Concrete Playground

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Dari Korean Cafe

The word 'dari' meaning 'bridge' in Korean is the foundation for Hardware Lane's newest Korean eatery: Dari Korean Cafe. Melding together Australian and Korean cafe culture, Dari boasts a large array of Korean sandwiches and sweet treats typically seen on the streets of Busan and Seoul.

Owner and founder Yoon-Ji Park wanted to showcase the flavours from her childhood, where she grew up working and living in Korean restaurants, and show Melburnians a different type of Korean food.

Le Charme

Melbourne has no shortage of cheap eats for students, rents weeks and people just generally trying to save a dime. Chinatown's newest opening, however, is combining budget eats with sophistication and fancy surrounds — so you can feel like you're dropping big cash on a nice dinner, when you're actually not.

Located in the heart of the bustling city centre, Le Charme is filled with long teal banquettes and lotus flower-shaped light fittings hanging from the ceiling. Matching teal shutters keep the restaurant's interior sheltered from the frenetic foot traffic happening right outside its doors.

Ichibandori

“Neutral Bay has its fair share of Japanese restaurants, but none are quite like Ichibandori. Although the restaurant has been open on Sydney's lower north shore for a while, Hideto Suzuki of Manpuku and Tomoyuki Matsuya of HaNa Ju-Rin have recently taken it over and given it a new twist. They've turned it into a late-night ramen haven.

But, you won't find any ramen here when the doors of the small 20-seater restaurant swing open at 5pm — you'll have to wait till 9pm.”

Taquito Bar

From Tex-Mex eateries to underground mezcal bars, Melbourne has no shortage of Mexican spots. The city's newest temple of tacos and tequila, however, has opened in an historically Italian area: Carlton.

Setting up shop on Drummond Street, Taquito is small. But small is the name of the game here — literally. "Taquita means little taco, but in an affectionate way," says owner and manager Alex Villareal. "It's a term of endearment."

While Taquito's name and space are small, its food is big on flavour. Out the back of the quaint restaurant, you'll find an outdoor area filled with chilli plants and other spices — which, naturally, feature throughout their menu.

279

Melbourne has no shortage of minimalistic spots for breakfast and brunch, but it's just gained a new one in West Melbourne's Japanese gem, 279. Despite some of its similarities to the city's many (many) cafes, 279 owner Kantaro Okada says it's carving out its own niche in the suburb.

"One of the biggest reasons we chose West Melbourne was because of the lack of Japanese food options in this area," says Okada.

Ima Cafe

Carlton is known for its many Italian restaurants and cafes, but a new kid on the Elgin Street block is hoping to switch that up with its Japanese-inspired cafe fare.

Ima Project Cafe, tucked away on the border of Carlton and Fitzroy, is run by owners Asako Miura and James Spinks, who founded the restaurant upon seeing a gap in the market for not only a Japanese cafe, but one that was also committed to sustainability and reducing waste.

"We wanted to teach everyone that it is possible to reduce waste in the food industry," says Asako. "We've actually found a supplier that sells us 'ugly fruits and vegetables' — they are usually thrown into landfill because they are an unusual shape, but taste delicious."