Aussie owner-chef David Pynt has a refined, modern, BBQ restaurant called Burnt Ends where he cooks most things in a wood-fire brick kiln that he helped build himself. He has held onto his one Michelin star since 2018. I saw an episode on ”Somebody Feed Phil’’, a Netflix series presented by Phil Rosenthal where he tours cities around the world and samples the local food and cultural traditions. He gushed over Burnt Ends, so I knew it was a restaurant I needed to visit on my next trip to Singapore.

 It is a modern restaurant, located in a new upscale strip plaza, with an open kitchen, a custom 4 ton dual cavity oven and 4 elevation grills. Most people chose to sit at a counter seat to view the action, although the restaurant offers conventional seating and has a few stunning private dining options as well as an incredible looking bar in the back. A lot of money was spent on this restaurant, and you can see it in the details of the lighting, hardware and furniture. Yet it has the feel of a relaxed and casual eatery. The sound track plays rock music. The room is designed with lots of reclaimed wood, very high ceilings, plus a wood bar, wood floors and wood beams. It’s an uber cool space. 

Chef Pynt has worked with some culinary heavyweights including Noma of Denmark and Etxebarri of Spain, whom he considers was his biggest influence and mentor. So it is no surprise that he was the winner of Asia’s 50 Best restaurants Chefs Choice Award in 2017, voted by all his peers. The restaurant is currently ranked #94 on the 2022 San Pellegrino World’s 50 Best Restaurants and #41 on Asia’s 50 Best Restaurant list. 

The menu changes daily. Some of my favorite items were from the small bite section of the menu. The smoked quail egg and caviar, and one item off menu but always available is the steak and frites and the fish and chips, two open rolls, both topped with caviar that were out of this world. We also tried the eggplant and miso on the suggestion of our server. It was crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. It was just okay. Another popular item was the hearty pork sangar. 12 hour slow cooked pork shoulder, topped with coleslaw, a mild chipotle dressing, pickled  jalapeños, served on a brioche bun. What we didn’t enjoy as much was the steak, which we found to be tough and chewy. For dessert we tried a type of berry clafoutis, a special that evening, and it was quite good. His marshmallows, toasted over the open fire, were wonderful. 

The wine list was heavy on Australian wines, and since I really am not that familiar with them we opted to go with cocktails that were expertly prepared and very tasty. 

Was this the best restaurant of my trip? No, but the chef uses luxurious produce, yet his food is not pretentious, just simplicity at its finest. 

Recommend.

Happy dining,

Shanea

13/11/2022