Meet Our Chefs
Takafumi Kumayama
Owner
"I first learned about Tasmanian buckwheat in 1997. Tasmania is known for having some of the cleanest air and water in the world, and buckwheat grown there is truly special. I'll never forget the first time I tasted it. It was so delicious that I knew I wanted to share it with all of Australia. To achieve my dream, I spent 10 years learning the art of soba-making under the Japanese soba master, Yoshinori Shibazaki. In 2012, I finally opened my first shop on Liverpool Street in Melbourne."
"We make our soba from the highest quality Tasmanian buckwheat, milled with our in-house stone mill everyday. By milling our buckwheat and making our noodles right in our shop, we're able to serve you the freshest soba possible. We make our broth entirely from natural ingredients, including thick dried bonfire shavings and dried mackerel shavings imported directly from an artisan producer in Japan with more than one hundred years of history. Our broth contains absolutely no artificial colours or flavours. Each day we work hard to share our special soba with all of Australia."
Kazuma Onishi
Head Chef, Menu Founder
"Bridging Japanese flavour and health is a top priority in crafting the menu for Shimbashi. Our goal is to create and serve dishes that give the community the choice of both flavour and wholesome foods because health should never be out of the question. Our ingredients are made in house or directly sourced from Japan, priding ourselves of quality, fresh and nutritious meals. Making soba is an art form to us and it brings us joy to create a masterpiece for our customers, inclusive of all types of diet practices."
