Chu Chu

Chu Chu serves ramen, slow-cooked pork ciabatta rolls and rice bowls with onsen eggs from a menu designed so you rarely have to wait more than three minutes for your food. Breakfast and lunch designed to go is delivered via a window that opens to Topham Mall.

The food, all made on-site, leans Japanese but draws from multiple influences. Expect traditional Western breakfasts with Asian tweaks: toasties with kaya (coconut jam) and buns with fillings such as tempura eggplant or hoisin ketchup. Even the eggs Benny pocket has an Eastern twist; Chu’s hollandaise sauce is infused with kaffir lime leaves.

Black sesame buns baked at the restaurant are a mix of black sesame and charcoal powder with a texture somewhere between brioche and a standard bread loaf. The buns are their own menu category and are used for both savoury lunches and desserts (the fried ice-cream buns come in matcha, Thai milk tea or original).

Chu Chu’s most popular dish is the ramen, of which it makes three types (miso, spicy and vegan). Everything is made from scratch and the broth is a slow-cooked pork broth, with miso paste, bonito and nori flakes. Tahini is used in the vegan option for a creamy texture.

The emphasis might be on grab-and-go eats, but the Studio Alumni interior – wood-filled, clean and minimalist – invites you to stick around for a while.