Shokupan X Hibiki Collab

Overview

White, pillowy and more angular than Timothée Chalamet's jawline, Japan's ubiquitous shokupan — which means 'eating bread' — loaves are usually milk-based, but not baker Quentin Berthonneau's version. The French-born owner of Melbourne's Q Le Baker is creating his loaves using sourdough for his new side hustle Shokupan.

To get your hands on Berthonneau's shokupan, you usually need to sign up to a waitlist. But, this Sunday, July 5, you'll find them at Toorak Road's Hibiki. Available from 9am until 3pm (or sold out, which, based on its popularity, seems more likely), the loaves will be sold as-is for $13 or as a tamago sando for $15.

Usually found at 7-Elevens across Japans, the egg sandwiches have been created in collaboration with Hibiki's owner Reiji Honour. The sandwich is made using classic cos lettuce, Hibiki house-pickled daikon and hikiniku tamago (an omelette with mince meat) and, of course, soft slices of shokupan.

Berthonneau promises this is just the first of many collaborations with Melbourne chefs — we'll let you know when any more are announced.

Shokupan X Hibiki's sandwiches and shokupans are available from 9am–3pm (or until sold out).

From 11.59pm on Wednesday, July 1, until at least Wednesday, July 29, stay-at-home orders have been reintroduced in ten Melbourne postcodes, which means their residents can only leave for one of four reasons: work or school, care or care giving, daily exercise or food and other essentials. For more information, head to the DHHS website.