KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 3 — Firewood, the Penang-based steakhouse distinguished by a Michelin Selection and listed in the World’s 101 Best Steak Restaurants, is preparing to make its debut in Kuala Lumpur.

The restaurant, founded by Chef Ker Yang Hao and famed for its woodfire cooking, will open in KL towards the end of November at Star Boulevard KLCC. 

For now, the team is immersed in research and development to refine its offerings for a new audience in the capital.

At the helm of this new outlet is Chef Qaia Yew, 34, who returns to Kuala Lumpur after a decade of honing her craft in Singapore. 

Her resume includes positions at two Marina Bay Sands stalwarts — Bread Street Kitchen by Gordon Ramsay and Spago Dining Room by Wolfgang Puck.

She says, “By opening our new restaurant in the KLCC area, we hope to share our fire-driven cuisine with more people in the heart of Malaysia.”

While the restaurant will retain Firewood’s defining spirit — the primal allure of cooking over flame, paired with premium cuts of beef — the menu will not be a mirror image of Penang’s.

Chef Qaia explains, “Of course, diners will see our classics, but we’re also working on surprises just for this outlet. The mains will remain the same but we will introduce new appetisers and enhance the sauces.”

She adds, “Overall, I expect 30–40 per cent new items on the menu when we launch. We will then adjust based on the diner response.”

Chef Qaia also intends to take a more hands-on approach in Kuala Lumpur. “I will make more items from scratch, from condiments to appetisers. Breads, too — I am in the midst of R&D on that.”

It is a signal that she wants Firewood KLCC to have its own culinary identity while carrying forward the reputation established in Penang.

The kitchen’s signature is, naturally, its steaks, which will continue to be the main draw.

Chef Qaia says, “We are known for our steaks so don’t miss out on that! Dry-aged steaks, full blood wagyu such as our Miyazaki Wagyu... We have just added tomahawks too.”

If the food is a mix of the familiar and the new, the space itself will also chart its own course. 

“The décor will be different from Firewood Penang but you have to come when we open and see for yourself,” she says with a smile in her voice.

With its forthcoming arrival in Kuala Lumpur, Firewood signals an evolution as much as an expansion — an effort to honour the woodfire roots that made its name, while allowing room for fresh ideas under Chef Qaia’s direction.

Firewood KLCC

Estimated opening: End of November 2025

SR-05-05, Star Boulevard KLCC, 

Jalan Yap Kwan Seng, KL

IG: https://www.instagram.com/firewood_klcc/