Very surprised to see a 3 star review. As a first timer, even I could tell they were Chinese trying to pass as Japanese. But the whole experience was great. Service was good, we got the food we wanted and the nice location didn't hurt either. Was very relaxing and the atmosphere was perfect.
a beautiful afternoon sitting outside in the plastic walled pavilion. A gorgeous japanese couple run the cafe and couldn't have done more for us. The menu was limited and simple but delicious. We had the chicken poached in saki and ginger, there was plenty of it, with rice and seaweed and other bits and pieces. Great value. We had come to The Convent a bit stressed after a hectic day but the place just soothes your soul and we left feeling relaxed, full, and happy with the world.
Fried milk cake and Vietnamese ice coffee the best in town
Miso stir fried chicken and curry puffs the best
they are very good service I will be back
The best cafe shop
Friendly manager and nice food, especially curry puff and Vietnam cafe. Also, here provide plenty of beers that me and my friend love it. I I strongly recommend friends and family come here and enjoy a lovely afternoon.
I wish I lived closer to Kappaya but it's probably good I don't cause I would spend all my money there. There's something about this quaint Japanese cafe that's just so charming, I could spend hours there sipping matcha and people watching. While this is my go to drink there, I also enjoy the coffee, beer and snacks (like spiced rice crackers and sweets).
It was a great experience to dine here at Kappaya. My first time being here and i had a chance to try this Japanese liquor with my meal and their vietnamese coffee in the end which was very fabulous. Staff were so lovely as well! I will be back for sure👍🏻👍🏻
The cappucino is nice and the black sesame fried ice-cream here is really unsual but amazingly delicious ! Would love to visit here again another day!
Their service and food are amazing even coffee as well!!! Affordable price and loved having lunch sitting next to a tree which were really cozy and chill. I'm definitely coming back again
Lovely Japanese in the Abbotsford convent!!! They are very friendly and their simple food is great. They do great Miso soup and a tasty bento box. It’s the number one place to eat at the convent.
Always good place to have a drink and chicken. crispy chicken; taste tofu; nice coffee;Healthy food, lovely staff. Relax place. Highly recommend 👍
Decided to stop by for lunch before exploring the convent and surroundings. Ordered the pork dumplings and sat in the outside dining area. The dumplings were fresh and tasty. The outdoor setting is quite relaxed and perfect for chilling out. Would come back and try other lunch options.
Novel little Japanese cafe with good food and ambience. I have been here twice and left happy both times. It's a little pricey though, and my iced latte didn't have an option to add any sort of sweet.
Great services and food! Must try the green tea latte! 5 stars! The tempura chicken is cooked thru to perfection.
Great for a weekend afternoon late lunch.
Came here for brunch and was pleasantly surprised. Had the fried chicken bento. The chicken was very juicy and portion was very generous. We finished off with a green iced tea latte and the kids loved the green tea fried ice cream; it's the first restaurant that we've seen fried macha ice cream.
Bribe My Reviews W GoodFood
+4
Another hidden gem of Japanese food sharing the same neighborhood of Collingwood like Akasiro.
The environment is very cozy and casual. You could spend hours there to enjoy the sun and chill with a cup of matcha latte or coffee with one of their Japanese styled tapas or lunch sets.
Most dishes are based of chicken and tofu, they are made fresh with an authentic Japanese twist to it. The chicken is crispy without overcooking it and the tofu is like Agetofu and sliced into the shape of wedges to share.
I love the concept of this cafe and it was worth recommending if you are up for a relaxing afternoon.
I opted for the ‘Tatsuta Tofu Rice ($12.00)’. Inside the box was some fried organic tofu, fried sweet potato and eggplant, five-grain rice with homemade seaweed paste and salad. I loved this! The food at Kappaya is not only healthy but incredibly delicious. The tofu and veggies were crispy on the outside and silky on the inside and the sauce was full of umami goodness.
Lovely Japanese inspired brunch spot located inside a peaceful place, the Abbotsford convent. Their match latte was on point. Perfect balance of bitterness and sweetness. Tried the Vegetarian bento and tori rice (chicken karage). Both were fantastic and unique. We also had some cakes from the counter..what an hungry weekend
A wonderful local gem tucked away in the Convent when you fancy a little Japanese soul food. Succulent and tender pieces of chicken dusted with fine chilli powder nestle amongst a bed of greens, sweet potato tempura and 5 grain rice. So delicious and just the right portion size for a satisfying meal. Fantastic matcha latte that was sweet and balanced. Attentive service and watching the kitchen in operation, you have to admire the care taken to prepare you meal.
Kappaya is located in Abbotsford Convent, a relaxing environment full of bountiful nature, fresh air, friendly dogs and a few other eateries. I often visit my friends who live in this area, so it’s a great opportunity to explore the eats available. The cafe was definitely busy, but from observation it’s due to lack of a dedicated counter staff as they are also tackling other duties here and there too. Orders have to be placed at the counter before sitting, the queue was a terribly long wait, some of the customers in front of us appeared indecisive.
Healthy Japanese soul food prepared with restraint, respect for the ingredients and care. I always feel good after eating here as the food is not overly rich but still appetising.
Next door to the heavy queues of Lentil as Anything, is a Japanese “soul food” cafe called Kappaya, which offers Japanese foods, tapas and pastries menu options with a reduced queue time with the same quaint, idyllic feel that you get from all the eateries in the Convent area. Service was a tad on the slow side, and we didn’t get our matcha latte until after the food, however it was a fantastically rich matcha that we rather enjoyed. It had a pleasant taste that didn’t come with an overbearing sweetness that you can get at some places. And $4 is a good price.
Absolutely loved this place, relaxed vibe, such friendly staff. I had the tofu tempura tapas and they were delicious!! A light and super crispy batter of tofu chips with some super fresh veges in tempura and side salad. Dreaming of my next visit to have them again and try everything else. A place that takes me back to Japan. Highlighting every ingredient by keeping it simple and humble and doing it really well.
I'm so glad to have found this little gem. It's nicely tucked behind the Abbotsford Convent. Love the matcha latte and the Toriten rice was also very delicious. The matcha latte was so well balanced, wasn't too bitter nor too sweet. I'd highly recommend trying this cafe if you're passing by the area.
Been here a while ago , I love the atmosphere and the feeling that the chef prepared the food in the semi-open kitchen . Very Cozy. Friendly staffs. Especially the food is stunning ! Healthy and good . My husband love their Japanese Fried chicken, my fav is the chips . However we missed the onigili last night , wondering if they still have the rice ball on their menu ?
A Japanese Gem hidden in a Convent ....
Melbourne's Thursday, Spring, Cherry Blossoms and Bento time in Abbotsford, no wonder we are living in the most liveable City in the world.
A jap place without sushi but the bento are really lovely. I ordered the tempura chicken every single time it's delivered in a lovely box and the chickenis so tender. I also like their green tea latte and miso soup. It's located in a convent a lovely place to explore.
Super cute, tasty and affordable!! Their green tea latte is really good too! Location in the convent is interesting to explore around in. Will b coming back with the doggies to enjoy more food and explore the area.
Awesome food and service. Got the bento and was so nourishing and filling. Got the matcha latte which was delicious. Such reasonable prices too. Can't wait to go back!
Beautiful place and lovely food with friendly staff.
Very affordable too, love the green tea latte and bento box!
Only thing is food is a little slow, so might be a bit of a rush for 1 hour work lunch break
If you really want to impress someone with your laid back subtly cool and always classy knowledge of Melbourne then bring them here. The food is nice enough without being super amazing, definitely inoffensive and with something simple for everyone. But the location is top notch.
Our second time at Kappaya, had a really good lunch. I ordered poached egg on rice with miso soup and tempura chicken. It came with tempura pumpkin which was really tasty. My partner had the bento with tempura chicken and tempura tofu. The tempura here doesn't have thick oily batter like the usual tempura we come across at other restaurants. Friendly service and great outdoor atmosphere.
Nice Japanese fusion style cafe in a lovely setting. Bento box was delicious, has a nice variety of assortments. Delicious, creamy coffee.
Reasonably priced, great staff, only thing is they seem to be short staffed especially during busy periods.
Other than that, great experience
Cute establishment for a nice Sunday brunch surrounded by the lovely gardens at the Abbotsford convent. Space is small inside and can be tight, but there are outdoor seats. Food was great and very satisfying.
Really loved the relaxing vibe here and absolutely love the tapas style Japanese cuisine. Can't get enough of their seaweed paste!! Highly recommended for a relaxing afternoon at the convent grounds
Best coffee at the Convent!! I visit the Convent and Children's Farm with my children regularly and have tried all the coffee in the area, this place wins hands down every time!
Nice work guys.
Bento & beer was a good combo for lunch. Miso was nice. Enjoyed sitting outside amongst the trees. Food was quick & warm. Staff were lovely. Spoilt for choice when eating at the convent.
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Sublime food, yet completely unpretentious: perfect the way it is. It's no accident that people talk about Kappaya having "homely", "soul" food. I've been fairly regularly over the last five or six years, and recently i realised it's like visiting a favourite uncle or aunt who is some kind of reclusive genius, but with a heart of absolute gold.
I'm no good at writing about food, but I know when a dish goes just a bit beyond worldly greatness. Everything at Kappaya does this: it gives you a trace of domestic rapture that feels real, cos the food is indeed straightforward, without any secrets (or loads of salt). Yet it is anything but simplistic. I'm sure this is achieved through attention to detail: every aspect of each dish is respected, and the whole is built up with care and attention so that no part is disrespected, and thus no part loses its individual brilliance/deliciousness. The bento is the perfect example of this: it's not just the how the parts of the box, but how the parts of the parts come together. I've never written about food before, so this might be a simplistic analysis. But i'm also no stranger to restaurants, and I've eaten at Kappaya so many times, and this attention to detail - the mastery and the care - is what i've found to be the consistent element through all the dishes placed in front of me. I've come to expect it, and I'm never let down.
That's the genius of the place: the care in the food. The soul of the place is that the food is the care. That is, it happens just for its own sake: there is absolutely no pretension in the whole dining experience. This isn't to say that no thought is put into the restaurant itself - the decor, the music, the waitstaff....they are all so *with it* and great - it's just that it has all been built up so organically, so effortlessly, and without presumptuousness. This is my other, non-food-critic thought about the place: the comfortable, unaffected atmosphere is a reflection/inversion of the hyper-attention-to-detail put into the food. I'm certain of this.
I don't really want to address the few negative reviews about the service that are high up on the page for some reason - Kappaya is perfect the way it is. The staff do their job wonderfully; the boss guy is in the zone, but very welcoming; and there isn't a trace of pretentiousness. It really is like visiting an unassuming uncle or aunt who happens to be a genius, with lots of cool n mysterious stuff in interesting boxes in a very beautiful house. And in this time of superficial customer righteousness, which just leads to heartless over-servicing, it's so sublime and reassuring to find a heart of gold in a bento box.
The food was fresh and simple – hubby thinks it was bland.
...I first popped into Kappaya for an early lunch before exploring the market. I noticed the menu had changed slightly since my previous visit. I wanted to get the Saku Saku side dish that I had previously enjoyed but I also wanted to have something sweet afterwards, so I settled for the two onigiri miso soup set. Two Onigiris, miso and side salad set ($9.00) The mi
This is not a typical Japanese restaurant, in a good way. The food selection is pretty limited but what they do, it is done really well. The food has got a homely / home made sort of feel to it, put together with 'love'. Have got Japanese beers too and some interesting desserts. Service is friendly and attentive. This place is worth coming back to. Bonus points because staff are actually Japanese, which is not the norm.
I was pleasantly surprised at how excellent Kappaya was. The brief for my lunch companion- somewhere healthy, fresh, with gluten free options. This suited perfectly- simple, delicious & well-made Japanese food with quality ingredients. I'd happily return in a heart beat.
Awesome. Friendly yummy stylish. cheap
Been Around The Block
+4.5
Clean, tasty Japanese food... Friendly service, great location
Happy
Best "alternative-style" Japanese!. You can always count on the quality of a Japanese restaurant by the fact that it is Japanese owned and run. All of the wait staff are super-friendly and attentive. I have lived in Japan for years, travel there frequently and frequent Japanese restaurants regularly in Australia. The food here is amazing without fail, and vegan friendly - which is hard to come by in Japanese dining! Great atmosphere with beautiful views of gardens. Even my partner, who never expresses excitement for food (living by the mentality of food as simply "fuel") really enjoyed it.
10/10.
This place is absolutely amazing! So unbelievably tasty and so cheap for nice Japanese food. I wish it were open more, cause every time I walk past it's closed.
Bast value bento box. Flavours are definitely more subtle than most Japanese places you would go to. This is probably my favourite place at the convent now that The Convent Foundation has evicted Handsome Steve. Well done Kaji.
Vanajakshi Tharammal
+4.5
Best bento in town - no doubt!
Yay for onigiri!. I'm so glad the onigiri are back at Kappaya. The pickled vege and walnut ones are the best for all vegans out there. Unfortunately I can't eat the goma pudding anymore (gone vegan) and it makes me want to cry. :(
Honouring the food. Simple, honest food served with a sense of deep respect. I love the walnut onigiri. Although gen mai cha served in a funky 70s teapot is wonderful, a strong latte is amongst the best in Melbourne.
I love everything about kappaya . unlike most other Japanese restaurants and cafe's their desserts are unbelievably good!
Something different for breakfast. I'm not sure about you, but I'm pretty pretty pretty bored of breakfast menus in Melbourne. Corn fritters, crepes, baked eggs, smashed avocado, blah blah blah.
For a change, try the Japanese breakfast at Kappaya. It's pretty hard core with a brown rice dish, pickles and miso, but a change is so damn nice.
You can even have a latte there in case you have Western withdrawls, and it's not bad either.
Japanese food with SOUL !. Delighfully welcoming and unique lunch spot! Simple menu, but who needs too much choice during your workday!? The food is a visually creative - which matches the decor and funky jazz . The Bento Box is the way to go - it's like a Japenese antipasto. Really tasty, really different and really good for your soul I say!
Kappaya is all about simple organic Japanese soul food. It is quietly tucked away in the convent and just next to Lentils as Anything. The menu is small and simple. The shoebox interior is narrow and dimly lighted. It will probably fit 12 people snugly. T
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