Snack Bar: Hinoki Pantry’s New Shop, the Pinnacle’s Next Chapter and More Local Food News This Week

• Billy van Creamy and Monforte are collaborating on a choux puff filled with peach Melba ice-cream. The dessert is available from Billy van Creamy stores from Thursday February 5 to Sunday February 8.

• Regulars – the CBD coffee shop known for dirty lattes – is now serving a matcha version of the drink. It sees oat milk and matcha served in a -85 degrees Celsius glass.

• Tarts Anon has a take on Persian Love Cake for Valentine’s Day. The tart – a collaboration with Ankarsrum – sees a heart-shaped shell filled with a raspberry and pistachio cake, citrus and cardamom custard, rose Chantilly cream and raspberry jelly. It’s available from Friday February 13 to Sunday February 15 from Tarts Anon in Richmond and Collingwood. 

• Ilza Izakaya on Little Collins Street is hosting a pop-up dinner on Tuesday February 10. The five-course dinner is $55 per person and includes slow-cooked beef rib, octopus gazpacho, and a strawberry, matcha and white chocolate cake. There'll also be a special one-night-only drinks menu with a beverage pairing available for an additional $30. 

• Omnia and Yugen chef Stephen Nairn’s Prahran Market fishmonger Portside has teamed up with local butter producer Madeleine on a wakame butter. Available only at Portside, it’s made with kelp harvested from Port Phillip Bay by Southern Seagreens.

• Augustus Gelatery is making a hot honey and mascarpone ice-cream. The limited-edition flavour is currently available at all Augustus stores.

What we covered this week

• First look: the new Lune is Kate Reid’s biggest flex yet.

• First look: Hinoki Pantry’s Shoten brings sushi and Japanese groceries to Elsternwick.

• First look: get crispy, chewy Korean potato pancakes at Gamja Hotteok.

• The Fitzroy Pinnacle to reopen with an all-star team.

• First look: Huzzah opens in the former Deeds Brewing site, led by a Stomping Ground founder.

• Where chefs eat: Emerald City’s Joel Alderdice has the keys to the Yarra Valley.

• First look: Torquay’s new Greek restaurant Ela is built for locals.

• Three next-gen pop-ups building community through food.

• A moment for: Our Place and Sebastian Pasinetti’s purple Pride fruit loaf.

• The best date night spots, according to 15 top chefs.

• Cam Tay-Yap’s go-to spots for a Lunar New Year feast in the city.

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• 13 chefs predict the year in Australian dining.