But last week must have been my luckiest one for years. I managed to secure tables at two of the most coveted restaurants in Singapore, Odette and Burnt Ends. It's almost like winning the lottery. All I needed to do next was to book my flight and off I go on this trip.
Burnt Ends is located just steps from Keong Saik Road, one of Singapore's top eat streets. I decided to come early to check out a number of places including Keong Saik Bakery (恭食烘焙坊) before my highly anticipated dinner.
It's amazing what people would do for good food. Check out these outdoor seats facing Teck Lim Road. Not exactly the most comfortable places to be sitting but the chance to experience chef-owner Dave Pynt's grilled meat was way too much to pass up.
The daily menu was a short and sharp one. Only 6 snacks, 6 starters, 3 mains, 3 side dishes and 3 desserts to choose from. Disappointingly, no langoustine (served with umami-rich kombu beurre blanc) from Chef Pynt’s native Western Australia today. That one stinks a little bit.
I will be camped here against the wall tonight with my back towards the open kitchen.
Finally, Chef Pynt shows up where he belongs, getting himself ready and directing traffic in the kitchen.
Smoked quail egg and caviar (SGD$15.00) - Lovely smoky flavor, probably from the hay-smoke. The caviar was surprisingly a non-factor here without the burst of flavors.
Eggplant and miso (SGD$12.00) - The perfectly thin and crispy batter was so irresistible.
With my first bite, it felt a bit like having deep-fried zucchini flower (but I later found out it was way better!). The eggplant was soft on the outside coated with a nice crispy crust but very juicy and moist inside. The miso aioli tasted like it's been smoked giving the eggplant some beautiful smoky flavor and there's a bit of jalapeño in there too for some extra heat. Likely my favorite dish of the night.
Beef marmalade and house pickles (SGD$14.00) - The chef's signature snack featuring a beef marmalade that has been slow-cooked for 16 hours. It was served on a sourdough toast with house pickles and fresh chives on top.
The minced beef was sweet and savory at the same time. Very nice.
Burnt Ends' Sanger (SGD$20.00) - I have heard a lot of great things about the chef's version of a pulled pork burger. In fact, it's so popular that I think it's available on UberEATS now.
There were pulled pork shoulder, cole slaw and chipotle aioli sandwiched between the super buttery brioche buns. It's seriously tasty and very addictive. A very filling dish that is probably better to be enjoyed with someone (I was so full after taking down the whole thing on my own).
Beef tenderloin, burnt onion and bone marrow (SDG$56.00) - My main course was the chef's grilled beef tenderloin served with burnt onion, bone marrow and a kale salad on the side. I ordered exactly 200 grams of meat (SGD$28.00 per 100g) and turned out it's a lot for a solo diner!
What tied everything together was the homemade gravy made with steak jus, red wine reduction, onion purée and of course, the bone marrow.
My server recommended medium rare and it's right on the money with a nice charred exterior. This was so tender and juicy.
At this point, I was way over my limit so as much as I wanted to take on the chef's spiced pumpkin pie, I decided to settle the bill instead.
I have been waiting for this meal for more than 2 years now so it was nice to get it out of the way. The chef's signature grilled meat was certainly as good as advertised but for someone like me who's not really a meat lover, the miso eggplant and Burnt Ends' Sanger showed up as surprisingly tastier options.
Food Rating: 7.2/10
Price: $$$$
Address: 20 Teck Lim Road, Singapore
Closest Metro Station: Outram Park / Chinatown
Tel: +65 6224-3933
Website: burntends.com.sg
S. Pellegrino Asia's 50 Best Restaurants: 10th (2019)
S. Pellegrino World’s 50 Best Restaurants: 59th (2019)
Opening Hours: 12:00pm - 2:00pm (Fri - Sat), 6:00pm - 12:00am (Tue - Sat)
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