believe Chef Kevin Lee knows how to serve the most amazing plates and dishes possible.

Closing out with the Iced Matcha Milk Tea and The Gochujang Banana Pudding. The Milk Tea had % spice cream blended with Crimson Cask Scotch, Matcha Sake and simple. The caramel pudding was an Artistic bowl filled with the most beautiful and delicous house made pudding. while there was definatly no room left after all this delicousness, the pudding dissapeared withinn 7 mins, one must enjoy the sweeter side of life.

This experience was one of the best I have ever had. I hope you find Birdies OKC, as a magical and romantic setting as I did. Chef Kevin Lee, Cole Lipscomb and their amazing team have really created a something Fabulous!!!!!!! I see many great things for them, maybe they could create a magical place in...