Bread Haven

THE humble loaf of bread may be the often overlooked sidekick to your main meal, but not it you're at Konstantino Blokbergen's new eatery, Firebake - Woodfired Bakehouse & Restaurant. When you see the serious cast iron stoves dating back to 1880 and the hardcore wood-fire ovens, you know he's not out to make little bread rolls and buns. ''Firebake is an experiential destination, where we encourage diners to appreciate breads through food,'' explains Chef Blokbergen, who comes from a family of restauranteurs in Europe and grew up with a love for woodfire cooking and grilling.

''The concept is about bread being in the centre of the menu creation or inspiration, where bread is part of an essential ingredient on a dish, and not just seen only as slices on a side plate,'' he adds.

He intends to bake bread from scratch at his restaurant, using organic flour, non-iodised salt, and wild yeast, and they will be used in multiple dishes whether with pate and charcuterie, as croutons in salads, crushed into breadcrumbs to form a crust on meats and fish, or even desserts.