ABU DHABI- Celebrity chef and restaurateur Ross Shonhan has announced plans to launch Strawfire, a restaurant that offers Japanese Warayaki culinary experience in October.
The new restaurant will be located at the Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental, Abu Dhabi.
According to the chef, the new restaurant will offer ‘a progressive and immersive dining experience that celebrates the visceral art of Japanese Warayaki cooking with straw and fire.’
The new restaurant will encapsulate the energy of Warayaki cooking by combining the hues and amber flames of straw with the charcoal black of the grill. This sophisticated dining experience is expected to delight and excite customers’ senses.
The restaurant will offer customers a unique, luxury experience by merging traditional Japanese culinary techniques with a bold, contemporary design.
Strawfire will feature five spaces, each distinctly designed for a theatrical, unique dining experience: the Tsumiko Lounge, Warayaki room, Kumiko room, Terasu room, and the Toyama Rooms.
The spaces will be complemented by bespoke Japanese art, a Shimenawa rope, and hand-painted silk wall and ceiling coverings.
The celebrity chef reiterated that the Shimenawa rope holds deep cultural significance in Japan. It is used to ward off impurities and mark sacred spaces.
The rope will be featured in the space’s private dining room. It will measure 7.3 meters and be suspended above the dining table. Weighing 830 kilograms, it will be the largest synthetic Shimenawa ever made.
Shonhan revealed more details about the new restaurant, including specific menu items, which will be revealed later. However, enthusiasts have already expressed excitement and anticipation over the new restaurant at Abu Dhabi’s most iconic location.
Ross Shonhan said, “I’m thrilled to bring the stories of Japan to Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental, Abu Dhabi, through cuisine, beverage, and craftsmanship. We aim to be one of Abu Dhabi’s finest and most unique dining destinations.”
“Strawfire is designed as a spectacular collision of ingredients, techniques, art, culture and conversation. This unique concept epitomises the theatrical nature of dining out, serving a modern Japanese cuisine mix. I cannot wait to welcome our first guests later this year.”
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