‘Exquisite comfort food’ shines at this calm Japanese cafe by day and quirky izakaya by night

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The modern split-level space that used to house contemporary restaurant Congress is now Chiaki, a calm Japanese cafe by day and quirky izakaya by night. It’s owned by three of Melbourne’s most interesting food identities, each of them bringing expertise and enthusiasm to this excellent new destination.

Mo Zhou is the accomplished chef of Gaea, a tiny Fitzroy fine diner. Alicia Feng is the coffee shepherd at Calere, the even smaller Gaea offshoot. Kantaro Okada is the originator of West Melbourne’s rice ball-focused 279 cafe and Carlton sake bar Leonie Upstairs.

Chiaki reflects each participant’s backgrounds and obsessions. Zhou and Feng are from China – central Henan and tropical Hainan respectively; Okada grew up in New Zealand and then ran a cafe in Japan. Their food and drink passions bloomed in Melbourne and this fun collaboration feels like it could only happen here.

You couldn’t say Melbourne needed another coffee place, but Chiaki does bring something different to our cafe scene. Every flat white is made with attentive zeal and the two-page specialty coffee menu goes deep. If you’re keen, you can spend $28 on a cup of rare coffee from the Panamanian highlands brewed by a robotic Taiwanese drip machine: look out for notes of bergamot and purple grape.

The key food is ochazuke: cooked rice bathed in broth and served with various toppings – salted plum, say, or wagyu tataki. Chiaki’s broth is an umami hug, not overpowering but layered and deep, a complex infusion of dashi, jamon, barbecued sardines, fish stock and chicken stock, cooked in various combinations before mixing.

You can’t book during the day but reservations are possible at night. Secure a spot for sake and cocktails that use it. There’s still ochazuke but most of the menu riffs on izakaya bites. Crushed, creamy Japanese potato salad is served with jalapenos, olives, prawn mayonnaise and a shoyu-cured egg for DIY smushing. It’s exquisite comfort food.

Madeleines are flavoured with mustardy Japanese curry then topped with nori mayonnaise and capocollo (Italian cured pork). It’s a cacophony of flavours that manages to be dainty as well. Slow-cooked ox tongue is tender and succulent. Peanuts are used to make scoopable “tofu” that’s arranged with various iterations of coconut – gel, granita, semifreddo – to make a subtle and brilliant dessert.

Chiaki isn’t showy – the tone is understated glee – but this confluence of personnel and passion in a sweet, resonant space makes it a unique and welcome addition to the Melbourne dining landscape.