Suupaa has brought a taste of Japanese convenience stores to Cremorne.
Japan’s 7-Elevens and Lawsons are legendary for their high-quality snacks and cleanliness. Suupaa channels that spirit with polished stainless steel, grab-and-go items like onigiri and donburi (rice bowls), and coffee on tap. But you can also sit down (or even come for dinner on select nights) for udon noodles, hefty sandos and signature drinks, boozy or otherwise.
The bento style leans towards ekiben, the colourful boxed meals sold on trains and at train stations in Japan. Onigiri isn’t wholly bound by tradition, however; there are riffs on popular Spam versions made by subbing in mortadella and a layer of fluffy egg.
That playfulness extends to the dine-in menu, reserved for items that don’t travel as well. The panko-crumbed pork-loin tonkatsu comes with a Vegemite-spiked Bulldog sauce, and a Japanese-leaning udon bolognese is made with a dashi stock base and a rich katsuobushi and parmesan cream.
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Emma Breheny – Emma is Good Food’s Melbourne eating out and restaurant editor.
