Unsurpassed Desserts @ Ember Charcoal Grill, Singapore
On a rainy weekday afternoon, I arrived at 3-month old restaurant Ember Charcoal Grill, trying to forget a slew of mediocre dining experiences (I mean seriously, no alcohol to accompany a meal? What am I? An unsophisticated hillbilly?)
Ember Charcoal Grill is housed in a shop under HDB flats, right next to the immensely populous Church of Christ the King.
The decor is definitely on point. Walking towards it, the warm lighting shines and beckons like a beacon of hope. The lighting is warm, the decor features a lot of wood and the ambience is cosy. You can choose air-conditioned or al fresco seating.
Crispy BBQ Chicken Wings $9.90
Glazed with Hickory BBQ sauce
They feel like Korean chicken wings—- very crispy, glazed with a thick sauce and complete with white and black sesame sprinkled all over it.
Silverfern Grass-fed Striploin $25.90
Choice of Black Pepper/ Miso Butter/ Bordelaise
Any 2 sides including potato salad, mesclun salad, butter spinach, grilled brocolli, shoestring fries, coleslaw, buttery corn kernels
Midfield Grass-fed Beef Rump $23.90
I wanted to try their grass-fed beef. I have always liked grass-fed beef because they metabolize well in the body. They don’t really cause you to put on weight.
I can’t fault the presentation. Out of the 2 sauces I tried, the miso butter was incredible.
Ember Charcoal Grill knows what it’s doing. It offers a house pour red or white wine at a very reasonable $13 per glass. The kind of white or red (Chardonnay/ Sauvignon Blanc/ Syrah/ Malbec etc) depends on the restaurant’s availability. The house pour wines are ok; like South American wine.
Creme Brulee Handcrafted Waffle $15.90
Creme Brulee on waffle with brulee banana & summer fruit
The chef really knows what he is doing when it comes to desserts. The “holes” of the waffle are filled with crème brulee then baked. When done, a thick layer of sugar is sprinkled all over then torched till the brown, brittle top is formed. The pleasure, and requirement, of creme brulee is to be able to crack through the shell with a teaspoon. So many restaurants don’t do this— they sprinkle too little sugar so that the top is not hard enough. This shell definitely is hard enough. You hear the crack as you slice into it with your knife. The chef has not neglected details too. The fruit on top is also sprinkled with sugar then torched so they too have a shell. The chef has carefully chosen plum and berries. Their tartness provides a great balance to the sweetness of the creme brulee and waffle.
Speculoos Cookie $7.90
Pressed croissant, Chantilly cream, Speculoos, Caramel & Biscoff
Top-notch and unassailable. There is nothing for me to pick on. The pressed croissant is a miracle. It is like a less buttery, slightly sweeter croissant in the form of a pressed waffle. The Chantilly is light and among the best I have tasted anywhere in the world. I appreciate the crumbs scattered all over it. They have also used a real Biscoff instead of a cheap local biscuit.
You can also choose to add on ice cream to your desserts. They use New Zealand Natural Premium Ice Cream. I tried Butterscotch, White Chocolate Raspberry and Black Sesame. Out of the three, I recommend Black Sesame. It tastes like the traditional Chinese dessert.
Walking away, I remember most the pressed croissant, the Chantilly cream, the creme brulee bursting out as I sliced into the waffle and cracking the hard shell of the creme brulee. I didn’t expect it but I made a mental note in my mind to recommend this place for desserts to my friends.
Ember Charcoal Grill
332 Ang Mo Kio Ave 1, #01-1881, Singapore 560332
Tel: 8849 6435
