Nonna San

What do you get when two of the world’s most popular cuisines collide? Nonna San—Woolloongabba’s new fusion restaurant combining Japanese and Italian flavours in dishes that are comforting yet exciting, and nostalgic yet new. 

Nonna San is the latest endeavour of Eastern Culinary Collective (Uncle Don, Nonda, Soka), taking over Uncle Don’s spot at South City Square. At the helm is Head Chef Rino, whose years cooking across Italy included a stint at the Michelin-starred restaurant Sadler. This combined with his Japanese culinary foundations led to Nonna San—honed with time spent travelling through Tokyo and Milan, studying how both cuisines value seasonality, craftsmanship and soul. 

By combining the warmth, generosity, and comfort of Italian cooking with the precision, balance and restraint of Japanese cuisine, Rino has crafted a lineup of signature dishes that capture technique-driven experimentation and emotional storytelling. Think pastas, slow-cooked sauces and housemade cheeses reimagined with yuzu, matcha, miso, teriyaki and charcoal grilling—from the okonomiyaki pizza to the gyoza lasagna. 

The family-friendly spot welcomes you in with the warmth and vibrancy you’d expect in a trattoria, enhanced with subtle Japanese minimalism. Just like the food, it strikes a perfect balance so you feel like you’re relaxing in Nonna San’s house. Book here.

Image credit: Nonna San | Supplied