One of the most iconic wood-fire restaurants in Singapore, Burnt Ends is perched on Dempsey Hill, where chef-owner Dave Pynt masters the grill with a steady hand. This modern barbecue has its legion of fans with must-orders every time they visit—the king crab leg, for instance, is kissed by wood-fire for a smoky note to its tender meat, accompanied by generous spoonfuls of brown butter with capers, and sourdough to mop it up. Don’t forget the Blackmore’s OP rib, which is dry-aged for 77 days and presented to you glistening with juices. Wood-fire delights deserve a good pour, and with 2,000 bottles in the restaurant’s wine cellar and 500 labels of Australia’s finest artisan wineries, there’s no dearth of choice here.

When the flavours of Indian cuisine meet the unmistakable char of wood-fire, it’s unstoppable. That is exactly the case at Revolver, which has a reputation for being a particularly hard restaurant to book in Singapore. Meats and vegetables are treated with the same reverence here—take the Hokkaido pumpkin in the current Bullet 12 menu, which is expertly grilled and glazed with a mushroom tare. Or the aged venison, a standout that is gently grilled for the right doneness, best eaten with a ginger nihari sauce. 

Read more: Revolver launches its brand-new private experience room

With Tribal’s hand-woven rattan macramé mimicking the traditional houses of Southeast Asia, you could almost imagine meats sizzling over a simple fire in the kitchen. Indeed, few places pay homage to this ancient cooking technique quite as well as Tribal does, which only opened this past January. Communal dining is the best way to enjoy this restaurant, so come with friends and family and order mains such as the Santori organic chicken, which is glazed in a gai yang marinade and then slow-roasted. Or go for the St Louis pork ribs, glazed in a kampot pepper barbecue sauce.

Tribal
Address: 83 Neil Road, 01-07, S(089813), +65 9789 4699

Perched on the 51st floor of the Capitaspring building is Kaarla, an Australian restaurant that turns its wild-caught produce into grand wood-fire plates. The magic happens in the wood grill and oven built by Samuel Fraraccio (also known as the “Brick Chef”), which allows for cooking at various temperatures thanks to its adjustable hanging levels. All the better for head chef Chase Weber, whose menu includes delights like barbecue Fremantle octopus in an egg and burnt butter sauce with kangaroo floss, and a Jacks Creek full blood Wagyu short rib MBS 5.

Don’t expect traditional Filipino cuisine at Kubô. Here, chef Kurt Sombero, who cut his teeth at Burnt Ends, crafts modern Filipino dishes that are both contemporary and homely. At its centre is the pugon, the traditional wood-fire brick oven that spills out heat and energy from the open-concept kitchen to the rest of the restaurant. The smoked octopus is a fine example of Sombero’s wood-fired expertise, served with squid ink, adobo and a white bean purée. The pork longganissa is another must-order, starring a pork belly patty marinated in soy, grilled, then topped with ikura and a cured egg yolk. 

Kubô
Address: 80 Mohamed Sultan Road, 01-12 The Pier at Robertson, S(239013)

From the beloved steakhouse Bedrock comes Fireplace by Bedrock, a new modern wood-fire restaurant situated within the newly-opened One Holland Village. Noticeably relaxed and casual, this place stands out with its simple wood-fire techniques with great results—see the honey orange Jurassic quail, which is marinated with an orange and honey glaze. But look out for signatures such as the crispy pork belly, which is cooked sous vide overnight before it is hung over the grill and slow-cooked for six hours. The result is a cut of meat that’s very succulent and touched with smoke. Dip it in any one of its signature sauces, which come with every main, including pommery mustard, chimichurri, apple ketchup, and green chilli relish.

Fireplace by Bedrock
Address: 7 Holland Village Way, 03-27-28 One Holland Village, S(275748), +65 6589 8760

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