Suupaa

Suupaa, from the team behind Richmond restaurant Future Future, is a convenience store and restaurant hybrid that channels some of the most beloved dishes you'll find at a typical konbini in Japan – with a Melbourne spin.

Here you'll find the likes of pork loin tonkatsu drizzled with Vegemite-spiked Bull-Dog (tonkatsu) Sauce; mortadella onigiri (a riff on the popular spam and egg rice balls); and udon noodles with bolognese, katsuobushi (simmered, smoked and fermented skipjack tuna) and parmesan cream. The menu also features bento, donburi bowls and nikuman (steamed buns) to go, plus dine-in items like black sesame and garlic tan tan ramen, and a hefty fried egg sando with a slab of crumbed omelette, melted cheese, curry ketchup and black garlic relish between thick toasted shokupan.

Drinks include a banana-infused cold brew (available through a self-serve tap) and iced matcha with Milo foam. There’re also a Wasabi Margarita and a Mango Negroni plus Japanese beer and sake, it's rounded out by a tight selection of Japanese pantry staples, homewares and design magazines. It's set within a sleek space with a sharp attention to detail. That careful eye even extends to the uniforms – the staff’s blue vests are inspired by Family Mart, one of Japan's biggest konbini chains.