Review: Burnt & Co Chef’s Table Menu at Artisans Playground

Of smoke, flames and grill, Chef Raymond Tham and his team at Burnt & Co present its Chef Table Menu with a beautiful play on food with fire. 

The past year has been nothing but celebrations for Chef Raymond Tham and his team at The KARLS Group. From the many dining experiences he has brought to life — Dior Cafe and a recent dinner for badminton legends Datuk Lee Chong Wei, Lee Yong-Dae, Peter Gade and Taufik Hidayat — we find ourselves, time and time again, delighting in his many pursuits. And his latest venue is one that needs special mention. 

Enter Burnt & Co, Tham’s most recent and third outpost after Skillet@163 and Beta KL. Together with a vibrant team at The Karls Group, the addition of this new restaurant has once again changed the way we look at food. 

Located at Artisan’s Playground by COOKHOUSE, the latest concept dining space at Rivercity, Jalan Ipoh, Burnt & Co joins some of the city’s most talented chefs and restaurateurs in offering unique gastronomic experiences to the most discerning diners in town. It is truly a fun space to discover great food, new creations and creative interpretations of both sweet and savoury — featuring the likes of Voila Patisserie helmed by World Pastry Champions, Chef Otto Tay and Chef Loi; Pie Guys by Chef Diego Reali of Natalina’s; as well as Drum Coffee Roaster for a therapeutic waft of perk-me-up goodness. 

Right on the far end corner, Burnt & Co takes up a bar-side space serving a menu that centres around fire and lets the Josper grill do what it does best. Here’s what we think of the latest Burnt & Co Chef’s Table Menu — and if it’s worth a try. 

Playing with Fire

We start with Hokkaido Scallop Tartare served with grilled wing beans, peanut butter and tomato water. While the dish sounds absolutely bizarre, the balance of flavours is simply divine. The charred wing bean adds such a great depth of flavour to the clarity the scallop offers, subtly layering the ‘clean texture’ with a smoky aroma. 

Not like it needs another elements of surprise, but the kitchen team continues to impress with a side of cheesy toast — one of the best we’ve every tasted. What’s unique is how it has been taken to the very edge with charred expressions that tick all the boxes. It is absolutely smoky, umami, creamy, toasty, and satisfying. A boxing match of flavours, the deep smokiness lifts the creaminess of the cheese with such finesse. 

You can really taste the ‘fire’ in every mouthful, each carefully torched to create such a deep and rich smokiness with such simple ingredients — a cheesy toast 2.0. 

With the cheesy toast setting the bar up high, it’s a good idea to wash down the palate with a nice soupy dish — Clams and Broth. Like a good heart soup, this version is light and comforting with loads of oceanic notes. Oh, and every spoonful counts because you only get that much.

Catch of the Day

Another great dish to sample is the Tiger Prawn Smoked Paprika with Garlic. Simply celebrating the freshness of the tiger prawn. Generally the best way to truly enjoy seafood, the added char gives the dish a beautiful elevation in terms of flavour and balance.   

Next on the menu is the fire-grilled Kailan with Wild Garlic Oil and Special Sauce. If you are #TeamBrusselSprouts and love them charred in the oven, this is the dish for you. With slightly burnt edges and an al dente cook on the veggies, it’s such a joy to eat this dish. The umami wild garlic also adds a beautiful kiss of richness despite the simplicity of the dish. 

After cleansing the palate with a simple zesty granita, indulge in the next dish — a smoked duck bao. Served on hay (and still sizzling), the smoked duck is beautifully perfumed with Szechuan pepper and a whole lot of smoke. Every piece is juicy, with the right amount of fat and meat, building up a delightful mouthfeel when eaten with the fluffy steamed bao.

Picture this: the moment when you take that first mouthful and it completely shuts you up. You look at the person next to you, and the only exchanges are couple of smiles and a prolonged hmmm. That’s exactly what every bite gives off.

Alternatively, if you’re not a fan of gamey meats, there’s always the Australian Wagyu Striploin M7 on the menu. 

Finishing Off

With a whole lot of rich and dark elements happening throughout the menu, you’d expect a fresh and light ending to the meal. ‘Lightness’ is one of the words to describe the dessert but with the ‘Smoked Chocolate, Coffee Foam and Soil’, it is a velvety rich finale that is profoundly nuanced with elements of smoke. Despite having coffee and chocolate as the main components, the dessert is not at all heavily drowned in rich flavours. 

Aerated coffee foam brings in a nice balance to the quenelle of smoked chocolate ice cream, while the soil adds crunch. Each mouthful also reminds you of the smokiness that is delightfully enjoyed thoroughly throughout the Chef’s Table Menu — each carefully considered and curated with the fire elements in mind. 

Is it a unique dining experience? Yes! Is it worth going for? Of course. And is it a great dining option for a date? Not really, but it’ll be great to come with fellow foodies or friends who simply want to have a good time with a glass of wine on the side. 

Burnt & Co Chef’s Table Menu is priced from RM208, with an add-on of RM120 (for three glasses of champagne and wine pairing) or RM150 (for four glasses of champagne and wine pairing).