Meals on Wheels: Omusubi Natchan Serves Hand-Pressed Rice Balls From a Tiny Van

“An omusubi is a rice ball. It’s the same thing [as onigiri], just with a different name,” explains Natasha Scheffler, the owner of Omusubi Natchan, a travelling market stall that specialises in handmade Japanese rice balls.

“But the rice in omusubi is different from sushi rice,” interjects Rie Scheffler, the head chef of Omusubi Natchan (and Natasha’s mother). “Sushi rice is seasoned with rice vinegar while omusubi rice is salted. It’s ok to make triangle-shaped sushi, but that is not omusubi.”

After spending time abroad in Switzerland where she missed Japanese food, Natasha travelled to Rie’s home town in Japan. While in Japan, she learnt how to make omusubi from Hiroko, an elderly woman who owns Omusubi Teshima in Tokyo and has been making omusubi for more than 50 years.

The Swiss-Japanese Scheffler family is now firmly based in Perth and on a mission to share the taste of their home with the community, spreading its familiar comforts with travellers and locals alike.

The dishes at Omusubi Natchan lean traditional and are a nod to various Japanese prefectures.  Sesame and salt flavours – Natasha’s childhood favourites – sit next to those inspired by her travels, like crab mayo and spicy tuna. Natasha also hints at a nasi lemak-style omusubi, from a recent trip to Bali, which might become one of the weekly rotating specials.

One thing remains constant: the rice. Although it’s a painstakingly precise process, Rie says it’s the most important part. They alternate using tap water and filtered water through many, many rounds of rinsing. “And no squeezing,” Rie says, “we don’t use a triangle mould to squeeze or shape the rice. It is all pressed by hand, not squeezed. 

“It's more like a ‘gathering’ rather than squeezing, so that each rice grain can stand on its own,” Natsha adds.

Watching mother and daughter chat omusubi techniques feels like being let in on a secret family recipe. It’s easy to see how attention to detail, warmth and firm guidance (a familiar feeling to those who’ve shared the kitchen with an aunty, grandma or matriarch) has seen Omusubi Natchan gain a steady community following since its beginnings as a simple market stall at Perth City Farm in May.

Now, in addition to their weekly Saturday market stall at Perth City Farm, the mother-daughter duo have gone mobile and serve their palm-sized rice balls from a refurbished trailer. On Tuesdays they’re outside Hinata café in Fremantle, where Natasha has worked since her teens, and on Thursdays they’re outside Tartine Cafe in the heart of the CBD. The more access to omusubi, the better.

Omusubi Natchan

Various locations: check Instagram for most up-to-date information.

Hours:

Tue 9am–2pm at Hinata Cafe, 19 Blinco Street, Fremantle

Thu 7am–2pm at Tartine Cafe, 101/72 St Georges Terrace, Perth

Sat 8am–midday Perth City Farm, 1 City Farm Place, East Perth

Omusubi Natchan will go on holiday break from December 22, 2025 to January 17, 2026.

@omusubi_natchan