First Look: Kori Brings Its Japanese-Inspired Ice-Cream to Windsor

Some ice-cream stores keep things classic. Others use the ubiquitous dessert as a way to channel creativity, show off technique and experiment with inventive flavour combinations. Kori sits firmly in the latter camp.

Founded in 2022 by former Coda pastry chef Joane Yeoh and Lux Bite co-founder Bernard Chu, the Japanese-inspired ice-creamery opened its third store, on Chapel Street in Windsor, at the end of December. 

While Kori’s CBD store is limited to 18 flavours, Kori Windsor has 24 flavours at any time. Fourteen are mainstays, including three different matcha ice-creams, a milk bottle lolly-like number inspired by Peko-Chan lollies, and some of the best fruity vegan sorbets around. The remaining six are reserved for limited releases, part of the more than 100 flavours Yeoh develops each year.

Currently, she’s most excited about purin purin, a play on the puddings found at Japan’s convenience stores that features caramel custard ice-cream sandwiched between double layers of sweet custard pudding. Alongside scoops, the team makes limited-edition toppings, ice-cream cakes and four house-made cones: plain, red velvet, chocolate and black cocoa.

The non-stop creativity extends to its stores, each of which is designed to have its own personality. “We’re hoping to give customers a new experience every time they step into Kori,” Chu says. Hawthorn is about immaculate perfection. The CBD shop, which is right next to a car park, has an industrial pared-back aesthetic. Windsor blends into Chapel Street’s humming nightlife while taking cues from Japanese listening bars and daytime raves. The store will host live DJ sets on Friday and Saturday nights through summer, and Japanese city pop and hip-hop nights are in the works. As Yeoh succinctly describes the Windsor store, “It’s fun”. 

But the opening comes at a bittersweet time for the brand. While Windsor is still in its first few weeks, this week the team announced the closure of its flagship Hawthorn location, a decision Chu says was made due to construction next door (ice-cream production has moved from Hawthorn to Windsor ahead of the closure.) “The decision to close Hawthorn was genuinely a hard one. We had to make a call that was right for the team,” says Chu. 

There’s still time to visit the Hawthorn store before its final day of trade on Sunday January 25. “We’ve loved being part of the [Hawthorn] community,” says Chu. “If people know Kori, they’ll know we’ve never been a transactional ice-cream shop – it’s always about the people. That’s something we carry with us into Windsor.” 

Kori Windsor
143 Chapel Street, Windsor
0401718857

Hours:
Sun to Thu midday–10.30pm
Fri & Sat midday–11pm

kori-icecream.com
@kori_icecream