When the crew behind anime dessert bar, One Plus Piece, announced they were opening a second all-day eatery, we just knew it was going to be… different. And boy, were we right.

Slotting into Boxhill in Melbourne’s east, the new tongue-in-cheek eatery called Zero Mode is quickly making a name for itself, thanks to its playful menu where dishes are not always what they seem.

One of the venue’s most popular offerings is the beer ramen, made from a noodly pork broth, served in a stein with a foamy head of whipped egg whites.

Diners will also be able to get their hands on matcha waffle cones filled with chilli-marinated king salmon and caviar, fries in liquid cheese and crispy chicken waffles shrouded in a dome of fairy floss.

Owner Cain Xu said: “I want my customers to have fun. In a way, I want to confuse their minds and test their senses a bit. Things aren’t always as they seem, and I thought it would be fun if a few of my dishes played on that ideology.”

Drinks range from Seven Seeds coffee to house-made milkshakes in over-the-top flavours like Nutella and toasted marshmallow, salted caramel and peanut butter and strawberry cheesecake. The café will also serve miniature mirror-glazed gateaux courtesy of local patisserie, Bibelot.

Zero Mode is located at 850 Whitehorse Road, Box Hill. It is open Monday – Sunday 7am -10pm. For more details, head to @zero.mode.