I first heard about Firedoor in Surry Hills on an episode of Chef’s Table on Netflix. The visuals and Chef Lennox’s evident passion for cooking were enough to convince me to book a table. First, a bit of background on Chef Lennox Hastie. He developed his skills by working at some of the world’s top Michelin Star Restaurants for over sixteen years. His resume includes tenures at the award-winning Le Manoir au Quat Saisons (two Michelin stars), La Maison du Marc Veyrat (three Michelin stars), and Martin Berasategui (three Michelin stars).
However, his passion for working with fire was born after working with Victor Arguinzoniz at the Asador Etxebarri in the Basque region of Spain. The restaurant’s tradition of wood-fired grilling inspired Lennox to push the limits of what could be cooked in an open wood fire. This form of cooking sounds simple but actually is a remarkably complex art that intends to highlight ingredients in their natural state.
Inspired by his work at Etxebarri, Lennox returned to Australia and opened up Firedoor Surry Hills in partnership with the Fink Group in 2015.
As you can expect, the kitchen at Firedoor Surry Hills is powered entirely by a wood fire. A variety of woods are used to enhance the natural flavors of the ingredients being cooked.
And that about sets the premise of this dining experience; fresh ingredients cooked over an open fire.
The Pièce de Résistance - 204 Day Aged Steak
One of the things I saw in the Netflix episode that particularly piqued my interest was their 204 days aged steak. The intricate process is outlined in detail on the Netflix episode; the bit that got my interest was that a layer of butter was painted over the steak each day (!).
My research also shows that World’s 101 Best Steak Restaurants also ranks Firedoor Surry Hills as the NUMBER ONE best steak restaurant in the world.
We thus went into Firedoor with a mission and got the aged steak even though it cost three times that of the regular steak option.
It did not disappoint, and the steak was GLORIOUS!. The insides were juicy and creamy. The outer layer was cooked to perfection, offering a mixture of charred, salt, and buttery flavors. If you only order one thing when you visit this venue, this is IT.
The other dishes we ordered very similarly had varying degrees of smokiness or char to them.
Pumpkin Bread
All the bread is made in-store, and you can taste the freshness. Enough said
Roasted Vegetables
Topped off with a miso sauce concoction
Smoked Bonito
Topped off with pomelo, radish, and wasabi sauce
Donnybrook Maroon
Super fresh maroon flavored with sea blite and emerald finger lime.
Grilled Pumpkin
Pyengana, buttermilk, and garlic chives
Grilled Fish
Another highlight for me. The Mahi Mahi was served with bok choy and seasoned with sunrise lime.
Roasted Pipis
Fresh pips sautéed with XO Sauce
Roasted Lamb
Margra lamb served with snake beans and black garlic. The lamb was cooked to perfection.
Smoked Creme Diplomat
Roasted Apple slice served with a smoked creme diplomat, crimson snow, and mille-feuille.
To finish off dinner, we were served these cute marshmallows as palate cleansers.
Overall I was impressed with the service standard; the sommelier displayed excellent knowledge of the wine pairings, and I cannot recommend the foods highly enough. Simply brilliant
Restaurant: Firedoor Surry Hills
Locations: 23-33 Mary St, Surry Hills NSW 2010
Menu and Online Bookings – https://www.firedoor.com.au
Contact for bookings – (02) 8204 0800
Opening Hours – Wednesday – Saturday – 5.30pm to 9pm
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