Papirica — Restaurant in Melbourne

ℍ𝕠𝕨 𝕥𝕠 𝕗𝕖𝕖𝕝 𝕝𝕚𝕜𝕖 𝕪𝕠𝕦'𝕣𝕖 𝕚𝕟 𝕆𝕤𝕒𝕜𝕒 𝕚𝕟 𝕄𝕖𝕝𝕓 🍛

Step into this homely Japanese cafe on Smith street in Collingwood to satisfy your cravings with 𝕆𝕤𝕒𝕜𝕒 𝕤𝕥𝕪𝕝𝕖 𝕠𝕜𝕠𝕟𝕠𝕞𝕚𝕪𝕒𝕜𝕚, 𝕠𝕞𝕦𝕣𝕚𝕔𝕖 & curries, sandos and other Japanese snacks as well as to peruse the quirky items for sale.

Their motto 'cooked simple but properly' is reflected in the way they make homemade okonomiyaki sauce, mayo & dressings, bread, pickled veggies + kimchi! You'll leave 110% satisfied by their delicious comfort food ♡

❦𝐏𝐎𝐑𝐊 𝐁𝐄𝐋𝐋𝐘 𝐎𝐊𝐎𝐍𝐎𝐌𝐈𝐘𝐀𝐊𝐈 ($16.5) THIS TASTED EXACTLY LIKE THE STREET FOOD ONES IN OSAKA! A selection of 4 other options (seafood, veggie, negi yaki [a pile of spring onions], vegan) and additions such as cheese, kimchi, extra bonito flakes etc.

❦𝐎𝐌𝐔𝐑𝐈𝐂𝐄 ($18.5) Super soft and fluffy omelette (swipe for pics) paired with their homemade sauce, rice and light salad. Would be nice if this could be paired with tonkatsu as an addition for more variety.

❦𝐁𝐀𝐒𝐐𝐔𝐄 𝐁𝐔𝐑𝐍𝐓 𝐂𝐇𝐄𝐄𝐒𝐄𝐂𝐀𝐊𝐄 ($8) super creamy texture, smooth, light and a perfect balance of the caramelisation (available to preorder a whole cake too!) ♡

Note— this place does get packed for lunch (weekend) so be prepared to wait ~20 mins for food, unless...

The Japanese take "cute" to a whole new level so it's unsurprising that several people enter and become gaga at how cute this place is. We were lured here by recommendations of fantastic okonomiyaki. Greeted by smiling and friendly staff, we made our selections from the simple but plentiful menu.

Mouth-watering scents wafted into the room as our seafood and pork belly okonomiyakis arrived. These are the best okonomiyakis we've tasted in Melbourne! With wholesome vegetables, generous amounts of prawn and squid or slightly crispy pork belly, the Osaka-style pancakes were perfectly balanced with home-made special sauce and mayo. Every bite was packed with tantalizing flavours and comforting textures. Another friend thoroughly enjoyed her stir fried ginger pork and rice dish, commenting on the spicy but pleasant kick from the ginger.

The rustic space feels homely and inviting with two small rooms and a small courtyard at the back. The mismatched furniture and trinkets for sale add to the charm. Be sure to check out the fish-shaped cakes called Taiyaki. Today's filling was figs and custard - completely...

We waited for about 25 minutes before getting a table for lunch on a Saturday. The 2 hour parking spots in front of the restaurant cost about $5.00 an hour so you will probably need more than 1 hour including waiting time.

This restaurant specialises in okonomiyaki (pan cakes) so we tried the seafood pan cake which was better than what you would normally get from Japanese restaurant in food courts. We also tried the Katsu curry. The Katsu was cooked to a perfect crispy finish. We tried the Yuzu and cherry homemade soda. They were quite refreshing. The cherry drink was probably a bit sweeter than the Yuzu drink. We also tried the strawberry mochi and cheese cake for dessert. The cheese cake is sweeter and richer than the mochi. The strawberry used in the mochi was full of flavour. The cheese cake was not too dense. The restaurant looks very busy with shelf full of toys and kitchen ware for sales. It may have been a busy day and the table felt a bit sticky like it has not been cleaned probably. I suggest the restaurant invest in a good spray before...