Barbecue City
Chef Dave Pynt's Meatsmith brand goes to Qatar.
It started with Burnt Ends, which opened in 2013 and quickly became one of the hottest tables around. From that success, sprung an entire stable of barbecuefocused restaurants under the Burnt Ends Hospitality Group: Meatsmith Telok Ayer, Meatsmith Little India, the now-defunct Meatsmith hawker stall, Burnt Ends Bakery and an online delivery arm, Burnt Ends Bakery. Now, chefowner Dave Pynt is opening a Meatsmith in Doha, Qatar.
“Meatsmith explores various cultures, cooking techniques and flavours to create an eclectic menu suited to any location. With two bespoke restaurants in
Singapore, we were looking at spreading the flamed-grilled love internationally,” says Pynt, who shares that “new dishes that specifically cater to the local market preferences have been created and added to the core eclectic menu”. One such item is a lobster roll, only found on the Doha menu.
The new restaurant is the result of a partnership between Burnt Ends Hospitality and Aura Hospitality. They also collaborated on an earlier restaurant, The Ledge at Waldorf Astoria Maldives.
To get things running, head chef Eddie Goh of Meatsmith Telok Ayer and Burnt Ends Hospitality Group General Manager Thomas Koh flew to Doha. Daily operations will eventually be run by Samuel Chillau, Meatsmith Doha’s head chef. For Meatsmith regulars in Singapore, the Doha location will be a familiar sight, thanks to a large smoker and elevation grills churning out Meatsmith favourites like smoked brisket, beef marmalade, and massive tomahawk steaks. The Doha menu does not include pork. Instead, it offers house-crafted mocktails and a “superb tea selection”.
The ambition doesn’t stop there. Plans are already under way for a Meatsmith in Jakarta sometime this year.