At the Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental in Abu Dhabi, a restaurant burns – literally. Strawfire, the latest venture of Australian-born chef Ross Shonhan, centers on the Japanese warayaki technique, searing food over straw-fed flames that smoke, crackle, and transform each ingredient into something elemental. The intensity of fire is palpable, yet in Shonhan’s hands, it is never excessive. Every motion in the open-plan kitchen, precise cut of fish, and glowing ember is purposeful, observed, and visible to diners, making the act of cooking itself part of the experience.
Shonhan’s journey to Abu Dhabi traces kitchens from Queensland to London, Dallas to Dubai, and along the way he founded London’s Bone Daddies, Flesh & Buns, and Shack-Fuyu, later creating Netsu in Dubai and most recently opening Lilibet’s, a seafood-focused venture in Mayfair. Careers often appear linear only in retrospect, but his path begins far from city lights, in the rolling pastures of Queensland, where work was measured in hours under the sun and in attentiveness to livestock and land. It was here, through the cadence of daily toil and responsibility, that he absorbed his first everlasting lessons about food.
“Growing up on a cattle farm gave me a very practical understanding of food – where it comes from, the work behind it, and the value of consistency,” Shonhan tells MOJEH MEN.
The farm instilled values that would be tested and expanded in elite international kitchens. “London and Dallas were much faster, more competitive environments. Moving between those worlds taught me adaptability, the importance of listening to your guests and discipline. I think that balance still shows in how I cook and how I approach work.”
The calling of cuisine came gradually, it arrived through dawn-lit kitchens and the relentless discipline of spaces that brooked no hesitation.
“It wasn’t a single moment. It was realising I was prepared to commit fully – long hours, pressure, repetition – and that I genuinely enjoyed the challenge. Cooking gave me structure and direction at a time when I was still figuring things out. I then realised it was a great way to travel and meet interesting people and have never looked back.”
Movement between continents was never just a matter of distance. For Shonhan, each culture and kitchen, became a laboratory for observing how people engage with food and with one another.
“Working across different countries forces you to be observant and flexible. You learn quickly that what motivates different people, or how guests engage with food, changes from place to place. That awareness has influenced both my cooking and how I lead teams.”
Technique is vital, but always in service of the diner’s experience. “Technique is essential – without it, nothing works. But the end goal is always the guest experience. If a dish is technically perfect but forgettable, it hasn’t really done its job. Above all, food and drink should be delicious.”
Strawfire: Fire as Medium and Message
Strawfire is Shonhan’s first major Abu Dhabi project and a vivid expression of his culinary ethos. The warayaki technique, ancient and meticulous, transforms ingredients with fire, producing both intense flavour and a sense of occasion.
“Fire demands attention and respect, it’s a very real and honest form of cooking. You can’t automate it or rush it, and it forces you to stay fully present. At Strawfire, the open-plan kitchen allows guests to watch the chefs work in real time, which reflects that honesty. Fire clearly reveals skills – or the lack of it and there’s nowhere to hide. That transparency and intensity is probably why I enjoy working with it so much.”
The restaurant’s design – five distinct spaces, including the Toyama private dining room with its monumental shimenawa rope – amplifies this engagement without ever becoming superfluous.
“The approach was to be respectful of the setting and the audience, while creating something Abu Dhabi can be proud of as the home of an original restaurant. Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental is already home to many exceptional dining destinations. We wanted Strawfire to feel contemporary yet grounded in Japanese technique and ritual, while fitting naturally into Abu Dhabi’s dining culture.”
The intensity of the kitchen mirrors Shonhan’s approach to leadership: attuned, communicative, and principled. Lessons absorbed from mentors and formative kitchens underpin his daily practice, shaping a leader who balances mastery with attention to the human element, guiding his team with clarity and focus.
“Consistency, restraint, and systems. Working in those kitchens showed me the importance of clarity of vision, and how simplicity – when done properly, is often the hardest thing to achieve. At Strawfire, I apply those same principles with my team every day, passing them on so the standards and philosophy are consistently upheld.”
Travel has long been a compass for Shonhan’s creativity, opening windows into new cultures and stories.
“I enjoy traveling because it allows me to discover new cultures and stories, and I often find that my creativity grows during these experiences. So I would say most of my inspiration comes from traveling.”
Equally formative is his personal life. The lessons of family and partnership continue to shape both his perspective and his craft.
“My family. They instilled a strong work ethic and a sense of responsibility early on, which has stayed with me throughout my career. I would then say the last 12 years have been more strongly influenced by my wife and the more considered gentle approach to different circumstances has influenced me as she makes me want to be better in different ways.”
At Strawfire, the meal is more than sustenance; it is a performance. For Shonhan, the ultimate measure of success is not in ingredients or technique alone, but in the imprint the experience leaves long after the table is cleared.
“To be sure people experienced something distinctive – not just the food, but the atmosphere, energy and theatre of the space. I hope it stays with them well after they leave, as a sense of having witnessed something special and memorable, rather than just having had a meal.”
He observes a shift in the Middle Eastern diner toward authenticity and depth, shaping how Strawfire is conceived.
“Guests here are very well travelled and increasingly interested in authenticity. That allows us to focus more on depth, technique, and quality rather than novelty. Being part of the Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental, alongside some of the world’s most accomplished international dining concepts, sets a very high standard and has strongly influenced our approach.”
For Shonhan, success is no longer measured by expansion alone, but by the longevity and continued impact of his work. “Let’s not forget Netsu in Dubai and Lilibet’s which I opened recently in London. Earlier on, success was about growth and learning many things beyond the kitchen that I had never been exposed to. Now it’s more about sustainability – building concepts that last and still feel relevant.”
Leadership, resilience, and ambition are exercised with careful attention.
“I’m more measured now. Clear communication and trust tend to get better results than pressure alone.”
“That balance matters. It’s easy to give everything to the job but learning how to sustain that over time is the real challenge.”
Even as his career stretches across continents, Shonhan’s ambition is guided by discernment.
“I’m always dreaming of more restaurants. I would like to open and expand the ones I have but only as and when it makes sense. I am more interested in depth than volume. Fewer projects, done properly, are far more satisfying at this stage.”
From the sun-drenched pastures of Queensland to the flame-lit kitchens of Abu Dhabi, Shonhan’s work is an exercise in acute presence, attentive observation, and consummate craft. In his hands, fire is not a simple tool; it is a mirror, revealing skill, concentration, and the human capacity to forge experiences that remain long after the last bite.Book now
