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Wandering around a random laneway in the city and stumbled onto this place tucked underneath the WSP building. Straight onto my regular list after one visit.
Small, easy-to-miss entrance, the kind of door you’d walk right past if you weren’t looking. Push it open and everything goes quiet. Retro solid wood mixed with industrial concrete inside, warm crystal pendant lights, Japanese screens dividing up the seating, soft jazz playing in the background, never loud. Good spot for bringing the kids, a lunch break, catching up with friends, doesn’t feel oppressive even sitting there a while.
Japanese Hamburg Steak Set
Thick beef patty, coated in a rich black pepper sauce, sides of broccoli and potato salad, refreshing shredded cabbage. Seasoning balanced, not greasy at all. Good pick if you’re not into fried food.
Thick-Cut Pork Katsu Set
Skin fried crispy, cut into it and the meat’s a tender pink, really juicy, not dry at all. Comes with rice, miso soup, pickled ginger, two dipping sauces. Very filling, plenty for one person.
Matcha Cream Cold Brew
Layers look great, matcha cream on top is thick and smooth, cold brew underneath has a mellow bitterness, matcha flavour comes through over the coffee’s sharpness. Photographs well.
Sugar-Free Double Iced Matcha Latte
I watch my sugar and train regularly, ordered this sugar-free specifically. Pure matcha flavour, smooth, not sickly sweet. No guilt drinking this during a cut.
Black Sesame Gluten-Free Basque Cheesecake
Soft, molten centre, strong sesame aroma, not too sweet. Good to cut through the richness after a meal. Safe for anyone with a gluten sensitivity too.
Katsu Teishoku
Saw the pork cutlet set and my eyes lit up, brain just screaming order this. Pork loin visibly tender, crispy outside, soft inside, juicy, not greasy at all. Good with just a bit of salt. Rice cooked just right too, not too hard, not too soft. One bite of cutlet, one bite of rice, felt my energy come straight back. Lifesaver of a meal.
Shio Cream Cold Brew
Cream on top is seriously thick, first few sips you can’t taste the coffee at all. A touch of salt in the mix brings out the sweetness and the orange peel aroma. If you like your drinks on the sweeter side, this one’s good.
Already know I’m going back for the pork cutlet rice next time.
Cheese Katsu and Salmon Sets
Both the cheese katsu and salmon rice sets were good too. Salmon’s served half-cooked, nice oily richness to it. Cheese katsu actually pulls that cheese-stretch when you cut into it. Side salad was good as well.
Corn Latte
There’s a whole cabinet of small cakes too, but the surprise favourite this time was the corn latte. Sounded like it might be weird from the name alone, turned out unexpectedly good. Milky with a hint of corn sweetness, corn flakes on top, unusual texture, not overly sweet. Everyone agreed it was way better than expected.
Also a Great Study Spot
What really drew me in wasn’t just the coffee, it’s the hours. Saturdays, 8am to 9:30pm. Hard to find a cafe in Melbourne where you can actually sit and write, read, study or work, this one’s got some of the longest hours around. Good atmosphere too, was in my own world for a bit, looked up and realised almost everyone around me had brought their laptop.
OMO Cafe
18 Merriman Lane, Melbourne CBD (beneath the WSP building)
If you’re exploring Melbourne during the school holidays, our Beckett Park Balwyn, Ron Barassi Snr Park Docklands and Miyama Melbourne reviews are good next stops, or check our VIC school holidays and term dates for 2026 page for planning your trip.
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