Talk about a slow burn. Raymond Hou and Alina Van launched Firepop pop-ups from their go anywhere food stall five years ago,before moving to this bricks and-mortar Enmore site in 2024. They call their yakitori-style skewers “inner west cuisine”,and coals are at the heart of the kitchen with almost everything touched by flame or smoke.

Start with sticks of chargrilled New England lamb (spiced with sesame and dukkah),grilled chicken hearts or fiery shisito peppers. The full-blood wagyu beef cube,crunchy with sea salt and crisp garlic,is the stuff of meat-based dreams.

For up-close fireworks,sit at the “chef ’s table” in front of the kitchen,otherwise there’s a quieter studio room and more tables upstairs. Elegant glassware and Van’s thoughtful drinks list complete the package,not to mention the wonderful buttermilk panna cotta with white balsamic-marinated strawberries. This is a small team doing it the long way,but more importantly their way.

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Inner West and Western Sydney

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