Just when you thought we'd eaten the country dry of Nutella with our Tella Ball milkshakes and Nutella doughnuts (not to mention just plain eating it out of the jar with a spoon), comes the pinnacle of our obsession with the magical hazelnut spread: a whole festival dedicated to Nutella. Dubbed Nutella-Palooza, the one-day festival will celebrate all things 'Tella, and will most probably see people smearing the stuff over their bodies and pa-losing their shit in the process. So you better get those spoons poised and clear some room in your stomach and schedule for Saturday, April 9. The one-day free event will be held Adelaide's Bonython Park (sorry, east coasters), and will feature bakery stall with all the Nutella-stuffed pastries you can image, cooking demonstrations so you can make the magic happen at home, and, of course, a buttload of Nutella. If you're wondering how you're going to handle all this hazelnut sugary goodness, there will be non-Nutella food trucks on-site too — so you can cleanse your palate with some savoury snacks before heading back for round two. The festival has been put together by "a group of Adelaide Nutella fans" who, aside from being deadset legends, are total geniuses. Last September saw Melbourne host a Nutella pop-up, but this just takes things to the next level. It looks like 2016 will be the year of the niche specialty food festival. We just home peanut butter is next. Nutella-Palooza is a free event and will take place at Bonython Park, Adelaide on Saturday, April 9 from 11am - 5pm. For more information, visit nutella-palooza.com.
If you're walking through the aisles of seafood, cheese slabs and miscellaneous Aussie paraphernalia at the Queen Victoria Market in June and happen to think, 'gee, I could really do with some truffles', there's a chance you might be in luck. On the third weekend of the month, the market will host its annual Truffle Melbourne Festival. No longer just the terrain of your posh great aunt and people at fancy French restaurants, truffles are more accessible than ever (albeit, with a price tag). The Truffle Melbourne Festival initially started out at Prahran Market, and has been the biggest event on Melbourne's truffle calendar for the last five years — it's returning to the Queen Vic Market for the third time on the weekend of June 22 and 23. The free-to-attend festival will see live chef demos and even mock truffle hunts with some adorable truffle sniffer dogs. That's not to mention all the truffle-related produce you can dream of — think truffle-infused raclette, truffle-topped pizzas, truffle-stuffed toasties and even truffle-dusted coffees. There'll also be free samples and tastings to be had across the two days. We'd be making the most of that. Image: Matt Houston Photography.
This year, Melbourne's Royal Botanic Gardens clocks up a huge 175 years. And to mark this milestone birthday, it's inviting punters along for an in-depth glimpse at some of its most iconic landscapes. A new series of free Garden Gathering events kicks off on Saturday, February 20, each one focused on celebrating a different aspect of the historic 38-hectare precinct. First up, is a deep-dive into the newly completed arid garden, and surrounding elements like the eucalypt lawn and Guilfoyle's Volcano. This little pocket of the gardens features a whopping 3000 arid plants, including a vibrant array of striking cacti and succulents that'll have you plotting your next plant shop visit, stat. Bring along a picnic lunch, and settle in for an afternoon of nature appreciation and knowledge. Running from 10am–3pm, each Garden Gathering event will deliver a fresh program of guided tours, curator talks and self-guided activities, along with a series of creative workshops designed to inspire some green thumb action of your own.
You've watched all eight seasons of Game of Thrones. You've read George RR Martin's A Song of Fire and Ice series, too, or at least bought it and have a shiny box set of novels sat on your bookshelf. You've sat on the Iron Throne, or made a date to. You've made plans to visit the Winterfell tour, drunk Game of Thrones beers and seen a Game of Thrones concert experience. Yes, the list goes on. You get the point — if you're reading this, you aren't just a casual fan of the hugely successful HBO franchise that's been spun from Martin's words. You're a devotee, and you've been waiting for years for what's certain to be a hefty lineip of Game of Thrones prequels, sequels and spinoffs to start. That time is now, with the arrival of House of the Dragon from Monday, August 22 Down Under. Obviously, you're celebrating with the best wine in your own personal version of King's Landing. Don't just sip your chalice or tankard of choice whenever you like while watching House of the Dragon, though. As you dive into this series about House Targaryen, which starts 172 years before the birth of Daenerys, we recommend turning the experience into a drinking game. There's plenty to say cheers to — and we've put together a part-rundown, part-silly speculation, part-wishlist of things to look out for (while consuming alcohol responsibly, of course). A SMALL SIP: DRINK LIKE SOMEONE SAID "WINTER IS COMING" FOR THE BILLIONTH TIME Someone points out that winter is coming, even if those words aren't specifically said. Someone says "dracarys". Someone says succession, successor or heir. A dragon is seen or spoken about. The Iron Throne is seen or spoken about. Someone gets a limb or appendage lopped off. Matt Smith looks shifty. A familiar piece of music plays. A familiar family name gets a mention. Nudity. Someone says "a girl?", "a woman?" or a similar sentiment. You spot House of the Dragon's obvious equivalent of a Game of Thrones character. You think you see Daenerys because of all the long blonde hair swishing about. Someone makes a promise everyone knows will be broken. A dragon saves the day. The show heads to a recognisable setting. A BIG GULP: DRINK LIKE YOU'RE TYRION LANNISTER ON AN ORDINARY MONDAY MORNING There's a messy marriage proposal or chaotic wedding. A George RR Martin title is mentioned. Someone is literally stabbed in the back. Someone pimps out a family member. There's yet another creepy relationship, whether due to gross age gaps, family ties or both. Someone turns out to be a bastard. You think you've figured out how the Game of Thrones credits came about. You spot a well-known Australian actor. A FEW MOUTHFULS: DRINK LIKE YOU JUST FOUND OUT YOUR BOYFRIEND IS YOUR NEPHEW Orgies! Zombies! Someone makes Joffrey look like a saint. You start predicting what the inevitable prequel to this prequel will cover. AS MUCH AS YOU LIKE: DRINK LIKE YOU'VE JUST REALISED YOU'RE AT THE RED WEDDING Someone says "you know nothing" — or is told they know nothing. It all turns out to be a dream. A Game of Thrones character appears in a vision, flashback or through time travel. Ed Sheeran pops up again. House of the Dragon airs and streams from Monday, August 22 Down Under via Foxtel and Binge in Australia and SoHo, Sky Go and Neon in New Zealand. Keen to get a sneak peek at what's in store, too? Check out our House of the Dragon review as well. Images: Ollie Upton/HBO.
Whether it's breakfast in bed or a cafe feast, celebrating Mother's Day usually means kicking off the festivities with a thoughtful spread. This year, Pidapipo has teamed up with long-time friend, renowned cook and mother of two, Julia Busuttil Nishimura, on a limited-edition sweet treat that riffs on this idea. Drawing from Nishimura's much-loved Around the Table cookbook, together they've put a spin on her Roman maritozzi recipe. Traditionally enjoyed by Italians for breakfast, Nishimura's method sees these soft, cream-filled brioche buns infused with lemon and orange zest, vanilla and honey. However, Pidapipo is getting a little creative, swapping the cream for two gelato flavours. Baked by hand at Pidapipo's Fitzroy Laboratorio, these pillowy Mother's Day treats are available in panna (cream) and mochaccino (coffee and chocolate) flavours, topped with fluffy whipped cream before being finished with a drizzle of mocha fudge sauce. Finally, an Amarena cherry completes the dessert — a symbolic reference to matriarchs everywhere. Served on a gold Italian-style pastry tray, this touch hints at the pastry's Roman origins. "It's always such a pleasure working with Julia, and her recipes are always incredible," says Pidapipo Chef and Co-Founder Lisa Valmorbida. "This collaboration with Lisa, a fellow mum, reimagines that breakfast in bed ritual through a delicious dessert that celebrates the wonderful women in our lives," adds Nishimura. Available in-store only at Pidapipo locations from Friday, May 2–Friday, May 16, this collaboration goes beyond whipping up a one-of-a-kind dessert. For one extraordinary session on Saturday, May 10, Nishimura and Valmorbida will host an intimate maritozzi cooking class in the Fitzroy Laboratorio. Spanning two hours of hands-on fun, guests will learn the traditions behind the dessert before kneading, baking and assembling their own. Then it's time to dig in. Throughout the class, you'll learn about Pidapipo's gelato-making process and watch how the panna and mochaccino are churned to perfection using fresh ingredients. Priced at $160, each ticket also includes a Pidapipo hot chocolate on arrival and a copy of Nishimura's newest cookbook, Good Cooking Every Day. Plus, you'll score a copy of Valmorbida's cookbook, Pidapipo: Gelato Eight Days a Week and a 500ml take-home tub of gelato. Julia Busuttil Nishimura's Mother's Day Maritozzi is available in-store at all Pidapipo locations from Friday, May 2–Friday, May 16. The Pidapipo Maritozzi Cooking Class with Julia Busutill Nishimura is happening Saturday, May 10, from 10am–12pm. Head to the website for more information.
It's the Japanese fine dining experience characterised by intricately plated dishes, an intimate setting, and a produce-led menu that celebrates that perfect balance of taste, texture and precision. But we bet you've never experienced the concept of kaiseki quite like you will at Ishizuka, a contemporary 16-seat restaurant from famed chef Tomotaka Ishizuka, which has opened in Melbourne's CBD. The subterranean Bourke Street restaurant is only tiny, but it's promising big things in the flavour department, as Tomotaka delivers an expert interpretation of one of Japan's most respected culinary traditions. As is custom, Ishizuka's food offering will be built on a huge respect for fresh, seasonal produce and served with a healthy side of theatre. There'll be an oft-changing set menu of 11 dishes — maybe an amuse-bouche of spanner crab and sea urchin, followed by delicate sashimi creations, an assembly of soba seeds, truffle and quail egg, and a grilled piece of Mayura wagyu. A course of zensai (or small pretty things) features five petite delicacies, like boiled black tiger prawn with caviar, or cured ocean trout sushi. Of course, this doesn't come cheap — the kaiseki menu will cost $215 per diner, and an additional $110 for drink pairings. And the artful arrangements don't end with the food. Providing a fittingly dramatic backdrop to Ishizuka's culinary offerings is an avant garde space courtesy of acclaimed design practice Russell & George. Custom-made tableware by Kyoto ceramicists Shigeo and Yotaro Takemura help bring Tomotaka's food to life, while a drinks list by award-winning sommelier David Lawler (Spice Temple, Rockpool) will change regularly to complement the culinary delights coming from the kitchen. Find Ishizuka on the basement level of 139 Bourke Street, Melbourne. It's open Tuesday through Sunday. For more info, visit ishizuka.com.au. Images: Eve Wilson and Felix Forest.
Bottomless brunch has most certainly been a thing this year in Melbourne. Swan Street cocktail bar Fargo and Co. was one of the first to offer this sweet morning ritual — and remains one of the best. It's Richmond's answer to the perennial hair-of-the dog dilemma, or perhaps just an excuse to start a Sunday session early. It seems Fargo and Co.'s resolution is to keep doing what it does best. After throwing a debaucherous New Year's Eve shindig — complete with DJs and four hours of bottomless drinks and roving snacks — it'll keep the party going with a recovery brunch the next morning. Roll back in at 11am on New Year's Day, hangover in tow, and conquer it with the help of many bloody marys. Yes, bottomless cocktails are on the go, including mimosas and spritzes, plus prosecco if you can stomach the bubbly. The meal of your choice is also included in your $55 ticket — think smashed avo and a poachy if you're feeling wholesome or southern fried chicken and waffle if you're not. There'll also be live entertainment, and if you're really in top shape, freshly shucked oysters for $2 each. The New Year's Day Recovery Brunch is available between 11am–2pm on Tuesday, January 1. To make a reservation, head to the Fargo and Co. website.
Watching Fantasmas means beaming with joy and wonder, whether 2024's standout new comedy so far — and series overall — is embracing the idiosyncratic and fantastical, painting navigating life as a dystopian experience, or dreaming up anything and everything in-between. Wanting a world where normal colours aren't the only hues shining and palettes don't play by the rules of the rainbow is mentioned early in the six-episode HBO show, as uttered by creator, writer, director and star Julio Torres in-character as the on-screen Julio. At least as long as audiences are viewing the former Saturday Night Live scribe's latest project, they don't need to pine for the same dream: we thankfully live in a world where Fantasmas exists. With a series that uses a pitch to Crayola for clear crayons to initially weave in its championing of accepting and adoring difference, Torres welcomes viewers into a realm that couldn't have been conjured up by anyone else. Those familiar with 2017's famous 'Papyrus' sketch with Ryan Gosling (The Fall Guy) and the previous year's 'Wells for Boys' skit will know that Torres has a distinctive comedic vision, as kept dazzling when he became the co-guiding force behind Los Espookys, then the filmmaker responsible for Problemista. In Fantasmas, his way of seeing reality — and satirising it — beams bright like he's colouring in with highlighters. Streaming in Australia via Binge since June 2024, this is a show that celebrates eccentricity and confronts life's absurdities, doing so with a pencil case stuffed with crayons that no one else has ever considered picking up. It's true again here, as it was with Los Espookys: Torres leaves his viewers grateful that they inhabit the same plane where he's making TV. HBO has once more given him the means and support to craft a comedy series so singular, so clearly the work of a visionary and so gloriously surreal that it has almost no peers beyond his work — and it does indeed look and feel crafted. There's little that's the same in its narrative or aesthetics, but Fantasmas brings to mind the patron saint of spilling the contents of your head and heart onto the screen with zero willingness to compromise or hold back: David Lynch. While that's the utmost of praise, even such a comparison can't prepare audiences for a show where Steve Buscemi (Curb Your Enthusiasm) plays the letter Q as an avant-garde outsider musician and Santa Claus is taken to court by elves (SNL's Bowen Yang among them) for trying to pay them in Christmas spirit. Then there's series-within-a-series MELF — just one of Fantasmas' pop-culture parodies — which riffs on 80s and 90s hit sitcom ALF, is led by Paul Dano (Spaceman), features quite the twist on its alien-adopting premise and screens in rideshares. Fantasmas also delivers a commercial for toilet dresses fronted by an entrepreneur (Aidy Bryant, another SNL alum) with more passion than you'd expect possible for slinging clothing to deck out commodes. It's easy to keep noting the show's sketches, but the selection mentioned so far already demonstrates another few crucial layers to Torres' comedy. Pursuing nostalgia but realising that nothing is ever as you remembered, constantly and ceaselessly hustling and selling, never being able to escape content anywhere, succumbing to meaningless distractions because it's better than facing life unfiltered: add them to Fantasmas' musings. As the sets appear exactly like sets but with a DIY spin, and also as vignettes pop in and out to expand Julio's mindscape as much as the futuristic domain imagined by the IRL Torres, there is an overarching narrative at the core of Fantasmas. The series' take on Julio trades in concepts, plus in being unflinchingly himself, but doing anything is impossible without a Proof of Existence ID card. He's on a quest to secure one, which isn't straightforward. In the process, he's also searching for a tiny gold oyster earring, under the threat of becoming homeless, and pondering whether to upload his consciousness and jettison his body. As star-studded cameos stack up as well, by Julio's side are robot companion Bibo (Joe Rumrill, The Calling) and agent Vanesja (Martine Gutierrez, returning from Los Espookys and Problemista). The first yearns to become an actor, because seeking fame and fortune isn't just for people. The second is really a performance artist playing an agent, but has been immersed in the act for so long that she's long stopped merely doing the gig as a show. While marvelling at the ingenuity of Fantasmas also just comes with watching it, statements abound again and again in every element. Be it from a narrative arc, plot point, side quest, design detail or seeming throwaway joke, there's a message or several to draw from each and every second of the series — and no matter how phantasmagorical that everything it flings at the screen can get, which is very. Torres excavates and plays with a world that trusts companies and bureaucracies over humans. He sees the cold, hard truth that prizing possessions and consumerism is a form of solace and catharsis, especially when securing existence's necessities — housing being one — is a battle. Fantasmas also contemplates the sensation that being flesh and blood can feel like a disadvantage. Amid the array of relatable issues in its sights, it equally tears into perceptions of societal status, as well as class clashes, more of capitalism's many woes and inequities, health care, the treatment of immigrants and the inescapable online realm. Although purposefully eager to splash around its handmade-esque creativity, too, it does so to stress that it's the product of people chasing a dream, alongside coping with everything that dwells starkly beyond their wildest fantasies, rather than soullessly hailing from corporations bowing to an algorithm. As an actor, adding to a resume that also spans The Other Two, Shrill and Search Party, Torres is just as an inimitable as a presence as the shows that he creates, and so the Lynch parallels continue. His on-screen company in Fantasmas includes Emma Stone (Poor Things) in a Real Housewives spoof, Dylan O'Brien (Maximum Truth) wearing lingerie, Tilda Swinton (The Killer) as water, and Kim Petras and Princess Nokia as mermaid telemarketers — plus familiar Los Espookys faces and a whole heap more — with everyone from A-listers to bit-parters delightfully adopting his wavelength. Stone executive produces, too, with the two-time Oscar-winner backing up the same role on one of 2023's best and boldest new TV shows (The Curse, which she led) with one of 2024's. Perhaps, as Torres and viewers are, she's also dealing with the fact that getting through each day never stops being bizarre by leaning in. Check out the trailer for Fantasmas below: Fantasmas streams via Binge.
Australian craft breweries are doing it tough these days, fighting against huge companies for tap space in bars and pubs. But it is heartwarming to see a small family-owned Western Australian brewery like Rocky Ridge Brewing go from strength to strength, opening a huge new taphouse right in the heart of Brunswick East on Friday, September 13. The 130-seat venue was previously home to Thunder Road Brewing, which sadly closed down in February this year, and not much has changed. The main tables are still surrounded by towering steel brewing containers and the airstream food truck still sits out front. You will notice a few differences, including a totally remodelled front bar that holds 32 regularly rotating taps and plenty of canned beers, as well as CDMX's residency in the airstream (at least for the first six months). Rocky Ridge is known for creating a huge range of beers, from easy-drinking lagers and IPAs to your more unusual stouts and sours. They'll all be on show at the new Brunswick East taphouse, alongside some old and new Thunder Road Brewing creations — as the team plans to keep the old brand alive. Cocktails from Idle Hands Drinks Co. in Perth will also feature for those wanting a rest from the hopsy bevs. You'll find Rocky Ridge Brewery at 130 Barkly Street, Brunswick East, open from Friday–Sunday. For more information, check out the brewery's website.
While it seemed like just yesterday that images of Australians panic buying toilet paper were flooding our newsfeeds, Coles has today confirmed that the bog roll crisis of 2020 is officially over, with the announcement that it has lifted limits on the once-coveted toiletry item. In a statement released today, Tuesday, April 28, a spokesperson for the supermarket chain said "we are pleased to be able to remove purchase limits at Coles on key household staples like toilet paper and paper towel". Previously, it had a strict one-packet per-person limit on the item. This means, next time you head to your local supermarket you should hopefully find shelves stocked plentifully with bog roll. What a sight to behold: https://twitter.com/2017Ferret/status/1253204438371586049 Limits on some other essential items, such as UHT, fresh milk, meat, tissues and nappies, have also been lifted at Coles, but two-item per-person limits still remain on pasta, flour, rice, eggs, tinned tomatoes, frozen vegetables, anti-bacterial wipes and liquid soap. You can check out the full updated list over here. Coles has said that it "expect[s] to remove further limits as customer demand continues to stabilise and more categories see supply levels return to normal", but, in the meantime, additional limits may still be placed on other items on a store-by-store basis, so it's best to pay attention to the signage while you're shopping. Aldi and Woolworths both still have one-packet limits on toilet paper, but both supermarkets have been removing limits on other essential items over the past week. For more details on Australian supermarket item limits, keep an eye on Coles, Woolworths and Aldi websites. To find out more about the status of COVID-19 in Australia and how to protect yourself, head to the Australian Government Department of Health's website.
After a quiet year of shut doors and lockdowns, Melbourne's CBD is finally springing back to life. And one pocket will be making a colourful comeback like no other, reborn as a public art gallery featuring large-scale works from some of the country's top contemporary artists. Part of a new retail precinct off Spencer and Lonsdale streets — which is also set to house the flashy new Ritz-Carlton hotel — the transformed West Side Place arcade has been dubbed Australia's first 'artcade'. The immersive gallery was brought to life at the hands of award-winning street art collective Juddy Roller, and renowned talent including Reko Rennie, Rone, Adnate, Lisa King, Meggs, George Rose, John Aslanidis and Caleb Walmlsey (aka Mayonaize). Working to a 30-day installation deadline, this diverse group of artists have completely overhauled the arcade's future shop, restaurant and cafe spaces, with a bold exhibition series that opened to the public on Friday, November 13. Among the works, you'll spy 'a room lost in time', created by acclaimed artist Rone in a nod to his hit 2019 installation Empire. That's the one that famously transformed a deserted 1930's mansion in the Dandenongs into a multi-sensory ode to decay. Neighbouring works include Reko Rennie's 225-square-metre ode to the Kamilaroi people — and a portrait-style celebration of global indigenous cultures by Adnate, whose murals you've seen gracing Collingwood's public housing block and The Silo Art Trail. The arcade is also home to a new concept cafe called Merriment, which is designed by artist Lisa King, was built by the Juddy Roller team and heroes a renaissance-inspired work celebrating female artists. Here, specialty coffee comes courtesy of Commonplace Coffee Brewers, while a neon installation proclaiming 'Art is Life' sets the tone for your wander through the rest of the arcade's visual delights. Find West Side Place, Merriment and all the artworks at 250 Spencer Street, Melbourne. Images: Julia Sansone
If you're on the hunt for rare furniture, then Nicholas & Alistair in Abbotsford should be your first stop. Legend has it that owners Nicholas Mesiano and Alistair Knight once drove through a blizzard in the French Alps just to retrieve a dining table by Italian artist Piero Fornasetti. In other words, they know their stuff and they always make sure they get it – which means all you have to do is find your way to their showroom to discover your next household gem. Be warned, you will want to spend all your savings.
If you've ever been down the stairs at 1806, you'd have seen the wardrobe. Through the small gap in the golden door you can hear music playing, voices laughing and cocktail shaking. It's very enticing. But that's nothing compared to what you'll find when you venture inside The Understudy. Think Alice in Wonderland, the way the caterpillar would have seen it, just that little bit kookier. The Jester and the Hare sit perched, watching your every move, while 'drink me' and 'eat me' signs tempt. They have taken the finely honed cocktail making skills from upstairs and broken some of the rules. It's fun, it's adventurous, and it makes the real world feel a little boring. When it comes to the cocktails, either choose your own adventure, or for a true experience go for the cocktail degustation (three courses and matched amuse-bouche $70, five courses with matched amuse-bouche $90). You won't find classic cocktails on the menu down here. Expect things like the Hawaii Five-O, a mix of tequila, sherry, tomato, pineapple and coconut matched to tomato and passionfruit salsa with dehydrated pineapple chips. For something sweet to end on, the Mad as a March Hare is truly wonderful. Inspired by The Mad Hatter's tea party, it's a combination of vodka, tea, lemon, butter and strawberry jam, served with homemade mini banoffee pie infused with Ardbeg 10 Whisky. The menu is constantly changing, so go with an open mind but trust they will make something you've never tried before. For those who'd rather stick to beer and wine, they have a solid selection available as well as a small back bar of spirits. But if you make it through the wardrobe door, it would be a shame not to sip a unique cocktail creation.
Summer might still be months away, but one of the season's main bugbears now has a solution. As everyone that's enjoyed an icy cold popsicle on a sweltering day knows, frozen sweet treats come with their own inbuilt game — can you lick your way through your icy pole fast enough to avoid getting covered in watery drips? The answer is no, of course — until now. Dripping icy poles might become a thing of the past thanks to food artists Bombas & Parr, who've unveiled what they're calling the world's first non-melting ice lolly. Their creation finds its basis in a substance that dates back seven decades, and one you probably haven't heard of. During World War II, inventor Geoffrey Pyke came up with pyrkete, a frozen composite material made with a combination of sawdust and wood pulp dispersed in ice. It was originally part of his lofty dreams to build a floating runway that could be used in the middle of the ocean during battle — all made of ice. The structure didn't end up eventuating, but his idea gave Bombas & Parr their starting point all these years later. Bombas & Parr's version doesn't use any wood-related materials, but is made with edible fruit fibres instead. The London-based outfit says their pykrete-inspired icy poles "last immeasurably longer than conventional ice lollies", and if their experiment goes down a treat, they'll look at rolling out the desserts in supermarkets. For now, those wanting to give the ice blocks a try will need to be in London, and will also need to visit Bompas & Parr's current SCOOP: A Wonderful Ice Cream World exhibition. On August 22, attendees will be able to buy and try the non-melting icy poles, and offer their feedback. And if you're wondering about ice creams with the same properties, they're already a thing thanks to researchers in Japan.
The summer of 2021–22 is shaping up to be the summer of travel, as Australia's borders start to reopen. That'll apply internationally, much to the delight of everyone who has long been dreaming of an overseas holiday — and it'll also kick in domestically, too, as Aussie states and territories begin to reopen up to each other. Queensland has recently announced when it'll welcome in residents from other parts of the country — specifically states who've just weathered big outbreaks and lockdowns, such as New South Wales and Victoria. And, for the past week, those latter two states have been revealing their plans with each other. The big news: from Monday, November 1, double-jabbed folks from both NSW and Victoria can travel between the two states without quarantining. On Thursday, October 21, NSW Health advised that the current public health orders requiring 14 days quarantine for Victorian arrivals are still in place, but will lift when next month hits — just for the double-vaxxed. If you haven't had both jabs and you've been in Victoria from that date onwards, you won't actually be permitted to enter NSW for a holiday or recreation at all. That announcement follows Victoria's similar revelation last week, on Friday, October 15, that it was changing its border permit system for double-vaccinated NSW residents. All Aussies need a permit to enter Victoria under its traffic light-style setup; however, since 11.59pm on Tuesday, October 19, those hailing from places deemed 'red zones' in NSW — including folks who aren't Victorian residents — have been able to head to the southern state without quarantining. [caption id="attachment_776506" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Mulwala Bridge by Yun Huang Yong via Flickr.[/caption] In Victoria, you do still need to get a negative COVID-19 test within 72 hours of your arrival if you're coming in from a NSW red zone — and, after entering the state, you need to get tested again within 72 hours, and isolate until that comes back negative. If you aren't double-jabbed and you're heading to Victoria from a NSW red zone, you also have to do 14 days quarantine in addition to those tests. Those arriving from NSW orange zones who are double-vaxxed don't need to do any of the testing. NSW hasn't yet revealed if there'll be testing requirements for those heading north, with more detail expected before Monday, November 1 hits. Still, whether you're a Victorian eager to visit Sydney or a NSW resident keen for a trip to Melbourne — for a holiday, to see loved ones, or for any other reason — you can now start planning. For more information about the status of COVID-19 in NSW, head to the NSW Health website. For more information about the status of COVID-19 in Victoria, head over to the Victorian Government's website.
It's a war that's been waged for decades among regional bakeries the country over: who's dishing up Australia's best pie? Whose pastry comes closest to perfection? Which filling reigns supreme? Well, this year's top dog has officially been named, with Victoria's Country Cob Bakery taking out top honours at the 2020 edition of Australia's Best Pie and Pastie Competition. While you might have your own thoughts about which pie makes the best road trip accompaniment, this nationally recognised contest is run by the experts at the Baking Association of Australia. The 2020 competition saw professional judges sample a thousands of pies from more than 300 bakeries, across three days. And for the third year in a row, Country Cob claimed the top title, this time winning over tastebuds with a pepper beef pie creation loaded with local ingredients. Last year, it won for its caramelised pork and pepper pie, and its satay seafood pie took out the top gong in 2018. It's an impressive run for baker brothers Ryan and Chan Khun, who've owned and operated the bakery for the past four years. [caption id="attachment_726906" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The award-winning pie.[/caption] The two backed up their big win with a slew of other awards, including taking out the title of Best Plain Mince Beef Pie, Best Vegetarian Pie (for its curry cauliflower, chickpea, lentil and pie number) and Best Gourmet Pie (for an American barbecue whiskey pork and quail egg creation). And if you fancy sampling Country Cob's primo pie for yourself, thankfully, the bakery is offering home delivery to all of metropolitan Melbourne and some regional areas from its stores in Kyneton and Boronia. Other winners included JoJo's Gluten Free Goodies vegetable pastie for Best Pastie, which is located in the Bass Coast Shire. Further afield, Queensland's Maleny Bakery took out Best Chunky Beef Pie, the Best Seafood Pie went to WA's Four Seasons Patisserie and Bels Gordon St Bakery in NSW's Port Macquarie snagged both Best Vegetarian Pastie and Best Poultry Pie (for its chicken cajun pie). Country Cob Bakery is located at 130-132 Mollison Street, Kyneton and 951 Mountain Highway, Boronia, Victoria. It's currently offering home delivery across metropolitan Melbourne and to some regional areas.
If you like starting your nights out with a scavenger hunt, then Milney's fits the bill: first, you need to find the nondescript door on Brunswick Street that's marked with an M. Once that pivotal task is complete, your evening can begin. Venture inside and a must-visit courtyard awaits, complete with picnic bench-style seating, leafy greenery aplenty, a smattering of garden gnomes and an eye-catching mural taking up a towering slab of bricks. It's the kind of place that makes you feel like you're in the know, whether you're sipping a beer poured from the back-wall tap while taking a perch at the wood-heavy bar, or a spritz out the back with a mixtape soundtrack is more your style. The venue has a pedigree, too, with Monty Mullooly-Hill and Paul Milne also behind Monty's in Fitzroy North, and Rochelle Hutchinson bringing her experience from Joe's Shoe Store.
Wubba lubba dub dub, Rick and Morty fans — the beloved animated series returns for its sixth season in early September, and is bound to serve up another schwifty dose of chaotic intergalactic mayhem. Been wondering what happened since season five's big ending? Can't wait for new episodes, which arrive Down Under via Netflix on Monday, September 5? The Back to the Future-inspired hit has also made the leap into real life, with #wormageddon scenes popping up around the world. What's #wormageddon? It's what Adult Swim, the US network behind Rick and Morty, is calling "an immersive adventure" — and it's setting up IRL Rick and Morty moments in places as varied as Mexico City, Malibu, The Netherlands, Brazil, Toronto, Cape Town and Sydney. Yes, Australia is getting in on the action, with a #wormageddon scene arriving on the Bennelong Lawn in The Royal Botanic Gardens in the Harbour City from today, Tuesday, August 30. In Sydney's pop-up, Birdperson faces #wormageddon — aka a mysterious alien worm that wants to take over earth. That's what happens in the show's narrative after the destruction of the Citadel of Ricks at the end of season five, and where season six will pick up. Australia is no stranger to pop culture-themed installations, especially lately. Everything from House of the Dragon, The Gray Man and Everything Everywhere All At Once through to Squid Game, Stranger Things and Borat has done the same, resulting in everything from dragon eggs and the Iron Throne to multidimensional laundromats and otherworldly rifts appearing on Aussie shores. Usually, they only last a day or a weekend, though, but #wormageddon is hanging around Sydney until Thursday, September 8 — on display from 7.30am–5.30pm daily. In total, 14 custom #wormageddon scenes are setting up shop on six continents, all bridging the gap between the end of the last season and the start of season six, and sending fans on a global treasure hunt to find each scene. Sydney's Birdperson-versus-worm installation marks the ninth so far, with exactly where the remaining five will surface yet to be revealed. That's the way the news goes — and if you're keen to find out more about the #wormageddon storyline, Adult Swim has dropped a few online shorts, too. You can check them out below, along with the trailer for Rick and Morty's sixth season. Rick and Morty's sixth season will premiere globally on Monday, September 5 Down Under. The series streams via Netflix in Australia and New Zealand. Top image: Adult Swim.
There's never a bad time to pick up new skills, but 2020 has certainly been the year for it. Whether you've taken some online courses and watched virtual classes, or tried out new baking and cooking projects, we're betting you've added something different to your repertoire while you've been spending far more time at home than normal. Here's a skill you definitely need, because everyone does: the ability to make your own cannoli. And, to help Melburnians do just that, Cannoleria is hosting a virtual cannoli class at 10am on Saturday, September 12. Run by Cannoleria chef and co-owner Dario Di Clerico, the Zoom session will teach you how to make the traditional Sicilian dessert — from whipping up the dough and turning it into tubes to filling it with sweet ricotta. Tickets cost $45, which includes a Cannoleria school bag filled with cannoli-making ingredients delivered to your door (with delivery costing another $5). To book in, visit the store's website. Cannoleria at Home's virtual cannoli class takes place at 10am on Saturday, September 12, with reservations available now for $50 per person including delivery.
Art, architecture, music, film, performance and public discussion — it's all happening at the MPavilion. Located in the Queen Victoria Gardens, this pop-up event hub is back for its second year, and is once again partnering with the likes of ACMI and Melbourne Festival, along with the London Design Festival and Google's Creative Lab. Basically if you're looking to get your culture on over summer, there should be something here for you. Launching on Monday, October 5, MPavilion's sophomore program will be split into a number of different streams. MTalks will feature expert speakers delivering talks on a wide range of topics including urban wellness, women in architecture and multiculturalism in art; MMusic will consist of free live concerts, sets, workshops and aural art installations; and MMeets will combine everything from film screenings to tea ceremonies to morning meditation. And that's just the tip of the iceberg. For everything happening at MPavilion over the next four months, check out their website — and then start clearing your schedule.
Celebrity chef Marco Pierre White needs little introduction – his epic career has seen him work with the likes of Gordon Ramsay and Heston Blumenthal at renowned restaurants across the world. But the latest project from the Michelin-starred chef isn't in the kitchen, but in the form of an app that allows customers to score meals at some of the city's best restaurants at discounted prices. After launching in Melbourne last year, EatClub has made its way to Brisbane. It's a new platform that allows restaurants to offer real-time discounts to customers at specifically slow or off-peak periods. So if a restaurant doesn't have many covers for dinner, they can put up four tables and offer, say, 30 percent off to EatClub users that book those tables before 7.30pm. When you open the app, you're shown a selection of nearby restaurants with live deals on a map or in a list. You can then browse the restaurant's interior, peruse the different deals on offer and even check out the menu before you redeem the deal. It's a first in, best dressed system, so if you see something you want to jump on, best be quick – once a deal has been redeemed, it disappears from the app. The technology was co-founded by Matt Cantelo, Ben Tyler and Pan Koutlaki (ex-CEO of Foodora) who worked alongside Pierre White. The idea is that it'll encourage people to eat out more on a whim, an activity that has declined noticeably since delivery apps like UberEATS and Deliveroo have risen in popularity. A heap of Brissie restaurants have already signed up, too, including e'cco Bistro, Salt Meats Cheese, Harajuku Gyoza, Lucky Egg and Fritzenberger. The latter is helping celebrate the app's Brisbane launch, too, by giving away 300 free burgers this Friday, October 5, from 3pm. To claim your free burg, you just need to download the app, be one of the first 300 people to redeem the offer, then go grab it at the Fritzenberger store — at 52 Petrie Terrace, Brisbane. To download EatClub, visit the Apple App Store or head to Google Play.
Artist, illustrator and muralist George Rose is a big believer in looking within to ignite that creative spark, rather than banking on anything external. "That way, I'm a lot more independent, and I don't have to wait for inspiration or wait to see something for it to trigger another thought," she explains. "It's a much more calculated way of doing things, but it means that my creative output is not reliant on anything else. I can just create my own stuff." For the artist, there's a creative freedom that comes with that assurance, knowing that inspiration is something that can always be tapped, regardless of time, place or outside muses. It's a creative process born of a lifestyle that sees the artist constantly moving between Sydney, Brisbane and her current hometown of Melbourne. We sit down with Rose to discuss her inspirations, artistic process and the denim she wears to get her creative juices flowing. "There are lots of different aspects to my work; it depends on where I am because I've got such a transient existence," she explains. "I'm travelling around quite a bit, so I'm not reliant on a lot of stable or external structures. Quite often, I've got to create my own inspiration and my own work environment. I've never been super great with structure, anyway." When the inspiration's been tapped, and it comes down to creating a piece, Rose champions a sort of back-to-front approach. "Often I'll be asking a lot of questions of my work, even before I've started anything," she explains. "In a way, it's working backwards, like asking, 'Ok, what's the output of this? Who's it for? Where is it situated? Is there anything that client wants to say or that I want to say? What feeling do I want to create for someone who's looking at the mural?' If I can answer all of them, that gives me direction for what I do next." See some of Rose's bold artworks, and it'll come as no surprise that that creative flair also extends to her wardrobe — though she'll tell you functionality is key when getting down and dirty with some paint and a wall. "I have a pair of denim overalls that I wear because they wear really well and they've got pockets everywhere and I don't have to wear belts and they don't fall down," says the artist. "And it just so happens that denim overalls are in right now so I'm pretty happy with that!" Off the tools, she likes to have a little more fun with her wardrobe. "I really enjoy Melbourne style," says Rose. "It's a lot more relaxed. You can push it in different directions and pair different things with one another; I really enjoy that aspect of it. I can mix and match things from my mum's wardrobe, things from a $2 shop and things from, say, The Iconic. There aren't many rules. "I like wearing dresses and skirts, but I'm a jeans girl," she admits. "I always feel comfortable when I'm in my jeans, and I've always got a staple selection in my wardrobe." As for her favourite piece right now, it's a black denim number she stumbled upon when collecting jackets for a potential art project. "It's oversized, it's super baggy, it looks like I'm wearing my dad's jacket — but I kind of like that aesthetic," she laughs. "Dad clothes!" Check out George Rose's work here, and find the denim that brings out the creative, innovator and gamechanger in you at The Iconic. Images: Kate Shanasy.
19 isn't typically a huge year for a birthday bash, but it's a pretty big deal for a laneway bar like Section 8. The legendary outdoor converted container bar isn't doing cakes or candles to celebrate this special occasion — it's reviving its crowd-favourite Beach Party instead. For the seven days between Monday, February 24, and Sunday, March 2, you'll find a slice of coastal paradise on the edge of Chinatown. It's not just sand and beachy decorations by the talents at Saoko Collective that will greet partygoers. Section 8 has a track record of going all out. The event is sponsored by Skrewball Whiskey, Hop Nation and Heaps Normal, so beverages and cocktails of all flavours and ABVs will be on offer. [caption id="attachment_849269" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Leilani Bale[/caption] Plus, an absolutely jam-packed lineup of 30 DJs are taking part in the event, including Mrs Wallace, Sista Sara, Milk Bar, Afrodesia, Soul Sessions and many more. As well as banging live music, every day of the week will bring a different activity: basketball shootouts on Monday, jazz on the sand on Wednesday, soul sessions and free chips on Saturday — you get the idea. That's not even the best part. All of the festivities are free all week long. The music kicks off nightly at 6pm, except on Saturday and Sunday which will see the tunes start spinning from 3pm. The Section 8 Beach Party will run daily from Monday, February 24 to Sunday, March 2. Entry is free, visit the website for more information.
If you like chocolate and hazelnuts, odds are that you like Nutella. Actually, it's incredibly likely that you love it, are obsessed with it, and have eaten it slathered on bread, oozing out of doughnuts and combined with every other food you can think of. The popular spread brings out that kind of obsession in people, so it's hardly surprising that the brand is creating a whole place dedicated to the chocolate and hazelnut-flavoured concoction — albeit just for one weekend. Between January 10–12, 2020, Hotella Nutella will be a real place that'll actually exist, rather than somewhere that Nutella fans have just dreamed about since they can remember. It's coming to Calistoga in Napa Valley in California, and it'll make sure that visitors know exactly what it's about. Think "larger-than-life jars of Nutella and breakfast decor, and hazelnut and cocoa spread-inspired hotel items", according to the company's press release. Also on the agenda: two Nutella-filled meals, with one all about breakfast for dinner and the other focusing on brunch. No prizes for guessing what the star ingredient will be in all dishes whipped up, of course. There'll also be a pancake art session, which'll no doubt test just how creative people can be when it comes to drizzling Nutella over the sweet favourite. Yep, everyone's had plenty of practice at that. Alas, don't go getting too excited. These kinds of branded pop-ups always come with caveats, as Taco Bell's hotel did earlier in the year. At Hotella Nutella, only three Nutella lovers and their guests will be able to stay, they'll have to win a competition in order to do so, and entries are only open to US citizens. Given the cult-like following that the brand has inspired around the world, it's worth crossing your Nutella-loving fingers that it decides to do something similar for fans elsewhere. For more information about Hotella Nutella, visit the competition website. Images: Nutella USA.
It has been five years since Deliveroo started speeding through Australia's streets to bring takeaway meals to our doors. And, as we all like to when a birthday rolls around, it's celebrating. This is the kind of party that rewards everyone, too, with the company delivering $1 meals from more than 26 eateries across Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Adelaide. Each day this week, between Tuesday, November 10–Friday, November 13, Deliveroo is picking a city and gifting its residents meals at $1 a pop. A different number of eateries will be taking part in each location, and they'll each be offering up 100 meals at the gold-coin price. So yes, that means getting in quickly is recommended. First up, from 1–5pm on Tuesday, November 10, is Adelaide. On the menu: dishes from Burgertec, Goodlife Modern Organic Pizza, Cheeky Chook, Blue & White Cafe and Lukoumades. Then, from 12–6pm on Wednesday, November 11, it's Melbourne's turn — with Chicken Episode Plus, Bistro Morgan (including in Collingwood), Tadka Hut, Gelato Messina in Richmond and Royal Stacks Brunswick among the eateries involved. [caption id="attachment_783738" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Royal Stacks[/caption] When Thursday, November 12 rolls around, Sydneysiders can get their cheap food fix between 1–4.30pm — from Little L, Fishmongers, BL Burgers, Manoosh Pizzeria, Johnny Bird, The Italian Bowl and Burger Patch. Finally, to close out the week of super-affordable eats, Brisbane's Gnocchi Gnocchi Brothers in Paddington, Ginga Sushi Japanese at Emporium, Brooklyn Depot in South Brisbane and The Yiros Shop will get in on the action between 2–5pm on Friday, November 13. There are a few tricks to the $1 special, however. It will really only cost $1 — there's no delivery cost on top of that — but exactly what each restaurant will be offering for that price won't be revealed until the day. And, a new restaurant will appear on Deliveroo's Instagram every hour, which is where you'll find out what's on the menu. From there, you'll just need to search for '$1 deals' when you're ordering online or via the Deliveroo app. And yes, that's an easy way to decide what to eat on the relevant day in your city this week. For further details about Deliveroo's $1 fifth birthday specials — which are on offer in Adelaide from 1–5pm on Tuesday, November 10; Melbourne from 12–6pm on Wednesday, November 11; Sydney from 1–4.30pm on Thursday, November 12; and Brisbane from 2–5pm on Friday, November 13 — keep an eye on the company's Instagram feed. Top images: Johnny Bird, Gnocchi Gnocchi Brothers.
If you're looking to level-up your vino game, who better to have on your side than Australia's oldest family-owned winery. Barossa Valley's Yalumba has been crafting fine wine since 1849 — a stint that's spanned six whole generations. And in addition to its stable of top-notch drops for all occasions, the independent label is helping Aussies elevate their wine-sipping experience with its own Yalumba Wine Club. With a little something for seasoned wine aficionados and novices alike, the Wine Club lets you to tap into expert wine knowledge, exclusive offers and product specials, as well as to access a range of special events and tastings. And despite the swag of goodies that comes with it, membership won't cost you a cent. Sign up and you'll nab ten percent off select purchases in the online wine store and at the beautiful Angaston Wine Room, including plenty of those premium red wines that have become synonymous with South Australia's Barossa Valley. You'll also score exclusive access to a series of seasonal wine packs, chosen by Yalumba's winemakers. Order one of these bad boys delivered to your door, whip out the selection for your next dinner party and prepare to impress your guests with your newfound vinous smarts. Yalumba Wine Club members can also look forward to free shipping on online orders over $200, exclusive dibs on a bunch of limited releases and special wines, and invites to Yalumba events, including premium tastings and masterclasses held all over the country. You can sign up to the Yalumba Wine Club for free over at the website. FYI, this story includes some affiliate links. These don't influence any of our recommendations or content, but they may make us a small commission. For more info, see Concrete Playground's editorial policy.
We're a long way from New York City's Lower East Side, but it'll feel a whole lot closer (for at least one night) when celebrated speakeasy-style cocktail bar Death & Co hits Down Under. The NYC team will be visiting three much-loved venues across Australia for a series of cocktail-fuelled dinners. Out to offer locals a taste of their contemporary drinks mastery, Death & Co's David Kaplan and Alex Day are swinging past Perth's Wolf Lane on January 29 and 30, before heading east to hit The Winery in Sydney on Sunday, February 2. They'll wrap things up with two dates at Melbourne laneway bar Trinket: a sold out session on February 5 and a newly added one on Tuesday, February 4. Launched in 2006, the NYC bar is considered something of a pioneer in the world of modern cocktail bars, having scored a slew of big-time awards, played host to a roll-call of bartending legends and birthed its share of now-iconic cocktail creations. Each of the Aussie dinners will see the team showcase five crafty concoctions, matched with five courses from the host venue. The tour's a collaboration with US label Aviation Gin, which just so happens to be owned by your good mate Ryan Reynolds, so you can expect lots of gin. There will be sips like the Have At It welcome shot, blending Dry Sack Sherry, gin, lemon juice and grapefruit, and the Trust Fall: a fusion of Aviation gin, pisco and vermouth, finished with lychee liqueur, raspberry, absinthe and Peychaud's Bitters. At The Winery, the booze is carefully paired with dishes like 'drunk mussels' done with gin, absinthe and tomato, spanner crab toast with stracciatella and caviar, and a deep-fried carrot cake to finish. While, at Trinket's dinner, you'll find the booze carefully paired with dishes like a wallaby tartare with Davison plum and gin jam, fried quail with Yarra Valley caviar, and a lamington-inspired take on a Magnum ice cream for dessert. Tickets to each event clock in at $95 per person (or $145 if you also want a signed copy of Death & Co's own book, Cocktail Codex). All that should leave you feeling pretty inspired to try out some drinks wizardry in your own home bar. Death & Co hits Wolf Lane at 321 Murray Street, Perth on January 29 and 30. Tickets are on sale now here. The Winery at 285a Crown Street, Surry Hills, on February 2. You can grab those tickets here. The pop-up ventures to Trinket at 87 Flinders Lane, Melbourne, on February 4 and 5. Tickets here.
Among the many topics and ideas sung about in Hamilton, the fact that life is about seizing chances is up there with the most pivotal and resonant. In 2024 in Australia, it's time to take that notion to heart. So, you haven't seen Hamilton onstage yet? You have but you're eager to catch it again? Don't throw away your shot — the smash-hit musical is returning Down Under in July, but only to Sydney. After that, it'll finish its Aussie run. Lin-Manuel Miranda's masterpiece initially made its way to the Harbour City in 2021, then went to Melbourne in 2022 and Brisbane in 2023. The Australian production also travelled to New Zealand, Manila and Abu Dhabi, and will hit up Singapore next. Following that is its Sydney comeback, where the biggest thing in musical theatre in the 21st century — and a game-changing, award-winning, rightly raved-about sensation — will make Sydney Lyric Theatre the room where it happens from Tuesday, July 30, 2024. Hamilton's Australian return was announced in 2023, but now it has been confirmed that Sydney is its only stop. Also new news: locking in the cast that'll take to the stage, including some familiar faces and a few newcomers. Jason Arrow is reprising the role of Alexander Hamilton, Akina Edmonds returns as Angelica Schuyler, Elandrah Eramiha is back as both Peggy Schuyler and Maria Reynolds, and Brent Hill again slips on King George III's crown. This time, however, Vidya Makan will play Eliza Hamilton, Gerard-Luke Malgas does double duty as the Marquis de Lafayette and Thomas Jefferson, Etuate Lutui is Hercules Mulligan and James Madison, and Googoorewon Knox plays George Washington. Also, Tainga Savage steps up from the original Australian company — plus the international tour — to taking on the parts of John Laurens and Philip Hamilton. Still new to this song-and-dance take on 18th-century American politics? Not quite sure why it has been the most-talked about theatre show of the past decade? The critically acclaimed hip hop musical, for which Miranda wrote the music, lyrics and the book, is about the life of Founding Father Alexander Hamilton, as well as inclusion and politics in current-day America. In addition to its swag of Tony Awards — 11 in fact, which includes Best Musical — it has nabbed a Grammy Award and even a Pulitzer Prize. Until 2021, Australians eager to see the show had to be content watching the filmed version of its Broadway production, which started streaming via Disney+ in 2020 (and yes, it's as phenomenal as you've heard). If you're not feeling financial enough to nab a seat, cross your fingers that the $10 ticket lottery, which offers Hamilton tickets for less than the cost of lunch, will return as well. In March 2023, Miranda came to Australia to see the local production, calling the cast "so fantastic". "I remember seeing Jason Arrow's audition — it had to have been April or May of 2020, and it was around the time that we were watching and editing Hamilton for [the Disney+] release. So they were really stacking up against the originals in a very tangible way, and so we were really proud of the incredible company that we were able to put together from there locally," he said at a press conference in Brisbane "Every original cast is like a four-minute mile," Miranda continued. "They said scientists proved you couldn't run the mile in under four minutes, and then someone did it, and then suddenly everybody's running it — and I feel like original casts are like that. It's impossible to find that first cast, and then it attracts the people who know they can do it." Hamilton's 2024 Sydney season will play Sydney Lyric Theatre from Tuesday, July 30, 2024. Head to the musical's website for further details and tickets — with seats currently on sale for shows until Tuesday, October 31. Production images: Daniel Boud.
Aussie icons like the Big Banana, the Big Crab and the Big Pineapple will forever loom large in your childhood memories. But they might be soon overshadowed by the country's next giant side-of-the-highway landmark: the Big Milo Tin. After a social media callout last month saw 80,000 Milo fans scramble to throw their support behind the idea, the proposition has snowballed, and Australia is actually going to get its own super-sized homage to the homegrown choccy malt powder. If you're thinking, 'we don't need that' — well, of course we don't. The whole thing is a big publicity stunt to celebrate Milo's upcoming 85th birthday. The structure is set to be erected by Nestlé itself somewhere in and around Smithtown on the mid-north NSW coast, where Nestlé's factory is located. Milo has the go-ahead from the local area, and is currently taking suggestions for the structure's location. The town is just off the Pacific Highway between Port Macquarie and Coffs Harbour — it's no doubt hoping to become a prime road trip pit-stop on the way up the coast. Although both Milo and Big Things are both integral to understanding Australian culture, we're not too sure about how we feel about having a big commercial product taking up space on the side of the highway. At least the Big Banana has a water park. If you really, really care about the Big Milo Tin's future, you can jump on Milo's Facebook page to throw your own suggestions into the ring. It's slated for completion in 2019, to coincide with the brand's 85th birthday.
It has been 21 years since The Offspring topped Triple J's Hottest 100 with 'Pretty Fly (For a White Guy)', a win that still ranks as the annual countdown's most controversial result to date. It has also been nearly four decades since the band first formed in the early 80s, and almost 30 years since it came to mainstream attention with hits like 'Come Out and Play' and 'Self Esteem' — but the Californian outfit isn't done belting out its catchy brand of punk just yet. Offering music fans their latest huge blast from the past, The Offspring is heading to Australia and New Zealand for a massive tour in 2020. No, it won't be doing that brand new thing, but rather playing all of its famous tracks — including 'Gotta Get Away', 'Why Don't You Get a Job?', 'The Kids Aren't Alright' and the song that's forever cemented in Australian radio history, obviously. Still led by frontman and guitarist Bryan "Dexter" Holland — the band's only remaining member from its initial 1984 lineup, so you can definitely call him the original prankster — The Offspring will hit up Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Auckland in April. And, because one old-school band isn't enough, it'll have company in the form of Canada's Sum 41. Basically, this big tour is your excuse to pretend its the late 90s and early 00s, bust out the appropriate attire — retro sneakers are a must — and get the words "gunter glieben glauchen globen" stuck in your head for another couple of decades. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AltMeuPkWRs THE OFFSPRING 2020 AUSTRALIAN TOUR DATES Perth — Sunday, April 19, HBF Stadium Adelaide — Tuesday, April 21, Entertainment Centre Theatre Melbourne — Thursday, April 23, Margaret Court Arena Sydney — Friday, April 24, Horden Pavilion Brisbane — Saturday, April 25, Riverstage Auckland — Tuesday, April 28, Spark Arena Early bird tickets for The Offspring and Sum 41's Australian and New Zealand shows go on sale from 9am local time on Friday, January 31, with general tickets on sale at 9am local time on Monday, February 3. Visit the tour mailing list to sign up for further details. Top image: Sum 41 via Selbymay for Wiki Commons.
If you're a massive fan of refined Japanese fare paired with a crisp yet flavoursome martini, we have good news for you. Two luxe Japanese restaurants in Melbourne are serving complimentary martinis made with House of Suntory's Haku Vodka to omakase diners from Tuesday, September 3, to Tuesday, October 15. Haku Vodka's signature serve is the Haku martini, which showcases the craftsmanship, nuanced flavour and exceptional quality of the premium Japanese spirit. Haku Vodka frequently collaborates with notable omakase restaurants in Sydney and Melbourne to showcase its versatility and celebrate stunning Japanese cuisine. Head to these restaurants to enjoy a bespoke martini paired with an incredible meal for the ultimate Japanese-themed night out in Melbourne. Komeyui The artistry of Japanese cuisine is particularly celebrated at this South Melbourne restaurant. Komeyui was brought to life by chef and owner Motomu Kumano, who came from humble beginnings in a small fishing town in Hokkaido and brings his philosophy of balance and simplicity to this stunning eatery. Komeyui offers two omakase experiences to guests: Seasonal Omakase and Classic Omakase. The omakase experiences comprise seven intricately crafted dishes designed to ignite the senses with a balance of textures and flavours. During spring, the talented team at this eatery will serve a complimentary martini with the first course of the omakase meal, dubbed the Sakura Martini. It is a delicate Japanese take on the classic martini made with Haku Vodka, Suntory Kanade Sakura Japanese craft liqueur made from fully-bloomed cherry blossoms to impart a gentle floral taste and Sake Bermutto — a dry vermouth made from sake wine. Book your spot on the Komeyui website. Ronin At Ronin, Chef Patrick Kwong is redefining omakase in Melbourne, breaking away from the formality of traditional Japanese dining. Trained by a Japanese sushi master, Kwong learned the art of precision but refuses to be bound by the rules. His omakase is playful and more like a lively house party than a quiet fine-dining affair. With just ten seats at the bar, Kwong might join you for a chat and a drink. But don't mistake his laidback vibe for a lack of seriousness when it comes to food — his 13-course menu is crafted with masterful technique and unexpected twists, like Malaysian-infused nigiri and glitter-topped sushi. During spring, omakase diners will enjoy a Ronin Haku-tini Martini on the house with their first course. The martini is made with Haku Vodka, sake, Dover Shiso liqueur for a herbaceous element and three dashes of yuzu bitters for a touch of zesty freshness to counter the delectable dishes on offer. Book your spot on the Ronin website. Make your booking at either of these restaurants from September 1 until October 17 and receive a complimentary martini to enjoy with the first course of your omakase meal. To learn more about Haku Vodka, head to the House of Suntory website. Image Credit: Arianna Leggiero
Melbourne has proved its love for fried chook will probably never die, with new chicken joints opening up all over town. But there's a new kid on the block you're going to want to take notice of and its name is Pelicana Chicken. A fresh face for Australia, but by no means a youngster, the brand is one of the original masters of Korean-style fried chicken, having launched in the country back in 1982. Currently, there are over 2000 Pelicana stores across South Korea, with another 1000 iterations taking the rest of the world by storm. And, now, the famed brand has landed Down Under, opening its flagship Aussie restaurant on Franklin Street in the CBD. Bringing some bold new flavours to the game, Pelicana's dishing up 11 different fried chicken varieties, from a wasabi and honey butter dusting to the signature sweet, savoury and spicy combination, called 'Pelicana Marinated'. All the chicken is marinated for 24 hours before it's cooked. You can grab a half or full chicken, in either boneless or bone-in pieces, slathered in your choice of coating. Adventurous diners might even be tempted to leave it all to fate, with the 'mystery sauce' option. Other menu favourites include fried chicken wraps, burgers, and a marinated chicken, chips and salad combo dubbed The Aussie Chop. A fiery kimchi soup and tteok-bokki — stir-fried Korean rice cakes — lean a little more traditional. Hold tight for Pelicana's booze list to launch (hopefully) in April and you'll be able to calm those spicier sauces with something a little stronger than kombucha and coconut grape juice. Think, buckets of imported Cass beer, Mountain Goat and Asahi on tap — and a tidy range of Korean soju, too. Find Pelicana Australia's flagship store at 163 Franklin Street, Melbourne. It's open from 11am–11pm daily.
Subscription-based meal delivery services are hot stuff in Australia right now, with time-stretched folk jumping at the chance to minimise their nightly kitchen slog. And while the pickings have been woefully slim for plant-based eaters wanting in on the convenience, that's all set to change with the arrival of the country's first all-vegan food delivery service, Freshara. Already on offer in over 300 suburbs across Melbourne and Sydney, the newcomer works in a similar way to its carnivorous counterparts, delivering subscribers a weekly package of portioned meals — except these ones are entirely vegan. As an added bonus, all that packaging your food arrives in is fully recyclable. In addition to steering clear of all animal products, the sustainability-focused brand has skipped out on the preservatives and kept meals low GI, with many of the dishes also gluten-free. Freshara's already got a 40-strong menu of globally-inspired dishes, which is being added to each week, thanks to a kitchen team helmed by executive chef Troy Tam, who's worked at Rockpool and Fratelli Fresh. Expect the likes of jungle curry, fregola sarda with orecchiette, and a Moroccan chickpea and cous cous tagine. Subscriptions start at $119.40 per week for 12 meals, and meals work out to be around $9-10 each.
When the most famous and iconic performance venue in Australia gives itself a makeover, everyone should sit up and take notice. Everyone should make a date to go sit in its seats, to be precise. Obviously, Sydney Opera House is the site in question — and its largest performance space, the Concert Hall, is about to welcome back in patrons after spending the last two years undergoing a huge revamp. The Opera House has been getting spruced up for the past ten years, actually, as part of its decade of renewal project. The Concert Hall transformation is the final and largest piece of the puzzle. In total, as funded by the New South Wales Government, almost $300 million has been spent in capital works to upgrade the Opera House overall, all leading up to its big 50th anniversary. Plenty of events are planned to mark that occasion. The first, an Australian-exclusive season of Amadeus starring Masters of Sex, Tron: Legacy, The Queen and Twilight actor Michael Sheen, has just been announced ahead of the full program. And, that blockbuster show will indeed make use of the new Concert Hall — which is looking absolutely stunning. Wondering what's changed in the Concert Hall since it closed in February 2020? A number of things, although it remains one of the world's largest and longest performing arts halls, hosting 2600 people. While respecting the space's heritage, it has now gained state-of-the-art theatre machinery and staging systems which'll help broaden the range of shows it can host — still spanning everything from classical music and contemporary concerts through to theatre and more, of course. The acoustics have also been improved for both artists and audiences, covering orchestral and amplified performances. Getting technical, there's now 18 new acoustic reflectors above the stage instead of the old acrylic versions, all finished in a magenta hue that matches the Concert Hall seats. And, the space has gained special acoustic diffusion panels as well, which are key to balancing sound — and making sure it sounds true — for non-amplified gigs. Onstage, automated risers now assist the musicians in hearing each other more clearly, and there's an automated draping system that makes it easier to switch between orchestral and amplified mode — dampening reverberation, crucially. Also, if the stage looks lower, that's because it is by 400 millimetres to improve sightlines, and make shows feel more intimate. And, in the ceiling, there's a new theatre flying system. It helps fly a greater range of lighting and scenery, which means that the Concert Hall can stage larger-scale and more ambitious shows. Enhanced access for people with mobility needs has been an essential part of the revamp as well, including a new lift and passageway that ensures wheelchair users and people with limited mobility can access all levels of the Concert Hall (even the Northern Foyer) independently. Accessible seating positions have doubled, too, in both the stalls and boxes. If you're keen to see the results, the Concert Hall reopens to the public on Wednesday, July 20. Expect its calendar to get mighty packed from there on in. Unveiling the revamp, Sydney Opera House CEO Louise Herron AM said that the venue is "thrilled to be welcoming the community back to the renewed Concert Hall. Artists and audiences are set to experience world-class acoustics in a venue that is more accessible, safer and better equipped to present the full breadth of 21st century performance." "We have been working towards this moment for a long time and are incredibly grateful to the NSW Government and to everyone else involved in making this once-in-a-lifetime project possible," Herron continued. Sydney Opera House's Concert Hall reopens to the public on Wednesday, July 20. For more information, head to the venue's website. Images: Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images for Sydney Opera House / Daniel Boud.
You may have missed it, but The Rochester Hotel (The Rochey) is now under new management — sporting a new menu, updated look and stacked live music program. The team has enlisted Castle Events to run Upstairs @ The Rochey, its live music series running every Saturday night in the small 150-person bandroom. For $20 a pop, you can party at intimate gigs led by local electronic musicians like dameeeela, Hybrid Man, DJ PGZ from 11pm–3am. Yeah, these are gonna be big late nights, so make sure you have very few things planned for the next day. A sleep-in will be well deserved after dancing all night long at this Johnston Street gem.
Hump Day can feel especially tough when the winter chill descends on Melbourne. However, the good news is that the much-loved Brunswick East restaurant Etta has a new special that will have you looking forward to the middle of the week, even when the temperature drops. Every Wednesday throughout winter, Etta Head Chef Lorcán Kan will serve his renowned coconut curry laksa in the front bar for $30. Featuring an aromatic broth brimming with lemongrass, garlic, makrut lime, galangal and chilli, the dish sees egg and rice noodles combine with house-made golden tofu, fresh herbs and punchy Nonya sambal. Plus, this winter-warming laksa is served with a deep-fried school prawn lok-lok skewer. Inspired by classic Malaysian street-food vendors, there are more lok-lok options to explore for $8 each, such as house-made fish balls of flame tail snapper, arrowhead squid brushed in sambal and cooked over hot coals, and woodfired satay curry-marinated chicken. If you're keen to experience this midweek special, don't wait to make a booking. Kan and the kitchen are producing just 20 serves each Wednesday, so make sure you get your plans in order to slurp down this bowl of goodness.
For one weekend, Victoria's National Trust is giving Melburnians access to its covetable closet, opening the doors to the 11th iteration of its mammoth annual vintage and designer clothing sale. You'll be able to run your hands over real Alexander McQueen threads and fight over stunning Chanel as a cavalcade of items take pride of place within Abbotsford Convent over Saturday, March 25–Sunday, March 26. The pieces on offer will run from the affordable ($5) right up to the super expensive, but all will be going at a reduced price. Given some of the brands on offer — including Zandra Rhodes, Marimekko, Diane von Fürstenberg and Jean Muir — you'll be able to pick up some true bargains, or even opt for a few investment pieces. A hot tip? This year's sale is set to feature more Armani than ever before. Spanning men's and women's fashion from the late 1800s onwards (yes, there'll be 100-year-old outfits on offer), the range will include handbags, scarves, jewellery, hats, belts and a hefty assortment of ready-to-wear clothing. It's a sustainable way to shop some beautiful timeless wardrobe additions and, with sizes up to around an AU 20, it'll be the sale's most size-inclusive offering yet. Entry is by gold coin donation, with all proceeds going to support the National Trust and its work. Doors open at 10am each day and close at 4pm — we suggest getting there early for a chance to snag the good stuff.
Villeneuve, Denis Villeneuve: that's who is next helming cinema's biggest spy franchise, with the filmmaker locked in to direct the 26th Bond movie. The film doesn't yet have a title. If you're wondering who'll be drinking shaken — not stirred — martinis as 007, that hasn't been announced yet, either. But putting Villeneuve in the director's chair is an impressive development, especially given his recent track record. Since 2017, taking on big-name sagas has been Villeneuve's remit. It has worked spectacularly well so far. Accordingly, after Blade Runner 2049, then Dune and Dune: Part Two — plus the upcoming Dune: Messiah — he'll move into Bond's espionage realm. [caption id="attachment_763765" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Nicola Dove © 2019 DANJAQ, LLC AND MGM. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.[/caption] "Some of my earliest movie-going memories are connected to 007. I grew up watching James Bond films with my father, ever since Dr No with Sean Connery. I'm a die-hard Bond fan.To me, he's sacred territory. I intend to honour the tradition and open the path for many new missions to come. This is a massive responsibility, but also incredibly exciting for me and a huge honour," said Villeneuve in a statement "Denis Villeneuve has been in love with James Bond movies since he was a little boy. It was always his dream to make this movie, and now it's ours, too. We are lucky to be in the hands of this extraordinary filmmaker," added producers Amy Pascal (Challengers) and David Heyman (Wonka). Amazon MGM Studios is behind the new take on the British agent. Villeneuve is also one of the film's executive producers, as is Tanya Lapointe — with the latter also working with the former on his Dune flicks. Everything from there, including the movie's plot and cast, is still to be revealed. If you want to start wondering whether the Sicario and Arrival filmmaker might enlist his Dune lead Timothée Chalamet (A Complete Unknown) as 007, that's up to you. Speculation about who'll next portray the character has been swirling since Daniel Craig (Queer) left the part following No Time to Die. There's no shortage of names being floated for the role by the internet, including Aaron Taylor-Johnson (28 Years Later), Aaron Pierre (Rebel Ridge), Theo James (The Monkey), Henry Cavill (Argylle), James Norton (Playing Nice) and Jack Lowden (Slow Horses) — and anyone else you can think of. Whoever gets the part, they'll be in excellent past company. Sean Connery smouldering his way through everything from Dr No to Diamonds Are Forever, Roger Moore stepping into 007's shoes between Live and Let Die and A View to A Kill, Timothy Dalton's two-film run in The Living Daylights and Licence To Kill, Pierce Brosnan's stint as the secret agent between GoldenEye and Die Another Day, Daniel Craig's contributions from Casino Royale onwards, Aussie actor George Lazenby's one-movie appearance as James in On Her Majesty's Secret Service: that's the Bond lineup since 1962. There's no sneak peek yet at the 26th Bond film, obviously, but check out the trailer for No Time to Die below: There's no word yet when the 26th Bond film will release, or its title — we'll update you when more details are revealed. Denis Villeneuve images: Raph_PH via Flickr.
IMAX devotees aren't just big-screen obsessives. Rather, they're massive-screen obsessives. When a film is available in the largest possible format, only that will do. Everyone has a movie-loving friend that wouldn't see Oppenheimer anywhere else, or David Bowie documentary Moonage Daydream, Avatar: The Way of Water and Top Gun: Maverick before that. IMAX Melbourne's returning film festival is obviously for them — and everyone else as well. If you didn't head along in 2024, meet the Biggest Best IMAX Film Festival, an event dedicated to the biggest and best titles that the venue can possibly play on its 32-metre-wide by 23-metre-tall screen. It's the world's largest 1.43:1 cinema screen, and it's getting flickering with some of those aforementioned pictures and a heap more on various dates until the beginning of March 2025. Iconic Talking Heads concert film Stop Making Sense is one must-see movie on the lineup, but it has plenty of impressive company. Animated masterpiece Akira, Titanic in 3D, Tom Cruise's Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One and Top Gun: Maverick, Australia's own Mad Max: Fury Road, sci-fi great The Matrix, the iconic Apocalypse Now: they're all on the program. So are a stack of Christopher Nolan films, such as Inception, Interstellar and Tenet, plus the full Dark Knight trilogy, all in IMAX 1570 (the highest resolution available, going up to 16K, with Melbourne the only place in the country that can show it). Or, catch a double of Dune and Dune: Part Two, then go blue with Avatar and Avatar: The Way of Water. Of course 2001: A Space Odyssey is on the list as well — it has to be.
Move over lollies, ice creams, doughnuts and other sweet treats — when it comes to wandering through eye-catching and extremely photogenic installations, it's now nature's time to shine. The folks at Sugar Republic, the team behind Australia's pop-up dessert museum, have a new venture heading Melbourne's way for the summer. Called Bloomville, it's all about flowers and sunshine. When it hits Woodlea Town in Aintree from Saturday, January 15 — with tickets currently available till Saturday, January 29 — Bloomville will blossom with spaces, backdrops and props all fitting the theme. Think: cherry blossoms, a scratch 'n' sniff floral wall and a confetti shower, plus flowers galore. Plus, this time around, it's all happening in shipping containers in a park, so you can wander between actual nature and nature-inspired installations. Other highlights include rainbow ping pong, an upside down flower power bedroom, a giant daisy wall, a sparkly swing and neon flower crowns, all ready to fill up Instagram feeds. You'll also start your visit by spinning the weather wheel, then choosing between entering the sunshine room or the rainy room. It is the crew's first outdoor pop-up and, while Bloomville may sound like a place out of a Dr Seuss picture book, it'll be giving back to the community as well as giving your social media feeds plenty of content. Entry costs $5, and all ticket sales will be donated to supporting local charities Alex Makes Meals, the Lort Smith Animal Hospital and the Good Friday Appeal. And, because who doesn't want to take photos of dogs in floral-themed pop-ups (no one, obviously), there'll also be a pooch-friendly day. Images: Bri Hammond.
Some of the biggest names in the Melbourne restaurant scene are collaborating, with a new food delivery service bringing gourmet dinners directly to your door. Operating under the watchful eye of ex-Fat Duck chef Matt Germanchis, Endulj replicates and delivers signature dishes from Tokyo Tina, Saigon Sally, Lee Ho Fook and Thirty Eight Chairs, as well as Germanchis' old haunt at MoVida and his current digs at Pei Modern. UberEats, meet your stiff new competition. Unlike typical food delivery services, Endulj is involved in the actual cooking, with each dish created to order in a purpose-built kitchen in Windsor. Current menu items range from snacks, like Tokyo Tina's karaage corn balls, to mains, like Pei Modern's hanger steak with grilled leek and caramelised yoghurt. There's desserts, of course, like Lee Ho Fook's tea custard with burnt caramel. And, they also offer a selection of wines curated by sommelier Ainslie Lubbock. "Most restaurant kitchens are designed to serve 40-50 covers across multiple sittings each evening, with the dishes prepared to be served as soon as they're plated up," said Germanchis. "At Endulj I've designed a kitchen capable of serving a dining room that spans multiple suburbs rather than individual tables, where we only prepare dishes that travel well." Each dish from Endulj is personally endorsed by its restaurant of origin. "The dishes at Lee Ho Fook are incredibly precious to me and to put them in the hands of someone else was a big ask," said Lee Ho Fook co-owner and executive chef Victor Liong. "After a lot of research I felt super confident with Endulj and the team. I think the expectations of people regarding delivery food are getting higher and higher, as are people's expectations in restaurants. It's nice to know there is someone out there who takes this as seriously as we do." Endulj operates between 5:30pm and 9:30pm, 365 days a year, although for the time being they're only delivering within a 5km radius of Windsor. The good news is that they're planning on building additional kitchens around town ASAP. For more information or to place your first order visit www.endulj.com.
Don't hold back: one of the biggest acts in electronic music for the past three decades is returning to Victoria. Superstar DJs The Chemical Brothers dropped their tenth studio album For That Beautiful Feeling in September 2023, and will hit Mt Duneed Estate in March 2024 to unleash their latest round of block rockin' beats live. Tom Rowlands and Ed Simons will play A Day on the Green in Geelong on Saturday, March 2, with The Presets (doing a DJ set), Anna Lunoe and James Holroyd in support. It isn't just their astonishing 2023 Coachella set that proves The Chemical Brothers are a must-see live act. Every tour — including their last stint Down Under back in 2019 — always matches a spectacle of mindbending visuals to the duo's iconic tunes. Accordingly, expect recent singles 'No Reason', 'Live Again' (featuring Halo Maud) and 'Skipping Like a Stone' (reteaming The Chemical Brothers with Beck after 2016's 'Wide Open') — and also a wealth of songs from a back catalogue that spans back to 1989. No, it wouldn't be a Chemical Brothers gig without 'Hey Boy, Hey Girl', 'Block Rockin' Beats' and 'Galvanise' getting a whirl. The pair's current setlist also includes everything from 'Go', 'Swoon' and 'Star Guitar' to 'Setting Sun', 'Chemical Beats' and 'Escape Velocity'. Holroyd joining Rowlands and Simons on the tour is always a given, as The Chemical Brothers' long-standing opening DJ. Images: Ray Baseley.
The bubble tea canon features two main categories of drinks: fruit-based and milk-based teas. Usually, it's only the former that is vegan friendly; however, the success of Nuttea in Melbourne's boba scene is proving this no longer needs to be the case. The Taiwanese brand is serving up delicious beverages, both fruit- and milk-based, from its flagship Melbourne Central store — only every single menu item is vegan. Its milk-based drinks use a milk substitute, stylised mylk, made fresh and in-house from a blend of walnut, macadamia and cashew. "I don't really see us as bubble tea," owner Jason Tan told Concrete Playground. "The hero product is tea, but we're a nut beverage specialist. We're a brand that is really in our own category." In addition to bubble tea, Nuttea features its trademark nut mylk in coffee and smoothies as well — mango and strawberry are reliable classics, but Nuttea also offers a banana oatmeal smoothie that incorporates the nut mylk's flavour remarkably well. You can also try the nut mylk by itself. [caption id="attachment_797463" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Parker Blain[/caption] As well as this, Nuttea also produces a hazelnut-based nut cream. Rather than a milk substitute, the nut cream is closer in consistency to cream cheese. It's served on top of a drink and is designed to ultimately be swirled into the beverage, making for a smooth and decadent experience on the whole. "We have a three-step process for trying our tea with nut cream", clarifies Tan. "First, you try the nut cream on its own, and then you tilt the cup 45 degrees so you get the nut cream and the tea together. The last step is you mix everything with a straw to turn it into a mylk tea." The signature nut cream is available on many beverages, from ruby black tea to pour-over iced coffee. A chocolate nut cream is exclusively available with earl grey tea, a rich and complex pairing, which effectively combines the tea's floral notes with the silky-smooth, nutty cream. [caption id="attachment_797453" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Parker Blain[/caption] Tan is particularly passionate about Nuttea's mission as a vegan-friendly bubble tea outlet. He says, "80 percent of the customers that come through here don't know that we do vegan bubble tea — they think we're a regular milk tea shop. That gives us an opportunity to take our customers on a journey and explain that we're 100 percent plant-based." However, he clarifies that the store is not just for vegans, adding, "there's a lot of people out there who are lactose intolerant, have allergies and whatnot, who can't drink milk. We offer a product that appeals to everyone. Not only does it taste really good, but it makes you feel good as well." Find Nuttea at GD078/211 La Trobe Street, Melbourne from 11am–8pm Sunday–Thursday and 11am–9pm Friday–Saturday. Images: Parker Blain
Before donning a face covering became a regular part of life for everyone during the pandemic, one of the most famous mask-wearing figures in popular culture was doing it first. And, the fictional character will be doing so again in Australia — but, although The Phantom of the Opera was set to head to Sydney from September this year, and then to Melbourne from November, the famed musical's upcoming dates have been postponed. Accordingly, the music of the night will still be crooning its way into both cities via to a new season of the acclaimed Tony-winner; however, it'll now happen sometime in 2022 instead. New dates haven't been announced as yet, but Opera Australia, who is staging the production, advised that it had decided to push its shows to next year due to "the uncertainty created by the ongoing restrictions imposed by both the New South Wales and Victorian Governments because of the indefinite COVID-19 lockdowns." "This has been a really difficult decision for OA and our partners to make and has certainly not been made lightly when so many people will be affected," said Artistic Director Lyndon Terracini. "After making box office history at the Opera House, it was clear that Australians were very excited about this new production of the world's most successful musical, and we'd brought together a fantastic cast of Australian performers, it's heartbreaking to have to postpone." When it does eventually hit the stage, the current production of The Phantom of the Opera will arrive in Down Under after breaking records in the UK and touring the US for seven years. Australia will become just the third country to witness this take on the tale, in fact. Obviously, all of the familiar songs are part of it, such as 'All I Ask of You', 'Masquerade' and the titular number. You'll also be lapping up Maria Björnson's original costumes, too. But, if you've seen the show before, expect the chandelier to look a little different. Australian musical theatre performer Josh Piterman is set to play the Phantom, after first wearing the character's mask in London pre-pandemic. He'll be joined by a cast and orchestra of 65 people, which'll make The Phantom of the Opera one of the largest musical productions in Australia. If you need a refresher on the musical's story, it follows soprano Christine Daaé and the masked musical genius who lives beneath the Paris Opera House — and the latter's obsession with the former. Although first turned into a stage musical in the 80s, it's based on Gaston Leroux's 1910 novel. And yes, you might've seen the 2004 movie, which starred Gerard Butler as the Phantom. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-jpaw9dft2Y The Phantom of the Opera will tour Australia in 2022. Tickets for current shows will remain valid for the production's new dates, when they're announced. For further information, head to the musical's website. Top image: Michael Le Poer Trench.
Good things happen when the minds behind Peters Ice Cream and Gelato Messina come together. In the summer of 2019 — centuries ago — the dessert experts unveiled a limited-edition line of gourmet Drumsticks. Fast forward to spring 2020 and the country is prepping for a summer of social-distancing on beaches and eating plenty of Messina X Peters gelato bars. The new creation, which has just landed in the freezer aisle of your local supermarket, comes in three chocolate-coated, gooey-centred flavours — flavours you'll familiar with if you're already a Messina fiend. You can choose from the choc hazelnut number, which comes with layers of chocolate biscuit, cocoa gelato, a hazelnut sauce and a chocolate coating; the espresso dulche de leche bar, with espresso gelato and dulce de leche enrobed in milk chocolate; or the strawberry cheesecake gelato. The latter sees biscuit, lemon-infused gelato and strawberry sauce covered in light pink chocolate. All three flavours are available at Coles, Woolworths and independent groceries across Australia. Each comes in pop art-style boxes of four, priced at $10 per box of four. If you can't — or don't want to — leave the house, the gelato bars are also available to order Australia-wide via Couchfood. Gelato Messina X Peters Drumstick collaboration gelato bars are available at supermarkets, petrol stations and convenience stores.
2020 didn't bring much that sparked joy, but it did let Sydneysiders wander through a large-scale, multi-sensory Vincent van Gogh exhibition that projected Dutch master's works onto walls, columns and floors. In 2021, art lovers will be able to repeat the feat, this time with a heap of French Impressionist masterpieces — because Monet & Friends — Life, Light & Colour is heading to town from March. The idea behind Monet & Friends is the same as its predecessor. It stems from the same team as well. As you wander around the Royal Hall of Industries in Moore Park from Friday, March 12, you'll feast more than just your eyes on huge projections of Claude Monet, Camille Pissarro, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Paul Cézanne and Edgar Degas' work. Light, colour, sound and fragrance are also all part of the exhibition, which is designed to make you feel as if you're walking right into the hefty array of paintings. The list of 19th- and early 20th-century artists showcased goes on, too, including Édouard Manet, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Berthe Morisot, Alfred Sisley and Mary Cassatt. Also featured are Gustave Caillebotte, Armand Guillaumin and Henri-Edmond Cross, plus Paul Signac and Georges Seurat. Once more, the project is the brainchild of Melbourne-based Grande Exhibitions, which, for the past 16 years, has hosted immersive exhibitions and gallery experiences in over 145 cities around the world. The company also owns and operates Rome's Museo Leonardo da Vinci. For Monet & Friends, it's once again using state-of-the-art technology that combines 40 high-definition projectors to create multi-channel visuals, all while a classical musical score accompanies the vibrant colours in cinema-quality surround sound. When you're peering at pieces by the 15 featured artists, you'll be doing so in a socially distanced setting — with visitor numbers restricted to maintain enough space (which will exceed the one person per four-square-metres required by New South Wales' COVID-19 rules). So, that means that you'll have less company than you'd usually expect at a big exhibition of French Impressionist art. It also means that sessions are probably likely to get booked out quicker than normal, though.
The best of summer might be behind us now, but in the meantime, balmy vibes can remain thanks to the return of Poolside Pilates at W Melbourne's indoor pool WET. Come rain, hail or shine — or all three, knowing our city — the series promises to transport you to sunnier places, with a 50-minute poolside pilates mat session that will focus on alignment. Kicking off every Tuesday morning at 7am, you can enjoy stretching and posing while you take in panoramic views of the city's skyline from 14 storeys up. Studio Alia Pilates' Natalie Idrizovic will be leading classes, which cater to all fitness levels. Classes are open to both hotel guests and locals. Individual tickets come in at $35, which gets you class entry plus access to the pool and steam room afterwards. Feeling a little more luxe? You can nab a private session or couples session for $105 or $130.
On top of psych-rocking out the Meredith Music Festival this past weekend, Brian Jonestown Massacre are setting off onto seven other dates around Australia this month, supported by The KVB. Since forming in San Francisco in 1988, BJM have recorded 12 studio albums and seven EPs. Starting out as shoegazers, it wasn't long before they started broadening their horizon, delving into blues, folk, Indian music and eventually, electronica. BJM's most recent offering is Aufheben, released in May last year and recorded in East Berlin. The title is a German word that holds a variety of meanings, including 'to lift up', 'to transcend' and 'to abolish'. Given BJM's haphazard history and numerous incarnations, it's pretty representative of their history. Middle Eastern-inspired instrumentation, Finnish vocals and Beatles-style shuffle rhythms all get a look in, but Pitchfork still describe the album as "the band's most consistent, welcoming and sonically lustrous album in years".
Mother's Day begins with Sandy (Jennifer Aniston) being told by her ex-husband Henry (Timothy Olyphant) that they need to talk. Instantly, the mother of two becomes convinced that he wants to rekindle their romance. In fact, it turns out that he has actually married the much-younger Tina (Shay Mitchell). As he breaks the news, an expression washes over Aniston's face – a mix of discomfort, dismay and barely concealed disgust. Fittingly, if the actors on screen could gaze back at you in the audience, they'd see the exact same look plastered across your visage too. Mother's Day's pedigree explains part of its troubles, with the feature offering up the latest slice of holiday-oriented schmaltz in the wake of Valentine's Day and New Year's Eve. Director Garry Marshall returns once again to intertwine tales focused around a special occasion, serving up bite-sized snippets of stories that are supposed to embody the meaning and spirit of the date in question. So far, so standard. Unfortunately, the movie's problems far exceed those of its predecessors. Corralling famous talent, giving them very little to do, and even asking one — Aniston again — to shout most of her dialogue at herself, does not fit into the recipe for a successful film. Neither does clichéd scriptwriting straight out of a sub-par sitcom or soap opera, or bland visuals that look like they were made for television as well. As competing narratives unfold, you may find yourself wondering if you've seen all this before in the low-budget TV realm. Frankly, that's charitable. Other vignettes include sisters (Kate Hudson and Sarah Chalke) coping with their redneck parents (Margo Martindale and Robert Pine) as they react with racism and homophobia to their daughters' respective relationships, and a widowed father (Jason Sudeikis) commemorating the titular event a year after the death of his wife Dana (Jennifer Garner). There's also an aspiring comedian (Jack Whitehall) attempting to convince the mother of his daughter (Britt Robertson) to marry him, and a TV shopping entrepreneur (Julia Roberts) plagued by maternal issues of her own. Marshall's filmmaking sensibilities might have waned considerably since his '80s and '90s heyday, but one thing has remained constant: subtlety isn't his strong point. But at least his earlier features put some effort into evoking an emotional reaction, be it weeping at Beaches or indulging in the fantasy of Pretty Woman. Here, a checklist of contrived dramas and coincidences — two surprise reunions, hospital visits and meet-cutes, plus a wedding, a runaway motor home and a man buying tampons — are supposed to do the trick instead. It shouldn't come as a surprise that it all proves as dull and laughter-free as it sounds. Indeed, by the time Mother's Day has devolved to the point of making unnamed bystanders exclaim "I love babies!" and "I can't wait to see what they do for Father's Day", viewers will have spotted that initial look of discomfort not just on Aniston's face, but on the faces of every single cast member as well. Finding love and acceptance might be the main aim for these one-note characters, but the film they're stranded in is never going to inspire that response. If you're looking for a movie to take your mum to this Mother's Day, almost anything else would be better.
