Commune Group (Hanoi Hannah, Tokyo Tina, Neptune) has launched a new venture. Firebird by Hanoi Hannah in Windsor, a grill-driven Vietnamese venue opened this month in the Melbourne suburb of Windsor.
“It’s been a long time coming.“Firebird is the rebel of Hanoi Hannah — we’re doing things differently this time,” says Commune Group director Simon Blacher. “When you visit Vietnam, you’re drawn down these tiny, hazy alleyways by wafts of meat and seafood grilling over charcoal; we wanted to recreate that sensory experience in a Melbourne way.”
Head chef Steven Ngo (ex-Long Chim) will lead the kitchen, which will deliver a menu driven by traditional Vietnamese flavours intensified by charcoal grill cooking and will include vegetarian and vegan options.
Dishes will include canh chua, grilled pipis in a sour burnt tomato broth; BBQ flounder with a burnt butter and citrus nuoc nam; wood-roasted eggplant, drizzled with red curry, served with fresh coconut cream; Duck l’orange, half day roast duck burnt orange and five spice.
The drinks list will feature smokey spirits and charred fruits — think a burnt grapefruit paloma.
Commune Group’s regular collaborators Ewert Leaf are behind the 110-seat venue’s design. Textured concrete walls, pendant lighting, parquetry floorboards, original timber exposed beams and various hues of green define the aesthetic, with the open kitchen featuring custom-built chargrill and woodfire ovens taking pride of place.
The kitchen is wrapped by a 12-seat bar decked out in 70s-style tiling.Firebird is Commune Group’s fourth addition to the Windsor postcode.