Raymond Tan, founder of CBD bakery cafe Raya, is a Collingwood Yards regular. Raya’s first Christmas party was held at Hope St Radio in 2020, and in 2025 his second act, Dua (“two” in Malay), will open right next door.

The new bakery will specialise in three types of bread with Japanese and Filipino origins: shokupan, a fluffy, rich milk bread; shio pan, which is lighter, with a subtle saltiness and crisp crust; and pandesal, which is soft, sweet and salty with a breadcrumb-coated crust.

He’s dubbed the vibe “Scandinasian”. “Think bakeries in Copenhagen, where they make sourdoughs and croissants, but we’re making Asian bread,” Tan tells Broadsheet.

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Expect a selection of pan-Asian and European crossovers, including a coffee-topped, almond-paste-filled bun that merges Malaysia’s Rotiboy coffee buns and Sweden’s semla; a French toast and kaya toast hybrid; a siu mai sausage roll, pig in a blanket style; and a cheese and kimchi focaccia.

For larger bites, there’ll be a grazing plate with sambal, potato salad, soft-boiled eggs and a slab of char siu or bakkwa (salty-sweet Chinese jerky), with sweet bread on the side. Plus salads riffing on dishes like chicken rice and mapo tofu.

Drinks will be matcha-focused, as at Raya and dessert shop Nimbo, which Tan also owns with his cousin Chian Ting and her wife Belle Vy.

Tan didn’t have plans for Dua until he stumbled upon the space formerly occupied by co-working studio Stay Soft and florist Xflos on his way to lunch at Stefanino Panino. The self-proclaimed “city boy” was drawn in by the size of the venue. (Tan’s other spots are tighter: Nimbo is a cosy 15-seater and while Raya is slightly bigger, it wasn’t built to greet its current crowd.)

“Raya sort of turned into a takeaway spot because we get so busy. With this one, I want people to hang out, bring family and work there. I feel like Melbourne needs that because real estate is very expensive.”

Dua will have a lounge area, communal round table and cafe-style seating for smaller groups, plus sun chairs outdoors. Fitted out with found pieces, it’ll have a mid-century modern feel. Tan is currently scouring Facebook Marketplace; so far he’s acquired vintage Ikea pieces (including a ’70s pushcart that will be the drink station), some Eames lounges in near-perfect condition and retro lighting.

On joining the Collingwood Yards precinct, Tan says: “It’s very welcoming. People can do what they want, and it's always well-received by the community. I think that’s important, especially when putting up food that’s a little bit uncommon.”

He adds: “It’s very friendly toward migrants, First Nations people ... This is something I feel like a lot of businesses like myself can learn from as well.”

Dua will open at Collingwood Yards in January.