A reservation at Burnt Ends is notoriously hard to get, so when a friend offered up hers to a group of friends to take, I jumped at the chance to visit this Michelin-starred restaurant. Nevermind that a meal there could cost me a few hundred dollars. It’s a ‘once in a while’ thing, I convinced myself.

Many courses of the ‘Chef’s Selection’ experience and a hole in my pocket later, I emerged without regret.

There were some misses for us, but on the whole it was a well-curated, perfectly paced, gastronomic adventure. I especially adored the lovely pink onglet steak with a ridiculously tasty onion and marrow sauce (S$35++/100g), and the juicy Alaskan King crab leg in some sort of herb, garlic brown butter (S$95++ full, S$47.50++ half).

Other highlights of the meal for me were the luscious Beef Uni (S$50++) a curious, delightful mix of succulent raw meat with the umami of sea urchin and some bright, sharp tasting raw vegetable/herb within, and the simple but delightful Grissini (S$12++), a cracker with creme fraiche and a mountain of chives.

Flavours were all rather special and portions measured to give diners just the right amounts to be satisfied but not overly full, as is expected of a 1-Michelin Star and one of the best restaurants in Asia/the world, I suppose. Another plus is watching the proactive staff go about doing their thing and flipping your #food over big bright flames in the open kitchen in front of you!

It’s a little surprising that a #bbq restaurant became one of Asia’s and even, the world’s, best, but after experiencing its inventive, refined dishes, quality ingredients and excellent staff, I think I can see why.

To be honest, the chef tasting menu wouldn’t be something I’d have often, mostly because of the hefty price tag it comes with (S$180-250++), but I could see myself coming back just to enjoy a perfectly done #steak with maybe a couple of their small bites or desserts. If a reservation could be secured, that is.

The smoked items were rather interesting too, like the quail egg (S$15++) and ice cream, that were respectively balanced by the creaminess of the yolk and sweetness of the chocolate fondant (S$14++).

The ones that were a bit of a miss for us were mainly Eggplant Miso (S$12++), which my partner thought was not great and I thought was just average and a tad salty, as well as the ‘Fish and Chips’ and ‘Steak Frites’ (S$35++/piece) bites where we felt that the crispy potato compltely overpowered the luxe toppings.

Overall it was a well curated and paced gastronomic experience that I’d love to return for if I get rich someday (also, as some items are seasonal and there would be new things to try)!

Service was impeccable too, the staff constantly check on you and replace your places and all in an unobtrusive manner and the chef also came by frequently to make sure we were enjoying our meal.

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Burnt Ends
20 Teck Lim Road, Singapore 088391
Website: https://www.burntends.com.sg/