Restaurants
BLACKBIRD... MODERN ASIAN.by Vicki Slotnick
Hang onto your hats people! BLACKBIRD is like no other Asian food you’ve had down here in southern Florida! To begin with, you will have to come with a crowd of eight if you want to have a reservation. Otherwise, you will have to arrive with your party by about 5:30 pm to get a table for seven people or under. But, the wait will be worth it... promise. If you want to be where you can hear and be heard, quieter and downstairs, ask for the outside room on the front side of the building. We were there a few times, once being during a violent thunderstorm, and amazingly enough, we stayed dry and could hear each other in spite of the elements! If you don’t mind noise and bustle, let them put you anywhere else. The restaurant has a crazy vibe, impossible to describe, but strangely wonderful.
Shortly, one of a number of excellent servers will greet you. She, or he, will be very well versed on the menu and will be very patient with you while you ask tons of questions. You food will come out as soon as it is finished in the kitchen and you will be impressed with the speed of service. The food will be beautifully presented and will be equally delicious. Hope you’re hungry!
There are several dim sum and small plate selections on the left side of the menu. Ask your waitperson to describe some of them if you are curious. Whatever the nomenclature, you can be sure that you will be very pleasantly surprised when they appear. [As in: what’s that, and what’s that? And, did we order that? And who ordered that?] Here are, just to name a few winners, Mongolian brisket bao buns with green apple, pickled Fresno, and hoisin. Or how about tuna poke crispy rice? You may not want to miss Tempura oysters with yuzu aoli, mango, smoked bacon, and kimchi. And don't even try to stay away from the Duck lettuce cups with pickled vegetables, crispy taro, and hoisin. The center of the menu holds some Old School Chinese selections, and if you are feeling flush and really have a hankering for the Peking Duck, you should go for it! Although it is quite expensive, it is a very generous serving of the entire duck, and it can easily serve four people. It’s stunningly presented, the skin burnished to a dark, shiny and crispy turn. The meat underneath that beautiful skin is moist but well cooked and amazing! Please don’t ignore the garnishes on the platter. The whole thing is served with plenty of paper thin pancakes, but I would recommend eating the duck with bao buns, which your server will willingly bring to the table for an additional charge. If you stick with the pancakes, the juices will be falling out of the pancakes and you may find yourself at the dry cleaner the next morning. On the right side of the menu are several selections of entrees…fish and seafood, meat, poultry and pork, a salad or two, and veggies. Nothing is ordinary, so be sure to read the descriptions and you might not be able to resist!
BLACKBIRD
1511 North Old Dixie Highway Jupiter
561-589-7505
