Tucked deep within a small corner of Seletar airbase lies a non-descript, no-frills joint called the Sunset Bar and Grill.
But strip away its friendly service and “Sunday barbeque” picnic feel and you’ll discover — at your own peril — that its kitchen is home to the hottest wings in Singapore (and, possibly, Batam and Malaysia).
By hot, i mean palate-busting, tongue-scorching, tear-jerking HOT.
I found out first-hand just how toxic its buffalo wings are when me and a couple of friends paid a visit to the cosy, well-hidden grill-cum-pub last Sunday.
The first thing you’ll notice is that it’s not easily accessible. It’s nestled so deep within Seletar airbase that as you drive in (walking is not advised), you’ll pass a series of crickety maintenance hangars for old planes. If you’re lucky, you might even pass a few fit-for-museum propeller planes and a private jet or two.
If you choose to sit alfresco in the early evenings, you’ll also get a good view of the sun as it sets. Situated literally right next to the Seletar airfield, it’s also not uncommon for low-flying aircraft and propeller planes to skim the horizon as they land or take-off.
The food is decent. It serves mostly western fare such as fish and chips ($15.50), mini-burgers ($14.50) and pork ribs ($29.80).
But the real highlight is, of, course, the wings. I’ll be the first to admit I love my chicken wings — fried, barbequed, buffalo, KFC or McDonald’s-style — I love them all. And upon first glance at the menu, I wondered to myself, “Come on, really, how hot can these wings be?”
In fact, when the friendly waiter advised that “rookies” like us should start with a ”Level 2″ (Level 1 and 2 are just normal chicken wings. Level 3 is when they start adding the chilli padi into the marinated batter and it goes all the way up to a Level 30), I scoffed and immediately ordered a half-dozen of “Level 3″ ($19.50).
The result? Suffice it to say it was an induction into hell on earth — in your mouth. Several gung-ho members of my group found the wings to be from a “Okay, what! Quite tolerable!” to a tear-squelching, “Can I have a pail of ice with my Coke?”
It got worse.
Seeing as we were already at the deep end, we took the plunge and went on to order a “Level 5″ before finishing off with a take-no-prisoners “Level 10″. Frankly, after a certain point, your tongue goes dead and you don’t taste anything. The secret? Wolf down the wings as quickly as possible and avoid the chilli paste stinging your lips and eyes.
Several Cokes and beers later, and after the mini-explosion in my stomach had subsided, I felt pretty pleased about myself — after all, I had conquered a “Level 10″ whereas the table beside ours was struggling to polish off a half-dozen “Level 5″s.
My sense of satisfaction was short-lived after I chanced upon the Sunset Grill “Chili Heads Hall of Fame” — a wall dedicated to the adventurous folks who’d tried the Level 30 and survived to tell the tale. It was…a pretty long wall.
Despite its ultra-hidden location, the establishment has a large loyal following. On a Sunday evening, the 100-seater or so bar was packed to the rafters.
Business was so good that the bar’s American owner, Jerry Griffis, 76, declined to have his picture taken.
The former businessman, who used to run an aerospace engineering firm and has been living in Singapore for the past 35 years, said, “I really don’t need the publicity. As you can see, I’ve got more business than I can handle right now.”
And he was right.
My friends and I weren’t the only ones crazy enough to tempt death by chilli.
Sunset Grill and Bar
Republic of Singapore Flying Club
140-B Piccadilly Road, Seletar Airbase
East Camp
Tel: 64820244
Open from 4pm (last order at 930pm)
Directions: Turn left at Seletar Army Camp and drive straight until you hit a small road called Seletar Aerospace View. Turn right and drive straight past a series of maintenance hangars and small planes by the wayside. You will find the open carpark of Sunset Bar and Grill beside the Republic of Singapore Flying Club.
