FIRE

FIRE is a modern Argentinian restaurant at the top of ION Orchard, on Orchard Road. It is part of 1-Atico, a dining space run by 1-Group that also includes the Peruvian-Japanese restaurant FLNT. The menu is built around Argentinian beef and dishes from the country's regions, served with wide views over the city.

Head Chef Joshiah Black leads the kitchen here and at Atico, the bar in the same space. He trained as a chef in Switzerland. Soledad Nardelli, an ambassador of Argentine cuisine, is the chef advisor. She was named a Chef of the Future by the International Academy of Gastronomy in 2009.

What to order

Beef is the heart of the menu. Argentinian cuts are grilled and served with chimichurri and salsa criolla. You can order striploin (bife de chorizo), short ribs (tira de asado) or boneless rib-eye (ojo de bife). There is also a Wagyu thick skirt. For two or more, a one-kilo bone-in rib or T-bone makes a good centrepiece for the table.

Before the meat, look at the starters:

• Empanadas: pastries with fillings from three regions, including hand-cut beef and Patagonian red prawn.
• Grilled provoleta: melted provolone cheese with chimichurri.
• Locro: a slow-cooked Argentine stew of beef, chorizo, pumpkin and white beans.
• Bread basket: Argentinian breads with chimichurri butter.

If you do not want steak, try the crispy potato gnocchi with forest mushrooms, the seafood stew or Chef Soledad's ricotta malfatti. Desserts lean on dulce de leche, as in the flan. At dinner there is also a communal tasting menu for two or more people. A full wine list sits alongside the food.

The setting

FIRE sits high above Orchard Road, and the dining room looks out across the city. Food is meant for sharing, in the Argentinian way, so it suits groups as well as couples. 1-Group also hosts private events and weddings in the 1-Atico space.

Good to know before you go

• Dress code: smart casual. Flip-flops, tank tops, gym wear and Crocs are not allowed, but Bermuda shorts are fine.
• Reservations: book online, by phone or by WhatsApp.
• Vegetarians: a few dishes are marked vegetarian, such as the provoleta and the malfatti. Tell the staff about allergies when you order.

The latest menus are on the FIRE website.

Getting there

ION Orchard is right next to Orchard MRT Station, which serves the North-South and Thomson-East Coast lines. That makes FIRE easy to reach from most parts of the city.

Nearby

If you like the idea of Nikkei food, FLNT shares the 1-Atico space. Other Orchard options include Shisen Hanten by Chen Kentaro for Sichuan cooking. For a stay nearby, look at Pan Pacific Orchard. You can also browse more restaurants in Orchard and River Valley, our steakhouses and grills and the Orchard Road area guide.