Since opening in Singapore’s Chinatown precinct in 2013, modern Australian barbeque restaurant Burnt Ends has been a tricky table to book. Part of this is because the restaurant isn’t big. Between its counter seats – the best seats in the house – chef’s table and bar seats, the restaurant can accommodate around 30 guests and only accepts reservations for its first sitting.
It’s also a heck of a time: between Perth-born chef Dave Pynt’s focused, open-fire cooking and the restaurant’s freewheeling service style and well-stocked cellar and liquor cabinet, a meal at Burnt Ends is really, really fun. Following the announcement of this year’s World’s 50 Best Restaurants list, expect demand for tables to rise.
At a ceremony held in Antwerp overnight, Burnt Ends came in at number 34 on the annual awards list, as voted by chefs, food writers and eaters around the world. Since making its debut on the longlist of restaurants ranked 51 to 100 in 2016 (Burnt Ends came in at number 70 that year), the restaurant has been a constant presence in the global countdown, as well as on the regional Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants list. This year is the first time Burnt Ends has broken into the top 50.
“Well done slayers!” the restaurant announced on Instagram overnight. (One suspects that Pynt was in charge of social media during the awards.) “This is a huge achievement to be very proud of!”
Although there are no Australian restaurants in this year’s top 50 countdown – in September, Victorian fine diners Brae and Attica were included on the 51–100 longlist – the controversial awards still include a healthy smattering of Australian DNA. Adelaide expat James Spreadbury is restaurant manager at Noma, which took out the top gong, while four Australians – Jo Barrett and Matt Stone of Future Food System; Saint Peter’s Josh Niland; and Worimi man and farmer Josh Gilbert – were included in the inaugural 50 Next List, a collection of global changemakers in the food industry.
See the full list of winners at theworlds50best.com.
