Strawfire by Ross Shonhan: Japanese Warayaki Turns Fire into Theatre at Emirates Palace

Fire is the technique, not the gimmick

Strawfire is built around Warayaki, a Japanese technique associated with Kochi prefecture in which burning straw creates sudden, intense heat and a distinctive smokiness. At Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental, that process is deliberately visible: the open kitchen places flame at the centre of the room, while the menu applies it to meat, seafood and vegetables rather than using it as a one-dish trick. Ross Shonhan’s Japanese credentials run through Nobu Dallas, Zuma London and his own London restaurants Bone Daddies, Flesh & Buns and Shack-Fuyu, giving the Abu Dhabi project a serious culinary lineage behind the spectacle.

The menu moves well beyond grilled meat

MICHELIN’s 2026 selection highlights prawn toast, miso-glazed Chilean sea bass and spaghetti mentaiko among the restaurant’s signatures, while the current tasting menu moves through tuna tartare, sushi and sashimi, Wagyu gyoza, chicken thigh yakitori and dry-aged Australian Wagyu. That breadth explains why Strawfire feels more like a contemporary Japanese restaurant organised around fire than a steakhouse with Japanese styling. Sake is given its own menu, and cocktails are treated with equal seriousness. MICHELIN not only added Strawfire to its 2026 Abu Dhabi selection but gave the bar team, led by Maria Luz Garcia and Mahesh Dhami, the Exceptional Cocktail Award.

Emirates Palace gives the theatre room to breathe

The design carries the theme without becoming literal. Guests arrive through the Tsukimi Lounge before entering a dining room wrapped in gold-toned drapery and Japanese craft references. The Toyama private dining room is even more distinctive, built around a vast hand-crafted Shimenawa rope. Current opening hours are 6pm to 11:30pm, with reservations through Emirates Palace on +971 2 690 7999. For Simply Abu Dhabi, Strawfire is one of the clearest examples of a hotel restaurant with a genuinely specific reason to exist: technique, chef, room and drinks all tell the same story. Sit where you can see the grill, order at least one Warayaki dish, and let the flames remain part of the meal rather than merely a photo opportunity.

Practical details

Location: Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental, West Corniche Road, Abu Dhabi, UAE
Cuisine: Contemporary Japanese and Warayaki
Telephone: +971 2 690 7999
Recognition: MICHELIN Guide Abu Dhabi 2026 Selected; 2026 Exceptional Cocktail Award
Hours: Daily 6:00pm-11:30pm
Editorial status: Open