Overview
Known for the signature fluffy white Japanese milk bread after which it's named, Melbourne bakery Shokupan has been busy cementing its cult status during lockdown. And it's set to win even more avid fans, as it joins forces with the French chef behind Romu for a new weekend kitchen residency dedicated to thick katsu sandos.
Taking over the kitchen at Alphington Farmers Market every Sunday from November 1, the katsu sando pop-up will be serving up a tight menu of Japanese-inspired eats, with a few creative twists thrown in for good measure. Flying out the takeaway window from 10am each week, you'll find three dreamy $16 sando varieties, along with a Japanese potato salad ($7) and a couple of desserts ($7). There's a riff on the classic chicken katsu featuring sake-marinated chook and a native Australian togarashi, while a seafood option stars Yarra Valley trout rillette and a miso-infused tartare. A third, vegetarian sando teams creamy stracciatella with the likes of hard-boiled egg, pickled beetroot and sesame pesto.
Top it all off with some cake, in the form of a black sesame chiffon number with salted honey custard, or the natural pandan chiffon with coconut, and your Sunday is looking pretty sweet.
All menu items will be available until sold out, though, if you want to avoid disappointment, pre-order now via the Romu website.
Images: Declan Sands