Firedoor, Salaryman coming to Surry Hills

After a couple of quiet opening seasons by its own lofty standards, Surry Hills is rolling out the red carpet for big-name openings again.

The long-awaited Firedoor opens tomorrow, the even hotter news is it'll be joined mid year by another restaurant debut just around the corner. Salaryman, a co-production from Flying Fish executive chef Stephen Seckold​ and restaurateur Con Dedes​, will open a couple of doors up from Chur Burger on Albion Street. Seckold has been trying to get Salaryman into production for at least a year, settling on Surry Hills after toying with the former site of Restaurant Arras in the city.

"I like the idea of the crazy Japanese businessman who works hard and plays hard. I want it to be a fun place, somewhere you can come late and eat," the chef explains.

Salaryman mightn't have a capsule hotel attached, but Seckold has crafted a tight Japanese-inspired menu.

"We won't be doing sushi plates, and no buns. Ramen will be a big part of the lunch menu, and we'll cook over charcoal with a big focus on vegetables. We'll also have a little street window, like you see in Japan, where we'll sell taiyaki​ (fish-shaped cake)," he adds.

Seckold, who will juggle Salaryman with his Flying Fish gig, wants it to be a chef-led venue.

"Even our cocktail menu is designed by one of our chefs. I find a lot of cocktails too sweet and not a great match with food," he explains.