Australian Gourmet Traveller - (05)May 2020 (1)

Aftera well-caffeinatedtriptoJapan–

visitingteahousessuchasSakuraiand

IppodoinTokyo– landscapearchitect

BonnieRobinwasinspiredtostartParlor

TeawithherhusbandChrisBarnes.

Theironlineshopsellsorganicloose-

leafteapickedfromtheslopesofHaruno,

a smallruraltownwestofMountFuji.“The

farmingcollectivein thisareawasoneof

thefirstin Japantorevertbacktochemical-

freefarmingin the1970s,”saysRobin.

Certified-organicgreentearepresents

aroundonepercentofthecountry’stea

production– andParlorTeaoffersthree

kindsforyourpot:springsencha,matcha

genmaichaandKyotohojicha.“Some

saydrinkingJapanesegreenteais like

drinkingnatureitself,”shesays.“You

cangrowsenchainChina,oreven

Australiaforthatmatter– butit will

nevertastelikeJapanesesencha,the

samewaythatChampagnecanonly

tastetruewhenmadefromgrapes

grown in Champagne.”parlortea.com

Embroidered eats

Sushi?Ramen?Pizza?Kyoto-basedartistIpnothasyourfavourite

foodstitchedup– literally.Sheuntanglesthreadandturnsdishes

anddrinksintoembroideredmasterpieces.HerInstagramfollowers

haveseenhertransformFrenchknotsandneedlepointintorice

crackers,soybeans,andeventhedripofmid-pouredcoffee.She

creditsherfamilyasinspiration:Ipnothasfondmemoriesof“the

stitchesofgrandmother’sbeautifulhandmovements,thesoundof

theneedlespassingthroughthecloth”.Whileembroideringramen

noodlesandsushiricemightseemincrediblydifficult,theartist’s

biggestcreativechallengehasbeenstitchingtogetherpizza.

Ipnotnamesa sushirestaurantcalledKizunainOsakaasoneof

herfavouriteplacestoeat,butsheactuallypreferstodineathome.

Infact,shedoesn’tevenconsumesomeofthefoodthatshestitches.

“I don’tactuallyeatramenandmeat,”she says. “I am just fascinated

with its design.”instagram.com/ipnot

T E A T I M E

Evenwithits
doorsclosed,the
NationalGallery
ofVictoriais
offeringyoua
chancetoescape
toanotherworld
viaitsvirtual
exhibition
tours.Browse
blockbuster
exhibitsdevoted
toKaws,Rei
Kawakuboof
Commedes
Garçons,and
PetrinaHicks.
ngv.vic.gov.au/
channel

EX

HI

BITIONNE

W

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GOURMET TRAVELLER 19