{"id":70165,"date":"2025-05-14T00:01:19","date_gmt":"2025-05-14T06:01:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=70165"},"modified":"2026-04-06T11:23:33","modified_gmt":"2026-04-06T17:23:33","slug":"birdies-by-chef-kevin-lee-edmond-oklahoma","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=70165","title":{"rendered":"Birdies by Chef Kevin Lee – Edmond, Oklahoma"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
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Birdie’s in Edmond Oklahoma<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

My Kim and I regard ourselves as ambassadors for the great state of New Mexico, especially when we travel.\u00a0 We’re often asked where we’re from.\u00a0 Invariably we run into people whose perceptions about the Land of Enchantment are far from kind.\u00a0 Some actually believe Breaking Bad is a documentary about the condition of life in New Mexico where wild west lawlessness is rampant.\u00a0 If only perceptions of New Mexico were as gracious and kind as those of Oklahoma.\u00a0 Throughout our week-long sojourn in the Sooner State, state pride was palpable.\u00a0 \u00a0You would expect that from locals, but some of the nicest things we heard about Oklahoma were from visitors like us.\u00a0 Most visitors were genuinely touched by just how nice veryone was.\u00a0 Some commented about not being cut off in traffic and not being greeted with a one-finger salute for some unforgiveable traffic transgressions (like not going 20 miles over the speed limit).\u00a0 Others spoke about the personable service they received at hotels and restaurants.<\/p>\n

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The bar and dining room<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The niceness of Oklahomans didn’t really come as a surprise.\u00a0 Two of my very favorite people–my Air Force colleague John Holmes Bennett and fellow culinary scribener Steve Coleman–were raised in Oklahoma.\u00a0 You won’t find two nicer people anywhere.\u00a0 What did surprise me about Oklahomans is just how passionate they are about their state’s culinary scene.\u00a0 \u00a0Steve will be happy to learn it isn’t just him.\u00a0 At every restaurant we visited, we encountered major league foodies, as savvy and knowledgeable about restaurants as anyone you can find.\u00a0 Steve has been telling me for years about the diversity of Oklahoma’s restaurant scene, particularly in the Asian food arena.\u00a0 He’s also extolled the state’s hamburger scene and surprisingly has even raved about the state’s Mexican food.\u00a0 I had no idea Steve’s zeal for Oklahoma’s restaurants was so widespread.<\/p>\n

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Plates Signed by Celebrity Chefs<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Three of the restaurants we planned on visiting are helmed by chefs nominated for or winners of James Beard Foundation honors.\u00a0 First on the list was Florence’s Restaurant<\/strong><\/a>, recipient of the Foundation’s Americas Classic award given to\u00a0locally and independently owned restaurants with timeless appeal and beloved in their region for food.\u00a0 Next on our list was Ma Der<\/strong><\/a>, whose chef\u00a0Jeff Chanchaleune was a finalist in both<\/span> 2023 and 2024 for Best Chef: Southwest honors.\u00a0 Our third planned visit was to Birdies, a much-heralded Korean steakhouse owned and operated by 2025 James Beard Foundation Best Chef: Southwest semifinalist<\/strong><\/a> Kevin Lee.\u00a0 Interestingly, when we visited Ma Der, other diners asked if we planned to visit Birdies, too.\u00a0 Apparently great chefs and their restaurants get around.<\/p>\n

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Sweet Potato Burrata<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Chef Kevin Lee does get around.\u00a0 Just ask the Food Network.\u00a0 The Norman, Oklahoma native is “a renowned chef and Food Network Champion, a curator of culinary excellence. He has competed on shows like “Beat Bobby Flay,” “Alex vs. America,\u201d \u201cGuy\u2019s Grocery Games,\u201d Superchef Grudge Match\u201d and \u201cTournament of Champions.<\/em>\u201d\u00a0 You might think a gastronome like me would consume as much food TV as possible, but I find those shows so unrealistic that they border on ridiculous.\u00a0 Much like reality television shows, food competitions seem intended to help viewers escape the monotony of their own lives, but I rather like my monotomy.\u00a0 So, had we watched the Food Network’s programs in which Chef Lee participated, we probably still wouldn’t have a clue about his mastery of culinary techniques and ingredients.\u00a0 The fact that he was a Best Chef: Southwest semifinalist carries a lot more weight with us than any Food Network program.\u00a0 Moreover, Chef Lee was named “Best Chef” in 405 Magazine’s annual “best of<\/strong><\/a>” list for 2025.<\/p>\n

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Prime Strip<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

When Chef Lee initially launched Birdies, it was as a Korean fried chicken restaurant (hence the name Birdies).\u00a0 The advent of 2024 heralded a change in concept.\u00a0 Birdies transitioned to a modern Korean steakhouse, the chef’s homage to traditional dishes of Korea made his way.\u00a0 It’s a concept that immediately resonated with diners–both locals and visitors.\u00a0 The Edmond restaurant was named one of Yelp’s “best new restaurants<\/strong><\/a> in the South” for 2024.\u00a0 As much as Oklahomans may love fried chicken, it seems they love steak, Korean style barbecue and other meat dishes even more.\u00a0 Is it any wonder Oklahoma is widely regarded (at least in Oklahoma) as the “stockyard capital of Oklahoma.”<\/p>\n

Birdies is ensconced in a rather homogeneous strip mall on a heavily trafficked street in Edmond, just a few miles north of Oklahoma City.\u00a0 Birdies doesn’t look like much from the outside, but step inside and you’re enveloped by a swanky milieu with comfortable seating, good spacing and mood-enhancing atmospheric lighting.\u00a0 Service is (typically Oklahoma) friendly and on-the-spot.\u00a0 Our attentive server advised us to order three items to share–one from the small plates section and two from the large plates or steaks section.\u00a0 She told us most people follow this ordering pattern, much to their enjoyment.<\/p>\n

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Steak Sauces<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Our very first small plate item was sweet potato burrata<\/strong><\/em> (candied sweet potatoes, sweet potato puree, pomegranite, sweet potato chips, Twisted Tree Bakery<\/strong><\/a> sourdough).\u00a0 This dish was a revelation as to just how talented Chef Lee is.\u00a0 It’s a true amalgam of flavors and textures that work very well together.\u00a0 Every element complemented the other.\u00a0 Contrasting items such as the pomegranate with its burst of sweetness followed by a subtle tartness and the sweet, earthy sweet potato puree were a marriage made in taste bud heaven.\u00a0 The lightly toasted sourdough proved a wonderful canvas upon which to pile on all other ingredients though we both saved some of the rich, creamy burrata to enjoy separately.\u00a0 This may have been our very favorite item on the Birdies menu.<\/p>\n

Deciding what to order from among the steak choices was a challenge for my carnivorous bride.\u00a0 Would it be the galbi marinated Wagyu short rib (a Se\u00f1or Plata favorite)?\u00a0 Perhaps it would be the Wagyu ribeye or maybe the prime filet.\u00a0 All steaks are served with a variety of lettuce wraps, chimichurri, garlic ginger soy sauce and peanut ssamhang.\u00a0 After much deliberation, my Kim decided on the fourteen-ounce prime strip <\/strong><\/em>which she asked be prepared at medium doneness.\u00a0 The prime strip, topped with sesame seeds, had a beautiful exterior char and was perfectly pink inside.\u00a0 \u00a0It arrived sliced into strips which were easy to cut in half to enjoy as bite-sized pieces.\u00a0 Even though steak is not one of my favorite meals, this one was superb.<\/p>\n

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Honey Glazed Carrots<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Although the steak required absolutely no amelioration, the three accompaying sauces–chimichurri, garlic ginger soy sauce and peanut ssamhang–were worthy of the steak.\u00a0 My favorite was the peanut ssamhang<\/strong><\/em> (commonly known as satay sauce).\u00a0 Most satay in Thai eateries includes this dipping sauce-marinade, but it’s usually not much more than sweetened peanut butter.\u00a0 Chef Lee’s version is not nearly as thick or as sweet.\u00a0 Instead it had wondrous spicy chili notes that appealed very much to me.\u00a0 Nearly as good was the garlic ginger soy sauce<\/strong><\/em> in which the ginger had a pleasant assertiveness.<\/p>\n

Birdies offers a number of sides: tator tots, kimchii, steamed rice, honey-glazed carrots, buttered corn cheese.\u00a0 Knowing Chef Lee is well skilled in French culinary techniques and dishes, we opted for the honey-glazed carrots<\/strong><\/em>.\u00a0 \u00a0Not everybody likes carrots as much as I do.\u00a0 Perhaps those with dissenting tastes have never had French-style honey-glazed carrots.\u00a0 They’re not quite carrot candy sweet, but the floral, caramel notes of the honey glaze bring out the carrots own mild sweetness.\u00a0 A generous serving of carrots sprinkled with sesame seeds was absolutely delicious.\u00a0 Maybe the carrots even helped my vision.<\/p>\n

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Buttered Cheese Corn Scallops<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It’s always been my contention that scallops should never be prepared with piquant or sour elements though some restaurants continue this (mal)practice.\u00a0 It’s been my experience that scallops go best with complementary savory and slightly sweet ingredients.\u00a0 Chef Lee (who actually prepared our meal) conceived of a scallops dish that surprised me.\u00a0 It’s buttered cheese corn scallops<\/strong><\/em> (fresh scallops paired with a cheesy cream corn, bacon gremalata and beurre blanc) which come from the large plates menu.\u00a0 Four perfectly prepared scallops are the cynosure of a beautiful dish, but it’s the subtelty of other elements that really shines–the smokiness of the bacon gremalata, the velvety butteriness of the beurre blanc and the sweetness of the corn.<\/p>\n

My Kim’s favorite dessert has become ice cream though she rarely deviates from vanilla and chocolate.\u00a0 For me, the more exotic the flavor the more I like it.\u00a0 So, it stands to reason I would love sweet potato ice cream<\/strong><\/em> (candied peanut base with sweet potato ice cream, topped with ube whipped cream and a cinnamon sugar Kwaja cracker).\u00a0 There’s only one thing wrong with this dessert.\u00a0 There just isn’t enough of it.\u00a0 I especially loved the chef’s use of ube, a purple Korean sweet potato, to create a light, frothy whipped cream.\u00a0 My Kim’s favorite eleent was the candied peanut base which provided textural contrasts we both loved.<\/p>\n

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Sweet Potato Ice Cream with Korean Purple Yam Whipped Cream<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Having dined at Chef Kevin Lee’s Korean Steakhouse still doesn’t mean we’ll watch him on the Food Network.\u00a0 \u00a0 We will, however, hope to return someday to enjoy even more of the brilliant chef’s Korean dishes.<\/p>\n

Birdies by Chef Kevin Lee<\/strong>
\n2201 NW 150th St,
\nEdmond, Oklahoma<\/strong>
\n(405) 849-5180
\nWebsite<\/strong><\/a> |
\nLATEST VISIT<\/strong>: 14 May 2025
\n# OF VISITS<\/strong>: 1
\nRATING<\/strong>: N\/R
\nCOST<\/strong>: $$$$$
\nBEST BET<\/strong>: Sweet Potato Burrata, Buttered Cheese Corn Scallops, Prime Strip, Honey-Glazed Scallops, Sweet Potato Ice Cream
\nREVIEW #1668<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

My Kim and I regard ourselves as ambassadors for the great state of New Mexico, especially when we travel.\u00a0 We’re often asked where we’re from.\u00a0 Invariably we run into people whose perceptions about the Land of Enchantment are far from kind.\u00a0 Some actually believe Breaking Bad is a documentary about the condition of life in New Mexico where wild west lawlessness is rampant.\u00a0 If only perceptions of New Mexico were as gracious and kind as those of Oklahoma.\u00a0 Throughout our week-long sojourn in the Sooner State, state pride was palpable.\u00a0 \u00a0You would expect that from locals, but some of the nicest things we heard about Oklahoma were from visitors like us.\u00a0 Most visitors were genuinely touched by just how nice…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":70171,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4682,277,2836,81,76,5647,79,553],"tags":[4939,4932,1678,4938,4934,4933,4936,4937,4935,4950],"class_list":["post-70165","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-james-beard-foundation-best-chef-southwest-semifinalist-2025","category-asian","category-james-beard-award-best-chef-restaurants","category-korean","category-oklahoma","category-rating-n-r","category-steak","category-across-america","tag-buttered-cheese-corn-scallops","tag-chef-kevin-lee","tag-food-network","tag-honey-glazed-carrots","tag-james-beard-foundation-best-chef-southwest-semifinalist-2025","tag-korean-steakhouse","tag-prime-strip","tag-steak-sauces","tag-sweet-potato-burrata","tag-sweet-potato-ice-cream"],"yoast_head":"\nBirdies by Chef Kevin Lee - 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