Melbourne Has Scored a New Japanese Ice Creamery From a Rising Star Chef and LuxBite's Bernard Chu

It might be the middle of winter, but that hasn't deterred Melbourne's newest frozen dessert destination from coming in hot. Opening in Hawthorn over the weekend, Kōri is the new boutique Japanese ice creamery from LuxBite's Bernard Chu and Young Chef of the Year 2022 finalist Joane Yeoh.

It's a truly sweet meeting of minds, with Yeoh's resume spanning the likes of Tokyo's Chocolate Academy and Michelin-starred restaurant Narisawa, and her collaborator a longtime legend of the Melbourne dessert scene.

Shannon McGrath

Kōri is scooping over 20 hand-crafted ice cream flavours, both dairy- and plant-based, with a penchant for the bold and innovative. Classic Japanese flavours are reimagined with locally-sourced ingredients, with seasonal creations to sit alongside year-round signatures on the menu.

On the starting lineup, you'll find heroes like matcha and pistachio, hojicha (roasted green tea) and hazelnut, chestnut and rum, strawberry shortcake and a frosty take on the Japanese custard dessert 'purin'. Meanwhile, dairy-free diners can look forward to options like yuzu, fuji apple and vanilla tofu. And you can bet there'll be wild new flavours constantly hitting the menu, fresh from the brainstorming minds of Chu and Yeoh.

Shannon McGrath

The Glenferrie Road space itself also pays homage to Kōri's Japanese influences, with a striking fitout by leading Melbourne studio Architects EAT. Bold orange and pink hues down one side of the room have been carefully played against the sleek metal and neutral tones of the other, giving the illusion that you're stepping into some 2D art poster.

Find Kōri Ice Cream at 659 Glenferrie Road, Hawthorn. It's open from 12–10.30pm Sunday to Thursday, and from 12–11pm Friday and Saturday.

Top Image: Shannon McGrath