Everyone is just so gloriously friendly at exciting new West Melbourne addition Moon Mart. As chef and owner Eun Hee An says, “The sun is different over this side of town”.
Adding to the Asian convenience store’s charm is the sunny yellow paint job around the door and on the gable, and the bright yellow coffee cups. And there’s an exuberance at play, despite a huge opening weekend where all the food had sold out by 1.30pm both days.
But it’s a busyness Hee An is familiar with. She was part of the team behind Sydney Korean diner Moon Park, which was around for two years before closing in 2016. But during that short time, it made a big impact on the Sydney dining scene. As did its follow-up diner Paper Bird, which closed in 2019.
Following the closure, Hee An felt as though she had done her time in Sydney and wanted to expand her then-online-based lockdown fermenting project, Moon Mart, to Melbourne. “I was a little bit burnt out in Sydney,” she says. “The condiments I started in lockdown went too far to give up and I knew I had to do something with them.”
Originally the idea was just a kitchen for Hee An’s incredible kimchis, XO sauces and more. But with the extra room and outdoor seating she found at what was formerly Roller Door Cafe, the idea grew, and Hee An reached out to her friend Mei Onsamlee. Three weeks later, Onsamlee had packed up the cats, moved from Sydney and was painting the doors at Moon Mart. Now, Onsamlee is happily wrangling Primary coffees, serving strawberry cheong (syrup) sodas and iced lattes with condensed milk, and chatting to the neighbours.
Monday to Wednesday is coffee only, but Thursday to Sunday, Hee An is running a Korean- and Japanese-inspired menu built around her handmade small-batch products. “I try to use most of [them] here so people can get a taste and see how to use them,” she explains. For breakfast, it’s char siu bacon and egg rolls. For lunch, it might be a katsu sando, tonkatsu teishoku (a Japanese set meal of rice, miso soup, a main protein and a few smaller dishes) or a gochujang-braised beef bibimbap, plus regular specials such as okonomiyaki-style hash browns.
You’ll also find a range of Hee An’s Asian-inspired pastries that might include five-spice canelés or cookies made with kinako, or roasted soybean flour.
Essentially, it’s food that’s good for your gut, and a vibe that’s good for your soul.
Moon Mart
11–13 Stawell Street, West Melbourne
Hours:
Mon to Wed 7am–12pm (coffee only)
Thu & Fri 7am–3pm
Sat & Sun 8am–3pm
moonmart.com.au
02 Aug 2023
02 Aug 2023
01 Aug 2023
01 Aug 2023