Fireback: New Thai pop-up restaurant launches at Crown Perth in place of former Bistro Guillame space

Serving sizzling Thai cuisine rooted in India’s South and masterminded by an Aussie, Fireback is Crown Perth’s new pop-up restaurant opening on Friday at the elegant space previously home to Bistro Guillame for more than a decade. With the refined bistro officially closing its French doors earlier this month, its green hues now replaced with black and cream, Fireback marks the first of several temporary restaurants residing at the venue before a permanent tenant is announced later this year. Culinary director Dave Thompson, a Michelin-star chef through his London restaurant Nahm, launched the Thai fine diner in India in 2023. Now with locations in Mumbai, Goa, and Hyderabad on the way, he’s entrusted his Mumbai-based team to turn up the heat for West Aussies. Head chef of Fireback Mumbai, Kamal Kant Joshi, welcomed The West Australian for an exclusive peek into the kitchen on Wednesday where a mix of Indian executive chefs and local talents were perfecting a menu that fused local ingredients with Thai flavours. “I’m pretty sure that you will not have tried anything like the fried pork belly that is our signature dish, with charred cabbage and beautifully made charred chili tamarind sauce,” Mr Joshi said. Local diners might also look forward to tasting Fireback’s flame-grilled Australian lamb chops with gorlae sauce, aromatic red curry with soft crab, lamb Massaman curry, and Miang Kham — an insanely fresh, bite-sized pomelo salad served on betel leaves. Following the February opening of Crown Perth’s Urban Food District, the precinct’s most significant investment in more than a decade, chief executive Brian Pereira outlined the motivation behind Fireback’s arrival. “Perth deserves world class dining, and we’re proud to bring a venue like Fireback to the city for a limited time,” he said. “It’s a high-energy concept that’s grounded in authentic Thai cooking — and it also gives our chefs a special chance to work alongside the team, learn new techniques and keep lifting the bar across our broader food offering.” As to why the Indian-based project — operated by global hospitality firm EHV— decided to dip its toes in the WA market, cluster executive chef Rijul Gulati said his group is constantly looking for opportunities to grow. “It’s always good to expand, and also to give a nice memory to everyone should they ever fly into India,” he said. Asked if his team felt any pressure to fill the shoes of the space’s predecessor, Mr Gulati admitted a desire to impress is an innate quality of those in the industry. “For a chef, pressure is always there. When you go and cook in an unfamiliar kitchen that you are not used to, you have to deep dive so that you can make this kitchen yours,” he said. “It’s a long, exciting residency for six weeks. And that is also the fun part; when you do a pop-up residency, you get to meet new people, new guests and different produce.” Fireback will be open for lunch and dinner Wednesday through Sunday, departing Crown Perth on June 4.