Everyone knows that, in 2016, the lowest thing you can do is spoil Game of Thrones for a poor soul first-thing Tuesday morning. Usually the spoiling is an honest mistake (and the result of too many feels) — but what if it was actually something more sinister? Well, someone's created a service that is just that. Inspired by this story of a woman who sought revenge on her ex-boyfriend by sending him GoT spoilers, Spoiled will text your unsuspecting friends all the main plot points after each new episode airs. Because people are jerks. All this amazing but truly horrifying new service needs to get spoilin' is the mobile number of the friend you want to never speak to you again and your credit card number. Then, straight after the episode airs, your mate will be sent spoilers — images included. Each spoiler sent will cost you a mere $0.99 USD, and can be sent to any mobile number around the world. It truly doesn't cost much to ruin someone's day/week/year these days. We definitely do not endorse signing up your friends to this service. That guy who spoiled Breaking Bad for you though? Go right ahead.
The word 'dari' meaning 'bridge' in Korean is the foundation for Hardware Lane's newest Korean eatery: Dari Korean Cafe. Melding together Australian and Korean cafe culture, Dari boasts a large array of Korean sandwiches and sweet treats typically seen on the streets of Busan and Seoul. Owner and founder Yoon-Ji Park wanted to showcase the flavours from her childhood, where she grew up working and living in Korean restaurants, and show Melburnians a different type of Korean food. "I wanted to replicate the flavours of my childhood from Korea here in Melbourne," says Yoon-Ji. "So many people see one side of Korean food in Australia, but there is so much more out there." At Dari, skip your morning coffee and opt for one of the many drinks made with malted rice or job's tears (a grain native to Southeast Asia). Order the hot job's tears latte, similar to Korean yulmu-cha, brewed with soy milk — or versions made with sweet potato or pumpkin, which are boiled down with milk and honey. For those summer months (or warmer winter days), Dari also offers Hong Cho (a fermented Korean vinegar drink, with a similar to taste to kombucha) which Yoon-Ji imports from the capital. At lunch, Dari offers grilled and cold sandwiches, with vegetarian and dairy-free options available. But they're not the sort of sangas you'll find at your local corner store. [caption id="attachment_729225" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Idol Sandwich by Julia Sansone[/caption] The Mexican Salad Bun features layers of cabbage, ham, egg, mayonnaise, ketchup and Sriracha in a Japanese-style milk bun, while the Idol Sandwich is a take on the inkigayo sandwich, which has been made famous by K-pop stars on the South Korean TV show Inkigayo. A recent viral sensation, the sandwich is said to have been created by the show's stars using ingredients from the broadcasting studio's cafeterias. It's made from a unusual combination of strawberry jam, slaw and egg salad — and, if you're unsure about how good it will taste, you can get lost in a YouTube rabbit hole watching videos of people making and eating it. For those cooler days, the grilled sandwiches are the go, with ones stuffed with bulgogi beef and spicy pork with ssamjang mayo. Then, if you're not already full, try the sweet soy and rice cake toast for dessert — it has a similar consistency to Japanese mochi. The thick slices of white bread are layered with rice cake and condensed milk and drizzled with sweet soy and honey. At dinnertime, Dari currently serves up a simple menu of savoury pancakes, bulgogi plates and hot pots, but, in the future, Yoon-Ji hopes to expand this. Find Dari Korean Cafe at 27–29 Hardware Lane, Melbourne. It's open for lunch from Tuesday–Saturday, 10am–3pm and 11am–2pm and for dinner from Thursday–Saturday, 5.30–10pm. Images: Julia Sansone
This Friday, May 3, the National Gallery of Victoria will reveal its next impressive exhibition, A Fairy Tale in Red Times. Showcasing large-scale and never-before-seen works from Sydney's White Rabbit Gallery's collection, the exhibition will explore questions of identity and personal and cultural memory. Featuring 26 Chinese and Taiwanese artists from across two generations — the first post-Mao generation and a younger generation for whom the Cultural Revolution is ancient history — A Fairy Tale in Red is an examination of the dramatic generational change in Chinese society and culture, and its impact on contemporary art as well as, more generally, today's China. Works include Shi Yong's A Bunch of Happy Fantasies (2009) installation of upside down neon-lit Chinese characters and the eponymous A Fairy Tale in Red Times (2003–07): a collection of vibrant, large-scale photographs by husband and wife duo Shao Yinong and Muchen. Plus, pieces never exhibited before in Australia will be on display, including Zhu Jinshi's large scale immersive installation The Ship of Time (2018) made from 14,000 sheets of xuan paper, 1800 pieces of fine bamboo and 2000 cotton threads; and Mao Tongqiang's Order (2015), a stainless-steel installation shot repeatedly with bullets. [caption id="attachment_718755" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Ship of Time (2018), Zhu Jinshi, courtesy of Tang Contemporary and the artist.[/caption] The exhibition is a collaboration between White Rabbit's founder Judith Neilson and the NGV — and it's the first time the NGV will dedicate and entire exhibition to works from the Sydney gallery. Coinciding with White Rabbit Gallery's tenth anniversary and the release of a new NGV publication The Centre: On Art and Urbanism in China, the exhibition opens this week, and will run from May 3 until October 6. As a bonus, it's also free to enter. A Fairy Tale in Red Times will show at NGV International from May 3–October 6, 2019. Entry is free. Top image: A Bunch of Happy Fantasies (2009), Shi Yong, courtesy of ShanghArt Gallery and the artist.
Over the past couple of weeks, Victoria has had a recent spike in new COVID-19 cases and community transmission levels. Since Wednesday, June 17, new case numbers have hovered around 20 per day, but, in the past 24 hours, 33 have been recorded from a record high 20,304 tests. As a result, the government has announced it's ramping up testing even more — and it's honing in on ten suburbs in particular. Called the Suburban Testing Blitz — because, knowing the Andrews Government's penchant for 'blitzes', of course it is — the ten-day effort will see 800 testers and mobile testing vans deployed to Melbourne suburbs that Premier Daniel Andrews says have "a community transmission problem" in a bid to test at least half of the suburbs' residents. The hotspot suburbs the government will be targeting are: Keilor Downs, Broadmeadows, Maidstone, Sunshine West, Albanvale, Hallam, Brunswick West, Reservoir, Pakenham and Fawkner. The government is hoping to test 10,000 people a day in these areas and will kick off the blitz in Keilor Downs and Broadmeadows, which it says are the two priority suburbs. "We're asking locals in these areas — particularly if you have symptoms — please come forward and get tested. See it as your civic duty. See it as your contribution to keeping your local area and our whole community safe," the Premier said in a statement. https://twitter.com/DanielAndrewsMP/status/1275957610391449601 The Premier has previously said that lockdowns in specific hotspot areas — ie the above ten suburbs — could be reintroduced if community transmission continued to increase, but hopes the testing blitz will help to avoid this. "We don't want to have to move to local lockdowns. We know the impact that would have on businesses and on families," the Premier said. "But we do need to get a comprehensive sense of how this virus might be spreading." In conjunction with the suburb-specific blitz, the government is also ramping up testing across the state at its 135 testing centres. It has launched ten additional drive-through sites, as well as a mass-testing centre at the Melbourne Showgrounds, and has a team of 1000 doorknockers hitting the streets to educate the public about coronavirus. Before the naming of the ten hotspot suburbs today, the focus was on the six larger local government areas: Hume, Casey, Brimbank, Moreland, Cardinia and Darebin. The Australian Health Protection Principal Committee (AHPPC) has previously discouraged Victorians from visiting these areas, saying "the AHPPC strongly discourages travel to and from those areas until control of community transmission has been confirmed" in a statement released earlier in the week. Victoria's Department of Health and Human Services also has an interactive map of the state's confirmed cases by local government area, which it updates daily. This is what it looked like as of 6.52am on Wednesday, June 24. The rising Victorian case numbers have already sparked action at the state government level. Victoria's State of Emergency has been extended for four more weeks, and Premier Daniel Andrews also announced the tightening of some gathering restrictions — reintroducing smaller caps on at-home groups, gatherings out of the house and the numbers of patrons allowed in venues. At the time of writing, Victoria's Department of Health and Human Services advises that there have been 241 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Victoria that have been acquired through unknown transmission — and there are currently 141 active cases in Victoria. For more information about the state of COVID-19 in Victoria, head to the Department of Health and Human Services website.
The team behind Fitzroy's Bar Liberty — Michael Bascetta, Banjo Harris Plane, Manu Potoi and Casey Wall — has cracked the lid on its hotly anticipated new venture, opening the doors to Italo-Aussie haunt Capitano this week. The project's settled right into the former Carlton digs of The Beaufort, though you'll have a hard time recognising any signs of the former dive bar — it looks entirely different. The black-and-neon get-up of yesterday has been switched for something an all pastel green interior with olive banquettes and a cheery red trim. Even the windows have been freed from all that paint, giving the room its first taste of sunshine in a whole lot of years. To match the new approachable setting, the food speaks to chef and co-owner Wall's take on Australian-accented Italian, the menu centred around rotating selections of pasta and pizza. The opening lineup runs from a classic cheese pizza, customised with your choice of local ingredients, to a pie topped with sausage, fennel, pickled chilli and red onion. There's a snack-happy selection of cured meats and antipasti for the cocktail hour crowd, a spread of crafty vegetable dishes, and heartier stuff, like a bone-in veal parmigiana. Of course, the menu wouldn't be complete without tiramisu — and Capitano's is banging. As far as the drinks go, Bar Liberty's set the boys some pretty high expectations. Here, it's all about the revamped classic Italian cocktails, Amari in a raft of iterations, and a wine list that celebrates fun Italian varietals both from overseas and closer to home. It's all dished up to a new-wave disco soundtrack compiled by front-of-house manager and former music producer Sam Rogers. Capitano is now open at 421 Rathdowne Street, Carlton from 5.30pm weekdays and 12pm weekends. Images: Kate Shanasy.
Housed in a converted warehouse space in Brunswick, Bhang offers a range of regional Indian street food. It incorporates lighter cooking styles from the southern regions with lots of coconut, red chilli, seafood and pork. Its latest offering is a series of super affordable dinners called Thali Nights. The dinners will be held every four to six weeks and each one will be influenced by a different region in India. The first — held on Tuesday, March 27 — will kick off with Goan-inspired fare. Goa is located in the south-west of India and its food has a heavy Portuguese influence. On the night, generous vegetarian and meat thali platters will be available for only $30. For the uninitiated, thali platters are Indian meals made up of lots of small dishes — so it's basically the dream dish for the indecisive. The Goan platters will include spiced eggplant curry, pakoras, hot and sour salmon, prawn-pickled radish — among other dishes — and a range of pappadum, pickles and rice. There will be drinks specials on offer, too — including mango lassi ($5), Kingfisher beer ($5), glasses of Indian shiraz ($10) and mango lassi and vodka cocktails ($10). Bookings are essential and can be made via the website.
The Shins have announced two tour dates in Sydney and Melbourne for July 2012. The Portland-based band will be performing at Splendour In the Grass, plus they’ll be headlining a gig at the Hordern Pavilion in Sydney on July 25. Currently touring the US to celebrate the release of their fourth album Port of Morrow, The Shins will be supported by special guests Husky when they play at the Hordern, as well as at Festival Hall in Melbourne on July 23. Tickets go on sale here at 11am on Monday, April 30.
It's a series about the squabbling children of a global media baron who, after their father's health takes an unexpected turn, start trying to position themselves as next in line to the empire. It's obviously set among the one percent, in lives of luxury and privilege that most folks will never know, too. But the idea that depiction doesn't equal endorsement is as rich in Succession as its always-bickering characters. Created by Peep Show's Jesse Armstrong — someone who knows more than a thing or two about black comedy — this Emmy, Golden Globe, BAFTA, Critics' Choice, Writers Guild and Directors Guild Award-winner is savagely witty, darkly biting and often laugh-out-loud funny about its chosen milieu. Succession also has one of the best casts currently on TV, and its stars keep picking up accolades and nominations that demonstrate just that. Brian Cox is as formidable as ever as family patriarch Logan Roy, but he's matched at every moment by Jeremy Strong, Kieran Culkin and Australian actor Sarah Snook as three of the four Roy children.
Welcome to... your latest reason to be surrounded by lifelike prehistoric creatures in 2024. After roaring into Sydney in 2023, and teasing a trip further south since early this year, Jurassic World: The Exhibition has a date with Melbourne from August. When you head to The Fever Exhibition Hall from Friday, August 2, expect to feel like you've been transported to Isla Nublar, complete with a walk through the big-screen saga's famed gates. From there, you'll mosey around themed environments featuring life-sized versions of the movie franchise's dinos, including a brachiosaurus, velociraptors — yes, get ready to say "clever girl" — and a Tyrannosaurus rex. Also linking in with the animated Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous series, there'll be baby dinos, such as the show's Bumpy. Attendees will be able to get roaming while staring at animatronics, including the new ankylosaurus and carnotarus. Fingers crossed that a velociraptor pops up in advance of the exhibition's arrival, as it did up north as well. Now, all that's left is to decide which Jurassic franchise character that you want to emulate (the best choices: Laura Dern's palaeobotanist Ellie Sattler, Sam Neill's palaeontologist Alan Grant and Jeff Goldblum's mathematician Ian Malcolm, of course). And no, when Michael Crichton penned Jurassic Park in 1990, then Steven Spielberg turned it into a 1993 film, they wouldn't have expected that this'd be the result 31 years — and five more movies — later. It's been a great time to fascinated with dinosaurs over the past few years — we've seen two seasons of Prehistoric Planet on streaming in 2022 and 2023, too — and this latest exhibition arrives as part of a global tour. A showcase with the same name displayed in Melbourne back in 2016, but the new visit comes after stops everywhere from London, San Diego, Paris and Madrid to Seoul, Shanghai and Toronto. Jurassic World: The Exhibition will return to Melbourne from Friday, August 2, 2024 — head to the exhibition's website for tickets from 6pm on Thursday, May 23. Images: Universal Studios and Amblin Entertainment.
Step out of the darkness and into the light of The Gaso's courtyard and its retractable roof for a New Year's Day shindig of glitter and mayhem. Closet NYD 2020 comes off the back of last year's sell-out soiree and is sure to be another big one. The openair party promises "Fitzroy's finest homosexuals for DJs" and plenty of dancing and debauchery for the LGBTIQ+ community. Kicking off at 2pm, you can soak up all that sunshine and stay smart in the heat with fresh fruit, sprinklers to shimmy in and a spritz to sip while the sun goes down. From sunshine to starlight, party into the night — if you can handle it after the big celebration the day before — with festivities continuing until 1am. Only final release tickets are left, so grab one before 2019 ends. Image: Closet Facebook/Evan Fowler.
Beer and ramen. Look, we really shouldn't have to work all that hard to get you on board with this one. A standout culinary option on the Good Beer Week program this year, this five-course dinner at Shizuku Ramen in Abbotsford won't just feature beers by the beloved brewers from nearby Moon Dog. It'll also feature beer as an ingredient in the actual ramen itself. The miso beer ramen is reportedly the star of the night, although you can be damn sure we'll be trying each and every one.
Seven and a half years ago Twitter did not exist. If you put a hashtag before anything you wrote it most certainly would not trend; in fact, it would probably result in less people caring about what you thought. Fast forward to 2013 and social media depends on the little symbol — Twitter, Instagram and Facebook collate your literary masterpieces into easy-to-source conversation. Well, Justin Timberlake and Jimmy Fallon have had enough. The hilarious duo took to Late Night with Jimmy Fallon to perform a skit where they converse in hashtags. It sounds like two children playing an incredibly stupid and annoying game. Then you remember that this is an exaggeration of how we actually talk these days and realise you should probably spend less time on social media. Particularly enjoyable and satirical is how quickly and coherently Fallon goes from talking about Barney the Dinosaur (#purpleisthenewblack) to Everybody Loves Raymond (#deborah). The final straw, though, is when they hashtag each new line and sound from Missy Elliott's 'Work It', which prompts an intervention from Roots drummer Questlove. Whilst this is #superfunny, after watching it, I challenge you to try and avoid using a hashtag for the next 24 hours #youcandoit #savemekeifersutherland #heistheactorin24. via Gizmodo.
Don't worry if you missed out on the ballot to Golden Plains, all the A-list acts you were dying to see will also be doing the rounds at Melbourne Zoo Twilights series. Over six weeks of summer the feathered, furred and finned will have plenty to choose from after hours, with huge concerts spanning every Friday and Saturday evening from January 30 through March 7 at the zoo. Fronting the zoo's genuinely huge lineup, Bright Eyes' soul-searching dreamboat Conor Oberst will spin his heartfelt tales among the giraffes. That's right, the Conor Oberst, hangin' out at the zoo. Victorians will bliss out to the sounds of local classics like Sarah Blasko, Dan Sultan, Bernard Fanning as well as Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks, and the motherflippin' Village People. Genre-wise, there's genuinely something for everyone; the lineup has you thoroughly covered in the realms of indie, folk, rock, bollywood and cult '70s disco (because why not). Making the perfect summer picnic destination, Melbourne Zoo will be pumping every Friday and Saturday evening from January 30 - March 7. Though tickets may seem steep at $70, that price not only guarantees you an amazing show but full admission to the zoo itself. All profits also go towards the fight to save the near-extinct Eastern Barred Bandicoot. Likewise, Sydney's Twilight at Taronga series (from January 30 through March 21) is worth going interstate for. Being one of Australia's most high-fiveworthy zoos, Taronga's also fronting a huge lineup — they get twee monarchs Belle and Sebastian and the one and only Rufus Wainwright, alongside You Am I, Something For Kate, Little May, Hiatus Kaiyote and more; all fronting that top notch Sydney Harbour backdrop. Of course, you're welcome to bring along your own picnic basket with loads of food, but you'll have to leave that bottle of wine at home. The event is fully licensed, but there's no BYO — an important measure to keep rubbish and glass away from the poor little animals. Conor Oberst plays Melbourne Zoo Twilights on Saturday, March 28 — supported by The Felice Brothers. Thanks to Melbourne Zoo twilights, we have one double pass to give away to one lucky CP reader. To be in the running, subscribe to the Concrete Playground newsletter (if you haven't already), then email us with your name and address. Melbourne: win.melbourne@concreteplayground.com.au
A book described as "a modern story of sex, erotica and passion. How the sexiest sales girl in business earns her huge bonus by being the best at removing her high heels," might not be anything to write home about. But what if the author of said book was someone's dad, and that someone decided it would be hilarious to read a chapter every week to the entire world, with some incredibly funny friends providing commentary? Jamie Morton did just that with his father's (pen name: Rocky Flinstone) erotic 'novels', the Belinda Blinked series. And so the audacious and pants-wettingly hilarious podcast My Dad Wrote a Porno was born. Since its premiere in 2015, the podcast about "the best/worst erotica ever written" has racked up over 150 million downloads. And now, off the back of an HBO Original Series featuring a "lost chapter", Morton and his pals James Cooper and Alice Levine are bringing their hilarious smut back to Melbourne in 2020. As part of a huge world tour, the live show will treat 'Belinkers' to one show at the Palais Theatre on Wednesday, January 15. Team Porno will read unreleased material from the erotic saga while throwing in a few surprises and interactive elements. Now four books deep — with the fifth due to be cracked opened on Monday, September 9, 2019 — the series follows the sexual escapades of Belinda Blumenthal who works in the sales and marketing department of a pots and pans company. There have been leather rooms and nipples as big as Titanic rivets, anti-erotic ridiculousness with sales reps and young-ish men, references to pomegranates and the popping of vaginal lids, and one truly disgusting flaking prosthetic appendage. If you're a fan of the show, the live incarnation should make you very happy. As Belinda says, "When you get what you want, you feel great." Tickets go on sale at 1pm on Thursday, July 18, 2019
You don't need to tell us twice that beer and barbecue are a match made in culinary heaven, so the ultimate partnership this Good Food Month is the one between Footscray's Hop Nation Brewing and Up In Smoke. The American-inspired BBQ gurus have joined forces with their beer-brewing neighbours, curating a special food pairing that showcases some of the west's best. Across 13 days of the festival, you can swing by Up In Smoke to enjoy four craft beer samples, matched to four smoky snacks from the kitchen for 30 bucks.
You know what's better than seeing Cloud Control perform an acoustic set at your local pub? Seeing Cloud Control perform an acoustic set at your local pub for free. It's a crazy dream, but it's one that the band and beer barons Corona have dared to make come true. The Blue Mountains alt-rock jammers' sophomore 2013 album, Dream Cave, was an experimental shift from their first offering, and the acoustic sound should be a cool twist again. As part of the March and April tour through bars, pubs and hotels all along the east coast, the guys are also releasing Dream Cave Unplugged, featuring stripped back versions of the whole album. Although they've won awards, and been nominated for a whole heap of others, Cloud Control stick to the Aussie music penchant for bringing as much music to as many people as possible. Thanks to Corona, we all get the chance. https://youtube.com/watch?v=G2VX2PAD0gU
As someone who spends a lot of time indoors (that's where the internet is), I can understand that leg itch, the twitch, that feeling of needing to go outside, and do something that really makes you feel alive. Some people jump out of planes, or wing suit down huge mountains. Those particular activities might be a bit much for some, but to celebrate the release of Berlin Syndrome, a film that really gets the blood pumping, we've come up with a list of activities to get you fired up without the risk of severe injury or death. GET OUT OF AN ESCAPE ROOM The premise of the escape room is simple enough. You're in a room, now escape it. The devil, as always, is in the detail. Escape room themes can be anything from an asylum to a gaol cell or a haunted house — anywhere that's going to get your brain imagining every possible outcome. And you're going to need your brain, if you ever want to get out of the room (jokes, of course you can leave whenever you want, if you're chicken). You and your team solve the clues, and break yourselves out.There are heaps of rooms around Melbourne, like Shutdown by Strike in the Melbourne Central, or Trapt on Lonsdale St. TACKLE A TEETERINGLY HIGH WALL While there are many who would argue that the point of climbing to the top of a cliff that you're just going to abseil down is a little counter productive, these arguments would tend to come from those who've never done it before. Rock climbing gets you going for a number of reasons — the fear of falling, the drive to push yourself to the top, and that feeling of the only other alternative, halfway up, is a leap of faith. Which we all know is a terrible idea. Melbourne Adventure Hub comes to the rescue again, with some great deals on climbs all within an hour from town. SEE A MODERN THRILLER IN A DARK CINEMA Based on a novel of the same name, the film follows Australian photojournalist Clare (played by Teresa Palmer) as she embarks on her first solo trip to Berlin. While travelling, she meets and begins a passionate romance with charismatic local man Andi. Their relationship soon takes an unexpected and sinister turn—she wakes one morning to discover that Andi has left for work and locked her inside his apartment, with no intention of ever letting her leave. Filmed on location in Berlin and Melbourne, the film is a thoughtful, psychological thriller written and directed by Australian Cate Shortland (who also directed the critically acclaimed Somersault). It examines tough topics such as emotional manipulation, gaslighting and Stockholm syndrome in a provocative fashion, leaving the audience with a new outlook on the relationship that can occur between captor and captive. Berlin Syndrome opens in Melbourne cinemas on April 20. GO WHITE WATER RAFTING WITHIN THE CITY There aren't many more things that'll get your heart rate up faster than careening down a choppy river at blistering speed in a boat that's made out of the same material as a raincoat. But don't worry, you get a helmet. While it might not be an activity for the faint of heart, white water rafting is a real thrill, kind of like canoeing but with an insane sugar rush. It's all about working in teams to overcome the problem which, in this case, is water that is trying to kill you (nah, you'll be safe, don't worry). Melbourne Adventure Hub puts private groups through their paces on the King River. GO CANYONING WITHIN A RELATIVELY QUICK DRIVE OF THE CBD There are many ways to the bottom of a canyon, but the fastest is by abseiling down with the assistance of some well placed ropes and a few sturdy carabiners. The real rush comes at the exact moment you step out, backwards over the precipice, and all over a sudden gravity has never been more apparent. Leaning back, you take that first step off the rock face and, boom, that's living. As usual, Red Balloon has some top experiences at Yarra Junction. Berlin Syndrome will be released in cinemas nationally on April 20 — watch the trailer here.
What do you get when you cross three fine dining heroes with decades of combined experience that spans pretty much the entire world? Although this sounds a lot like a punchline that would force you to unfollow a close friend, the real answer is Etta, the new home for Hayden McMillan, Hannah Green, and Dominique Fourie McMillan. The trio, who have an insane resume that includes Cutler & Co, The Roving Marrow (which won a hat under Hayden's charge), Attica and Neil Perry's Rosetta, will open up their new joint in March at the Brunswick East end of Lygon Street. With restaurants all over the place trending towards a more healthy-meets-delicious selection of dishes, it's no surprise to see the trio's newest venture taking up the mantle of the balanced yet tasty diet. When we met Hayden back in 2013, when he was killing it in the kitchen at Auckland's TriBeCa, he told us that his dish of choice at home was a "massive bowl of vegetables and sweetcorn with sliced almonds and butter". Whether or not that's still the case, this focus on fresh produce is key to the menu at Etta. It's not a case of a strictly vegetarian joint, but he says to expect "a heavy representation of produce over protein." While it's easy to give in to our inner child and assume that everything that is good for you tastes rubbish, Hayden is aiming to blast that notion back into the past — where it belongs. "It's the kind of eating that makes people feel good," he says, "and it's delicious." The 80-seat restaurant will be a 'contemporary neighbourhood bistro', and the drinks menu will share that focus on locality, too, championing small producers and family owned operations from both at home and abroad. The fit out has been crafted by IF Architecture (the folks responsible for Gertrude Street's Marion Wine Bar), and promises to be "playful, but polished", according to Hannah. As well as lending the bistro her name, blues legend Etta James once said that "the two things you can't fake are good food and good music." With a track record like the one belonging to the trio behind Etta, you'd best believe that they ain't faking. Etta opens in March at 60 Lygon Street, Brunswick East. Check out their website for further details.
On the lookout for a dope new denim jacket? Or do you want to be rid of that weird-looking lamp taking up space in the living room? Then, by golly, you're in luck. The Garage Sale Trail works with local council partners Australia-wide to get as many trash-and-treasure troves happening on the same day as possible. More than 8000 garages opened their doors to bargain hunters in previous years, and they're doing it for the seventh time on Saturday, October 22. Aside from the retro goodies up for grabs, the Trail is all about sustainability. Instead of ending up in landfill, unwanted clutter becomes a fantastic find. So get that tight pair of sunnies for peanuts and help the environment at the same time. The Garage Sale Trail began humbly in Bondi in 2010 and is growing bigger every year. There's a right slew of sales happening all around Melbourne, with everyone from frankie magazine to Pascoe Vale Costumiers joining in on the festivities. You can views the best Melbourne sales here, or register online to make a quick buck from your old junk and hang out with the friendly folks in your hood.
Yum cha takes a road trip to Southeast Asia for Rice Paper Scissors' Same Same But Different Good Food Month dinner. Harking to its Bangkok origins, the Fitzroy favourite will be plating up a twist on the usual yum cha concept — a drool-worthy prospect, as anyone who's ever wrapped their mouth around the restaurant's lively snacks will assure you. Diners will get to tuck into all the flavour-packed Thai fare their bellies can handle for $55, with plates delivered by tray service to the tables. Throw in a few of the bar's signature cocktails, and you've got yourself a pretty unique yum cha experience.
Take a moment to centre yourself for the day and welcome a calming energy into your week with an early morning yoga session amid the greenery of Queen Victoria Gardens. As part of the 2019–20 MPavilion season, senior teachers from Happy Melon studios are leading a series of gentle yoga flow classes at the new minimalist, white structure, surrounded by lush lawns and gardens. Across six Tuesdays, from December 3 until January 28, you're invited to enjoy this relaxed environment, no matter your ability or yogic skill level. Plus, if you have ever forked out more cash than you can afford for yoga class passes that you never got around to using, you can rejoice at the opportunity for some completely free sessions. Classes run from 7.30–8.30am, leaving you time to grab coffee and treats from the on-site kiosk before heading to work with an extra spring in your step. Image: John Gollings.
If your love for the humble meatball knows no bounds, Mamma's Boy Trattoria might just become a second home for you this month. Off the back of its popular bottomless lasagne and unlimited gnocchi series, the Brunswick restaurant is offering another all-you-can-eat deal through the month of November. This time, you're in for bottomless meatballs. Across various sittings from Tuesday to Sunday, Mamma's Boy is dishing up unlimited saucy serves of its slow-cooked, house-made meatballs, with a two-hour feast setting you back just $30 a pop. You've got a choice of classic napoli sauce, a meaty bolognese and the boscaiola – a creamy blend featuring mushroom, green peas and black truffle sauce. Of course, each serve comes with a basket of toasted sourdough for dipping, so you can make the most of every last drop of sauce. The restaurant's regular drinks lineup is also available if you fancy matching your feed with a glass of Italian wine or classic Aperol spritz. Bookings are a must and you'll have to drop the words 'Bottomless Meatballs' when you make yours to get the deal. Bottomless meatballs are available from Tuesday–Saturday 5.30–7.30pm and Friday–Sunday midday–2pm.
As fans of whodunnits on the page, stage and screen know, anything can and often does go wrong in sleuthing tales. Usually, however, the antics remain in the story. That's not the case in The Play That Goes Wrong, as its title indicates — and as theatre audiences have enjoyed for over a decade, watching what happens when The Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society endeavours to put on a murder-mystery, then chaos ensues. When the production premiered in 2012 in London, it not only proved a hit but won Best New Comedy at the Laurence Olivier Awards. It's also still treading the boards in the UK, making it West End's current longest-running comedy. For its first Broadway season, it also nabbed a Tony Award for Best Scenic Design of a Play. The Play That Goes Wrong has made its way Down Under before, too, but audiences will have another chance to catch it locally when it tours Australia again in 2025. Athenaeum Theatre is hosting the show's Melbourne stop from Wednesday, September 3–Sunday, September 21. The plot: when The Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society give the whodunnit genre a spin, telling the tale of a murder at a country manor and the quest to find the perpetrator, making it through the show becomes an accident-filled challenge. Since its debut over a decade ago, The Play That Goes Wrong has been seen by more than 4.2-million people worldwide — in 49 countries — and given 3500-plus performances at West End's Duchess Theatre alone. Another tidbit: also in West End, members of The Drama Society have been hit more than 125,545 times, sometimes by objects and sometimes by each other. Images: original West End cast, Robert Day.
Jumping back on the fitness train post-silly season can be a tough gig. But just think how much easier it would be if you had your four-legged bestie by your side? Well, grab your pup's leash and limber up, because South Wharf eatery Common Man has launched a new series of dog-friendly pilates sessions in collaboration with new app Patch Pets. Taking over the venue's waterfront lawn from 9am every Saturday, the 45-minute pilates classes are free for humans and pooches alike. You'll be guided through a sweat and tone session alongside other like-minded fur-parents, with pets invited to join in a few of the moves as well. Classes are confirmed up until February 29, with further dates dropping soon. Prefer a midweek pre-work stretch? The venue's also hosting riverside yoga sessions, from 8– 9am each Wednesday, right through the end of summer. These free classes are just for humans, though your furry mate is welcome to kick back in the pet-friendly outdoor area while you work out. Mats are provided at both classes and you can book in advance to secure a spot here for Saturdays and here for Wednesdays. And The Common Man's got a jam-packed breakfast menu to hit up post-class. Just saying.
Back in August, Webjet gave Australian travellers a mighty great reason to book a holiday in the Northern Territory: super-discounted flights to Uluru and Alice Springs starting at $15. Fancy hitting up Darwin instead, or using it as a base to explore the rest of the Red Centre? Now the booking site is doing a flight sale on fares to the NT's capital city, with prices from $19 one-way. For less than a lobster, you can indeed fly from Adelaide to Darwin — and fares obviously vary depending on your departure city. They're still cheap from much of the east coast, though, including starting at $20 from Brisbane, $35 from Sydney and $56 from Melbourne. [caption id="attachment_868754" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism NT, Helen Orr[/caption] The whole sale includes $150 off one-way trips, which is where those budget-friendly prices come from. From some cities, the end cost isn't quite as cheap, however — costing $122 from Hobart, $159 from Perth and $169 from Darwin. Still, if you're the kind of person who picks their getaway spots based on travel bargains, then this might be the sign you were looking for. You've got until 11.59pm AEST on Thursday, September 15 to book, or until sold out. Booking ASAP is recommended, because some fares might be snapped up earlier. [caption id="attachment_868753" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism NT, Backyard Bandits[/caption] The sale covers trips to Darwin for travel between September 2022 — yes, this month — through to March 2023. Fancy a spring jaunt to the middle of the country? Making summer plans to help cope with the last of the winter chill? Know that you'll be craving an early-autumn break next year? They're all options. One key caveat: the discounted prices are available for inbound flights only, so you won't receive the same discount to come home. Webjet's Darwin sale runs until 11.59pm AEST on Thursday, September 15, or earlier if sold out. First top image: Tiwi Island Retreat, Tourism NT.
Like many events, Vivid Live had its 2020 edition axed due to the pandemic. But you'll find a pretty sweet consolation prize among the Sydney Opera House's digital program — a stream of Amon Tobin's audiovisual spectacular ISAM, hitting screens this Friday, August 14. The Brazilian-born producer's immersive show wowed audiences the first time around for Vivid Live 2012 and now it's headed to a device near you, available on demand from this week. Revisit the ever-innovative artist's stand-out performance, featuring a multi-sensory fusion of technology and electronic art. Performing within a 25-foot, three-tonne cubic installation he built himself, Tobin moves in and out of focus behind a constantly shifting multidimensional screen. The artist's high-voltage soundtrack of sonic explosions and rippling waves is backed by striking visuals playing out a mesmerising story of colour and light draped across the whole scene. The streamed performance is just one show featured in the Sydney Opera House's digital season, From Our House to Yours. To check out the rest of the performances, keep an eye on the SOH website. [caption id="attachment_773326" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Hamilton Lund[/caption] Top image: Prudence Upton
I scream, you scream, we've all been screaming for ice cream — and, this February, our prayers are being answered once again. Victoria's annual Ice Cream Festival is back, taking place across three of the state's chocolateries and ice creameries: in the Yarra Valley, along the Great Ocean Road and on the Mornington Peninsula. You may want to prepare the smelling salts, because each venue will be trotting out 12 new flavours a day between Wednesday, February 12–Sunday, February 23... for 12 days. That's 144 unique flavours all up, including scoops like limoncello spritz and old-school choc tops. For $28, you can book into a tasting session that covers 12 of the day's flavours at once — or you can just rampage around the place like a deranged, hungry Pac-Man and try to taste 'em all from $6.20 a scoop. What's more, each of the venues — in Yarra Valley Chocolaterie and Ice Creamery in Yarra Glen, Great Ocean Road Chocolaterie and Ice Creamery in Bellbrae and Mornington Peninsula Chocolaterie and Ice creamery in Flinders — has lovely grounds for you to lounge around in while enjoying your treats. Plus, you can grab a picnic box loaded with 12 mini scoops for $24.50. The view may well be lost on you as you slide into a sugar-induced happiness coma, but that's okay. They aren't inventing all those flavours for you to not try them.
It might be bucketing down with rain in Melbourne, but grisly weather won't be the only thing flooding the city tonight. A planned climate change protest is expected to see thousands of environmental activists march through the CBD this evening, heading off at 5pm from the State Library of Victoria on Swanson Street. According to The Age, as many as 10,000 protesters could be involved in the protest, which is being organised by environmental activist group Extinction Rebellion. The group says it "uses non-violent civil disobedience in an attempt to halt mass extinction" and raise awareness about the impacts of climate change. Organisers have shared their protest plans in a public Facebook event, dubbed Swarm the City!, saying"when business as usual means climate catastrophe, then it's time to disrupt business as usual". The group is hoping the protest will encourage the government to declare a climate emergency and commit to full carbon neutrality by 2025. Victoria Police have also taken to Facebook to alert Melburnians to the planned protest and the potential disruptions — which, on a rainy Friday at peak hour during AFL finals season, could be huge. "We're aware that there's protest activity planned for the CBD of Melbourne tonight," said North West Metro Commander Tim Hansen in a video posted to the page. "We think it's really important that [...] you make plans to get out of the city as quickly as you can before this time so you're not caught up in the disruption." https://www.facebook.com/victoriapolice/photos/a.223960551009422/3018134824925300/?type=1&theater This local Extinction Rebellion protest follows several held in Brisbane earlier this year, where protesters glued themselves to the road and marched through the CBD during peak hour. The Extinction Rebellion Protest is expected to run from 5–7pm. For further public transport and traffic updates, check Yarra Trams and Vic Traffic. Top image: Extinction Rebellion Brisbane protest
If you're looking for more things to do while you're stuck at home that's not online puzzles and another cooking lesson, you're in luck. The Australian Ballet is one of the latest cultural institutions around Australia and the world to launch an online platform. The company's 2020 digital season features high-quality footage of full-length performances for you to watch at home — and it's free. Each performance is available to watch for a two-week run. The program kicked off with David McAllister's The Sleeping Beauty, set to Tchaikovsky's famed score, then Cinderella, followed by Romeo & Juliet. On offer from now until Thursday, August 6, you can watch Spartacus, inspired by the 1951 novel by Howard Fast. In all, you can expect dazzling footwork and an overall vivid spectacle on your screens until August 3. To watch, head here. On the digital platform, you'll also find behind-the-curtain content, talks and panel discussions, and a video about the company's collaboration with Nursewatch: a series of ballet workshops for seniors. For those wanting to put on their dancing shoes, there are mini-dance lessons where you can learn how to plié, jump and do a graceful port de bras, plus free at-home sample sessions for beginner, intermediate and pro dancers. The At Home With Studio classes are about 30–40 minutes long and all designed to be done in your home with a makeshift ballet barre (a kitchen bench or table should do the job). Top image: Spartacus and Sleeping Beauty Updated August 3, 2020.
So, I guess it's been a while since Myspace taught us HTML and horrible dancing babies set the standard for viral videos. Today, Facebook turns ten years old, and with this milestone they bring us one of the most sophisticated (and downright pretty) social media apps to date. With a clean, image-based design and multipurpose usability, the recently launched Facebook Paper may well be the future of the gargantuan Zuckerberg empire. The differences between the current Facebook app and Facebook Paper (not to be confused with the existing beautiful notebook app Paper) are enormous. There's no trademark blue colouring, the feed is horizontal and self-refreshing, and through a dynamic design you have access to not only your friends' updates and photos, but separate sections of your choosing. These include subjects like news and current events, the latest in art and design, and a section of trending online comedy tactfully titled 'LOL'. Though this is a welcome change for many lovers of news and design out there, the app is by no means mandatory — a clever move to avoid people kicking up a fuss like the great Timeline debacle of 2011. However, that's not all Facebook is giving us for their birthday. In a showing of enforced sentimentality, they've created a personalised video (A Look Back) for each user. Featuring your oldest photos and most popular status updates, the video plays for just over a minute with a strange and uplifting musical track that makes you feel like you're the female lead of a romantic comedy finding her feet in the Big Apple. For many, this feels a little amiss as no one feels all that nostalgic about their drunk teenage photos or sarcastic status updates about Girls quite yet. All in all, like the platform itself, Facebook's birthday is a mixed bag. They've given us a little to cringe about from the past, and a lot to look forward to in the future. Facebook Paper is available for iOS devices in the Apple App Store. It is currently only available in the US but, as always, there are ways to get in early.
Celebrating the city's spirit of creativity, Melbourne Festival rocks into town with a diverse program of theatre, dance, music and art, across 17 days this October. There's something in this lineup for everyone, all of it sure to inspire and get those mind cogs turning. If you fancy delighting all the senses simultaneously, pay a visit to The Arts Centre's dazzling installation, House Of Mirrors. Here, a pair of local artists have combined 15 tonnes of mirrored glass and 40 tonnes of steel to create an oversized, walk-through kaleidoscope, centred around concepts of reflection.
Australia has been wandering merrily down the psychedelic rabbit hole more fervently than usual over the last couple of years. Big breakthrough names like Tame Impala, Jagwar Ma and Jinja Safari enchanted festival crowd after festival crowd, making it easy for newcomers like Richard In Your Mind, The Frowning Clouds, The Otchkies and everyone involved with the Nuggets compilation to find solid audiences for their whimsical, sitar-fuelled jams. So, when British psychedelic newcomers Temples announced their first Australian tour, slow nods of heartfelt approval spread through the states and territories. Hailing from Kettering, Northamptonshire and lead by the unbelievably British-named James Edward Bagshaw, Temples found traction in Australia after their heroes Johnny Marr and Noel Gallagher gave them ups for their debut single 'Shelter Song'. Soon followed their debut studio album Sun Structures via Heavenly Records, featured on triple j and praised for its neo-psychedelic prowess. Temples will journey south down the East Coast with Sydney psych-pop favourites Deep Sea Arcade, headed for the Corner Hotel on Saturday May 10. Ticketholders are advised to turn off their minds, relax and float downstream on arrival. https://youtube.com/watch?v=vs4i41cOv0s Image by Dave Lichterman.
When the Arbory crew's much-anticipated, multi-level HER opened its doors last week, Melbourne scored four distinct new venues in one. And, to the excitement of food-obsessed locals with a soft spot for smoky Bangkok-style street food, that lineup includes a Thai barbecue canteen by the name of BKK. Sitting on level three of the Lonsdale Street building, BKK is celebrating punchy flavours cooked over flame and coal, driven by the group's Executive Chef Nick Bennett, along with Head Chef Sungeun Mo. [caption id="attachment_842096" align="alignnone" width="1920"] By Parker Blain[/caption] Courtesy of Jackson Clements Burrows Architects, the fitout brings a youthful energy to the lofty heritage space, with a roomy, open-concept kitchen taking centre stage. Exposed brick is played against warm orange neon, terracotta floors and shiny swaths of copper sheeting. Pull up a seat anywhere here and enjoy the kitchen theatrics as you tuck into fire-driven fare centred around BKK's custom-built five-metre Zesti charcoal grill and oven. From barbecued meats to authentic curries, the menu pulls inspiration from all across Thailand, with a few modern reinterpretations in the mix. A strong snacking lineup kicks things off with the likes of a nam-jim-dressed spicy ocean trout salad, mushroom and glass noodle spring rolls, chicken curry puffs paired with a cucumber ajat (relish), and oysters finished with coconut cream and nam prik pao (a roasted chilli sauce). [caption id="attachment_842087" align="alignnone" width="1920"] By Parker Blain[/caption] There are grilled skewers both adventurous and familiar, a sweet and crispy stir-fried beef dish, and multiple iterations of the classic laab salad — including one done with barbecued pork jowl chilli and khao khua (ground toasted rice). Meanwhile, a green curry stars jackfruit and green banana, a T-bone is matched with nam jim jaew chilli sauce, and the tiramisu is reborn using rum, white chocolate and shaved ice. The drinks offering's been carefully designed to complement the gutsy flavours and heat of the menu, via a concise crop of fresh, interesting wines and cocktails that lean to the tropical. Continue your Bangkok adventure with sips like the tequila-infused Lychee Spritz or a charred pineapple margarita. And if you'd prefer to match your Thai feast with some sweeping city views, you'll find an adaptation of the BKK menu also available to order and enjoy two levels up on the HER Rooftop. Find BKK on Level 3 of HER, 270 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne CBD. It's open daily from 11.30am until late. Images: Parker Blain
Nick Cave is embarking upon a tour of Australia and New Zealand in November and December this year, and unencumbered by new releases, he'll be playing a wide selection of classics that stretch right back into his 30-year catalogue. Unlike Cave's 2013 Push the Sky Away tour with featured his much-loved band The Bad Seeds, this will be a rare solo outing. Prepare yourself now — you're probably going to cry when he plays 'Into My Arms'. Cave's epic tour comes fresh after the run of 20,000 Days on Earth — a fictional documentary (just go with it) about this legendary musician. We enjoyed this 90 minutes of one-on-one time with the artist so much we even named the film one the best at this year's Sydney Film Festival. Now we get to make this alone time a reality; just like in the cinema, this tour will be you and Nick Cave (and a bunch of strangers) in the dark.
If you've got a thing for heritage revivals, prepare to swoon over the lineup of winners for this year's Victorian Architecture Awards, which were announced in a digital ceremony on Friday, July 10. Among the 63 award recipients — showcasing the state's best architectural projects across 15 categories — was a bumper crop of heritage building makeovers. Included is one revamp especially familiar to anyone that's wandered down Swanston Street in the past 12 months: Architectus and Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects' revival of the State Library of Victoria. The redevelopment took out the esteemed Melbourne Prize, along with awards in the heritage conservation and public architecture categories. Judges praised the project for being a major benefit to Melburnians, calling it "an exemplar of the enhancement of existing buildings". [caption id="attachment_775611" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] State Library of Victoria redevelopment. Photo: Trevor Mein[/caption] Other public structures that scored prizes at this year's awards include the Regent Theatre by Lovell Chen (for creative adaptation), the Ian Potter Southbank Centre by John Wardle Architects (which received the Marion Mahony Award for Interior Architecture), and Phillip Island's newly-hatched Penguin Parade Visitor Centre, the work of acclaimed firm TERROIR (receiving the Regional Prize). Kerstin Thompson Architects' work on the Broadmeadows Town Hall not only took out the Victorian Architecture Medal, but further acknowledgements in the categories of heritage architecture and public architecture. And the MCG's iconic Great Southern Stand was honoured with the Enduring Architecture Award, given to significant projects over 25 years old. Victorian winners that scooped an architecture or named award will now go up against other Aussie projects, competing in the National Architecture Awards. For further details about the Victorian Architecture Awards — and the full list of this year's 63 winners — head to the organisation's website. Top images: Broadmeadows Town Hall, John Gollings; Penguin Parade Visitor Centre, Peter Bennetts; Monash University Chancellery, Rhiannon Slatter; Ian Potter Southbank Centre, Trevor Mein.
We're always looking for an excuse to indulge and an international celebration for everyone's favourite sweet seems as good a reason as any. This Saturday, July 7 is World Chocolate Day, and, as you would expect, Australia's oldest family-owned bean-to-bar chocolate maker, Haigh's Chocolates, is ready to celebrate the good stuff. Haigh's Chocolates certainly knows a thing or two about delicious artisan choc, seeing how it's been crafting chocolate from raw cocoa beans since 1915. The Adelaidean chocolate purveyors now offer more than 250 different specialist varieties produced at its SA-based factory. This Saturday, Haigh's will be offering free delivery on online purchases for purchases over $25. And, if you visit a Haigh's store, staff will be handing out free chocolate frogs. And to treat you, our lovely readers, even further, Haigh's has given us $200 for one of you to spend at any Haigh's Chocolates store or online. Enter below, and you could turn World Chocolate Day into World Chocolate Month with your winnings. Once you've entered, make sure you also save this Haigh's chocolate fondant recipe to try with your winning haul. INGREDIENTS: 150 grams Haigh's 70 percent dark chocolate pastilles, roughly chopped 150 grams unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing, cut into cubes 200 grams light brown sugar 4 large eggs 1 large egg yolk 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/2 cup (75 grams) plain flour, sifted Cocoa powder, to dust DIRECTIONS: Pre-heat oven to 200°C (180°C fan-forced). Grease the inside of six dariole moulds or ramekins. Place butter and chocolate together in a medium mixing bowl over a saucepan of barely simmering water, stirring occasionally until melted and smooth. Add sugar, stirring to combine and remove from heat. In a separate bowl, combine eggs, yolk and vanilla together, stirring until combined. Add to the chocolate mixture, stirring until well combined. Sift the flour over the chocolate mixture, stirring until well combined. Divide mixture between prepared dariole moulds, making sure each mould is no more than 2/3 full. Place dariole moulds in preheated oven and cook for 15 minutes or until tops are set and coming away from the moulds. Remove from oven and allow to stand for one minute. To serve, use a small spatula to very gently ease the fondant away from the edge of the mould. Carefully invert each mould onto small serving plates and dust with cocoa powder. Serve with a dollop of jersey cream and fresh raspberries. Note: filled dariole moulds can be chilled ahead and baked just before serving. [competition]675143[/competition]
One of our city's oldest independent record stores, Polyester has been providing Melbourne with quality tunes since 1981. Though its second store on Flinders Lane unfortunately bit the dust earlier this year, the original Brunswick Street shop is holding on tight. Set to relaunch in-store gigs soon, we'll be killing time and blowing paycheques at this place for years to come.
The familiar flavours of Asia have been given a Melbourne-inspired revamp, for newly hatched CBD eatery Goldie Canteen. From its funkily dressed home at the entrance of the new Novotel Melbourne Central, this vibrant all-day diner is dishing up a playful mod-Asian offering, proving it's not afraid to break with tradition. Helmed by Executive Chef Michael Smith (former head chef at both Tonka and Mamasita), the menu's packed full of bold flavours and tweaks on classics. Breakfast hits include the likes of a scrambled egg, mushroom and fermented soybean toastie ($9), and peking duck-inspired brekkie bao ($7), while an all-day offering of crepes features fillings like banana and Nutella, or Chinese doughnut with egg and spring onion. [caption id="attachment_712945" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kate Shanasy[/caption] Also keeping the fun running from morning till night is a lineup of baos — think, crispy chicken with Sriracha kewpie and pickled veg (two for $15) — dumplings and toasties, the latter stuffed with the likes of char siu pork ($12), panko chicken ($12) and braised beef ($12). Another, sandwiched with a glorious combination of peking duck, hoi sin and noodles ($14), is sure to delight everyone's inner child. [caption id="attachment_712954" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kate Shanasy[/caption] Things are just as creative in the drinks department, with a range of bubble tea concoctions, both non-alcoholic and booze-infused. After-hours bao sessions call for sips like the Peach Surprise ($16), blending peach nectar, bourbon and black tea, or perhaps the Goldie Signature ($16) — with plum wine, lychee liqueur, peppermint, apple and a sprinkle of gold flakes. Kidults — and inner children — will also be excited Ocean Bomb's range of Pokémon-themed sodas, which are plastered with Pikachu, Pokéballs and Psyduck. Find Goldie Canteen + Brews at 399 Little Lonsdale Street, Melbourne. It's open from 7am–8pm daily. Images: Kate Shanasy.
It feels like it whipped past quicker than you can pick up a pair of chopsticks, but 2019 is done and dusted. Thankfully, while it was here, it brought a huge collection of worthy new restaurants and culinary hotspots. We saw a lot of ground covered throughout the last 12 months — an unconventional Indian diner, a traditional Macedonian restaurant and even a debut Aussie outpost for one of China's most over-the-top sichuan hot pot brand were among the venues that opened their doors. Here's our wrap-up of all the best new Melbourne restaurants that impressed us in 2019. Make sure you tick them off before 2020's list starts shaping up.
To celebrate Refugee Week, Belgian artist collective Schellekens and Peleman are bringing their massive inflatable installation to Melbourne's Immigration Museum. The five-metre-high inflatable, aptly named the Inflatable Refugee, depicts a refugee, crouched and wearing a life jacket. He will set sail on the Yarra on Saturday, June 17 at 11am. The inflatable will then be displayed in the Long Room of the museum from June 19 to 25. The inflatable refugee has travelled around the Europe — from Venice, to Copenhagen to Uppsala — raising awareness for the journey of many millions of people currently seeking asylum around the world. After its stint in Melbourne, the installation will move on to other destinations worldwide. In tandem, the project Moving Stories encourages refugees to write stories to their fellow citizens which collate on their website. The artists are also partnering to with No Vacancy Gallery for a series of public interventions and interactive exhibitions. Schellekens and Peleman will be giving a timely talk on their practice and motivations for developing the Inflatable Refugee Global Art Project at the Immigration Museum at 2pm on Sunday, June 18.
Get ready for the adrenaline-fuelled action of watching sailing's greatest athletes race on Sydney Harbour in Australia Sail Grand Prix this summer. To be right in the heart of the action, head to Waterfront Premium - Shark Island for the best land-based view of the race in the middle of Sydney Harbour. Tickets start at $230 for adults and includes return ferry transfers from SailGP Village at Barangaroo, a gourmet picnic hamper, premium open bar, big screens for action replays and live commentary. If you'd prefer to watch the race from the water, hop on one of the official spectator boats courtesy of Captain Cook Cruises. On-Water Access tickets allow you to bring your own food and purchase beverages from the bar while you soak up include an incredible view of the race and live commentary. If you want to elevate your day on the harbour, choose the premium package that includes a buffet and an open bar. Finally, if you've got your own boat, you can register to the free 'Bring Your Own Boat' program to receive live updates from race management from your preferred spot on the water with friends. Don't forget, you can also check out the SailGP Village in Barangaroo which will host events for all sailing fans across the two days of racing. Ready for a thrilling day on the beautiful Sydney Harbour? Head to the Australia Sail Grand Prix, Sydney from Friday, December 17–Saturday, December 18. For more information and to book, visit the website.
Melbourne's 24-hour nightlife is held in high regard, and without those pesky lockout laws that have befallen other cities, you can keep dancing (or eating) until dawn. Gaze upon the sprawling city from the rooftop bar at Fitzroy's Naked For Satan, before catching a band at The Worker's Club, an intimate live music venue only metres away. If you've caught the boogie bug, stick around for their resident DJ, Cassette Walkman, who'll be spinning rock and roll tracks until 1am. Round off your night with a burger and some chilli fries at Le Bon Ton, Collingwood's late-night eatery that serves food until 3am, and showcases flavours from the American South. And when that second wind kicks in, head to Nieuw Amsterdam for a drink and a sneaky snack — they've got a 24-hour license, and will be more than willing to serve you a beverage alongside some late-night eats.
It might be the depths of winter, but new openair Abbotsford venue Abbots Yard is still dishing up a stacked calendar of events. And this weekend, it's lighting up with a program of flaming installations, tunes, cocktails and wintry eats, for the inaugural Fire & Wine Weekender. From Saturday, July 16–Sunday, July 17, you're invited to explore its sensory garden of fire, art and music. The weekend's live entertainment offering trips from modern jazz to soul, featuring sounds from the likes of local jazz rebels The Rookies and six-piece acid-jazz-meets-house act Cofi, plus Genki Tanaka, O Honey, fivefours and more. [caption id="attachment_861318" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Rookies[/caption] In between jams you'll catch dazzling fire-twirling displays as you sip on cosy drinks like mulled wine and warm spiced cider. And should you need to refuel post-dance-floor, see the lineup of food trucks — from St Gerry's Greek desserts, to paninis and woodfired pizza courtesy of Puccia. Entry is free, though you'll need to RSVP online for Saturday or Sunday to nab a spot. [caption id="attachment_861317" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Liam Sieker[/caption] Top Images: Lyz Turner.
We all have a mate with a special interest that doesn't quite match up to our own. Maybe you've got a friend who is trying to drag you on a camping trip when you'd much rather spend a weekend staying in a luxury hotel? Or a Crossfit-mad mate who wants you to fall in love with the beloved fitness regimen that you have zero interest in? We get it. But it doesn't mean you can't have a good time while supporting your mate's penchant for niche activities. To help you be a supportive mate (and to have a good time while you're at it) we've teamed up with Ticketblaster to find a few ways to enjoy yourself at your friend's special interest events. Whether it's getting around the footy or seeing a movie you don't couldn't care less about, read on to find out how you can have a good time in unexpected places — even when you'd rather be anywhere else. TO ENJOY THE FOOTY: WATCH THE GAME AT THE MEDALLION CLUB If you need extra convincing to head along to the footy in Melbourne, Ticketblaster has your back. You can nab tickets to the Medallion Club on a game-by-game basis exclusively through the ticketing site. Even if you're not a member, you can still have an elevated AFL experience (think: premium seats, dining and access to the corporate suites) at the MCG and its Shane Warne Stand or Marvel Stadium courtesy of Ticketblaster. That means you can enjoy all the perks of a season membership without the hefty annual price tag with tickets starting from $50. TO APPRECIATE THE THEATRE: START WITH TWILIGHT DRINKS IN THE COURTYARD If you're not typically keen on theatre or sitting in the dark for long periods on end, beginning your evening with an alfresco drink beforehand might just be the gateway you've been looking for. Make tracks to Malthouse Theatre, an old brewery turned contemporary theatre complex, which presents various forms of performing arts including comedy, music and theatre. Here, you can enjoy drinks in the sunny courtyard bar before heading inside to see that play that your friend won't stop banging on about. TO GET ON THE GREEN: MAKE IT MINIATURE Golf isn't everyone's cup of tea, but if you make the game a more bite-sized length, it can be a good time for the game's naysayers. Thankfully, Victoria has a few options when it comes to mini golf. Holey Moley promises a putt putt party in the CBD, with a fully stocked bar and plenty of snacks to keep you going as you tackle the venue's whopping 27 holes across its three colourful courses. And, if you get sick of swinging your golf club, you can jump on the mic and have a crack at karaoke instead. Feeling adventurous? Head further afield to Maru Koala and Animal Park to test your skills at Pirate Pete's 18-hole course. Don't forget to say hello to all the gorgeous animals at the park after your day on the green. TO HEAD OFF ON A HIKE: SCHEDULE A SUNSET SOAK AFTERWARDS Been guilted into digging out the trainers for a hike in the great outdoors? Why not reward yourself with some serious relaxation after your trek? After getting your heart rate up, escape to the Peninsula Hot Springs for a soak in its spectacular baths. The geothermal mineral waters span over 50 bathing experiences, including the hilltop pool and smaller ones amongst the trees. There are also spa treatments if you really want to spoil yourself and moonlit bathing available, too. [caption id="attachment_799282" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Charlie Kinross Photography[/caption] TO ATTEND A NICHE FILM: CATCH IT A BOUTIQUE CINEMA If you're being dragged along to a movie you don't really care for, make plans to see it at a boutique theatre. The Astor Theatre on the corner of Chapel Street and Dandenong Road is an ideal spot. There's only one screen in the huge auditorium that opened in 1936, and a trip to this famous theatre really does feel like an event in its own right. It's known for showing classic and cult favourites, along with new releases here and there. Another option is the Classic Cinemas in Elsternwick, which shows a selection of new releases and arthouse classics in a gorgeous 1800s building. The best part? There are cocktails and handmade ice cream to enjoy during your mate's favourite film. TO GET YOURSELF GAMING: TEST YOUR SKILLS AT AN ARCADE Not the gaming type? The arcade and pinball bar Bartronica, located on Flinders Lane in the heart of the Melbourne CBD, might help you change that for the night. The retro arcade is filled with neon everywhere you look and boasts pinnies, consoles, arcades games and more. There's also plenty of tinnies and cocktails being slung and and bar snacks to keep you refreshed during the big gaming battles. Sounds pretty good right? Tap into the nostalgia of playing games in your younger years and enjoy a cold bev while you're at it. TO FROTH THE WAVES: HANG TEN AT URBNSURF Always wanted to try new surfing but afraid of, you know, sharks? URBNSURF Park in Tullamarine may be the way to go to indulge your mate who wants to hang ten. With ocean-like waves in a controlled environment, the surf park offers you the chance to catch a wave without the dangers (or anxiety) of deep ocean water. There are waves for newbies, intermediate surfers and challenging barrels for those who are more accustomed to the riding the sea. After your surf, head to Three Blue Ducks to refuel with food from a menu featuring sustainable and ethically farmed produce. Reckon you're ready to join your mate's niche interest activity? For more information on Medallion Club and to book tickets, visit the Ticketblaster website.
With social-distancing rules firmly in place, autumn babies have copped a raw deal this year. With venues are closed and group hangs are off-limits, the classic birthday party has been scrapped until further notice. But there's nothing like some forced isolation to stir up a bit of creativity and inspire fun new ways to celebrate another turn around the sun — even at a government-approved distance. While the best birthday present would be a one-way ticket back to normal life — of course — we've found a few pandemic-friendly alternatives that should help cheer up the b-day boy or gal. From drag bingo nights to virtual drinking sessions with all the trimmings, here are the best ways to celebrate a mate's birthday, isolation-style. THE HOME-DELIVERED BIRTHDAY CAKE [caption id="attachment_768155" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Attica's Celebration Cake[/caption] A birthday just ain't a birthday without a belly full of cake and luckily, that's one thing that's still on the menu, even in isolation. Spread some love by getting a decadent dessert delivered straight to your mate's door. In Melbourne, even one of Australia's top restaurants is turning its talents to the cake game, promising to infuse any birthday do with fine-dining flair. Attica's Ben Shewry is whipping up a limited-edition, double-decker vanilla Celebration Cake, filled with white chocolate ganache and topped with a whipped yoghurt cream. There are just a handful being baked fresh each day — order via the website for delivery to a range of Melbourne suburbs. When the mood calls for something a little bit flash, try Sydney's Koi Dessert Bar. The renowned sweets spot by MasterChef dessert king Reynold Poernomo is hand delivering a whole menu of crafty celebration cakes, from a green tea and rose number to the signature Nomtella — a fusion of espresso mousse, salted caramel and rich brownie. And famed cake shop Passiontree Velvet has a lineup of special occasion cakes and mini cakes that simply ooze birthday cheer. Offering weekday delivery options for Brisbane, the Gold Coast and Sydney, it's serving festive creations ranging from a classic red velvet sponge to the Italian-inspired Tiramisu Bliss. THE VIRTUAL ART CLASS [caption id="attachment_767056" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Cork & Canvas[/caption] Feeling inspired? Why not gather the crew for a creativity jam session, in the form of a boozy virtual painting class? Plenty of Aussie studios have taken their drinks-matched art classes online, creating a primo birthday situation for any creative souls out there. The long-running Cork & Canvas is one venue that's made the shift, now offering a calendar full of guided online painting classes. You can join in one of the upcoming live streams for $20 per person, or pay $25 to enjoy a session on-demand. They can even set you up with all your canvases, paints and brushes, with handy home-delivered Creativity Kits starting from $65. Meanwhile, Cork & Chroma is live-streaming its Zoom painting sessions almost daily, which you can enjoy from the comfort of home for just $20. The class details list which materials you'll need, though the studio's also got a range of art supply kits it can send to your door. Just pick a date, grab tickets as a group and stock up on wine, and you're all set for a birthday art party. THE AT-HOME BIRTHDAY DRINKS [caption id="attachment_694104" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Cocktail Porter[/caption] Going out for 'birthday drinks' is off the cards for now, but that needn't mean going thirsty. Plenty of local bars and drinks slingers are now happily delivering celebratory libations straight to your door. In Melbourne, renowned dive bar Heartbreaker has reinvented itself as an online bottle shop and booze delivery service, running drinks along with food from on-site pizza kitchen Connie's. You'll find a range of combination party packs, as well as chilled, ready-to-quaff bottled cocktails from sibling The Everleigh. Online drinks service Cocktail Porter is proving to be an isolation saviour, turning home bars across the country from drab to fab with its DIY cocktail kits. Each one comes stocked with all the ingredients you need to create multiple serves of a classic concoction, from the negroni to a cloudy apple spritz. And Sydney's Prince of York is taking care of all the hard work, with its new Party @ Home packs. A selection of meal kits, one-litre cocktail batches and exclusive DJ mixes from Moonshine Music, sent straight to your house. Place an order, round up the friends via video chat and you've got yourself a virtual group sipping session. THE PLANT BABY DELIVERY [caption id="attachment_746647" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Jungle Collective[/caption] Nothing brightens up a birthday quite like a present that's lush, green and living — especially if it's housed in a pretty pot and dropped at your front door. And if you are looking to gift a new plant baby to a mate in isolation, there's a stack of Aussie companies that'll have you spoilt for choice. The crew behind those much-loved roaming pop-up plant sales, Jungle Collective now has a nifty online space to sling its gorgeous greenery. The team's launched a series of virtual plant sales, available to various cities on select dates across the next few months. You'll find a sprawling selection of plants to browse and buy online, with delivery usually available within 25 kilometres of your local CBD. Brisbane plant-lovers will find a huge edit of green gifts over at Pot Me Pretty's online store, ranging from cute terrariums, to indoor plants housed in charming ceramic pots. There's even a choice of add-ons, if you fancy a luxury candle or bottle of prosecco to round out your present. The company's doing weekday drop-offs to suburbs right across the city, with next-day delivery from $12.95. THE VIRTUAL DRAG BINGO NIGHT [caption id="attachment_768186" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Flickr/Sara[/caption] If anyone knows how to inject some colour and spirit into that lockdown celebration, it's the drag queens of Australia. And luckily for your birthday crew, a bunch of them are now hosting online appearances, streaming live and loud to your respective living rooms. Gather your mates virtually and dial up the mood with a drag bingo night, courtesy of Melbourne bar Pride of Our Footscray. The venue's new Self Bingolation series streams online from 7.30pm Wednesdays, hosted by the power duo of Aurora and Archie Arsenic. Tickets are $9, which gets you a front row seat to a hilarious night of comedy, drag and prizes. Or, you can make a date with one of the new regular online drag bingo sessions helmed by Sydney starlet Prada Clutch. Sign up to play for $10 and they'll email you a printable bingo card, along with access to the video chat. Then, all you need to do is crack open a bottle of wine and don something fabulous — there's weekly prizes for the best dressed players. THE AT-HOME DANCE PARTY [caption id="attachment_760387" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Hot Dub Time Machine by Pat Stevenson[/caption] The clubs might be closed, but your living room dance floor is open and ready for business. Tee up a Zoom or House Party session with the gang, to enjoy an at-home, virtual dance party guided by some of your favourite DJs and venues. The legendary party masters behind Poof Doof have headed online to unleash a series of live-streamed Saturday night sets, guaranteed to get you moving. Time-travelling dance party Hot Dub Time Machine is also serving up some hard-hitting Saturday feels, taking audience requests for its weekly Facebook Live DJ sessions. Melbourne club OneSixOne is answering your cravings with a huge four-hour, DJ-fuelled live stream every Friday and Saturday night. And if you're after a bit of midweek d-floor action, No Lights No Lyrca's Aussie collectives are now heading up regular Zoom dance parties, in place of their usual IRL sessions. Turn up the speakers and bust out some carefree moves, every Monday, Wednesday and Thursday. THE ONLINE KARAOKE PARTY There's no room for birthday blues when you're belting out some bangers with your besties. Even if that sing-along session's happening over the internet, instead of in person. Video chat platforms like Zoom and House Party have become social go-tos in this strange age of isolation, but they also happen to be perfect for hosting rousing virtual karaoke parties. Set a date, invite the crew and start working on your best lung-busting material. Themes and dress-ups are definitely encouraged, and if you're stuck for ideas, you'll find plenty of online karaoke catalogues to browse and inspire. Keen for something more large-scale? Some genius recently created a 24-hour online karaoke party dubbed Karaoke Camp, where you can belt out tunes with up to 100 random people simultaneously.
Imagine a place where cheese reigns supreme, other than in your own kitchen. Imagine more than 100 different varieties on offer for the tasting. Imagine being able to sample whatever you liked from this dairy feast, too. And, picture just buying one ticket to devour all the cheddar, brie, camembert, raclette and whichever other cheeses take your fancy. Is this the real life? It isn't just a cheesy fantasy at Australian dairy festival Mould, which started making cheese-loving dreams come true in 2017. In 2024, it's not only returning — it's back for its biggest festivals yet, including adding a fifth city to its stops. As well as hitting up Brisbane, Melbourne, Sydney and Perth, the event is heading to Adelaide as well. If you're a cheese fiend, then you'll know that there's only one suitable way to tuck into the beloved dairy product: all the time, or at least as much as possible. As presented by Revel — who are also the organisers of Pinot Palooza — that's an idea that Mould not only understands but encourages, celebrating the mild, hard and soft bites made by Australia's best cheese wizards. When it does so again this year, it'll serve up its cheese slices and bites from May–August. Running for either two or three days in each city, Mould will kick off in Brisbane in May as it has in past years, then travel to Melbourne in early June, plus Sydney at the end of July. As for Adelaide and Perth, they're both getting a Mould x Pinot Palooza combo — because cheese and wine are a fine pairing — with the fest arriving in South Australia in June and Western Australia in August. There won't just be a few cheeses on the menu at each stop. More than 100 artisan cheeses from around the country will be ready and waiting, spanning dairy from around 27 producers. In past years, that lineup has included Bruny Island Cheese Co, Grandvewe, Milawa Cheese, Yarra Valley Dairy and Stone & Crow, as well as Section 28, Red Cow Organics, Nimbin Valley Cheese, Dreaming Goat, Long Paddock Cheese and Second Mouse Cheese. Alongside unlimited tastings of Australia's best cheeses — snacking on samples is included in your ticket, but you'll then pay extra to purchase slices and slabs to take home with you — the fest features cooking demonstrations, masterclasses and talks. Courtesy of 2024's The Grate Cheese Commission, a range of cheeses created solely for the fest will also tempt your tastebuds. This year's events will include more of the foodstuffs that pair extremely well with cheese, too, such as olives, crackers and conserves. It wouldn't be a cheese festival without beverages to wash it all down with, so expect a bar serving Aussie wines, whisky, vodka, gin, beer, cider, cocktails and sake, all of which match nicely to a bit of cheese. Archie Rose and Hartshorn will be among the tipples featured. Unsurprisingly, Mould is mighty popular. In 2023, attendees tucked into a one million samples across three cities, and also took home over 8.5-tonnes of Aussie dairy products. So, if this the kind of event that your cheese dreams are made of, you'll want to nab an early-bird ticket ASAP. Mould — A Cheese Festival 2024 Dates: Friday, May 24–Sunday, May 26 — Mould Brisbane, John Reid Pavilion, Brisbane Showgrounds Friday, June 7–Saturday, June 8 — Mould x Pinot Palooza Adelaide, Queens Theatre, Adelaide Friday, June 28–Saturday, June 29 — Mould Melbourne, Royal Exhibition Building, Carlton Friday, July 26–Sunday, July 28 — Mould Sydney, Carriageworks, Eveleigh Friday, August 9–Sunday, August 11 — Mould x Pinot Palooza Perth, Centenary Pavilion, Claremont Showgrounds Mould — A Cheese Festival tours Australia from May 2024. For more information or to buy tickets, head to the event's website.
As we learn to live our lives of social distancing and self-isolation (for the near future, at least), it's easy to feel overcome with boredom. Even worse is our tendency to go looking for the latest news update, fuelling our fears in the midst of a global pandemic. But there are better ways of entertaining ourselves than being trapped in a today's news cycle. Right now, podcasts are your friends. Whether you listen to one in bed after waking up, on the balcony while you get a breath of fresh air, or in the kitchen while you cook that fun new recipe, podcasts can help you escape from today's hectic environment — without being glued to a screen all day. Whether you're a podcast veteran or a skeptic, this list has something for you. Being stuck at home can feel a little less restrictive when you can dive into brilliantly written fictional narratives, are consumed by true crime and mystery, or even learn a new language. Here are a five podcasts that will have you hooked in no time. DISGRACELAND True crime, excess and rock 'n' roll. Host Jake Brennan insists, when it comes to rock stars, we like them as bad as can be. This podcast tells stories of murder, drugs and sex, protagonised by your favourite music legends — and how they got away with it all. Disgraceland unveils the darkest side of old-school stardom, with a laidback, no nonsense narrative style. Dive into the Rolling Stones' wild lifestyles, Frank Sinatra's mobster adventures and Whitney Houston's hidden descent into drugs. If you manage to go through all 69 episodes, check out 27 Club. A new project by the same creators, this podcast takes a closer look at the unsettling truths behind rock 'n' roll, this time focusing on the members of the 27 club. The first season tells the story of iconic guitarist Jimi Hendrix, who died of an overdose at age 27. What? 69 30-minute episodes. THE WAY I HEARD IT Mike Rowe's soothing voice takes you on a guessing frenzy in every single episode, as he narrates a story about a famous historical figure, without telling you who he's talking about until the very end. He'll be talking about a prominent academic and you'll be picturing a rockstar. He'll tell you the story of a prize cow and you will be convinced he's talking about a femme fatale. With unexpected twists and so many random interesting facts, you can expect to chuckle when an episode's protagonist you've been so invested in is revealed to be someone totally unexpected. What? More than 150 20-minute episodes. ROOM 20 This LA Times investigative reporting podcast will keep you on the edge of your seat. Journalist Joanne Faryon tells the story of her search for a man's identity. A man only known as Sixty-Six Garage who has spent more than 15 years on life support in a San Diego nursing home. As a teenager, he suffered from severe brain damage after he was thrown out of a truck in a car accident. An undocumented Mexican immigrant in the United States, his identity remained unknown, and there were no paper trails to help track down his family — until Faryon launched her own investigation. What? Six 30-minute episodes. MOTHERHACKER A divorced PTA mom gets scammed out of her savings. She has no choice, but to join the team of scammers who took everything from her. Surprisingly, she's amazing at it. Told as an old-time radio drama, Motherhacker is a fictional podcast that explores the lengths someone might go to in order to stay afloat in a dire situation. Think Black Mirror meets suburban mom. Motherhacker's perfect mix of suspenseful and quirky will leave you wanting more every time you finish an episode. With only nine episodes lasting around ten minutes each, this podcast could easily become a one sit-down binge. Open a bottle of red, enjoy a few snacks and make a night of it. What? Nine ten-minute episodes. COFFEE BREAK LANGUAGES Are you a more practical listener? If so, why not take advantage of your free time to learn Italian, or fine tune that rusty Spanish you haven't worked on since uni? Coffee Break offers podcasts in seven languages, with content ranging from beginner level, where you can learn phrases and grammar, to more advanced, where you can expand your vocabulary. These podcasts use stories situated in your language's country of origin to teach you how to speak it, engaging you beyond a typical grammar-based language program. It's said that listening to native speakers hold conversations is one of the most effective methods of learning it. By doing so, you can also keep your brain busy through self-isolation and social-distancing times and gain a valuable new skill that will definitely come in handy in the future. What? Podcasts in English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Mandarin and Swedish. Need more? Check out our favourite true crime podcasts.
