Some of the most exciting new lunch spots are in a small pocket of the inner south-east, where venues channel Korean temple food, Japanese convenience stores and more.
For a suburb often dubbed “Melbourne’s Silicon Valley” because of its melting pot of tech start-ups and creative businesses, Cremorne has never quite had the abundance of hospitality to match such a high-flying crowd.
The Cherry Tree is a longstanding boozer, Fred’s and Lilac led the area’s wine-bar movement, and cafes have long dotted the backstreets. But it wasn’t until this year that the inner south-east suburb emerged as a bona fide dining destination.
“A drop in rents post-COVID created really attractive opportunities for hospo operators,” says Stefanie Breschi, director of the new souped-up Japanese convenience store Suupaa.
Her eatery neighbours Melbourne’s biggest Baker Bleu shop, in the 65 Dover Street development.
As expected, Suupaa has been a hit with nearby office workers. But more surprisingly, Breschi says, “Our strongest trade is actually on the weekends because we get diners coming to get their bread at Baker Bleu and have lunch at Suupaa”.
The suburb’s latest lunchtime attraction, Korean restaurant Sogumm, opened in April but co-owner Changhoon “Kimi” Kim wasn’t even looking at Cremorne initially. Finding a heritage site changed his mind.
“I saw a piece of Australian history in the space, and the idea of introducing Korean food culture in a place with such character excited me.”
“Cremorne is the in-between suburb of the north and the south.”
Deyon Murphy, On Air
It’s early days, but Kim feels good about the decision. “Cremorne has a really dynamic energy that changes throughout the week,” he says.
Deyon Murphy, co-founder of new coffee shop On Air, which hosts regular DJ sets, targeted Cremorne for his first venue and has more venues underway for the suburb, which he describes as “untapped”. He believes Cremorne’s workers want more high-quality venues with personality.
“Cremorne is the in-between suburb of the north and the south,” he says.
“The face of Cremorne is changing,” adds Breschi. “And there’s more blue sky ahead.”
Sogumm: Cremorne’s newest addition
The Korean food most common in Melbourne – fried chicken, kimchi pancakes and tteokbokki (rice cakes) smothered in cheese – might have put the cuisine in the spotlight, but they’re not the dishes most Koreans eat at home.
Newcomer Sogumm joins an emerging subset of Melbourne venues (including Chae, Ondo and Sot) that focus on the more understated strands of Korean cooking.
“There are a lot of Korean restaurants in Australia, but a lot are similar,” says Kim, who co-owns the restaurant with his wife Suhyun “Su” Kim. “They’re just selling what people like.”
Instead, the two fine-dining chefs (their CVs include Gimlet, Hazel and Restaurant Andre in Singapore) have chosen to showcase dishes they grew up with and others inspired by Korea’s minimalist “temple cuisine”.
They spent a year with Jeong Kwan, a renowned Buddhist nun featured in season three of Netflix series Chef’s Table, learning how to cook without relying on onion, garlic or excessive seasoning.
Key Korean ingredients such as ganjang (soy sauce), gochujang (chilli paste) and salt form the backbone of the menu at Sogumm (“salt” in Korean), with ferments like kimchi playing a supporting role.
Vegetarian bibimbap is Kimi’s signature. Rice seasoned with doenjang (fermented soybean paste) is topped with spinach, bean shoots, zucchini, mushrooms and a mountain herb called chwinamul. Wagyu bibimbap is made with yukhoe (raw beef similar to tartare) and seasoned with ganjang.
Gomtang, a clear beef broth, is the sort of dish you’d crave when you’re sick. With thinly sliced brisket, shin shank and beef tendon served over a mound of rice, it’s a study in restraint, seasoned only with salt.
Small plates including potato kimchi jeon, a flour-free pancake bound with shredded potato, hint at the future dinner offering – but for now, service is lunch only pending a liquor licence.
466 Church Street, Cremorne, instagram.com/sogumm_melbourne
Four other Cremorne newcomers to try
Slick stainless-steel shelves are stacked with the dark-crusted loaves that built the fanbase of one of Melbourne’s essential bakeries. But that’s not even the half of it. Warm items include generous pork-and-fennel sausage rolls and miso-apple hand pies, plus the cabinet is brimming with grab-and-go sangers and sweet pastries.
65 Dover Street, Cremorne, bakerbleu.com.au/cremorne
Chook
Why did the chicken cross the road? To get to this new fast-casual joint by Tim McDonald, one of the founders of Fonda Mexican. It’s unsurprisingly dedicated to chicken, available either roasted or fried, across wraps, bowls and sandwiches (the American term for chicken burgers). The Proper Chicken Sandwich is a standout.
208 Swan Street, Cremorne, chookcremorne.au
On Air
Coffee and music collide at this left-field cafe. On Wednesday and Saturday mornings, live DJ sets showcase local and international talent. Hang out on the timber bleachers with a cup of Inglewood coffee and your choice of panini (try the chicken schnitzel) or DIY salad bowls.
25 Stephenson Street, Cremorne, onaircremorne.com.au
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