Named after the white charcoal used to smoke its French-Japanese tapas, Le Binchotan is a chic eatery dishing out small plates, large plates, and skewered items licked by the grill. Don't be fooled by the large mirror at the back of the restaurant, the diner is small and only seats 38. Have your meal at a private table or grab a seat by the long bar that occupies a bulk of the restaurant's space.
A year on, a lot has changed for Le Binchotan. Chef Jeremmy Chiam has taken over as chef-owner and has refreshed the menu to include new dishes such as Edible Charcoal ($23) – Angus short ribs are braised for 16 hours in saikyo miso and port wine jus before the pulled beef is wrapped in popiah skin dusted in powdered bamboo charcoal and deep-fried – and char-pork jowl ($35), a generous hunk of grilled meat served with refreshing slices of green apple and a curry sauce. Old favourites such as the sakura ebi capellini ($27) are still on the menu while others like the uni and caviar ($25) have been given a makeover. Still served on a creamy bed of corn mousse, the wild-caught bafun uni is now plated with sturgeon caviar and shoyu pearls for an extra burst of umami.