A Japanese brunch spot with set meals as its signature! Located in Brunswick, it’s really a cool area. It gets very busy on weekend afternoons, with only 20% booking available. Be prepared to wait for 30 minutes to an hour if you walk in! Their set meal with Onigiri rice balls is very delicious. There are two options for the fillings: fish and pickled plum! They also serve the standard Japanese breakfast with a fish! Overall, the taste and atmosphere of this place are good.
Because our friends kept posting delicious food photos from Japan, we were really envious and jealous. So, we got up early today and went to Brunswick to try the popular ima Asa Yoru.
At first, we followed the address from Google Maps and ended up at their grocery coffee shop, Ima Pantry. We thought it was strange because it didn’t look like a restaurant at all! Later, we followed other customers and finally found the actual restaurant. You just need to walk along that grocery store for another two shops, and there it is. We didn’t have a reservation, and around 10:30 in the morning, we waited for about five minutes to get a table. I’m not sure if it’s because there’s a 10% surcharge on weekends, both Saturdays and Sundays, so maybe people tend not to go out on weekends. The atmosphere and decor of the restaurant were both very nice!
The decoration is well thought out, mostly wooden materials, and everything around smells delightful. Personally, we think the bold choice of deep blue for various decorations is novel yet doesn’t feel out of place. Overall, the environment is really comfortable.
Regarding drinks: as usual, we ordered a hot and a cold hojicha latte and you won’t be disappointed!
As for the main course: we ordered the Donburi of the day, which was kingfish that day.
The ingredients were exceptionally fresh and sincere, and at $28, it felt very worth it. The other dish was the soy milk tonjiru stew, which is basically a miso soup with stewed pork belly and some vegetables, served with buttery toast. It’s really suitable for chilly winters! (If you’re still hungry, you can add a portion of rice; that stew is really appetising with rice.) Actually, you can’t go wrong with anything on their menu!
ima Project and ima Asa Yoru
However!! The new store in Brunswick opened very quickly (around Jun 2023). And IMA Project has also changed its name to IMA Asa Yoru. Asa means morning, while Yoru means night! Now, they’ve also opened IMA Pantry next door, featuring some organic products and pastries.
There are also many lovely shops to explore in Brunswick. It’s quite pleasant to take a stroll around after eating to your heart’s content. Hurry up and go to IMA while it’s not too crowded! For more updates, you can refer directly to their Instagram.
📍 Address: 1 Duckett St, Brunswick VIC 3056
Getting there: Tram 19 goes directly there, very convenient