FIREWORKS Raw – Grill & Craft Bar stands there, proudly illuminated, like a breeze-whipped lighthouse staffed solely by food rebels, on the corner near where Ham Nghi blocks Nam Khi Khoi Nghia’s descent into deepest District 1. 

Đọc bài viết bằng Tiếng Việt

Light’s a theme that runs throughout FIREWORKS Raw – Grill & Craft Bar – the evening sun leaking in the open sides where guests sit, some inside and some outside, sundowners in hand, tables loaded with flavorsome plates of seafood-centric and street food-inspired cuisine; the pastel-colored glowing cube above the low-slung Magnum bar in the center, and the reflections of the staff dancing on the mirrored surface below it; the fire licking the grill in the kitchen, and the hazy coral-orange lighting in the private dining room beside it. 

Here, modernist libations meet innovative seafood creations and perfectly dry-aged meats, in menus that take inspiration from both Vietnam and Japan.

Saigon’s New After-Work Ritual

Beneath their surface contrasts, the FIREWORKS Raw – Grill & Craft Bar team remind us, Vietnamese and Japanese cultures weave a common thread in their after-work rituals—both mastering the art of unwinding through shared small plates, spirited anecdotes, and ever-flowing drinks.

FIREWORKS Raw – Grill & Craft Bar has taken the concept further with a whole-hearted embrace of another shared passion in both countries: street food culture. From Vietnam’s sizzling staple banh xeo to Japan’s savory takoyaki, the Fall menu, called Ăn hàng Uống Chợ or Street Eats and Market Sips, promises to be a flavorful journey through the bustling streets and alleys of both nations.

“A Super Inviting Space That’s Always Evolving”

Each menu springs from the minds of Bar Manager Phuc Le, with his inquisitive demeanor and fun-loving spirit, and Head Chef Andy Cao, whose stoic kitchen presence belies a penchant for breaking out into a beaming grin off-duty. 

Phuc featured in the Top 8 of World Class 2023 – the latest in a series of accolades that started with becoming Country Champion Opihr Gin competition back in 2017.

Andy, who recently returned from The States worked his way up from a lowly dishwasher position at 15 before “hustling in various kitchens and learning from some incredible chefs” before finding his place in the culinary world, in Gordon Ramsay’s Boston restaurant, Ramsay’s Kitchen.

Together, at what Andy describes as “a charming restobar located right in the heart of Saigon; a spot where you can enjoy food and drinks in a super inviting space,” and where Phuc promises “guests are free to be themselves, in a space that’s always evolving and becoming something new,” they orchestrate this playground of technique and flavor, where they blend local ingredients with Japanese techniques, or incorporate Japanese ingredients into their signature dishes and drinks.

The Street Food-Themed Fall Menu

Menus like the street food-themed seasonal Fall menu, Ăn hàng Uống chợ, start with an idea. “From there, Andy keeps the approach simple — he identifies the key ingredients that will complement my drinks, and then my team and I fine-tune the drinks to ensure they are balanced and not overpowering,” Phuc says. 

“We have a guiding philosophy to go by,” Andy joins in. “People, Nature, Fire, Air — which really sums up our whole approach, for everything from our guests to our ingredients.” 

“Then the creativity comes from collaborating, experimenting, and refining ideas together. The energy is infectious, and there’s a real sense of accomplishment when we finally see the product come to life, knowing that it was a collective effort.”

Mostly though, Andy tells us, they’re just trying to keep it real. That means ‘real’ in their commitment to sustainability, and to flavor — like the new menu’s Bò Lá Lốt dish, in which the smokey, aromatic flavor of the beef and wild betel leaves grilled over charcoal pairs with tangy pickled papaya, against a canvas of delicate Bình Định-style bánh hỏi rice noodles. Or the savory Unagi Risotto, in which earthy flavors of truffles and morel mushrooms blend with a creamy, buttered Japanese rice. Or in the new drinks menu’s novel Butter Milk Bread Cocktail — a drink guaranteed to elicit nostalgic sighs, or the whisky-based Sumo Dango in which kombu seaweed adds umami flavors as deep as sumo’s connection to Japanese culture.

Like Menu, Like Team: Young, Wild, Free And Modern

They’re a characterful team here too. “Just like the menus,” Phuc laughs, “young, wild, free and modern.”

That energy is reflected in drinks like the Butter Milk Bread Cocktail. The delivers a taste experience that is both nostalgic and novel. Each sip carries the rich, buttery aroma and subtle sweetness of milk, evoking warm memories of mornings with a freshly baked loaf.

And embracing the youthful turn towards healthier beverages, the non-alcoholic Boiled Corn Cocktail, that aims to get at the essence of boiled sweet corn, uses a corn cob broth, and some milk-washing finesse to formulate a drink that’s “familiar and refreshingly new.” Leftover elements become the garnish, “adding a rustic touch while minimizing waste.”

Beyond the signature cocktail list, low- and no-alcohol cocktails like that, is a list of unconventional choices of wines – with lots of organic and natural options, “not just to be on-trend, but to be ahead of the game, in them becoming a staple in every bar and drinkery.”

Labors Of Love Filled With Passion And Creativity

The team are always happily on hand to guide guests through cocktail and cuisine pairings. “For me, they epitomize passion and creativity. And dishes like Bò Lá Lốt and the Unagi Risotto, and drinks like the Butter Milk Cocktail and the Sumo Dango, are a real labor of love,” he explains.

A culinary fusion of tradition and innovation, Bò Lá Lốt features 150 days grain-fed striploin that is first sous vide for 6 hours to achieve the perfect juiciness and tenderness. It’s then wrapped in fragrant wild betel leaves and grilled over charcoal, infusing it with a smoky, aromatic flavor. Paired with tangy pickled papaya, delicate Bình Định-style bánh hỏi rice noodles, and a perilla-infused fish sauce, this dish delivers a balanced and refined combination of textures and flavors that highlight both the freshness of the ingredients and the depth of the preparation techniques. 

For Andy, all that is encapsulated in the name, and the play on the words of ‘fire’ and ‘work.’ There’s the grill as the centerpiece of the food menu and all the endeavor that goes into creating the dishes that are cooking on it.

But, Phuc Le, adds, “unlike a single firework that ascends and fades quickly, the entire menu should be a burst of flavors and sensations, one after the other, like a prolonged display,” as Andy lights the grill for another night’s service in a space bathed in light.