So far, 2020 has dished up some tough times all round and you're probably busy hunting for ways to up your quota of good days. Sydney couple Jacob Leung and Sarah-Jane Ho certainly were, but they've now landed on the answer. The pair has dreamt up a nifty cure for the pandemic blues with their new feel-good online gift store, Good Day People. This local-loving business is reimagining the humble gift hamper, swapping out the standard bath soaps and boring bickies for fun, quality goodies, and finishing it all off with some bright, mood-boosting packaging. It's serving up a smart edit of gifts and themed gift packages you'd actually want to receive, heroing small Aussie businesses and doing some good for the environment at the same time. If you're forever left stumped by that fussy friend who's 'impossible to buy for', consider this a treasure trove. You'll find 36 different hampers at the moment, including one for 'Gourmet Greg' — packed with Drunken Sailor relish, Maya Sunny honey, a bottle of local wine, Olsson's sea salt and some Bramble & Hedge nougat — and, for 'Perky Pam', an assembly of Bottl(ed) cocktails, Grandvewe sheep whey gin, a pack of cowhide coasters from Mr and Mrs White and Hey Tiger Fairy Wings vegan milk chocolate. The 'Casual Clare' curation comes stocked with some Wondaree macadamias, Poor Toms gin and bottles of Strangelove tonic; while other hampers might star the likes of Noble's luxe maple syrup, batched negronis, Mayde teas, boozy treats from Love Can, a Horse watch, or Hey Bud's moisturising hemp facial mask. There's even a pack for 'Pregnant Polly' including some all-important booze-free rosé. With this lot, it's a safe bet you'll be making someone's day a very good one. Prices start from an easy $49, ranging up to $359 for the top-of-the-line collection. You can say goodbye to the cardboard box and cellophane situation, too. These gift hampers come packaged in your choice of five funky printed cans, splashed with bold colours and cheeky messaging. And as an added bonus, Good Day People also carbon offsets its deliveries, so that ol' planet of ours can have a good day as well. Check out the Good Day People online store to shop the full range of hampers.
Anytime's a good time for oysters, but there's only one occasion where it's perfectly acceptable to gorge on them to the point of no return: the Oyster Frenzy. You must have heard of the Oyster Frenzy by now: a night where abandon is left at the door, and Melbourne's biggest oyster lovers converge to eat as many of the molluscs as they can humanly handle. It's at the same time the fanciest and the messiest buffet we can imagine. Oyster Frenzy #12 will go down at The Deck at The Prince on Thursday, July 21 from 6.30pm. As well as all-you-can-eat freshly shucked oysters — yes, all-you-can-eat — from SA, Tassie and NSW, there will also be other fancy seafood canapes such as fried barramundi sliders, clam arancini and spanner crab croquettes. This year will also feature both a mussel and a ceviche station, plus all the required beer, wine and cider to wash it down. Last year's Frenzy saw 22,032 oysters shucked and swallowed, so do what you need to prepare. And maybe try and get Friday off work.
If you're partial to stuffed cannoli or some gnocchi of the ricotta variety, we've got the festival for you. That's Amore Cheese Ricotta Festival is returning in March for its fifth year, bringing ricotta-filled delights back to Thomastown. For just one day on Sunday, March 30, the lot will be flooded with cheese-slinging food stalls and a handful of bars, plus the team will host some prestigious Melbourne chefs as they demonstrate the best ways to cook with ricotta. The team behind That's Amore Cheese will serve gnocchi sorrentina, a certified Italian classic, alongside spaghetti cacio e pepe tossed in a 40kg Grana cheese wheel. There's also a tantalising selection of other food vendors, such as Pacelli Deli's melted caciocavallo on bruschetta, Cannoleria's freshly filled ricotta cannoli, and creamy tiramisu portions from TRMSU. Plus, there's great coffee, wine, spritzes, locally distilled spirits and cocktails ready for your refreshment. Beyond exceptional bites and sips, there's also a sprawling marketplace filled with fascinating goods. Head to Bippi for Italian-style chilli and condiments, Pistachio Papi for sweet spreads and desserts, and Ellenika Boutique for stylish fashion and jewellery. Then, stock up on local produce with Perino Tomatoes offering the richest, freshest tomatoes imaginable, while Puopolo Artisan Salumi presents some of the best cured Australian meats in town. The festival stage returns in 2025, with another stellar line-up of Italian culinary talent and live entertainers. Catch chefs and TV personalities like Adam D'Sylva, Pia Gava and Telina Menzies showing off their talents in live cooking demonstrations. Then, stick around for musical performances from the Siesta Cartel Band and Veneto Club Choir. If you're bringing the kids, face painting and a petting zoo are bound to keep them entertained as you dine the day away.
Waiheke is an island of rolling hills, gorgeous vineyards and white sandy beaches — a glittering jewel in New Zealand's Hauraki Gulf. As it's only a short hop from Auckland's CBD on a ferry and easy to get around, it should definitely be on your list of places to visit when planning that next short break over the pond. Once there, it's not hard to see why Waiheke regularly appears in travel polls as one of the most beautiful islands in the world. It has a great reputation for relaxation and, most importantly, good food and wine. With over 20 vineyards to choose from, in the place locals affectionately call the Island of Wine, we've narrowed down some of the finest. Flights to Auckland from Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane are super short — around three-and-a-half hours on average — and Air New Zealand offers great everyday fares from all three. That means you could be nestled up by the fire at one of these top spots in no time at all. MAN O' WAR VINEYARDS Located on the far east of the island, Man O' War vineyard definitely delivers the wow factor both for its location and its wine. The vineyards are set on slopes that surround the tasting room and restaurant, which sits at the edge of the water. It's the only beachfront cellar door on Waiheke and has amazing views over to the Coromandel Peninsula. The tasting room is a lovely place to sip and hear about the flagship and single-vineyard drops. Plus, there are platters and sharing plates available to make the most of the experience. From the big robust winter warming Dreadnaught syrah to the softer summer styles of the Pinque rosé and the Exiled pinot gris, there is something for all palates on offer at Man O' War. OBSIDIAN VINEYARD Located in Onetangi and hidden away in an amphitheatre amongst the vines, Obsidian's cellar door is a simple but beautifully relaxed setting. The 30-minute tastings are led by passionate, knowledgeable staff, and the wine is sublime. Obsidian is known for its deep and delicious Bordeaux-style reds, though it also makes a delightful rosé and chardonnay, too. Yields are deliberately kept low to maximise quality and, as a result, only a limited number of cases are produced each year. The vineyard runs a wine club membership and, as an 'Obsidianado', you'll get access to three tasting packages during the year, with each containing at least one bottle of exclusive vintage and variety. BATCH WINERY The Thomas family's vineyard restaurant and cellar door has one of the best views on the island, with stunning views across to the Coromandel and Auckland's Sky Tower. Let the crew know you're coming over and they'll pick you up from Matiatia Ferry to transport you to the beautifully designed Batch Winery. It was built with reverence — both of the relaxed Kiwi way of life and the traditional winemaking process. The restaurant offers a relaxed ambience to dine with friends and family. The menu takes its inspiration from Waiheke favourites, offering fish 'n' chips, locally sourced oysters and a take on the classic Kiwi onion dip served with potato sourdough. It's a wonderful place to while away an afternoon, drinking a glass or two of Fizz rosé and gazing out over Waiheke island. PASSAGE ROCK WINERY Passage Rock is Waiheke's most awarded winery, with over 60 gold medals earned since 2001, including 18 gold for its reserve syrah. As well as producing magnificent wine, it's also in the most picturesque setting, with Orapiu Bay in the background. After your wine tasting, make sure you spend an hour or two in the bistro, which serves delicious platters and woodfired pizzas. PODERI CRISCI Poderi Crisci offers a little slice of Italy on Waiheke with its old world-style restaurant full of Tuscan charm. A great believer in the Italian tradition of eating and drinking, Poderi Crisci has a four-hour Sunday long lunch that's well worth making the time for. But if you only have a few hours to spare, then the degustation or 'trust the chef' menu will suit you well. The wines are definitely European-influenced — highlights include the cheeky white Arneis and the red blended Viburno. These are produced in a beautiful cellar room that also hosts an annual opera night, which alone is well worth making the trip for. CASITA MIRO Situated above Onetangi beach, Casita Miro is a relaxed, vibrant place where you can take your time to enjoy some seriously delicious food and wine. The restaurant specialises in Spanish and Mediterranean sharing plates, with fine Iberian cured meat, cheeses, local oysters and melt-in-your-mouth pork belly. The outdoor area also runs with the Spanish theme, featuring an evolving mosaic inspired by Gaudi's famous Parc Guell, not to mention views out across the Hauraki Gulf. The tasting room sits outside the restaurant in a colourful garden space, and here you can try a flight of five for $15, including the delightful fortified blend, the Madame Rouge. Book your flights to Auckland with Air New Zealand and start planning your next long weekend away. Plus, Vinomofo has released a case of wine featuring six delicious wines representing the diverse and unique sub-regions of Waiheke, Kumeu and Matakana. Every case has a one in 50 chance of winning return flights to Auckland (from Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane). T&Cs apply.
There's a change ahead for South Yarra's food scene, with the announcement that Ramblr — the beloved restaurant from Nick Stanton, Guy Bentley, Mark Catsburg and Jon Harper — is calling it quits, set to close its doors for good on Saturday, March 2. The owners broke the news yesterday via Instagram, thanking both crew and fans for two great years as part of the Chapel Street family, and saying that the restaurant had far exceeded their expectations. "We would like to thank everyone who has been involved with Ramblr - it has been such an amazing experience," it said. https://www.instagram.com/p/Bs7RgFsAfRi/ It has been a busy few months for the four, who launched their latest venture Leonardo's Pizza Palace in Carlton, just last December. Stanton, Bentley, Catsburg and Harper first opened Ramblr at the end of 2016, off the back of their ever-popular debut joint venue, Leonard's House of Love. The Chapel Street restaurant has been pulling in the crowds ever since, famed for its detail-driven fare and polished, yet casual vibe. And, of course, those pig's head fritters. It's not all bad news, however — the boys have hinted at some fun things ahead for the current Ramblr site, with plans for an "exciting new concept" to open there soon. Find Ramblr at 363 Chapel Street, South Yarra until Saturday, March 2. Images: Jo Rittey.
Despite also serving up everything from all-day vegan breakfast to ice cream sandwiches, we still think that fries are the best thing about Lord of the Fries. It's right there in the name, after all. The chain's chips are particularly tasty — as made with Australian potatoes and cooked in a cottonseed sunflower oil blend. There is one thing better than Lord of the Fries' titular dish, however. That'd be free shoestring fries from the chip-loving establishment. And on Wednesday, July 13, the vegan fast food joint is giving away just that. Free. Fries. Yes, really. To snag free fries on Wednesday, you'll need to head to your chosen store in between 4–5pm and you'll be gifted a serving of shoestring deliciousness. You don't even have to purchase any vego nuggets to redeem them. There is a limit of one freebie per person, though, so take that into consideration if you're feeling particularly peckish. You'll get your choice of classic sauces, too. This is clearly great news for anyone who like fries, aka everyone. Folks in Sydney can head to Newtown, Melburnians can choose between ten different stores, and Brisbanites can flock to Fortitude Valley (or Surfers Paradise on the Gold Coast). Also, people in Adelaide can hit up Hindley Street and Glenelg, with Perth residents can visit Northbridge. And if you're wondering why, that's because it's National Fry Day. Of course it is. There are a few caveats, as is always the case with this kind of giveaway. So, the freebies span one Lord of the Fries stickered cup of shoestring fries and one classic sauce, with the latter popped directly on top of the former. Again, you can only get one per person, and only in-store. And, it's only for shoestring fries — not the classic, chunky or sweet potato versions. Lord of the Fries is giving away free fries from 4–5pm on Wednesday, July 13 at all of its Australian locations. To find your closest store, head to the chain's website.
Think of Thailand and you probably think of idyllic beaches, excellent food and lovely, welcoming people. But there's one more thing you can add to that list: trash. Specifically, agricultural and industrial waste. In the country's creative and industrial hubs, a group of environmentally conscious Thai brands are creating practical objects out of discarded materials and embodying the ethos of DEWA and DEWI, or Design from Waste of Agriculture and Industry — a method that uses design and creativity to both repurpose waste and minimise pollution. As the old saying goes: one man's trash is another man's treasure. And in this case, the proverbial trash has been repurposed to create treasure in the form of tableware, carry bags and eco-friendly upholstery. Pineapple by-products, unused medical gloves, car parts and even food scraps are all being transformed into products that are useful, eco-friendly and aesthetically pleasing. And as the other old saying goes: waste not, want not. We've teamed up with Thailand's Department of International Trade Promotion to showcase six brands that are solving environmental problems and hitting consumer demand all in one go by turning garbage into gold. THAI NUM CHOKE Thailand has a huge pineapple industry and that mammoth crop leads to a whole lot of pineapple leaves ending up as waste each year. The unwanted leaves are usually discarded via burning, causing an extra kick of waste, too. But it turns out this fibrous material doesn't need to go up in flames. At Thai Num Choke, pineapple leaves are transformed into fibres, yarns and even vegan leather before being reborn as bags, clothing and award-winning fabrics. Blended with industrial materials and hemp barks (another agricultural waste problem), the fabrics make for durable upholstery and beautiful, environmentally responsible leather. Thai Num Choke also uses natural dye sources and is looking at reclaiming other waste products to expand its innovative textile making. LAMUNLAMAI It's no secret that food waste is a big environmental issue. But what if that waste could end up back on the table — think, an egg cup made of eggshells, coffee accoutrements made of coffee grounds and a vase made of carrot pulp. At Lamunlamai, that's exactly what you'll find. Taking waste from individuals, restaurants and industry, Lamunlamai creates artisanal ceramic tablewares, the shapes and subdued natural hues of which are made to echo their source material. Utterly unique and with exquisite attention to detail, each piece is a beautiful work of art for the table which harks back to the company's origins in creating custom pieces and art installations. MUNIE The Delight Collection by Munie has very humble beginnings: weeds and waste. In Thailand, water hyacinths infest city drains and need to be regularly cleared. As it turns out, those tough but elegant masses of weeds can be turned into natural fibres that are light, quick-drying and absorbent. When woven into yarn with cotton scraps, this waste matter becomes a useful and beautiful fabric that can be used to make pillows, slippers, cushions, table-runners, hats and baskets. Munie supports a strong rural economy by investing in local workers, making its fabrics sustainable and socially conscious all the way along the production line. RUBBER IDEA Rubber Idea is a clever concept. In a post-plastic bag era, the 5 billion unused medical gloves that go to waste each year seemed like a golden opportunity to create recycled and reusable carry bags. After all, rubber is waterproof, easy to clean and the latex can be reconstituted and coloured in vibrant hues, giving you a functional and environmentally responsible bag that also provides a solution to a huge waste problem. It's not just bags that Rubber Idea has mastered. It also has a line of pet products including accessories, temperature-adjustable bedding and chewable and snack-dispensing toys. Because why shouldn't your beloved pet live the same environmentally conscious lifestyle as you? CHYWA You probably think about petrol pollution and the fossil fuels that are used to power your car regularly, but what about the environmental impact from the actual car itself? Airbags alone result in tonnes of waste each year across Asia, Europe and the US. But they're a durable material: tough, wrinkle-resistant and made to withstand stress and hard knocks. In other words, ideal for the outdoors. Chywa receives airbags and seatbelts from Thai garages and up-cycles them into outdoor lifestyle products. The range features stylish and functional camping gear including backpacks, folding chairs, shoulder bags and wide-brimmed hats. With tourism being an integral part of Thailand's economy, integrating sustainable practices to improve the ecological footprint of this industry makes complete sense. RENIM PROJECT Producing just one brand-new pair of jeans uses on average 7,600 litres of water and can create up to 60 kilograms of CO2 emissions. And when you think about how many new pairs of jeans are made each year, that's a lot unnecessary usage. With fast fashion being such a big polluter, consumers are wising up and looking for alternatives. The solution? Recycle, reduce and redesign denim via The Renim Project. This Bangkok-based label raises awareness around denim waste through Thai craftsmanship. Using all scrap parts — including zippers, buttons and leather labels — the project reforms waste into stylish new fashion items, such as eye-catching patchwork clothing, bags, accessories and even placemats and table runners. The Renim Project also collaborates on limited-run items that have made their way into LA Fashion Week. Keen to explore more waste-embracing Thai brands? For more information, visit the DITP website, or explore more of Thailand's booming creative scene here.
Being selected for the Melbourne International Film Festival's Bright Horizons is an achievement. Only one movie each year can take home the competition's $140,000 prize, however. 2025's just-announced victor: A Poet, which follows a once-celebrated literary figure who is having trouble writing, premiered at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival and marks the second feature by Simón Mesa Soto (Amparo). The fest's annual competition for emerging filmmakers has given its coveted accolade to "a tragicomic satire and microcosm of melancholy and irreverence", as the Bright Horizons Jury led by Aftersun director Charlotte Wells described A Poet. The same group also made its pick for MIFF's Best Australian Director of 2025, with photographer James J Robinson winning the award for his filmmaking debut First Light. Bright Horizons has been part of MIFF's program since 2022, when Australia's oldest film festival started its yearly prize for new directorial voices. Afrofuturist musical Neptune Frost won the award in its initial year — which Aftersun contended for — followed by Senegalese-French love story Banel & Adama in 2023, then Canadan dramedy Universal Language in 2024. "A Poet depicts Óscar, a failed poet turned reluctant mentor drifting between aspiration and self-destruction. The film is a biting fable of art as both an inescapable burden and a personal compass, breaking convention through its refreshingly brisk pace, unpretentious use of 16mm cinematography, deadpan performances by a mostly first-timer cast and pared-back jazzy score," the 2025 jury continued about A Poet. "The film's balancing act of unflinching character study and social satire marks Simón Mesa Soto as a vital voice in contemporary Latin American cinema." [caption id="attachment_1018710" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Dijana Risteska[/caption] Of First Light — a Bright Horizons competitor, too — as the Best Australian Director recipient, Wells, Pavements and Videoheaven director Alex Ross Perry, Harvest filmmaker Athina Rachel Tsangari, composer and musician Caitlin Yeo (Last Days of the Space Age), author and screenwriter Nam Le (The Boat), performer Tamala (Late Night with the Devil) and IMDb founder Col Needham said: "James J Robinson's First Light is a moving and powerful meditation on faith, institutional corruption and moral awakening". "The film is anchored by a pitchperfect performance from Ruby Ruiz [Expats] and a sensorial mise en scène, inviting the audience into the spiritual grandeur of the landscape and the sacred intimacy of the convent to interrogate, alongside Sister Yolanda, not only the crime at hand, but also the Catholic Church and modern society itself." "As the first Australia–Philippines co-production to debut at MIFF, First Light not only showcases Robinson's promise as a cineaste but also marks a noteworthy milestone in cross-cultural cinema." 2025 is the third year of MIFF's Uncle Jack Charles Award, aka the First Nations Film Creative Award, as won this year by Yarrenyty Arltere Artists the art direction of short The Fix-It-Man and the Fix-It-Wooman. If you went to the festival and had your say in the Audience Award voting, you also contributed to 2025's winners lineup, too. After Australian documentaries Voice and Left Write Hook shared the accolade in 2024, another has won it outright in 2025: the aged care-focused Careless. For those who haven't caught them at MIFF, add the recipients of this year's accolades to your must-see list ASAP. Check out the trailers for A Poet, Careless andThe Fix-It-Man and the Fix-It-Wooman below: The 2025 Melbourne International Film Festival runs from Thursday, August 7–Sunday, August 24. For more information, visit the MIFF website. Bright Horizons Jury image: Dijana Risteska.
Mark Ronson's newly released memoir Night People: How to Be a DJ in '90s New York City is officially being adapted into a feature film. As first reported by Variety, the Grammy- and Oscar-winning producer's story of New York nightlife will be brought to the big screen by Plan B, the production company co-founded by Brad Pitt. The studio has been behind acclaimed projects including Moonlight, F1 and Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, as well as Netflix's Emmy-winning series Adolescence. In a recent interview with Rolling Stone AU/NZ, Ronson said the deal only came together a fortnight ago after Plan B co-president Jeremy Kleiner reached out. "He just loved the book," Ronson explained. "He was like, 'I think this could be a great film.' And for me, I'm kind of a modest guy. It's my life. I was just so happy to be finished with the book. But it's a brilliant era, and they make such brilliant films. I'm so excited to see what they want to do with it." The exact direction of the movie is still up in the air — whether it will follow a biopic-style arc or take looser inspiration from Ronson's stories. "I actually don't think they've even decided yet, so it could be whatever," he said. "I think whoever the director is, the visionary who comes into it, [they are] gonna definitely lead that as well." Ronson also revealed he'll likely have input on creative decisions — including casting. "I think so, yeah. Only if it's Timothée Chalamet will I agree on this picture," he joked. "[Plan B] make such great films and I'm just down for whatever they wanna do." Night People: How to Be a DJ in '90s New York City is out now, and you can find more details via Penguin Random House. Images: Getty
It's always a good idea to wear sneakers when you're walking around a gallery, but they're the only kicks that'll do when Sneakers Unboxed: Studio to Street arrives Down Under. First staged by The Design Museum in London, this exhibition pays tribute to the footwear's origins and evolution — through sports to fashion, surveying iconic brands and names, and obviously touching upon basketballers Chuck Taylor and Michael Jordan's relationships with the shoes. In total, more than 200 sneakers will be on display during Sneakers Unboxed: Studio to Street's Australian-premiere and Australian-exclusive season at the Gold Coast's HOTA Gallery. The six-level spot will give over its walls and halls to shoes, shoes and more shoes over the summer of 2023–24, starting on on Saturday, November 25, and marking the site's first major design exhibition since opening in 2021. While a hefty amount of trainers will feature, the entire showcase will span 400-plus items. The other objects at Sneakers Unboxed: Studio to Street include photos, videos, posters, artworks and process material, all helping to explore the journey that the footwear style has taken in its design and culturally. Expect to learn more about sneakers that were initially made specifically for getting sweaty, which is where the Converse Chuck Taylor All Stars and Nike Airs come in (and, with the latter, to add to a year that's already seen the movie Air step through the story behind them). Also set to feature: the shoes that've become cultural symbols (such as the Vans Half Cab and Reebok InstaPump Fury), future advancements in making kicks (as seen with Biorealize for Puma) and big-name collaborations (Jordan, of course, plus Run-DMC and more). Attendees will also check out sneakers that've made a splash on the runway (Comme des Carçons and A-Cold-Wall*, for instance), find out more about plant-based sneakers (such as Veja and Native Shoes) and customisable kicks (as Helen Kirkum and Alexander Taylor are doing), and dive into celebrity endorsements (Travis Scott with Nike, Pharell for Adidas and the like). Laid out in chapters called 'STYLE' and 'PERFORMANCE', the exhibition's first part goes big on aesthetics and its second on the act of making the best trainers — covering Chuck Taylor's basketball clinics, sneaker culture in New York City and everything that's happened since. "Sneakers Unboxed: Studio to Street reveals the role young people from diverse backgrounds have played in making individual sneakers into style icons and in driving an industry now worth billions," notes Sneakers Unboxed: Studio to Street Curator Ligaya Salazar. "The exhibition also gives behind-the-scenes insight into new upcycling and sustainable design practices, unseen prototypes predicting the future of performance design, and streetwear and fashion collaborations that changed the face of the industry." "As an active city with a vibrant street culture and enthusiasm for fashion, summer on the Gold Coast is the perfect time and place to celebrate the iconic footwear phenomenon. We are thrilled to be presenting this internationally acclaimed exhibition exclusively in Australia," added HOTA's Interim CEO Mik Auckland. Sneakers Unboxed: Studio to Street is the Gold Coast venue's second huge Australian-exclusive in 2023, following Pop Masters: Art From the Mugrabi Collection, New York and its focus on Andy Warhol, Jean-Michel Basquiat and Keith Haring from February–June. Sneakers Unboxed: Studio to Street will open on Saturday, November 25 at HOTA Gallery, 135 Bundall Road, Surfers Paradise Gold Coast — head to the exhibition's website for further details and tickets. Images: Ed Reeve, Design Museum London.
Some gins taste best on their own, without anything else — even tonic — changing the flavour. Others, like Original Spirit Co's Ginfusion range, benefit from a mixer. In fact, this Aussie line is specifically made to go down smoothly with soda. Original Spirit Co started in 2007 with a German-style digestive made from a family recipe; however the family-run distillery has clearly expanded its remit in the years since. The blood orange and Japanese yuzu Ginfusion definitely stands out, though. Made with real fruit and the brand's dry gin, it's both citrusy and tangy, and is an easy go-to to make the simplest cocktail you've ever whipped up.Original Spirit Co's products, including its Ginfusion range, are available via its online store.
Melbourne often goes in waves with its international influences on dining. From Mexican taco trucks to Spanish tapas to Korean barbecue, there are no limits to our cravings for international cuisine. One craze we cannot ignore any longer has to go to the land of the free and home of the brave, with American style platefuls still popping up left right and centre. Yes, American-inspired food and drink is not new to Melbourne, but boy do we love it right now. Whether you're craving dude food like Philly steaks and curly fries, want to snuggle into an American-style diner or simply won't settle for anything short of some southern Gumbo, there's a place for you here. Fourth of July celebrations were surprisingly abundant this year, and so the masses have spoken: USA is A-OK. So when you've got the urge for something from the States without the 22-hour flight, here's where you should head. Po' Boy Quarter The permanent residence from the team behind Creole food truck Gumbo Kitchen is perfect for those looking for southern comfort food. The po' boys, popular New Orleans street food, are filled with fried shrimp, deep-fried catfish or pulled pork — and you can’t go past the gumbo. Fantastic for those looking for a big feed on a budget as well, they often have drink and food specials (just keep an eye out on their Facebook page). The bar out the back, Huey Long's, has also recently started stocking craft beer from Louisiana for authenticity. They also serve great American style cocktails; rye mint julep served with crushed ice in pewter cups will be our go-to beverage the second the weather warms up. 295 Smith Street, Fitzroy, (03) 9419 2130, gumbokitchen.com.au The Beaufort This nautical dive bar is all about the booze, boats and buns — we're assuming of the hamburger nature — and if you can have more fun at a bar while keeping your clothes on, we'll eat our hat. Ike's Rack Shack is where it's at for delicious ribs. The tasty bits of meat and bone are covered in a salt and pepper rub and smoked overnight, then glazed with a Bulliet bourbon and maple syrup concoction. If you've got room for desert they’ve also got a bourbon caramel-topped walnut and vanilla sundae — along with apple pie, of course. 421 Rathdowne Street, Carlton, (03)9347 8171, thebeaufort.com.au Meatmother The dedicated folk at Meatmother are up bright and early to get slabs of beef brisket, pork and ribs to smoke over oak for 12 hours before they reach your lips. We recommend getting the meat tray to test out their days work, and adding a side of either chipotle slaw or mac and cheese. As for drinks, they offer a great selection of both American and Australian craft beers, bourbon and cocktails. With rusty meat cleavers adorning the walls, this isn't a prime choice for vegetarians (as the name suggests). But, if you like your meat to fall apart and full of flavour, you can't go wrong here. 167 Swan Street, Richmond, (03) 9041 5393, meatmother.com.au Big Boy BBQ The motto at Big Boy BBQ is 'Slow Food… Fast', meaning that their meat is generously rubbed with spices and slow cooked for up to 16 hours, but they can still dish them out quick sticks once orders start coming in. It may be 'fast food' but the meat is actually low fat, and low carb meal options are available. Give 'The Dorothy' a go: Kansas style saucy beef brisket with pickles and coleslaw. Another great thing about Big Boy is that they have BYO for only $1 surcharge per person. You can find these guys in either Caulfield South or Hardware Lane if the desire for shredded tender meat grabs you at a moments notice. 764 Glen Huntly Road, Caulfield South, (03) 9523 7410 and 27-31 Hardware Lane, Melbourne, (03) 9670 9388, bigboybbq.com.au Le Bon Ton Brought to you by the boys who have already proven they can nail Mexican food with Chingon, Le Bon Ton is another place serving up the New Orleans-inspired goods. The chicken wings smoked over cherry wood for two hours have been described as smokier than Keith Richards (we're assured that's a good thing). Also worth a stab is the 12-hour mesquite-smoked pork shoulder — it will change your life. We're also not about to argue with Sierra Nevada on tap, and for those after a serious cocktail there is the 'French Quarter' with Martell, Bulleit rye whiskey and sweet vermouth, with lashings of bitters and Bénédictine liqueur. And then there's the homemade pies for dessert: pecan, chocolate cream, banana cream and apple. This will be a food coma well deserved. 51 Gipps Street, Collingwood, (03) 9416 4341, lebonton.com.au Fancy Hanks Bar-B-Que If you're craving a big hunk of BBQ meat to get you through this winter, you should definitely drop by Fancy Hank's. 16-hour pulled pork shoulder for $6 per 100g or beer can chicken are popular items on the Bar-b-que menu, available at The Mercat Wednesday to Sunday. Add a side of 'Rosanne Cash' potato salad or some traditional cornbread and you won't need to eat for days. They also have happy hour between 4pm-7pm on Fridays with 2 for 1 on-tap beers. Also, what the hell is a pulled pork sundae you ask? You'd better get down there and investigate. The Mercat, 456 Queen Street, Melbourne, (03) 9348 9998, fancyhanks.com.au Miss Katie’s Crab Shack Previously known as Dr Juicy Jay's Crab Shack (and originally started by the Chingon boys), Miss Katie's is all about the American-style cooked blue swimmer crab. There is no holding back when it comes to these crabs — you just gotta grab a bib and hammer, and get stuck into these delicious crustaceans. The seasonal jambalaya, a paella-like dish with rice, seasonal vegetables and a selection of meats is created depending on what looked good at the market that day — just ask the staff for details. For those not so in favour of seafood there's KFC (that’s Katie's Fried Chicken), and vegetarians have not been forgotten here, with the sweetcorn and sweet potato burger doing the trick. The Public Bar, 238 Victoria Street, North Melbourne, (03) 9329 9888, misskatiescrabshack.com Bowery to Williamsburg For those looking for a taste of the USA in daylight hours, this cafe will take care of your bagel cravings. Channeling the industrial NY Subway station, this cafe pumps out Padre coffee all day, and something a little stronger for the afternoon crowd. The breakfast pastrami bagel is a hard one to pass up, a with fried egg, jalapeños, shmeer and rocket to get your day off to a great start. More recently they have added po' boys to their menu and some incredibly irresistible cronuts — that's a croissant crossed with a doughnut for the uninitiated. 16 Oliver Lane, Melbourne, twitter.com/bowerytowilliam Trunk If we're going to include a diner on our list, we think it should be Trunk. While Trunk's restaurant section is slightly more serious business, Trunk's New York-style diner is for those looking for something a bit quicker and light hearted. Try the Breaking Bad Dog: a bacon-wrapped hot dog with mustard, ketchup, fresh tomato salsa and jalapeños. Add some Wagyu chili fries to the order and you're laughing. Plus, you can never go wrong with a dessert menu only consisting of Sundaes — the salted caramel with toffee peanuts and caramelised popcorn for us, thanks. 275 Exhibition Street, Melbourne, (03) 9663 7994, trunktown.com.au Nieuw Amsterdam Ex-Cookie owner Michael Roszbach has opened a New York-inspired eatery and late night bar, and it doesn't disappoint. Serving food for lunch and into the night, the fare is decidedly American, with Gritz Fritters and a New York clam chowder filled with leeks, bacon, potatoes, clam veloute. Of course, with all things American that can be found in Melbourne, there is a pit grill to satisfy the carnivores amongst us, with lamb ribs and pork belly chops to boot. Pumpkin doughnuts and peanut butter waffles beckon us for dessert — but then again, so does the bar. An impressive list of Negronis and a 'NY Sour' with rye whiskey, cognac, lemon juice, egg white, and an absinthe rinse could be just what the doctor ordered. 106-112 Hardware Street, Melbourne, (03) 9602 2111, nieuwamsterdam.com.au Belle's Hot Chicken We know this is number 11 of the list, but we thought Belle's Hot Chicken — which has recently opened, replacing Belle's Diner — was worth of a mention on this list. The Gertrude Street diner is set to close mid-July and reopen to exclusively serve Nashville-style fried chicken. They'll be plating up their spicy-coated chicken with sides of fermented pickles, hot sauce, slaw, and potato salad in August. Their focus is to do one thing and do it really well — and we're volunteering ourselves to be their test crowd. 150 Gertrude Street, Fitzroy, (03) 9077 0788, bellesnightlunchdiner.com Po' Boy Quarter images thanks to e1cam1n0 via Instagram. View all Melbourne Restaurants.
Icon alert: in a year that's already bringing everyone from Kraftwerk, Devo and Paul McCartney to Sparks, Ms Lauryn Hill and Christina Aguilera Australia's way, Chaka Khan is also heading Down Under. The American singer and ten-time Grammy-winner will headline the 2023 Melbourne International Jazz Festival, putting on a one-night-only Aussie-exclusive show at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl. And joining her onstage? Nile Rodgers & Chic while they're in the country for Harvest Rock. That evening of tunes will be all about icons teaming up with icons, clearly. Khan — aka the Queen of Funk — will celebrate five decades in the music industry with talents that've been around just as long. Among the Chicago-born singer's hits: 'I'm Every Woman', which was later covered by Whitney Houston; the Prince-penned 'I Feel for You'; and 'Ain't Nobody' with her funk band Rufus. Rodgers and Chic will bust out 'Le Freak' and 'Good Times', and also revel in their own hefty history. And, there's also the former's prowess as a guitarist to relish — which has seen him pop up on Daft Punk's Random Access Memories, including single 'Get Lucky'. As a writer and producer, too, he's had a hand in everything from David Bowie's Let's Dance album to Madonna's 'Like a Virgin'. Khan, Rodgers and Chic will be supported by Kaiit and Horns of Leroy at their six-hour opening-weekend show, which will help launch MIFJ's 26th festival. Running from Friday, October 20–Sunday, October 29 at venues around Melbourne, the rest of the fest's lineup spans more than 100 events, with 11 world premieres and ten Australian-exclusive performances on that list. Lisa Simone, daughter of Nina Simone, will take to Hamer Hall's stage to sing her mother's songs, while the Hot 8 Brass Band will host and lead the Second Line Street Party, a New Orleans jazz parade along the Yarra, Southbank and into Fed Square. The fest's international contingent is bringing Cécile McLorin Salvant, Makaya McCraven, GoGo Penguin and SFJAZZCollective to Melbourne as well, alongside trumpeters Marquis Hill and Ingrid Jensen. Also on offer: Raw Denshi, with the Australian Art Orchestra teaming up with Japanese hip hop's Kojoe and Hikaru Tanaka — and a collaboration featuring William Barton's didgeridoo sounds and Nduduzo Makhathini's jazz stylings. Or, jazz fans can hit up Federation Square to see Bumpy Thndo and Rita Satch play for free, then get their toes tapping to Afrobeat at Beasts of No Nation, where 87-year-old Ghanaian guitarist Ebo Taylor will make his Australian debut. Throw in Australian names such as Elixir and Paul Grabowsky AO, Chapel Off Chapel hosting five days of jazz, JazzLab in Brunswick welcoming late-night jams, and outdoor dining and tunes at Grazeland, and this hefty program keeps throwing up more and more reasons to attend. The 2023 Melbourne International Jazz Festival runs from Friday, October 20–Sunday, October 29 at venues around Melbourne. Head to the festival's website for further details, and for tickets from 8am on Tuesday, August 29.
Vegan? Gluten free? Intolerant of basically everything? Wattle Park Green Grocer has your back. As well as all the fruit and veg you'd expect to see at your local supermarket, Wattle Park specialises in ready made meals (including gluten free and low FODMAP options), organic produce boxes and gourmet food hampers. You'll find vegan dips and pestos, fair trade coffee and chocolate from local producers, organic Australian sauces and condiments, a big selection of mueslis and a room dedicated to bulk-buy wholefoods like nuts, seeds, dry fruit, legumes and hard to find flours. BYO containers and reusable shopping and produce bags. Images: Tracey Ah-kee.
In the last few years, Melbourne has experienced what can only be described as an explosion of vegetarian options. Suddenly, it's not just about piecing together a meal from the sides; now, establishments have dedicated veggie sub-sections on their menus and countless eateries cook entirely with plant-based products. There's never been a better time to be meat-free. The other wonderful thing about veggie dining in Melbourne is that you don't have to be a strict vegetarian or vegan to get in on the spoils. Even if you're only going meat-free on Mondays, you'll still find plenty of casual mid-week options, from veggie-driven fine dining, sans-meat Mexican to vegan lunch break options. No matter what you're craving, there's an eggplant option for you. To help you form this healthy habit, we've teamed up with American Express to find Melbourne's best restaurants that make eating vegetarian deliciously simple. Really, it's not hard to do — when you live in Melbourne, it's as easy as a swipe of your American Express® Card. Got yourself in another dining situation and need some guidance? Whatever it is, we know a place. Visit The Shortlist and we'll sort you out.
It's been 100 years since the art world welcomed an icon with the birth of Jeffrey Smart, who went on to become one of Australia's most celebrated artists. And this summer, the National Gallery of Australia is paying homage to his life and work when it hosts a retrospective exhibition, aptly dubbed Jeffrey Smart. Running from Saturday, December 11–Sunday, May 15, the exhibition will dig deep into the renowned artist's legacy through a major survey of his works. Greatly inspired by the urban environment and the age of industrial modernity, Smart was known for his hyperrealist streetscapes, theatrical stylings and penchant for geometric composition. Vehicles, highways, factories and water towers are common motifs within Smart's art, as are eerily empty streets occupied by solo travellers. The National Gallery of Australia's centenary showcase will feature pieces from throughout his illustrious career and highlight the many varied themes Smart explored via his painting, as well as chronicle his evolution as an artist. Book your timed visit to check out Jeffrey Smart here — it'll be open daily (except Christmas Day). [caption id="attachment_834494" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jeffrey Smart, Wallaroo, 1951, National Gallery of Australia, Canberra, purchased 1959, © The Estate of Jeffrey Smart.[/caption] Top Images: Jeffrey Smart 'Self portrait, Procida', National Gallery of Australia, copyright The Estate of Jeffrey Smart. Jeffrey Smart 'Corrugated Gioconda', National Gallery of Australia, copyright The Estate of Jeffrey Smart.
Taking diners on a flavour trip through Southeast Asia is something Noah Crowcroft does on the daily, as Executive Chef of Fitzroy's much-loved Rice Paper Scissors. And while his upcoming feasting series embarks on a similar journey, this time he'll be joined in the driver's seat by some well-known foodie friends. The restaurant's Collingwood event space Aunty Kim's is the setting for this new Sunday lunch series, with each event set to hero a different cuisine guided by Crowcroft's special guest of the day. The Lunch with Friends program kicks off on May 21 with Jerry Mai (Pho Nom, Annam) delivering a warm homage to her Vietnamese heritage, complete with tables covered in newspapers and laden with fresh herbs. Expect dishes like betal leaf wraps stuffed with grilled nem nuong, and grilled barramundi paired with mam nem (fermented fish sauce) and pineapple. Malaysian-born MasterChef alum Diana Chan takes the reins on July 23 to serve up a taste of home, while Mark Tagnipez (former Head Chef at Supernormal) will be drawing inspiration from his own globe-trotting kitchen adventures to plate up a tropical-leaning lunch on August 27. Daman Shrivastav of India @ Q by DDs Kitchen in Kew helps wrap things up on October 15 with a feast of layered Indian flavours. Each of the lunches comes in at $119 per person.
If you've wandered around South Melbourne Market, Preston Market or Queen Vic Market lately, you've likely seen long lines of folks hunting down Cannoleria's ricotta-filled pastry shells. Its Sicilian-style cannolis are no joke, made with That's Amore ricotta and delicately crunchy pastry. But wherever you've bee getting your fix so far, it's been a purely takeaway affair — you either have to rush home before the cannoli start getting soggy, get the filling sold separately so you can pipe them later, or scoff the cannoli right after ordering. That is until now, as the team is bringing its first dine-in venue to town — and it'll be opening soon on Lygon Street, no less. While we're still awaiting details about an opening date, what we do know is that come late July or early August, Cannoleria will be setting up shop on the unofficial home of Melbourne's Italian dining and cultural scene, which has hosted countless Italian restaurants and gelato joints for generations. The new site will seat 18 cannoli lovers, allowing them to take their time savouring these sweet Sicilian treats. Moka Pot St Remio coffee and other hot and cold bevs will also be available. There's no word yet on whether the site will be stocking its epic pistachio spreads, cannoli-scented candles, cannoli cakes and merch, but we're quietly hopeful. To celebrate the new opening, Cannoleria will be giving away 1000 mini cannolis on its launch day, so watch this space for more details once we have them. You'll soon find Cannoleria at 334 Lygon Street, Carlton. For more information, visit the venue's website.
Melbourne's growing thirst for craft beer has spawned plenty of local microbreweries, though it's clearly not an easy gig. The second incarnation of Brunswick East's Temple Brewing seems to be sailing a whole lot more smoothly than the first, which came to its unfortunate demise in 2012, after only one year of operation. Reopening in late 2013 under new ownership, Temple Take Two has a few solid favourites to its name, including the ever-popular Bicycle Beer and Anytime IPA. While the venue, housed in an industrial stretch off the Brunswick end of Lygon Street, ticks plenty of boxes for craft beer lovers, it holds much broader appeal than other brewery bars you might have frequented. Sure, the decor is concrete-heavy. Sure, the view of shiny steel brewing equipment is used as a design feature. And sure, there's beer — and plenty of it. But don't expect your standard-issue pub grub or basic drinking snacks here. Instead, you'll find a collection of considered, intelligent dishes (including a few beer-infused creations), each with a suggested pairing to one of Temple's own tap brews. Charcuterie and cheese boards are a mix-and-match affair, featuring both local and international produce. Team them with a tasting rack of five beers ($15), and your afternoon is set. If a proper meal is on the cards, start by sharing some of the well-sized starter plates — perhaps the crispy soft-shell crab that's been crumbed, ingeniously, in spent brew grain ($15), or a silky pile of steak tartare, studded with crispy rounds of purple potato ($15). An ancient grain salad features quinoa, faro and pearled barley, laced with shaved veggies and tarragon vinaigrette ($10), and topped with optional dollops of Meredith goats' curd ($4). Larger plates continue in that Modern Australian style, from steaks ($35-70) and Port Arlington mussels ($15), to a ragu of chef-foraged forest mushrooms ($25). The dish on everyone's lips, though, is the signature Midnight burger. As the name hints, the bun is a charcoal brioche, and it's filled with a fat, juicy wagyu beef patty, jack cheddar, bacon, salad, zucchini pickle and house-made tomato relish, served along with chunky hand-cut fries ($19). It's a mouth-watering creation that surely deserves a place on any list of Melbourne's most notable burgers. A selection of generously sized sliders ($7) offers the ideal choice for the indecisive. There's a smaller version of the Midnight, a veggie-friendly mushroom number and one with brisket, but the Colonel's Clone takes the cake. The chicken, soaked in buttermilk, dredged in a winning combination of secret spices and fried until perfectly crispy, is well deserving of the name. There's an upstairs bar and function space for busy evenings and the front car-park area has been recently transformed into an astro-turfed beer garden with sunny Sunday session written all over it. Yes, Temple's a must-visit if you love a local craft brew — but don't forget that there's much more on offer here than just great beer. Image credit: Simon Shiff
Based out of the architecturally textured Albury Library Museum, Write Around the Murray (WAM) is now celebrating a decade of reading, writing and storytelling. The five-day festival will return from September 13 through 17 and with it comes over 30 events featuring authors from around the country. This year's featured events include a Poetry Slam Bootcamp for a crash course in performance prose and Designing Stories For Games, a look at narrative for all you gamers out there. There will also be book sales and launches, round tables and even fabric painting classes for kids. The festivities aren't limited to reading and writing, either. Expect festival dinners and literary lunches to accompany poetry slams, workshops, author talks, performances, panel discussions and writing competitions.
More than just a simple cafe, Project281 has taken up residence on Albert Street in Brunswick. Owners Connell McGrath and Sargon Michael (of The Glass Den Cafe) have made a smart move by setting up shop in Melbourne's food and coffee-oriented north — but Project281 stands out from the crowd in terms of what it has to offer. A massive industrial looking, greenery-filled space on Albert Street, Project281 includes an in-house roastery — aka Founder Coffee Co. — as well as a kitchen and indoor 50-square-metre herb garden on their mezzanine level (with its products used in the food, of course). The team plans to open for dinner and add a rooftop bar, but there's plenty to see, eat and drink here to keep patrons going in the meantime, and McGrath says that it's been no mean feat. "To put it simply, it has been a massive team effort," he says of the process. "We've spent countless hours, day and night, creating a space that promises to be comfortable, convenient and exciting for all." The team effort he refers to includes part of Matcha Mylkbar's opening team, Lachlan Timms and Conrad Cheng, who run front and back of house operations. Then there's coffee roaster Anne Cooper, snagged from Equilibrium Master Roasters to oversee the coffee side of things. The fit-out was done by architectural firm Splinter Society, and it's all natural light, greenery and timber throughout the warehouse-like space. Designed by the team to be vegan-friendly, the menu features a mix of Korean, Japanese, and South East Asian fare — divided into chibi-sara (small plates), oki-sara (large plates) and ame-sara (sweet plates). Even if you're not a dessert-for-breakfast kind of person, the latter are well worth a gander, with the Japanese taiyaki (a filled waffle) is served with nashi pear custard, berries, brandy coral, vanilla ice cream and sweet herbs for $19. More of a savoury tooth? Perhaps the soft shell crab okonomiyaki ($24), served with poached egg, tonkatsu and slaw, will whet your appetite. That's without getting started on the liquids — from a triple hot chocolate ($7) to housemade smoothies full of goodness ($11), there's a lot to see around these parts even if you're not a coffee drinker. If you are a coffee drinker, try the iced coffee sphere with a side of hot milk, $8. Who said coffee culture was all the same? Find Project281 at 281 Albert Street, Brunswick, or visit the cafe's Facebook page for further details.
Singapore's food scene reflects the diversity, passion and innovation that runs through the city. From fine-dining restaurants that push culinary boundaries to hawker stalls recognised by Michelin, there's a good meal to be had in every corner of Singapore. If you're feeling intimidated by the sheer volume of choice, let our guide take some of the pressure off. We've teamed up with Singapore Tourism to shed light on some classic Singaporean fare, as well as where to find them. [caption id="attachment_979197" align="alignnone" width="1920"] John Heng[/caption] Kopi Start the day off with a cup of fresh coffee, or 'kopi' as it's locally known. Drawn from traditional Malay coffee, kopi is complex, full-bodied and packs a strong kick. Robusta beans are roasted in margarine and sugar, before being strained through a cloth sack or sock. A traditional kopi is served with a splash of condensed milk, with options to switch things up from there. For a milkier brew, try a Kopi C (black coffee with sugar and evaporated milk), Kopi Gah Dai (with more condensed milk), or the foamy Kopi Tarik (cooled down by pouring the drink between two cups). There are also kopis with less sugar or dairy, or the completely black Kopi O Kosong. You'll find kopi all around Singapore, but we'd recommend going to an old-school kopitiam (coffee house) like Tong Ah Eating House or Heap Seng Leong — which is especially known for its rich Kopi Gu You (served with condensed milk and a square of butter) — where you can pair your caffeine hit with kaya toast and eggs. Zi Char Comfort food at its simplest. 'Zi char' refers to a type of home-style cooking dished out by casual eateries and food stalls around Singapore. Local staples include wok-fried fare such as hor fun and char kway teow (stir-fried rice noodles), pork ribs cooked with coffee or marmite, and seafood or meat coated with salted duck egg. For some authentic zi char outside of hawker centres, head to Keng Eng Kee Seafood for signature plates such as the seafood hor fun with Chinese sausages and egg, butter cereal prawns, salted egg squid and marmite chicken. New Ubin Seafood is a more contemporary zi char restaurant, but still serves classics like bee hoon (vermicelli noodles), fish head curry and crispy fish skin in salted egg. Nasi Lemak Traditionally a Malaysian breakfast dish, nasi lemak combines the subtle sweetness of coconut with the spice of sambal and bite of dried anchovies. A typical serving consists of rice cooked in coconut milk and pandan leaves served alongside a variety of accompaniments, including cucumbers, a hard-boiled egg, crispy dried anchovies, roasted peanuts and sambal (chilli paste). The Coconut Club is — aptly — a local favourite for nasi lemak. The restaurant's signature dish comes with the option to add fried chicken, beef rendang curry, a fried egg or grilled fish cake. Dickson Nasi Lemak also specialises in the national dish, serving only nasi lemak from morning to the afternoon. Add-ons include fried chicken leg or thigh and chicken or beef rendang, paired with hot or iced kopi or teh (tea). Peranakan Cuisine Hailed as one of the earliest fusion cuisines, Peranakan (or Nyonya) food is a mixture of Chinese, Malay and Indian cooking techniques with colonial influences. Its roots trace back as far as the 15th century, when Chinese migrants began settling in Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia. Well-known Peranakan dishes include ayam buah keluak (chicken with buah keluak nuts and a tamarind and spice-heavy gravy), laksa, fish maw soup, palm sugar cake made with bouncy tapioca flour, and kueh salat (pandan and coconut custard atop sticky rice). If you're keen to try the cuisine, look no further than Candlenut. Helmed by chef Malcolm Lee, Candlenut is the first Peranakan restaurant to be awarded with a Michelin star. The Ah-Ma-Kase option means you won't have to struggle with making any decisions — just sit back and let the kitchen bring you heaping plates of its beloved classics. Another Nyonya gem serving Peranakan and Singaporean cooking is National Kitchen by Violet Oon, housed inside the historic National Gallery Singapore. Hainanese Curry Rice Another amalgamation of cultures, Hainanese curry marries Indian spices with Peranakan stewed cabbage, European pork chop and Chinese soy sauce for maximum flavour in every bite. Other combinations include braised pork belly or chicken, with sides of egg, bean sprouts, tofu or seafood. Beach Road Scissors Cut Curry Rice and Loo's Hainanese Curry Rice have been slinging out loaded plates of Hainanese curry for decades. Open until 3.30am for those late-night cravings, Scissors Cut is known for the way each plate is prepared — once you've chosen what you want with your curry, the chef uses a pair of scissors to chop the ingredients up with incredible speed and dexterity, before topping it all off with the curry sauce. On the other hand, Loo's serves its curry with each component on separate plates, so you can choose to mix and match as you wish. You can't go wrong either way. Book your Singapore holiday now with Flight Centre. All images courtesy of Singapore Tourism Board.
"What we need is a hot, fresh dead body — preferably right here or very near to here." So declares Oliver Putnam (Martin Short, Schmigadoon!) in the just-unveiled first trailer for Only Murders in the Building season four. Viewers of 2023's season three already know that exactly that is about to greet him, Mabel Mora (Selena Gomez , The Dead Don't Die) and Charles-Haden Savage (Steve Martin, It's Complicated), aka the three New York City-residing podcasters who started teaming up to record audio when murders began occurring in their building. Being aware that there has again been a killing in the Arconia doesn't mean knowing what's in store in the sleuthing comedy's return, though — with season four now locked in to start streaming from Tuesday, August 27, 2024. Indeed, something different is afoot this time around, taking Only Murders in the Building into territory not seen in 2021's season one or 2022's season two, either. Get ready for a trip to Hollywood. Both Oliver, Mabel and Charles' investigation and the cinema business beckon in Los Angeles. A studio wants to turn their podcast — which is also called Only Murders in the Building — into a film. Again, Oliver has the right words for the scenario in the sneak peek: "pack your bags, bitches — we're going to the movies". Cue not only the return of Meryl Streep (Don't Look Up), who joined the cast in season three, but also the arrival of Molly Shannon (The Other Two), Eugene Levy (Schitt's Creek), Eva Longoria (Tell It Like a Woman), Zach Galifianakis (The Beanie Bubble), Melissa McCarthy (Unfrosted), Kumail Nanjiani (Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire) and Richard Kind (Girls5eva) joining the cast. Alongside Short, Gomez and Martin, fellow long-running Only Murders in the Building regulars Michael Cyril Creighton (American Fiction), Da'Vine Joy Randolph (a newly minted Oscar-winner for The Holdovers) and Jane Lynch (Velma) are also back. When it premiered in 2021, the series started with three residents of the same NYC apartment complex crossing paths after a death in their building, then bonding over true-crime podcasts. Next, they did what everyone that's jumped on that bandwagon knows they would if they were ever in the same situation: started their own audio series. Every season has given aspiring artist Mabel, Broadway producer Oliver and actor Charles another case to dive into, smartly and amusingly so. In the show's third batch of episodes, it was the murder of star Ben Glenroy (Paul Rudd, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem) at the opening night of Oliver's latest show that had them turning detective. Check out the first trailer for Only Murders in the Building season four below: Only Murders in the Building streams Down Under via Star on Disney+, and will return for season four on Tuesday, August 27, 2024. Read our reviews of season one, season two and season three.
When autumn rolls around, the sweet fiends behind Victoria's hot chocolate and ice cream festivals run a month-long sugar extravaganza dedicated to sweet, nutty, marshmallowy rocky road. That'd be the Yarra Valley Rocky Road Festival, as hosted by the Yarra Valley Chocolaterie and Ice Creamery, Mornington Peninsula Chocolaterie and Great Ocean Road Chocolaterie — and it's back in-person in 2022. Take the rocky road down to the Yarra Valley, Mornington Peninsula and the Great Ocean Road throughout the entire month of May, and get ready to stuff your face. By the way, to any dentists who are reading, go ahead and put down a deposit on that beach house you were looking at. We have a feeling your financial situation is going to be juuuuuuuuust fine. Because the fest takes place over 31 days, that means there's 31 different flavours on offer — including rocky road inspired by cocktails, fresh produce available in the three sites' kitchen gardens and wild ingredient pairings. This year's offerings include the return of Golden Gaytime, espresso martini, mint and licorice varieties, plus new black forest, Biscoff, pineapple and pistachio praline versions. And it doesn't just stop at blocks and bars, either. There'll also be rocky road hot chocolate and rocky road ice cream as well. All three chocolateries will also be hosting Rock Around the Block tasting sessions throughout the day and on weekends, which give attendees a 45-minute rocky road workshop experience. And, if you can't make it along in the flesh, the at-home version is still running this year, too — because this dessert isn't afraid of travelling.
If you thought that Melbourne was anywhere close to smokehouse saturation point, you were wrong. The barbecue trend continues in all its meaty glory, with the latest addition drawing carnivorous punters even further west, to Footscray. Up in Smoke is the new venture from 8bit's Shayne McCallum. Having conquered the tastebuds of this burgeoning foodie suburb with drool-worthy burgers, he's now decked out a prominent industrial space on Hopkins Street, stuck in a huge Yoder Frontiersman smoker and is serving up the smoky spoils nightly, from 5pm until they run out. The asphalt beer garden fronting the 60-seat eatery is as big as the space within — an ideal spot for a drive-by ribs fix and craft beers with the crew. Inside, it's all black walls and booth seating, with that majestic smoker sitting behind glass and bathed in almost angelic light. It's responsible for the parade of meat sailing from the kitchen, nestled in tacos, wedged into hefty sandwiches and teamed simply with pickles, a milk bun and a duo of sauces on enamel trays. You can avoid too much decision-making and opt for The Big Tray, loaded with brisket, sausage, a mound of pulled pork and two sides ($42), or you can build your own meaty adventure. Pork ribs are fall-off-the-bone tender ($28) and brisket is handled just as well ($16). Match them with some of the punchy chilli mayo slaw ($5), or decadent, crunchy-topped mac 'n' cheese ($6) and you'll be in smokehouse heaven. If you've got any spare room in that belly, be sure to sample the smoked hot wings ($10), or one of the tacos ($5 each). The seafood number is a fiesta in its own right, filled with polenta-crumbed prawns, avocado, corn, black beans and a zesty lime crema. Alongside the meat, the other big drawcard here is a stellar booze offering. A sharp little wine list straddles the line between approachable and interesting, while craft beer fans will go nuts over both the tap selection and the bottles in the fridge. Right now, you can team your brisket with a Fixation IPA ($6.50 pot) or go a little left of centre with Bad Shepherd's raspberry wheat beer ($7/$14/$26). Come for the meat and stay for the stuff you wash it down with. Whether you live in the west, the north or the east, this is one Footscray gem worth checking out. Images: Renee Stamatis
It's been only a matter of weeks since Australia's biggest shopping centre Chadstone revealed plans for its new $71 million dining and entertainment precinct The Social Quarter, which is set to launch before summer's out. But it seems the centre's latest ambitions for expansion don't end there — it's just announced another $485m development project, including an overhauled fresh food precinct dubbed The Market Pavilion. Also incorporating a new commercial office tower by the name of One Middle Road, the latest plans are extensive and not slated for completion until mid-2024. But here's what you have to look forward to, anyway. Inspired by the food markets of Europe, The Market Pavilion's ground-floor retail space is set to clock in at over 26,500 square metres and play host to more than 50 different food retailers. Shoppers will be able to find a huge, multicultural range of pantry essentials, artisan produce and specialty goods, all in the one spot. The new buildings will be aiming for that sweet 5 Star Green Star rating, by way of a new 740kW solar power system harvesting energy to use onsite, a target of net-zero operational emissions and design features like the roof's natural ventilation louvres — alone expected to reduce the site's annual energy consumption by 500,000kWg. Luckily, we won't have to wait quite as long to experience Chadstone's new Social Quarter. That 10,350-square-metre precinct is on track for completion this summer, showcasing hospitality offerings from the likes of Half Acre, Urban Alley and White + Wong's, alongside entertainment venues including Holey Moley and Hijinx Hotel. The Market Pavilion and One Market Road are set to open mid-2024 at Chadstone Shopping Centre, 1341 Dandenong Road, Chadstone, Victoria.
With international travel unlikely to return for some time yet, your 2021 holiday plans probably include vacationing somewhere within Australia. If heading to the country's southern-most state is on your list, and you're keen to do so via car, then you'll welcome the Federal Government's temporary expansion of the Bass Strait Passenger Vehicle Equalisation Scheme — because it's letting travellers take their wheels to Tassie via ferry for a four month period without paying extra. Announced on Thursday, January 7 by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development Michael McCormack, the move sees an existing rebate — which dates back to 1996, and is designed to "reduce the cost of seagoing travel between the mainland and Tasmania" — extended via $6 million in funding from the Australian Government. As part of the scheme, it'll be free for passengers on the Spirit of Tasmania ferry to take their vehicles on the journey with them. That also applies to motorcycles and bicycles, if they're your preferred methods of transport. The scheme's expansion covers travel between March 1–June 30, 2021, and can be booked from January 14 — with tickets available until sold out. When you book the journey between Melbourne and Davenport (or vice versa), the rebate will be applied automatically, so you won't need to do anything else. Travellers taking their cars to Tassie with them will save an average of $240 for a return trip. If you're taking a caravan or motorhome with you, you'll still save the same amount — but, unlike with a car, you'll still need to pay an amount on top as the rebate won't cover the full price of the caravan or motorhome fee. There is still a passenger fee, which varies depending on whether you're travelling by day or night, and if it's high or low season. [caption id="attachment_796424" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Mattinbgn via Wikimedia Commons[/caption] Like plenty of schemes announced by various governments this year — such as Victoria's and South Australia's tourism vouchers — the aim is to get more folks going on local holidays, and spending money to support Australia's tourism industry. Tasmania does currently have border restrictions in place as at the time of writing, affecting those who've been in parts of Victoria and New South Wales. Accordingly, in advice we're all used to by now, it's worth checking the requirements and taking them into consideration when making your booking. For more information about the temporary expansion of the Bass Strait Passenger Vehicle Equalisation Scheme — or to make a booking with Spirit of Tasmania — visit the latter company's website. Top image: Steve Penton via Wikimedia Commons.
If you've ever visited Japan, you've likely made your way to the top of one of Tokyo's tall towers — Tokyo Tower, even — and tried to catch a glimpse of Mount Fuji. You might've even made the trip to the active volcano yourself, and you probably saw its shape splashed across plenty of souvenirs. And you likely spotted variations of Katsushika Hokusai's art work featuring it, too. His Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji series, which includes The Great Wave off Kanagawa, is one of the things he's best known for. Actually seeing Mount Fuji for yourself might be off the cards at the moment, but you can learn more about Hokusai and his work at Australia's annual Japanese Film Festival. It's back for its 25th year in 2021, screening at select cinemas across Melbourne from Thursday, November 18–Sunday, December 5, with biopic Hokusai kicking off the festival on opening night. Also on the 21-movie program: Oscar submission True Mothers, which sees acclaimed filmmaker Naomi Kawase spin a story about adoption; Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy, a Berlinale 2021 Silver Bear for director Ryūsuke Hamaguchi; and The Deer King, an animated film that steps into a world plagued by disease — and follows two survivors who might have the cure. Or, you can check out Under the Open Sky, about an ex-yakuza starting again after 13 years in prison; hostage thriller Masked Ward, which comes to the screen from the pages of a medical mystery novel; and comedy Not Quite Dead Yet, about a singer who wishes for her dad's demise. A number of movies by avant-garde directors Shūji Terayama also grace the lineup and, from Monday, November 15–Sunday, November 21, JFF is screening a range of titles free online — so you can keep watching even when you're not in a cinema. Want to transport yourself to Japan? Let the Japanese Film Festival whisk you away from November 18–Sunday, December 5 at select cinemas throughout Melbourne. For more information and to book your tickets, visit the website. Images: © 2021 NEOPA / Fictive and Copyright © 2020 HOKUSAI MOVIE.
Filled to the brim with vibrant knick knacks, Homing Instincts is all about unique design and celebrating the strange — offering everything from eco-friendly reusable shopping bags and Frank Green cups, to the hilarious Blue Q sock range, planters and vases, and greeting cards designed by local artists. Of course, it helps that owner Jennie Lane is no stranger to retail. Having spent 30 years in the industry, Jennie knows what people want and her experience shows through the quality of the items displayed on Homing Instinct's shelves. You can also find Homing Instinct's at 204 Glenferrie Road, Malvern, 65 Puckle Street, Moonee Ponds, and 270 Yarra Street, Warrandyte.
The northern suburb of Epping has nabbed a slice of Melbourne's craft beer culture with the opening of Republic Tavern — an independent brewpub that houses two craft breweries and boasts more than 20 taps. While the venue's craft beer brands, Beer Republic Brewery and Twist Brewing, take up half of those taps, the rest are dedicated to showcasing other local Melbourne talent. At the moment, those include a New England IPA by Dainton, a dark lager by Bonehead Brewing and a coffee porter by CoConspirators. Apart from all the brews, there are also Australian wines and a specialty cocktail list on offer. From the kitchen, expect American barbecue-style eats, served in share platters and featuring the likes of rotisserie chicken, rump steak, kransky sausages and IPA pickles. Other classic pub grub makes the menu as well, including mozzarella-stuffed mushroom burgers, beer-battered fish and chips, and parmesan-crumbed parmas. Or, look out for the popcorn prawns, which come served with a lemon and herb mayo dipping sauce. The venue is located next door to the Mantra Epping Hotel, but has a rustic feel all its own. Think heaps of muted, earthy tones in features like the wood-burning fireplace, black-and-white floor and red-tiled walls — plus a mix of faded green leather banquettes, high-table and couch seating to cosy up on. Coming up, expect regular live bands to take the stage on Friday nights. It could be your new go-to on sporting event days, too. Keep an eye on the venue's Facebook page for all upcoming events. Republic Tavern is now open at 250 Cooper Street, Epping. It's open seven days per week from noon till late.
Forget about trekking up north — at Boho Luxe Market, Byron Bay comes to Melbourne. Well, the beachy New South Wales spot's general vibe does at least. On the market's agenda: forgoing the trappings of the city for a big fix of bohemian fashion, jewellery, homewares, art, skincare and the like. If that sounds like your kind of thing, then block out Friday, August 26–Sunday, August 28 in your diary for the market's winter appearance. The Boho Luxe Market will head to Carlton's Royal Exhibition Building for a weekend of browsing and buying, food trucks, live music and more. There'll be a stack of vegan eats, plus plenty of libations from The Prosecco Van, Cheeky Rascal Cider and Kombi Keg. You can treat yourself to a sound healing session, try a cacao ceremony, or get creative in one of the guided workshops, ranging from henna art to flower crown-making. And if you're after some inspiration for your next event or outdoor adventure, suss out the gorgeous kombi and glamping displays. Entry costs $5 per day or $10 for all three. Drop by and pretend you're somewhere blissed-out and coastal on Friday from 5pm–9pm, Saturday from 10am–5pm, and Sunday from 10am–4pm. [caption id="attachment_865701" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Samee Lapham[/caption] Top Image: Samee Lapham
A culinary collaboration is making its debut for one weekend only this month. Black Star Pastry and Hugo's Deli have teamed up to create a limited-edition watermelon combo, which will be available at the sandwich deli's location in Richmond. The combo features a watermelon katsu sandwich curated by Hugo's Deli. This sandwich includes a thick slice of watermelon marinated in soy, mirin, molasses and ponzu, paired with negi miso and charred cabbage yuzu slaw, all nestled between two pieces of shokupan bread. For dessert, customers can refresh their palette with Black Star Pastry's popular strawberry watermelon cake made of almond dacquoise, rose-scented cream, watermelon, strawberries, pistachios and dried rose petals. The famed patisserie will also unveil its new strawberry matcha latte, blending colours and flavours for a velvety refreshment. For those craving something extra, their latest carrot cake creation – made with walnuts, crushed pineapple, warm spices and cream cheese frosting – and yuzu streaks will be served at the event. The Black Star Pastry x Hugo's Deli Watermelon Combo will only be available from Saturday, April 6–Sunday, April 7, starting from 10.30am.
The reformer pilates wave isn't slowing down in Melbourne. Ever-new spins in the flexible exercise practice are always arriving, like disco-themed sessions with eucalyptus-scented cool-down towels. Or classes at ultra-luxe wellness clubs that grant access to futuristic recovery facilities. Amidst the high-end hype, a different trend is on the come up — affordable movement. Coming to Richmond on October 5, Reformer Space is shaking up the scene with classes as low as $5. At first glance, the studio looks bright and airy like the rest, except for one key difference: crystal-clear cues and demos are delivered from a screen mounted on the studio's brick walls. The fitness industry has been moving towards tech-driven solutions for years now — with instructor-led workouts at home taking off during the pandemic era, now coalescing into a space dedicated to virtual workouts, complete with all the equipment you need (and don't want cluttering up your living room). These virtual instructions are best for seasoned pilates goers who don't need their form corrected — but don't think that it's easier than a regular class. The physical absence of the pilates instructor doesn't mean that someone isn't counting down your holds excruciatingly slowly (and far too cheerily), if Guardian writer Michael Sun's encounter with the screen-led format is anything to go by. There are over 20 classes at Reformer Space daily (including lunchtime sessions), all accessible via four membership plans. Intense hobbyists can opt for the $118 unlimited monthly plan, which works out to five bucks a pop even if you pace yourself. The priciest (and least frequent) caps off at $14 per class — still a steal from the $25–35 you'd usually pay. And plans run month-to-month, so you can take a break when life gets busy. With a focus on flexibility and affordability, Reformer Space looks like a genuine cost-of-living win. Reformer Space will open on Sunday, October 5th. For more information or to sign up for a membership, visit the website.
Live music experiences haven't been quite as frequent as we would have liked over the past couple of years, but thankfully, the music industry is set on making a serious comeback. The gig calendar is filling up, festivals are finally getting back into the swing of things and we've even started welcoming brand new music venues. For Melbourne, the latest of these is Reunion Park — a new pop-up concert venue and performing arts precinct from the minds at Untitled (Ability Fest, Beyond the Valley, Pitch Music & Arts) and Velodrome Events. It's making its home at the Burnley Circus Park site from Friday, March 4, delivering a jam-packed month of gigs, performances and day parties. Across its hotly-anticipated launch weeks, the outdoor venue is set to serve a broad-ranging taster of Melbourne's arts scene, with offerings to treat your ears, tickle your funny bone, test your dance moves and more. Already on the program, you'll find a show from metalcore legends and ARIA Award nominees Polaris (March 4), a couple of gigs by Freo-based indie rockers Spacey Jane (March 19), and the inaugural run of rock festival Uncaged (March 12), featuring Wolfmother, Bodyjar and You Am I. Meanwhile, Ministry of Sound Classical drops by for the local leg of its Aussie tour (April 9), Germany's Ben Böhmer takes the stage on March 13, and the postponed Full Tilt festival will finally get its moment (March 26); soundtracked by heavy hitting acts like Northlane, In Hearts Wake and Thy Art Is Murder. Also on the cards is a run of shows held as part of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, plus a rotation of food and drink pop-ups taking advantage of the park's sprawling al fresco space. Tickets to a selection of shows are already on sale here with more to be released in the coming weeks and further events to be announced. Reunion Park will launch at Burnley Circus Park, Madden Grove, Swan Street, Burnley, from March 4 until April 10. For the full launch program and to grab tickets, see the website. Images: Renders of Reunion Park
The Mulberry Group made its impact on Melbourne's cafe scene when it opened smash-hit brunch spots including The Kettle Black, Top Paddock and Higher Ground. And now, six months after selling those original venues, the group is at it again with a brand new CBD venture, Liminal. Unlike the group's previous venues, this one isn't just a cafe — it's also a wine store, events space and marketplace that caters more to a business crowd. It's also located in the foyer of an office building. You'll find it in the T&G Building on the corner of Collins and Russell streets, which was recently refurbished and now houses a heap of new retail and dining spots, including Lune's CBD outpost. Design studio The Stella Collective has worked wonders on the space, creating a space of comfortable curves, olive-green banquettes and light timber accents to help you forget you're a stone's throw from your desk and emails. In the kitchen, Executive Chef Martin Webster — who has previously headed up kitchens at Jackalope and Montalto on the Mornington Peninsula — has devised a nice and simple offering of breakfast and lunch fare. The lunchtime lineup of salads and sandwiches is set to revolve around each day's market haul, a rotisserie will be busy turning out hot chickens and porchetta, and a raft of daily specials is sure to tempt local office-bound regulars. We're told there'll be plenty of takeaway options for office workers who don't have time to spare, too. Meanwhile, a private boardroom offers something a little extra for corporate lunches, product launches and meetings. And, come knock-off time, the Liminal wine store promises yet more fun, showcasing a selection of almost 200 different drops, from largely local small-scale producers. Pick up a bottle on your way home, or settle in for a quick after-work tipple — the bar will be open and pouring until 6pm, Monday to Friday. Find Liminal on the ground level of the T&G Building, 161 Collins Street, Melbourne from this Wednesday, May 1. It will be open weekdays from 7am–6pm. Images: Carmen Zammit.
Warm weather, beach holidays and kicking back with a few cocktails all go hand in hand. But thanks to ever-changing border restrictions over the past few months — plus life during a pandemic in general — you mightn't have been able to enjoy this summertime routine recently. If you're the kind of person who can enjoy a few beverages and instantly feel like you're vacation, though, then you'll instantly want to add Four Pillars' latest tipple to your must-drink list. In collaboration with Melbourne venue Arbory Afloat, the highly awarded gin distillery is launching a new Beach House Gin. It comes in a cheery pink hue, and heroes citrus and fruit flavours — think lemon myrtle, grapefruit, orange, lemon peel, sweet strawberry gum, pineapple sage and davidson plums. The idea, as the name makes plain, is to make you feel like you're on holiday by the shore every time you take a sip. Melburnians will know that this isn't Four Pillars and Arbory Afloat's first joint venture, with the two pairing up in 2019 on a different – but still pink — limited-edition gin. This time around, however, the tipple won't just be available onboard at Arbory Afloat. It still will be, of course, including on tap in spritzes and mixed into G&Ts — but folks around the country can also order a bottle. If your gin shrine is screaming for a splash of colour, Beach House Gin goes on sale at 8am on Tuesday, February 9 for $90 a bottle — or you can get it with a four-pack of tonic for $100. While Melburnians can try the new gin at Arbory Afloat, bottles are only available to purchase from the venue's website. To complete the summery feel, Beach House Gin features a label from Melbourne design studio 21-19 and Finnish artist and illustrator Antti Kalevi, which uses shapes and textures to create an abstract beachy landscape. And, gin fans in Melbourne can also head to a launch party for the new drop on Thursday, February 4, with tickets costing $145, and gin cocktails, beer, wine, sparkling, oysters and canapes on the menu on Arbory Afloat's pool deck. Four Pillars x Arbory Afloat Beach House Gin is available on tap and in cocktails at Arbory Afloat, and to buy by the bottle via the venue's website from 8am on Tuesday, February 9.
If you're like us, you've probably excitedly hummed along to the theme song at the start of every Game of Thrones episode (yep, all 73 of them). Now, you can do just that again, but you'll be joined by a live orchestra, a choir and tens of thousands of other spectators when the internationally renowned Game of Thrones Live Concert Experience finally hits Australia. Having toured North America and Europe, the grandiose musical show will head to Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Perth and Adelaide in early 2020. The immersive show sees Emmy Award-winning composer Ramin Djawadi's emotive scores — from all eight seasons of the HBO show — brought to life with an international cast of soloists, an orchestra and a choir, and accompanied by the equally dramatic footage. Over in the States, according to MTV, the show featured 360-degree stages (designed to replicate locations throughout the Seven Kingdoms), 800 feet of video wall, an 80-piece orchestra and custom-made instruments, such as a 12-food Wildling horn. Expect things to be equally large and OTT Down Under, too. Expect, also, to relive some of the season's most dramatic moments — SPOILERS (if you somehow haven't watched it already) — such as Hodor's sacrifice, Arya's conquering of the Night King, Joffrey's (brilliant) death, the Battle of Winterfell, the Red Wedding and so much more. Pack the tissues, folks. What's more, the show will coincide with a series of 'VIP experiences' that we can definitely get around. These include a pre-show medieval banquet (hopefully without any Freys), the chance to sit on a Iron Throne and a dedicated butler, who'll deliver food (hopefully pies) and drinks (hopefully wine in goblets) to your seat. While you're waiting for the show to arrive next summer, you can re-listen to all eight seasons' scores on Spotify — including the nine-minute epic that is 'The Night King Theme' (we've handily embedded that below). If that's not enough to fill your time, you can also listen to some of Djawadi's other scores. He has created the music for Westworld, Prison Break, Pacific Rim and Iron Man, too. Get ready, winter is coming (back) to Aus. GAME OF THRONES LIVE CONCERT EXPERIENCE 2020 DATES Brisbane — Brisbane Entertainment Centre, February 7 Sydney — ICC, February 9 Melbourne — Rod Laver Arena, February 12 Adelaide — AEC Theatre, February 15 Perth — RAC Arena, February 17 Game of Thrones Live Concert Experience pre-sale tickets are available from 9am on Tuesday, August 13 with general sale starting at midday on Friday, August 16 via Live Nation. Images: Ralph Larmann
This article is part of our series on the diverse highlights of NZ's Canterbury region, from city to snow. To book your Lake Tekapo trip, visit the 100% Pure New Zealand website. While those wanting to open bar in Melbourne or Sydney might have to settle for managing one, in Christchurch having your own place is entirely possible. This 'city of opportunity' mentality has spawned a new wave of small bars, each one taking its place in this new cultural landscape of Christchurch. The burgeoning bar culture has been vital to the reinvention of the city, as it will continue to be as it grows, rebuilds and evolves in the years ahead. From local wine and craft beer on New Regent Street to margaritas and Mexican on the north side of the city, here are our five favourite bars in Christchurch. The Last Word The Last Word is the cosiest whiskey bar in Christchurch. Even if it's the only whiskey bar in Christchurch (which is quite likely), its charm certainly isn't diminished — not in our books, anyway. And it's the first bar you should hit should you find yourself in the CBD, whether it's for a pre-dinner or post-dinner drink, or just because it's after 4pm. Nestled on the cute Spanish-style New Regent Street (which houses quite a few gems; read on), The Last Word is all about you drinking fine whiskey in a fine setting. The bar is precisely the place you want to indulge in some 21-year-old Ardbeg single malt Scotch whiskey. You're welcome to sit up at the bar downstairs, or up in the lounge-like den, complete with low leather chairs and low level lighting. If you know your whiskey you might be able to tackle the menu, but for all us mere mortals, it's best to ask the staff for recommendations — the list is huge and these guys know what they're talking about. Give them a vague indication and they'll be able to deliver on either a whiskey — Scotch, Irish, Japanese and New Zealand varietals are all on offer — or a cocktail to your liking. If you want a taste of everything though, get them to put together a tasting plate for you. Otherwise, they have a heaps of non-whiskey spirits behind the bar as well as wine and bottled beers. Basically, they have everything. You don't ever need to leave. 31 New Regent Street, Christchurch, +64 3 928 2381, lastword.co.nz Shop Eight Just a few doors down also on New Regent Street, you'll find — or be drawn to —Shop Eight. The tiny wine bar emanates a soft, golden glow out onto the quiet pedestrian-only street; sometimes there will be a guitarist riffing away in front of the bar, and even on a cold night there are bound to be one or two patrons sitting outside with a glass of red and a blanket over their knees. This place is special, and it's an absolute must-visit. The brainchild of Liz Phelan, Shop Eight is just about as Christchurch as it gets. Pretty much all the food is sourced from the Canterbury region that surrounds the city, with chef Alex Davies using what he can get to create a seasonal menu that changes each day. The cheese comes from down the road in Darfield, the olives are picked from the Peninsula and all the meat is sourced from as close by as possible. And same goes for the wine: it all comes from North Canterbury. Even the fit-out is part of the city, with Rekindle — a social enterprise that repurposes wood waste — building the bar, table and chairs out of salvaged materials. Open for lunch or dinner, it's wine time from midday — but we recommend heading in for dinner as well as a drink. 8 New Regent Street, Christchurch, +64 3 390 0199, shopeight.co.nz The Dirty Land If you can get past the name, you might actually find yourself sitting in The Dirty Land eating a taco and downing a margarita. Because, thankfully, that's about as dirty as it gets. Connected to Mexicano's next door — Christchurch's answer to the modern Mexican craze that we're already very familiar with — this bar is a nice reprieve from the adjoining restaurant that seems to be booked out any night of the week. Inside it's moody and a little bit Day of the Dead, with tables for small groups and a bar for those drinking in a duo or solo. Food comes flying in from the kitchen next door, and before you know it you'll be wolfing down an A-grade taco and some fried chicken with a drizzle of lime. The Dirty Land is one stop on the Victoria Street bar hop — particularly on Friday and Saturday nights — but during the week it's a surefire place to get a seat, a good feed and something in a salt-rimmed glass. 131 Victoria Street, Christchurch, +64 3 365 5340, thedirtyland.co.nz The Monday Room If there was ever a place to get a cocktail in Christchurch, it's at the The Monday Room. With heavy features like an open fireplace, opulent red wallpapered walls and dark timber throughout, the bar beckons a cocktail order as rich as the space would suggest. That's why you'll order the Marmalade Rum Sour, and later maybe a negroni or whiskey some way or another. You'll barely be able to help it. But drinks aren't the only thing they do well here — their Japanese-style menu covers everything from snacking right through to dessert. Share small plates like the super fresh sashimi (you are in New Zealand, after all), soft shell crab and the fried chicken, or go for it with the whole sake-steamed flounder. Everything's relatively well priced but doesn't fail to feel extra decadent. Corner Moorhouse Avenue and Madras Street, Christchurch, +64 3 377 5262, themondayroom.co.nz The Institution Literally the newest bar on the New Regent Street block, The Institution has only just opened the doors to their upstairs craft beer haven little over a month ago. The space is small, but don't be fooled — these guys pack a lot of beer. The five beers on tap are constantly rotating, and at the time of our visit they were pouring a Raindogs Brewing Wee Bairn Bitter and a Four Avenues Amber Ale, both of which are brewed in Christchurch. If you can't choose (the bottled list goes on), the bar staff will be able to make a recommendation. Beer cocktails are also on the cards — just let them know you're game. 28 New Regent Street, Christchurch, theinstitution.co.nz Getting there Air New Zealand offers regular flights from Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney to several North Island airports. A hop across the Tasman takes a comfortable three hours from Australia’s east coast. For more information go to www.airnz.com and www.newzealand.com The Last Word image thanks to pistolkeith via Instagram.
As the apple belt of Australia, Goulburn Valley may have a place in your heart for providing all that thirst-quenching apple juicy goodness, but it's about to be known for something else too. Mitchelton Winery, one of the region's prettiest winery destinations, is launching a $16 million luxury boutique hotel so now you can indulge in that second glass and stay overnight. The hotel is nestled in a crook of the Goulburn River and surrounded acres of fertile grape land. Against a lush background, the Mitchelton Hotel and Spa is a striking slice of minimalist heaven for people who like quality, not gaudy, luxury. As well as 58 rooms on offer, they also have a 20-metre infinity pool and spa. The hotel was designed by the good folk at Hecker Guthrie and they've gone hard on the natural textures — expect a lot of divine linen and exposed timber — and tied it all together with a dark, muted colour palette. With an in-room selection of the vineyard's finest drops, you may never want to leave your suite but you definitely should, to take a stroll through the stunning grounds. The experience doesn't stop there though, you can also indulge in the decadent in-house restaurant and cellar, and a chocolate café serving up couverture chocolates and cakes. The hotel is taking bookings for summer now so if you're all about wine, minimalist luxe and imported chocolate, well, hop to it.
When it comes to watching films in the open air when the weather is warm, Melbourne isn't short on options, whether you're keen to hit up Moonlight Cinema's local program, or head to the Lido's rooftop, hit up the Classic's roof as well or enjoy Pentridge's outdoor setup. Here's another joining them from Wednesday, February 1–Saturday, March 4: Sunset Cinema, which is adding a St Kilda season to its national tour. Maybe it's the twilight glow. Perhaps it's the stars twinkling above. Or, it could be the cooling breeze, the picnic blankets and beanbags as far as the eye can see, and just seeing a movie grace a giant screen with a leafy backdrop. When the weather is warm enough, a trip to the cinema just seems to shine brighter when it's outdoors for all of these reasons and more — and that's what's on offer at the St Kilda Botanical Gardens for just over a month. Kicking off the St Kilda run is The Menu and its culinary thrills — and it pops up on the program again later in the season, too. Or, viewers can enjoy Oscar-nominees The Banshees of Inisherin and Everything Everywhere All At Once, Aussie drama Blueback and Olivia Wilde's Don't Worry Darling. It's an eclectic array of flicks, clearly. Other titles include box-office behemoth Top Gun: Maverick, the Tom Hanks-starring A Man Called Otto, adorable animation Marcel the Shell with Shoes On and M3GAN's robo-horror chaos. Or, get a blast from the past with Crazy, Stupid, Love on Valentine's Day — when else? — and see why Paul Mescal deserves his first ever Academy Award nod for Aftersun. This is Sunset Cinema's second Victorian stint this season, after hitting up Mt Martha first. BYO picnics are encouraged here, but the event is fully licensed, so alcohol can only be purchased onsite. Didn't pack enough snacks? There'll be hot food options, plus plenty of the requisite movie treats like chips, chocolates, lollies and popcorn.
Dinner theatres were big in the 70s, but have since become pretty hard to find. And those that you can find in Melbourne often lean very heavily into a kitsch theme, given that they're mostly designed for hen's nights and other big group events. For this purpose, they can be great fun. But newcomer VIVA is seeking to class up the whole dinner-and-a-show concept in North Melbourne. At this 1920s-inspired venue, there's just as much focus on the food as there is the performances. Here, cabaret shows are the entertainment, ranging from fun and semi-PG to downright raunchy — depending on when you go. Choreographer Jason Coleman (Hair, Hairspray and So You Think You Can Dance) has designed and directed VIVA's debut show, Elegant. Played to begin every evening, this show is said to be full of comedy and provocative dances, but it doesn't get too risqué. For that, you'll need to head over later in the evening (usually at 10pm) to see Exotic, a show that's a whole lot more salacious. You can simply pair your cabaret with cocktails and be very happy, but it would be a shame to miss out on Executive Chef Matt Haigh's pan-Asian eats. Start off with popcorn covered in Peking duck fat, chicken karaage served with with kewpie mayo and maple caramel, and three different kinds of Asian-inspired arancini. Then get into bigger bites like sushi sandwiches, grilled wagyu and fried chicken waffles served with a bump of caviar. It's clear to see that the food is no mere afterthought. "At VIVA, our aim is to merge the magic of live performance with exceptional dining, service, and drinks, setting a new benchmark in entertainment for Melbourne. "We're creating an environment where every evening is an event, where the lights, the sounds, and the atmosphere are as much a part of the experience as the performances on stage and the exquisite dishes on your table," says VIVA Director Karlee Kaminski. You'll find VIVA at 64 Sutton Street, North Melbourne, open 5pm–late on Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. For more information, head to the venue's website.
The sun is staying out longer, and it's time to start utilising all our glorious parkland again. Whip out the picnic rugs and get the wine cooler at the ready — Moonlight Cinema is back for another year. From December until March, this local favourite is the place to be for the most explosive action-packed blockbusters, the latest comedy releases and even the odd sing-a-long. The December–January portion of the program which has just gone on sale is basically a hit list of the summer's biggest flicks. Guardians of the Galaxy and Interstellar will make for perfect viewing under the vast night sky. Ladies will be taking a leading role for a fair portion of the action with The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Pt 1, Lucy, and the controversial Gone Girl. Then the latest comedy will be lightening the mood with Dumb and Dumber To, Horrible Bosses 2, and The Interview which sees Seth Rogen and James Franco basically going to war with North Korea. There are a few lesser known titles to watch out for too. The yet-to-be-released Birdman will see Michael Keaton poking fun at his days as the caped crusader alongside a stellar supporting cast, the heartbreaking Still Alice has Julienne Moore tipped for a Best Actress nomination, and The Gambler sees Mark Wahlberg front an adaptation of a '70s classic. Like every year, the gates open at 7pm and screenings kick off at 8.30pm when the sun goes down. Make sure to bring your own picnic blanket — and a full picnic while you're at it. While the cinema is totally BYO, there will also be an LA-style food truck on site boasting burgers with pulled pork brisket or Southern fried chicken. You can even go all out and get a New York-style chilli cheesedog. Check out the full program at the Moonlight Cinema website. Tickets are $15-35 depending on whether you opt for the 'Gold Grass' option (where you are given the best spots and beanbags in the house).
In a year that's brought news that more Ted Lasso is on the way and is also delivering a 29-years-later sequel to Happy Gilmore, Stick is the right series for the right moment. There's no American in the UK at its core. None of its characters would prefer to be playing ice hockey, either. It's a golfing underdog story about attempting to score a pivotal tournament spot, however, and hails from the streaming platform that made the world now think of soccer whenever Jason Sudeikis pops up. Stick also knows that warmhearted, big-feeling comedies about the supportiveness of found families make for must-see viewing when they find the right swing — and, with that task, it hits the TV equivalent of a hole in one. The show's namesake is Pryce 'Stick' Cahill, a professional golfer-turned-golf store salesman — and a figure with the type of laidback yet vulnerable demeanour that Owen Wilson (Loki) excels at. He's not the person trying to make it into the sport's big leagues, though. Pryce has been there and done that, reaching number 18 in the world until his career ended unceremoniously with an on-the-green meltdown. Little has looked up for him since, and he starts the series mid-divorce from but still yearning for Amber-Linn (Judy Greer, The Best Christmas Pageant Ever) while living in their old shared home. Then, at a driving range, Pryce spies teenager Santi (Peter Dager, Insidious: The Red Door) smashing golf balls off the turf with pure raw talent. Stick, the show, now has its prodigy. Stick, the character, has a mission to help him unlock his talent. Initial roadblocks come courtesy of Santi's disinterest in Pryce's plan, the latter's fondness for a hustle, and needing to convince the 17-year-old's doting single mother Elena (Mariana Treviño, Caras Vemos) that the three of them should take to the road to chance a shot at getting into the amateur championships. Requiring wheels, Pryce then enlists his gruff ex-caddy Mitts (Marc Maron, The Order) to join them, RV in tow. Soon, this quartet adds a fifth member as well, when Santi befriends golf-club bartender Zero (Lilli Kay, Yellowstone). What appealed to Wilson about starring in Stick? "I really liked the idea of a second chance and the idea of needing people to believe in you. And Santi needs that, but Pryce certainly needs it," he tells Concrete Playground. "I find that a moving dynamic and something that I really believe in in real life, that people benefit so much when somebody has some confidence in them. And I just see that — even learning to drive, my dad was uptight and I was more likely to make a mistake with my dad driving because I could feel his energy. And then sometimes you have somebody like my grandmother, just loved me and I could do no wrong, and you'd sometimes do better with that. So I just like that part of the story." Series creator Jason Keller, who also co-penned the screenplays for films Mirror Mirror and Ford v Ferrari, has described Pryce as being at "a place in his life where the story he tells himself no longer works anymore". Wilson quickly came to mind for the part — as did Maron for Mitts — but as the former flags, he's not the only one in need of a new start in Stick. Accordingly, this ragtag crew's journey shares a key commonality with the path of every ball hit on a green: trying to find where they fit. Grief, loss, disappointment, unreasonable expectations and life's unfair twists have haunted this group, leaving them searching for their own niche. Stick is also about caring, even if that means that sometimes that heartbreak or other negative emotions arise as a result. Greer's only experience of the show's main sport going in was "watching my father come home after playing golf in the worst mood I've ever seen a man be in in his life", and so would think to herself "as a child, 'why would anyone do this to themselves? Why?'," she explains. Wilson has the perfect take on that. "Is it that thing of 'it's better to feel bad than not feel anything at all?'. So, rather than just being kind of an automatron, like sometimes we can get into, maybe feeling terrible is good?" he notes. "Because the idea that you care about something, that something has the ability to make you feel that way — because if it can make you feel that bad, well, there's going to be a day where you do connect and it's going to make you feel really good." That insight is indicative of a series lead who Maron notes is "a collaborative guy" and "always willing to work with you and elevate the scene", Treviño describes as eager to "engage emotionally and in the level of comedy that we had to do it, but also on the human level" — and who Dager, who secured the part of Santi via a self-tape audition after the producers had looked at around 600 other actors, advises that he learned from in a similar way that his character does from Pryce. We also spoke with Wilson, Dager, Maron, Treviño and Greer about everything from Dager's pivotal casting to golf's lessons (and golfing lessons), underdog stories, RV life, intergenerational tension and more. On What It Meant to Dager to Score Such a Key Role in Stick Peter: "I couldn't quite believe it. I still remember the day — I got cast the day after my 21st birthday. I was with my dad and I got the call from Jon and Val [Ruby Sparks and Battle of the Sexes' Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris], the directors and executive producers, and I just really couldn't believe it. But it was such a long audition process. I think there were six rounds. And so by the time I had finished the audition process, I'm like 'I know I did good work. If it goes my way, it does. And if it doesn't, I did what I could'. And so I was also just, when I got it, I was kind of like 'okay, cool'. I couldn't believe it, but then there was another part of me that was like 'cool, I feel like I earned this one, and they saw what they needed to see'. And I was excited to get started. I was so excited to get started, really, more than anything." On How Wilson Approached Portraying Someone Who Is at a Place in His Life Where the Story He Tells Himself No Longer Works Anymore Owen: "You know, Jason didn't say that exactly to me, but that sounds really nice, and I feel it when you say it. And I don't know — I know that initially I was sort of nervous about playing a golfer, because my dad was a good golfer, I'd never learned the game and 'oh, how do you make it seem kind of real?'. But of course, golf's just the backdrop for the story and Jason really had a lot of faith in me that gave me confidence that maybe I could do it and play the character. And there's a lot of stuff with Pryce that I could kind of relate to — that wanting a second chance or feeling that you need somebody to believe in you, that you can't do it alone. I think that's a powerful message. And so I really like that part of the story, because I find it funny and also moving." On Maron Being Thought of Quickly as Stick's Ideal Mitts Marc: "I think I have a fairly varied and broad personality, but I think one of the more compelling elements is my ability to be pretty cranky and irritated. And I think people find that entertaining. So he clearly locked in on that. But I do think he also sensed that there was a depth to it, in that I was able to handle the emotional side of this guy, along with being my cranky self. And I appreciate that. But I'm not as cranky as Mitts. I'm not." On What Dager Was Excited to Bring to the Role of Stick's Teenage Golf Prodigy Peter: "I think the first thing that I really was excited to dive into was the idea of greatness and playing a prodigy — playing somebody who's spoken about as the next Tiger Woods, somebody with all this potential and all this talent. And so the idea of what greatness is and what it takes, the sacrifices you make to achieve it, the negative impacts that it can have once obtained — all of that was super interesting to me. And so I started to examine my own life and see the similarities, what I could take. The rest, I had to imagine. And then beginning to study golf, and the likes of Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson and Jack Nicklaus and all the greats, that was just so exciting. And then the rest of it, everything else that came after that was a plus — meeting everybody, meeting Owen, Lilli, Marc, Mariana, Tim [Olyphant, Havoc]. But at first, the exciting thing was the idea of greatness — playing somebody great." On What You Learn About Not Just Golf But Life When You're Trying to Pick Up the Sport Owen: "Oh gosh, we were joking — we've joked a lot today about golf being a metaphor for life. And I think doesn't it seem like everything that you say is a metaphor for life is always something hard, and is frustrating and challenging? And so I think that it's a game that you can't seem to master — so someone like Tiger Woods, as great as he was, can still feel that he needs to redo his swing. And so it's like chess — you can't kind of ever totally figure it out. And the thing for me was learning that this thing, this sport that I was kind of intimidated by, that I actually can do it. But it's two steps forward, one step back — or one step forward, two steps back — because there's some days where I just can't do it. But it's definitely something that I will be playing the rest of my life. And so I'm so happy that I learned for this show." On the Keys to Portraying Determination for Treviño When That's Such a Pivotal Character Trait for Elena Mariana: "I think it's just the force that is with a mother that wants to make her son go in the right path — to save the family, and to save and to keep moving. I think they're in kind of a desperate moment when the show starts. Maybe not desperate, but they're a little stuck and stagnant because they don't know where to pull after a big loss that they had as a family. So I think that the mother's instinct just says 'this is not right, we are not living as we should and he's not owing up to a talent, the natural-given talent that he has'. So I think that determination is not even rational with Elena. It just is a force working inside of her, just because she has her son's best interest in heart and she's going to do whatever — even if she doesn't understand, if she doubts what she's doing is right, the determination is stronger than her doubts, and it's what makes this force of movement, and to embark on this journey and this adventure of self-discovery." On What It Takes to Believably Portray a Phenomenal Golfing Talent, to the Point of Doing Golf Scenes Yourself, When You've Never Played Before — and Only Had Baseball Experience to Go On Peter: "It took a while. It took a while. I don't think I felt — I don't think I saw my progress until maybe three weeks in. And it wasn't because I was hitting the ball good, because I would go out and play with my first trainer named Beau Lardner. It was moreso because I felt the swing feel comfortable. I felt it becoming a fluid motion. And it wasn't always there. I was still going outside in, instead of inside out, but I was getting the rhythm of the swing, the club speed. So three weeks into it, I was starting to see the progress. But I didn't feel ready up until maybe two months into it, so we had already started filming. But by the time we get to episode five, six and seven — and really eight and nine, where you see Santi playing golf for two whole episodes — a lot of those shots are my own because that was done with like five months of training, four months of training. And by then, my club speed was up, the striking distance was sort of increasing and I felt really good with my swing. And yeah, actually a lot of the baseball, that sort of inside out that you have naturally when swinging a baseball bat, it really lends itself to the process of swinging a golf club." On Why Sports-Centric TV Comedies Telling Underdog Stories Keep Popping Up on Maron's Resume Marc: "No, I didn't seek out any of it. GLOW was this a random audition that I put on my phone. I think those two guys are slightly different types of cranky. I think that Sam in GLOW had no real self-awareness around his swagger, his ridiculous swagger, and he wasn't really neurotic at all. And I think that Mitts is a very reflective guy, and a guy who sits in a certain amount of sadness. But I guess they are of the same spectrum of bravado on some level — of kind of slightly futile bravado, you know." On How Dager Learned From His Co-Stars Like Wilson, Greer, Maron, Treviño and Kay Peter: "Everybody has their own process with acting, which was really cool, because I have my own — and I can think it's so special, and you're like 'oh my god, they don't work like I do', but everybody's different process and encountering it and being around it for four months straight, it's a lesson in perspective. And you start to really question your own process, and you see the benefits of other people's. So you learn a lot without even having conversations about it. You just learn a lot by watching these people who have worked for so long approach the work the way they approach the work. But yeah, then there were moments with Owen specifically, where that Pryce-Santi relationship really became real off camera. Especially early on when — Owen's a great leader, he knew exactly when to give me a talk, and it always felt natural because he wanted to. He was compelled to. It never felt forced. And he wasn't absent either. It was a sort of perfect mix of both. Yeah, him especially, it was truly a treat to work with him because of that, that mentorship." On What Treviño Learned From Working with Dager Mariana: "A lot. Of course, as an actor, we're always constantly learning from each other. It doesn't matter your experience, your age, because it's a human interchange of emotions and contents that sometimes you're not even very conscious of. So many things come into play when you are making a scene come alive that it's really beyond what you think of experience. It is about experience, because it's the contents of your soul that are being exchanged and shaped into this reality. But Peter, he's a lovely young man. He's super mature. He's very outspoken. He has a wonderful, joyful personality. And he's really, really smart — and he was really keen into getting into something with all his heart. He played golf all the time while we were in Vancouver. His determination as an actor to get it right — to not play confidence, but to experience it doing golfing himself — I love that. So I learned that from him, among many other things. And how you have to be very approachable, because you don't know where the exchange is going to happen. And he's like that — he's a very approachable person and actor, he's very open, and that I think sometimes it's important for things to be discovered." On How Wilson Worked Through the Emotional Journey of Playing Ex-Spouses with Greer Owen: "I know that Judy and I, that we had no problem connecting — just we were sort of on the same wavelength with sense of humor. And I think when you're on the same wavelength sense of humour-wise, it means that you're also same wavelength sensitivity-wise. And so I think it was easy for us — or not easy, but when we had to do some of the emotional stuff, because I'm clearly still in love with her, she's kind of moved on, it was easy for me to feel those things and to see that in her. So it was just, for us, lucky casting that we had Judy doing it." On Dager's Task Juggling the Many Facets of Santi, Including His Talent, Growing Up Fast, Being Temperamental and His Coming-of-Age Journey Peter: "I think it's just taking the moment as it is. Being in each moment, exploring that moment to your fullest as an actor, just finding everything you can in that moment. And with TV and film, it's a luxury because you get to repeat the moment, so you find things and you can find a way to put them into the next take. But rather than worrying about a general story arc, if you just can concentrate on the moment that you're trying to execute and explore and bring to life, you've just got to hope and pray that when you see the final cut, every moment was explored to its possibility, and when they're all cut together you see the whole thing pan out. But yeah, that's the sort of mindset I would approach it with, focusing on the moment rather than feeling 'man, I have to play with all these things and have a balancing act'. Now, there are things that you have to remember that you've said in other scenes, but that's more than nitty gritty and very specific moments. But focusing on the moment is the more general approach that I had." On Stick's Intergenerational Tension — and Why That Clash Is Such a Go-To On-Screen Owen: "Well, with working with Peter and with Lilli, who play Santi and Zero, I think it's that familiar generational argument — that one generation thinks the other generation doesn't get it, had it too easy, and so that plays out with how I am struggling to connect with Santi. And with Zero. And I think it's hopefully funny, their inability to connect. And then I think there's some moving stuff when any human beings try to connect. And so that's certainly there, and that struggle for us that we have to kind of connect — and that's good." Judy: "I think it's always funny to watch two different generations duke it out, and argue with each other and try to decide who is more right. I don't know why. I just think that's universal comedy to me." On the RV Having Such a Pivotal Part in the Series Marc: "I feel like just the idea of a confined space with people who were relative strangers brought up the stakes of their ability to connect and interact — and overcome minor obstacles, because you are in this space. And I think the RV, for my character, carried a lot of emotional weight. And I think that the nature of the RV as a character was really taking Mitts out of his grief. There's a lot of reference to it being a mausoleum to his wife, who passed away. I don't think that spoils anything. So it was pretty loaded for Mitts. But it was also like it was an adventure, and you were being taken to all these different places and all these different environments. So it was a fairly complex character in the show." Mariana: "And it's also the idea of the moving home. These characters decide to embark on this journey in this car that is really becoming a home for them. And that is like a tiny home — they all sleep there, they cook. So it becomes, without them knowing, their place of safety and comfort during this whole journey. And it becomes a home for this new found family that is being created. And so of course it's a really important character, a really important presence in the show, because of the symbolic meaning of this — the idea that even if you're out there in the wilderness, you can find a family and they will all unite with a common purpose. And they become your allies in this confined space. All of a sudden we're all here — and you see that on top of the RV, we're allies, and outside we become allies, too." Stick streams via AppleTV+.
This summer, the Heide Museum of Modern Art is celebrating the works of famed British artist Barbara Hepworth through its new In Equilibrium exhibition. Dame Barbara Hepworth is known for being one of the greatest modernist sculptors during the 20th century, and the first female sculptor to achieve international recognition and accolades. The Heide Museum has curated more than forty of them for this exhibit, many of which have never been seen in Australia. [caption id="attachment_874063" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Eidos, 1947, Barbara Hepworth, National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne. © Bowness[/caption] They will take over the main galleries of the Heide Museum from November 5, 2022, to March 13, 2023 and will trace Hepworth's career, including her early figurative carvings, forming a complete retrospective of her life's works. Much focus will be on her inspirations, too. Nature was one of Hepworth's main influences, with the artist inspired by the coastal landscape of St Ives in Cornwall, where she lived and worked for much of her artistic career. From the movement of tides to Cornwall's magnificent and towering ancient standing stones, the artist's later sculptures are a nod to much of the patterns and shapes found naturally formed in nature. In Equilibrium offers up a rare opportunity for Australians to experience Hepworth's sculptures and learn more about Hepworth herself — who was one of the leading British artists of her generation. [caption id="attachment_874064" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Drawing for sculpture—Santorin, 1955, Barbara Hepworth, Image courtesy The Hepworth Wakefield. © Bowness[/caption] Tickets to Barbara Hepworth: In Equilibrium cost $22 (+ booking fee) for adults, $17 (+ booking fee) for concession holders and are free for Heide Museum of Modern Art members. Top image: Sculpture with Colour and Strings, 1939, Barbara Hepworth, Ingram Collection, London. © Bowness
There's almost nothing that's bold about Haunted Mansion, but making the Disney family-friendly horror-comedy about moving on from the past is downright audacious. What the film preaches, the company behind it isn't practising — with this specific movie or in general. This flick isn't the first that's based on the Mouse House's The Haunted Mansion theme-park attraction, thanks to a 2003 Eddie Murphy (You People)-starring feature. In 2021, the entertainment behemoth also combined the Disneyland, Walt Disney World and Tokyo Disneyland highlight with The Muppets in streaming special Muppets Haunted Mansion. And, no matter how Haunted Mansion circa 2023 fares at the box office, there's no doubting that the idea will get another spin down the line. Nearly everything Disney does; this is the corporation that keeps remaking its animated hits as live-action pictures (see: The Little Mermaid), revelling in sequels even decades later (see: Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny), and getting franchises sprawling as films and TV shows alike (see: Marvel and Star Wars). Disney also adores stretching its well-known properties across as many parts of its business as possible, sometimes taking its movies and brands into its amusement parks — Star Wars, Marvel and Pixar have all received that treatment — and, of course, repeatedly doing the reverse. Pirates of the Caribbean, Jungle Cruise, Tomorrowland, Tower of Terror, Mission to Mars, The Country Bears: they've all charted the path that Haunted Mansion has three times now. Accordingly, while grappling with and learning how to move forward from grief isn't an amusing topic, that letting go sits at the latest Haunted Mansion's centre is the funniest thing about the new film. The first word in the picture's moniker couldn't be more spot on — not just due to the ghosts that terrorise the titular home, but via the unnerving reality that this is another by-the-numbers entry in a long line of attempts to hero existing name recognition first, foremost and forever. When Dear White People and Bad Hair filmmaker Justin Simien begins his Haunted Mansion, it's with backstory that explains why astrophysicist Ben Matthias (LaKeith Stanfield, Atlanta) is himself so unwilling to embrace the future. He meets Alyssa (Charity Jordan, They Cloned Tyrone), falls in love, then understandably falls apart when he's suddenly a widower — and, once he's consumed by mourning he's committed to staying that way. Then priest and exorcist Father Kent (Owen Wilson, Loki) ropes him into a gig at the movie's central abode, enlisting not just his help but the use of his specially developed camera that photographs dark matter and, ideally, spectres. The gadget was a labour of love for Alyssa, who worked as a ghost tour guide around New Orleans, a job that Ben has swapped science and the lab for after her passing. There's a difference between truly believing in the supernatural and wanting to feel connected to the person you love, however; Ben is in the second category. So, when he gets snapping to help Gracey Manor's new inhabitant Gabbie (Rosario Dawson, Ahsoka), a doctor who has just relocated with her son Travis (Chase W Dillon, The Harder They Fall), he's as sceptical as he can be and just in it for the hefty payday. Then, two things eventuate: he connects with the shy and introverted boy, who is treated like an outcast at school; and, no matter how much he tries, he can't leave the home's spirits behind. Cue a notion straight from Disney's IRL playbook: being unable to cut ties. In Ben's case, the only solution is taking the haunted mansion's eeriness seriously, discovering what's going on, and calling in psychic Harriet (Tiffany Haddish, The Afterparty) and college historian Bruce Davis (Danny DeVito, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia) to also lend a hand. Haunted Mansion's unspoken motto: if you're going to make a movie based on a theme-park favourite, you might as well make a theme park-style movie. So, something chaotic pops up around every corner, be it more nods to the feature's origins, more otherworldly bumps and jumps, more famous faces or more weak attempts at laughs. There's a bigger sense of experience to an amusement-park attraction, though, rather than just something happening, then something else, then another thing and so on as occurs here. Screenwriter Katie Dippold has one of the best-written — and best overall — sitcoms of the 21st century on her resume in Parks and Recreation, and also penned 2016's smart and funny female-led Ghostbusters, and yet her current script largely sticks to the rails. While there's emotional depth to Ben's journey, as well as to his bond with Travis, Haunted Mansion is rarely eager to veer there, preferring formulaic cursed-dwelling hijinks to sincerity everywhere it can. Still, viewers should be grateful for the film's casting — especially Stanfield. The Judas and the Black Messiah Academy Award-nominee brings his roaming, restless Atlanta energy, melancholy and charm to Ben, aiding the film in conjuring up what little weight it has. It's through him, in fact, that it's possible to see the shadows of a better movie that Haunted Mansion sadly isn't. Around Stanfield, the bulk of his colleagues appear to be having enough fun with each other, including Dan Levy (Schitt's Creek) and 2023 Oscar-winner Jamie Lee Curtis (Halloween Ends). That's another of Haunted Mansion's theme park-esque strategies: filling its frames with folks who look like they're enjoying themselves, even among an onslaught of stock-standard special effects that lengthen hallways, get people disappearing through walls and the like, in the hope that the vibe will be contagious. Alas, it sorely isn't. It's easy to want to spend time with Stanfield and co: Wilson could've just skipped through time from 1999's The Haunting, but makes it work; Haddish amps up the mood whenever it's needed; and playing a figure that everyone is trying to flee perfectly suits Jared Leto (Morbius), who gets malicious as The Hatbox Ghost. A few spooks and scares hit the mark as well, but too few in an over-long-and-feels-it 123-minute movie. There's another presence lingering over Haunted Mansion, however: the ghost of genuinely excellent all-ages efforts, some with chills and others more with thrills, that are still beloved from years gone by. When this lacklustre effort is the newest entry in the field, no one is quickly moving past prior classics that still hold up wonderfully, such as Gremlins and The Goonies in the 80s; The Addams Family and Addams Family Values in the 90s; The Witches in that same decade; and the animated efforts of Coraline, ParaNorman and Frankenweenie.
Moving into the light-filled space once home to the popular Resident Cafe, Joe Frank had big shoes to fill. But big shoes the new Ashburton go-to for Italian brunch fare has filled. And it's all thanks to one Melbourne hospitality family. Already bustling with hungry locals, Joe Frank is brought to you by the owners of Mr Tucci and Son of Tucci: siblings Fabian, Massimo and Romina Crea. The cafe's name combines the names of their father (Joe) and grandfather (Frank) and the menu is littered with Italian favourites, Aussie brunch staples and a few things cooked by Mum. Nonno's Garden sees a bed of baba ghanoush loaded with roasted vegetables Meredith's Dairy goats cheese and fresh herbs, while the panzanella — layers of buffalo mozzarella, roasted capsicum and fresh fennel — is further proof that vegetables can be very exciting. The cafe's moreish house-made crumpets are a nod to old-school Aussie brunches and come topped with mulled strawberries, zabaglione custard and pistachio praline. We don't recommend attempting to share these — you'll regret it. [caption id="attachment_749245" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Julia Sansone[/caption] If you can't quite commit to a full meal in-house, pick up a pork belly sandwich to-go or a fresh cake or biscotti made by Franca (Mum), who bakes the treats every day on site. These go well paired with a good coffee (it wouldn't be an Italian coffee shop without it), which comes courtesy of Melbourne's Veneziano Coffee Roasters. This can all by enjoyed indoors, but, during the warmer months at least, we suggest you make the most of the dog-friendly outdoor area. We're guessing this new hotspot in Melbourne's southeast will quickly become an institution in the area, if its sister cafes' longevity are anything to go by. If you're not a local, you'll be happy to know it's located across the road from Ashburton Train Station, too. Joe Frank is located at 246 High Street, Ashburton. It's open from Monday–Friday 7am–3.30pm and Saturday–Sunday 8am–3pm. Images: Julia Sansone
In a bid to slow the spread of COVID-19, Melbourne's major art and cultural institutions have temporarily closed their doors. In a statement made on Sunday, March 15, Museums Victoria said Melbourne Museum, Scienceworks, Immigration Museum, Royal Exhibition Building and IMAX would all be closed to the public as of Monday, March 16. "We are taking these steps as a public health precaution in support of measures to contain COVID-19, especially for those in our community who are most vulnerable," Museums Victoria Director & CEO Lynley Crosswell said in the statement. "We are committed to providing support for all of our employees and volunteers and to protecting our community during these unprecedented and challenging times." While a reopening date for these institutions has not been announced, Museums Victoria said it will continue to update the public on its website and social media channels. Yesterday, Arts Centre Melbourne, the NGV, State Library of Victoria, Geelong Arts Centre and Melbourne Recital Centre also announced they would be temporarily closing. The NGV and Arts Centre both intend to reopen on Monday, April 13, and are offering refunds for those who have pre-purchased tickets to shows and performances. Reopening dates for the Library and Recital Centre have not yet been announced. https://www.facebook.com/artscentremelbourne/photos/a.552397028158401/3026228627441883/?type=3&theater The COVID-19 situation in Australia is changing every day, with the federal government first implementing a ban on non-essential events with more than 500 people and then mandating that everyone arriving from overseas self-isolate for 14 days. The State Library of Victoria, Melbourne Recital Centre, Geelong Arts Centre, Melbourne Museum, Scienceworks, Immigration Museum, Royal Exhibition Building and IMAX are all now closed until further notice. The NGV and Arts Centre Melbourne intend to reopen on April 13. 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.
Given the hefty backlash copped by Lost Picnic's 2017 edition in Sydney, you'd be forgiven for thinking the boutique festival might not live to see another day. But organisers have announced the event will return this October, promising to address last year's raft of issues and even throwing a debut Melbourne date into the mix. Taking over the Nursery at Flemington Racecourse on October 7, Lost Picnic 2018 is out to dish up a family-friendly serve of live entertainment and top local eats. Taking the stage this year will be legendary young-gun Tash Sultana, off the back of releasing her debut album, joined by Meg Mac, New Zealand singer-songwriter Marlon Williams, Sydney's Odette and brass ten-piece Hot Potato Band. A finely-tuned food offering will include Burn City Smokers and Pho Nom. Lost Picnic's last outing suffered more than a few hiccups, with punters complaining of lengthy wait times, food and drink stalls running out of stock early, and a somewhat disastrous forced recycling system. But this time around, Simon Beckingham — co-founder of Finely Tuned, the group that organises both Lost Picnic and NYE bash Lost Paradise — says festival goers can expect a much smoother affair. "Since last year's event wrapped up, we have been working hard to vastly improve the customer experience for 2018," he told Concrete Playground. After taking "all feedback on board", Beckingham had confirmed that there will be double the food stalls and an increased number of toilets, bar staff and tills — and those keen to skip the food queues altogether will be able to bring in their own picnic snacks. It's unclear if the capacity of the festival has been reduced or not. And instead of last year's compulsory recycling system, which forced punters to put down a $1 deposit for cups and then line up again to get a refund, there'll be a more user-friendly $10 cash-back incentive for those recycling their empty wine bottles. Tickets are going for the same price — $89 a pop — so here's hoping all the changes make the ticket price worth it.
It has watched the music industry shift through almost four whole decades, and lived through the fall and resurgence of vinyl records, but now Fitzroy stalwart Polyester Records is calling it a day. Owners of the long-running independent record store took to Facebook to announce the closure and to thank its fans, as well as the "artists, labels and personalities which we have surrounded ourselves with and enjoyed involvement with". It was revealed in the post that the store will shut for good on Friday, March 13, along with rear neighbour and sister bar Crazy Arms. Ever the champion of independent music, Polyester Records started out life in 1981 under the moniker Dizzy Spinners, before swapping to its current name. It has remained a Brunswick Street local its whole life, and even spawned a second Flinders Lane store from 2007 to 2014. https://www.facebook.com/polyesterrecords/photos/a.165540283477689/2983555538342802/?type=3&theater While the news has left plenty of sad music fans, you can bet this Fitzroy icon is going out in style — and with a solid soundtrack to boot. The final weeks of operation will see a program full of special events and nostalgic celebrations, kicking off with an in-store gig from Sarah Mary Chadwick on Saturday, January 25 at 2pm. Chadwick is the artist who recently took on the T.C Lewis pipe organ at St Paul's Cathedral for a booming Melbourne Music Week show. With a solid 38 years of memories under its belt, the Polyester crew is also inviting friends and fans to share their favourite moments and recollections via DMs on the store's socials. "A great number of people have witnessed a great number of astonishing moments within these walls," the post said. "There are a lot of surreal and beautiful memories to be recalled and also to now be created in this run up to the end of our time." You can visit Polyester Records at 387 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy, until close of business on Friday, March 13. Keep an eye on the Polyester Records Facebook page for more event announcements in the lead up to the closure. Image: Paul Philpson for Visit Victoria.
