Charming hand-drawn menus on blackboards, exposed brick walls, vinyl collections and an abundance of natural light are what await you when you step into Bar Holiday in Lincoln Square — the former airy home of Kaprica. A succinct selection of wines, beers, Victorian spirits and Italian aperitifs are available at Bar Holiday, which is one of those bars where you can sit down for a hearty meal instead of having to adjourn to a restaurant after. Think casarecce blanketed in a pork and fennel ragu — a mainstay on the menu — pasta e fagioli, barramundi served alongside a prawn bisque, and tarragon chicken with brussels sprouts and a mustard sauce. [caption id="attachment_1017320" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Danielle Castano[/caption] If you're hankering for a snack, Bar Holiday does those too — Sicilian olives, white anchovy toast, and eggplant chips are some of the many on offer. If you'd like to skip straight to dessert, there's the likes of a burnt cheesecake or French cheeses like a triple cream brie and comté. More than capable of holding its own in the sea of Italian eateries in Carlton, Bar Holiday is — much like Kaprica was in the same space — a spot you'll keep returning to time and time again. It's both a classic neighbourhood bar and a destination worth travelling for. [caption id="attachment_1017319" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Matthew Hurst[/caption] Top images: Danielle Castano.
A drive to the airport in a rideshare is one of life's mundane experiences, whether or not you're en route to a wedding, and also regardless of if you're meant to be collecting your partner and their dry-cleaned suit along the way. In Fake, this routine journey on an average Melbourne day is a masterclass in tension, a portrait of an unravelling and an unwanted realisation unfurling with no escape. With journalist Birdie Bell (Asher Keddie, The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart) sitting in the backseat as much that she's trusted melts down, it's a stunning episode of television, arriving five instalments into this eight-part Australian thriller that brings its page-to-screen and reality-to-fiction tale to Paramount+ in full from Thursday, July 4. Viewers spend the preceding four episodes of Fake waiting for a moment like this. For those who haven't read Stephanie Wood's memoir of the same name, charting her time dating a former architect-turned-grazier who pairs his grand romantic gestures with erratic behaviour, there's still no doubt that it's coming. It has to, and not just because series creator Anya Beyersdorf (The Twelve) and her co-scribes Jessica Tuckwell (Year Of) and Hyun Lee (Born to Spy) have Birdie's beau Joe Burt (David Wenham, Elvis) note in voiceover that she was onto him from the get-go. While Fake is a love- and lies-fuelled saga, it's also about how someone gets taken in not by the kind of tales that Joe spins but by the emotions that they prey upon, even when their intuition tingles at the outset — and how deceptions like this, from someone manipulating others and someone fooling themselves alike, always shatter. The words "Joe, 51, grazier" on a dating app introduce the ex-property big shot to Birdie; however, everything that he utters on their first date almost halts their romance there. When the pair meet at a sleek bar, he has a business acquaintance (Yuchen Wang, White Fever) in tow and talks only of himself, grandstanding with the recognisable arrogance of someone who refuses to believe (or simply hasn't stopped once to consider) that they aren't the most-interesting person in the room. She cuts and leaves quickly, despite his insistence to the waitstaff that they'll share more wine. Then she ignores his persistent follow-ups afterwards, until she doesn't. Stylistically, Beyersdorf, her co-writers, and also directors Jennifer Leacey (Prosper), Emma Freeman (The Newsreader) and Taylor Ferguson (Fires) adopt two approaches to bringing both Joe's flurry of messages and Birdie's inner questioning to audiences. The contents of texts and emails are written across the screen, overlaid upon the scene's ordinary background — train windows feature heavily — and also spoken aloud, as worries about being almost 50, single and heartbroken from a failed IVF experience are similarly given voice through repeated snippets of conversation. Sometimes, Birdie's own words haunt her. Sometimes, Joe's do. Sometimes, the judgement of her sniping mother Margeaux (Heather Mitchell, Ricky Stanicky) echoes. Combined, the impact is inescapable: when his indefatigable pursuit joins her lifetime of doubts, especially that she's being too fussy and will always be alone, relenting to his overtures and investing in his narrative is the inevitable outcome. Fake relays its story within this psychological space — a place where it's clear to everyone, including to Birdie, that little is right — to explore how a person who investigates for a living succumbs to fantasy over fact. Joe gleefully spins dreams, beginning with his quiet farm life, then escalating into bigger and bolder promises. He also ticks the basics, such as showing interest, sticking around, declaring his love and making Birdie feel like romance hasn't passed her by. But Joe equally has a tale for everything that always seems tall. He misses as many dates as he makes, his excuses mushrooming as well. His ex-wife receives ample blame, frequently with the smack of convenience. He's cagey about specifics, too, and vague and defensive when questioned. When Leacey, Freeman and Ferguson, plus cinematographer Sky Davies (House of Gods), devote Fake's frames to staring Birdie's way, they push Keddie's excellent performance to the fore — and it is exceptional. She's the lead in a yell-at-the-TV type of show, where viewers can't help but say aloud that Birdie is making the wrong choice again and again, and grounding those ill-fated decisions in relatable emotions isn't a simple task. The more that Fake peers, the more that it also turns the sight of its protagonist hoping yet fraying into a mirror. One of Birdie's potential articles at work is about homelessness, a situation that's never as far away as most would like to think — and one of Fake's throughlines is that being Birdie with Joe isn't beyond anyone's realm of possibility. Wenham, no stranger to on-screen shadiness and slipperiness but with memories of SeaChange's Diver Dan still imprinted in Australia's pop-cultural memory, is equally first-rate. His remit isn't straightforward, either, selling the charm that still wins Birdie over in tandem with the sketchiness that's lurking beneath Joe's striving facade — and the character is almost ceaselessly striving — which is a gig on par with both Joshua Jackson (Fatal Attraction) and Edgar Ramirez's (Wolf Like Me) efforts in season one and two of medical-meets-romance scam series Dr Death. Indeed, Wenham does such an unshakeable job as Joe that by the time that Fake spends the aforementioned fifth episode in a car with Birdie, his presence doesn't stop cutting deep, nor showing the scars that it's carving, even just over the phone. It's hardly astonishing, then, that Fake is impossible to stop binge-watching once its first instalment puts its pieces in place: that warning-sign initial date, Birdie's loneliness trumping her niggling uncertainty, society's conditioning that to be a woman of a certain age without a partner and kids is to be a failure, the disappointment that we can all direct at ourselves if we haven't met our own expectations and, of course, the clash of Joe's dubiousness and his magnetism, for starters. It's also far from surprising that when the route to the airport beckons, and one of 2024's best episodes of TV with it, Fake's audience is right there in the Uber with Birdie, riding and feeling the same bumps. Check out the trailer for Fake below: Fake streams via Paramount+ from Thursday, July 4, 2024.
While it seems the large majority of Australian expats have decided to put down roots in London or New York, Hong Kong has one heck of an Australian population — especially in the culinary scene. From Melbourne-style coffee bars and roasteries to underground contemporary Chinese fusion restaurants and Western Australian iron ore mine-themed cocktail bars (really), Honkers is brimming with little pieces from home for Australian travellers. Embracing the traditional cooking styles of HK with a little contemporary twist, these Aussie expat hubs aren't just for travellers, seeing locals queue up as much as visitors every day and night of the week. If you're planning a visit to Hong Kong, pop by and see how Aussies are representing. THE IRON FAIRIES One of the most talked about cocktail bars in Hong Kong is themed around nothing less niche than a Western Australian iron ore mine. Think Flintstones-like private cave nooks, gritty mining tools lining the back bar, live jazz, and a casual 10,000 dead butterflies suspended from the ceiling. Prolific Australian designer Ashley Sutton simply ran with what he knows — he really is a former miner from Western Australia. Sutton makes his own gin, Iron Balls, which features in a few of the highly decadent cocktails (a craft beer or wine-focused bar this ain't). Try the 'Underground Martini'. Pull up a leather Chesterfield armchair around what looks like a macabre bonfire of bodies but is actually a pile of iron fairies (hence the bar's name). Each fairy has its own name and personality — word is that each is named for Sutton's ex-girlfriends. Don't steal them like a jerk, instead you can buy a fairy and have it packaged up with magic dust and wishes. But what's this tunnel, and where does it lead... LG, 1 Hollywood Road, Central. J.BOROSKI Followed the tunnel? You've emerged into one of the city's newest, most unique and most visually jaw-dropping cocktail bars. Also designed by Ashley Sutton and run by owner/mixologist Joseph Boroski, this bar is a syndication of its sister bar in Bangkok and apparently operates on an invitation-only basis. Horned beetles tile every inch of a curved tunnel ceiling, while framed giant spiders line hidden alcoves made for intimate conversations. There's no cocktail menu at J.Boroski, only particularly intuitive bartenders who'll quiz you on your preferences before producing your perfect elixir. "Have we shown you the sex room?" asks the manager. We can't tell you about the sex room, but we can tell you it exists and involves 1950s porn. You'll just have to find it for yourself. Your only clue? Follow the spiders. Secret location. To request an invitation call +852 2603 6020 or email hk@jboroski.com. HO LEE FOOK Taiwan-born chef Jowett Yu has created one heck of a Hong King must-visit with his modern Chinese, Elgin Street restaurant in Central, Ho Lee Fook (say it out loud, you got it). The name literally translates to "good fortune for your mouth" and is inspired by old school Hong Kong cha chaan tengs (tea restaurants) and late night Chinatown haunts in 1960s New York. Yu's known in Australia for his Tetsuya's training and for co-opening Sydney restaurants Mr Wong and Ms.G's with Eric Koh and Dan Hong. You won't have trouble missing this highly publicised spot — just look for one of the most Instagrammed walls in the city, a clinquant assembly of waving cats. Just try and keep tipsy passersby away from this selfie trap. Downstairs, in his dimly lit, Chinese street art-adorned basement, Yu weaves contemporary Chinese magic through street food staples like French toast (Yu hides peanut butter in his version, and casually serves it with condensed milk ), prawn toast done okonomiyaki-style, and roast wagyu short ribs with jalapeño purée. But it's the roast goose that has foodies aflutter at HLF — order that bad boy 48 hours in advance. 1 Elgin St, Central, Hong Kong PEEL STREET ESPRESSO If you're looking for a little piece of Australian cafe life in Hong Kong, head for Central and seek out Peel Street Espresso, the brainchild of Scottie Callaghan from local wholesale roasting company Redback Specialty Coffee (co-owned by Keith Regan and Craig Jackson). Opened in February 2016, this modernist, cement corridor space looks straight out of Melbourne or Sydney, and plays host to locals and visitors to the city alike, with the Ho Lee Fook team regular coffee fiends. Perch up at the window bar with a black, white or filter coffee ($3.30 each), a freshly baked and schmeared bagel ($5-11) or the quintessentially Australian avo toast ($14) before a big day of exploring. If you pop back after closing time, the coffee beans are whisked away and the space transforms into a wine bar. 38 Peel Street, Central, Hong Kong, www.redbackcoffee.com.hk [caption id="attachment_600511" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Maison Libanaise[/caption] MAISON LIBANAISE Fancy a spot of Lebanese in the middle of Hong Kong? Head for SoHo's Maison Libanaise, a three-storey, canteen-style restaurant inspired by 1960s Beirut, the 'Paris of the Middle East' with its French-inspired architecture and contemporary food scene. On the ground floor you'll find takeaway nosh from Le Comptoir, on the first floor lives Le Salon, a seated, sharing-focused restaurant doing Lebanese mezze, and on the rooftop you can sip on a wine or two at La Buvette, overlooking SoHo's streets. Head chef James Harrison hails from Melbourne and trained under Greg Malouf at MoMo. He's dishing up honey-glazed haloumi, eggplant fattoush and hearth baked pita bread daily. 10 Shelley Street, SoHo [caption id="attachment_600509" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Ophelia[/caption] OPHELIA Yeah, yeah this one's another Ashley Sutton, but look at it. An epic peacock-themed cocktail bar inspired by 19th century opium dens and located in the nightlife-happy area of Wan Chai, Ophelia polarises bar fans in the city (like any venue boasting a penchant for blatant voyeurism, decorated female performers and onstage debauchery). Chef Angus Harrison, who's previously worked with Martin Boetz and Luke Mangan, does tapas here, perfectly paired with the bar's Asian herb-heavy cocktail menu. Shop 39A-41A,1/F, The Avenue, Lee Tung Avenue, Wan Chai. OTHER AUSTRALIAN-HELMED RECOMMENDATIONS Belon Carbone Le Garcon Saigon Images: Shannon Connellan unless otherwise specified. Concrete Playground travelled as a guest of the Hong Kong Tourism Board.
Pink hues, beach-themed decor, a roller rink, desserts served in toy convertibles: you'll find them all at the Malibu Barbie Cafe. After popping up across the US — with New York, Chicago, Minneapolis, Miami, Austin and Houston all welcoming the venue — this ode to Barbiecore has made its Australian debut. Come on Aussies, let's go party in Melbourne. Being a Barbie girl in a Barbie world wasn't just a 2023 trend, back when Greta Gerwig's (Little Women) Margot Robbie (Asteroid City)-starring — and Oscar-nominated — film became one of the biggest and pinkest movies to ever hit cinemas. The 2025 way to get your fix Down Under has arrived, and it's hanging around until summer 2026. Hitting up the Malibu Barbie Cafe at The Social Quarter at Chadstone Shopping Centre in the Victorian capital means not only enjoying ice cream floats dished up in a pink Barbie car, but also frequenting the Ken Kabana bar for fairy floss-topped cocktails and putting your skates on. Initially announced in mid-June and open since Friday, June 27, this is the cafe's debut stop beyond America. It's also Melbourne's second temporary big-name pop culture-themed addition this winter, after Melbourne Museum's Star Wars Galactic Cafe opened its doors in early June. Kicking it back to the 1970s, when Malibu Barbie initially debuted, is on the agenda, too. When you're hitting the rink, so is skating surrounded by artwork of palm trees. A life-sized Barbie box? An installation that celebrates how Barbie as a brand has changed over the years? That's all on offer at the Malibu Barbie Cafe as well, alongside merchandise that you won't find anywhere else. Ken's job isn't just beach here, given that his name adorns the cocktail-slinging upstairs bar in the two-storey site. On the drinks menu: that gin and lemonade concoction with spun sugar on top; themed takes on mojitos, margaritas, cosmopolitans, espresso martinis and old fashioneds; and more. If you're keen on a booze-free version, some of the tipples are available as mocktails. There's also a snack range, including fries with pink mayo, prawn cocktails, sushi and baked brie. Downstairs, Malibu Barbie Cafe's menu is an all-ages-friendly affair, with that ice cream float just one option. Sticking with sweets means choosing from doughnuts, pink cookies, cupcakes, ice cream sundaes, fruit and marshmallows. If you can't decide, the dessert sampler dishes up a mix of picks on a Barbie boat for between four and eight people. Savoury dishes span the same small bites as at the Ken Kabana, plus burgers, poke, garlic prawn linguine, beer-battered fish tacos, club sandwiches, grilled cheese, mac 'n' cheese and salads. Or, tuck into avocado toast, açai bowls, bacon and eggs, parfait or pancakes from the all-day brunch selection. Then, to drink, milkshakes, pink lemonade and pink lattes are among the options. If you're thinking "come on Barbie, let's go party", party packages are indeed a feature — including three-hour adults-only private-dining experiences from 6.30pm Thursday–Sunday. Find Mattel's Malibu Barbie Cafe at The Social Quarter at Chadstone Shopping Centre, 1341 Dandenong Road, Malvern East, Melbourne, until summer 2026 — open from 10am–6pm Monday–Wednesday, 10am–10pm Thursday–Friday, 9am–10pm Saturday and 9am–8pm Sunday. Head to the cafe's website for more details.
All things are relative. If you think you know the meaning of hospitality, a visit to Epocha may force you to reconsider. You probably weren't aware that a weeknight restaurant reservation could leave you with such elation; a feeling of having been hugged by the walls, filled with liquid gold and gently guided through a journey of passion and indulgence isn't a regular occurrence. It's special stuff. When I first walked into Epocha I had no idea what it was. I hadn't read any reviews; I hadn't looked at the menu online and semi-decided what to order. I had no expectations, which is perhaps what made the whole experience glimmer in the way that it did. Epocha — located on the city fringe on Carlton's garden-facing Rathdowne Street — is unassuming and brilliant. From the Victorian terrace facade to the dim and demure dining room, there's something stately about this restaurant. Its high, homely ceilings, the elegantly mismatched glassware and cosy capacity has sentiments in European dinner parties, but, from both the service and the offering, this is no novice operation. First, the service. Both owners, Angie Giannakodakis (ex Press Club) and Guy Holder, are hospo old hands, bringing with them years of experience to Epocha. And it shows. Both Angie and Guy are fixtures of the dining room — offering a back-story to any dish, divulging the preparation process and effortlessly flitting between conversation and a service so personal it's a rarity even in fine dining. Mention you're driving home and Angie will remember to fill your wine glass sparingly; ask how to fillet a fish and Guy will possibly do it at your table. Along with sommelier Danny Gibson, you're in bona fide hospitality hands. Like all good European meals, everything at Epocha is made to share. Mini crumpets with honeycomb ($7.50) come fresh out of the oven, as does the moreish dark rye bread that is plonked on your table in a cloth bag next to a hunk of butter. The paper-thin swordfish carpaccio is right on and the chicken liver pate ($10) is outstanding — you'll be hard-pressed not to lick your fingers of every purple smear. The light-as-air sliced Scotch fillet with bone marrow sauce will melt in your mouth like nothing else ($80 for 1kg), while the whole baked fish with lemon and dill is perfect for a table of seafood fiends (in fact, these two work best together). Sides are ordered separately; ergo, the duck fat roast potatoes must be ordered. Wine is available by the glass and on recommendation; you're best to trust the experts and let them choose. Maybe you want a liqueur? All you have to do is mention ouzo and Angie will be pouring you a glass before you can hesitate. Oh, and the dessert trolley will be rolling around — just try and resist the rotating sweet selections when they are practically on your plate. Even without the dessert trolley clouding my judgement, Epocha is an anomaly in hospitality. Exceeding the norm in both excellent service and incredible cuisine, the personification of the restaurant in Angie and Guy make this a place you won't fleetingly forget. It's one to cherish.
If taking high tea or riding a bike across a balance beam four storeys in the air sounds like your kind of thing, then read on. After five years of construction, Sydney's newest aerial park, Skypeak Adventures has opened. The park, which is located next to the Saint Mary's Leagues Stadium is the second park of its type and scale to open in Sydney after Urban Jungle was unveiled in Olympic Park in 2013. The adventure park features a series of obstacle courses and challenges, all suspended high in the sky. Think bridge walks, barrel runs, rope climbs, chasm jumps or trapeze swings, 22 metres above ground. A variety of passes are available, giving visitors access to different areas of the course. The 'Momentum' pass involves a 15-metre freefall/leap of faith into the unknown (hopefully a net?), while the 'Skypeak Tree' course involves scaling a huge ancient River Red Gum. High tea, minus the scones and cakes will be available, in the form of a picnic table suspended nine metres above a void. For the less adventurous (or perhaps more sane) visitors, a series of very stable platforms allow you to take an elevated walk through the park and interact with the more courageous. No judgement. Western Sydney is becoming a bit of a destination for thrill seekers, offering a host of extreme activities including Wet 'n' Wild, iFly, Cables Wake Park and, of course, Aqua Golf. Skypeak Adventure passes start at $29 for adults, with the course open from 9am to 7pm everyday.
After a cocktail next door, don't be surprised if you find yourself on the doorstep of San Telmo, succumbing to the enticing pull of the Argentinean grill. Inside, carnivores congregate around the Parilla (the imported Argentine charcoal grill, pronounced par-ee-sha) — feasting on slabs of tender, smokey charred meat. Order by cut: short ribs, flank, rib eye and all the steaks of rump are on offer here. The menu is designed to share, which means that our vegetarian friends needn't miss out. The sweet-burnt carrots with thyme and goats cheese, provolone, charcoal roasted cabbage salad, or brussel sprouts with parsnip and chestnut puree will appease the non-animal eaters, while desserts like the dulce de leche creme caramel with salted peanut praline will have both tribes fighting over the fork. From the grill try the chorizo and morcilla to start, while the pasture fed lamp rump marinated in garlic thyme and rosemary is the perfect dish for the main event. Pair it with a bottle of 2017 Colome Altura Maxima Malbec for a truly unforgettable Argentinian experience at San Telmo.
In Patricia Piccinini's mind, bulbous creatures float through the sky. In her imagination, automobiles may as well be animals, and the line between humans and other critters is razor thin. It all sounds like something out of a science-fiction movie (or several), but the Australian artist's output isn't just confined to a screen. Across a variety of media, Piccinini explores the way that nature and technology, people and animals, and the unusual and the sublime all combine — and, more than that, she finds ways to make their weird and wonderful blend appear, feel and seem real. With Piccinini's body of work spanning from figures that look so naturalistic you'll expect them to start moving, to looping short film installations that bring strange beings to life, to paintings and sculptures made with actual human hair, wandering through her creations is like wandering into another realm. At Brisbane's Gallery of Modern Art until August 5, that's exactly what's on offer. Taking over the entire ground floor of the building — and filling the place with more than 70 sculptures, photographs, videos, drawings and large-scale installations, including both exisiting favourites and newly commissioned pieces — Patricia Piccinini: Curious Affection transforms GOMA into a pleasingly intriguing playground. Indeed, if Piccinini's famous animal-shaped hot air balloon, The Skywhale, literally unleashed her unique sensibilities out into the world, then Curious Affection does the opposite: it invites everyone into the acclaimed artist's mind and lets them roam around. Inside, visitors get a peek at not-quite-human lovers cosying up in a caravan, walls filled with alien-like mushrooms, and a vast array of peculiar yet beautiful creatures. And, in an exhibition designed to make you ponder what it means to be human, that's just a fraction of its treasures. In short: entering the otherworldly showcase is an experience like few others, crafted by an artist who has taken her visibly distinctive sensibilities everywhere from the Venice Biennale to Japan's skies to galleries around the world over the past two decades. Discovering exactly what her imagination has brought forth is part of the fun, but here are five things to look out for along the way — and, whether you're a Brisbanite keen on an arty staycation or you're travelling from interstate to see the exhibition, we've found you somewhere to stay as well. [caption id="attachment_667357" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Installation view 'Patricia Piccinini: Curious Affection' at Brisbane's Gallery of Modern Art, 2018, featuring The Field 2018. Photograph: Natasha Harth, QAGOMA.[/caption] WANDER THROUGH A FIELD OF OTHERWORLDLY FLOWERS The Field isn't the first thing you'll see at Curious Affection, but this darkened room will stay with you long after you've left GOMA. It's the exhibition's main attraction for a very good reason: there's nothing quite like walking into a cavernous hall filled with more than 3000 flower-like sculptures, lightly bouncing along the spring-loaded floors and finding out that nothing's really as it seems. Each individual stem is a feat of astonishing artistry that'll make you think about the real meaning of beauty, not to mention the kind of creations that sci-fi filmmakers like Ridley Scott (Alien) and David Cronenberg (The Fly) would be proud of. When you're not staring into their hypnotic expanse, the four larger-scale sculptures — two of mothers with children, two of curious creatures — scattered around the gallery are just entrancing, not to mention perfectly on-theme. [caption id="attachment_667360" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Patricia Piccinini, Australia VIC. b.1965. Pneutopia 2018. Ripstop nylon, shed, air. Courtesy the artist, Tolarno Galleries, Melbourne; Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery, Sydney; and Hosfelt Gallery, San Francisco.[/caption] ENTER A GARDEN SHED — AND LOOK UP Maybe you saw The Skywhale float through the sky back earlier this decade. Maybe you just wished you did. Either way, if you ever wondered what it looked like inside, then inflatable installation Pneutopia almost has the answer. It's not Skywhale 2.0, but this custom-built blow-up creation comes close — just confined within GOMA's huge two-storey hallway rather than roving free on the wind. Roam around either the ground or second level, and you can feast your eyes on the outside of this billowing orange and pink structure. Enter the ordinary-looking garden shed underneath, however, and you'll peer through a window into the heart of the balloon. [caption id="attachment_664391" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Installation view 'Patricia Piccinini: Curious Affection' at Brisbane's Gallery of Modern Art, 2018, featuring The Young Family 2002. Photograph: Natasha Harth, QAGOMA.[/caption] GET UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL WITH CURIOUS CREATURES In one corner, a girl sits with an owl flapping over her shoulder. At several other points around the exhibition's first few rooms, kids reach out to strange critters, or cradle them in their arms, or find them laying on their backs. On a leather platform, a pig-human chimera feedings her suckling offspring. In a life-sized bed, a toddler stands shoulder-to-shoulder with a creature that could've stepped out of her dreams (or nightmares). There's more where they came from, representing some of Piccinini's best-known sculptures, and they really are the best introduction to the artist's work that you can get. Each attention-grabbing piece makes a statement, whether about natural evolution, genetic experimentation, the open mind that comes with child-like wonder, or the fine line between horror and empathy. As the exhibition's explanatory text describes, it's a collection that's "startling but rarely fearsome". [caption id="attachment_664396" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Installation view 'Patricia Piccinini: Curious Affection' at Brisbane's Gallery of Modern Art, 2018. Photograph: Natasha Harth, QAGOMA.[/caption] MOSEY THROUGH A STRANGE PATCH OF GREENERY In the last corner of the exhibition, GOMA becomes a forest — but you don't usually see creatures called 'tyre lions' and 'butthole penguins' in a standard patch of greenery. Yes, that's their actual name, and they're bizarre but delightful, like figures from an offbeat animation you now definitely wish existed. Piccinini arranges these pieces as if she's arranging a display in a natural history museum, which only adds to their uncanny allure. It's the final piece in a gallery-wide puzzle that presents an assortment of seemingly familiar figures, animals, scenes and objects, but shows that they really couldn't be less ordinary. [caption id="attachment_667355" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Installation view 'Patricia Piccinini: Curious Affection' at Brisbane's Gallery of Modern Art, 2018. Photograph: Natasha Harth, QAGOMA.[/caption] KEEP YOUR EYES ON THE SCREENS As well as Piccinini's eye-catching sculptures, installations and other pieces, GOMA's walls are lined with multiple screens playing her video works. Each runs on a loop, ranging from 90 seconds to a couple of minutes in duration — and if you're keen to dive even deeper in the artist's mind, they're all well worth your time. Gaze at Ghost, aka a hairy chicken-like creation hanging from the ceiling, for example, then watch In Bocca Al Lupo, a mesmerising short film filled with similar critters. If you only make time for one, however, then head to an adorably odd effort called The Seedling's Dance. It runs for less than three minutes, and it's playing on a cinema-sized screen that you you really won't be able to miss. COMING FROM OUT OF TOWN OR INTERSTATE? Can't get enough art? Not quite ready to re-enter reality after wandering through Piccinini's intriguing creations? Heading in from out-of-town and looking for a suitably creative place to stay? Brisbane's Art Series Hotel The Johnson fills its walls, halls, rooms and suites with abstract works from its namesake artist, Michael Johnson, offering the closest thing you'll find to sleeping in a gallery. And, for the duration of Curious Affection, the boutique hotel has a stay-and-see deal that includes one night's accommodation and two tickets to the GOMA exhibition. When you're not marvelling at Piccinini's work, you can look through the in-house art library, watch the dedicated in-room art channel, or get a dose of outdoor splendour while you're taking a splash with a view in the 50-metre pool or lazing around on the luxe deck. Patricia Piccinini: Curious Affection exhibits at Brisbane's Gallery of Modern Art until August 5, and includes a film screening series and Friday night art parties throughout June and July. For more information, head to the gallery website. Patricia Piccinini: Curious Affection images: Natasha Harth, QAGOMA.
W Melbourne's omakase offering, Warabi, has entered a new era. The appointment of Chef Hajime Horiguchi, who arrives after an extensive three-year search, signals a strong future for what is already one of Melbourne's best omakase experiences. Hailing from Kyoto, Horiguchi brings a decorated resume from top-tier Japanese restaurants across Australia and Asia, including Ascott Thonglor Bangkok Hotel and Melbourne's own Minamishima. Horiguchi's vision for Warabi revolves around a fusion of Melbourne's intense seasons with traditional Japanese culinary arts. His philosophy? Fresh, local produce meets time-honoured Japanese techniques. "Since returning from Bangkok and having access to the breadth of offerings Australia has at its doorstep, my passion for both honouring and amplifying the local landscape has never been stronger," says Horiguchi. This philosophy manifests in a dynamic menu, changing at the whim of Horiguchi to reflect the freshest market finds and the narrative of the current season. Signature dishes, like the K'Gari Spanner Crab with tosazu, kanimiso and caviar as well as the signature unagi sushi, are part of the $285 omakase experience. The drink pairings, curated by venue manager Stephen Zappelli and head sommelier Mike Rapajic, offer an intriguing range. Options include a non-alcoholic cocktail pairing at $88 per person and sake and wine pairings starting from $120. One standout mocktail, 'Stolen Skins', embodies a zero-waste ethos, using citrus skins from the kitchen and echoing the flavours of the sashimi courses. Dining at Warabi isn't just about the food. Horiguchi envisions a multisensory journey, collaborating with W Melbourne's Music Curator, Rachel Phillips, to craft an inviting sonic ambience. This holistic approach to dining helped secure Warabi's recent two hats in the 2023 and 2024 Good Food Guide awards and its 'Deluxe Restaurant of the Year' win at the 2023 Victorian Accommodation Awards for Excellence. The team under Horiguchi, including sous chefs Brendan Liew and Takuro Abe, brings a wealth of global experience, adding layers of depth and skill to the Warabi dining experience. With Liew, from the three-Michelin-starred Nihonryori Ryugin, and Abe, formerly of Melbourne's Koko, you're in good hands. With Hajime Horiguchi leading the charge, dining at Warabi is not just a meal; it's a celebration of Melbourne's seasonal bounty through the lens of Japanese culinary mastery.
Melbourne has fallen a little in love with omakase, a Japanese philosophy derived from the phrase 'leave it to the chef'. From omakase served in subterranean spaces to untraditional, flame-filled menus — omakase is certainly having a moment in Melbourne. Carving out its own unique offering is Aoi Tsuki, a pint-sized, 12-seat omakase bar nestled on a busy section of Punt Road. Traditional Japanese, this is not. But, for head chefs Tei Gim and Jun Pak, this is the best way to enjoy food — a regularly rotating 20-course menu, underpinned by a deep respect for seasonality. It's an intimate, sumptuous experience that celebrates the creative and the contemporary — without pretension. When Concrete Playground visited, the culinary lineup ran to the likes of a well-balanced Miyagi oyster, chawanmushi refreshed with spanner crab, and a standout abalone dish paired with a thick, rich abalone sauce and vinegar-spiked rice. The highlight of this smart exploration of contemporary Japanese comes in the form of a nigiri series: ika (squid) dusted with lime zest, two-day dry-aged snapper from New Zealand and bluefin tuna marinated in soy, laid upon expertly-crafted sushi rice. Tuna belly is elevated with caviar, thinly-sliced wagyu is paired with shavings of foie gras, and a swordfish nigiri stars fermented yuzu chilli. Also of particular note: a clever execution of seared paradise prawns, along with grilled Hokkaido scallops married with miso cream. Aoi Tsuki's experiential dining adventure clocks in at $235 per person, with a paired sake flight or a tidy drinks menu available to add on. Images: Griffin Simm, Tran Nguyen, supplied.
If you've ever wandered out of a movie at 10pm, left a restaurant after dinner or got out of work around midnight and thought, damn, I could really do with some artisan blue cave-aged cheese right now — you're not alone. In fact, Daniel Verheyen is right there with you. After finishing up many a night with a standard cheese board at The Smith, Verheyen decided to roll his love for cheese, wine and hospitality into a late-night licensed fromagerie: Milk the Cow. Of course, you're probably familiar with Milk the Cow. You've probably been there. Tasted the cheese. Gone back. But if St Kilda was a bit too far from home — Fitzroy Street is a fair whack from Fitzroy, to be fair — you'll be happy to know that the Cow has traveled north, making a second home in Carlton. Aesthetically, the Carlton venue looks much the same as her southside sister: the colour palette is still pastoral, the light fittings are made from milking clusters and the cheese is on display in the store-long cabinet. As well as the main bar, 40 people can be sat upstairs, as well as a handful on the street outside. On a summer night, it's bliss. Right in the heart of Lygon Street's Italian precinct, this isn't a location that's exactly starved for cheese and wine. But you don't go to Milk the Cow for fresh mozzarella and just-made ricotta — you go for the selection of over 150 cheeses you'll seldom get anywhere else. There is cheese that's been imported from France, Ireland and Norway as well as the Yarra Valley; cheese that's been washed in chai, paprika and cognac; aged in caves and sat ripening out the back until just the right time to eat. There's all sorts of soft, hard and in-between cheese — all curated on a rotating basis by head cheesemonger Laura Lown. There's so much that you simply shouldn't make a decision on your own. Luckily, all the staff are well informed in the art of cheese (as well as the impressive task of remembering what they're all called) and can help you find your perfect match. But if you're look for a taste of everything — and at a fromagerie, who isn't? — look no further than one of the cheese flights. Matched with wine, beer, cider, whiskey, sake or sparkling, each flight will give you four wedges of cheese and four tastes of the matching drop. And, starting at just $16 (for 30ml / 15g), it's possibly the most affordable cheese tasting you can do short of a block of cheddar and a cleanskin. Even better, the wine, beer and cider flights change weekly. It seems that Daniel Verheyen wasn't the only one looking to satisfy late night cheese cravings. Much like his St Kilda venue, the early success of Milk the Cow Carlton hinges on the fact that the Lygon strip was desperate for a place to pop in for a drink post-Nova that was casual, tasteful and cool — and wasn't Brunetti. That, and people just really dig cheese.
A few months after Tropfest's near-death experience, founder John Polson has gone into greater detail on the alleged "financial mismanagement" that almost led to the festival's downfall. Appearing on triple j's Hack with Tom Tilley, Polson spoke about the moment when he first found out about the event's economic woes, and appeared to imply that blame lay at the feet of his business partner, Tropfest managing director Michael Laverty. "We raised well over a million dollars towards Tropfest last year and I got an email in early November saying we had not enough money to move forward with the event," Polson said on the Thursday, February 12 radio show. "It was obviously an incredible shock and a devastating blow." Polson claims to have documents proving the financial mismanagement, but declined to share them due to his impending court case against Laverty's company. "I don't believe Michael Laverty did the cliche thing of going off and spending it in the Bahamas but clearly something went wrong," he said. "There was massive, massive financial mismanagement that went down with this event and it's terrible and I'm trying to fix it." Tropfest was thrown a lifeline in December when CGU insurance stepped in to fund this year's festival, which will take place this Sunday in Sydney's centennial gardens. Polson is currently working on plans to secure the festival's long term future, and recently launched a crowdfunding campaign which has a week left to reach its $100,000 target. Polson also spoke about Hollywood star Mel Gibson, who was this week announced as a Tropfest judge alongside actors Simon Baker and Rebecca Gibney, director Jocelyn Moorhouse and cinematographer Don McAlpine. The news raised some eyebrows, given Gibson's unfortunate habit of saying appalling things whenever he's near a microphone. Nevertheless, Polson defended the choice, calling Gibson "an Australian icon." "As a 15-year-old in 1980 I went to see Mad Max and watched it three or four times over," said Polson. "What's happened to him in the last few years you'd have to ask him about." Via Hack. Image: Tropfest.
Besides naps and binge watching Netflix, there's very few things in life that will fix a grouchy mood better than a delicious snack. And when you inevitably find yourself in that irritated, hungry state — perhaps cooped up in your office, working on a deadline at the library, or just roaming the city streets on the verge of breakdown — that's exactly when you need those snacks the most. So for the love of your soul, here are the ten best snacks in the city — from sweet somethings to the hot, deep fried kind. They're all under $10, can all be eaten on-the-go, and are all absolutely delicious. NUTELLA AND BANANA JAFFLE, T-ROY BROWNS — $4.50 Every tummy needs a T-Roy Brown Nutella and peanut butter jaffle from time to time. Combining our two fave spreads, this Melbourne cafe has turned the all-too-familiar PB&J sandwich into one very sleek snack. Bursting with a mix of warm chocolate and peanut spread, these babies are available for the taking on the outskirts of Flinders Street Station, right next to the 24 hour gym. White shirts are not advised during consumption. 365 Flinders Street, CBD CHEESE AND SPINACH BOREK, THE BOREK SHOP AT QVM — $3 One of Melbourne's best savoury pastries is located in the heart of Queen Vic Market. Remarkably kind on your purse, these boreks are Melburnian legend. Don't be fooled by the low prices, the ultra-efficient ladies at Shop 95 know exactly what they're doing. Just be prepared to elbow your way in, because this Borek Stand isn't much of a hidden gem anymore — it's a rather popular one. You'll know why after you take the first bite. Shop 95, Queen Victoria Market, cnr Victoria and Elizabeth Streets, CBD BRAISED PORK BELLY BAO, WONDERBAO — $4.20 Surely a list of the CBD's best of the best cannot exclude the wondrous creations from Wonderbao. Set between their plant-your-face-on-it soft bao, Wonderbao's sticky braised pork belly buns are the perfect 3pm snack. Pickled mustard, fresh coriander and crunchy peanuts make up this gua bao dream from Wonderbao's A'Beckett street home. Splurge with some hot soya if you feel a cold coming on. Shop 4, 19-37 A'Beckett Street, CBD HERBED CHICKEN GOZLEME, GOZ CITY — $10 Regretting that lunchtime salad because you 'weren't hungry'? Do a runner down to Goz City, one of Melbourne's best Turkish takeaway joints. Warm timber and classic wooden stools make up this homey Lt Collins Street eatery, but if you don't have time to stop, grab your gozleme to go. Crammed with fresh herbs and tender chicken, Goz City's herbed chicken option is the ideal post-lunch filler. 502 Little Collins Street, CBD POTATO MAC AND CHEESE CROQUETTES, GRAND TRAILER PARK TAVERNA — $4.50 When the afternoon blues hit and you're in need of a delicious (preferably greasy) pick me up, there's really no time to skimp on carbs. Luckily, one of Melbourne's favourite burger joints also makes gloriously crispy snacks, which are perfect to snag on the go. The Grand Trailer Park Taverna's potato mac and cheese croquettes (pictured above in a burger) are stuffed with gooey cheesy goodness and piping hot potato — and they're guaranteed to make your afternoon considerably better. And at $4.20 a pop, you can grab two and still get change for a tenner. 87 Bourke Street, CBD LA GOURMANDE WAFFLE, WAFFLE ON — $9 If melted chocolate layered with fresh strawberries and topped with whipped cream doesn't make you happy on a bad day, I'm sorry — there's nothing we can do for you. But if it does, then you're in luck. Tucked between the sandwich shops in Degraves Street, Waffle On is a haven for work-weary Melburnians (as well as an occasional awkward date-spot.) Order a La Gourmande waffle (chocolate, strawberries and extra cream) when you're down in the dumps, and prepare to slip into a blissful post-waffle state. Shop 9, Degraves Street, CBD COFFEE AND DOUGHNUT, SHORTSTOP — $8 A doughnut a day won't keep the doctor away, but we'll pretend Shortstop's goodies do until further notice. Their magnificent sticky date and gingerbread doughnut combo is hellishly decadent, merging three of the best desserts together into one ridiculously delicious snack. You can also pick up your morning coffee in this deceptively small setup. Better yet, you can use your addiction to caffeine as an excuse to keep coming back. We certainly do. 12 Sutherland Street, CBD BBQ CHICKEN BAHN MI, PAPERBOY KITCHEN — $9.50 The humble bahn mi might be Melbourne's favourite takeaway roll. For breakfast, lunch and dinner, those of us true to Vietnamese baguettes munch away on the pickled vegetable and soy sauce combo. Paperboy Kitchen's BBQ chicken creation is perfect for your pesky second lunch craving. And while it isn't the dirt cheap bahn mi you can get elsewhere, it's got an edge you won't find in traditional offerings. Filled with marinated, free-range chicken and a killer sriracha-mayo combo, you'll be raring to go after dropping by Paperboy. 320 Little Lonsdale Street, CBD FETA, OREGANO AND GARLIC OIL CHIPS, JIMMY GRANTS — $7 Melburnian's can only resist the crispy comfort of deep fried chippies for so long. When you eventually cave to the urge, you might as well pick some of the best chips in Melbourne too. One of our favourite Greek restaurants, Jimmy Grants, is now located in the Emporium food court, and serves up fries layered with creamy feta, oregano and garlic oil. They're certainly good enough to warrant repeat visits. Many, many repeat visits. Emporium Cafe Court, 287 Lonsdale Street, CBD CINNAMON AND RAISIN BAGEL, 5 & DIME — $2 In all their hole-y, carb-filled glory, there's nothing quite like 5 & Dime bagels. If you haven't been to one of Melbourne's best bagel bakers at The Archway in Katherine Place yet, you've been doing coffee breaks wrong. Their cinnamon and raisin bagel is ideal for sweet tooths struggling with afternoon hunger pangs — and all you'll need is the change in your back pocket. For a laughably cheap two dollars, you might as well splurge and get housemade jam ($3.50) or seasonal fruit ($4.00) while you're there. 16 Katherine Place, CBD Borek image credit: avlxyz via Flickr; T-Roy Brown's image credit: clyde_yang via Instagram; Paperboy image credit: victoriatrian via Instagram
With Asian juggernaut Chin Chin as your older sibling (and with Society, Grill Americano and Kisume a part of the same family), sometimes it's easy for Chris Lucas' other venture, Baby Pizza, to shrink into the shadows. The Italian brainchild of one of Melbourne's most talked about restaurateurs took over the space on Church Street, Richmond in 2013 and has been a steady addition to the growing empire. A blend of rustic furniture, intimate booths and a familiar touch of neon, Baby Pizza's fit out and fare are designed to share. And while there once was a no bookings policy, you can now plan ahead and skip any walk-in queues. Serving over 13 variations of pizzas, we recommend going for one with the housemade mozzarella. In other words: all of them. The Polpette is one of the standouts, made with creamy fior di latte (mozzarella), meatballs, juicy San Marzano tomatoes, pecorino, fresh basil and chilli. As for the San Daniele Prosciutto with fior di latte, Reggiano, rocket and San Marzano tomatoes – Mamma Mia! The bases are thin and light, made with special flour from Naples to recreate traditional Italian pizza. Baby's best rests on the element of simplicity and the spaghetti al pomodoro with tomato, chilli and Reggiano shines, despite the deceivingly basic ingredients. Of course, no hearty European meal should be had without a glass of wine and luckily, there's no shortage of the good stuff here. The quality of the food and bevs is undeniable; the Lucas legacy is in full flight. Nobody puts Baby in the corner.
Fancy old world cocktail spot The Everleigh has expanded the family, finding a spot for a late night sister bar named Heartbreaker — a more free-spirited sibling inspired by sexy, seedy LA drinking dens. Now open on Russell Street, Heartbreaker taps into that one universal reason why people drink late into the night — tragic love woes. But with a full kitchen, pool table and retro jukebox, we’re sure you’ll soon forget about it all (and inevitably dance emotionally to 'Bad Romance'). Just don’t expect the classy leather couches and glassware that defines The Everleigh. Heartbreaker is touted as the loveless little sister; opening up when The Everleigh calls last drinks and sweeping all the dregs into her maw to let the good times keep rolling. And drunk or sober, loveless or loved up, Melburnians appreciate a good late night kitchen and Heartbreaker knows it. In terms of the vibe, it’s very specific. It’s old school glamour meets old school grunge; it’s a True Detective double exposure with a foreground of Marilyn Monroe shooting Steve McQueen in the foot; it’s Lana Del Rey drinking in a wedding gown but she’s been living alone in the desert for three days, y'know what we’re saying? No? You’ll get it when meet this lass. The front bar serves a variety of Australian and American beers, while the back bar is all about hard liquor — tequila, mezcal and whiskey. And if you want to stay classy on the inside but look hard on the outside, you can try one of The Everleigh’s classic bottled cocktails via The Everleigh Bottling Co. Choose from a Martini, Old Fashioned, Negroni or Manhattan ($18 each) and never risk someone bumping into you and spilling your entire drink again. Oh Heartbreaker, you really get us. Find Heartbreaker at 234 Russell Street, Melbourne. Images: The Everleigh and Heartbreaker.
Tucked away in Flinders Lane is one of the most striking dining rooms in all of Melbourne. Think black granite, dim lighting, sleek leather furniture and a dazzling, illuminated red ribbon streaking through the room from the ceiling. The thread has significance in Japanese mythology around the idea of two people meeting — and we'd agree there's probably nowhere better in the city to bring a cute date. They'll be thoroughly impressed. Akaiito offers an a la carte menu as well as the option for omakase. Omakase translates to "I'll leave it to you," with the idea being you trust the chef to decide and prepare your multi-course meal. With that in mind, it isn't possible to guide you through what you will be having, as it changes on a whim with whatever is freshest at the moment. But that being said, we can speak to some past creations at Akaiito. Its omakase dishes may include something like smoked Spanish mackerel with wasabi, daikon and truffle ponzu; spanner crab chawanmushi with aged pork dashi, foie gras and truffle and appellation oysters with watermelon and native sea herbs. Heavier options might include seven-day dry-aged duck with caramelised fig, oyster mushrooms and smoked butter or MB9+ wagyu striploin with baked turnip and truffle jus. For dessert, imagine something like a guava sorbet with lacto-fermented strawberry, quince, native liquor, honey palm and raspberry meringue. If you're vegetarian, don't fret. Akaiito also offers an entirely vegetarian omakase menu with plenty of tempura on offer. Compared to some of the more elaborate omakase experiences in Melbourne, Akaiito's is on the smaller end. You can choose from either a five or a seven-course experience rather than the 20-plus courses found elsewhere. This makes it a cheaper and more approachable experience for those of us on a budget. But if you book the private dining room, you can go full decadence. The Tsukiyo Dining Room is equipped with projectors that shine down scenes of nature onto the table and surrounding walls. The visuals are made to work with the dishes served, so you can start off by eating under the moonlight and end in a field of flowers. It is one of the most unique private dining rooms in Melbourne and fits from six to 12 people. Do consider this space in Akaiito if you want to pair your Japanese eats with some theatrics.
When you think about the beginnings of Melbourne's third-wave coffee movement, it can probably be traced back to St Ali. Not just a boutique, local roaster of rich, cult-inducing coffee beans, St Ali was also something much more — an industrial-style cafe on a South Melbourne back street serving brunch that was as good as its brew. With its coffee, it also brought forth a cafe culture that Melbourne hadn't seen before and will probably never see the last of again. Being the archetype for similar institutions, it is easy to forget that St Ali didn't take its design from other cafes — other cafes took their design from St Ali. That said, the concrete floors, exposed lighting and communal seating are comforting, if not typical by 2023 standards. It's a small reminder that it's been doing this for no less than twenty years. This is no more apparent than when you visit St Ali. With a mill of staff — at least four on the coffee machine at all times — it's not hard to see that this is a well-oiled machine, especially when it comes to its signature brews. With a coffee menu almost as big as the food offering, you can choose from the current house blend, 'next level' coffee, a daily filter or an 18-hour cold drip. With quality beans from Colombia and Honduras, treat your senses to the ultimate coffee experience and try a few black and milk blends with a coffee-tasting plate. Brunch dishes are suitably placed for all-day dining, with the chilli scrambled eggs with creme fraiche, spicy nduja and sourdough being a go-to choice, along with the 24-hour marinated veal loin kebab with cucumber and red onion salad. Then there is the dish almost as old as St Ali itself: 'My Mexican Cousin'. The secret recipe corn fritters with poached eggs, haloumi, tomato salsa, relish and salad remain a stalwart of the St Ali menu; dozens of the golden, crispy beacons are rolling out of the kitchen at any one time. With this, the specials board is extensive and changes day-to-day, and the cake display houses one of the most perfect gluten-free brownies in existence. While the space is full of chatter and clinking cutlery any day of the week, the weekends see every table full — a small wait is standard but accepted, and always worth it. Despite the saturation of the city's cafe scene and local coffee roasters providing stiff competition, St Ali has survived the movement to remain a pure Melbourne institution. While this can be put down to its cult-like status, the truth is that — in this town — good coffee and consistently incredible food get you a long, long way. Appears in: Where to Find the Best Coffee in Melbourne
The world is a very strange place. While you might think your love of fried chicken reigns supreme or that you can scoff M&Ms like no one else, there are people out there who take this food obsession to the next level and erect shrines to honour the One True Foodstuff. Recently, New York opened the sensory-focused Museum of Food and Drink, where you can taste the exhibits. But there are more specific foodie shrines for you to sample. Whether you worship at the altar of the noodle or at the temple of ice cream, there is a motherland somewhere for you to pilgrimage. Come with us now on a bizarre journey to the best and strangest food museums from around the world. IDAHO POTATO MUSEUM The potato may be the subject of much internet derision and meme-ification, but it is a staple in some of the tastiest foods of all time, including — but certainly not limited to — fries, potato chips, mash, rosti, wedges, potato skins, potato gratin, poutine and baked spuds. All hail the mighty potato. And where better to celebrate the potato than the potato state? Idaho is home to a very Napoleon Dynamite-esque potato museum, which features a potato hall of fame and a giant potato statue that would even leave Australia, the land of big things, suitably impressed. The gift shop sells potato sack dresses among some of the dorkiest merchandise we've ever seen, which actually seems befitting of the potato aesthetic. Idaho Potato Museum, 130 Northwest Main Street, Blackfoot, Idaho, USA. RAMEN MUSEUM Ramen is a universal divider, no matter where you're from. In Japan, people pledge allegiance to their regional ramen the way we pledge allegiance to our sports teams. While history thinks that ramen may have originated in China, Japan has adopted the dish so completely, it doesn't even know it's adopted. So it makes sense that Tokyo hosts the Shin-Yokohama Raumen Museum, which they describe as the world's first food-themed amusement park. The park is made to look like a '50s Japanese street straight out of a Studio Ghibli film, and goes into the extensive history of ramen — that is, the breakdown of ingredients, toppings and broths, and the regional variations. And you'll be pleased to know that once you've nailed the theory of ramen, you can try steamy taster bowls from eight different regional stalls. Shin-Yokohama Raumen Museum, 2-14-21 Shinyokohama, Kohoku-ku, Yokohama-City, Japan. INSTANT RAMEN MUSEUM And of course, because Japan has a ramen museum, it must also have an instant ramen museum. Instant ramen is, after all, the lifeblood behind historically important struggling artists and students. Momofuku Ando is the genius behind our favourite just-add-water lunch option, which he invented in 1958 after spending a solitary year spent working on just four hours sleep a night. While the ramen museum is traditional in every way, the instant ramen museum is contemporary and clean. It features a CUPNOODLES park for children, a chicken ramen factory where you can invent and make your own instant noodles by hand, and an Instant Noodles History Cube (we could not say exactly what a history cube is, but that's all part of the fun). Momofuku Ando Instant Ramen Museum, 2-3-4 Shinko, Naka-ku, Yokohama, Japan. ICE CREAM CITY After you've checked out all the ramen museums, head to Ice Cream City, also in Japan. Ice Cream City and its Cup Ice Museum can be found in 'Namja Town', a theme park housed inside the Sunshine City shopping complex in Tokyo's Toshima area. Yes, it's all very confusing, but a 500 yen ticket will grant you access to all the bizarre food areas of Namja Town. Ice Cream Town has a smorgasbord of bizarre ice cream flavours to sample — some you would never have imagined in your wildest dreams. Think corn, chicken wing, powered pearl, squid, cheese risotto, sake, silk, charcoal, salt and soybean. You know it's worth a visit. Namja Town, Sunshine City World Import Mart, Toshima, Ikebukuro, Japan. Image: istolethetv via Flickr. CURRYWURST MUSEUM It should shock no-one that Germany has a currywurst museum in Berlin — or that the mascot is a terrifying, anthropomorphic sausage man with a maniacal smile. This kind of lunacy is completely expected of the sausage-lovin' European country, along with sausage-shaped couches and currywurst-themed dress up competitions. The currywurst is a delicious fast food treat that's not easy to get your hands on outside of Germany, unless you head to speciality restaurant. Simply, it's a fried pork sausage served with curry ketchup and topped with curry powder. And obviously, it's delicious. Plus, it pairs well with German beer and is totally worthy of having an entire museum (with merchandising) dedicated to it. Currywurst Museum, Schützenstraße 70, 10117, Berlin, Germany. MCDONALD'S #1 STORE MUSEUM Unfortunately, the first McDonald's restaurant was demolished because short-sighted Americans didn't appreciate the longevity of the Big Mac. But if your love for the golden arches goes beyond McLovin' a greasy wad of 'food' after a bender, there are many famous installations in America for worshipping Ronald the terrifying clown. There's the oldest operating McDonald's in Downey, California (it's been running since 1953), the rock and roll McDonald's in Chicago, or the McDonald's #1 Store Museum in Des Plaines, Illinois. The latter chronicles the history of Mickey Dee's through its early days — and yes, don't worry, there is a fully operational McDonald's across the road to complete the experience. McDonald's #1 Store Museum, 400 N. Lee Street, Des Plaines, Illinois, USA. JELL-O MUSEUM Jell-O is so much more than the worst dessert served on an airplane, or an erotic lubricant for wrestling. You might not know or care, but Jello-O has a long history as America's most famous dessert. The Jell-O Gallery in New York (the state, not the city) has chronicled this rich history in their museum. They also share some questionable Jell-O based wartime recipes such as olive relish: a lime Jell-O, olives, pickles, celery and vinegar concoction to fortify gallant American infantrymen against the Axis Powers. The Jell-O Gallery is quaint and also offers some of the most legitimately post-ironic cool Jell-O themed merchandise we've ever seen. Jell-O Gallery, 23 E Main St, Le Roy, New York, USA. KIMCHI FIELD MUSEUM The Kimchi Field Museum first opened in Seoul 1986 as South Korea's only food museum at the time — a testament to the nation's love of the fermented vegetable dish. The museum offers up valuable insight into not only the history of kimchi, but also its significance to South Korean culture. There's also kimchi-making courses that vary in complexity and cost (between $18-$65), and you get to take the kimchi home. Score. Kimchi Field Museum, 35-4 Insadong-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea. Image: ecodallaluna via Flickr. FRIETMUSEUM Frites is the OG name for the most universally successful of all the deep fried delights: the french fry (or, as we say in the Antipodes, hot chips). But did you know that frites are the national food of Belgium? Or that they originated in Peru ten thousand years ago? These facts, life-sized serves of chippies and many fry-related puns (including the 'eye on the fries' gift shop) await you at the Frietmuseum in Bruges, as well as actual, edible fries. So, until you head to Bruges and try the originals, you can't claim that Maccas make the best chips. At least, not with a clear conscience. Frietmuseum, Vlamingstraat 33, 8000, Bruges, Belgium. Top image: Guilhem Vellut via Flickr.
Two professional Aussie cricketers sporting an insatiable love of coffee start their own coffee pod company. Boom. It's true, meet Tripod Coffee. Cricketers Steve Cazzulino and Ed Cowan were perpetually on the road playing state cricket, and brought along a Nespresso machine with them for much-needed cups of coffee in the morning before matches. Seeking a local, sustainable alternative to the George Clooney-fronted pod giant proved difficult, so the pair saw a glimmering niche in the coffee-obsessed Aussie market. Steve and Ed decided to create their own small company making pods filled with high-quality coffee that fit perfectly in the Nespresso machine. "On a rainy day we thought, why don't we have a crack and take on the big boys?" says Ed. "We could fill the capsules with coffee that we really enjoy drinking". With Steve and Ed touting a pretty gutsy attitude to take on the pod monopoly, they cooked up a bit of clever naming ('tri' for their three foundation coffee blends and 'pod') and Tripod Coffee was born. You'll find a lot of Central and South American and African (namely Ethiopian and Kenyan) coffees in their store because "the coffees from those areas really suit the [capsule] extraction process." After their coffee has been ethically sourced, it's given the special treatment by a local award-winning roaster, packed and shipped. During the process, all oxygen is vacuumed from the pod so when you pop it in your machine, it'll be like it was freshly ground. The best bit? The capsules are recyclable. Sustainable, local coffee — yep, that's music to our ears. Ed and Steve started the business in order to provide a green alternative to the aluminium pods of Nespresso. Ed and Steve's sense of humour comes through the product names, using of different hats for different blends and strengths — Grey Gaucho, Red Fedora, Blue Beret, Black Panama, Gold Sombrero. The reason is pretty damn simple. "When you turn the capsule upside down, they look a little bit like hats." Aside from their mainstays, like the Red Fedora which works as a great citrus-y espresso, they're keen to run special edition capsules and expand their single origin series. Yes, with Tripod Coffee, single origin Panamanian might be coming to your Nespresso machine soon. So where can you find Tripod? As well as being stocked in every single QT Hotel across Australia, Tripod Coffee is available online or Harris Farm, IGA, and independent grocers across NSW, Victoria and Tasmania. Learn more about Tripod Coffee on their website.
Pinot Noir by crackling fireplaces, misty mountaintops and landscaped gardens that look straight out of Downton Abbey — Bowral is your go-to weekender when you don't have the time or cash for a mid-year trip to Europe. You'll find the 12,000-person town an easy, 90-minute drive southwest of Sydney, among the string of villages known as the Southern Highlands. Spend your stay cosying up in a 19th century hotel room staring at rolling hillsides, or get out and about, tasting wines, visiting waterfalls and feasting at hatted restaurants. However you play it, here are our tips for a couple of days in Bowral. [caption id="attachment_580846" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Bendooley Vineyards.[/caption] EAT AND DRINK Let's get coffee out of the way first. One of the best caffeine-hits in town is at boutique roastery Rush. Go for the house blend or take your pick of a single origin from Brazil, Sumatra or Nicaragua. Alternatively, slip into pint-sized Flour Water Salt and match your coffee with a freshly-baked, organic-flour pastry. This mini-chain is a big hit with people south of Sydney and now has three outlets — in Bowral, Milton and Kiama. Their trick, as the name suggests, is to keep things simple. Come lunch, hide away from the main street in the quiet, leafy courtyard of The Red Tree Café. Here, the agenda is classics with tasty twists. Setting yourself up for an action-packed day? Dig into the Big Red Tree Breakfast: free-range eggs, roasted tomato, mushrooms, pancetta, chipolatas and potato rosti on organic sourdough. [caption id="attachment_580847" align="alignnone" width="1280"] @biotadining.[/caption] Another option is to jump in the car and make tracks to Bendooley Estate. Not only will you land yourself a fireplace and idyllic farmlands with your meal, you're also in for a read. Bendooley is home to the Berkelouw Book Barn — Berkelouw's official headquarters — so tables are interspersed with shelves of beautifully-kept, second-hand titles. Also worth a drive is McVitty Grove, a restaurant set on an acreage, just 20 minutes from Bowral, with an emphasis on sustainability and local produce. Tuck into the chef's own beef sliders or the organic Portuguese chicken with Dauphinoise potatoes and roasted tomato. Up for a fancier adventure? Reserve a table at Biota Dining. Chef James Vile's two-hatted restaurant is another champion of eco-friendly eating. Should time be on your side, settle into a tasting menu. Otherwise, there are loads of seasonally-driven, al carte choices. And do say yes to a cocktail based on handcrafted botanicals, like the 'Autumn Leaves' (jammy persimmon, cinnamon, calvados and citrus). If you're not able to commit to a meal, you're welcome to stick to drinks and snacks in the bar (which is where you'll find the fire). [caption id="attachment_580850" align="alignnone" width="1483"] Eling Forest Estate.[/caption] DO Although we did give you permission to do absolutely nothing, we recommend a bit of an adventure. Winos should be sure to hop on the Southern Highlands wine trail. For the most part, the region is 600 metres above sea level, so cool climate varieties, like Pinot Noir and Riesling, fare well. At Tertini (one of NSW's best cellar doors), you'll be sampling a consistently excellent bunch of small-batch, boutique, multi-award winning drops. And, if you like to know your wine habit isn't killing the environment, swing by Eling Forest Estate, where the Tractorless Vineyard wines are made biodynamically. A Hampshire Down sheep breed, imported from England, takes the place of machines and pesticides, by eating the weeds around the grape vines. [caption id="attachment_580788" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Bjenks[/caption] With a bottle or three under your arm, it could well be time for a waterfall-side picnic. The area's three biggest falls are Fitzroy, Belmore and Carrington, and visiting all of them makes for a fun, circular road trip. If you're keen to combine your falls with a walk, conquer the steep, two-kilometre Erith Coal Mine track in Morton National Park, which combines a disused coalmine with cascades you can stand under. Epic views of Bowral and Mittagong are on offer at the Mount Gibraltar Reserve. At 863 metres, it's the highest point between Sydney and Canberra, and there are three lookouts, each giving you unique perspectives: Bowral, Mittagong and Jellore. In need of an art fix? In the vast spaces of The Milk Factory, you'll find changing contemporary exhibitions, as well as a cute gallery shop, selling resin jewellery and blown glass. And, within the Springetts Arcade, is Ten Thousand Paces, a self-described 'hybrid shop, gallery, art projects and regional wine hub'. [caption id="attachment_580795" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Airbnb.[/caption] STAY There aren't many places in this world where you can rent out an entire 19th century former coach house, but Bowral is one of them. And you'll find it on Airbnb (where else?). This six-bedroom Italianate mansion, which was once a home for some wealthy estate owner's coachman and horses, sleeps up to 13 people, and is situated on Bowral's outskirts — within walking distance of both town and wild places. Not travelling with a big party? Leaving your Clydesdales at home? A cosier option is the Woodland Retreat Guest Studio, also an Airbnb offering. Splashed with art and run by two warm, friendly locals, it sleeps up to four and a locally-sourced breakfast is included. [caption id="attachment_580853" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Milton Park.[/caption] If you're in the market for a hotel, there's Peppers Craigieburn. For those not planning on going anywhere, there are plenty of rooms with views of the 36-hectare surrounding garden, as well as guest lounges with open fires, a billiards room, tennis courts, a restaurant and an onsite spa. Yep, pretty much everything you need to stay put. Another lush, albeit pricier option, is the Milton Park Country House and Spa. Here, you'll be lolling about in five-star decadence on the property's tucked away, forest-covered hilltop. Just how luxe you go is your call. There are rooms overlooking gardens and fountains, and suites with their very own fireplaces and jacuzzis. Meanwhile, among the grounds, you'll stumble across a heated indoor pool, floodlit tennis courts and a wellness spa. Should you ever have wondered what it's like to be an English duke or duchess, this is your chance to experiment. Top image: Bendooley Vineyards.
If you hadn't noticed, fermentation is a bit of a thing. One of the driving forces behind the movement is the fact that fermented food and drinks can help promote good bacteria in your gut. So it's not surprising that one of the more popular workshops at Cornersmith — who dish out hearty breakfasts and hold workshops in cheesemaking, pickling and fermenting among others — is the wild soda class, where you learn to make a fermented, fizzy fruit beverage that's both delicious and good for your digestion. That's the domain of Cornersmith's head fermenter Jaimee Edwards, a veteran in teaching lucky folks how to make wild soda, and then supervising as they make their own. For those who haven't attended one of her sessions — which have fittingly taken over nature-filled houses — go DIY and follow the instructions below. WHAT ACTUALLY IS WILD SODA? A wild soda is a fizzy fruit drink with a slightly sour, yeasty taste that's derived from the fermentation process involved in making it. The flavour is richer and more complex than any fizzy fruit drink you could pick up from a store because — like sour beer or wild fermentation wines — they're a product of nature. There are no artificial ingredients added. The fermentation process is unpredictable and gives each batch a unique flavour — even if you use the same ingredients and follow the same method each time. The process of making wild soda is similar to that of making wild fermentation wine. In winemaking, the yeast overpowers the lactic acid and turns the drink into alcohol, but in wild soda the lactic acid overpowers the yeast and creates carbonated water. Winemaking is best left to the professionals, but you can easily create wild soda on your own. Here's how. GET OUT THERE AND FORAGE To make wild soda, pick some of your favourite native plants, flowers and fruit. Edwards encourages you to get out there and forage. Supermarket fruit has likely gone through numerous cleaning processes, which means the natural microflora living on it (essential to the fermentation process) has likely been washed away. The more microflora, the easier the fermentation process — and the tastier the drink. "Foraging is pretty key," says Edwards. "That way you're not dealing with stuff that's gone through excessive washing." She recommends foraging for clean leaves and bark for bacteria, and wild flowers and fruit (strawberries, lemons and blueberries) for flavour. Once you've foraged, break up your flowers, leaves and bark, pulp your fruit and place it all into a plastic bottle. "Experiment with almost anything — that's part of the fun," says Edwards. "You're going to have some failures, and you're going to have successes. The ingredients you've added are obviously going to add a strong flavour, so you have to like them." GET THE FERMENTATION GOING When starting out, Edwards says it's a good idea to use plastic bottles. The natural carbonation that results from the fermentation process could cause glass jars to crack, and the last thing you want is a kitchen filled with half-finished strawberry and lemon verbena soda. Making a carbonated soda relies on the natural yeasts and bacteria that are available on the surface of plants. These microorganisms turn sugars into lactic acid and produce CO2 to make your soda bubbly. Because there is very little sugar in the foraged material in this recipe sugar is added. Mix all ingredients in a clean jar of filtered water and cover with a clean tea towel. Stir three times a day while the soda is fermenting. This will take between two and three days. Then strain the soda from the plants and bottle. Carbonation will occur as the CO2 builds up in the bottle over a few days. Refrigerate, and when it's nice and cold, take it out of the fridge and enjoy. HOW DOES ALL THIS RELATE TO WINE? Stoneleigh use a similar process of natural fermentation to make the wild fermentation wines in their Wild Valley range. Rather than adding a yeast known to produce a certain flavour, the yeasts and bacteria that naturally present on the grapes (aka microflora), are tasked with the fermentation. By letting nature do its thing (and because of the many different types of yeast getting involved), the wine ends up with a more complicated flavour profile. That means that just like wild soda, each vintage has its own unique flavour. Follow Jamiee Edwards' adventures at @fermentingprojects. Images: Steven Woodburn.
If you're a film and TV obsessive, how do you know that a new year has kicked off? Hollywood starts handing out awards. Tinseltown loves starting off the annual calendar by looking backwards, giving away trophies and having parties, with the Golden Globes 2025's first ceremony to celebrate on-screen achievements from the past 12 months — in cinemas and on television. 2025's accolades, rewarding 2024's big- and small-screen fare, took place on Monday, January 6 Australian time. Accordingly, there's now a brand-new batch of Golden Globes recipients for viewers to watch — or rewatch. Some, like The Brutalist and Emilia Pérez, haven't made their way Down Under just yet (they each arrive later in January), but plenty of others are ready and waiting for audiences to catch ASAP. Haven't seen Jesse Eisenberg (Fleishman Is in Trouble) and Kieran Culkin (Succession) play bickering cousins yet? Keen to relive every thrilling, heartbreaking and tense moment of Shogun? Fancy watching Baby Reindeer on your iPhon iPhone? Need a reason to shout "yes chef!". Feel like defying gravity? Eager for a dose of The Substance? They're just some of the 11 movies and TV shows that you can make a date with right now. (Wondering what else won, too? Read through the full list as well.) Movie Must-Sees A Real Pain He didn't feature on-screen in his first film as a writer/director, but 2022's When You Finish Saving the World couldn't have sprung from anyone but Jesse Eisenberg. Neither could've 2024's A Real Pain. In the latter, the Fleishman Is in Trouble actor plays the anxious part, and literally. He's David Kaplan, with his character a bundle of nerves about and during his trip to Poland with his cousin Benji (Kieran Culkin, Succession) — a pilgrimage that they're making in honour of their grandmother, who survived the Second World War, started a new life for their family in the US in the process and has recently passed away. David is highly strung anyway, though. One source of his woes: the ease with which Benji seems to move through his days, whether he's making new friends in their tour group within seconds of being introduced or securing a stash of weed for the journey. With A Real Pain as with When You Finish Saving the World, Eisenberg is shrewdly and committedly examining an inescapable question: what is real pain, and who feels it? Are David's always-evident neuroses more worthy of worry than the despondency that Benji shuttles behind his carefree facade, and is it okay for either to feel the way they do, with their comfortable lives otherwise, in the shadow of such horrors such as the Holocaust? As a filmmaker, Eisenberg keeps interrogating what he knows: A Real Pain's main train of thought, which was When You Finish Saving the World's as well, is one that he ponders himself. Although he's not penning and helming strictly autobiographical movies, his latest does crib some details from reality, swapping out an IRL aunt for a fictional grandmother, as well as a trip that Eisenberg took with his wife for a cousins' act of tribute. It's no wonder, then, that he keeps crafting deeply felt features that resound with raw emotion, and that leave viewers feeling like they could walk right into them. With A Real Pain, he also turns in a stellar performance of his own and directs another from Culkin, who steps into Benji's shoes like he wears them himself everyday (and takes on a part that his director originally had earmarked for himself). Thrumming at the heart of the dramedy, and in its two main players, is a notion that demands facing head-on, too: that experiencing our own pain, whether big or small, world-shattering or seemingly trivial, or personal or existential, is never a minor matter. Globes Won: Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role in Any Motion Picture (Kieran Culkin). Where to watch it: A Real Pain is screening in cinemas Down Under. Read our interview with Jesse Eisenberg. The Substance If you suddenly looked like society's ideal, how would it change your life? The Substance asks this. In a completely different way, so does fellow Golden Globe-winner A Different Man (see: below), too — but when Revenge's Coralie Fargeat is leading the charge on her long-awaited sophomore feature and earning Cannes' Best Screenplay Award for her troubles, the result is a new body-horror masterpiece. Pump it up: the sci-fi concept; the stunning command of sound, vision and tone; the savagery and smarts; the gonzo willingness to keep pushing and parodying; the gore (and there's gore); and the career-reviving performance from Demi Moore (Landman). The Substance's star has popped up in Feud, The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, Please Baby Please and Brave New World in recent years, but her work as Elisabeth Sparkle not only defines this period of her life as an actor; even with an on-screen resume dating back to 1981, and with the 80s- and 90s-era likes of St Elmo's Fire, Ghost, A Few Good Men, Indecent Proposal and Disclosure to her name, she'll always be known for this from this point onwards, regardless of whether awards keep rolling in. Turning 50 isn't cause for celebration for Elisabeth. She's already seen film roles pass her by over the years; on her birthday, she's now pushed out of her long-running gig hosting an aerobics show. Enter a solution, as well as another 'what if?' question: if you could reclaim your youth by injecting yourself with a mysterious liquid, would you? Here, The Substance's protagonist takes the curious serum. Enter Sue (Margaret Qualley, Drive-Away Dolls), who helps Elisabeth wind back time — and soon wants Elisabeth's time as her own. Just like someone seeking the glory days that she thinks are behind her via any means possible, Fargeat isn't being subtle with The Substance, not for a second. She goes big and brutal instead, and audacious and morbid as well, and this is the unforgettable picture it is because of it. No one holds back — not Elisabeth, not Sue, not Moore, not the also-fantastic Qualley, not Dennis Quaid (Lawman: Bass Reeves) eating shrimp, not Fargeat, and definitely not cinematographer Benjamin Kracun (Promising Young Woman) or composer Raffertie (99). Globes Won: Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Motion Picture — Musical or Comedy (Demi Moore). Where to watch it: The Substance streams via YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. A Different Man Two of 2024's best films have one person in common: Sebastian Stan. In cinemas in Australia, The Apprentice and A Different Man released within weeks of each other; as well as making a helluva double feature, they boast two of the finest performances of the year as well. In both movies, the former Gossip Girl star with the best taste in picking interesting parts — see also: Logan Lucky, I, Tonya, Destroyer, Monday, Fresh and Pam & Tommy — plays men chasing a dream that turns out to be a nightmare: once as a certain US real-estate tycoon-turned-reality TV host and then president, and once as a struggling actor who desperately wants a new face. When A Different Man's Edward Lemuel undertakes an experimental treatment for neurofibromatosis, his disfigurement disappears; however, his hopes for stardom, or even just to feature in his playwright neighbour's (Renate Reinsve, Presumed Innocent) off-Broadway production about his own life and attract her romantic interest, can't be grasped that easily. Also turning in an excellent portrayal is Adam Pearson (Ruby Splinter) as Oswald, who has a firmer grasp on the existence that Edward so feverishly covets without any medical intervention. Writer/director Aaron Schimberg (Chained for Life) knows that The Elephant Man will spring to many audiences' minds — and astutely probes and questions why in a film that is unflinching in its exploration of perception, prejudice, identity, authenticity and self-worth. As it muses on what it takes to accept yourself and ignore the world's feedback, too, and whether external change can bring about an internal transformation, A Different Man also pairs exceptionally well with The Substance (see: above). Styling his feature as a psychological thriller as much as a black comedy, Schimberg refuses to let any moment pass by without needling, probing and unpacking. He digs into not only the mindsets that surround Edward, but equally explores the character's own view as he reinvents himself — with his new Sebastian Stan good looks — as newcomer Guy Moratz. It might have a few kindred spirits in various ways among 2024's highlights, but nothing else truly like this has reached screens in years. Globes Won: Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Motion Picture — Musical or Comedy (Sebastian Stan). Where to watch it: A Different Man streams via YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Challengers Tennis is a game of serves, shots, slices and smashes, and also of approaches, backhands, rallies and volleys. Challengers is a film of each, too, plus a movie about tennis. As it follows a love triangle that charts a path so back and forth that its ins and outs could be carved by a ball being hit around on the court, it's a picture that takes its aesthetic, thematic and emotional approach from the sport that its trio of protagonists are obsessed with as well. Tennis is everything to Tashi Duncan (Zendaya, Dune: Part Two), Art Donaldson (Mike Faist, West Side Story) and Patrick Zweig (Josh O'Connor, La Chimera), other than the threesome themselves being everything to each other. It's a stroke of genius to fashion the feature about them around the game they adore, then. Metaphors comparing life with a pastime are easy to coin. Movies that build such a juxtaposition into their fabric are far harder to craft. But it's been true of Luca Guadagnino for decades: he's a craftsman. Jumping from one Dune franchise lead to another, after doing Call Me By Your Name and Bones and All with Timothée Chalamet, Guadagnino proves something else accurate that's been his cinematic baseline: he's infatuated with the cinema of yearning. Among his features so far, only in Bones and All was the hunger for connection literal. The Italian director didn't deliver cannibalism in Call Me By Your Name and doesn't in Challengers, but longing is the strongest flavour in all three, and prominent across the filmmaker's Suspiria, A Bigger Splash and I Am Love also. So, combine the idea of styling a movie around a tennis match — one spans its entire duration, in fact — with a lusty love triangle, romantic cravings and three players at the top of their field, then this is the sublime end product. Challengers is so smartly constructed, so well thought-out down to every meticulous detail, so sensual and seductive, and so on point in conveying Tashi plus Art and Patrick's feelings, that it's instantly one of Guadagnino's grand slams. Globes Won: Best Original Score — Motion Picture (Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross). Where to watch it: Challengers streams via Prime Video, YouTube Movies and iTunes. Read our full review, as well as what Zendaya, Josh O'Connor and Mike Faist had to say about the film when they were in Australia. Wicked The colour scheme was always a given. "Pink goes good with green," Galinda (Ariana Grande, Don't Look Up) tells Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo, Luther: The Fallen Sun). "It goes well with green," the grammar-correcting reply bounces back. The songs, beloved echoing from the stage since 2003, were never in doubt as both centrepieces and a soundtrack. As a theatre-kid obsession for decades, it was also long likely that the big-screen adaptation of Wicked — a movie based on a musical springing from a book that offered a prequel to a film that walked the celluloid road 85 years ago, itself jumping from the page to the screen — would have big theatre-kid energy as it attempted to ensure that its magic enchants across mediums. Enough to fill every theatre on Broadway radiates from Grande alone, someone who, as a kid, won an auction to meet the OG Wicked good witch Kristin Chenoweth (Our Little Secret) backstage. That enthusiasm is impossible not to feel. No one would ever want a muted Wicked, where the hues, in yellow bricks and emerald cities and more, weren't trying to compete with Technicolor — and the tunes, with Chenoweth and Idina Menzel's (You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah) voices previously behind them in such full force, weren't belted to the rafters. Jon M Chu has a knack as a filmmaker of stage hits reaching cinemas: matching the vibe of the show he's taking on expertly. It was true of his version of In the Heights. It now proves the case in its own different way with Wicked. Achieving such a feat isn't always a given; sometimes, even when it does happen, and blatantly, any stage spark can be lost in translation (see: Cats). Again, movie viewers can feel that synergy, and how much it means to everyone involved. Globes Won: Cinematic and Box Office Achievement. Where to watch it: Wicked is screening in cinemas Down Under, and streams via YouTube Movies and Prime Video. Read our interview with production designer Nathan Crowley. Small-Screen Standouts Hacks Sometimes you need to wait for the things you love. In Hacks, that's true off- and on-screen. The HBO comedy gave viewers a two-year wait, after its first season was one of the best new shows of 2021 and its second one of the best returning series of 2022 — a delay first sparked by star Jean Smart (Babylon) requiring heart surgery, and then by 2023's Hollywood strikes. But this Emmy- and Golden Globe-winner returned better than ever in season three in 2024, this time charting Smart's Deborah Vance finally getting a shot at a job that she's been waiting her entire career for. After scoring a huge hit with her recent comedy special, which was a product of hiring twentysomething writer Ava Daniels (Hannah Einbinder, Julia), the Las Vegas mainstay has a new chance at nabbing a late-night hosting gig. (Yes, fictional takes on after-dark talk shows are having a moment, thanks to Late Night with the Devil and now this.) At times, some in Deborah's orbit might be tempted to borrow the Australian horror movie's title to describe to assisting her pitch for a post-primetime chair. That'd be a harsh comment, but savage humour has always been part of this showbiz comedy about people who tell jokes for a living. While Deborah gets roasted in this season, spikiness is Hacks' long-established baseline — and also the armour with which its behind-the-mic lead protects herself from life's and the industry's pain, disappointments and unfairness. Barbs can also be Deborah's love language, as seen in her banter with Ava. When season two ended, their tumultuous professional relationship had come to an end again via Deborah, who let her writer go to find bigger opportunities. A year has now passed when season three kicks off. Ava is a staff writer on a Last Week Tonight with John Oliver-type series in Los Angeles and thriving, but she's also not over being fired. Back in Vanceland , everything is gleaming — but Deborah isn't prepared for being a phenomenon. She wants it. She's worked for years for it. It's taken until her 70s to get it. But her presence alone being cause for frenzy, rather than the scrapping she's done to stay in the spotlight, isn't an easy adjustment. Globes Won: Best Television Series — Musical or Comedy, Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Series — Musical or Comedy (Jean Smart). Where to watch it: Hacks streams via Stan. Read our full review. Shōgun Casting Hiroyuki Sanada (John Wick: Chapter 4), Cosmo Jarvis (Persuasion) and Anna Sawai (Monarch: Legacy of Monsters) as its three leads is one of Shōgun's masterstrokes. The new ten-part adaptation of James Clavell's 1975 novel — following a first version in 1980 that featured Japanese icon and frequent Akira Kurosawa collaborator Toshiro Mifune — makes plenty of other excellent moves, but this is still pivotal. Disney+'s richly detailed samurai series knows how to thrust its viewers into a deeply textured world from the outset, making having three complex performances at its centre an essential anchoring tactic. Sanada plays Lord Yoshii Toranaga, who is among the political candidates vying to take control of the country. Jarvis is John Blackthorne, a British sailor on a Dutch ship that has run aground in a place that its crew isn't sure is real until they get there. And Sawai is Toda Mariko, a Japanese noblewoman who is also tasked with translating. Each character's tale encompasses much more than those descriptions, of course, and the portrayals that bring them to the screen make that plain from the moment they're each first seen. As Game of Thrones and Succession both were, famously so, Shōgun is another drama that's all about fighting for supremacy. Like just the former, too, it's another sweeping epic series as well. Although it's impossible not to see those links, knowing that both battling over who'll seize power and stepping into sprawling worlds are among pop culture's favourite things right now (and for some time) doesn't make Shōgun any less impressive. The scale is grand, and yet it doesn't skimp on intimacy, either. The minutiae is meticulous, demanding that attention is paid to everything at all times. Gore is no stranger from the get-go. Opening in the 17th century, the series finds Japan in crisis mode, Toranaga facing enemies and Blackthorne among the first Englishmen that've made it to the nation — much to the alarm of Japan's sole European inhabitants from Portugal. Getting drawn in, including by the performances, is instantaneous. Shōgun proves powerful and engrossing immediately, and lavish and precisely made as well, with creators Justin Marks (Top Gun: Maverick) and Rachel Kondo (on her first TV credit) doing a spectacular job of bringing it to streaming queues. Globes Won: Best Television Series — Drama, Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Series — Drama (Hiroyuki Sanada), Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Series — Drama (Anna Sawai), Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role on Television (Tadanobu Asano). Where to watch it: Shōgun streams via Disney+. Read our full review. Baby Reindeer A person walking into a bar. The words "sent from my iPhone". A comedian pouring their experiences into a one-performer play. A twisty true-crime tale making the leap to the screen. All four either feature in, inspired or describe Baby Reindeer. All four are inescapably familiar, too, but the same can't be said about this seven-part Netflix series. Written by and starring Scottish comedian Richard Gadd, and also based on his real-life experiences, this is a bleak, brave, revelatory, devastating and unforgettable psychological thriller. It does indeed begin with someone stepping inside a pub — and while Gadd plays a comedian on-screen as well, don't go waiting for a punchline. When Martha (Jessica Gunning, The Outlaws) enters The Heart in Camden, London in 2015, Donny Dunn (Gadd, Wedding Season) is behind the counter. "I felt sorry for her. That's the first feeling I felt," the latter explains via voiceover. Perched awkwardly on a stool at the bar, Martha is whimpering to herself. She says that she can't afford to buy a drink, even a cup of tea. Donny takes pity, offering her one for free — and her face instantly lights up. That's the fateful moment, one of sorrow met with kindness, that ignites Baby Reindeer's narrative and changes Donny's life. After that warm beverage, The Heart instantly has a new regular. Sipping Diet Cokes from then on (still on the house), Martha is full of stories about all of the high-profile people that she knows and her high-flying lawyer job. But despite insisting that she's constantly busy, she's also always at the bar when Donny is at work, sticking around for his whole shifts. She chats incessantly about herself, folks that he doesn't know and while directing compliments Donny's way. He's in his twenties, she's in her early forties — and he can see that she's smitten, letting her flirt. He notices her laugh. He likes the attention, not to mention getting his ego stroked. While he doesn't reciprocate her feelings, he's friendly. She isn't just an infatuated fantasist, however; she's chillingly obsessed to an unstable degree. She finds his email address, then starts messaging him non-stop when she's not nattering at his workplace. (IRL, Gadd received more than 40,000 emails.) Globes Won: Best Television Limited Series, Anthology Series or Motion Picture Made for Television, Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role on Television (Jessica Gunning). Where to watch it: Baby Reindeer streams via Netflix. Read our full review. The Bear Serving up another sitting with acclaimed chef Carmy Berzatto (Jeremy Allen White, The Iron Claw), his second-in-charge Sydney (Ayo Edebiri, Inside Out 2) and their team after dishing up one of the best new shows of 2022 and best returning shows of 2023, the third season of The Bear is a season haunted. Creator and writer Christopher Storer (Dickinson, Ramy) — often the culinary dramedy's director as well — wouldn't have it any other way. Every series that proves as swift a success as this, after delivering as exceptional a first and second season as any show could wish for, has the tang of its prior glory left on its lips, so this one tackles the idea head on. How can anyone shake the past at all, good or bad, the latest ten episodes ruminate on as Carmy faces a dream that's come true but hasn't and can't eradicate the lifetime of internalised uncertainty that arises from having an erratic mother, absent father, elder brother he idolised but had his own demons, and a career spent striving to be the best and put his talents to the test in an industry that's so merciless and unforgiving even before you factor in dealing with cruel mentors. Haunting is talked about often in this third The Bear course, but not actually in the sense flavouring every bite that the show's return plates up. In the season's heartiest reminder that it's comic as well as tense and dramatic — its nine Emmy wins for season one, plus four Golden Globes across season one and two, are all in comedy categories — the Faks get to Fak aplenty. While charming Neil (IRL chef Matty Matheson) is loving his role as a besuited server beneath Richie aka Cousin (Ebon Moss-Bachrach, No Hard Feelings), onboard with the latter's commitment to upholding a Michelin star-chasing fine-diner's front-of-house standards and as devoted to being Carmy's best friend as ever, he's also always palling around with his handyman brother Theodore (Ricky Staffieri, Read the Room). They're not the season's only Faks, and so emerges a family game. When one Fak wrongs another, they get haunted, which is largely being taunted and unsettled by someone from basically The Bear equivalent of Brooklyn Nine-Nine's Boyles. For it to stop, you need to agree to give in. In Storer's hands, in a series this expertly layered as it picks up in the aftermath of sandwich diner The Original Beef of Chicagoland relaunching as fine-diner The Bear, this isn't just an amusing character-building aside. Globes Won: Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Series — Musical or Comedy (Jeremy Allen White). Where to watch it: The Bear streams via Disney+. Read our full review. The Penguin Ambition courses through The Penguin, both within its storyline and in bringing the spinoff from 2022's The Batman to the small screen. HBO might be giving a swathe of its cinema hits the TV treatment, including Dune, IT, Harry Potter and The Conjuring; however, there's nothing by the numbers about Oswald Cobb's time in the television spotlight. With Colin Farrell reprising the show's titular role, and starring in two of 2024's standout new series in the process alongside Sugar, The Penguin isn't a mere attempted caped-crusader cash-in, as some fare about nefarious folks connected to well-known heroes have proven (see: Morbius, Madame Web and Kraven the Hunter). Across its compulsively watchable eight-episode first season, this crime drama has more than a touch of The Sopranos and The Godfather films about it — and not only is it aiming high in endeavouring to follow in the footsteps of two of the greatest mob stories ever told but, as developed and co-written by Lauren LeFranc (Impulse, Agents of SHIELD), it heartily earns its place in their company. Never forgetting who it is about and what Oz's future path is, no matter how much viewers start to warm to him throughout the series, The Penguin is also responsible for one of the most-heartbreaking moments of the past year. Set after the events of The Batman — a big-screen sequel to which, aka The Batman — Part II, is on the way — the show steps back into Oz's life as he's chasing his own ambitions. After years spent as an underling, including as the righthand man to Carmine Falcone (Mark Strong, Dune: Prophecy), he has his sights set on more than just doing everyone else's bidding. Complicating this quest for power: that it coincides with the release of Carmine's daughter Sofia (Cristin Milioti, The Resort) from Arkham, and she isn't willing to simply do what she's told by the new Falcone underboss (Michael Kelly, Pantheon). As Oz navigates a turf war also involving incarcerated rival Sal Marone (Clancy Brown, Gen V), The Penguin keeps his exploits personal through his demential-afflicted mother (Deirdre O'Connell, The Big Door Prize) requiring his care, and with kindhearted teenager Vic Aguilar (Rhenzy Feliz, Encanto) trying to steal Oz's rims but ending up with a job as his driver. A grounded waddle into the supervillain realm, and boasting exceptional — and rightly Golden Globe-winning and -nominated, respectively — performances from Farrell and Milioti, this is comics-to-screen storytelling at its best. Globes Won: Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Limited Series, Anthology Series or a Motion Picture Made for Television (Colin Farrell). Where to watch it: The Penguin streams via Binge. True Detective: Night Country Even when True Detective had only reached its second season, the HBO series had chiselled its template into stone: obsessive chalk-and-cheese cops with messy personal lives investigating horrifying killings, on cases with ties to power's corruption, in places where location mattered and with the otherworldly drifting in. A decade after the anthology mystery show's debut in 2014, True Detective has returned as Night Country, a six-part miniseries that builds its own snowman out of all of the franchise's familiar parts. The main similarity from there: like the Matthew McConaughey (The Gentlemen)- and Woody Harrelson (White House Plumbers)-led initial season, True Detective: Night Country is phenomenal. This is a return to form and a revitalisation. Making it happen after two passable intervening cases is a new guiding hand off-screen. Tigers Are Not Afraid filmmaker Issa López directs and writes or co-writes every episode, boasting Moonlight's Barry Jenkins as an executive producer. True Detective creator Nic Pizzolatto remains in the latter role, too, as do McConaughey, Harrelson and season-one director Cary Joji Fukunaga (No Time to Die); however, from its female focus and weighty tussling with the dead to its switch to a cool, blue colour scheme befitting its Alaskan setting, there's no doubting that López is reinventing her season rather than ticking boxes. In handing over the reins, Pizzolatto's police procedural never-standard police procedural is a powerhouse again, and lives up to the potential of its concept. The commitment and cost of delving into humanity's depths and advocating for those lost in its abyss has swapped key cops, victims and locations with each spin, including enlisting the masterful double act of Jodie Foster (Nyad) and boxer-turned-actor Kali Reis (Catch the Fair One) to do the sleuthing, but seeing each go-around with fresh eyes feels like the missing puzzle piece. López spies the toll on the show's first women duo, as well as the splinters in a remote community when its fragile sense of certainty is forever shattered. She spots the fractures that pre-date the investigation in the new season, a cold case tied to it, plus the gashes that've carved hurt and pain into the earth ever since people stepped foot on it. She observes the pursuit of profit above all else, and the lack of concern for whatever — whoever, the region's Indigenous inhabitants included — get in the way. She sees that the eternal winter night of 150 miles north of the Arctic Circle come mid-December isn't the only thing impairing everyone's sight. And, she knows that not everything has answers, with life sometimes plunging into heartbreak, or inhospitable climes, or one's own private hell, without rhyme or reason. Globes Won: Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Limited Series, Anthology Series or a Motion Picture Made for Television (Jodie Foster). Where to watch it: True Detective: Night Country streams via Binge. Read our full review.
This article is part of our series on the diverse highlights of NZ's Canterbury region, from city to snow. To book your Lake Tekapo trip, visit the 100% Pure New Zealand website. If your mental picture of New Zealand is all lush greenery, snow-topped mountains, vast lakes and clear skies, then you'd most likely go nuts over Lake Tekapo. The place is the idealisation of pretty much everything associated with New Zealand by way of landscape: a small town surrounded by the Southern Alps and sitting on the bluest goddamn lake you've ever seen. The water in this lake is not to be understated — it's pure magic. It shimmers like it could clear your head, cure your ails and turn you into a mermaid all at the same time. Mermaids aside, Tekapo is must-see for travellers driving through the South Island (it's less than three hours from Christchurch and Queenstown), and it's an idyllic place to stay too. The lake's obvious potential for water sports and its proximity to the nearby Round Hill ski area makes it a popular destination all year round, but time your stay correctly (that is, outside of school holidays) and you'll find a small, quiet town with enough going on to keep it interesting. You could spend two days in Tekapo just gazing out over the lake, but this small township becomes an oasis in winter with plenty to eat, see, do and take in. Got two days in the area? Here's how you should spend it in Tekapo. DAY ONE Midday: Air Safaris flight Tekapo is halfway between Christchurch and Queenstown, so no matter where you're coming from on the South Island, you can make an early start and arrive before noon. If the weather's clear, the first thing you'll want to do is book yourself in for an Air Safaris flight. It's a little bit pricey, but if you can do it, it's amazing as all hell to see the landscape from the vantage point of a light plane. They'll fly you over Tekapo, through the Godley Valley and right over the top of the Southern Alps. Flights depart every hour and last for around 45 minutes. It is totally dependent on the weather, so it's best to book on the day when you know you'll be able to see more than a few feet in front of you. [caption id="attachment_227858" align="alignnone" width="1024"] andrewXu via Flickr[/caption] Afternoon: The Church of the Good Shepherd The best thing about the Mackenzie region is that it has so much salmon swimming through its canal system that it's super fresh pretty much wherever you get it. Grab some salmon sashimi to go from Kohan (unsurprisingly Tekapo's only Japanese restaurant) and head over the canal to the Church of the Good Shepherd. The church is tiny, and — with that backdrop — is highly Instagrammable. It's usually open for prayer and admiration during the day if you want to head inside (just eat your salmon beforehand). [caption id="attachment_227862" align="alignnone" width="1024"] andrewXu via Flickr[/caption] Evening: Stargazing at Mt John Light pollution is one of those things you don't notice until it's gone, and at Tekapo it's practically nonexistent. Due to its isolation and terrain the area has an unusually high number of clear days and, as part of the Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve, the town is restricted in how much light they emit. You know what that means? You can see the stars! They're unusually bright from wherever you are in Tekapo, but the best vantage point is up at the Mt John Observatory. Access to Mt John is restricted at night, so you'll have to book a tour with Earth & Sky to get up there. On a clear night they'll point out what's up there and you'll get to look through their telescopes and pretty much geek out on astronomy. If you're really lucky, there might even be some Aurora Australis action. But, let me emphasise: really, really lucky. Night: Dinner at Rakinui Tekapo is primarily a tourist town, so there are a heap of places to stay. If you're looking for something that's fairly new, comfortable and not a hostel (it is only two nights, after all), Peppers Bluewater Resort ticks all the boxes and has some rooms that face right over the lake. If you're staying here, head to their restaurant, Rakinui, for a late post-stargazing dinner. Their homemade bread is incredible and they also have a regional tasting platter if you're keen to sample tastes of the Mackenzie region. DAY TWO Morning: Walk up Mount John A chilly morning walk might not sound like your idea of a holiday, but it will be once you get up the top of Mt John. So grab your gloves, scarf and beanie (as well as a walking trail map that you'll be able to find at your accommodation) and head outside. You can either drive to the walking track, which starts at Tekapo Springs, or just walk (it'll just add on an extra half an hour or so). From here you head up on a pretty steep track through the larch trees, which flattens out soon enough to take you around Mt John and up to the summit. On a clear morning the views are amazing — the water looks even bluer from up there and you can see all the way over the surrounding lakes and the Mackenzie Basin. This is definitely a spot where you can take an extended breather, contemplate nature, meditate etc. When you're done, you can take the same route back down (around 2 hours all up) or via the lake shore track, which is almost twice as long. Midday: Brunch at Run 77 After every good walk comes a good breakfast, which is precisely why Tekapo has Run 77. Those assuming a place like Lake Tekapo wouldn't be home to a quality cup of coffee will be pleasantly surprised, because Run 77 rocks it. The cafe doubles as a deli and food store, and dishes out a mean brunch by anyone's standards. Choose from things like their homemade muesli, fresh banana bread served with walnut jam and grilled banana and their eggs Benedict with local Aoraki hot smoked salmon. Plus, they have a cabinet full of scones, slices and muffins for your sweet tooth. Afternoon: Tekapo Springs Now you've walked uphill and had a big brunch, it's time to take off all your clothes. This might sound crazy (and it sort of is when there's snow on the ground), but sliding into the hot pools at Tekapo Springs is exactly what you never knew your body needed — you've just got to get from the change rooms and into the water in your bikini first. Sounds difficult, but what's waiting for you is three outdoor pools filled with toasty warm natural spring water at 36-40 degrees. So, don't worry, you won't be freezing your whatever off for very long. You can top this off with a skate on their outdoor ice rink, but we're more inclined to suggest a go in the sauna and possibly even a massage at their day spa. Actually, we insist on that last one. Evening: Dinner at Tin Plate After you emerge from the day spa in a daze at sunset, you probably won't be able to find you way home. Conveniently, Tekapo Springs offer a free shuttle service back into town on request, and they'll drop you wherever you like. For dinner and a glass of wine by the fire, slink into Tin Plate Kitchen & Bar. The newest addition to Tekapo's main drag, Tin Plate has only been open since the start of this year's ski season, doing pizza, pasta and piada — an Italian pita bread served open with toppings like chorizo and prawn or artichoke, capsicum and blue cheese. Wine is available by the carafe, Three Boys Pilsner is on tap and your bed is only a short walk away. That's the beauty of Tekapo.
Suzuran in Camberwell is unlike any takeaway sushi place you've ever been to, for not only does it serve fresh and inventive sushi for a quick lunch or a hearty dinner, but it is also a Japanese market with a huge range of imported Japanese products. Suzuran prides itself on having the most extensive range of Japanese food and products available anywhere in Victoria, whether it is cooking ingredients or a quick snack, that brand of sake or beer you can't find elsewhere or everything you need to make the perfect at-home ramen. When ordering takeaway eats, the chefs will also make the food right in front of you, which is always one of the joys of Japanese dining as the theatre of Japanese cooking is second to none. This place is famous among Japanese food aficionados in Melbourne and is considered one of the most authentic offerings in the city. One of the specialties here is the uni (sea urchin), and if you've been too nervous to try it in the past, then be sure to give it a go here first, as it is consistently delicious and prepared to perfection. The sushi sets include nigiri with salmon and prawn, while the nigiri vegetarian is perfect for those who avoid meat. Other options include eel, cucumber, pickled radish and fermented soybean, as well as the classic salmon or tuna.
Melburnian adventurers, this one's for you. Over the last little while, we've been going on about pristine waterfalls right outside the city, we've given you the keys to secret gardens around town, and we've sent you valiantly exploring on Melbourne's very best walks. Haven't done it all? Haven't kind of sort of gone camping? Haven't elegantly dog paddled with your dog at a nearby pooch-friendly beach? Yet to take your ol' trusty two-wheeler on the city's best bike trails? Fill up your canteen with water (wink), pack a little lunchbox and get going this weekend. Here's a little guide to help you.
Vegan maestro Shannon Martinez (Smith & Daughters, Smith & Deli) and Euro-focused Ian Curley (The European, Kirk's Wine Bar) might seem like an unlikely chef pairing, but they're working magic together at the helm of all-day plant-based bar and eatery, Lona Misa — the colourful 90-seat venue that's made a home within Ovolo South Yarra hotel. Here, the two celebrated chefs have crafted an entirely vegan and vegetarian menu that's designed to shake up your preconceptions of plant-based dining. Vibrant and unapologetic, with plenty of Latin influences, it's serving up a share-friendly lineup that bears both the marks of Martinez's signature rebellious stylings and touches of Curley's fine dining flair. Every dish is vegan, with some offering the option to add cheese. By day, you might find yourself tucking into the likes of a vegan take on baccala (salt cod) fritters, oyster mushroom ceviche, and a classic smash patty burger served with Chilean lime salt chips. As evening approaches, the space embraces more of a wine bar vibe, complemented by snacks like the padron pepper and manchego croquettes, warm cheese dip topped with crispy faux chorizo, and traditional Spanish potato omelette served with aoli. Larger plates might include a Brazilian seafood stew, eggplant with queso fresco and, from the Josper grill, a fire-roasted whole peri peri cauliflower. Lona Misa's drinks offering also heroes the local and the seasonal. Expect a solid spread of Spanish, Argentinian and Aussie wines by the glass, alongside bold plant-based cocktails — like the Rumba Caliente crafted on jalapeno mezcal and smoked watermelon — and some satisfyingly crafty booze-free concoctions. Appears in: The Best Vegan Restaurants in Melbourne for 2023
D.O.C Espresso has sat on the same spot of Lygon Street for 20 years, playing a big part in Melbourne's contemporary Italian restaurant renaissance — which saw a more modern style of Italian dining take over the city. After so many years of business, the crew thought the space needed a little love, and so shut up shop for renovations back in August 2024. But the team didn't just redo the interiors during this break. The chefs also redesigned the menu and the owners renamed the venue D.O.C Osteria. It reopened later the same year, and a new fitout saw the space gain a little more glamour while still holding onto its semi-casual charm. Gold finishes, luxe red marble countertops and banquette seating were included. The weatherproof streetside dining area and courtyard out back also got a little revamp, and the team expanded the kitchen to help the chefs make more fresh pasta onsite. As it was with D.O.C Espresso, Osteria has a strong focus on pasta — keeping a few dishes from the previous menu while reworking others and creating a smattering of new creations. Regulars will be glad to see that the famed lasagne remains — as does the funghi pasta, but in a slightly different form. We will admit that we preferred the original version, but this porcini and portobello number is still worth ordering. The mixed seafood linguine, though, is an absolute banger. Packed with calamari, prawns, mussels and rockling, and dowsed in garlic and chilli, it is more or less a must-order. The small bites have also been given a heap of love, helping D.O.C become a great destination for sipping and snacking — either alone, on a date or with a few mates. Get around the trio of cicchetti, its succulent marbled Rangers Vallery black Angus skewer, and a moreish crochetta — a crumbed and deep-fried cube of bucatini pasta, guanciale (cured pork cheek), pecorino cheese and black pepper. The playful take on a classic panzanella salad is also a huge win, made with ox heart tomatoes, grilled focaccia, cucumber sauce and a balsamic crunch. There's a really good blend of simple comfort food and more elevated interpretations of classics — letting diners choose their own kind of Italian dining adventure.
Going out for a meal in Melbourne is often a celebration in itself. We're ludicrously spoiled for choice, with a huge variety of cuisines hiding in every nook, cranny and alleyway of this glorious city. Unfortunately, buying drinks out on the town can sometimes cost you as much as meal — sometimes much more, depending on how extravagant you're feeling. Don't panic, good people of Melbourne, we hear your budgetary woes, and so do a number of Melbourne's restaurants. Whether you are trying to save a few bucks on beers or you've had a particular drop reserved for a special occasion, here are some of Melbourne's finest establishments where you can bring your own beverages. LAKSA KING, FLEMINGTON If you're after a knock-your-socks-off laksa to stave off the winter chill, you can't go past Flemington's Laksa King. While there are plenty of delicious menu items that are sure to catch your eye, we believe that everyone in Melbourne should have a combination curry laksa at least once in their lifetime, filled with mixed noodles, shrimp, fishcake and chicken for good measure. Believe it or not, all this slurping is still pretty thirsty work. It's BYO wine only here, with $8 corkage per bottle. THE RECREATION, FITZROY This North Fitzroy restaurant is not just a restaurant. It's part wine bar, part bottle shop and part French bistro, all wrapped up in one delightful package and helmed by the expert trio of chef Steven Nelson (ex-Bistro Gitan and Jacques Reymond), sommelier Mark Protheroe, and FOH gun Joe Durrant (both ex-Grossi Florentino). The kitchen's plating up modern iterations of some classic French flavours — think veal tartare, flat iron steak and free-range chook. The food is fancy, so prepare for a fancy corkage fee — $20 a bottle. But, if you're celebrating, this is good chance to bring in a (really) fancy bottle of bubbles. PIZZA MEINE LIEBE, NORTHCOTE If you're a BYO Bundaberg type, maybe a takeaway Dominos is your best bet. For everyone else, the gourmet pizzas at Pizza Meine Liebe are ideal for consuming alongside a cracking bottle of red from home. Case in point: the Ring of Fire ($16) with buffalo mozzarella, green chilli and chilli salt or the vegetarian Greenpeace ($15) with brocolli, silverbeet and taleggio. Gluten free pizza bases are available, too, and corkage comes in at an affordable $4 per person. Probably the only issue here is the restaurant's decision to use un-pitted olives — a controversial strategy, but maybe that's how they cut down on labour costs to offset the BYO licence. HUTONG, CBD At the high-end of Chinatown's dumpling bar district, HuTong is a buzzing CBD eatery that shouldn't be missed. Book in advance, because the restaurant's three levels of seating are consistently occupied with diners. Don't bother with anything else on the menu — just come for the hand-assembled bliss-bombs (otherwise known as dumplings), served fried or steamed or spurting with hot soup, xiao long bao-style. Despite being a little more upmarket than the usual dumpling canteen, the traditional suburban Chinese restaurant BYO ($4 per bottle) format is still honoured. TRATTORIA EMILIA, CBD It's not often that a restaurant offers a nice wine list and allows you to bring your own booze. And while Emilia isn't new — it's took over from Gills Diner back in 2015— it's pasta is some of the best in the city. It offers BYO wine on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday night or $15 a bottle. It's a little on the steep side, so dust off something nice you've been saving (or splash out a little at the bottle o) — it will go extremely well with your pork and beef ragu. [caption id="attachment_568916" align="alignnone" width="1280"] a11m33 via Instagram[/caption] JIM'S GREEK TAVERN, COLLINGWOOD Jim's Greek Tavern is one of those venues that's been around for yonks, long before cold-drip cafes and bespoke barbershops began to take over the Smith Street strip. With a BYO anything policy, it's the kind of venue where customers can comfortably settle in for a night on the brews. There's no formal menu here — just a banquet of hot chips, gyros, calamari, octopus, a continuous stream of traditional Greek treats. While the internet's public jury is continually deliberating over the quality of the service here, the word 'authentic' tends to be thrown around a lot at least. FRANCE-SOIR, SOUTH YARRA Since 1986, France-Soir has been serving up classic French fare on Toorak Road. Choose from an extensive list of timeless, simple French classics — escargot, tuna tartare, rillettes de canard and steak au poivre, to name a few. But it's not just the food that keeps the restaurant packed after nearly 30 years. The raw intimate, atmosphere of is nearly impossible to replicate. As is it's cellar. With 30 wines available by the glass (and hundreds more available by the bottle) you are destined to find something you like. But if you don't, they also accept BYO — for $16.50 a bottle (but it's not allowed on Saturday nights). LADRO, FITZROY Every Monday, Ladro waives their usual $15 corkage fee in favour of a $5 transfer from your pocket directly to charity. For Fitzroy Ladro, that money goes straight to the local Vinnie's soup van or the Prahran Mission Christmas Day lunch. Team up a special (or not so special — there's nothing wrong with a casual award-winning Aldi tipple on a Monday night. after all) bottle with a salami board ($15) before unleashing the pizza procession. Keep a look out for the porcini e gorgonzola number ($24) and the gamberi piselli ($21) with tomato, lemon garlic prawns, peas, chilli, basil. MAMAK, CBD Malaysian-inspired, this Sydney import smashes the senses with ita satay, curry, roti and sambal, and as such, is bustling with spice-sweaty bodies on a nightly basis. Brave the queue for its BYO privileges ($2 a head), and find yourself reliving your gap year travels with hawker-style delights. A dozen charred satay sticks ($22), teamed with the flaky pastry of fresh roti ($7.50) and a selection of curries — we suggest the kari ikan ($17) fish curry with tomato, okra and eggplant — make the wait worth the effort. THAILA THAI, BRUNSWICK EAST Finding a venue that caters for a large group, allows BYO, and isn't cheap dumplings in the city is not easy. Thankfully, we've found just what you're looking for, as Thaila Thai does not fail to deliver on the good times and tasty Thai cuisine. Conveniently, there is a pub across the road that has a nifty little bottle-o attached. We recommend you duck in there, pick up a six pack of beer or a bottle of white and order yourself some pad thai. As previously mentioned, Thaila Thai is perfect for large group catch-ups, with an upstairs section decked out with plenty of table space. In other great news, the BYO fee is $1.50 per person for beer, wine and whisky.
Uber is making itself comfortable in the nation's capital, and soon it's going to be legal and everything. In the very same week that the NSW Government announced tough new fines and suspensions for Uber drivers caught using their vehicles as unauthorised taxis, their compadres across the border are giving UberX (the ridesharing service which lets everyday drivers give you lifts in their own Uber-approved cars) the official green light. First fireworks, then pornography, and now this? If it weren't for all the politicians, we'd seriously be considering a move. Under new reforms set to come into place at the end of next month ahead of Uber's entry into the market, UberX drivers who have passed criminal and driver history checks will be legally permitted to offer people lifts using the popular ridesharing app. Reported by The Sydney Morning Herald, the changes will make the ACT the first jurisdiction in the country where Uber drivers can operate without fear of being fined — not that that's been much of a disincentive for people thus far. Further reforms, to be enacted at a later date, will reportedly address issues surrounding UberX driver registration and insurance. Interestingly, the legislation also offers an olive branch to taxi drivers, whose annual licensing fees will be reduced from $20,000 to $10,000, and then $5000, in an attempt to help them compete. UberX drivers will also be prohibited from picking up passengers who hail them on the street. "These reforms champion innovation and help taxi and hire car services remain sustainable and important modes of travel in the Territory," said Labor Chief Minister Andrew Barr in a press release that accompanied the announcement. The taxi industry hasn't exactly welcomed Uber with open arms, but at some point they're going to have to accept that the ridesharing service is here to stay. The NSW review of taxi and ride-sharing operators will unveil their findings to the government next month. Maybe now that the government itself is trying to level the playing field, it'll encourage them to up their game? Hey, it could happen. Until then, NSW UberX drivers, head for the ACT border. Via The Sydney Morning Herald. Image: Dollar Photo Club.
Anyone familiar with Neil Perry, the pony-tailed chef at the helm of Rockpool Dining Group, will know of his affection for Asian cuisine. It is a passion that has been successfully translated into his Spice Temple ventures first in Sydney and then Melbourne. With more than 50 dishes on the epic menu, Perry — together with executive chef Andy Evans — has pushed the fusion aspect of Chinese food without losing traditional flavours. The focus shifts away from Cantonese-style food and instead explores regional Chinese provinces including Sichuan, Yunnan and Jianxi. The extra spicy dishes are highlighted in red either as a warning to those intolerant of fiery mouthfuls of food or a beacon to those who love burning sensations. The dishes, to be shared, are monumentally large, even for two people. Divided between salads and cold cuts, hot entrees, noodles, dumplings, seafood (live from the tank and pre-prepared), poultry, pork, lamb, beef and veggies, Spice Temple's variety is impressive. "Tingling" and "hot and numbing" pop up frequently on the menu, an indication of the tongue-burning content within. Fish drowning in heaven facing chillies and Sichuan peppercorns sounds (and looks) like a dish made only for the brave. Tea smoked duck breast with pickled cabbage and Chinese mustard is a formidable fusion, old school yet unusual. For the next hit, the fried pork cutlet with pickled red onion is to die for, however it is only available on Fridays and Saturdays. The highlight is a beef fillet in fire water, a fancy way of saying wagyu beef strips in a chilli broth with peppercorn, which is volcanic in taste and appearance. To cool the fire, and a recommended necessity, steamed Chinese broccoli with oyster sauce and fried garlic are a great juxtaposition to the spice. For dessert, the mango mousse with condensed milk chantilly will soothe those scorched taste buds. If you're keen, there are two comprehensive banquet options or, if you're visiting during the day, an extensive yum cha lunch menu. Images: David Griffen
He's the person responsible for the original iterations of Three Bags Full, Top Paddock, and Higher Ground, as well as well-loved wine-focused bars and eateries like Hazel and Dessous. Now, Nathan Toleman and his Mulberry Group team have spread their wings to Cremorne, taking over a converted warehouse for their wine bar Lilac — a sure-fire smash hit for sips, snacks and lazy feasts alike. The building's concrete and steel bones remain, warmed with the help of mellow lighting and a snug corner fireplace. It's lofty and open, yet full of character. Borrowing the same relaxed approach, Lilac's oft-changing food offering doesn't zero its focus too heavily on any one genre, instead pulling together a melange of Aussie nostalgia, Euro sensibilities and French bistro flair. [caption id="attachment_889058" align="alignnone" width="1920"] John Benedict Ryan[/caption] Group Head Chef Kyle Nicol (Rascal, Supernormal) has worked plenty of his own foraged ingredients and aged meats into the menu, alongside wood-fired dishes and house-fermented goodies galore. Think, crafty and creative, with a warm, generous edge. An instant hit has emerged in the two-bite chicken mousse eclairs with black garlic glaze, while other highlights in the smalls department might include savoury mince toasts and curds finished with fermented honey. Be sure to spread some of the latter onto the puffy wood-fired flatbread that everyone's been raving about. The house charcuterie is a standout, as are the duck far potatoes with kefir cream. The matching wine list proves just as exciting, especially if you've got a thing for organic and biodynamic varieties. Trend-bucking small-scale producers get plenty of airtime here, though quality reigns supreme throughout. And you'll find a solid spread of sake, spirits and craft beer to round it out — all up, leaning overwhelmingly local. [caption id="attachment_889064" align="alignnone" width="1920"] John Benedict Ryan[/caption] [caption id="attachment_897456" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tania Lee[/caption] [caption id="attachment_897453" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kayla May Photography[/caption] Top image: Sean McDonald Photography Appears in: The Best Wine Bars in Melbourne for 2023
Life on the streets of Melbourne is tough for bright-eyed, bushy-tailed restaurants. New eateries appear just as quickly as they disappear — a reflection of Melbourne's high expectations for quality food, organic atmosphere and something uniquely special. We're a difficult crowd to impress. So if a restaurant can stay busy and bustling for over 30 years, they're clearing doing something right. Whether it's a distinct atmosphere or authentic, rich cuisine, these are the restaurants Melburnians have been visiting (and revisiting) for decades. Image: France-Soir by Brook James.
There's no way you've ever had omakase like that at Ronin. Most Melbourne omakase joints are traditional fine-dining experiences where you delight in multiple courses of artful, meticulously crafted — but seemingly simple — seafood-centric Japanese dishes. The most intimate let you chat with the master omakase chef about the culinary techniques, produce and cultural significance of each dish. It's all about hushed tones and sophistication. At Ronin, Chef Patrick Kwong has no interest in such formality. From the moment you sit down at the ten-seat omakase bar, the young chef will beckon you to "get lit" with him and every other guest. He'll likely join you in shooting some tequila and sake throughout the night while the tunes of Taylor Swift, Natasha Bedingfield and Miley Cyrus play in the background. And word of advice: if you're able to join the second nightly sitting at 8.30pm, it's likely to get pretty rowdy so avoid any early meetings the following day. Vibe-wise, it almost feels like you're at a uni house party. But despite Kwong's friendly laidback attitude when it comes to service, he's incredibly serious about his food. He learned his craft from a Japanese sushi master (who championed the traditional Edo period of omakase) in Malaysia before heading to Sydney, where he worked in several Japanese restaurants. He learned the traditional techniques and customs but had no intention of losing himself within strict codes of how he should behave and what kinds of ingredients he should use. Like Ronin — a type of samurai who had no lord or master — Kwong went on to play by his own rules, deciding when to stick to convention and when to get playful. He started Ronin as a pop-up in Docklands, having to build and dismantle his omakase bar each night. There, he fully honed his rule-breaking style of omakase and became hugely popular. Now Ronin has a permanent location on Little Collins Street (as of December 2023) and it almost immediately books out every time new dining slots are released. If you're lucky enough to get a reservation you'll be treated to 13 courses of outstanding food and, if you're an experienced omakase patron, you'll see how Chef Kwong doesn't just break the rules when it comes to service. He regularly infuses his own Malaysian heritage into dishes — like adding laksa butter to nigiri — while also bringing more contemporary Australian flavours to the experience. For theatrics, he'll even throw glitter on nigiri. But don't let this playful attitude to food fool you. The technique here is next level. And the flavour combos perfectly balanced. Even when he purposely numbs your palate with Sichuan peppers, you'll be keen for more. We could roll through each of the courses and name all the ingredients, but a huge part of the fun at Ronin is just rocking up and going along for the ride, getting a surprise each time Kwong plates up a dish for you. This rising star of Melbourne's food scene takes big swings. And he's absolutely smashing it. If you get the chance to get lit with Kwong, don't miss it.
So long, Bedford St. The Collingwood bar and cafe owned by Wide Open Road Coffee Roasters underwent a facelift some years ago — and a fairly drastic one at that. Gone are the mac and cheese pancakes, fried chicken and toasted Wagon Wheel pies, now replaced with healthy food options less likely to clog up your arteries along with a seriously souped-up coffee menu. Known as Terror Twilight, the venue is now run by the crew behind Convoy, Hi-Fi and Tinker. These folks are big players in Melbourne's breakfast game, so you can expect big things here. Standout brekkie dishes include the chai spiced Greek yoghurt with ruby grapefruit, walnut praline, coconut chia pudding and a chai honey glaze as well as the capsicum and roast tomato peperonata served on a cheesy polenta slice with green olives, basil, poached eggs and paprika salt. Later in the day, diners can customise their own bowls, choosing from bases like steamed brown rice or sautéed broccoli and cauliflower, sides like spring greens with salsa verde or grilled haloumi, and proteins like lemon and garlic prawns or Sichuan marinated tofu. Alternatively, you can opt for one of its warming broths. Get one of these bad boys delivered to your home when you feel a little under the weather — it'll fix you right up. There are also options to upgrade your coffee with nootropic supplements and natural health-boosters, such as chaga mushrooms and MCT oil. If that's not your thing, you can grab a refreshing smoothie, a cold press juice or a Bloody Maria cocktail made with tequila, Martini Rosso, TT pickle juice, Worcestershire, horseradish, TT hot sauce, celery salt, black chilli salt, and tomato juice. Terror Twilight is showing Melbourne how healthy food can also be wildly delicious. Images: My Friend Tom Appears in: The Best Cafes in Melbourne The Best Breakfast in Melbourne
Carving out some much-deserved 'me time' can be tricky but when you do it, the benefits are undeniable. Move your body and pamper yourself just a little and you'll feel strong, confident and ready to go after what you want — nay, deserve. To help you get those great weekend vibes going, Concrete Playground is hosting an intimate (and free) early-morning event on International Women's Day — Saturday, March 8 — in partnership with Revlon. Starting at 7.30am at Bossley Bar and Restaurant at the Rydges Melbourne, Get Up and Glow will kick off with a 45-minute guided yoga flow led by Nike Ambassador Zoe Klein. Following your final Shavasana, the Breakfast Bar will serve smoothies, coffee and treats for you to refuel and a professional makeup artist will assist you in shade matching products from Revlon's Illuminance range. These products are packed with skin-loving ingredients such as hyaluronic acid and squalane, to hydrate and nourish the skin giving you that glam lit-from-within finish. You'll also get a gift bag filled with goodies from Revlon including the Illuminance Glow Filter, Illuminance Serum Concealer, Illuminance Glow Wands, Illuminance Glow Primer, Illuminance Balm Primer, a makeup brush and red nail varnish. This exclusive event is only open to 20 people (and their plus-ones). Click here to enter the draw and be in with a chance to get your name on the guest list.
The Arcadia Hotel on the corner of Punt and Toorak Road in South Yarra has been serving up cold ones since before the American Civil War. And it's no surprise it's a survivor. Being able to adapt to the times is the struggle of every hospitality venue, be it a pub or a five-star restaurant, and the crew behind Arcadia has been able to do it with style. With a fresh refurb, the place is modern yet vintage, with heritage features maintained throughout and a special focus on interior design. It's a laidback joint to enjoy a game of pool and some wicked live music, but it has a healthy dose of self-respect when it comes to its food and wine service. Starters include classics such as chicken wings and nachos, while dishes such as the pan-fried vegetable gyoza and the Korean glazed popcorn chicken give an East Asian edge. Mains include all the hits such as fish and chips, lamb shanks with creamy mash, steak sandwiches and veggie burgers, while lesser-seen dishes such as veal scaloppini with pepper sauce and roast potatoes also make the cut. From the grill, enjoy cuts such as a Southern Range scotch filler or a grass-fed Black Angus sirloin. There are pasta dishes aplenty too as well as a selection of baos, tacos and pizzas — with the Calabrese being the highlight. Basically, there's a bit of everything on Arcadia Hotel's menu. And it somehow manages to do it all really well. If you're just after a drink, then it's got you covered too — with over 12 beers on tap and a wine list including Fifth Leg chardonnay, Pepperjack shiraz and Squealing Pig pinot noir. There's live music and DJs every Saturday until late and the footy, cricket or NRL will also get a play most weekends. Images: Tran Nguyen
If you look hard enough, you'll find INI Studio hidden within what looks like a small garage that's been painted white and decked out with white cube furniture. Minimalism is the name of the game here — that is until you purchase some of its pastries and coffees. The sweets are fairly next-level, with the croffless (part croissant, part waffle) topped with ice cream and chocolate syrup being a crowd favourite. We're also big fans of the tiramisu, made with INI Studio's own coffee. And as these folks roast their own coffee, it's no surprise that they do it damn well. You can go for your usual flat whites, filters and ice lattes, but INI Studio's more experimental coffee drinks are what we love the most about this cafe. The iced citrus long black made with a shot of coffee, a few slices of lemon and a dusting of lemon rind is one of the most refreshing and vibrant caffeinated drinks we have ever tried. The cream iced latte and the honeycomb affogato are also absolutely perfect for summer days — especially if you want something a little richer. Food- and drink-wise, INI Studio doesn't do much more than coffee and pastries, but it doesn't need to when they are this creative. And if you are super keen on getting the perfect shot of these aesthetically pleasing items for Instagram, you can even hire out the upstairs photography studio. Although, we would say that is a bit overkill. The interiors of the cafe are basically a blank cavas anyway. Appears in: Where to Find the Best Coffee in Melbourne
Melburnians love a good plate of sashimi as much as the next guy. We also seem to have a serious obsession with anything within the realm of Asian cuisine. And if it throws the word fusion in there? We're sold. (Don't even talk to us about street food. It's all too much at one time.) So, in a nod to all the fine Japanese establishments around town — some putting a modern spin on things, some not — here are our top picks when you've got a hankering for sashimi, sake, korokke or katsu. In no particular order, of course. MINAMISHIMA, RICHMOND When Minamishima opened last year, it didn't take long for people to notice. After 15 years at the CBD's Kenzan, sushi master Koichi Minamishima decided to go out on his own and almost immediately he started making waves in the world of sushi. Let's be clear — this is not a cheap night out. The two dining options (they differ if you sit at the bar or in the dining room) cost $150 each with matching sake or wine another $70. But it is sushi as you rarely experience it outside Japan. At Minamishima, standards are high and perfection is desired — and it is one of Melbourne's best showcases of Japanese cuisine. HIHOU, CBD A combination of top-notch cocktails and Japanese-inspired bites is okay in our books any day. To top that off, Hihou have a secret doorbell — ring it, and someone will covertly let you in. James Bond, eat your heart out. Speaking of eating, Hihou serves up bites like the brik pastry cigars filled with a spicy tuna tartare, and its signature Japanese hot dog served in a sweet bun with pickled onion and wasabi mayo. Helps the sake go down just that little bit quicker. KISUME, CBD The simplest way to describe Kisumé, the luxe Japanese restaurant from lauded restaurateur Chris Lucas, may be this: three storeys of considered grandeur. Its design is impressive — a Chablis bar, a Kisumé Winewall, avant-garde art — and considered attention to detail travels throughout the three levels, from the menu down to the nifty coin-sized refreshment towels that entertainingly expand when you open them. In the kitchen, there's acclaimed Korean-born chef K. S. Moon. His raw fish dishes are all elegant and mostly restrained, allowing the quality of the (well-sourced) produce to speak for itself. But some border on over-the-top, with gold leaves and teaspoons of caviar. The raw dishes' vivid flavours would imaginably hit a fair few diners with the realisation of "wow, this is what tuna really tastes like". In the cooked section, knockout items include the pork kimchi gyoza, satisfyingly packed with flavour and crunch, and the hapuka with spicy miso, which is substantial in size and spice. The cucumber tataki with cucumber vinaigrette is a lovely palette cleanser, perfect before delving into dishes such as the Berkshire baby back pork ribs with maple soy glaze. HINOKI JAPANESE PANTRY, FITZROY Okay, we admit this one is more like a sushi bar crossed with a Japanese supermarket than it is a restaurant, but trust us, you'll want to know about Hinoki. If you're looking to make something yourself, the shelves are your friend. Find anything from korokke to katsu, gyoza to green tea Kit Kats, and a mammoth amount of bottled sauces and everything you need to make ramen. Oh, and sake and shochu. But the sushi counter is probably what you're most interested in. A range of 89 options will be available. There are more traditional varieties like your sashimi and nigiri platters, and then more unique creations like the salmon aioli with squid and egg salad. KUMO IZAKAYA, BRUNSWICK Good eating, good drinking, and good vibes. This is what happens at Kumo. The space is stunning — once an old bank, it now has lots of stone, wood, concrete, steel and glass, with influence drawn from Japanese art. The menu here is a big one. Start with vegetable crisps with nori salt, move to seared scallop with spring onion and sesame and pork gyoza. Larger dishes see pork belly skewers with chilli mayo, tokoyaki (a savoury pancake wrapped around octopus) and beer-battered yakitori chicken. When it comes to the drinks list, go for a sake flight and learn a thing or two from the masters. TOKYO TINA, WINDSOR Japanese nosh isn't meant to be too serious, and sometimes it's good to stray a little from the traditional and have a little fun. The food at Tokyo Tina (sister to Hanoi Hannah and Saigon Sally) is not what you'll find on your garden-variety Japanese restaurant. The team tasted their way around the streets of Japan to make sure they were bringing Windsor something unique, but relevant to what's happening over there at the moment. Port Lincoln kingfish is served with wasabi and apple, and placed in a bite sized charcoal cone offering beautiful crunch ($6), while the open Californian roll with WA spanner crab ($8) highlights the natural sweetness of crab meat without going overboard. For larger dishes you can opt for the grill with a whole chicken served with gocujang and coleslaw, or go for some of their tasty ramen. This place is popular, so if you're planning to visit on a Friday or Saturday night, be prepared to wait. SAKE RESTAURANT & BAR, SOUTH BANK This is one of Melbourne's more flashy Japanese restaurants. We weren't first to get this one — Sydney and Brisbane came first, but we're okay with that. There is a lot going on here, but it is a beautiful space. Sitting on the Yarra, you'll most likely get a killer view, and the space itself, while huge, has been made to have all the right nooks and private areas, as well as a large dining space and outside tables for the warmer months. A few of the must-orders include the sustainable Patagonian toothfish marinated in miso and served on lettuce cups, the popcorn shrimp served with a creamy and spicy sauce, and the wagyu teriyaki. The sushi should also be on your order list as well. Go with many, order all the things. They've also just opened up a second venue on Flinders Lane, so you'll have to give that one a go too. OCHA, HAWTHORN If you're looking for some sushi atop a white tablecloth, then Ocha is your best bet. Located in the heart of Hawthorn, Ocha is refined, elegant and unforgettable. It's a long-time hatted restaurant — and for good reason. Traditional techniques are combined with sublime imaginative touches to make for a truly memorable meal. Don't be surprised if your sushi arrives at your table like it's been turned inside out or upside down. This playfulness extends to crowd favourites including the beef tataki and vegetable tempura, with the gyoza finishing off a list of delectably light dishes. It's a little pricey, but they do a great set lunch for just $25. IZAKAYA DEN, CBD A basement on Russell Street seems like the perfect place to nibble on Japanese tapas-style dishes, right? Well, why the hell not? The long bar and small tables lining the walls make it feel like a cocktail bar-cum-Japanese restaurant — but hey, we're not complaining about that. Some of the Den favourites include the den chicken, sweet corn kakiage, tuna tataki and the grilled pork belly. Or, for the cooler months, go for the udon and a glass of sake. Cheers, friends. CIBI, COLLINGWOOD We just want to pick this place up and squeeze it. Or move in. One or the other. A cafe and homewares store in one, Cibi is a lesson in good living. With a philosophy of "head, heart, hands", the space sets out to spark creativity and thought, offer beautiful things you'll want to reach out and touch and feed you soul-warming food that is straight from the heart of owners Meg and Zenta Tanaka. In a vast but welcoming warehouse space on Keele Street, an experience that is rich in culture and calm vibes awaits. This is never truer than on a weekend morning, when a traditional Japanese breakfast delights the brunch crowds. Grilled salmon, tamago egg (traditional Japanese folded omelette), rice and potato salad with a bowl of miso will set you up for whatever the day may throw at you. And, afterwards, you can peruse Cibi's beautifully curated collection of Japanese homewares. Top image: Toko by Julian Kingma.
When it gets to July, it seems like everyone you know is planning a European holiday — and the Greek islands are on many a traveller's summer itinerary. Most flock to islands like Santorini, Mykonos or Ios — but, really, that's just skimming the surface. While most people can count, say, six islands confidently, there are actually 6000 all up — 227 have people living on them, and the rest you can kayak or sail to for the day. So while we don't want to downplay the beauty of the well-travelled tourist islands, we're putting in a good word for the more underrated parts of Greece, which are extremely — if not more — worthy of your holiday time. Plus, these eight islands are nowhere near as crowded in European summer. So, as you make Europe summer plans, consider these alternative Greek jewels as a setting for snacking, finding serenity or smashing plates — what you decide to do there is up to you. [caption id="attachment_627543" align="alignnone" width="1920"] John Karakatsanis via Flickr.[/caption] SKOPELOS Waltzing around Skopelos may induce flashbacks of Pierce Brosnan's lack of singing ability, as a large portion of 2008's Mamma Mia was shot on the island. More fondly, you may recognise Agios Ioannis, the tiny little church perched on an 100-metre-high rock that hosted Meryl Streep's impassioned The Winner Takes it All solo. Skopelos' idyllic beaches are aplenty, but stray away from Kastani beach — also featured in the film — as its shores are one of the few spots on the island that gets crowded. Try Limnonari or Glysteri instead. If you hire a car to drive around, you'll notice how much this island differs from others in terms of terrain and vegetation, which is due to its northern situation. When springtime comes around, Skopelos is carpeted in wild flowers such as poppies and irises, camomile starts to pop up in June, and plums and almonds emerge as September nears. [caption id="attachment_627546" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Livadaki beach, esther via Flickr.[/caption] FOLEGANDROS Clinging to the southern edge of the Cyclades group of islands is Folegandros, an island which travellers don't usually reach as they choose to halt their journey on Ios or Mykonos. But to venture a little further is a very wise choice; travellers are still greeted with the same, mesmeric turquoise waters and can enjoy them in more tranquil surrounds. Angali, Agios Nikolaos and Livadaki are notable beaches to unwind at. Folegandros is tiny — a 12-kilometre run will get you from one end of the island to the other — and there is no airport, so to get there you need to take a ferry from Athens, which only adds to the odyssey. After you dock and drop off your luggage, hire a quad bike and zoom your way through some seriously fresh air. [caption id="attachment_627461" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Rachel Docherty via Flickr.[/caption] KOS The sunset at Kos' Agios Theologos beach gives Santorini's a run for its money. Feast on fresh octopus at the beach's only restaurant and watch the sun turn the sky into a hypnotic fuchsia as it disappears into the Aegean. In the morning, take a swim to church. At the western head of the island you'll find the village Kefalos, which literally translates as 'head'. Kefalos' relentlessly cold beach Agios Stefanos hosts a little church, sitting on microscopic island about 200 metres from shore. Adventurers can take a swim through the waters, above the sea life to reach it. Kos also has a rich historical past, filled with ruins and sites that honour Hippocrates. You'll find most of them the capital Kos Town (the island proves to be quite literal in its naming approach). From Kos Town's port, it's a measly 20-minute ferry ride to Bodrum on Turkey's southwest coast. So, if you're continuing on into Turkey, Kos is a wise place to wrap up your Greece trip. [caption id="attachment_627452" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Blue Cave, Tatsushi Okamoto via Flickr.[/caption] KASTELORIZO Instead of white villages and blue motifs, Kastelorizo's houses are boldly colourful and expressive. Its aesthetic significantly differs from other islands which may have to do with the island's far-flung geographical positioning — it just clutches onto the eastern edge of the Aegean Sea. You'll find neoclassical mansions, rocky fortresses, miniature seaside churches and one of the most insanely well-kept secrets in Greece: the Blue Cave. A truly majestic spot to swim, the cave has stalactites that overlook deep blue waters that are slightly lit up by the reflection of sun rays that manage to creep in. If you seek total seclusion and serenity, head to Kastelorizo — we doubt the population of 490 will disturb you. [caption id="attachment_627549" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Mandraki, Karelj via Wikimedia Commons.[/caption] NISYROS Nisyros is very much a calm island, undisturbed by tourists. What we're hoping stays calm is the volcano, which is one of the only active ones in the country. Nonetheless, you can get up close with fumaroles that hiss as you get close. And when you're not exploring Nisyros' terrain, try and delve into some local produce. Those looking for a drink must track down some koukouzina, a distillation of grapes and figs with a taste similar to raki. And it's no revelation that cheese and wine are a glorious combination but trigas takes it to the next level — it's a hard goats' cheese cooked in wine. Enjoy these delicacies in the capital village Mandraki, which rests right on the water. Its roads are made up of intricate pebble patterns, streets are peppered with flowers and cats can be seen on the locals' doorsteps. [caption id="attachment_627462" align="alignnone" width="1920"] View from St John Monastery, Tomisti via Wikimedia Commons.[/caption] PATMOS Rich in historical and religious past, Patmos is where Saint John is said to have written the Book of Revelation, and the Cave of the Apocalypse has been spectacularly transformed into a church. The island continues to draw religious tourists and pilgrims from all corners of the world. Near the cave you'll find the old hilltop town of Chora, which is crowned by what at first glance looks like a castle, but, is actually the UNESCO-listed Monastery of St John, built in the 11th century. It solidifies Patmos' position of being a place of religious knowledge and learning in Greece. Plus, the view — which overlooks the entire island — is insane. Worth a visit whether you're religious or not. [caption id="attachment_627548" align="alignnone" width="1920"] t_y_l via Flickr.[/caption] IKARIA Ikaria is heralded as the island of longevity. Dementia is relatively absent, thanks to good diet, incredible produce and a pretty stress-free quality of life. Feast on fresh goats' cheese, fish straight from the sea and tomatoes so flavoursome you won't know what hit you. The local panigiri (that is, festivals) are something you'll want to get in on. Pull up a chair with the locals (after asking if it's okay that you do so), grab some food and then dance it off, Greek style. Ikaria is an inspiring speck of land in the North Aegean Sea, lush and green, separating it from other islands that suffer from dryness. [caption id="attachment_627550" align="alignnone" width="1920"] heipei via Flickr.[/caption] KALAMATA While Kalamata is not an island — it's located on the Peloponnese peninsula in the south — if you do wish to visit an actual city in Greece, this is the one to go for. A lot of Greek Australians emigrated from the Peloponnese city, and many will tell you how much they miss it. We can understand why. The city has endured its fair share of Spartan domination and battles, but, nowadays, you can party it up in Kalamata's abundance of clubs and bars. The next day, rejuvenate in the contemplation of the warm Mediterranean sun — just like the Greeks.
If there's one place in New South Wales — well, besides Sydney — that's embraced the state's newly liberated small bar culture, it's Wollongong. Like that of the harbour city, The Gong's night life used to be all about rowdy pubs and dance clubs. Now, we're not saying there's anything wrong with that — sometimes, there's no better way to end a working week than sinking a few and tutting like you're Taylor Swift in utter anonymity — but, like the great Latin writer Publilius Syrus quipped: "The most delightful pleasures cloy without variety". And during the past decade Wollongong, which you'll find just a 90-minute drive south of Sydney, has diversified. In the city's easily walkable centre, you'll stumble across a bluesy whiskey den, a laneway warehouse plastered with street art, a pocket-sized wine bar with a giant-sized wine list, a hatted hideaway serving French degustations and a waterfront pub championing microbrews. And that's just the start of it. Beyond the streetscape, there are beaches, mountains and woodlands galore. In one weekend, you can ride a horse through rainforest, picnic by a waterfall, cruise clifftops on the back of a Harley, loop de loop in a WW2 biplane and, needless to say, take your pick of beaches to swim at. Speaking of which, Wollongong's sandy coastline gives you two options, north and south of Flagstaff Point. On one side, there's the calm, swimmer-friendly North Beach, while on the other is the wild, 3.1-kilometre long City Beach. For more, skip town to visit the string of seaside villages that make up the outer northern suburbs, watched over by the spectacular, 400-metre high, sandstone Illawarra Escarpment. Here's your guide to eating, drinking and adventuring your way through a Wollongong sleepover. [caption id="attachment_569010" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Sage Hotel via Wotif[/caption] STAY To wake up just a stumble away from a swim, check into the Sage. Once known as the Chifley and taken over by Silver Needle Hotels in 2015, this four star, 11-storey, 168 room hotel is across the road from City Beach. For fantasy novel-inspiring panoramas of a morning mist-enshrouded Mount Keira, ask for a north facing balcony room or suite. Wherever you are, you'll get invigorating ocean breezes, a super comfy bed, a 40-inch tele and cosy armchairs. When the surf's too rough for a dip, plunge into the spacious lap pool. Buffet brekkie — served on the hotel's Five Islands Terrace — comes with dazzling ocean views, while downstairs at Cold Water Creek Restaurant and Bar, you can slip into a red-cushioned booth anytime and build your own burger. [caption id="attachment_569278" align="alignnone" width="1280"] South Coast Bike Hire[/caption] DO To make zipping around town a cinch, rent a bicycle from South Coast Bike Hire, who'll deliver the bike to your doorstep. Stick to scooting from one bar to another or, if you're keen to counter your excesses with a workout, conquer the waterfront cycleway, which runs between Port Kembla and Thirroul, where you can cool off in a 1930s ocean pool, grab a coffee at Gidget's, browse local art or take a surfing lesson with Illawarra Surf Academy. All in all, Wollongong has 42 kilometres of shared paths. For more scenery (at a much faster speed) take a High Adrenaline Ride and Fly Tour. Just Cruisin' Tours' Steve Melchior will roll up at your hotel, pop you on the back of his Harley and lead you on a twisting, turning, coast-hugging journey along Grand Pacific Drive, which runs as far north as the Royal National Park. Hold on when you hit Sea Cliff Bridge, a dizzying series of curves suspended 665 metres above the ocean, backdropped by sheer cliffs. If you're travelling with a mate, book the Boom Trike. [caption id="attachment_569088" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Southern Biplanes[/caption] Afterwards — or perhaps before — Steve will transport you to Southern Biplane Adventures, where you'll jump aboard a fire truck-red biplane known as Lilly Warra. She's a bonafide World War Two veteran, built in 1943 to perform military aerobatics. Your pilot will strap you into the open-air cockpit and take you soaring hundreds of metres above the Illawarra coastline. Just how gnarly things get is up to you; settle in for a straightforward right-way-up joy flight or order as many tricks as you can handle, from a wingover (a steep climb followed by a sideways fall) to a loop de loop (a 360-degree, upside down turn). To see the Lilly Warra — and hundreds of other stunt planes — in action, head to Wollongong on the weekend of April 30 for the annual Wings Over Illawarra Air Show. And, for a journey through Australia's aviation history, swing by the nearby Historical Aircraft Restoration Society Museum, where you can sit in the cockpit of a Vietnam War fighter jet. [caption id="attachment_569102" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Otford Farm[/caption] Done with the adrenaline pumping? Make tracks to Otford Farm to explore at a gentler pace. This Lords of the Rings-esque property is home to 40 or so horses, who spend most of their time roaming freely across its 300 acres, but will cheerfully take you for a ride if you ask nicely. The three-hour Bald Hill Adventure trail ride is a magical journey through dense rainforest, alongside babbling creeks and across open woodlands. You'll stop at the hang gliding mecca of Bald Hill Lookout and the pretty Kellys Falls Picnic Area on the way. Short on time or not ready to commit to 180 minutes on horseback? Book a one- or two-hour stroll instead. [caption id="attachment_569091" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Caveau[/caption] EAT UK-born Peter Sheppard was just a kid when he decided to become a chef. Some years later, after training at Sydney's Banc, he moved to Wollongong, where he opened Caveau in 2004. In 2005, his French-inspired creations earned a Good Food and Travel Guide Chef Hat — and they've won one every single year since then. Any day of the week, plonk down on a turquoise polka dot chair in one of the hushed, dark dining rooms and work your way through a seven-course degustation. Like the furniture, the plates are splashed with bright colours, from brilliant purple baby beets to bright red heirloom tomatoes to vibrant warrigal greens. Sheppard sources local, organic produce and pursues a nose-to-tail philosophy, ensuring nothing is wasted. Vegetarians can expect to be treated with equal respect as carnivores; the meat-free degustation is not just an afterthought, but a masterpiece in itself. For a more casual chow down in an epic setting, there's Three Chimneys. Hidden down an alleyway and covered in street art, it's a former warehouse turned hospitality kingdom, incorporating not only a restaurant and bar, but also a coffee roastery, bakery and live music venue. Flop onto a corner couch and keep to yourself, get loud at a communal table or hit the dancefloor. The share plate menu is made up of tasty, tasty morsels in generous portions, from 12-hour braised lamb sliders to crumbed camembert with cranberry sauce. [caption id="attachment_569139" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Diggies[/caption] Several cafes serve up high quality breakfasts and lunches. To start your morning right — that is, overlooking North Beach — reserve a spot at Diggies. Local brothers Stan and Aaron Crinis have been feeding ravenous surfers in this airy, heritage-listed, former cottage for more than a decade. Dig into brioche toast with strawberry compote and mascarpone cheese or sweet corn fritters with a poached egg, sour cream, smoked salmon and a rocket and zucchini salad, and you'll be ready for anything the day throws at you. [caption id="attachment_569133" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Humber[/caption] At Humber, a three-level, triangular cafe-bar in an 80-year-old building, slide onto a jade banquette and tuck into a plate of slow-baked ocean trout with eggs, or a dish called Mushroom Thyme, which features five types of local mushies. At least 50 percent of all produce comes from within a 100-kilometre radius. On the third floor, there's a lovely, laidback rooftop bar serving cocktails and tapas by evening. Throughout April, the eatery will hold Humberfest, which will see a slew of special events, from yoga lessons to mixology classes to movie nights, come to life. [caption id="attachment_569143" align="alignnone" width="1280"] lee and me[/caption] Just down the road in an 1890s terrace house, you'll find lee and me, recognisable from the bicycle in the window. There's a cafe downstairs and a retail space called THE STORE upstairs. So, you can contemplate buying fresh flowers and cool furniture, in between nibbling away on a shredded chicken sub with pickled carrot, or a roast lamb toastie with baba ghanoush, onion jam and Gruyère. Owners Benny and Naomi Hudson have a second outpost in the form of laneway burger joint His Boy Elroy, which turns classics into fun new inventions. The Heisenburg-er, for example, is packed with southern fried chicken, iceberg lettuce, hot sauce and a secret blue sauce. Take the Grand Pacific Drive back to Sydney to stop in at Thirroul (we recommend Postmans Quarter in an old 19th century building that used to house a bank) and/or one of the most spectacularly-located pubs in Australia, The Scarborough Hotel. Passing by on a clear day? Bags a table on the top floor terrace, order a seafood plate and a bottle of sparkling, and don't make any plans to go anywhere else until sundown. Should you miss out on the terrace, a table in the vast, grassy beer garden is a happy second prize — and there are Pacific Island-style thatched huts for groups. [caption id="attachment_569136" align="alignnone" width="1280"] The Throsby[/caption] DRINK For a pre-dinner wine or a quiet chat, slip into The Throsby, a 50-seater bar that's been keeping locals hydrated since December 2014. Owners Erick Zevallos and Maddie Sullivan have taken care of every detail, from the Scandi-style high stools to the hanging plants to the 53 variety-strong wine list showcasing small winemakers from all over the world. Later on, venture to dimly-lit Howlin' Wolf to sample the ever-changing 100+ whisky collection — and if you visit on Thursday, Friday or Saturday night, you'll be able to kick back to live music. [caption id="attachment_569137" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Illawarra Brewing Co.[/caption] Meanwhile, you'll get a view with your brew with a view at The Illawarra Brewery, just opposite City Beach (and not far from the Sage Hotel). Claim an outdoor seat and work your way through a tasting paddle, which covers a handful of offerings from the Illawarra Brewing Company brewhouse. In-house bistro Smoking Barrels dishes up a stack of exceptionally moreish American-style creations, including a salt and chilli-fried soft shell crab burger and sticky barbecue hot wings with smoked mayo. If you're wondering why the meat's so full of flavour, it's all slow-cooked in their custom made, Texan-style smoker. To find out more about the brewhouse, drop by its headquarters in North Wollongong, where you'll meet brewer Dave McGrath, watch the brewing process in motion and taste to your heart's content. Walking in, you'll notice a basketball hoop — manage three slam dunks and you'll be taking home a free growler, filled with your beer of choice. The Chuck Norris is very, very hard to go past. [caption id="attachment_569280" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Jonathan Mueller via Flickr[/caption] LET'S DO THIS; GIVE ME THE DETAILS Wollongong is about 90 minutes south of Sydney. You can drive or take the South Coast Line train from Sydney's Central Station to Wollongong Station. Jasmine travelled as a guest of Destination NSW. Top image: Maksym Kozlenko via Wikimedia Commons.
If you're looking for some hard-to-find wines, Malvern's Milton Wine Shop is a clear go-to in Melbourne's southeast. The cosy bottle shop isn't just for takeaway, either — the venue doubles as a wine bar that slings rare drops by the glass. The venue is split across three spaces, including the bottle-o, a living room with fireplace, and a sun-filled courtyard. The latter is a rare outdoor gem that can also be used in cooler months, as it's heated and enclosed. Expect both old- and new-world wines on offer at Milton Wine Shop, with a focus on quality winemaking. By the glass, there are orange and chilled reds alongside the usual red, white and rosé — with 'interesting and rare' drops from France, Italy and Austria. Apart from wine, there's a strong selection of craft beers from Australia and New Zealand, too. The bar's simple food offering ranges from nibbles to share plates. There are also cheese toasties and an extensive cheese and charcuterie offering. Once you've tasted the range, you'll be more than tempted to hit the well-stocked bottle shop on your way out. Appears in: The Best Wine Bars in Melbourne for 2023
Walking into Howler feels like stumbling into the urban backwoods or a giant industrial bird coop. Huge sculpted steel trees loom over lush ferns spilling out of floating planters. The open-roofed beer garden is fitted out with custom-hewn furniture, and padded booths glow with softly lit candles. The food here punches above its weight, with great snack options as well as mains, and plenty of thought given to vegans. If you're feeling a little peckish then try the fried calamari, the karaage chicken, the southern fried cauliflower or the vegan arancini with chimichurri sauce. If you fancy something larger, then spoil yourself with a chicken parma with Napoli sauce, mozzarella, a baby cos salad and plenty of fries. Elsewhere there's an eye-fillet steak, a range of burgers and a vegan parma. Beer takes centre stage here, as you might expect, with plenty of local and international drops on tap. There's a happy hour from Tuesday to Thursday, as well as cheap jugs for Friday knock-offs. There are weekly events like house music Saturday nights and classic hits on Fridays, as well as loads of gigs booked throughout the year. Howler is alive with plenty of character and flare, and makes for an awesome spot to rock out on the dance floor.
Ronnie's prides itself as a vibrant Italian diner suited to any occasion and a place that exudes warmth and congeniality. Located inside a heritage brick facade in the heart of Melbourne, the interior is warm and airy with a relaxed and welcoming vibe. The staff here will serve you with a smile on their face while guiding you through the long list of pasta and unforgettable desserts. The starter menu includes dishes such as marinated olives, whipped cod and pickled mussels, while a serving of Adelaide Hills pork and fennel salami is not to be missed. For vegetarians, there's a roasted pumpkin salad with stracciatella and pumpkin seed dressing or their famous fermented potato focaccia. Pasta dishes include classics such as the spaghetti carbonara served with pancetta and the spicy fusilli alla vodka with whipped ricotta — this one is extra special. If you're after something more substantial then look towards the Southern Ranges eye fillet served with duck fat potato bake and green peppercorn jus. The dessert menu is especially impressive with choices including a baked cheesecake, chocolate torte, an affogato with Frangelico or Amaretto and limoncello float served with vanilla ice cream and lemonade. The wine list is another standout and easy to navigate, with a healthy list of wines by the glass including a Tuscan sangiovese, a Sicilian nero d'avola and some local favourites such as a Yarra Valley chardonnay. Images: Pete Dillon
