Koi Toy brings shareable Japanese-influenced plates, inventive cocktails and late-night energy to Pentridge, Coburg
Goat ragu served with thin pancakes and wasabi aioli — yeah, that’s not your standard sushi train order.
Koi Toy, a new Japanese-inspired bar and diner, opens at Pentridge Shopping Centre in Coburg on 21 February, bringing shareable plates, crafted cocktails and a late-night atmosphere to Melbourne’s north.
The 90-seat venue is the work of executive chef Alex Meimetis, whose CV includes stints at Chin Chin Club in Geelong and Claypots Evening Star, alongside head chef Long Le, who has cooked at Bomba, Longrain and Yum Sing House. The pair have put together a menu that leans on Japanese technique and flavour but isn’t afraid to pull from elsewhere — expect ingredients like cemen (a Turkish spice blend of fenugreek, garlic and chilli), smoked chorizo and pomegranate molasses sitting alongside yuzu, furikake and sansho.
Koi Toy
- Pentridge Shopping Centre, T16, 1 Champ Street, Coburg
- Opens 21 February
- Open seven days for lunch (midday–3pm) and dinner (times TBC — check venue for details)
- Bookings via koitoy.com.au
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Standout dishes include the Yagi Ragu Kyaseroo Roll Ups ($34), featuring slow-cooked Hakkaku-spiced goat with kinoko mushroom ragu and okonomiyaki pancakes, and angel hair tempura king prawn ($23) wrapped in pastry with a watermelon ponzu emulsion and smoked chorizo. There’s also sake-cured ocean trout cemen ($32) finished with soy-cured egg yolk, and crispy fried whitebait ($23) with yuzu tartare and apple nori slaw.
On the drinks side, bartenders Danny Chen and Whale Kim (formerly of Golden Monkey) have assembled a cocktail list that matches the kitchen’s playful approach. Options include the Swipe In TanTan ($22) — a mix of Pavan liqueur, gin, passionfruit and peach bitters with egg white — alongside the French Rising Sun ($22) built on Chambord, pineapple juice, citrus vodka and rhubarb bitters.
The interiors have been handled by St Kilda-based Studio Y, with branding from Confetti Studio. The design draws on traditional Japanese craftsmanship, with timber elements nodding to yakisugi (a preservation method involving charring wood), overlapping neon signage inspired by Tokyo streetscapes and sphere lighting referencing washi paper lanterns. The venue also features outdoor dining and a private dining room that seats up to 20.
For more information, head here.
