We went on a Monday to find the roller doors closed. Sigh, sadness.

We went back on a Tuesday to find a delighted open cafe. Happiness.

We often wonder if Collingwood will run out of hip to dish out on a plate, yet with every new converted warehouse cafe, burger joint or kitsch emporium, it hits us that hip has no end point. Kinda like a Mandelbrot set, we guess.

The food and coffee was undeniably good, so much so that we found ourselves thinking about it for the rest of the day. And all we had was a muffin and a long black. Who thought flour and bits, and beans could be so good?

It looked like everyone around us was enjoying their time as well, until they saw us looking at their “Eat your soup” lunch for a minute too long. We couldn’t help it, and neither will you when you’re next to a hearty bowl of free-range chicken mince balls, with winter mushrooms and vegetables served with quinoa and green seaweed onigiri with lemon miso.

All this made us wonder, “Why aren’t you eating your soup, quicker?”

The name is also a mouthful, Japanese for ‘everyone’s home’. And home we did feel, surprisingly more than ever in the bathroom – of all places. With newspaper-lined walls and a radio documentary playing in the background, we had to convince ourselves to leave.

With six things on the menu, Mina.no.ie shows that the simplest things in life are often the best. We’ll give hipsters credit for that.

Where: 33 Peel Street, Collingwood
Hours: Tues-Fri 8am–4pm | Sat-Sun 9am–4pm
Details: minanoie.com