It's common for restaurants and bars to offer discounts to their own staff, but it's even better when they extend deals to anyone working in hospitality. Owners of such joints know how hard it can be to enjoy luxe nights out when working on these wages, so it's great when they can make their spaces more accessible to those who actually work in the industry. The latest spot to do this is Purple Pit, home to one of the city's best martinis. Seriously, anytime we have a hankering for a dirty gin martini, this is where we head. And now, the team offers a generous 20% discount to service industry workers every Wednesday night. This includes hospo staff, as well as anyone working in healthcare, social services and education industries. It's a huge win. Either treat yourself to a few classic Euro-centric cocktails and call it a night, or go all out by ordering caviar bumps, aperitivo-style dishes and a heap of martinis. Aussie hospo mainstay Maurice Terzini (Icebergs Dining Room and Bar, RE and Jackson on George) and Joe Jones are the minds behind this outstanding basement bar. And this Wednesday night deal is the perfect excuse for service workers to visit. Images: Parker Blain.
UPDATE: JUNE 3, 2020 — Nimble has postponed its sale for a week, until Thursday, June 11. The below article has been updated to reflect this. There's nothing like a fresh haul of shiny new workout gear to inspire a little fitness kick. Especially when that workout gear takes the form of some high-performance threads from sustainability focused label Nimble Activewear. Well, this June, you're in for a treat, as the local brand pulls together a swag of great pieces for its huge permanent markdown sale. Running online and in-stores from 10am on Thursday, June 11 until stock sells out, the sale will be packed full of bargains, offering a hefty range of outerwear, tights, sports bras, sweats, shorts and more, with discounts of up to 40 percent. You might even be able to catch discounted pieces from the label's core CompressLite line, which is cleverly crafted from recycled plastic bottles. Nab one of these and you'll really have something to feel good about — Nimble's saved over 900,000 plastic bottles from heading to landfill since 2015. Nimble's permanent markdown sale kicks off at 10am on Thursday, June 11 and runs until stock sells out.
Ivan Sen and Aaron Pedersen have become one of the great double acts of Australian cinema. The former is a writer, director, producer, cinematographer and composer who first burst onto the scene with his debut feature Beneath Clouds, while the latter has lit up the nation's big and small screens in everything from influential crime television series Wildside to expressive Indigenous dance film Spear. Together they're the driving force behind two of the best local releases in the last four years, as well as the reason that their central character of Jay Swan is fast becoming one of the nation's enduring screen heroes. First, they collaborated on the sun-drenched western 'noir' Mystery Road. And now they're back to serve up the second chapter that is Goldstone. Like its predecessor, this companion piece explores the efforts of Pedersen's Indigenous detective as he investigates unseemly dealings in the remote reaches of the Aussie outback. But Goldstone doesn't just offer up another Swan-centric story (as pleasing as that concept is). No, once again, it not only navigates the country's distinctive landscape, but also provides a politically-charged examination of the complex state of the nation's race relations in the process. With the feature currently screening in Australian cinemas, Ivan and Aaron sat down with Concrete Playground to discuss the conflicts of their protagonist, the process of making movies in the middle of nowhere and what comes next for the duo. ON TELLING POLITICALLY CHARGED STORIES WITHIN GENRE CONFINES Ivan: "It's all inbuilt into the fabric of the character. He's a character who's a political character. He's an Indigenous police officer, and those two words together immediately creates a conflict within him — and there's a conflict on each side of him. Not many people trust a black cop from the Aboriginal perspective, and he's looked at with suspicion from the white side as well. They see him as a tool for them to liaise with the community, whereas he's actually there in the centre trying to help this community and keep people from being locked up. So he's just got all these political, social aspects inbuilt. And I think that's why when you place that into a genre arena, automatically you're going to have a genre effort that's going to have political subtext that's inbuilt from the beginning." ON RETURNING TO THE CHARACTER OF JAY SWAN Ivan: [Looking at Aaron] "He wanted a job." Aaron: "Yeah, I wanted a job. Nah, look, I was very inspired by the first one. I thought it was saying a lot of things. I thought he [Jay Swan] walked quite strong in the world. And as Ivan says, he's just a good man doing the right things — and I liked that. It was a simple profile of the man, but it was such a beautiful in-depth conversation he was having about the type of person you should be in the world. So I just said 'let's do it again, brother', because it seemed like people had gravitated towards him in a lot of ways. And throughout the whole journey of Mystery Road, not one person questioned the colour of his skin — they just thought 'good on you, you're doing the right thing'. And that for me was a win — and a coup — because you're trying to paint strong, male Indigenous images that are pertinent to helping this country, rather than being looked down at as a lesser kind of a person. So I just wanted to bring him back. I thought he had an audience, and he had people there who loved him, and people wanted to see him again — there was a bit of a hunger there. And I wanted to work with Ivan again, which not a lot of actors get the chance to do. So, it was a great chance to work with him again. And Ivan's note was: 'well, we just fuck it up a bit. We reshape it. We make it more jagged — and make a different film'. And the truth is, it works — you know? He's a little bit more damaged, but people are with him, so immediately people are emotionally connected, like 'whoa, what's going on here?' So he's already got friends and family in amongst audiences, so it felt like a no-brainer really. Obviously it's a lot of work to do it, whether you ask it or not. Ivan had a couple of other projects he was working on that didn't go the way he thought they might at the time, so it opened the door to write it. He sat down in a small period time — less than a fortnight — and penned the film, and then called me and said 'wrote it, bro'. And I was like 'yes! Here we go!' It's one thing to ask [for a second film], but it takes a lot to [actually] do it. So I asked the question and Ivan did the hard work for it. I'm glad I asked him. I didn't push it too much, but I wanted to see if he thought it was possible. For me, Ivan is heading in a direction that, if I don't catch him and ask him to do it now, then the stratosphere is his world. In years to come, it might be something we revisit later, but it was worth asking now." ON SHOOTING THE FILM IN OUTBACK QUEENSLAND Ivan: "To us, it's nowhere. Middleton's a pub, right? There's three people who live there. To us, it's just land. There's nothing there — there's no services. There's nothing that you need to look after a crew and house them and all that stuff. And we had to actually build the sets as well as our accommodation. To shoot a film out there, full-time, for under $3 million is unbelievable. It feels like a much bigger film than what it is. It's a couple of hundred grand more than my first film in 2002. And to look at it, it's quite an epic film." Aaron: "And we worked every day, really." Ivan: "Me doing five jobs helps the budget — I don't get the money for that, by the way." ON TRYING TO MAKE GOLDSTONE BOTH MORE POLITICAL AND MORE ACCESSIBLE THAN MYSTERY ROAD Ivan: "It's another stepping stone to a wider audience...and that's partly why I wanted it to be a two-hander. So Alex Russell [who plays Goldstone's only permanent cop], his character is white, with a country background, and people connect with him. As they do Jacki Weaver, as they do to David Wenham. So that was all conscious, you know. And you've got [Indigenous actors] Tommy Lewis and David Gulpilil on the other side. And Cheng Pei-pei. It's inviting the audience in to see different perspectives. I was joking out on location that it's like a trifle. You've got your favourite piece of the trifle — whether it is the cake or the jelly or the custard — and you go for your favourite bit. But at the same time you're going to taste the custard and the cake as well." Aaron: "I like trifle." Ivan: "It was a very consciously-made trifle." ON THE POSSIBILITY OF A THIRD FILM Aaron: "I've already planted that one, too. But it's true. What happens in our careers — whether my career or Ivan's — is unbeknown, but I know Ivan is a great creator of his own destiny too. So the question is asked for that reason — but where's the window for it? That's really all it is, because I know maybe he'd love to revisit it or even just look at it, but where's the window for it? I asked the question a lot earlier in the piece. We had the discussion in the Middleton pub during the shooting of this one and talked about it in bits and pieces over the whole shoot. So, the seed has been planted and there's a little bit of watering going on, but it's just a matter of where the window is." Ivan: "I had an idea, actually, about two years or a year and a half ago about a story — and after talking to Aaron out on location I realised that that story could be the basis of another. I mean, that story could've involved Aaron and just a totally different character, but we could see how [this story and Jay Swan] could interconnect...And the whole thing would be quite radical. And very different to the other two films as well. And extremely political." Aaron: "Extremely political. It's outrageous." Ivan: "It'll blow the walls out. But in saying that, it's extremely accessible at the same time because of that. Because that outrageousness is also what's attractive at the same time." Aaron: "Yeah, totally. Look, there's a lot of unanswered questions still, as there was in the first. And the first and second complement each other in a lot of ways, and they're separate, too. It's just about the time it takes place. In the three years since Ivan and I did the last one, our worlds have shifted — personally and privately — and that happens with the characters too. And they can shift quite enormously, and there can be quite the chasm between them. I always say this: look at the last image of Mystery Road and the first image of Goldstone. There's this chasm. You go 'hang on, have I missed a film here? What the hell happened? That's not the same person'. But it is. There's great beauty in how people make that connection, too. So, whatever that is, the leap that we're talking about won't feel ridiculous — it'll feel like life has taken place, and things have happened. And that's exciting too, because the excitement of shooting this film was the fact that it's the same character, but it was like you stepped onto another planet." Goldstone is currently screening in Australian cinemas.
RISING is known for boundary-pushing activations, but even by RISING's lofty standards, Spark sounds kind of insane. Inspired by the movement of fireflies and distant galaxies, Dutch artist Daan Roosegaarde has designed a 'flock of sparks' – thousands and thousands of tiny, bioluminescent particles – that he intends to unleash into the night sky above Fed Square. Each spark is made from biodegradable materials, so there's no risk to the environment, and the whole thing is free to anyone who happens to look upwards. According to the brochure, "once released, the sparks form ever-shifting clouds of light that behave like atmospheric bioluminescence, caught in a cool night breeze". Should make for a pretty special end to the evening: zillions of sparks floating over the moonlit Yarra, expanding and coalescing like a tiny universe. Spark will be taking place at Fed Square during RISING, but only for four nights. Entry is free. Set your phone cameras to night mode and get ready to be blown away. Images: Supplied
The butt-numbing marathon that is the Melbourne International Film Festival has once again come to a end, but we're not quite ready to stop talking about the movies. For 18 days straight our critics devoured all the festival program had to offer, uncovering hidden gems and suffering through the worst of the worst so that you, dear reader, won't have to. From 3D sex epics to psychological thrillers and an early look at one of the mostly hotly anticipated Shakespeare adaptations ever made, here are our picks of the best, the worst and the most utterly bizarre films of MIFF 2015. THE BEST FILMS MACBETH On paper, the latest film adaptation of Macbeth has all the makings of a winner. William Shakespeare's tragedy of power and ambition has regaled audiences for four centuries; Aussie director Justin Kurzel showed he knows a thing or two about making moody, brooding movies with serial killer chiller Snowtown; and stars Michael Fassbender and Marion Cotillard are among the finest actors of their generation. On screen, this bubbling potential isn't just realised — it is exceeded in brutal, blistering fashion. Nary a piece of cinema this year will gift audiences with such a sensory yet stark audio-visual showcase while uttering such iconic monologues; however it is the tackling of the original play's sound and fury with raw energy and a western-like savagery and sorrow that truly lingers. Fassbender and Cotillard are breathtaking, as are supporting players Sean Harris, Paddy Considine and Jack Reynor. A finer film in 2015, we may not see — all hail Macbeth, indeed. -Sarah Ward https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eM2tblIkL4g TEHRAN TAXI Of the three films veteran director Jafar Panahi has made since the Iranian government sentenced him to a 20-year ban on filmmaking in 2010, Tehran Taxi is by far his best. Gone is the (justifiable) atmosphere of frustration and impotence that coursed through This Is Not a Film and Closed Curtain, replaced instead by a renewed sense of purpose and political resolve. Shot almost entirely within the confines of a taxi that Panahi himself is driving, this surprisingly light-hearted film takes us around the streets of the Iranian capital and introduces us to various colourful characters, including an illegal DVD salesman, a pair of superstitious old women and even the directors own quick witted niece. Thing is, not all of whom seem to realise they're in a film. By blurring the line between documentary and fiction in such a playful manner, Panahi is able to deliver an impassioned cry for social change. Rarely is a film so clearly important while also being so much fun. -Tom Clift THE LOBSTER After wowing arthouse viewers with the Oscar-nominated Dogtooth and the Sydney Film Festival-winning Alps, Greek director Yorgos Lanthimos makes his English-language debut with something that both is and isn't a little bit different. Here, he enlists a recognisable cast, including Colin Farrell, Rachel Weisz, Ben Wishaw, John C. Reilly, Olivia Colman and Léa Seydoux, to enact a situation that skewers society's penchant for pairing off; in other words, his players might have changed, but his fascination with slyly cynical exaggerations of societal norms remains. That The Lobster's story revolves around single folks trying to meet their match to avoid being turned into animals demonstrates the humour on display, but the film's beauty must be experienced to be believed. That the end product is as satirical as it is movingly sweet and wryly amusing isn't just emblematic of its shifting tone — it's a stroke of cinematic genius. -SW https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y0E2Qh6wLS4 THE GUEST As late night genre films go, they don't get much better than The Guest. A follow-up their 2013 home invasion horror movie You're Next, director Adam Wingard and screenwriter Simon Barrett pay homage to the crazed war vet films of the post-Vietnam era with this intense, clever, hugely entertaining action thriller. Downton Abbey star Dan Stephens is simply brilliant as David Collins, a mysterious soldier who arrives on the small town doorstep of the Peterson family with a message from their eldest son Caleb, who was recently killed in action. But it soon becomes clear that there's more to David than he's letting on. Funny one moment, frightening the next, with a couple of fantastic action scenes thrown in, The Guest is the kind of movie that knows exactly what it wants to be, and nails it every step of the way. It hits DVD and VOD next month, so make sure to track it down. -TC THE BOLDEST EXPERIMENTS https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-S6xiie4RQ LOVE 3D Hands down the most divisive film of MIFF 2015, Love is the latest picture from provocateur Gaspar Noe, who previously shocked audiences with his gruesome rape-revenge thriller Irreversible before taking them on a drug-fuelled afterlife trip through neon-lit Tokyo in his follow up Enter the Void. Both those films are tough acts to follow, but this two hour 3D sex epic certainly delivers. Plenty of people hated this movie – and yes, some of the dialogue is unforgivably clunky, and the protagonist is one of the most unlikeable leads we've been burdened with in quite some time. And yet even its detractor's would be hard pressed to deny the film's visual panache, including what is for our money the most artful use of 3D since Avatar reinvigorated the format (and no, we're not talking about the 3D cumshot, although that's definitely memorable.) Whether it'll ever get another theatrical screening in this country isn't really clear, but if it does then you should jump at the chance to check it out – even if it's just to say you did. Just maybe leave the kiddies at home. -TC QUEEN OF EARTH After tackling sibling and romantic bonds in The Color Wheel and Listen Up Philip, respectively, writer/director Alex Ross Perry turns his attention to another kind of connection in his latest feature. In Queen of Earth, long-term female friendship is in the spotlight, with Catherine (Elisabeth Moss) and Virginia (Katherine Waterston) seemingly in the final throes of their bond. Over the course of a week spent at a remote cabin, their differences are heightened — as is Catherine's already-fragile emotional and mental state. The story might sound straightforward, as the BFFs fight and recall better times; however the ever-versatile Perry — his handling of internal battles as much as external conflicts, and his crafting of a claustrophobic character thriller — is anything but ordinary. Comes complete with textured 16mm cinematography, a haunting score, and equally demanding and devastating lead performances. -SW MOST WTF MOMENTS https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ftOMkr9eYS8 SPRING When is a body horror movie not a body horror movie? When it's actually a deeply touching love story. Written and directed by relative newcomers Aaron Moorhead and Justin Benson, Spring is a weird beast indeed. The film contains all the trappings of a gruesome creature feature, and yet it never quite goes in that direction. Instead, we're treated to a surprisingly affecting tale about a young American backpacker who falls head over heels for a pretty Italian girl, only to discover that she's harbouring a fairly significant secret. This low-budget production benefits from great central performances and some pretty elaborate makeup effects, but its biggest strength is that it consistently refuses to follow the expected path. A thoroughly strange but extremely gratifying flick that has us excited to see what the filmmakers tackle next. -TC RYUZO AND HIS SEVEN HENCHMEN In Ryuzo and His Seven Henchmen, legendary Japanese actor and director Takeshi Kitano ponders three questions. First, he wonders what a yakuza gets up to when his action-packed days are long behind him. Next, he applies the same query to filmmakers known for making yazuka movies. Finally, he explores what happens when both get back into the crime and violence game. The amusing, crowd-pleasing offering that results careens between kinetic laughs and outlandish action — as such a film should — as it attempts to answer all three concerns. Expect antics and insights to combine, even if the momentum of the first third can't quite be maintained. An effort that's perhaps less "what the fuck" than "why the fuck not." -SW DISHONOURABLE MENTIONS THE NIGHTMARE Back in 2012, Rodney Ascher made the conspiracy movie to end all conspiracy movies, with Room 237 delving into theories surrounding Stanley Kubrick's The Shining. What it lacked in polish it made up for in the affection it showed in indulging its subjects, and in celebrating its inspiration. Sadly, his latest effort — the part-documentary, part-thriller offering The Nightmare — is all pandering and no purpose, apart than repetitively rambling about and reenacting what sufferers of sleep paralysis experience. The concept is fascinating, but Ascher seems more concerned with scaring the audience — and referencing A Nightmare on Elm Street and Insidious — than actually exploring the topic. His purpose might be to make you not want to go to sleep, but his outcome achieves exactly the opposite. -SW https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1kmOX11PdR4 THE ASSASSIN Taiwanese filmmaker Hou Hsiao-hsien took home the Best Director Award at the most recent Cannes Film Festival for his slow-moving martial arts drama The Assassin – and far be it from us to question the decision of the esteemed Cannes jury. Actually, scratch that. Sure the film may look pretty (although it's got nothing on last year's The Grandmaster), but that's little consolation when you're struggling to stay awake. The narrative, about a young female assassin in ninth-century China, is totally inscrutable, which wouldn't be as much as an issue if the characters weren't likewise. It's very difficult to care about anything happening on screen when you don't care about the people it involves. The film does contain a few impressive fight sequences, shot from a distance in a manner that emphasises the balletic qualities of martial arts. Ultimately however, it's nowhere near enough. -TC
Cru has been a Kew favourite for over 11 years, but they shook up the menu in 2023, slowly morphing away from their brunch roots into a more refined, Euro-style wine bar. Cru still handles the breakfast rush, of course – and the porridge with Davidson plum jam is always a great way to start the day. But owner Tony Donnini is now shifting the emphasis to lunch and dinner. "It's a work in progress, but we're pretty much there," he says. "While breakfast will still be offered, the long-term focus is to make Cru the stand-alone wine bar and bistro we have always intended it to be." Cru's new-look menu is heavily influenced by Corsican cuisine, with a sprinkling of mainland French, Italian and Mediterranean flavours. Think fall-off-the-bone veal shank pie with tomato relish or leek and gorgonzola croquettes with truffle oil and dill. There's even a porchetta in the cooler months, with a braised lentils and roast chestnut. Thirsty? There are over 300 wines in the cellar, and Cru also runs BYO nights on Wednesdays. Nice touch, that one. Corkage is $20 a bottle. There will always be a place in Melbourne for cafes-slash-wine bars. It's a natural evolution and a great way for venues to hedge their bets. Cru is one of the betters ones. You don't often hear about it outside Kew, but that's because the locals know they're onto a good thing. Image: Eleonora Gavazzoli.
If your main quibble with dumplings is that they're gone in a brief slurpy chomp, this New York restaurant's giant xiao long bao is the big ass dump you've been waiting for. Obviously, xiao long bao dumplings (or 'XLB dump dumps') are the best kind of dumplings (wo)mankind has yet imagined. Pot stickers are great, gyoza are fantastic and steamed dump dumps are just fine but really there's no better feeling than sucking down a brothy pocket of XLB. East Village newcomer Drunken Dumpling recognises this and has supersized the XLB to monstrous proportions. The XL XLB (right on) is the size of a bamboo steamer (a god damn bamboo steamer) and served with a straw (a straw!) to suck up all the delicious broth. They've got mathematics-professor-turned-dumpling-expert Qihui Guan at the helm of the XL XLB project, to ensure the physics of the bulbous dumplings are all up to code, so don't try this one at home. Via Gothamist. Image: Josh Brusin.
Shane Delia’s newest venture is going to delight the ever living crap out of fans of old school hip hop. Aptly named Biggie Smalls, the joint blends '90s hip hop with a classic New York diner setting and is built around an ethos of authenticity. You might remember Delia from his recent SBS series Shane Delia’s Spice Journey or one of his top drawer, fine dining venues, which makes his urban diner eatery in Collingwood seem like an odd choice. Being a massive Notorious B.I.G. fan as a kid, he's finally realised a lifelong love of hip hop and food in one establishment. That’s not to say it’ll be like any old kebab joint. We can’t forget that Maha, Delia’s most well-known enterprise, has received a chef's hat for the last six years, so Biggie Smalls is definitely in capable hands. Delia says the restaurant will be a 'KBab joint' and the offerings will be simple, non-traditional but will stay loyal to his Middle Eastern heritage. Delia's years of expertise really shine through in the menu, which features kebabs as mains with a basic list of sides, desserts and drinks to accompany. You can take your pick of some of the tastiest kebab options we've ever heard: there's the C. Wallace (flaxseed falafel, herbs, pickles, onions and smoked hummus). Yep, enjoy obliterating one of those. Then there's the West Coast (fried shrimps, harissa and almond mayo, herbs and pickled onion), the East Coast (maple glazed pork belly, crackling, (peanut butter hummus, herbs and pickles) and the Dirty South (fried chicken, pumpkin pie hummus, herbs, pickles and onion) to name a few. Did we mention there's a peanut butter caramel injected pretzel for dessert? Because there is. That's a real thing. That you can soon eat. Oh and the official venue hashtag? #readytodine. Classic. Biggie Smalls, located at 86 Smith Street, Collingwood, will open at 11am on Thursday, December 10. Find out more on their website.
Despite having barbecued its first rib just eight months ago, Bluebonnet is a solid hit with Melbourne carnivores. And, with two venues already on-the-go, it's now arrived Geelong — specifically, The Workers Club. The Bluebonnet crew has teamed up with the Workers with two ideas in mind. The first is serving up the best American-style barbecue possible. To that end, a brand new, signature Bluebonnet smoker has been built for the new venue. Like its predecessors, the smoker’s been constructed by hand every step of the way, and boasts serious dimensions: 3.5 metres long with a 2000 litre capacity. The second idea is to bring live music to the meat. A genuinely solid lineup of local artists are already booked in, including British India, Northeast Party House and Jeff Martin. The space itself, which once served as an auction house, is an ideal live music space, featuring a bandroom, bar, dining area and outdoor seating. Governed by seasonality, the menu will be a little different every time you visit. If you’ve been festivalising this summer, there’s every chance you’re familiar with the Bluebonnet buns which, you’ll be pleased to know, are a regular fixture. Other staple hunger-busters include smoked Riverina Angus brisket, smoked porter braised beef cheek and Berkshire pulled pork. They're paired with some left-of-field sides, from guindilla, cheddar and confit garlic cornbread to apple and kohlrabi slaw. Both pre-gig snackers and platter-sharers are welcome. You’ll find The Worker’s Club at 90-92 Little Malop Street, Geelong. It’s open Monday to Thursday, 5pm till late, and Friday and Saturday from 12pm. We've picked Bluebonnet Barbecue as one of the Ten Best Barbecue Joints in Melbourne. Check out the list here.
It goes without saying, Melbourne's characteristically buzzing cultural ecosystem has thrived this year, with the city's most innovative, forward-thinking residents taking bold risks in their field. More inventive, forward-thinking and experimental than ever, Melbourne's newest bars and pubs have been upping the city's already renowned libation reputation. Our new (or renewed) pubs that have the biggest hurdle to face — history. Pub renovations in 2016 remained strong, moving into more contemporary, fine dining-focused territory with some of the city's best design teams at hand. At Concrete Playground we encourage exploration and showcase innovation in our city every day, so we thought it fitting to reward those most talented whippersnappers pushing Melbourne to be a better, braver city. And so, these six new(ish) pubs, opened or revamped in 2016, have been nominated for Best New Pub in Concrete Playground's Best of 2016 Awards. Vote for your favourite.
The Flaming Lips are the very definition of a band that has too much creativity to quit. Their unique psychedelic rock has been around since 1983, but they're not the type of band who'd sign, seal and deliver the same hits over and over. Having said that, you (or someone in close proximity) probably have their greatest tunes perpetually on high rotation, from ‘Do You Realise??’, ‘The Yeah Yeah Yeah Song’, to ‘Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots Part 1’ and ‘She Don’t Use Jelly’. Listening to these psychedelic ditties is a joyous trip of an experience in itself, but seeing them live is something else entirely. The Flaming Lips' undeniably brilliant album, Clouds Taste Metallic, is currently enjoying its 20th anniversary and to celebrate, The Flaming Lips are off on tour yet again. Ahead of their Sydney Festival and Palais Theatre shows, we managed to catch up with the very chatty Wayne Coyne and asked him about giving new life to a 20-year-old record, his next-level live shows, and of course, his work with Miley. [caption id="attachment_554895" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Image: George Salisbury.[/caption] WHERE CLOUDS TASTE METALLIC AND HEADY NUGGS ROAM The Flaming Lips have released a whopping 16 studio albums since 1983, with the beloved seventh album Clouds Taste Metallic hitting shelves in 1995. Over a decade later, how does Coyne feel about the album now? "Some of those songs are just really great, dynamic, freaky songs to play. It’s one of those records that is never that far away from us.” The reissued vinyl, titled Heady Nuggs: Clouds Taste Metallic 20 Years Later, comes with quite a few extra goodies, including a live Seattle set from 1996. “We’re a very lucky group that virtually everything that we’ve ever recorded, we really do have absolute say over what we can reissue.” At first, the live vinyl was not going to cut it. “We never liked the quality. Even though we liked the show, it never sounded very good.” After a little playing around with plug-ins, the band was able to recreate the “crazy, freaky, exciting show" they knew they had on their hands. “I think when people listen to that they get a sense of that very amped-up punk-rock meets psychedelic rock, meets prog-rock weirdo group that we were," says Coyne. With track names such as ‘Psychiatric Explorations of the Fetus with Needles’, it's hard not to ask for the story behind the album title Clouds Taste Metallic. Turns out Sydney had a hand in it. About 20-odd years ago The Flaming Lips were hanging out with Tool in Sydney. Tool’s then bassist, Paul D’Amour was taking a ride in a four-seater airplane (as you do) and asked the pilot to fly through a cloud (because Paul D'Amour). “He opened his mouth because he thought, 'How often do you get to go through a cloud?' I asked him, what did it taste like? And he said, 'You know, it tasted kind of metallic.' That’s an absolutely true story." ON FINDING A KINDRED SPIRIT IN MILEY The Flaming Lips are no strangers to collaboration; just check out their 15th studio album With a Little Help From My Fwends; a star-studded cover album of The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. One creative partnership stands out amongst them: Coyne and Miley Cyrus. “The way that we live our lives is very similar,” Coyne explains, “She’s so on it. She has so much shit to say and songs to sing. I think that’s why we like each other. I’m always going and she’s always going, and so we meet up and we’ve got 20 things we want to do.” According to Coyne, the writing and recording process is more impulsive and natural rather than scheduled and labored. Coyne may start working on something at his studio in Oklahoma, then brings it to Cyrus, where sometimes all they’ll need is one take. “Usually even though we would say we’d start recording at noon, we usually wouldn’t start until 2am,” says Coyne, “She always has a lot of stuff going on. She can be in her house with 50 people and there can be a crazy party going on, and I’ll go in and say ‘Let’s go out and we’ll do some stuff for 20 minutes’. There’s five to six tracks we did together where it’s literally one take and I went into the house, got her, she came out, sang, and that will be the song.” [caption id="attachment_545696" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Image: Todd Spoth.[/caption] LIVE SHOWS AND THE VIEW FROM INSIDE A HUMAN-SIZED BUBBLE There's a good reason why The Flaming Lips have been declared by Q Magazine as one of the 'Top 50 Bands to See Before You Die'. If you're fortunate enough to have witnessed them live already you’ll be familiar with confetti guns, crazy light shows, costumes, and of course, Wayne Coyne rolling over the crowd in a human-sized bubble. So what’s it like to literally walk on your audience? “I’ve done it so much now that it’s not an utter freak-out surprise,” he says. “I have a certain control over where it’s going to go, I can get a sense of how freaky and exciting it is for the audience. It’s one of those cool moments that we embrace, we’re glad we get to do something like that, and that the audience gets to play along with it.” The only thing that Coyne worries about in the bubble is potentially breaking a nose or a pair of glasses. Bless. For Coyne, the live show experience is a chance to bring everybody into their colourful world. “The things that we do with the lights and the volume, it includes everybody. Even if they don’t know the songs, it brings everybody together. That’s why we want it to be so dynamic. You want everyone to get the most out of it.” The Flaming Lips are most at home in a festival atmosphere, as Coyne explains, “I think it works well with our type of optimistic message. The things we really love to sing, those really do communicate at festivals pretty well.” Coyne believes there could be a new Flaming Lips record ready by April or May this year, but depending on their future work with Cyrus, no plans have been set in stone. “But that’s the great thing about always creating, sometimes by shear accident you stumble across this great song that you didn’t even know that you were going to do. That’s what we want to happen, that’s the reason to always be doing stuff. Some special moment may accidentally happen.” See The Flaming Lips perform live at Melbourne's Palais Theatre on Friday, January 8 and at Sydney Festival on Saturday, January 9 for free in the Domain. More details on The Flaming Lips' website. Top image: George Salisbury (WB).
Food, fashion, art, music, film and photography: you'll find it all at Afro Hub, Melbourne's new café, bar, retail and exhibition space dedicated to the work of the African Australian community. Located on Nicholson Street in Carlton North, the multi-purpose venue is the brainchild of 26-year-old Saba Alemayoh, owner of Fitzroy's (awesome) Saba's Ethiopian Restaurant. "There are so many people in the African Australian community who are doing amazing things," she said. "Afro Hub is a platform for them to showcase their creative talents to a wider audience." The space will launch on the weekend of September 17 with a two-day celebration featuring music by a range of African Australian performers, art by award-winning photographer Atong Atem, a pop-up shop selling handmade accessories, and plenty of tasty food. In the weeks and months that follow, Afro Hub will play host to music performances, comedy shows, spoken word acts, film screenings, fashion shows, art exhibitions and more. In its first three months the space will be dedicated to East Africa, with a focus on countries such as Ethiopia, Eritrea and Sudan. The café section will be open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, featuring mouthwatering meals from Saba's Ethiopian chef Tekebash Gebre. Find Afro Hub at 727 Nicholson Street, Carlton North. For more information visit www.afrohub727.com.au.
No longer will ravenous souls roam the mean streets of Melbourne on a wild-eyed search for their favourite food truck. Opening today on High Street, Thornbury, Welcome to Thornbury is Melbourne's first permanent food truck trailer park, featuring some of the tastiest names in mobile food vending that the city has to offer. Dreamed up by the legends at Mr Burger, Welcome to Thornbury is located at 520 High Street, just a hop, skip and a jump from Croxton Train Station and the 86 tram line. Once a used car yard, the newly-renovated, 4000-square metre venue features both indoor and outdoor seating, and will host as many as six different food vendors and 700 hungry patrons a night. The Welcome to Thornbury calendar, which you can find on their Facebook page, promises 43 trucks in August alone, including Mr Burger, Ramen on Wheels, Caliko BBQ, Gorilla Grill, Senor Churo, White Guys Cook Thai and Sliders on Tyres. They've also got their own in-built 200-seater bar, where you can grab cocktails, wine and beer by the bottle or on tap. Welcome to Thornbury is open between 5pm – 9pm Monday – Thursday, 12pm – 10pm Friday – Saturday, and 12pm – 9pm Sunday. For more information check them out on Facebook. Via Good Food. Image: Mr. Burger.
Another lane, another Melbourne hotspot. And yet these places continue to suck us in, with their low-lit entrances, fun-loving menus and bold attitudes. It's also hard to ignore the whispers that go out around town like wildfire. But this particular whisper — the news that Lucy Liu was opening up in place of the now-retired PM24 — was like music to my ears. Or like succulent wagyu to my tastebuds, even. Lucy Liu Kitchen & Bar — not to be confused with the Charlie's Angel — is a modern Asian delight of a venue. This here is something worthy of its newbie hype. Reservations are accepted (huzzah!), but if you prefer to wing it and rock up unannounced, you might possibly get the best seat in the house: at the counter overlooking the kitchen. It's a well-oiled machine, I can tell you. And as a machine that's been running for less than a month, it's an impressive one. The service is efficient, if not ever-so-slightly imposing — but that's really no bother when the food is this good. An exciting menu is on show at Lucy Liu. Tempura soft shell crab ($16), kingfish sashimi ($18) and rare breed sticky pork belly ($20) are 'small bites' standouts, while the dumpling menu features fillings such as Peking duck, steamed pork and chestnut, and barramundi and scampi. Salads and sides are there, but don't really get a look in with so much other stuff worth ordering. Larger plates are still to come, and the hero here is definitely the wagyu beef with yakiniku dipping sauce and hot mustard horseradish ($38). It's likely that the menu will have your eyes glazing over with anticipation, and if that's the case, just sit back and let 'let Lucy choose' five or seven of her finest plates for you ($55 and $65 respectively). Letting a tender slice of wagyu melt in your mouth (quite literally) while you sip a glass of Lucy's Red and overlook the kitchen superstars calmly plate up some beautiful food, you could be anywhere in the world (and the middle of Manhattan might indeed spring to mind). But by the same token, at Lucy's, there's nowhere else you'd rather be.
For Benjamin Law, it all comes back to family. One of five children born to immigrant parents from Hong Kong, Law made a name for himself as a columnist for Frankie, where he frequently wrote about his large, dysfunctional family. It's a habit he'd continue in his best-selling memoir The Family Law, which in turn became the basis for his brand new sitcom on SBS, the first episode of which premiered last week. In an unprecedented move, the network chose to release the first episode on Facebook ahead of its television premiere. Yet perhaps even more significant is the fact that the show puts an Asian-Australian in the spotlight — an all too rare occurrence on Australian TV. In the lead-up to the release of the show's second episode, Law gave us his two cents about the origins of the program, their groundbreaking release strategy and the importance of diversity in entertainment. ON BRINGING PAGE TO SCREEN "The book [The Family Law] came out in 2010. It's about growing up gay and Asian in coastal Queensland in the 1990s as my parents' marriage falls apart. It's a classic Australian story! So that came out, and I kind of fret that no one will really get it, because it seems to me to be such an obscure story. But what happens is that a lot of people relate to it for all the reasons that I just talked about. A lot of Chinese-Australian and Asian-Australian people relate to it, a lot of people who grew up in Queensland relate to it, a lot of people who grew up gay relate to it, and a lot of people whose parents' marriage busted up relate to it. So it kind of exceeded my expectations. "From there it landed in the hands of Tony Ayres, the filmmaker, who has made some of my favourite films of the last few decades. He's just this powerhouse, and as soon as I heard that he was interested I had to stop myself from squealing like a fan-girl. I'd seen his film The Home Song Stories maybe a year before. My whole family did, and we came out of the cinema crying buckets. I was like, if you can make something like that, I'd love to see what you could do with The Family Law. So we signed up with Matchbox Pictures, and Tony curated this incredible production team...[and] we all came together and started working." ON TURNING YOUR FAMILY INTO SITCOM CHARACTERS "I think [my family] are always kind of nervous. Hell, I write the stuff and I'm always nervous about their reaction. But I've been writing about them in columns and in my book, for quite some time, and I kind of know where the boundaries lie. And the good thing about this show is that we weren't writing a documentary. All the characters are based on people in real life, but we wanted to write a comedy with a lot of emotional truth, and in order to do that we had to be wildly promiscuous with what actually happened. "Funnily enough, as time goes on and more and more people see the show, so much of the feedback is, 'Holy crap, that's my family, that's my dad, that's me!' And that's pretty sweet. It's the best reaction you could hope for really." ON THE WHITE FACE OF AUSTRALIAN ENTERTAINMENT "The show isn't about race, or race relations, or racial tensions, or finding your racial identity... but we were completely aware and happy to acknowledge the fact that this was addressing something that has been lacking in Australian TV for a long time. One in ten Australians has a significant Asian background, but we just don't see that diversity on television. And it's not just about Asians either. It's about brown Australians and black Australians, and seeing our actual racial makeup. Why we remain one of the whitest TV environments is just baffling. A 2016 show about a Chinese-Australian family is groundbreaking. And I'm really glad that it's breaking new ground, but it's kind of astounding that it's taken so long. "I think it's more to do with the television landscape and how frighteningly mono-cultural it is. All the commercial breakfast networks are white. The main cast of Home and Away [is] completely white. How many of the panel shows we watch are all white? You start noticing it constantly. "I didn’t grow up watching any show that resembled The Family Law... and the way that it manifests can be pretty toxic, when you don't see your own face reflected in your own media. I've been reading some essays lately that people have written in response to the show, saying 'I sort of grew up a bit self-hating and wanting to be white, because anything else was undesirable. My own face was undesirable and not legitimised by how we reflect ourselves in media and television and the arts.'" IS FACEBOOK THE NEW TV? "SBS proposed it. They'd never done it before, and as soon as they said it, it just made complete sense. Nearly all of us are on [Facebook], it's a part of our daily lives, and it gives the opportunity to click on something and watch a full episode of something that's already in our face. Not only that, but you can share it, you can interact with it, you can tag people and tell them about it. So we put it up there for a really limited amount of time, from Friday afternoon until the end of Sunday. At least two million people saw it, at least 1.1 million people had a good look at it, and thousands and thousands of people watched the episode in its entirety. "It sounds revolutionary, but when you're doing it you're just watching a show on another platform. Television is so many things nowadays ... so I'm really stoked that we went with that. People were wondering if it would affect our ratings, but I suspect that it might have even boosted them, because we far exceeded the expectations of what the show would rate once the TV broadcast went to air." Watch The Family Law on Thursday nights on SBS at 8.30pm.
Get your hands on some high quality art, craft and furniture, via a new online auction service that donates all of its proceeds to charity. Created with Care is the result of a partnership between maker community marketplace Handkrafted and artist-to-buyer platform Bluethumb. Launching earlier this month, the online auction room has recruited a select number of Australian artists and furniture makers, who are auctioning off unique, handmade pieces for charities of their choice. Visitors to Created with Care can currently place bids on five different items, including a 3D artwork by Erin Nicholls and Lars Laug, and a hand painted wooden bowl by Stephen Ziguras and Anne Ellison. A number of additional pieces will come up for auction in the coming weeks, with bidding on all items closing at 5pm on Friday, June 10. Nominated charities range from bushfire relief to animal rescue to asylum seeker aid. Current bid only $525... Furniture maker Ben Percy @benpercydesigns and artist Salleigh Olsen @salleigholsenart collaborated to produce this beautiful work of art - with all proceeds of it's sale to be donated to StreetWork, a charity helping young troubled teenagers turn their lives around. You can place your bid and explore more of the #CreatedWithCare16 collaborations we have curated together with @bluethumbart at www.createdwithcare.com.au Made by re-sawing solid American Hickory (donated by @britton_timbers) and as the seat and backrest are separately supported, the laminated legs 'flex' as individuals sit down. A photo posted by Handkrafted (@handkraftedco) on Apr 25, 2016 at 12:49am PDT "Every day I look at incredible art, yet these pieces are beyond my greatest expectations," said Bluethumb co-founder Edward Hartley. "They have set the bar for future artists and crafters." To see what's up for auction and to place a bid, visit www.createdwithcare.com.au.
Clear your calendars, art lovers. We're coming up fast on the end of the year, and that means Midsumma is right around the corner. Melbourne's largest queer arts and culture bash, the Midsumma Festival has showcased the talents of local creatives from within the city's LGBTIQ community every year since 1988. Tickets to Midsumma 2016 are due to go on sale later today, meaning it's time to start poring obsessively over this year's program and seeing how much stuff you can fit in. Running for three straight weeks from January 17, Midsumma 2016 will be spread across more than 80 different venues, and will cover everything from visual art and performance to community events and parties. As has become tradition, the festival's centrepiece event will be the annual Pride March along Fitzroy Street in St Kilda. This year, the march will put an emphasis on the fight for marriage equality. The Pride March is one of three major flagship events on this year's program. The Midsumma Carnival and TDance will once again kick off the festival with a five-hour lineup of free live music and entertainment in Alexandra Gardens. We'll also see the launch of the first ever National Water Polo League Pride Cup at the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre, in which the Victorian Seals National League will take on the Brisbane KFC Breakers. The night will also feature an exhibition grudge match between Australia's only LGBTIQ clubs, the Melbourne Surge and the Sydney Stingers. Carn the Surge! Other standout events on the program include the DRAGNATION drag competition, the Lesbian Comedy Gala and the Yass Pride! party at Luna Park. A performance from award winning cabaret singer Michael Griffiths looks set to be pretty great and the premiere of a new multimedia art exhibition Company of Men is another of our must-see events. Tickets for Midsumma 2016 will go on sale today. For more information about the festival including the full program guide, visit midsumma.org.au
It's been a great 12 months for queer-themed cinema. Moonlight won last year's best picture Oscar, Call Me By Your Name had everyone swooning and transgender drama A Fantastic Woman not only wowed festival crowds, but also picked up this year's best foreign-language Academy Award. They're just the big players, however. There's plenty of other top LGBTIQ+ cinema where they came from. And, in even better news, much of it is heading to Melbourne for the 2018 Melbourne Queer Film Festival. Running through the numbers, it's shaping up to be another impressive fest when MQFF hits up ACMI, Kino Cinemas and Cinema Nova from March 15 to 26. Across its 12 days and 85 sessions, film buffs can expect 38 features, 14 documentaries and 72 shorts. That includes two world premieres, 12 Australian premieres and 21 Melbourne premieres — and, from all of that, we've selected our five best picks of the bunch. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pIqwrEtTw-A IDEAL HOME What happens when a couple suddenly meets the grandson they never knew they had? Plenty — and when that hard-partying pair is played by Steve Coogan and Paul Rudd, expect plenty more to occur as well. It's not the first time they've starred together, nor the first time they've shared the screen and pondered the meaning of family, with 2011's Our Idiot Brother also featuring on their respective resumes. Here, however, expect a warm queer comedy about the the connections of kin (be it of blood or of choice) of all shapes and sizes. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4h6Zwdi86Nw THE CAKEMAKER A sensitive, involving and exceptionally acted German drama that'll tempt your tastebuds and touch your heart, The Cakemaker explores the aftermath of a chance meeting, a passionate affair and a tragic accident — all while acknowledging the many complexities that exist when it comes to love. Berlin-based pastry chef Tomas (Tim Kalkhof) not only falls head-over-heels for Israel businessman Oren (Roy Miller), but is driven to act when their romance is cut short. Tracking down Oren's widow Anat (Sarah Adler) in Jerusalem, Tomas finds a new bond forming over unspoken grief and appetising baked goods. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vBGLipbSi_M MANSFIELD 66/67 Never far from the headlines in both life and death, '50s and '60s star Jayne Mansfield was an actress, Golden Globe winner and Playboy playmate. She was also accused of being a Satanist, and became the subject of a persistent myth that she was decapitated in the car accident that claimed her life. Focusing on her final years, Mansfield 66/67 touches on all of the above — and includes interpretative dance sequences in its camp compilation, because why not? John Waters, Kenneth Anger, Peaches Christ and Tippi Hedren rank among the interviewees in a documentary that definitely isn't your standard behind-the-scenes effort. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GuIpb6Z6Tuo TORREY PINES From its style of stop-motion animation to its heartfelt true coming-of-age tale, every inch of Torrey Pines should feel hand- and homemade. That's because it is. An autobiographical effort from trans animator Clyde Petersen, the film dives into his '90s upbringing as a Star Trek fan with a schizophrenic mother, takes viewers on their road trip across the US, and explores everything that arises when you're with grappling with identity and sexuality. It's also stuffed full of pop culture references, including pop to Australia's own Crocodile Dundee. SO LONG Enjoying its world premiere at MQFF, So Long has a stronger Aussie connection — made in Melbourne by filmmakers Caitlin Farrugia and Michael Jones, it adds lesbian mumblecore to the country's cinematic output. You might recognise the general story of two just-single twentysomethings navigating life and love might, and there's no doubting that we've all seen that scenario many times before. Familiarity doesn't always breed contempt, however, particularly when it's both realistic and relatable. Keen on more MQFF highlights? Check out Freak Show, A Moment in the Reeds, Signature Move and Sensitivity Training from our 2018 Mardi Gras Film Festival picks, and Desert Hearts, Love, Simon, The Feels and After Louie from our 2018 Brisbane Queer Film Festival selections. There's also I Dream in Another Language from our 2017 Sundance Film Festival list, and BPM (Beats Per Minute) from our Alliance Francaise Film Festival rundown. Melbourne Queer Film Festival 2018 runs from March 15 to 26 at ACMI, Kino Cinemas and Cinema Nova . For more information, visit the festival website.
Dumpling Empire prides itself on giving guests a culinary tour of China. From Shanghai, you can enjoy handmade xiao long baos. From Sichuan, there are spiced noodles. And from Guandong, you can sample bamboo steamed rice dishes. It is the kind of joint with a team of chefs from all over, so you know whatever you order is going to be authentic and traditional. There interior here is simple yet elegant, with your typical unassuming furniture dressed up with lanterns and splashes of red. The service is welcoming and kind but the focus is definitely on the food before anything else. The menu kicks off with light snacks to get the mouth watering, including pork xiao long baos and spring onion pancakes. The dumpling menu includes classics such as prawn and chicken dumplings and pan-fried steam buns, while vegetarians can order the vegetarian option. If you're after noodles, there are steamed pork and fish meatball soups, along with pork tripe or stewed lamb noodle soups. Rice dishes include deep fried chicken with special sauce or the classic bamboo steamed black bean and fish with chilli rice. The mains are where Dumpling Empire really shines, with perfectly balanced flavours and very generous servings. The pick of the bunch is the stir-fried grab which is lightly flavoured with ginger and spring onions. Pair this with a serve of Chinese broccoli and you are well on your way to one of the best Chinese meals you've had in your life.
If you've been to Sydney, the Night Noodle Markets or spent some time on Instagram any time in the last few years, you've probably seen Black Star Pastry's strawberry watermelon cake floating around in the hands of hungry sweets fiends. You'll also know it's not just any cake — no, it's a thing of intense beauty that catches the eye (and heart) of anyone who as much as glances at the pink flower-topped cube of pastry. Just look at it. A photo posted by ROBBIE (@itd_be_rude_not_to) on Sep 14, 2016 at 5:36am PDT If your sweet tooth is aching just looking at that pretty hunk o' cake, you'll be delighted to know that the Sydney-based bakery yesterday announced via Instagram that they'll be coming down south to Melbourne for a three-month pop-up. They'll be setting up shop on University Street in Carlton from in late February with a selection of their incredible cakes — and yes, their signature aforementioned strawberry watermelon doozy will be there. Other favourites include the lemon pistachio zen cake, the strawberry lychee cake and the vegan chocolate popcorn cake. They'll also open up online orders to Melbourne so you can order a huge one for an "occasion". Until now Black Star's goods have only been available at their three Sydney locations and, for the last two years, the Night Noodle Markets. The lengthy pop-up hints at the possibility for a permanent store to open here in the future — but let's not get ahead of ourselves. Be sure to make the most of all that glorious, glorious cake while it's in town. The Black Star Pastry Pop-Up will open in late February and run for three months. It will be open Monday to Saturday 9am – 8pm and Sunday 9am – 3pm. For more information, visit blackstarpastry.com.au.
Come summer in Melbourne, you won't just see stars on cinema screens — you'll sit beneath them while you're watching a movie. That's what Rooftop Cinema promises each and every year, and the first part of its 2017–18 program certainly delivers. First stop: Ryan Gosling and Harrison Ford in Blade Runner 2049. Kicking off on December 2 and running through until March 2018 (with the second half of the program still to be announced), there's plenty more movie fun where that came from. Haven't had a chance to see one of this year's most hyped films, Baby Driver? Keen to check out comedian Kumail Nanjiani's based-on-real life The Big Sick? Want freak yourself out with Get Out? You'll find them all on the lineup. Don't forget that checking out classics on the big screen is all part of the Rooftop Cinema experience as well, though. This year's retro contingent includes tributes (Labyrinth, The Goonies and Stand By Me), all manner of Christmas hijinks (Love Actually, Home Alone and Elf) and two nights of Matthew Broderick (Ferris Bueller's Day Off and Back to the Future). If there's ever been a reason to spend your evenings outdoors for the next few months, this is it. Rooftop Cinema takes place in the Melbourne CBD, on top of Curtin House, Swanston Street (between Little Bourke and Lonsdale Streets). The bar opens daily between 11am and 1am, with films starting at 9.30pm in December and January. The February and March program will be announced in late January.
The Wheeler Centre is renowned for their innovative programming, but the project they're cooking up now is a doozy. Named after that most endearing punctuation mark, The Interrobang: A Festival of Questions is a festival that is calling on you to decide the topics of conversation. The idea behind the festival is a democratic one: using crowdsourcing techniques, the program is being written around questions submitted by the public and presented to a Brains Trust of writers and thinkers over the two-day festival in Melbourne on November 27-28. Emily Sexton, the head of programming at The Wheeler Centre, says that as well as creating a festival made from publicly sourced questions, she also wants us to question the question. What makes a good question? Can the right question change the landscape of discussion for the better? As well as submitting questions, the public are invited to vote for the best questions. “The way we imagine it is a combination of very potent, political, urgent questions of our time, like 'what is the future of European democracy and what will happen to organisations like the UN or the EU that were founded on a collective idea? Is that still relevant for contemporary life?' But also really inconsequential, playful questions like 'where are all the baby pigeons? Why don’t we ever see them?' I hope there’s a really great mix of personal or political questions,” she says. “There’s no question too big or too small.” There’ll be no shortage of answers either. The Interrobang has assembled a Brains Trust of 25 artists, thinkers, writers and doers from around the world to tackle the questions posed. Included is Wild writer and 'Dear Sugar' advice columnist Cheryl Strayed, cult sci-fi author and tech activist Cory Doctorow, Australia’s sweetheart Benjamin Law, the former Greek Minister of Finance Yanis Varoufakis, playwright and Twitter hero Nakkiah Lui, journalist Geraldine Brooks, broadcaster Mark Colvin and chef and presenter Adam Liaw. The prerequisite for all the panellists was the need for pluralism and enthusiasm about a range of topics. Don’t expect any sales pitches or pre-made answers here; with such a diverse panel, the aim is to explore the topics from every angle. Emily promises that every question, big or small, will be used in some way in the program. “It’s a significant democratic exercise in a way of handing over control and exploring what people really want to know,” she says. We, for one, are intrigued and would very much like to know where the baby pigeons are. We’ll have to wait until November to find out. Submit your question to The Interrobang via the event website. Tickets for the festival go on sale October 12.
Learn how to make the perfect Sri Lankan curry or produce Persian pickles like a pro, at a series of pop-up cooking classes taught by asylum seekers and refugees. Held at a number of Melbourne venues throughout June and early July, the Free to Feed project aims to empower and enrich the local community by providing jobs and opportunities for its newest and most vulnerable members – while keeping the rest of us happy with insanely tasty food. The initiative will welcome instructors from Iran, Pakistan, Kenya and Sri Lanka – and for many of them, it represents their first employment opportunity since arriving in Australia. Students can learn the secret to mouthwatering lentil dhal, try their hand at making rose petal jam, or cook up hotdogs (yes, hotdogs) like they do on the streets of Tehran. Free to Feed classes are currently being held on select Saturdays and Sundays at venues including Crunch Cafe in Northcote, Grub Food Van in Fitzroy and The Neff Market Kitchen at the South Melbourne Cooking School. For more information visit the website.
Looking for a fancy new dinner destination? Perhaps you've got a hot date lined up, have guests in from out of town or are looking to impress the in-laws. Whatever the reason, if it's stylish surrounds you're after, the winners of the fourth annual Eat Drink Design Awards have it in spades. Revealed yesterday at a ceremony in Melbourne, the awards celebrate the very best in hospitality design across Australia and New Zealand — although this year, the podium was crowded with Aussies alone. From a shortlist of 88 venues, eight took home gold while a further 26 received high commendations. Best Restaurant Design was awarded to Italian eatery Beccafico in Sydney, with the panel of judges citing "the unfinished joinery of recycled and fire-charred hardwoods, a sculptural beauty to the circular neon tubes that line the walls [and] a resort-like feel to the slatted boardwalk that bisects the space with wire-brushed timber banquets". The Best Cafe Design was shared by The Kettle Black in South Melbourne, described by the judges as "the apotheosis of cafe design right now — light, airy, spacious, where everything is carefully considered yet it all comes across as insouciant in the extreme," and Abbots & Kinney in Adelaide, commended for "the play between the radical simplicity of the overall concept and the extraordinary accomplishment of the execution and finish". Best Bar Design, meanwhile, went to Smalls in Melbourne, where judges highlighted "the colour and materials palette — moody, muted putties, flat blues and concrete greys offset by the occasional glimmer of glassware and brass," as well as artisanal touches such as "handmade ceramic tiles" and "open joined banquettes," and fine detailing seen in "marble tabletops, aged black leather and charcoal velvet upholstery". The remaining awards included Best Retail Design, awarded to The District food court in Sydney's Chatswood Interchange shopping mall (home to Tim Ho Wan and Hello Kitty Diner); Best Identity Design, awarded to casual Bangladeshi restaurant Bang Street Food in Sydney; and Best Temporary Design, awarded to the Australian Pavilion Installation at Cafe di Stasio in Melbourne. Last but certainly not least, Bondi's Icebergs was inducted into the Eat Drink Design Hall of Fame. Have a flick through the gallery for some serious hospitality design porn.
Home to an endless variety of Asian cuisine, a single street in Melbourne's east houses some of the best honest, hawker-style food in the city. On Kingsway, Glen Waverley, deceptively delicious eateries run rampant. The epitome of casual eating, Glen Waverley’s dirt-cheap Asian food is kind to both your stomach and your purse. Although often associated with notoriously poor customer service, it's quite arguably one of Melbourne's most loved and regarded cheap eating scenes. Bring some good humour and you'll enjoy a simple, tasty meal — and in classic Glen Waverley style, it won't cost you more than $15. CHIVE DUMPLINGS AT HONG KONG DIM SUM: $3.80 It's one of the smaller restaurants in Glen Waverley, but that makes Hong Kong Dim Sum ideal for grazers reluctant to break the budget on high-class yum cha. This eatery doesn’t wheel around trolleys filled with food — instead opting for a small, specialised yum cha menu made to order. Stick to classic dim sum options like the scallop or chives dumplings ($3.80 for three) and you'll walk away pleasantly topped up with quality Chinese fare. If you're particularly impressed by the food, you can purchase a freshly frozen set of items from the freezer. 77 Kingsway, Glen Waverley; (03) 9545 3886; facebook.com PRAWN MEE AT PAPPA RICH: $12.90 Always the crowd pleaser, dining at Pappa Rich usually involves a short wait at peak times. But don't be deterred by the queue — you'll be seated surprisingly quickly with expert staff cleverly maximising the spacious interior. Although technically a Malay eatery, the menu is heavily influenced by Indian and Chinese flavours. There's a variety of dishes to choose from, and a pleasantly creative drink menu. The Pappa Prawn Mee is a highlight here, with a balanced broth of rich prawns and tangy Asian spices. The flavours at Pappa Rich are a little more intricate than some other Glen Waverley eateries, which is surely reflected eagerly by the restaurant's devoted following. 92-94 Kingsway, Glen Waverley; (03) 9560 0968; papparich.net.au YONG TOFU AT THE GRAND TOFU: $9.80 Here at The Grand Tofu you'll find one of the biggest, steaming hot bowls of noodle soup available for a mere ten bucks. This is classic Asian street-style soup at its best. There are a few other standard hawker flavours on the menu, including some notable vegetarian options, but Yong Tofu orders dominate most nights. Choose from a braised, tom yum, or curry soup base. Add your choice of noodles (or choose a mix) and six feature items. As a little delight, the generous range of dumplings, fish-stuffed vegetables and bean curd items are displayed in a glass case for you. The vegetarian bean curd roll and stuffed eggplant are particular standouts. 102 Kingsway, Glen Waverley; (03) 9560 1700 PORK DUMPLINGS AT RARAMEN: $8.80 If crowds are anything to go by, this inconspicuous dining hall serves some of the best budget dumplings in Melbourne. The menu is extensive, but most patrons don't read beyond the dumpling list. Which is fair enough, really, when a mere $8.80 will buy you 12 of the juiciest pork treasures in town. Steamed or fried, these succulent, warm parcels are easily some of Glen Waverley's most popular hidden gems. A two-storey restaurant, RaRamen is a treat for groups with the upstairs section featuring lengthy tables specifically designed to accommodate sharing and general festivity. And if you needed another reason to visit, there are also free slurpees. 114 Kingsway, Glen Waverley; (03) 9561 5665; facebook.com HAINANESE CHICKEN RICE AT STRAITS OF MALACCA: $9.80 Traditional Malaysian dishes with a western-friendly influence reign supreme at this lively restaurant. There's a genuine mix of conventional and modern Malaysian flavours, but the "most popular" Hainanese Chicken Rice is a particular standout. Beautifully light chicken rice with sharp and sweet sauces complement softly steamed meat — be patient for this one, it's worth it. If you feel adventurous, try some Malaysian drinks including the classic Kopi ($3) and the Three Layered Teh ($3.5). Ambience can be lacking occasionally, but the food is so gloriously cheap here that it's hard to mind. 78 Kingsway, Glen Waverley; (03) 9561 3880 Malacca Straits image credit: annieenguyenn; The Grand Tofu image credit: foodiebebs; Hong Kong Dim Sum image credit: Alpha via Flickr
You may bear the daily grind of 9-5 working life and deal with the responsibilities that come with being a fully-fledged adult, but your inner-child, however hidden, still remains inside you. They're always in there, just waiting for a jumping castle or an ice cream cake or a big green hill to roll down. So let them out for a while. Reunite with that childish enthusiasm and joy of life by treating yourself to the awesomeness of theme parks, novelty games and creative curiosity — this time without Mum and Dad in tow to limit your sugar consumption. Now, who said being an adult doesn't have its perks? DO SWEET FLIPS AT BOUNCE Remember the hours and hours spent jumping on the backyard trampoline doing sweet flips and tricks? Bounce sure hasn't forgotten, and offers a colourful urban playground to reunite with the joy of anti-gravity and the rush of being airborne. With over 100 springy trampolines, enjoy aerial manoeuvres, slam dunking, wall-running, jumping into a foam pit and dodgeball — and create enough static electricity to zap your nearest and dearest and create an '80s electrified up-do. You'll find Bounce in Blackburn North, Glen Iris and Essendon Fields. DO SOME COLOURING AT CRAFTERNOON CAFE Lose yourself in your own world without teachers telling you to colour within the lines at Carlton North's Crafternoon Cafe — with the added bonus of treating yourself to coffee and cake. For only $10, you can get your hands stuck into some play dough, pasting or finger painting and create to your little heart's content. CUDDLE LAMBIES AT COLLINGWOOD CHILDREN'S FARM Set on seven hectares of lush green paddocks and gardens, escape the city surrounds and reconnect with the rustic joy of simple farm life at this urban farm. For $10 entry you can play farmer for a few hours by taking part in milking the cows, feeding chooks, bottle-feeding lambs, stroking guinea pigs, donkeys and horses. For fresh farm-grown goodies, check out the farmers' market on every second Saturday of the month, and make sure you stop by The Farm Cafe for lunch. GO ROCK CLIMBING AT HARDROCK While some climb Everest, others conquer the tough vertical wall at Hardrock. Challenge your upper body strength and test your Spidey talents by tackling the six- or 16-metre climb. Donning safety harnesses and climbing shoes, grip and twist your body like a pretzel to get to the top. Your reward will be bragging rights and abs of steel. Hardrock have locations in the city and Nunawading. LEARN A THING OR TWO AT SCIENCEWORKS Who said museums were boring? Sure, it's an educational activity — but with a planetarium, a lightning room and a race against Cathy Freeman, it's a lot of good, clean fun. You may not have paid the Spotswood museum a visit since you were in primary school, but it's well worth a re-visit. The culturally rich experience will be good for your brain — and useful for excelling at pub trivia. GO ICE SKATING IN DOCKLANDS Find bliss while gliding in this Olympic-sized rink while singing "ice, ice, baby" — or attempt to beat your mates in a skate-off without comically slipping over. Docklands' Medibank Icehouse is now the O'Brien Group Arena, and free lessons are offered most days to help skating novices transform from stumbling Bambi into the next Bradbury. It's a chilly environment at 16 degrees, so rugging up is highly advised. GO NUTS ON THE FAIRY FLOSS AT LUNA PARK The big-toothed giant of St Kilda has been freakishly smiling since 1912 — and while many things have changed over the century, the love of sticky pink fairy floss and the thrilling obsession with rollercoasters remains strong. Thrill seekers should aboard Pharaoh's Curse or the Great Scenic Railway while classics like the dodgem cars and the mighty Ferris wheel are still going strong as theme park favourites. PLAY LASER SKIRMISH AT TECH ASSAULT Is there anything more enjoyable than hunting down your friends with a laser gun? It's humans vs. humans in this urban battleground, where the only thing that can save you is skill, your plastic laser gun and good eyesight. Located in Thornbury, Tech Assault offers a perfect indoor-outdoor landscape for shooting your mates (and strangers) with lasers and saving the world. Plus, the experience has been designed by gamers — so you know it's going to be legit. WATERSLIDES! AT FUNFIELDS Ah, this is where childhood dreams truly come true. More than just a water park, Funfields, located 40-minutes out of Melbourne, has alpine tobogganing, go karting and more amusement rides than you can poke a stick at. Once you've had enough of being on dry land, try the Blackout, with its 120m drop into darkness, and the Wipeout, a mix of rapids which may or may not result in losing your togs. Or just go up and down the good old-fashioned waterslides. Top image: Dollar Photo Club
The heat has turned up a notch and those long sunny days are stretching into balmy summer nights. What we are saying is, it's cocktail o'clock basically all the time. And while some cities scramble to the beach after work on particularly hot evenings, a Melbourne summer wouldn't be complete without prolonging your return to your hot house with a few cocktails and some top-notch bar food. Maybe you want to perch on a roof terrace with friends or retreat to an underground air-conditioned basement for some quiet time. Whatever you want, you've got it — here are the best icy-cold summer drinks and where to get them. SPECIAL CUP AT HOT SAUCE If cocktail time coincides with dinner time, then Hot Sauce is a sure fire winner. Situated down a laneway inside the new QT Melbourne, the soundtrack is a mix of 90's throwbacks, classic hip hop and a few little-known tracks you will want to Shazam for later. But what to drink? We suggest the Special Cup. Japanese caramel fried chicken with spicy chilli and black sesame sits above a specially-made cup that hides a deliciously matched cocktail of Melbourne-made Capi sparkling smoked cola and Japanese whisky underneath. Cocktail and snacks in the same vessel? This is late night dining done right. VIETNAMESE MOJITO AT UNCLE CBD St Kilda's Uncle has been dishing up modern, upmarket Vietnamese eats for the last few years and recently crossed the river to open up a sister venue in the CBD. The casual sharing menu has a mix of classic eats that will remind you of street food adventures around Ho Chi Minh City (if you should be so lucky to have had some), and the cocktail menu is very much a Melbourne interpretation of classics with a Vietnamese twist. Think lots of Szechuan pepper, pho spices, Vietnamese mint and of course plenty of Sriracha and fresh fruits. Uncle's twist on a Mojito is perfect for washing down spicy, Vietnamese pho — particularly if you crave it even on hot days. Plenty of stolen white rum, Vietnamese mint, fresh cumquats, palm syrup, lime and soda will satisfy even the most staunch of Mojito purists. [caption id="attachment_608153" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Simon Shiff[/caption] CHAMPAGNE ICY POLES AT ARBORY Icy poles and booze — they're the two staples of a quintessential long, hot Aussie summer and, let's face it, what icy treat can't be improved by the addition of alcohol? Thanks to POPS, which launched in Australia last year, these two faves come together in a genius mix of Champagne and ice served in a Calippo-like cardboard vessel. The Classic is a frozen Champers and juice icy pole and the Bellini is a mix of hibiscus, blood orange juice, peach schnapps and Prosecco. The only bar you can currently lick these frozen delights at is riverside bar Arbory. It's a damn fine choice of venue, but if it's too hot to leave the house — or you want to enjoy POPS by a pool of your choice — then booze delivery lifesavers Tipple deliver the frozen treats to you in 60 minutes. BLOODY SANGRIA AT GOOD HEAVENS Just when you thought all bar themes had been exhausted, the team behind BBQ joint Fancy Hank's opens an '80s Miami Vice-themed rooftop bar. Perfect for summer, Good Heavens has a prime position on the second level of the building that once contained Tuscan Bar with a partially-open rooftop overlooking Bourke Street. While the bar has plenty of '80s-inspired classic cocktails (including a reinterpretation of a Blue Lagoon), it's the Bloody Sangria we are most excited by. Fresh blood orange juice is shaken with Solerno Blood Orange Liqueur, rosemary syrup and fresh citrus before getting topped up with Pinot Grigio. This cocktail would make it feel like summer even if it wasn't. QUINCESS LAYER AT NIEUW AMSTERDAM Last year robbed the world of many great celebrities. To honour the late Carrie Fisher who will be long remembered for, amongst other things, her defining role as Princess Leia in the Star Wars films, comes the Quincess Layer. This cocktail is full of East London dry gin, cardamom liqueur, Mozart Dry, house-made raspberry and white cacao tonic, coffee oil and a quince paste rim. This is a perfect after-dinner cocktail — but we also recommend trying dessert. Here's to you, Princess. FROSÉ AT MR MIYAGI It wouldn't be a 2017 cocktail list without mentioning one of the most Instagrammed drinks of the summer: frosé. This is less Frankenstein's monster and more a welcome love child between adult drinks and Slurpees — and the master of this summer treat is Chapel Street restaurant Mr Miyagi. Domaine Chandon Pinot Noir Rosé, which has notes of strawberries and cream, is tossed into the restaurant's own Slurpee-style machine with a little sugar to be slushed, crushed and frozen for thirsty guests. Topped with an exotic-looking edible flower, we don't think this will be the only summer of frosé. WATERMELON PASSION AT 400 GRADI Walking past Brunswick's 400 Gradi, you could easily be forgiven for thinking it's just another pizza joint. You would be very, very wrong though. After Johnny Di Francesco's win at the World Pizza Championships — where 400 Gradi's margherita was awarded first prize — this pizza joint quickly shot to the top of every foodie's hit list. To wash down your award winning pizza, we suggest getting a sweet Watermelon Passion. Gin, fresh watermelon juice, a squeeze of lime and some sprigs of mint make this one of the most simple, yet tasty summer drinks on our list. YARRA VALLEY SOUR AT ROOFTOP AT QT Perched 11 floors above Melbourne sits one of the city's newest rooftop destinations: the Rooftop at QT. This bar is a mix of openair deck and casual indoor couches, which will come in handy when the warmer months unfortunately come to an end. The expert bartenders are capable of making a drink to your tastes, but we suggest starting off with a few of their signature tipples first. The Yarra Valley Sour is made with Healesville's Four Pillars gin, freshly squeezed lemon, orange blossom, egg white and topped off with a drop of Pinot Noir. We know what you're thinking: red wine in a gin-based summer cocktail? You'll have to trust us on this one — it's going to be one of your new favourites. With capacity for 185 people, we recommend getting here early to secure a seat. This is one of the best places to enjoy a balmy night, watching the cityscape with an ice-cold cocktail in hand. MO' MONEY AT SEOULJA BOY What kind of monster doesn't love a daggy pun? The team behind Bourke Street's new Korean-Japanese bar Seoulja Boy are not afraid to make a few. But what this bar is really about is anju — that is, the Korean version of izakaya pub food. So expect lots of smaller plates designed to be eaten, in a casual way, with friends over drinks. In honour of The Notorious B.I.G's classic lyrics, Mo'Money is a Korean-inspired cocktail made with green tea, muddled cucumber, mint, lime and Korean soju. If you're still thirsty after the Mo' Money, take the next logical step by ordering the Mo' Problems. TOKYO COCO AT HORSE BAZAAR With regular nights featuring everything from storytelling and live hip hop to traditional Japanese performances and open mic nights, Horse Bazaar has something for everyone. But for summer, they've crafted some unusual and delicious cocktails to match their menu using classic Japanese ingredients such as yuzu, Japanese whisky, pickled ginger, umeshu liqueur and green tea. Our pick though is the Tokyo Coco which mixes strawberry-infused coconut water, Diplomatico Blanco white rum, a touch of rosewater and freshly squeezed lime juice. Perfect.
Peanut butter and blueberry jam. Vanilla creme and chocolate ganache. Lime curd with toasted meringue. These are just a few of the diabetes-inducing flavours that have earned Doughboys a reputation as one of the best doughnut outfits in town. For the past couple of years, Will McKenzie and his team of dough-fiends have popped-up in shared spaces, coffee shops and markets around Melbourne, spreading joy and tooth decay wherever they go. Now, in a piece of news that has us drooling over our keyboard, they've finally cut the ribbon on their first official store. Located towards the Southern Cross end of Bourke Street in the CBD, Doughboys HQ has been a long time in the making, with McKenzie teasing plans for a permanent storefront all the way back in May. Still, we have a suspicion that it'll all be worth the wait. Following a successful trial run on Christmas Eve, they'll be open for realsies on January 4. We might start camping out now though, to make sure we're first through the door. Designed by Studio Esteta, the store boasts tiled floors, high ceilings and ample display cases, so sugar-obsessed doughnut-lovers can press their noses against the glass. Small Batch Roasting Co. will be providing the coffee, and hopefully they'll keep up their partnership with Gelato Messina as well. Because if there's one thing better than a doughnut, it's a doughnut stuffed with chocolate fudge brownie ice cream. Doughboys Donuts is located at 535 Bourke Street, Melbourne and will be open for business from Monday January 4. For more information visit them on Facebook or at their website. Via Good Food.
Although it certainly doesn’t feel like it, spring is just around the corner. So too is Melbourne Spring Fashion Week, and this year they're really pushing the boat out. Alongside the catwalks and usual fashion bonanzas around town, Emporium Melbourne have received the memo that we’re all just big kids in high fashion garb and are creating a multi-storey playground for us. The highlight? A freaking ball pit. Every level of the CBD's already fancy Emporium will be replete with unique activities and installations. As well as getting your guilt-free shop on (because it’s Fashion Week, duh) you can also dive head-first into a 3m x 3m chic ball pit without feeling like you might accidentally elbow someone’s child in the face with your enthusiasm. And while you’re in there, feel free to have a ANTM moment and pose for the cameras. And the fun won’t stop there. For hairy gentlemen, you'll find Whiskey + Whiskers on the lower ground level. While the ‘whiskers’ side things doesn’t mean a kitten-petting station, it does mean you can deposit yourself here for a bev and beard trim. Upstairs on the ground floor is where you’ll find the giant neon playground that spits out prizes every hour (yes, you read that correctly). One floor up, you'll find the beauty station for the ladies with a hair and beauty bar for makeup retouching, coloured contact lens trials and a braiding station (face it — there’s nothing more luxurious than someone gently braiding your hair). All this primping and preening will make sense during the evening when you make your way up one more floor to the party level. Hello, free prosecco on Friday. Hello, garden party and official MSFW photo booth, we'll be here for a while. And we’re not even done yet. If your weary legs can carry your shopping bags, new hair-do and booze-fuelled body up the stairs, make your way to level three to welcome spring with a snack in the cafe court while being serenaded by local live music.
October. It's the month where the weather starts to warm up (well, fingers crossed), spring fashion sweeps through the city and we finally get that glorious hour of sunlight to fuel our after-work adventures. So what better time to start splorin' the CBD? Melbourne Festival is on and is taking over the city with a cavalcade of art and red webbing, there's a bunch of exhibitions (showing everything from Banksy's work to that of designers Viktor&Rolf) and a festival dedicated entirely to our preferred drink for this time of year: the G&T. Get amongst it.
Victoria is truly a cornucopia of earthly delights. Just a few hours from the centre of Melbourne lie some of Australia's lushest landmarks – the Grampians, the Great Ocean Road and Wilsons Prom, to name a few. And yet something often stops us from getting out of the city. Whether it's a lack of time, a private vehicle, like-minded friends or camping equipment, it's easy to not take full advantage of our location and get out into nature. Enter Hike and Seek, a boutique tour company that take small groups on day adventures from Melbourne. After launching in September last year, co-founders James McCleery and Mette Kortelainen quickly realised they were onto something amazing. "We started with two tours and now we're doing six tours on a weekly basis," says James. "Generally we book every tour out…it's been an absolute dream for us." McCleery and Kortelainen live and breathe an outdoorsy lifestyle. They imagined Hike and Seek several years ago while hiking in Wilsons Prom and now spend six days a week leading hiking tours. Unlike big tour companies, Hike and Seek is a little more personal. With just eight people on a tour, you'll be picked up by a Kombi van named Olivia from either St Kilda or the CBD. From there on out, Hike and Seek provide everything, from equipment and ethically-sourced coffee from Supreme to fresh vegan food and snacks throughout the day. So where do they take you? McCleery and Kortelainen run full and half-day tours to some of the best hiking spots around Melbourne — Wilsons Promontory, the Otways, Cape Woolamai on Phillip Island, Mt Buller, the Grampians and the Mornington Peninsula all make the list. As the tour groups are so small, they're perfect for solo travellers and anyone looking to make new friends. But this isn't some tourist activity full of visiting families and rowdy groups of backpackers. "We thought our target marketing was the travellers and the backpacker, but we realised quickly that 70 percent of our market is Melbourne-based," says James. "We actually get a lot of corporate people. We get Airbnb customers and Melbourne-based people, who've just always wanted to do it — they've heard of Wilsons Prom or the Grampians, but they've never been. Or their friends bail last minute, or they don't have a car or they wanna do it with a group." Hike and Seek also offer something else you won't find with most big tour companies: delicious vegan food. Before becoming a full-time hiker, Mette studied nutrition in Helsinki, so all the food you'll chow down on is super healthy and animal product-free, and bound to give you plenty of energy to tear through your hike. "We're not preachers at all but so many people are so intrigued by it [the vegan food]," James says "They're there to get active and healthy as well, so there's a like minded group of people there who're embarking on a journey together". Come summer, they'll even be expanding to two- and three-day camping tours for those who CBFed buying a tent but crave time out from the city. All you have to worry about now is finding a comfy pair of shoes. Hike and Seek run tours from Melbourne most days of the week. Tours book out fast so you'll need to book in advance at hikeandseek.com.au. Love a good hike? Here's eight one-day hikes that you can do on your own from Melbourne.
Brunswick East has always been blessed with late-night joints and there was much wailing and gnashing of teeth when institution Café Romantica closed last year after 30 years of serving pizzas basically 24/7. Big shoes to fill, perhaps. But the new owners — Oscar Hermann, Monty Mullooly-Hill, Ravi Thompson, Henry Crawford and Bill Howard — have redone the interior, produced an exceptional menu and drinks list. And, having been open for six months now, they're killing it. While the name Bar Romantica may conjure up images of a small, intimate, cosy bar set-up, that couldn't be further from the truth. It actually seems kind of cavernous on first approach with its high ceilings and mirrors on opposing walls, and the space goes way back past the bar to the open kitchen, booths and the pool table. But, despite that, it's actually a pretty romantic place. It might be the curves — there are some stylish lines going on in the sweeping crescent of an American oak bar, and the wooden arches spanning the ceiling from one side to the other. It might be the dim glow of the art deco milk glass pendant lights. Or it might be the lipstick-red vinyl booth seating. It's all very appealing. And if the way to anyone's heart is through their stomach, then the menu certainly will certainly raise the romance. It's got sophisticated snacks, excellent mains and, in a nod to the venue's history, the kitchen's kept the classic Pizza Romantica ($18) on there, zhuzhed a little with a Napoli crust and — if you want to pay an extra five bucks — a hint of 'nduja. The menu changes daily, reflecting seasonal nuances and goodness. Expect such delights as the veggies with smoked cashew butter ($14), an exceptionally creamy and slightly smoky dip that'll make you want to lick the plate just to get every last bit. Or the kangaroo tartare with fermented chilli, radish and egg yolk ($16). All of the pastas are made in-house and, on Wednesdays, you can get a bowl of the vegetarian pasta special with a glass of wine for a very reasonable $20. Drinks are mostly local with a range of local craft beer, Australian wines and a selection of classic cocktails. Apart from Monday and Tuesday, Bar Romantica is open late each night, and until 4am on Fridays and Saturdays. While it might not be the all-occasions drop-in spot it once was, whether you're a night owl, a party animal, looking for a good date night spot or just want to treat yourself to some delicious food, Bar Romantica is ready and waiting for you. Images: Kate Shanasy.
Last February, we lost our collective shit over these adorable little souls. Now, because it's spring and dreams can come true, dumpling monarchs Din Tai Fung have gone ahead and brought back those cute, cute little morsels — the sweet lamb buns are back. Available from throughout Sydney and Melbourne from September 26 – November 30, Din Tai Fung's sweet little buns are limited edition, Instagrammable goodness. Just LOOK AT THEM. They're called 'Baa Buns' because sometimes life just gets it right. Good news, you don't have to connect the dots between the lamb inside and out of the bun — they're desserty little blighters. Baa buns come steamed-to-order with a formidable filling of molten dark chocolate and taro, $3.80 each. The little edible lambies will be available in Sydney at World Square, Central Park, Westfield Chatswood, Westfield Miranda, and in Melbourne at their Emporium chapter. There'll be limited quantities at each venue, available daily. But if you visit on the same day as us, we take no prisoners. Din Tai Fung's limited edition spring sweet lamb buns are available from throughout Sydney and Melbourne from September 26 – November 30 (not available at Din Tai Fung cafe court venues).
Red Door Yum Cha is far from your traditional, family Chinese restaurant. Firstly, you won't see a yum cha trolley wheeling around. Rather, diners order off a menu, and the food comes directly from the kitchen without doing the rounds.Secondly, Red Door actually doubles up as an antiques and furniture store. You may find yourself sitting on a black lacquered dining table, among traditional red wardrobes and dressing tables, that are all for sale (and you can run on home with). The menu is a construct of old and reinvented Chinese food. You'll find traditional prawn har gow. The scallop dumplings arepretty smashing, too. If you want the best of the land and the sea, go the pork, prawn and corn dumplings. Coeliacs, you'll behappy to know that two thirds of the dumpling menu is gluten free. Moving on from dumplings (even though you may not want to) are the more substantial dishes. The Chairman Mao hong shaorou is a must. Braised pork belly is paired with Chinese wine, star anise and ginger, freshened up with bok choy to create a knockout dish. The braised beef hotpot is also hard to pass up, slow cooked in a black bean stock and served with rice and vegetables. To drink is an abundance of teas, spanning from oolong to herbal iced teas. There's no such thing as a cocktail jug here —instead, drinks like the Elderflower Collins are hidden in traditional Chinese teapots. Shielded by the calmness of white lanterns, Red Door is a calmand enjoyable dining space — where tradition and modernity fuse.
The splish-splash of water isn't something you'd usually expect to find much of inside the walls of a gallery, but that's all set to change as NGV Australia pays homage to one of our great Australian icons: the swimming pool. Opening on August 18, The Pool: Architecture, Culture and Identity will explore this cultural symbol in all its glory, with the help of a multi-sensory, 11-metre pool installation, set up within the gallery's Design Studio. The free interactive exhibition will play with water, sound, light and scent to highlight the connection between culture, landscape and architecture. It'll look the real deal, too, complete with wooden decking and sun lounges — and visitors will even be allowed to dip their feet in for a refreshing paddle. This is the first time the installation has come to Australia after showing at the 2016 Venice Architecture Biennale. Further emphasising the swimming pool's link to our national identity, eight pool 'lanes' will each feature an audio excerpt from a high-profile Aussie figure, sharing their own nostalgia-tinged, pool-inspired stories. This will include The Slap and Barracuda (good pre-exhibition pool-related reading, by the way) author Christos Tsiolkas and Aussie rock god Paul Kelly, through to Olympic gold medalists Shane Gould and Ian Thorpe. The Pool: Architecture, Culture and Identity will show at The Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia from August 18 until February 2018. For more information, visit ngv.vic.gov.au.
Ever driven across the Story Bridge and thought, "Wouldn't it be great to go to a market here?" We know, that might not have crossed your mind exactly. But it must've popped into the heads of the folks behind Hamilton's Eat Street Markets, because that's exactly what they're about to do. On July 5, the Brisbane landmark will be doing more than just linking Kangaroo Point and Fortitude Valley. In fact, cars will have to find an alternate route across the river, because a food market is taking over the entire bridge. Around 50 vendors have been invited to sell their delicious, delicious wares, so there'll be plenty of tasty treats on offer. A whopping 20,000 people are allowed on the bridge at a time, which sounds like a lot — but what Brisbanite would miss out on checking out this historic, ultra-novelty event? Indeed, given that everyone in Brisbane has already seen the bridge covered in fireworks many, many times, there's probably no better way to celebrate the 75th birthday of the heritage-listed icon. The bridge officially opened for business back on July 6, 1940 after five years of construction, and now sees an average of 97,000 cars zoom across it each day. While gathering for a bite to eat on the bridge might be something new, spending money there isn't. It was originally a toll road, with charges removed in 1947. Since 2005, people have been paying to scale its heights as part of the Story Bridge Adventure Climb experience. Now, for one night only, you can snack, browse and devour delicious local food with the best view in town. Brisbane's Story Bridge will closed to traffic for the food market for one night on July 5. Via Brisbane Times. Image: andzzz, judyvannorman and Tim Williams — Flickr via Wikimedia Commons and Eat Street Markets. View all Brisbane Events.
Today a brand new sleek restaurant and bar opens — but it's not where you'd expect. MPD Steak Kitchen isn't located in the CBD, or the inner suburbs. It's in the outer southeastern suburb of Berwick. And not only that, the new 200-seater has an ex-Vue de Monde chef and a former Attica sommelier on board. Not bad for Berwick. MPD — which is a nod to the Meatpacking District in New York City — is a concept from Victor and Robert Zagame, who are the same siblings behind Spice Market and that suburban family bistro chain Zagame's. As the name suggests, it's a venue with a very specific focus. Steak. Really, really nice steak. Taking charge of the kitchen at the two-storey venue is Chris Bonello, former executive chef at the Vue Group, which includes Vue de Monde and Bistro Vue. He'll be in charge of sourcing prime cuts of beef, including Cape Grim sirloin, Rangers Valley pope's eye and rump from Blackmore Wagyu. Side options range from hand-cut chips to truffle mac and cheese and honey-glazed brussels sprouts with pancetta. If, for some inexplicable reason, you don't feel like steak at a steak restaurant, other mains include John Dory with char-grilled lettuce, olive tapenade and pearl barley, and Flinders Island lamb with radish, sunflower and quince. That said, we do have to admit that we're quite taken by a couple of the dessert options, like the burnt mandarin mousse with dulce de leche, basil sorbet and dehydrated milk, and the white chocolate parfait with pistachio aero, lemon curd and bitter chocolate. The wine list includes an impressive 250+ options chosen by ex-Attica restaurant manager and young gun sommelier Banjo Harris Plane. Not into wine? They've also got craft beer and cider, a selection of bourbons and scotches, plus a number of adventurous cocktails made with liquid nitrogen. MPD Steak Kitchen is now open on the corner of Greaves Road and Clyde Road, Berwick. For more information visit mpdsteakkitchen.com.
It's absolutely true and absolutely about time. There's an official Hello Kitty diner coming to Sydney. Yep, it's not quite another kitten cafe, but we'll take it. Whether the establishment will be pop-up or permanent, the crew haven't revealed much at all yet, with a single Instagram post saying: The diner's Facebook page indicates the diner's cuisine will be primarily American, with hot dogs and burgers flagged; so it looks like it won't be the Hello Kitty yum cha style Hong Kong can look forward to at the world's first official Hello Kitty restaurant. This isn't the first Hello Kitty establishment for Australia — Sanrio's first licensed Australian Hello Kitty Cafe is in Adelaide, selling simply adorable cakes and baked goods. If you can't wait a few months until the Sydney diner reveals an opening date, just book a trip on the Hello Kitty airplane, regularly running from Paris to Taipei in all its Kitty glory. Watch this space for more info as it comes out, we're sure there's going to be adorable images of Hello Kitty-shaped burgs coming your way soon. Image: Hello Kitty pancake by Ellie, Kawaii Kakkoii Sugoi. Not part of the upcoming menu but adorable anyway.
Cat cafes around the country are in for some adorable competition, with a new animal-themed eatery set to open in Melbourne's northern suburbs. Rabbit-lovers David Johnson and Helen Hu are currently asking for donations for what they hope will becomes Australia's first ever bunny cafe. Frankly, if the words 'bunny' and 'cafe' aren't enough to make you donate on the spot, then we just don't know that there's anything we can do for you. The couple, who previously owned and operated a handmade accessories shop in Olinda, are currently looking for $20,000 to secure a location in or around Fitzroy. Anyone who wants to see this happen can donate via the cafe's website. Alternatively, you can check out their Facebook page, where they've been auctioning off rabbit-themed merchandise including rings and mugs, and posting many, many, painfully cute bunny videos such as this one. No news yet on what food the cafe will be serving, although they have unveiled a coffee menu with beverages named after the beloved pets of generous donors, including the 'Flopsy' Cappuccino, the 'Ruffles' Hot Chocolate and the 'Bunzor' Espresso. (Bunzor? Seriously?) As for their fluffy tenants, they'll come courtesy of Victoria's first and only no-kill rabbit shelter, the Rabbit Run-Away Orphanage – and unlike many cat cafes, the plan is to make all the animals in the cafe available for adoption. To make a donation to Bunny Cafe Melbourne, visit their website at www.bunnycafemelbourne.com.au Via The Northsider. Image: Dollar Photo Club.
Have you ever watched Groundhog Day and found yourself thinking, "this is all ace and amusing, but I wish a masked murderer was running amok?" Have you ever settled down for Edge of Tomorrow and decided that the whole thing really could use some spooky college hijinks? If your answer to either of those questions is yes, then horror-comedy Happy Death Day just might be the film you're looking for. Here, reliving the same day comes with laughs, scares and a very determined killer. Sorority sister Tree (Jessica Rothe) is the character caught in a loop, but becoming a better person or stopping alien invaders isn't her aim. Instead, she just wants to work out why she keeps ending up dead — and, obviously, to figure out how to avoid it. Each day plays out the same way: she wakes up in the dorm room of a classmate, Carter (Israel Broussard), who she assumes she drunkenly hooked up with, before shuddering when her roommate Lori (Ruby Modine) tries to give her a birthday cupcake. Going to class, house meetings, ignoring her dad, getting ready for her own surprise party — nothing is particularly out of the ordinary. Or rather, it seems that way until she's brutally attacked, then finds herself doing it all over again. Given Hollywood's fondness for repetition, it's surprising that a film like Happy Death Day didn't happen earlier. There are plenty of elements here that movie fans will recognise — and that's not news to director Christopher Landon (Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse). This is a flick that's well aware that Groundhog Day exists, and that the slasher scenario has been done to death (note the sly references to "Monday the 18th"). It's also knows that the Scream franchise has already found the thrilling and funny side of calling out and exaggerating genre tropes. Still, don't underestimate how far a playful tone and knowing approach can go in this situation. Producer Jason Blum is something of a horror maestro these days, backing the Paranormal Activity and Insidious franchises as well as this year's hits Split and Get Out. Keeping that successful run going, his latest takes to its satirical task with glee — think slick, montage-heavy visuals, an upbeat vibe and soundtrack, and absolutely no misapprehensions about the sort of entertaining, tongue-in-cheek movie that it wants to be. Thanks to the great work of Rothe, Happy Death Day also boasts an impressive central performance. Focusing on an attractive young woman fending off a bad guy is hardly new territory given the picture's chosen genre, but the actress last seen in La La Land portrays her protagonist as more than just a victim in waiting. After starting in Mean Girls territory, her zest and take-charge attitude matches that of the movie. As such, audiences should have no qualms about watching her experience the same day again and again — even if the film itself doesn't necessarily warrant repeat viewings. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ENyivsLb_g
Most people dislike the daily grind, but can art tell us what sort of impact our professional lives actually have our psyche? That's what Mark All As Read sets out to explore at Blindside Gallery with the exhibition presenting a critical gaze into the physical and virtual space of the office and the world of productivity. Taking over both galleries at Blindside, local artists Nick Modrzewski, Nabilah Nordin and Katie Paine show through a variety of creative mediums and expressions the effect of work on the body, and what might be gained or lost from working within a professional space. Each artist offers their own perspective on the subject, with Modrzewski combining exploring power hierarchies through painting, sculpture, performance and more, while Nordin works with various found and discarded materials. Finally, Katie Paine's work features installation and collage to create immersive artworks reimagining the office experience. Mark As Read is on now at Blindside Gallery, showing until Saturday October 21.
Gauchito Gil is Argentina's Robin Hood. As such, it seems fitting that Australia's own Malbec World Day has been borrowed from the South American country, where the majority of the world's malbec comes from. If this day is a donation from the grape god, it's one we're happy to accept. After a successful four years, Gauchito Gil is once again bringing Malbec Day to Melbourne with a five-hour wine bonanza at North Melbourne's Meat Market on Sunday, April 23. The event comes from the organisers of the Pinot Palooza and Game of Rhones, and mirrors the free-reign tasting set up. Your $60 ticket will include a wine glass, and from there you'll be able to move around, sampling over 60 Australian, French and Argentine Malbec varietals. Other events have been known to get a little boozy, so to soak up all that wine there will be top-notch empanadas from Rockwell & Sons, San Telmo, The Mill House, Gertrude Street Enoteca and Alejandro Saravia's soon-to-open CHE — all vying for the prestigious Golden Empanada award. It really doesn't matter if you know everything there is about Malbec or if you don't know much at all, because Malbec World Day is about education and celebration of the Argentine grape. And what better way to celebrate than with an bottomless glass of wine?
There are some shows that you know you need to see based purely on the name. Assisted Suicide: The Musical is one of them. Written and performed by disability rights campaigner and actor Liz Carr, this "TED talk with showtunes" arrives on our shores following sell-out engagements in the UK, at a time when Victorian state parliament is gearing up for a conscience vote on euthanasia. Carr's toe-tapping production for the Melbourne International Comedy Festival will provide a personal, entertaining perspective on a controversial subject, and may well force a few audience members to confront their own beliefs and prejudices.
My yoga studio has a basketball court below it. During a calming session of yoga, it is not uncommon to hear the piercing screech of a whistle, frequent cheering and the intermittent shrieks of "Great shot Mike!". One time, I kid you not, there was a marching band procession going down, and the instructor had to calmly try and talk over the incessant drumming. Quite un-zen. Flow After Dark Silent Disco Yoga seeks to give yoga enthusiasts the exact opposite experience. How exactly does one silent disco yoga? Quite easily with the introduction of wireless headphones. These bad boys give participants a one-on-one with instructor, Flow Athletic co-founder Kate Kendall, while simultaneously pumping out beats from Sydney DJ James Mack. Also, they're neon. This one-off, 90-minute Vinyasa yoga session will see a whopping 400 yogis come together at Melbourne Town Hall It's probably your best (possibly only) chance to show off your best warrior pose while simultaneously listening to some seriously smooth music. Silently.
Odds are you might not have heard much about director Meera Menon's latest film, Equity. It's a story about the plight of women on Wall Street, written by and funded by women. It's not as glamorous as The Wolf of Wall Street, nor as dramatic as Wall Street. But then again, maybe that's the point. Anna Gunn plays Naomi Bishop, who is basically just Skylar White if she was on Wall Street instead of the Albuquerque 'burbs. The story begins just after Bishop botches a major IPO ('initial public offering' for your info – don't be that guy, Googling during the movie). Bishop is a ball breakin', money lovin' banker who needs a big win to secure a promotion and gain back her colleagues' confidence. Her specialty is finding Silicon Valley tech start-ups and hand holding them through their IPO. It's slow burning narrative, with a focus on the developing relationship between Bishop and her protégé Erin Manning (Samantha Megan Thomas). All the while the fabric is being poked by Samantha Ryan (Alysia Reiner), a detective looking into allegations of insider trading. Don't be deceived by the Wall Street veneer. At the heart of this film is a tale as old as time – women getting dicked around at work. The story is about gender politics, morality, feminism and the difficult paths that women tread while navigating a world dominated by men. It's gritty in the sense that it's often ugly and mundane. Anna Gunn is great – although not particularly sympathetic – as the picture's driven protagonist. The rest of the cast, meanwhile, offer subtle and realistic representations of womanhood that are so sorely lacking in other films. With an all-female production team, including its trio of writers, Equity circumvents other problematic patterns too. You won't find any romantic dramas at the centre of the female character's lives. There's no pointless nudity, and we're glad to say that the film passes the Bechdel test with flying colours. But perhaps most refreshing, Equity doesn't use the female cast and crew angle to drum up any brownie points. Instead it just walks the walk, unapologetically giving jobs, screen time and funding to a mostly female cohort. It's a feminist film in every sense of the word. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xg2TSp5tJy4
With a lot of the shows at Melbourne Festival, it's hard to get an idea what to expect from the name alone. But that's certainly not the case with Haircuts by Children, in which brave volunteers (if you're one of them, you can register online) will be placed at the mercy of pre-teens with scissors. Conceived by Canadian artist Darren O'Donnell, the work explores the extent to which we are willing to trust and empower future generations. Held over two weekends, the first pop-up haircut station will be held at Razor Dolls in Windsor on October 15 and 16 before it moves to Fur Hairdressing in Fitzroy for October 22 and 23. The upside? You get a free haircut. The downside? There's no guarantee it'll be any good. Image: John Lauener.
Contemporary dance meets figure skating in this critically acclaimed show from Canada's Le Patin Libre. Five skaters will take to the rink at the O'Brien Group Arena (aka that ice skating rink in Docklands), where they'll trade sequinned outfits for streetwear and a pulse-pounding soundtrack. On ice from October 15, Vertical Influences shapes up as one of the most intriguing dance works on the program at this year's Melbourne Festival. Just make sure you bring a coat, because things could get a wee bit chilly. Image: Zoé Anne.
Join the salami army at the 2016 edition of this gastronomic gathering at Northcote Town Hall. Now in its fifth straight year, think of the Melbourne Salami Festa as Woodstock or ComicCon — but for salami. So way better, is basically what we're saying. Running from 10am until 10pm on Saturday, October 8 and 10am to 6pm the next day, the event — a bona fide cured meat carnival — will include workshops, demonstrations, DJs and bands, as well as a Grand Salumi Hall featuring dozens of producers from far and wide. Meatsmith and D.O.C. are just a few of the locals who'll be carving up their wares. Wander between the stalls and sample what's on offer, before returning on the Sunday to cast your vote in the highly coveted People's Choice Awards. Image: Brown Shoes Productions.
To celebrate the launch of their brand new exhibition Fashion Artists — which features more than 35 of their most iconic haute couture creations — master fashion designers Viktor Horsting and Rolf Snoeren will appear in the flesh for one night only at the National Gallery of Victoria. Set to take place at 6.30pm on the evening of Friday, October 21, Victor&Rolf in Conversation will see the Dutchmen weigh in on their work in a discussion with the exhibition's guest curator, Thierry-Maxime Loriot. Expect the conversation to cover the duo's passion for 'wearable art' as well as some of their most memorable shows from the course of their illustrious two-and-a-half decade career. Tickets to this exclusive event will include entry into the exhibition itself, which runs from October 21 until February 26.
