Hyderabad: Following the successful launches of Fireback in Goa and Mumbai, EHV International has now brought its Thai dining concept to Hyderabad. Located at The Loft in HITEC City, Fireback arrives alongside Barback, a spirited cocktail bar inspired by Bangkok’s Chinatown. Named after Thailand’s national bird, the Siamese Fireback, the restaurant marks EHV International’s first venture in South India and is guided by one of the world’s most respected voices in Thai cuisine, Chef David Thompson.
For Thompson, opening in Hyderabad is less about expansion and more about continuing a journey that has occupied him for decades. Having worked closely with EHV International founder Rohit Khattar through previous Fireback locations, he sees the Hyderabad outpost as the latest chapter in an evolving story.
“This is the third iteration. And it’s getting better, I think,” he says. The chef’s fascination with Thai cuisine remains as intense today as it was when he first encountered it. What keeps him engaged is not reinvention but discovery.
“There’s such a vast repertoire in Thai cooking that I have come nowhere near the end of it,” he says, adding, “I still do a fair amount of research and I find the research as satisfying as eating the food itself.”
That search often leads him into old cookbooks and forgotten recipes. Thompson speaks of them with the affection of an archivist uncovering lost treasures.
Chef David Thompson & Brand Chef Kaustubh Haldipur
“As I scratch through the detritus, I find some grimy old recipe because it’s sometimes been forgotten. It’s extraordinary stuff that stretches across generations with expression, vibrancy and validity of taste. It has as much to say and as much to please and satisfy as it once did generations ago.”
For him, the enduring appeal of Thai food lies in its ability to remain relevant across centuries. “When it sings, it sings with freshness that is mesmerising, hypnotic and thrilling.”
Yet despite Thai cuisine’s global popularity, Thompson believes it is often misunderstood. Most people associate it with heat and spice, while overlooking the quality that truly defines it.
“The importance of accomplishment and balance. Everybody knows that it’s meant to be balanced, but very few people achieve it,” he notes.
He believes the finest expressions of Thai food emerged long before modern influences began reshaping culinary traditions.
“Without question, the best food comes from the past. In Thai food, it comes from a hundred years ago. The taste was much more powerful. It wasn’t overwhelming, but it had depth, skill and balance that made it memorable.”
The cuisine, he points out, is far more nuanced than its reputation suggests. “Thai food is not just about the heat. There can be some very subtle dishes that are akin to the most elegant, streamlined tastes that you find anywhere in Asia or elsewhere.”
Those layers of complexity are what first captivated him. He recalls being introduced to Thai cooking through a friend’s family and being struck by the effortless sophistication of a home-cooked meal.
“It was this old woman’s cooking at a friend’s house and I was arrested by it. Then I have been enthralled ever since because of the skill, the balance and the sophistication. It all seemed natural. You only find that in very old cuisines.”
Bringing that authenticity to India, however, requires a delicate balancing act. Hyderabad is a city with strong culinary preferences and a deep appreciation for spice. Thompson acknowledges that local expectations inevitably shape how dishes are received.
“I try not to modify anything,” he says candidly. “But I know the kitchen modifies it,” he adds.
The remark is delivered with characteristic humour, though it reflects a practical understanding of how restaurants operate across cultures.
“It is the expectation of a country that already has a strong preference for taste. For a restaurant to try and balance that authentic taste combined with local palate is an act of acrobatics.”
Even so, he believes fidelity to tradition remains essential. “If you are trying to do the best that you can, as faithfully as you can, then I think that’s the only responsible approach.”
That commitment to authenticity is one of the reasons Rohit Khattar wanted Thompson at the heart of Fireback. Over the years, EHV International has built a reputation for restaurants that respect culinary traditions while presenting them in contemporary settings.
Khattar says the opportunity to come to Hyderabad felt right from the beginning. Invited by developers who shared the group’s vision, EHV saw the city as a natural next step in its growth.
The restaurant’s design reflects that philosophy. The interiors are relaxed and approachable, yet layered with enough detail to create a sense of occasion. According to Khattar, the aim was always to make guests feel as though they were experiencing fine dining without the formality or the price tag often associated with it.
“The whole idea was to keep it very casual,” he says. “We wanted people to feel they were having a fine dining experience, but actually paying a casual dining price.” The name itself emerged from a simple but inspired conversation. While searching for a suitable identity for the restaurant, Khattar discovered Thailand’s national bird, the Siamese Fireback. The connection felt immediate. With fire-grilled cooking at the heart of the menu, the name captured both the spirit of the cuisine and the energy of the kitchen.
The journey begins through Barback, a lively cocktail bar that acts as an introduction to the larger dining experience beyond. At the heart of the restaurant is an open-fire kitchen inspired by the barbecue traditions found across Thailand, allowing flames, smoke and aroma to become as much a part of the experience as the food itself. The setting reflects the group’s larger vision of creating restaurants that feel approachable and energetic while remaining deeply rooted in the culinary traditions they celebrate.
At Fireback, the spectacle is important, but it is ultimately the food that takes centre stage. Thompson’s recommendations are delivered with understated restraint. The green curry earns an approving “I can live with the green curry,” while the stir-fried prawns receive a similarly measured endorsement. The caramelised banana dessert also earns his approval.
The real attraction, though, is not any single dish. It is the opportunity to experience Thai food through the lens of a chef who has spent a lifetime studying it.
For Thompson, great Thai cuisine is not built on novelty. It is built on memory, inherited skill and an understanding of balance that generations of cooks have refined over centuries.
“There is a happiness and a zest to it. There is a deftness of touch and skill that only generations of cooks can achieve,” he says.
With Fireback’s arrival in Hyderabad, those generations of stories, flavours and traditions have found a new home.
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