Burnt Ends | BBQ for the Meat Lover

It begun with a casual question among a group of food aficionadas,and what came along was an impromptu decision to try out Burnt Ends, an eatery that has been in our radar for a long time but haven’t quite got the company or time to visit the restaurant co-owned by big names such as Chef Andre Chiang and hoteliers, Loh Lik Peng and Mavis Oei

Burnt Ends is headed by Australian chef, Dave Pynt who runs the famous and similarly sounding pop-up in London, Burnt Enz specializing in barbeque and grilled meats. Unlike the London pop-up, the Burnt Ends at Teck Lim Road is more classy and “atas” (upscale), which is reflected in both its menu and upscale décor including the pendant lamps designed by Cici Chen and Lui Honfay from Cilicon Faytory (you might have seen their benches at the Circle Line Stations).

We began with a signature Burnt Ends appetizer: the Smoked Quail Eggs (6++ SGD). It might look innocently ordinary but biting into one of these releases a runny and very smoky egg yolk. Quite a surprise but one is more than enough for me.

The next item we had was the curiously named Jacob’s Ladder (14++ SGD), a short rib steak served with mustard mash. It was amazingly tender and juicy, with beautiful charred bits and smoky aroma.

The Lamb and Carrots (14++ SGD) is like the lamb version of the Jacob’s Ladder, once again, the texture of the meat was amazing, very tender and juicy and none of the pungent game flavour from lamb. Instead, there is a mild but fragrant earth lamb flavour with pairs very well with the sweet creamy carrot puree.

Feeling a bit adventurous, Esmond and I also got the Duck Hearts (16.00++ SGD) which resembled a chewier version of a duck sausage. I also enjoyed the endive served along with the duck hearts.

One of the stars of the meal is none other than the famed Burnt Ends Sanger (20++ SGD) with Pulled Pork Shoulder, Spicy Chipotle Aioli, Jalapenos, coleslaw and brioche. This was really good. Imagine a really good Ramly Burger or Turkish Wet Burger and combine that with a juicy, tender, tasty pulled pork shoulder as well as a brioche bun to soak up all that gravy. That is the Burnt Ends Sanger, a harmonious mix of spiciness from the creamy chipotle aioli, very fine and tender pulled pork with occasional crunch from the sour jalapeno.

We also had the Kingfish, Apple and Seaweed (18++ SGD) which was quite decent.

All these were just the appetizers and by now, I was actually feeling a bit full, but I still looking forward to the mains with the excellent appetizers. The Jamaican Chicken was prepared in brine and unsurprisingly I found it too salty to my liking. Parts of the meat were “medium rare” which is unsettling for some diners, but it is actually okay as the meat was marinated in brine.

The next main was the Rump Cap (23++ SGD per 100g) which was served medium rare. It was quite decent for its flavours but the cutlery used for eating this dish made it frustrating to enjoy the meal fully. The knives were not sharp enough and the small curved plates made it difficult to effectively cut the meat.

The much anticipated dish of the day: the Suckling Pig would be a real delight to the meat purist. The pork was served without marinade to give diners the real and natural flavours of the pork. If desired, you could enjoy it with the sea salt provided as well.

In retrospective, although the meat was unevenly cooked, I also felt that it gives a variety of textures and flavours to be enjoyed with a single suckling pig. Certain parts were on the drier side or have a stronger meat flavour while other parts are juicy with crunchy pork skin. While the variation is quite interesting, I am just wondering whether it was deliberate.

Overall, I felt that the appetizers fared much better on that day and they are certainly worth going back for, especially the Burnt Ends Sanger, on a special occasion of course. The entire meal cost about 80 SGD per person for a group of eight people. Reservations is highly recommended.

Burnt Ends

20 Teck Lim Road

Singapore 088391