Food review: Burnt Ends | 3/5

SINGAPORE — There’s a decidedly butch vibe about Burnt Ends, the latest in Loh Lik Peng’s collection of restaurants and this time, with chef Andre Chiang as a new partner. This no-reservations industrial-chic eatery specialises in food that is grilled or roasted, and features three fierce-looking charcoal grills that can be lowered or raised by a hand crank, and two impressive wood-fire ovens, all in service of a menu that changes daily.

It helps that head chef David Pynt cuts a lumberjack’s figure with his thick beard and broad forearms, honed, no doubt, from working those cranks and the oversized paddles that lift food in and out of the ovens.

Fittingly, the food here has a raw simplicity to it. There is little embellishment or fancy sauces. Rather, the focus seems to be on Pynt’s technique — as long as he gets the food on the right heat and for the right amount of time, it’s all good.

This simplicity of flavours works in dishes like a flat iron steak (S$21 per 100 grams) cooked to a splendid char on the outside while still warm and pink within. It is served on a bed of pureed caramelised onions, along with some fresh watercress that lends a fresh, bitter contrast to the rich meat.

Pynt and his team also do a lovely roasted quail (S$18) that is brined for 24 hours — which, besides ensuring the meat is succulent, also infuses it with plenty of flavour — before hitting a 700 degrees Celsius oven. It’s served with a drizzle of rocket pesto and some garlic aioli with a kick.

A whole roasted baby snapper (S$60) looked impressive, but its plain flavours got a bit boring after the fifth bite. Conversely, a simple slice of thick char-grilled toast topped with roasted cherry tomatoes and slivers of melting lardo (S$14) was exceptionally good. “The best fancy bruschetta ever,” declared my dining companion.

Frankly, we preferred the more nibbly items on the menu that didn’t really showcase the grill or oven, such as the warmed oysters (S$7) whose half shells were filled with a beautiful lemony-briny broth. The runaway hit for us was the house-made duck ham (S$14), these were like more luscious, sweeter slices of Iberico ham with a faint citrusy edge.

We were also served a bowl filled with little sticks of pork crackling swimming in sweet mustard (S$5). Those suckers were so crunchy they nearly cracked our teeth, but we inhaled them quickly anyway because crispy pork fat, in whatever permutation, is just so damn irresistible.

The highlight of the grilled items was, for us, a local banana (pisang mas) grilled till it was sweet and soft (S$8), like goreng pisang without the fried batter. Served with a scoop of caramel ice cream, it was simple and satisfying, which pretty much sums up the dining experience here. ANNETTE TAN

Burnt Ends

Where:

20 Teck Lim Road

Telephone:

6224 3933

Opening hours: Daily 6pm till late, closed on Sunday