About

Café in the Melbourne CBD

Discover a delightful blend of contemporary Australian dishes and authentic Japanese flavours at Tomo’s Little Collins, a charming café on Collins Street in Melbourne. We offer an inviting and relaxed space that’s perfect for brunch enthusiasts, coffee lovers and anyone seeking a moment of tranquillity, making us one of if not the best café in Melbourne CBD.

Meet The Team

At Tomo’s Little Collins, our warm hospitality and Japanese-inspired café experience are brought to life by a small group of dedicated professionals. Each person plays a key role in shaping the food, drinks and service our guests enjoy every day.

Rina Imaeda — Manager

Rina plays a key role in the day-to-day operations of the café. Skilled in both coffee and matcha preparation, she supports the beverage bar throughout service and helps maintain consistency across the menu. Focused and dependable, Rina works behind the scenes to keep the café running smoothly — from coordinating service flow to ensuring the kitchen and front-of-house stay aligned.

Her steady presence and care can be felt in the quality and rhythm of daily service.
Strengths: consistency, beverage preparation, and reliable operational support

Yuko Nakanishi — Chef

Yuko leads the kitchen with strong technical skills and deep knowledge of Japanese cooking. Hospitality-trained in Japan and later working as a cook at Ichini Izakaya from 2019 to 2023, she brings a blend of authentic Japanese techniques and modern kitchen experience to Tomo’s. Her strength lies in maintaining the authenticity of our Japanese bowls while seamlessly blending these influences into Tomo’s signature breakfast plates — such as the Signature French Toast and Pantry Breakfast.
Yuko’s cooking reflects balance, precision and a thoughtful understanding of flavour. Her calm, steady approach keeps the kitchen organised and consistent during even the busiest service periods.

Background: trained in Japan; former cook at Ichini Izakaya (2019–2023)
Signature focus: Japanese-inspired flavours, balanced seasoning and refined textures
Favourite dish to cook: Chicken Karaage or Grilled Saba Miso

Kyle Ang — Pastry Chef

Kyle brings international pastry experience and award-winning technique to Tomo’s. Trained in Singapore with a Diploma in Baking & Culinary Science, he has worked across fine dining, hotel pastry and high-volume kitchen production — including roles at One Farrer Hotel, Basque Kitchen by Aito, and Saizeriya, where he gained valuable experience ion pastry and pasta environment.

As decorated pastry talent, Kyle has represented Singapore in multiple global competitions, earning Gold at the FHA National Team Challenge 2025, Silver and Gold at the IKA Culinary Olympics 2024 and 1st Runner Up at the Global Pastry Chef Challenge 2024.

At Tomo’s, Kyle brings both creativity and technique to our menu — from crafting desserts for Puffy Bakehouse to preparing our weekend Japanese pastas and refined specials. His precise execution, flavour pairing and modern pastry methods play a key role in shaping Tomo’s evolving food identity.

Strengths: pastry innovation, modern techniques, flavour pairing and Japanese-style pasta execution

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