Firebird By Hanoi Hannah

The Verdict

If you’re a true Melbourian you’ve most definitely heard of Hanoi Hannah, and if you’re a fan of Asian-fusion style eating, you more than likely eat there religiously. Joining the Hanoi Hannah family is Firebird, and it brings plenty of flames and flavour to its prime Windsor location. 

The dining room—with room for 110 patrons—boasts a combination of intimate dimmed lighting and warm, welcoming tones to draw you in off the bustling High Street. The geniuses at Ewert Leaf have worked wonders on the interiors, swapping out the two floors for one and giving the space has a modern industrial transformation with raw concrete and exposed beams. The  Pièce de résistance is the custom-built chargrill and woodfired ovens, sitting in full view of the diners in the open kitchen.

Head Chef Steven Ngo is taking it full-flame ahead, with the menu boasting an array of small dishes, noodles and feasts straight from the fire. There’s a little something for everyone, with a range of options from charred cabbage to a juicy T-bone. If you’re not sure what you’re looking for, you can get involved in a four-course chef's selection for $58 a head, or a vegan version for $48. The flames continue behind the bar, with cocktails featuring roasted grapefruit; charred pineapple and flamed orange-infused drinks and a Highball containing burnt-plum-and-galangal shrub.

Find Firebird at 223 High Street, Windsor, opening from Thursday 4 June.

Image credit: Jana Longhorst