Fireroom Bedfordview — Restaurant in Gauteng

FOOD SAFETY HAZARD

I’ve been going to Fireroom for years, we have celebrated many occasions at this restaurant — mainly for their fried jalapeño and salmon sushi, which has always been a highlight. Unfortunately, my most recent visit left me feeling disappointed and a bit uneasy.

For my starter, I ordered fried rice with avo and salmon topping. The rice wasn’t crispy, which was already a letdown, but worse — in my last piece, I found a white fibre in the salmon. I called the waiter over, showed it to him, and he admitted he wasn’t sure what it was but offered to bring me another piece. They did, but this time the rice was cold. I didn’t want to keep complaining, but I overheard the manager questioning the sushi station about it. The sushi chefs said it was a hair, to which the manager replied, “Impossible.” His tone and lack of follow-up made me feel like I was being doubted. There was no apology, which I found unprofessional.

For mains, my mom ordered the chicken schnitzels Thermidor, which is supposed to come with mushrooms and prawns — but there were absolutely no prawns on her plate. My brother’s food arrived without issue, but my sushi was still missing. From my seat — which faced the sushi bar — I saw two plates of Fire Roll sushi on the counter before we even sat down at around 14:00. I honestly assumed it was just for display, because never in a million years did I think I’d be served something that had been sitting out for so long, with so many people talking and hovering over it. At 15:15, the waiter brought me that exact same plate — and, just beforehand, another waiter served a different table a plate of fried sushi that had been sitting right next to mine. Unfortunately for those diners, they had no idea their sushi had been sitting out for over an hour.

This isn’t just unappetising — it’s a health risk. A Fire Roll contains fried rice, salmon, and jalapeños, all wrapped in sushi rice and seaweed. Cooked rice is a known breeding ground for bacteria if left at room temperature, and seafood is also highly perishable. Food safety guidelines state that high-risk foods should not be left in the danger zone for more than 1–2 hours, yet this roll had already been sitting for at least an hour that I could see — possibly longer before I arrived. Serving it under those conditions is unacceptable.

The waiter tried to suggest that my sushi was only delayed because they were waiting for my family’s dishes, but that simply wasn’t true — I watched that plate sit there for the entire hour and was there before we arrived. I can’t help but wonder what I’ve been served in the past when I wasn’t watching the sushi bar.

We’ve been loyal to Fireroom since it first opened, but after this experience, I don’t think I’ll be returning. It’s a shame to lose trust in a place I’ve loved for so long, but food safety, attention to detail, and basic respect for customers have...

In one word? Amazing!

When we arrived at The FireRoom, it was packed, but although it was a bit noisy (my wife and I had to lean towards each other to hear what the other was saying), the overall atmosphere was one of excitement and enjoyment.

The menus were served and within a few minutes, our waiter was there with three different gins, a brief history of each and a suggestion as to the meals that would go with each. I'm afraid that his presentation (and enthusiasm) made an impression and we wound up with a gin from Italy and one from Japan - talk about fancy!

The drinks arrived shortly, smoking and tickled the nose as we took our first tentative sips. Interesting to say the least, but too many fruit for my liking - I'm a purist at heart - give me some tonic and a slice of lemon and I'm good!

Starters arrived - flaming sushi - flambed at the table. I think that sight alone is worth going to the FireRoom. Eight pieces later, and we were already full and weren't sure if we were able to manage mains...

Mains arrived just as we were finishing our first round of drinks, and once again, we were treated to flames blazing high as my fillet was set alight at our table. I think that the best part of my meal, was that my fillet was at the correct temperature - a lovely medium rare. Good on you guys, it's been a while since I've managed to get a decent steak!

Two glasses of Amber Inverroche later (sorry everyone, South African made gin is still the best in my books) - our meals were polished off, with broad smiles on our faces. It was a fitting dinner to celebrate our 14th Anniversary. And then we were taken completely by surprise...

A complimentary dessert (flaming of course - this is the FireRoom), just because we were celebrating our anniversary. Simple, but for both of us, it was the gesture that really mattered to us. A lovely end to our anniversary dinner.

The bill was a bit on the steeper side, but worth every cent! The food, drinks, attention to detail, atmosphere and amazing staff made it a special evening for us.

Well done FireRoom! I would whole-heartedly recommend it. Five stars from my wife (of 14 years - so we've been to a few restaurants in our days) and myself. You will not regret a visit to this fine...

So we’ve heard of the elements such as earth, air, water, and fire- BUT I’ve got to say fire is the most exciting of all the elements! Especially when fire meets food, maybe not in the most conventional way but the outcome is simply mouth-watering!!

The staff were all fired up and ready to go! Manager -Ian- welcomed us "home" and Sandile our waitress, made us feel at ease. They made our dining experience the best it could be.

Sushi on Fire.. The Fire Roll is by far The Best!!! I'm not a sushi person but this sushi puts me in a happy place- absolutely YUMMMMY!

The Jalapeños set me on fire, in a good way though.

The Chicken Noodle Stir-Fry was anything but boring! Lots of chicken strips, coupled with a good quantity of veg, and subtle flavors to give you a hearty yet delicious meal.

The Lamb Cutlets were flambéed, tender and juicy. They're perfectly seasoned to accompany the parmesan mash. It's a classic, timeless dish. I wouldn't change a thing! It's a match made in heaven.

We didn't have dessert as we were too full.

I've never felt so at home at a restaurant. This was my first time at the Bedfordview branch and it's definitely a new go to for me.

The restaurant is very spacious which is perfect for covid regulations and has a lively, cozy atmosphere.

I'd rate everything today a 10/10! I'm really glad that even though we're going through tough times, places like FireRoom make you forget about all of that for a while.

Food is not just eating energy. It's an experience and the FireRoom experience is something I will never get tired of.

Thank You FireRoom...