We haven’t had a bad dining experience in a long time (if ever) so buckle up for the worst restaurant in Sydney of 2022-2023.
If you didn’t know, Firedoor is an Australian restaurant in Sydney, known for their wood fire method of cooking. They aired on Netflix’s popular show Chef’s Table and since their TV fame, they went from zero to 3 Hats (Michelin stars) in a span of 4 months.
You might be thinking the food must be to die for for having 3 Hats so soon but we (and the hundreds of negative reviews on TripAdvisor, Instagram and Google) can assure you that this restaurant is not worth the hype.
We dined on Wednesday 21st December 2022 and the set menu was $165 per person.
If you didn’t know, Firedoor is an Australian restaurant in Sydney, known for their wood fire method of cooking. They aired on Netflix’s popular show Chef’s Table and since their TV fame, they went from zero to 3 Hats (Michelin stars) in a span of 4 months.
You might be thinking the food must be to die for for having 3 Hats so soon but we (and the hundreds of negative reviews on TripAdvisor, Instagram and Google) can assure you that this restaurant is not worth the hype.
We dined on Wednesday 21st December 2022 and the set menu was $165 per person.
Notes
If they want to be a restaurant worthy of 3 Michelin stars, they will be judged and reviewed like one. I am breaking down this review into subheadings that I would do with any highly graded establishment and if it sounds harsh, well it means Firedoor was not ready for 3 stars, and the one who rewarded them should get their tastebuds checked.
Also, the set menu does not include the famous wood fire steak. It costs $290 extra. Our T-bone was 750g, including the bone.
We specifically asked the server “If i only order your set menu, will I be full?” in which she replied “No, we recommend getting the steak”. They will try to up-sell you into getting the steak. If you were hoping to try this restaurant and only ordering their set menu, don’t be surprised if you get McDonald’s afterwards.
Also, the set menu does not include the famous wood fire steak. It costs $290 extra. Our T-bone was 750g, including the bone.
We specifically asked the server “If i only order your set menu, will I be full?” in which she replied “No, we recommend getting the steak”. They will try to up-sell you into getting the steak. If you were hoping to try this restaurant and only ordering their set menu, don’t be surprised if you get McDonald’s afterwards.
Reservation
I starting trying to get a reservation in April 2022, setting up an alarm for the 1st of every month at 12pm. I finally succeeded after 5 long months in September, securing a random spot for Wednesday 21st December 2022.
The long wait time was actually not too bad because it amped up our anticipation and excitement– excitement that was short lived once we were seated…
The long wait time was actually not too bad because it amped up our anticipation and excitement– excitement that was short lived once we were seated…
Starters
Three things were done wrong at the start…
- No one offered us water. The table next to us was seated after us and were offered everything (water and menus). After 10 minutes, we finally asked them for water. 🙃
- The female server poured water and sparkling water into the same glass. 😐😐
- They brought out hand towels with the starters but as you can see, they brought 3 when we were a table of 4. 🙃
The first starter was a smoked bonito wrapped in a leaf, finished with a brush of soy sesame and a slice of kumquat.
The presentation was beautiful with the bright kumquat perched on top of the wrap. However, the bite left us disappointed as the wrap was too greasy for our liking. The fish was served at room temperature too which didn’t help to improve the overall flavor.
Although there wasn’t much flavor to speak of, the umami was detectable. Luckily, the saving grace of this dish was the burst of sweetness from the kumquat. Overall, it fell a bit short in taste and texture.
The presentation was beautiful with the bright kumquat perched on top of the wrap. However, the bite left us disappointed as the wrap was too greasy for our liking. The fish was served at room temperature too which didn’t help to improve the overall flavor.
Although there wasn’t much flavor to speak of, the umami was detectable. Luckily, the saving grace of this dish was the burst of sweetness from the kumquat. Overall, it fell a bit short in taste and texture.
The second starter was a zucchini with goat and parmesan cheese.
The goat cheese was light and creamy, paired with softly shaved parmesan on top. The zucchini flavors were dulled and underwhelming. In fact, it was borderline bland, leaving us wanting more salt or boldness, which is saying a lot considering goat cheese was involved.
The goat cheese was light and creamy, paired with softly shaved parmesan on top. The zucchini flavors were dulled and underwhelming. In fact, it was borderline bland, leaving us wanting more salt or boldness, which is saying a lot considering goat cheese was involved.
Entrée
Our first entrée, and the only dish of the night that was gastronomically delicious, was the kangarroo, onion, tomato, pepper berry.
It was incredibly tender. Surprisingly there was no gamey taste, and the smokey cooking method brought out a beef-like flavour. It almost tasted like a jerky tartare.
The tomato served alongside was a little sour, but did help cut through the richness of the meat. The pepper berries had a slightly oily texture and a sweet taste that was a bit underwhelming.
It was incredibly tender. Surprisingly there was no gamey taste, and the smokey cooking method brought out a beef-like flavour. It almost tasted like a jerky tartare.
The tomato served alongside was a little sour, but did help cut through the richness of the meat. The pepper berries had a slightly oily texture and a sweet taste that was a bit underwhelming.
This was potato, fish roe, and dill.
It started off very bland and again, underwhelming. The neutrality and starchiness of the potato and cream were average, elevated by the aromatic dill and pops of salty fish roe. It was a balanced dish for most of it until the very end, when a hidden pocket of salt hit us and ruined our overall experience. The presentation was nice though.
It started off very bland and again, underwhelming. The neutrality and starchiness of the potato and cream were average, elevated by the aromatic dill and pops of salty fish roe. It was a balanced dish for most of it until the very end, when a hidden pocket of salt hit us and ruined our overall experience. The presentation was nice though.
The signature shady’s woodfired sourdough, smoked butter, rye is the one dish that has not changed on any of the menus over the past few months, and for good reason. The bread was fresh; soft and fluffy interiors with crunchy crust, paired with rich and creamy salted butter and a sprinkle of earthy rye. It was served with this cool vampire knife.
Main Course
On to our mains, this was coral trout with charred cos lettuce, radish and sugar peas.
The fish flesh was very tender, with a good level of smokiness. However, they gave us the wrong knife because it was so difficult to cut the skin. The fish skin was crispy but tough, likely because it was cooked on the non-skin side and wasn’t flipped.
They seasoned the fish well, with the acidity of the lettuce balancing it out. The sugar peas were crunchy with a bit of water, adding a refreshing element to the dish.
The server who placed my dish down put it in the wrong direction. She noticed her mistake, made an obvious attempt to readjust it and then decided to leave it as is, leaving me confused with the mini dance she did with her arms in front of me. 😐😐😐😐
The fish flesh was very tender, with a good level of smokiness. However, they gave us the wrong knife because it was so difficult to cut the skin. The fish skin was crispy but tough, likely because it was cooked on the non-skin side and wasn’t flipped.
They seasoned the fish well, with the acidity of the lettuce balancing it out. The sugar peas were crunchy with a bit of water, adding a refreshing element to the dish.
The server who placed my dish down put it in the wrong direction. She noticed her mistake, made an obvious attempt to readjust it and then decided to leave it as is, leaving me confused with the mini dance she did with her arms in front of me. 😐😐😐😐
We waited 40 minutes between the fish and this next dish. 🙃
This was pork with fennel and apricot. The presentation was interesting because as elegant as it was, it definitely highlighted the scarcity of the dish Like seriously, TWO slices of pork?
The pork was cooked well. It was succulent and juicy, and the crackling skin was ambrosial. The open flame cooking made the apricots extra sweet. Flavor-wise, it was delicious and balanced.
This was pork with fennel and apricot. The presentation was interesting because as elegant as it was, it definitely highlighted the scarcity of the dish Like seriously, TWO slices of pork?
The pork was cooked well. It was succulent and juicy, and the crackling skin was ambrosial. The open flame cooking made the apricots extra sweet. Flavor-wise, it was delicious and balanced.
The last dish also came with some pickled veggies, which added a nice touch of acidity. The serving was questionable. It was a half-arsed idea of tossing some pickled vegetables on the open flame and then onto a plate. This was shared between 4 of us 🙃.
Add On
Alright, this pièce de résistance would have made Firedoor worth the hype if we were able to come and order only this magnificent beauty.
This was a 750g dry-aged T-bone steak for $290. It was dry-aged for an impressive 170 days.
It was juicy, with a satiable cheesy undertone that was both savory and delicious. The meat itself was incredibly tender, with the perfect amount of smoke and char that added a nice depth of flavor. It was a true Aussie steak, full of beefy goodness that satisfied our carnivorous cravings. 🤤🤤🤤
The only downside was the knife. It wasn’t sharp or serrated, making it exhausting to slice through our meat.
This was a 750g dry-aged T-bone steak for $290. It was dry-aged for an impressive 170 days.
It was juicy, with a satiable cheesy undertone that was both savory and delicious. The meat itself was incredibly tender, with the perfect amount of smoke and char that added a nice depth of flavor. It was a true Aussie steak, full of beefy goodness that satisfied our carnivorous cravings. 🤤🤤🤤
The only downside was the knife. It wasn’t sharp or serrated, making it exhausting to slice through our meat.
Dessert
We waited another 30 minutes for the dessert, and by this point we just wanted to go home.
This was a creamy pavlova with honey, berries and jam. It was refreshing, ending a disappointing meal on a decent note. There was nothing amazing or memorable about this dish though.
This was a creamy pavlova with honey, berries and jam. It was refreshing, ending a disappointing meal on a decent note. There was nothing amazing or memorable about this dish though.
Our petit fours were a jelly covered in shredded coconut. It was too chewy and sticky, like a toffie lolly with no flavour. They shouldn’t have served it. The dessert being the last thing in our mouths would have been a better ending.
Service
This was the worst service we had ever received in all 7 years of dining out.
My biggest pet peeve was when I placed my empty glass next to my friend’s full glass, and watching the server continue to try and fill up my friend’s glass 🙃🙃🙃. I was so thirsty…. I didn’t know how to make it any more obvious. To top it off, this server continued to mix tap and sparkling water in my other friend’s glass too.
At the end, I asked for the bill. The female server acknowledged it and then went to talk to another table. About 5 minutes later they asked for the bill. I watched her go to the till, grab their bill and give it to them. So I asked again, in case she forgot we were waiting too, and she came back and snapped “it’s coming, they’re sorting it out”. 😬 Based on observation, I thought she forgot my bill (which was fine, it’s busy) but to snap back without even informing me “hey, someone else is sorting out your bill” seems rude and the definition of poor service for a supposed 3 hatted restaurant.
There were a few servers here and there that were trying, like the male kitchen hands who did their best to live up to the restaurant’s new standards. And even the Asian head server, who was on the ball, witty and funny. But it doesn’t take much to sour the whole batch.
Overall denying someone water in a restaurant charging $200+ per person is ridiculous.
My biggest pet peeve was when I placed my empty glass next to my friend’s full glass, and watching the server continue to try and fill up my friend’s glass 🙃🙃🙃. I was so thirsty…. I didn’t know how to make it any more obvious. To top it off, this server continued to mix tap and sparkling water in my other friend’s glass too.
At the end, I asked for the bill. The female server acknowledged it and then went to talk to another table. About 5 minutes later they asked for the bill. I watched her go to the till, grab their bill and give it to them. So I asked again, in case she forgot we were waiting too, and she came back and snapped “it’s coming, they’re sorting it out”. 😬 Based on observation, I thought she forgot my bill (which was fine, it’s busy) but to snap back without even informing me “hey, someone else is sorting out your bill” seems rude and the definition of poor service for a supposed 3 hatted restaurant.
There were a few servers here and there that were trying, like the male kitchen hands who did their best to live up to the restaurant’s new standards. And even the Asian head server, who was on the ball, witty and funny. But it doesn’t take much to sour the whole batch.
Overall denying someone water in a restaurant charging $200+ per person is ridiculous.
Review
We will never dine here ever again and have been encouraging everyone to avoid it. Since we’ve been, the price has already gone up an extra $20 per person with no changes to the menu (quantity wise). The reviews on Google and TripAdvisor are also similar to ours so we’re not hating, just starting the truth – Firedoor needs to get their shit together if they want to retain their 3 hats.
Thanks for reading! Happy eating 😜
Thanks for reading! Happy eating 😜
