Cross Culture on Smith

April 1999

Two young women have recently opened cross cultural cafes which are distinctly different and are each really interesting venues.

Co-incidentally, both are on Smith Street and both are related to Japanese cuisine.

Peko Peko at 199 Smith Street is 28 year old Katrina Smith’s way of combining the landscape garden career of her Japanese husband,Yashushi Kobayashi (Yaz), with her own. They met during the five years Katrina spent in Japan. On return she started Yosh, a shop on Smith Street which was one of the first in Melbourne to sell Japanese inflatable furniture, pop techno rave gear and accessories. It was a success for 18 months but the couple wanted a venue which would showcase their combined talents better. They found premises and installed a kitchen and Japanese garden on the ground floor and a shop on the mezzanine. As you walk in off Smith Street, you enter another world. There is a staircase to ‘nowhere’ directly ahead of you. It came from a house which was being demolished in Kyoto and with the addition of some shelves at the back, is now used to display the soy, Japanese groceries and crockery which are available for sale. On the right, in the window, is a miniature garden with an shaped bench table and seating constructed by Yaz and further to the middle of the room, his full traditional garden complete with waterfall. It’s wonderfully soothing and a good example of the work he does for his business, Teien Japanese Gardens.

Ahead of you is an open kitchen where Toshi Horiuchi prepares ‘kate no agi’ Japanese home style fare. Katrina is trying to offer less ‘obvious dishes’, no tempura or teppanyaki but things like zaru soba (cold buckwheat noodles with a dipping sauce) or tofu nabe, a hot pot of tofu, udon, spring onions, mushrooms and a soy based dipping sauce.

Above the kitchen, visible from a Courreges shaped cut out is the store where Katrina has her Japanese imported ‘kitsch gift wear’ and clothes. It all adds up to an interesting space and one which has very much its own personality, restful and defined, quite unlike the rest of Smith Street. (phone 9415 9609)

But further north at number 354 (over Johnston Street) is Cafe Bohemio, a very different but equally distinctive business run by Japanese born, but Brazilian bred, Mimi Tanaka.

Mimi took over the café, then one of Melbourne’s few Argentinian establishments, in February. She came to Australia three years ago and worked as a manager at the very popular Misuzu’s in Albert Park. After living in Brazil for 25 years she sought to develop contacts with the South American community here and soon learnt that Bohemio was for sale. After a month working with the previous owners, she felt ready to take over and word spread quickly that a cook with real Brazilian experience, though Japanese born, was at the stoves in Melbourne. Mimi has learnt from her Brazilian grandmother in Rio and is trying to do as many dishes as traditionally as possible. She is also an accomplished Japanese cook as she worked in some of San Paolo’s many Japanese restaurants (there are approx. a million Japanese resident there) and does dishes with a Japanese influence, notably grilled tofu with spicy sauce. Mimi often uses tofu as a substitute for the meat (which is so popular in South American cuisine) as she has found many of her Melbourne clients are vegetarian. The one thing she has not found necessary to adapt is the ‘carnival’ spirit. She says that the only way to make parties work is to get out there and enjoy yourself. So at her once a month dance parties (carnivals) she comes out from the kitchen, dresses up and makes sure everyone is dancing.

The next party is on April 24 and this one will celebrate the cuisine and style of the African influenced Bahia region of South America (and will include a Capoeira dancer). Entrance charge is $10, and for an additional $7 you will receive a sample plate of Bahia dishes. Drinks, which include Chilean and Spanish wines, Brazilian cocktails, Spanish and Mexican beers, as well as Japanese sake, are extra. Phone 9417 7626

Both these places will be part of the updated Mietta’s Eating & Drinking in Melbourne. For more information, visit Mietta's web site. www.miettas.com.au