First Look: Prahran Market’s New Japanese Spot Matsuyama Is Inspired by Midnight Diner

When Matsuyama first appeared at Prahran Market in January last year, it was meant to be fleeting. But the would-be month-long yakitori pop-up took off, thanks largely to Chinese social media platform Rednote. By March, chef-owner Keng-Hao “Kenny” Chiu had started planning a permanent site for the concept within the market. Chiu closed the pop-up last December and finally opened the new bricks-and-mortar Matsuyama in January.

The permanent Prahran Market location was supposed to be the next step for the chef’s charcoal-grilled food. Chiu, formerly head chef at Chiaki and Benchwarmer, was planning for a charcoal-led, late-night izakaya soundtracked by vinyl and cold beer. But halfway through the fit-out, plans to run charcoal indoors were shut down due to exhaust restrictions. “It literally changed the business concept,” he says.

Instead of smoke and midnight trade, Matsuyama now operates as a daytime counter. The drama of charcoal has been replaced with a more pragmatic electric grill. But there’s still yakitori featuring chicken skin, wings, heart, liver, gizzards and thighs. Plus, skewers of M9 Wagyu, and others with zucchini and king oyster mushrooms.

The menu has also expanded beyond skewers, with sandos and bento boxes. There’s a teriyaki chicken sando made with whole thigh fillet; a pork katsu one layered with egg and pickled daikon; and a grilled Wagyu sando made using 9+ marble score beef. The same Wagyu appears in a bento with rice, sesame-dressed greens and cherry tomatoes. 

The restaurant itself is intimate: a small counter, red crates for seating, Chiu cooking directly in front of guests and passing skewers across the bench. It feels closer to a stripped-back izakaya than a typical market takeaway.

Drinks are deliberately simple for now, with Asahi, yuzu beer, soft drinks, and saké from Shizuoka producer Nomu Saketen. Chiu describes one junmai daiginjo as impossibly dry yet still sweet; another carries a saline, almost shellfish-like quality. “It tastes like crab,” he says. “It’s crazy.”

And the soundtrack? Not the predictable city pop that’s currently all over Melbourne. “I realised everyone is doing that,” Chiu says. “So I just play what I actually listen to.” Records from artists including Nas, Wu-Tang Clan and Dr Dre line the walls and Chiu plays mostly ’90s hip-hop and psychedelic beats.

Matsuyama is part of a Prahran Market refresh. It’s one of four new restaurants opening in the former Mr Hoddle site, which had stood empty since the Italian restaurant closed during Covid, until the opening of the first new spot, Mexican restaurant Pacho Taqueria, last September. 

Long term, evenings are still Chiu’s ambition. When neighbouring tenants move in and night trade expands, Matsuyama plans to lean further into its izakaya identity. For now, the focus is on building something grounded. Chiu says he’s inspired by the spirit of Midnight Diner, a cosy TV show about a restaurant in Tokyo, and hopes to offer simple food, easy-drinking saké and real connection over polish.

“There are no fancy plates or polished presentations,” he says. “Just an affordable menu and a place where anyone can feel welcome. In uncertain times, when many people carry stress and quiet battles of their own, we hope our food can offer a small sense of warmth and comfort. If someone can leave a little lighter, a little stronger, and ready to take one more step forward, then we’ve done something meaningful. This is Matsuyama’s core spirit.”

Matsuyama
Shop 809-3, Prahran Market, 163 Commercial Road, South Yarra
No phone

Hours:
Tue 11am–3pm
Thu & Fri 11am–3pm
Sat & Sun 10am–4pm

matsuyama.com.au@matsuyama_melbourne