Firedoor
Sydney, Australia; 23–33 Mary Street, Surry Hills, Sydney NSW 2010, Australia
At Firedoor, the heat source shapes the entire restaurant. Lennox Hastie works with wood fire as a precise culinary tool, adjusting the relationship between flame, embers and ingredients to create different textures and flavours. The experience makes visible the judgement required for a style of cooking that can otherwise be mistaken for simple rusticity. The Surry Hills dining room looks towards an open kitchen, bringing the work into the evening’s rhythm. A changing seasonal menu gives seafood, vegetables and meat their own place within that approach, with the kitchen’s choices determined by the produce available. The appeal lies in observing how broadly fire can be used, from a restrained touch to a more pronounced roasted character. Destination NSW’s dining coverage recognises Firedoor as a significant Sydney address. It earns its place here for the clarity of its idea and the depth with which Hastie pursues it. For travellers, this is a restaurant experience that communicates through sight and aroma as well as the plate, making technique unusually easy to appreciate.