EziStreat, a new street food hub with 12 stalls, opens in a North Melbourne warehouse

North Melbourne has a new street food hub opening this Saturday in a 600-square-metre warehouse space.

Vendors include King of Mussels, which serves Turkish-style stuffed shellfish, Taiwanese hawker restaurant Jymmanuel (don't miss the popcorn chicken) and Captain Cook'd, which sizzles fusion burgers: think banh mi but on brioche, or nasi lemak on bread instead of rice.

There's a beer garden featuring Colonial Brewing Co beers plus cocktails and non-alcoholic options, and the space is dog- and kid-friendly with parking on site.

"We try to give our customers a taste of all different cultures," says founder Yun Kim. "It's a melting pot, just like Melbourne."

The eating hall's aesthetics are inspired by Japanese "yatai mura" (food stall village), with indoor laneways and surprises around each corner. Engagement with the local community extends to artworks and appearances by North Melbourne Football Club.

Although it's designed for walk-ins, EziStreat is also set up for food delivery apps, offering vendors marketing support and, it claims, better deals than they would get as solo operators. EziStreat combines the flexibility and efficiency of a dark kitchen with the nurturing growth mindset of a business incubator.

Kim grew up in South Korea where he studied hotel management, lived in Japan where he learned the language, and moved to Australia in 2005 as a backpacker with $500 in his pocket. A serial entrepreneur, the pandemic ruined his student accommodation business and he decided to move into food – but with a lockdown-proof angle.

"We try to minimise the risk from the uncertainty of the world," he says. "For example, if COVID 6.0 came along, we can easily switch to 100 per cent delivery and drive-through."

Open Mon-Tue 5pm-8pm, Wed-Thu noon-8pm, Fri-Sat noon-10pm, Sun noon-8pm

EziStreat, 275 Macaulay Road, North Melbourne, ezistreat.co

• Dani Valent reviews Jymmanuel