Farm-to-van vision drives Raven Place’s next chapter

AFTER nearly three years serving Japanese street food from a roadside van, Raven Place at Clothiers Creek is expanding with a new van and a stronger focus on sustainability.

Owner Michelle Kuramochi said her approach to cooking was shaped after moving to Japan at 18, where she learned a “from scratch” style grounded in fermentation, pickling and letting ingredients lead.

“Living there – I fell in love with Japanese food and the culture around it,” she said.

That philosophy now underpins Raven Place, where the van draws on produce grown on-site and from local growers.

“At the core, it’s about building flavour without shortcuts,” she said.

“In a world of convenience and pre-made food, that foundation has shaped how I approach everything.”

The van is best known for its rice bowls, featuring handmade gyoza and tallow-fried gluten-free karaage, alongside wontons and kimchi cheese toasties.

 

Kuramochi said the aim is to balance salty, sour, sweet and umami flavours, with ferments, pickles and condiments central to the menu.

At the centre of the operation is the family-run farm, which Kuramochi described as integral to how the business functions.

“The farm is part of an integrated system that shapes everything we do,” she said.

“We focus on growing what we use daily – herbs, vegetables, and seasonal produce that go straight into the bowls.”

“Everything connects in a loop – scraps go to chickens, eggs come back to the kitchen, and even waste like coffee grounds and tallow is repurposed into soap.”

“It’s not just a food van – it’s a living system where everything works together.”

She said the business follows a hyper-local, seasonal approach, with many ingredients made in-house.

 

“Even something simple like sushi ginger is different here – ours is made with organic, locally grown ginger from a farmer we know,” she said.

Set among farmland at Clothiers Creek, Kuramochi said the location adds to the experience.

“The creek, the huge bamboo at the gate – it’s almost like a little piece of Japan,” she said.

Operating as a roadside stop also creates a sense of discovery for visitors.

“The journey here is part of it – passing farms, the Madura Tea plantation, banana trees, and then arriving in this quiet little pocket,” she said.

Despite its tucked-away location, Kuramochi said demand has been strong, with many customers making the trip specifically to visit.

 

“It’s not a drive-by business – people choose to come,” she said.

As demand has grown, she said the original setup has become limiting, prompting plans for a new van.

“We reached a point where the original setup wasn’t giving us the space and the flow we needed,” she said.

“The new van is about creating a more functional workspace and less pressure during busy service.”

She said the next phase, described as “Raven Place Farm 2.0”, will refine the model further.

“We are creating a paddock to plate garden – in our case, a true farm-to-van system, where what we grow goes straight into the food,” she said.

Raven Place is located at 4 Raven Place, Clothiers Creek and is open from Wednesday to Sunday from 9am-2pm.