Winner Winner Chicken Dinner with BIRD
Cooking with fire is so hot right now. Deb Caruso discovers the hole-in-the-wall charcoal chicken shops creating Noosa’s must-eat morsels.
BIRD was born in the middle of the ever-changing Noosa Junction by a couple of self-confessed worn-out fashion retailers who wanted a change and to control their own direction, Chris and Peter Degotardi.
They chose the precinct because “it’s a place where you basically know everyone, it isn’t big and flash but it’s warm, tight, and open – like a good hug.”
Because they have never done anything by halves, Chris and Peter went looking for the best charcoal rotisserie they could find. They discovered an Old-World charcoal rotisserie all the way from Madrid that cooks in the traditional way, all 650kg of her. She is beautiful and they call her Loretta. It sits in the middle of the shop and ignites a lot of BBQ envy.
The simple beauty of BIRD for Chris stems from a wholesome home-made fresh approach to food. For Peter, it was the maybe-brutal thought of your last meal: a charcoal chicken, a French baguette, smoked butter, and a bottle of Puligny Montrachet – or two, given the circumstances.
Together these two perfectly-matched personalities created the deliciously uncomplicated, locally sourced, and always fresh menu that puts modern flavour into classic food and has reinvented the humble chicken shop.
Since igniting the first batch of ironbark charcoal from Tin Can Bay and firing up the rotisserie in their hole in the wall charcoal chicken shop, Chris and Peter haven’t looked back.
BIRD recently developed their own Gluten Free rub – a combination of herbs and spices to enhance the natural flavours of the smoke-infused chicken without being overpowering. This is now used on all their rotisserie free range chickens. Great news for coeliacs!
The secret to BIRD’s succulent free range charcoal chickens is the combination of all these factors together with the cylindrical form of the rotisserie and the heat and aromas emanating from a vertical wall of charcoal.
The roast potatoes benefit from the same environment with all the elements they need to cook to crispy, succulent perfection while enjoying a basting of decadent drippings from the birds above.
It wasn’t long before demand saw BIRD spread its wings to Hastings Street, finding the perfect nesting place beside Sofitel’s Noosa Beach House.
The combination of free-range charcoal chickens, artisan baguettes, chicken finger sandwiches and homemade salads together with a carefully curated selection of imported beers and fine wines is a winner winner, chicken dinner.
The salads are all made in-house with regular specials using local ingredients such as everyone’s favourite tomatoes, Noosa Reds. The coleslaw with lime dressing has built a cult following as have the finger sandwiches with chicken, celery and chive mayonnaise and the house-smoked butter – divine!
The homemade gravy also benefits from the rotisserie and is the perfect accompaniment to one of BIRD’s most popular orders, the Hot Chicken Roll.
Imagine, a freshly-baked in house baguette with lashings of smoked butter, bursting with BIRD’s succulent charcoal chicken topped with homemade hot gravy and topped with a sprinkling of crispy chicken skin – heaven!
You can build your own BIRD Hot Chicken Roll but it’s hard to go past BIRD’s signature combinations including: Tomato, Lettuce, Chicken and homemade Mayonnaise; Jalapeño, Cream Cheese and Red Onion; or Smokey homemade BBQ sauce and coleslaw salad.
All made fresh in-house and packed with flavour, it’s no wonder that BIRD’s Hot Chicken Roll has become a must-eat experience for locals and visitors.
The signature sub about to get a bit spicier with BIRD preparing to launch its own hot sauce. Like all things BIRD, it will feature 100% natural ingredients and be full of flavour – with a little kick for those who like it hot!
From fashion to food, BIRD proves that two people with a passion for producing desirable food and a strong respect for quality ingredients can produce an amazing experience that is simply and perfectly executed and has become an essential element of what makes Noosa great – a delicious experience that creates meaningful memories.
Put a Hot Chicken Roll from BIRD on your bucket list!
