Miso soup in three scoops? Kori serves inventive Japanese ice-cream in Hawthorn

Want the scoop? Melbourne's ice-cream renaissance is in full swing and Kori, a new Japanese-inspired ice-creamery, is at the vanguard.

With 24 startling flavours, super smooth textures, vegan options for lovers of lactose-free licks, even alcoholic varieties for those who want to blame the tipple if their scoop topples, it's no wonder Kori's queues are almost as famous as its ice-cream.

The store is beautiful, in a palette of red, white and shiny grey. The lines are clean and sharp but there's a poppy feel too – maybe it's the cute sprinkles on the hand-made waffle cones, perhaps it's the Japanese disco dub playlist (available on their website so you can vibe before you visit), possibly it's the friendly staff who explain you're allowed two tastes before making the agonising decision of choosing final flavours.

You could simply go for the most popular and see what the fuss is about. Number one is (vegan) Fuji apple, which zings with fresh fruit: I saw sunbeams as I ate it.

Number two is hojicha. This roasted green tea can be dark and nutty but a light, bright, floral roast is the base here and it works beautifully as a cold confection.

Strawberry shortcake is an obsession in Japan: Kori's version is a swirly mix of milk-based strawberry ice-cream, compote and cake crumble. It's like Devonshire tea in a cone.

Combining flavours is always fun. The shortcake plays nicely with mango kinako (roasted soy bean flour) and white sesame but there are weirder ways to go.

How do you feel about miso soup ice-cream? Combine tofu vanilla, miso and nori flavours and you've got your own scooped soup in a cup. Is it odd? Yes. Is it mind-bendingly great? Also yes.

Kori is the brainchild of Joane Yeoh, born in Singapore, raised in Malaysia, and equally enamoured of Japan and sugar. "I could eat 10 cakes a day," she tells me.

Yeoh moved to Melbourne to study culinary management, then gravitated to learn from dessert specialist and LuxBite founder Bernard Chu, who is still a mentor and her business partner at Kori. Yeoh worked at Rockpool, Press Club and Coda, where she became head pastry chef.

A short stint at Narisawa, a renowned and refined restaurant in Tokyo, was perhaps the most transformative time of all. There Yeoh learnt precision and perfection, right down to cleaning every cranny of the kitchen with a toothpick. She brought that rigour – along with lightness and joy – to Kori.

There's more – the new rear courtyard has views to Hawthorn pool.

And cakes! Yeoh will launch frozen cakes, including a spin on Nutella with hojicha and hazelnut, and a vegan citrus and genmaicha concoction.

Did you look at the price list and think $9.76 for three scoops is oddly specific? Kori is a cash-free business and prices include 1.7 per cent bank fees. I love the transparency almost as much as I adore the ice-cream.