A friend made lunch reservations for us at this place on New Year's Eve afternoon.
Rypical unadventurous me had the usual barrage of questions- hey, it was New Year's Eve- but I later decided that it wasn't every day I got to lunch in a shop house, it wasn't every day I got to eat in a quaint little lane, and it wasn't every day that I got to experience something called Modern Indian Barbecue.
To be honest, I thought of it as Indian Fusion more than Modern Indian Barbecue when I first got there and looked at the menu.
But gradually (as I began narrowing down the choices), I began to understand why.
Meatsmith is the mid-range restaurant from the Burnt Ends group. With two locations at Telok Ayer and Campbell Lane, their menu consists of starters, smoked meats, burgers, sides, desserts and, of course, drinks.
Other joints might have other offerings, but nowhere in the starter list would they have things like Lamb meatballs with Fresh Mint and Yogurt, Stuffed Tandoori Wings, Crispy Pork Madras, and Smoked Duck Cigars.
Neither would they have mains like Smoked Cauliflower with Tomato Relish (for the vegan), Butter Chicken Chop (for those who miss their Indian-style butter chicken), Soft Shell Crab in Wrap, Coconut Pork Ribs, and Kerala Beef Short Rib.
They might have fries as a side- that's for certain- but Bombay Butter Naan? ONion Bhaji? Crab and Tobiko Biryani? Or (the US South type) of Corn Bread and Honey Butter?
There was certainly a bit of the American South in their burger menu- which, by the way, exists because Meatsmith is the mid-range restaurant of the Burnt Ends group whom, have for quite a while, made their name with big, satisfying burgers.
It would have been nice to go all American South with the Nashville Fried Chicken Sandwich, the Pulled Pork Sandwich, the Pastrami Beef Sandwich, the Bacon Double Cheeseburger, and the Corn Bread drizzled with Honey served with smoked(!) butter, but my friend and dining companion had eyes firmly set on the Meatsmith Wagyu Burger.
So, because variety is the key to any good meal, I decided to forgo the burger and go straight for the Soft Shell Crab Wrap instead.
Let's just say that I was in for a surprise.
Look, I've had wraps before.
I've also had soft shell crab before.
What I haven't had, however, is a wrap done in such an open-faced style so much so that I wasn't able to recognize it when the plate arrived at my table and I had a near argument with the poor (hapless) staff over what I thought might have been a mistaken order.
Misunderstanding (my apologies) aside, the soft shell crab wrap was really good.
The body of the crab was no small, hard, tiny, portion- there was sufficient meat to chew on- and the crab legs were crunchy.
For a moment I worried that they might have been sharp at the edge, but no, they were actually quite fun to eat, and the meat was deliciously tasty too.
The soft shell crab wrap came with a sauce- which I can't remember what- but the crab was so good on its own that I didn't have it at all.
Then again, I might have had the sauce with the flour wrap.
Or I might not have had it at all.
The wrap reminded me a little of a tortilla, so I ate it the way I eat tortillas- breaking little bits off with my hands.
The Meatsmith Wagyu Burger that my friend had was no less impressive.
Warm, bulky, chubby, big and solid, it enticed you sink your teeth straight in.
But we didn't.
Instead we began with the fries.
Along with the gorgeous burger came a side of gun powder fries.
I don't know what it is about the spice- there's no mention what it is either- but it was a little bit salty, little bit spicy, little bit sweet and very, very tasty.
What delighted me about the fries wasn't just the taste- but its size.
I had been expecting the portion to be just a handful (like what many other burger places do) but no, this was half a plate- almost a full plate- and it had the most delish dip (I think it was mint chutney or some sort of chutney) on the side.
I'd been expecting just a handful (like what many other burger places serve you) I don't know what it is about the burger that impressed me.
Together with the burger, it made for a most fantastic meal.
I didn't get to try much of the double beef patties- too busy devouring the crab leg- but I did get a little bite of the patty topped with American sliced cheddar cheese, the entire portion of house pickles, and a good half of the homemade potato bun.
I'd like to try more of the starters and the sides next time.
The Onion Bhaji (onion petals served with date yogurt sauce) looked good, as did the Corn Bread with Honey Butter. The Tandoori Stuffed Wings and the Gun Powder Duck Cigars look pretty interesting too.
But I'll likely go back for the Crispy Pork Madras too.
Because this crispy spiced pork belly on skewers has its own charm.
The Chinese side of me thinks of it as a (very small) but skillfully roasted piece of sio bak stuck onto a satay stick.
But I like the idea of it.
This is Modern Indian Barbecue after all, and if they can take a commonplace meat like pork belly, marinate it with (whatever) spice, roast it delicately, and serve it up with Madras mustard sauce, if they can make it such that the meat is tender, soft and melty with a crisp skin and no pork smell- then they're worth the order, worth the price, and worth making a trip back to Campbell Lane for.