mina no ie

Make yourself at home.

The same team that brought us Japanese good taste in Cibi in Collingwood, now have a second incarnation in Mina no ie.

Mina no ie wants those who enter its door to feel at home; comfortable, but also inspired. And their way to your heart is through their food, which they describe as, "simple, life-affirming dishes that provide energy, health, comfort and balance".

The setting itself has a good, clean feeling and also the feeling that some effort has been gone in to making it welcoming. Ostensibly a warehouse in dress-up clothes, the space has been transformed by a faux bamboo wall made from large cardboard cylinders and huge white swathes of fabric that loop from the ceiling creating the sensation of being in a very large, light and airy tent.

Industrial wooden benches and trestle tables hold Japanese ceramics, fabric and art books. You can feed your body and your mind and also find a beautiful birthday gift. Which is what I did.

The menu is simple. There is definitely no wading through a novel's worth of choice. Toast with avocado or spreads, fruit toast with ricotta and honey, mina no ie granola and then some variations on egg dishes with a Japanese twist. Although, if you need meat at breakfast or lunch, this is not the place for you.

I opted for the baked egg with sweet miso, roasted eggplant, butternut, provolone cheese and sourdough. Served in the mini cast iron pan it was baked in, the combination of flavours was sensational. In fact, it was so good, I burnt my mouth as I couldn't wait for it to cool down before devouring it.

If you visit between meals, there is a lovely selection of muffin and green teacakes available at the counter, as well as coffee, juices and a variety of green tea.

Mina no ie is a calm little pocket on Peel Street. Try it for yourself.