Fire-powered restaurant ēmmē set James Street alight in 2024 with a menu of flavour-packed Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisine. Taking over the site previously home to Spoon Deli Cafe, just off James Street, ēmmē boasts a minimal and organic aesthetic crafted by Alkot Studio and Tonic Projects, which has turned the prominent space into an approachable day-and-night eatery. The restaurant’s 44-seat interior is centred around the kitchen, which itself features an attention-grabbing 2.4-m woodfire dome and open fire pit from The Brick Chef. An alfresco portion is equipped with a high-end coffee bar serving Five Senses brew and light bites for breakfast. ēmmē is offering breakfast and lunch services first before eventually expanding into dinner, with the menu constantly evolving based on seasonal shifts. Highlights include pickled eggplant with walnuts, fried egg, labneh and chilli), French toast with date caramel, whipped yoghurt and seasonal fruit, barbecue chicken with grilled shishito peppers on a bed of garlic labneh, wagyu rib skewers with native spice and spring-onion salsa, and the swordfish koftas with saffron yoghurt and pickles. A wide-ranging wine list encompasses plenty of crowd-pleasing options, while a six-strong cocktail list and craft-beer from Felons Brewing Co. is also available.