“The konbini is the cornerstone of urban life,” says Stefanie Breschi, referring to Japan’s famous convenience stores. Your favourite chain can be the subject of fierce debate and the ubiquitous shops are a go-to for everything from daily essentials to breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Breschi, also behind Richmond restaurant Future Future, has brought konbini culture to Cremorne with her new venue Suupaa (Japanese for supermarket).

Suupaa – which she opened last week with her Future Future partner Alex Boffa and executive chef Atsushi Kawakami – is a convenience store and restaurant hybrid in the new 65 Dover development (the same one Baker Bleu just moved into).

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The team has put a Melbourne spin on the konbini with dishes like 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 team also brought on fermentation king Dennis Yong (Furrmien, ex-Parcs) to help design the menu, which 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.

“[Konbini are] so affordable and accessible but they’re so well curated and so well maintained. And each one responds to its specific context. So a konbini in Tokyo might have different brands to a konbini in Fukuoka, says Breschi, who has been visiting the East Asian country for 15 years.

“I’m a Melburnian, I was born here, I’ve lived all my life here,” says Breschi. “Atsushi is Japanese, he grew up in Tokyo, and he’s been working in restaurants for 35 years. Dennis grew up in Malaysia and they’ve both worked as chefs in Melbourne for a long time. So it’s this synergy of ideas and experiences.”

She tapped Max Allison of Hot-Listed Good Measure to design 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, for those who want to settle in for a long lunch, or after-work drinks on Thursdays and Fridays. “Long-term we want to extend those hours and speak more to the true nature of the konbini, and be an 8am ’til 9pm operation, seven days a week,” says Breschi.

A sharply curated retail section includes Japanese ingredients, beautiful homewares and design magazines. Everything has been carefully considered: even the staff’s blue vests are inspired by Family Mart, Breschi’s favourite konbini chain.

Inside, the slick design by IF Architecture (who also designed the new Baker Bleu) is striking: all stainless steel, tiling, curves, and mid-century furniture by artist Clement Meadmore, including his famous red corded chairs. It’s a bit retro and a bit futuristic, with an aesthetic inspired by influential Japanese designer Shiro Kuramata (who worked on a series of restaurant fit-outs) as well as Japanese architecture firm Sanaa and Acne Studio’s minimalist stores.

Suupaa
65 Dover Street, Cremorne

Hours:
Mon to Wed 11am–3pm
Thu & Fri 11am–9pm
Sat 11am–3pm

@suupaa___
suupaa.au