Zero Mode

Located in Box Hill, Zero Mode serves up pan-Asian dishes with a playful twist. That beer in an Asahi glass you've just ordered? It's actually noodles in flavourful broth topped with egg foam. The smashed avo that's tempting your tastebuds at brunch? It's a rice cracker filled with avocado mousse. And that matcha ice cream cone you're eyeing off? It's stuffed with chilli-marinated salmon, then topped with roe.

If you like your meals with an element of surprise, then you're in luck. If you like foods that look like one thing but turn out to be something else entirely, obviously you're in luck there as well. The latest venture from the folks behind One Plus Piece, the idea is to give diners a multi-sensory experience — not just activating your hankering for umami, but keeping your senses guessing.

Other interesting menu items include deconstructed sushi, which layers tempura nori, sushi rice, grilled wagyu beef, olive jam, foie gras, wasabi paste and crispy prosciutto — or there's also the vegetable bowl stuffed with edamame, kale, bean curd, seaweed and beetroot hummus.

A more traditional lineup is also available, ranging from wagyu burgers with chips and cheese sauce, to pineapple pork belly and crispy dumplings, all in a Whitehorse Road spot that seats 80, and is open daily from breakfast through till dinner.

Images: Griffin Simm.