FirePlay | Nick Sor on open fire cuisine, one-man show and playing with fire
published in enya Fashion Queen issue #206, find the original interview here
Through the glass window display of FirePlay, the wood chops charred by charcoal are scattered into metal containers - a symbol of the interaction shared between Nick Sor and charcoal. The metal lines and wooden ornaments sitting in front of the dark curtains entice passersby to stop and enjoy the theatrical presentation. His small spaceship embarked from Singapore, journeying to destinations such as Sydney, Hong Kong and Japan, where he got the chance to further explore the flames. Finally, it arrived at the station of Taiwan and ignited a tiny flame that continued to glow and heat up, until it started to spread like wildfire.
In between Raw and Cooked
“Playing with fire is actually quite easy!” exclaims Sor, chef and owner of FirePlay, as he laughs heartily. However, witnessing the way he faces the towering flames and the heat emanating from the charcoal grill, not to mention his ability to cook the ingredients perfectly under such high temperatures, it is almost hard for one to describe the scene as “easy.” A minute less, the meat might be undercooked. And a minute extra? It can be overcooked. Timed to the second, his precise cooking technique is accumulated from years of experience in top restaurants around the world, which is not something that he achieved overnight. Chef Sor also insists on cooking everything personally, which is why during dining hours, only he is present and in charge of all the cooking. This way, he can monitor each guest’s dining pace and make adjustments, in terms of serving and cooking, when needed. Seeing Chef Sor, who has been working with an open fire for years, communicating with the blazing flames, one cannot help but envy the guests who get to enjoy the gorgeous flame show upon each visit.
All-Rounder
More than just providing a “one-man show” service, the interior design, music and tableware in the restaurant are all personally taken care of by Chef Sor. The iron pieces above the counter seats are carefully selected from the scrapyard and painted with a special aged effect to capture the texture where wood and metal coexist. His attention to detail extends to the cooking process as well. As a Singaporean, Sor grew up with imported ingredients, and yet, exploring fresh local produce in Taiwan has already become his daily routine. Apart from a few servers in the restaurant, he single-handedly takes care of almost all the cooking during service hours. To our surprise, FirePlay also keeps a complete record of dishes served each day, in order to avoid regulars from having the same menu and adjust the selection accordingly. Sometimes regulars will become taste testers for next season’s menu and get the chance to sample pre-season items before anyone else.
Open Fire Cuisine
Open fire cooking is primarily about bringing out the natural flavor of ingredients through the right temperature. At FirePlay, there is no pre-cooking preparation involved. Without marinating or sous vide, the cooking method opts for the pure essence of ingredients that allows their natural flavors to shine. The flavors of seasonal ingredients are combined with the aroma of wood to further highlight an explosion of flavor achieved by the clean texture of fibers and the slightly rugged charcoal grilling - a unique combination of contradiction and harmony blooms within the black-gold cast iron. But Chef Sor does not stop here. Building upon the straightforward flavor of fire, he plays around with the sauces using French culinary logic and breaks free from the limitations of traditional open fire cooking. What appears to be a rather “tough” cooking style is delicately executed through serving boneless fish and meat to create an elegant dining experience. From the ingredients, sauces to the experience, everything strives towards achieving a more sophisticated barbecue cuisine.
No Dull Moments Allowed
Many restaurants create seasonal menus through focusing on a certain concept. It can be about the season, art, philosophy and more, all of which are incorporated into the menu design. However, at FirePlay, it is all about Nick Sor, who is also known as the master of flame and beauty. “This place is an extension of myself,” says Sor. With open fire cuisine in mind, we asked him why choose a cooking method that requires such a high tolerance for temperature? He replies, “To be honest, if you ask me if I go out for barbecues on the weekends, my answer would be no. But I believe open fire is the cooking method that best represents who I am.” FirePlay is Sor’s stage to showcase himself, a place where he can manage the restaurant and express his identity with comfort at the same time. If you are intrigued by the flavor of charcoal-grilling or the charismatic chef Sor himself, perhaps you should visit FirePlay for an extraordinary, top-notch open fire dining experience that will definitely blow your mind.