I have heard so much about Burnt Ends but have never had a chance to go.  The hype is incredible for this restaurant.  It has been named in Asia’s #12 Best Restaurant and in the Top 50 of the World’s Best Restaurants.  And now, after I dined there it was awarded a Michelin Star.

In fact I met George Calombaris, from MasterChef Australia fame, on a flight to New Delhi and he was even touting Burnt Ends!

So I chanced on an open reservation and took the opportunity to get my eat on.

Located near Chinatown in the hot spots of restaurants in Singapore, it’s tucked away quietly.

The place has mainly kitchen counter seating, some facing the open kitchen and some facing the bar area.  There are also seats that face the wall – obviously not a place you really want to be. But people take it because it’s so tough to get a seat, if you can get it you can.  You can also sit outside if you’re lucky enough to get a spot to walk in. The star of the show is this wood oven.  It heats the wood to certain temperatures – the temperature gauge is on the wall – and that is what is used to cook.  The food is cooked directly in this oven and also the embers are transferred to other cooking areas.They are transferred to grills such as these.  That’s where meats and others are seared and finished cooking on the grill and over the fire.  Every day there’s is a different menu depending upon what may pop up as seasonal items in the market or elsewhere.  There are a lot of mainstays on the menu, but there definitely are some items which don’t come often.  For example the Marron is a special for the night. Me, I was lucky enough to get seated right in front of Head Chef Dave Pynt and one of his chefs, Yvette, at the pass.  It is an awesome seat – I got to see all the action and how dishes were plated and sent off.  Highly recommended – request it is you get a reservation! My first dish was the Jerk Chicken Wings with Lime Crema.A closer look at the grilled goodness.  Very flavorful indeed!  My only criticism is that it’s only part of the chicken wing and you’re paying through the nose for it.  But the taste is there, just wish there were 4-6 more pieces of it! Next up was Eggplant.  I thought it would be Grilled, after all it’s a BBQ/Grill restaurant.  Instead it came battered and fried.  Interesting… Tender – yes.  Smokiness – a little.  Not sure where the grill comes in here.  One of the ladies next to me said it was not one of her favorites on the menu.  I have to say it’s also really not one of mine.Next comes the highly recommend Pork Sanger.   This thing is like a meal itself!  It’s Smoked Pork Shoulder with a Chipotle Aioli, Cole Slaw on a Brioche Bun.  The bun was soft as anything.  The Pork was so flavorful with the marinade and the smokiness of the grill.  The slaw eases it out.  A great – and filling – item. Then onto the main course!  This is a tenderloin with Bone Marrow and Burnt Onion.Wow.  Tender, flavorful, full of everything you want in a piece of beef.  This was absolutely like butter and full of flavor. I don’t know how I did it, but I managed to pull of dessert.  Mainly because I saw Smoked Ice Cream and I was so curious about it. It just so happened the Ice Cream came with a Chocolate Fondant. The Fondant was great, it melted and the chocolate oozed out.  But the Ice Cream was the star.  Wow, the smokiness of the Ice Cream was amazing!  Infused with smoke it was unlike any Ice Cream I have ever tasted.  Just give me the entire bucket and a spoon!An amazing night of food and talking with those around me.  Really a great time watching Chef Dave and Chef Yvette work and a great time.  It will cost you about SGD$100 a person if you don’t drink alcohol, but the food is good.  Get a reservation if you can!