Look, in our book, every single day is gin day. But this Saturday, June 11, the drink that launched a thousand drunk texts (and counting) will be officially celebrated the world over. It's World Gin Day. And considering the experimental foodie age we live in, it doesn't seem appropriate to celebrate with just another gin and tonic — not when you can have it infused with ants or steeped in red wine grapes, anyway. So we've found two new weird Australian gins that won't only make for an unconventional G&T, but will spark a few conversations and raised eyebrows too. ANGRY ANT GIN — BASS AND FLINDERS Up and coming gin barons often differentiate themselves and their product by distilling the botanicals of the local area to give a distinctive, but familiar, flavour and scent. Australian species lend themselves perfectly to the task — but for the chaps down at Bass and Flinders Distillery in Victoria's Mornington Peninsula, that simply wasn't weird enough. They've distilled a gin made with a special ingredient: ants. Like all gin, Angry Ant is made up of a selection of botanicals. But along with the usual juniper berries and lemongrass, the essence of ants has also been thrown in. That's because ants release a pheromone during the distillation process, which produces a flavour that complements the other botanicals to create a damn fine gin. While they're not the first people to use the tiny insects in gin — Copenhagen's Nordic Food Lab produces an Anty Gin that costs a bomb per bottle — they're certainly the first in Australia, with the ants sourced from Wooleen Station in WA. Grab a bottle here, if you dare. BLOODY SHIRAZ GIN — FOUR PILLARS Ron Swanson may say that "clear alcohols are for rich women on diets" and while we usually take his word as gospel, we couldn't disagree more with him on this one. But if you want to add some colour (and kick) to your 5pm G&T, look no further than Four Pillars' brand new Bloody Shiraz Gin. The revolutionary gin created by Victorian gin legends Four Pillars is exaaactly what it sounds like — a Shiraz and gin blend. To create this bloody monster, they steeped Yarra Valley Shiraz grapes in their high-proof dry gin for eight weeks before pressing the fruit and blending it with the gin, and hoped like hell it would turn out well. It did. The pretty, deep purple hue combined with a potent alcoholic content (37.8 percent, compared to an average 30 percent in sloe gin) and sweet undertones make the Bloody Shiraz Gin a near perfect specimen. Four Pillars are releasing the mix on World Gin Day — you can head down to their Healesville distillery to try it or buy it on their website. And on that day, we'll raise a toast to all the gins that were and to all the weird, delicious gins that will soon be. Cheers to you gin, you glorious bastard!
Wondering what to say when you step inside Brisbane's new mini-golf bar? At Holey Moley Gold Club, it really is all there in the name. And, as awesome as the concept of having some drinks, donning a visor, hitting the indoor greens and taking a few swings on pop culture-themed holes sounds, the reality is even better (and weirder). Entering Holey Moley is like entering an alcohol-fuelled indoor amusement park for adults, even if the building it's in — a former church — makes that quite the surreal experience. So does the angel statue decked out with golf clubs, the pink-lit neon sign declaring "I like big putts and I cannot lie", and the twirling giant disco ball hanging in the centre of the venue, which visitors familiar to the site's many previous watering holes and live music spaces will recognise. Of course, with the right wall taken up by a stocked bar, it's obvious that this is a drink-focused spot with two nine-hole mini-golf courses inside, rather than a putting facility that happens to serve booze. Each hole has a six stroke maximum, however whether you decide to keep score is completely up to you — it's fun, rather than sports, that the venue wants to promote. Even taking a quick glance at the eighteen different holes on offer demonstrates that having a good time is the main aim here, unless you're scared of clowns and puppets, that is. Suspended from a frame and lurking on the ground, these vaudevillian creeps adorn the seventh stop on the ground level, which means anyone suffering from coulrophobia has plenty of time to work up the courage to play there. Beforehand, you'll hit your way through a beachy (fri)endless summer, enter a glow-in-the-dark space for three holes of luminous action, and play pinball and pool with a golf ball and club. Yes, really. Keeping with the arcade theme, a putting version of skeeball marks the end of the lower course — but don't worry, more holes await upstairs. That's where you'll show off your short game on a turntable, in a bathroom and a gym, and on a Twister board, to highlight just a selection of the standouts on the upper level. You'll also tap, tap, tap the ball into a Nintendo-focused hole that pays tribute to Super Mario and Donkey Kong, brave the Mad Putter's Tee Party, prove that you're obviously not a golfer at a bowling alley, and marvel at the glory of the nine-iron throne. You just know the latter is going to be mighty popular, particularly for selfies that'll clog up your Instagram feed. For something different between rounds, ping pong tables provide a break from the main action, as do a selection of old-school video games. Or, chew a couple of gum balls, grab a drink, and sit down and watch everyone else. In fact, the cocktail list is worth the trip alone, thanks to beverages like the Tee-quila Mocking Birdie (with Don Julio Blanco Tequila, Blue Curacao, sour mix and sugar syrup), Teeyonce Knowles (Pampero white rum, soda, fresh mint, limes and syrup) and Happy Gilmoreo (Chambord raspberry liqueur, Smirnoff Red vodka, Baileys, milk, chocolate sauce, crushed Oreos and whipped cream). Yep, we're calling it: Holey Moley is about to become everyone's favourite new hangout. Holey Moley Golf Club opens on September 29 at 25 Warner Street, Fortitude Valley. For more information, check out their website and Facebook page.
Eggplant chips, duck quesadilla and brekkie chicken lasagna. They're all on the menu at new Melbourne café, Eden’s Backyard. Having opened on the stretch of Nicholson Street between Johnston Street and Alexandra Parade just a fortnight ago, this new eatery is already attracting the inner north's ravenous hordes. Calling itself a 'modern brunch cafe', Eden’s specialises in just that — the lazy, hazy space between breakfast and lunch. But you won’t find any old run-of-the-mill Western meals here. Nearly every dish is spiced up with a touch of Asian fusion and a dash of creativity. The duck quesadilla ($21) is a tortilla filled with a roast duck fillet, caramelised onion, roasted peppers and mozzarella, while the brekkie chicken lasagne ($18) is made up of chicken ragu, light béchamel sauce, sautéed spinach, ricotta, mozzarella and, to ensure its ‘brekkie-ness’, fried eggs. Meanwhile, sweet tooths can get stuck into Kev’s secret French toast ($19), a decadent mountain of Nutella, vanilla poached pear, blueberries, strawberries, caramel sauce and brioche; or the pancake stack ($15), which comes with mixed berry compote, honey mascarpone, green tea ice cream, maple syrup, Oreo and peanut crumbs. You’ll find the rest of the menu on the Eden’s Backyard Facebook page. As the name suggests, the cafe aims to provide a bit of an oasis on an otherwise barren, busy street. On the outside, visitors are greeted with a mossy vertical garden and winding vines, while inside, there’s an emphasis on natural colours and textures. Find Eden’s Backyard at 161-163 Nicholson Street, Carlton. It's open Tuesday to Friday, 7.30am-4pm; Saturday-Sunday, 8.30am-4pm; and is closed on Monday.
The seasons are changing, beer lovers. And true to form, the brewers at James Squire’s Malt Shovel Brewery are changing with them. Mixing up their methodology yet again, the craft beer company have just announced the latest iteration of their mercurial American-style Pale Ale, with the uniquely flavoured Hop Thief 7. Described by James Squire senior brewer Rob Freshwater as "probably the number one beer of choice amongst the brewers," the Hop Thief variety began as something of an experiment, but has quickly evolved into one of the company's best loved beers. What makes the beer stand out is its constantly changing recipe; each Hop Thief instalment is made with a different combination of hops, allowing the brewers to essentially reinvent the beer each time. This most recent iteration combines Galaxy and Mosaic hops. According to head brewer Chris Sheehan, the first strain adds "a vibrant citrus and passionfruit aroma," while the second adds "pine notes and a strong, earthy undertone." "Our last Hop Thief release was incredibly popular, so we needed to make sure we came up with a unique and equally flavoursome successor," says Sheehan. "We've worked hard on this brew and believe we've created a beer adult Australians will love." Certainly, Hop Thief 6 will prove a tough act to follow. Not only was it a hit with the general public, but it also took home Bronze at the 2014 Australian International Beer Awards. Still, no one at James Squire seems too worried. Hop Thief 7 will available in-pack and on-tap nationwide in March.
Laksa King has been satisfying diners in Flemington since 1998. Originally located in an arcade off Racecourse Road, owner Esmond Wong was forced to change venues in 2010 due to its burgeoning popularity, although he managed to keep it in Flemington. The interior is awash with natural light, with elegant finishings and large communal tables. The fare is authentic Malaysian-Chinese, and it earned itself a reputation as one of the best South Asian restaurants in Melbourne. Entrees include the classics such as vegetarian spring rolls, curry puffs and satay chicken skewers while including more exotic options such as steamed prawn dumplings with a spicy soy sauce, lobaks (minced pork rolls fried in beancurd skin), and vegetarian roti rolls with fried tofu, cucumber, onion, tomato and peanut sauce. If you'd like to start with a soup, it's got you covered with chicken and corn soup, Szechuan hot and sour soup and seafood Tom Yum soup. Meanwhile, its curry laksas, for which it's famous, include chicken curry, beef curry, vegetarian curry with seasonal vegetables and tofu, fish fillet curry with lady's fingers, a fish head curry, a king prawn option, roast fuck, seafood and its signature combination curry with shrimp, fishcakes and chicken. Basically, there is a laksa for everyone. Elsewhere, you'll find Hainan chicken noodle soup with roasted duck, prawn dumpling noodles, Har Med (yellow noodles with prawns, BBQ pork, egg and water spinach in a prawn broth, and fried Kuay Teow with rice noodles, shrimp and Chinese sausage. If rice is your thing, then look no further than its nasi goreng, with Malaysian-styled fried rice, shrimp, chicken, egg and curry paste. We could write another five or so hundred words about the menu, as it's as long as your arm, but we'll leave it to you to discover. Just rest assured, the food is legit, and if you manage to leave room for dessert, the coconut panda cotta is something else.
With the staggering amount of top-notch food vendors that currently call the Melbourne CBD home, you've got very little excuse for chowing down on a boring lunch, no matter how strapped for time or cash you are. But hey, this is Melbourne, and there's always room for more culinary quest options — especially when they involve a new incarnation of one our favourite local burger joints. The revamped 360 Collins plaza will soon play host to a new casual dining precinct, featuring a diverse lineup of eateries that includes 8bit's first fully licensed venue. It'll be the biggest venture yet for the beloved burger joint, set to open alongside other popular retailers like Code Black, Poked and Earl Canteen, and a sister venue to Lonsdale Street's Little Billy, called Billy's Lane. Slinging grab-and-go options galore, there'll be seven dining destinations all up, with the first set to open their doors this month. These eateries will encircle a roomy outdoor space, complete with grassy forecourt and plenty of al fresco seating, to get you out of the office and away from that desk. To celebrate the launch of the 360 Collins food precinct, there'll be a week of lunch break festivities from June 26–30, involving food and drink tastings, special dining offers, and live performances. Images: Chris Hopkins.
As Mr Miyagi enters its second decade of trade on Chapel Street, it's proof that despite Melbourne's ever-rotating door of hospitality venues, the best restaurants endure. Mr Miyagi is a rarity in this sense — brushing off momentary food fads and dizzying rebranding in favour of staying loyal to the original idea that won them hearts in Windsor and across the river, over ten years ago. Modern Japanese is the focus here. The ever-popular Salmon Nori Taco — with Huon Valley salmon belly, sushi rice, spicy napa cabbage and Japanese mayo — continues to be the photographed favourite, but there are highlights to be found throughout the menu. Margaret River MB9+ wagyu beef is prepared tataki style, lifted with sesame ponzu, persimmon, red wine shallots, capers and watercress. The Tempura Broccoli reimagines the oft-maligned brassica with ramen seasoning and salted buffalo ricotta, while a hearty carbonara-inspired udon bowl pairs crispy pork belly with miso butter beurre blanc, garlic, chilli oil, pancetta crumbs and chives. If you're with a group, banquet options starting from $49 for four courses deliver bang for your buck at both lunch and dinner. Turning to the short but sharp drinks menu, the vodka-based Hello Kitty Sour features lychee liqueur from Rosebud distiller Stache House, lemon and aquafaba. Another 'naughty but nice' cocktail with gin, blood orange, passionfruit, white chocolate and aquafaba is dubbed Yukie Makes a Porno (a nod to Mr Miyagi's former snack bar next door). The bartending team are clearly having fun with the menu and it's paying off — drinks are beautifully balanced; spicy, sour and sweet without verging into sickliness. Beyond what's written on paper, it's clear that a lot of investment has been put into training the staff, who operate like a slick machine. The bustling ambience and thoughtful fluidity from the front door to the carriage booths out the back creates a fast, fun atmosphere that's perfect for its location. It's this focus on quality fun — from the menus through to the service, neon-pink interiors and cheeky details — that has made Mr Miyagi a staple on Chapel Street's highly competitive restaurant scene.
Speakeasy Cinema has recently settled in to their new home at Grey Gardens Projects, and their first film at the venue will be the incredible documentary that focuses on Marina Abramovic’s legendary performance, The Artist Is Present. In 2010 at MoMA in New York, the so-called grandmother of performance art spent seven hours a day for three months staring into the eyes of whoever sat opposite her. Throughout her career, the Yugoslavian artist has pushed her physical and mental capacity to the limits with her experimental and confronting work. This documentary offers great insight into Abramovic’s artistic process, and the toll it takes. Speakeasy Cinema screened The Artist Is Present back in 2013, and is back due to popular demand but also to celebrate Abramovic’s current residency and retrospective exhibition in Australia. Sadly she won’t be dropping into Melbourne this time around, so if you want your Abramovic fix without buying a plane ticket, this will be the best way to get it.
Come the end of next year, you won't need to hit the beach to catch a few waves. A site near Tullamarine, around 23 kilometres outside the Melbourne CBD, is set to become the location of Australia's first ever urban surf park. Owned and operated by Perth company Wave Park Group, Urbnsurf Melbourne will boast a 320 metre long pool and employ Wavegarden technology to generate man-made waves between 0.6 and 1.9 metres high. The facility will cater to both experienced surfers and beginners, while LED lagoon lighting will ensure visitors can keep surfing after dark. Wavegarden technology is currently utilised at the Surf Snowdonia wave park in Wales, while another park is set to open in Austin, Texas later this year. In addition to the wave pool, Urbnsurf will include a licensed cafe, a surf shop, board and wetsuit rental services, surf classes, playgrounds, a rock climbing wall, skate ramps and a mountain bike course. Wave Park Group founder Andrew Ross told The Age that the park would eliminate typical marine hazards that come with surfing on the ocean, and described the facility as a kind of "driving range for surfers." Entry prices are yet to be confirmed, although Ross estimated a one-hour session would cost between $20 and $50 depending on the season. Urbnsurf Melbourne is currently slated to open in late 2017. To stay up to date, visit their website or check them out on Facebook. Via The Age. Header image via Dollar Photo Club.
Put your popcorn and choc top down for a sec and switch to tea, scones and a cheeky Pimm's Cup — it's British Film Festival time. Every year, the annual cinema showcase gathers up the best new movies Old Blighty has to offer, bringing them to Palace Cinemas for our antipodean viewing pleasure. From October 24 to November 15, the fest is back for its 2017 run. As always, BFF is a positively jam-packed affair, spanning true romances, hard-hitting dramas, music documentaries, literary origin stories and a retrospective feast of mystery flicks — and they're just some of the highlights from what promises to be a busy few weeks of British movie-watching. If you're feeling a little overwhelmed with options, stick with our five picks of the festival below. MARY SHELLEY On a rainy summer night just over two centuries ago, a teenager, her future husband and their friends sat around a Swiss log fire and gave themselves the challenge of writing a ghost story. The competitors included English poets Lord Byron and Percy Bysshe Shelley — but it was the latter's girlfriend, young Mary Wollstonecraft, who easily won their contest. Pondering the concept of a reanimated corpse, she started penning Frankenstein (or The Modern Prometheus — aka the greatest horror novel ever written). Starring Elle Fanning as the author, and directed by Wadjda's Haifaa Al-Mansour, Mary Shelley relays her efforts, telling the intriguing tale behind her famous creature. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ukJ5dMYx2no THE DEATH OF STALIN He has turned British bureaucracy and US politics into a smart, hilarious farce across two stellar TV comedies, but The Thick of It and Veep's Armando Iannucci isn't done satirising the powers that be — or, that once were in The Death of Stalin's case — just yet. Given its title, there are no prizes for guessing what his second big screen directorial effort is about. With a cast that includes Steve Buscemi, Jason Isaacs, Jeffrey Tambor, Paddy Considine and Michael Palin, Iannucci adapts the graphic novel of the same name into an amusing and irreverent look at the aftermath of the USSR dictator's passing in 1953. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yurPcX4xrqI HOW TO TALK TO GIRLS AT PARTIES Trust Neil Gaiman to write a short story about a shy '70s punk teenager crossing paths with a curious visiting alien. Trust Hedwig and the Angry Inch's John Cameron Mitchell to turn the tale into an interesting and engaging sci-fi rom-com. As offbeat as its sounds, How to Talk to Girls at Parties corrals ever-busy The Beguiled co-stars Elle Fanning and Nicole Kidman into its account of love, rebellion, taking risks and fighting for what you want in life. That might sound like your average teen romance, but this zesty, imaginative and thoroughly likeable effort is anything but. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQmBd5-ITyA ENGLAND IS MINE "Stop being a mardarse," Steven Patrick Morrissey is told early in England Is Mine. Of course he is. But, if he'd taken that advice, everything from The Smiths to this film wouldn't exist. Yes, this biopic of British singer and songwriter's early years in Manchester plays out just as you'd expect — the moody brooding, the lines like "life is too short for cliches", and the distinctive appeal of its central figure (played by Dunkirk's Jack Lowden) included. It won't convert anyone new to the Morrissey cause and you won't hear any of his hits, but the end result certainly is as melancholy as an unauthorised flick about 'the pope of mope' should be. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ppBlSpdVlEA JAWBONE A knockout boxing film that demonstrates how a familiar, frequently seen genre can still pack a considerable punch, Jawbone also marks a landmark effort for British actor Johnny Harris. Previously best known for the likes of Snow White and the Huntsman and various incarnations of the This Is England TV series, Harris stars, writes, produces and loosely bases the feature's narrative on his own teenage fighting experiences. Ray Winstone, Michael Smiley and Ian McShane also pop up on screen in this social realist boxing offering, but there's no doubting that this compelling and convincing underdog story belongs to Harris from start to finish. The 2017 British Film Festival screens in Sydney from October 24 to November 15, Melbourne from October 26 to November 15, and Brisbane from October 25 to November 15. For more information and to buy tickets, visit the festival website.
Gold Leaf has a couple of very important drawcards. One, is there are many around for your convenience — Preston, Burwood, Springvale and Sunshine. It seems likely that whatever far reaches of Melbourne your weekend might lead you to, Gold Leaf has got you, and will feed you up nice and good. Thirty years old and smashing out delish Cantonese food since way back then, Gold Leaf has more dumpling options than you have fingers to count 'em on. You're absolutely spoilt for choice. Make your way here – it's even worth braving going to the Docklands for – when you're really hungry and ready to roll, and expect tasty, fresh fare. Just make sure you save room for a custard tart or six for dessert.
This sushi bar/supermarket is the mysterious Japanese food repository you never knew you needed. If you're looking to make something yourself, the shelves are your friend. Find anything from koroke to katsu, gyoza to green tea Kit Kats, and a mammoth amount of bottled sauces and everything you need to make ramen. Oh, and sake and shochu. Over at the sushi counter, a range of 89 options will be available. There are more traditional varieties like your sashimi and nigiri platters, and then more unique creations like the salmon aioli with squid and egg salad. Th packs include a maki mix of hoso maki, cucumber shake, ebi, tekka and avocado while the deka maki packs include a California vegetarian option with avocado, takuan, kanpya, shiitake mushrooms, cucumber, mayonnaise and seaweed salad. From the a la carte menu try the stunning inari DX prawn with white salad or the lightly seared mackerel. The platers are large and designed to be shared with the sixty piece hoso maki platter the perfect option for a group booking. From the pantry enjoy hard to find treats such as yuzu jam, buckwheat soba noodles, Japanese craft gin and handcrafted chilli oil.
A Purity Ring gig is not just a concert, but an experience. This is due to three factors. One: their unrestrained dedication to deep, deep bass. Two: their hypnotising light show, which they've created themselves. And three: Megan James's extraordinary, soaring vocals. And their sci-fi costumes are pretty damn impressive, too. Hailing from Canada, the duo — who is made up of James and producer Corin Roddick — have been mesmerising crowds at festivals and clubs all over the planet. Following their breakthrough album, Shrines, they've since collaborated with the likes of Danny Brown and Jon Hopkins. Coming our way to play St Jerome's Laneway Festival in Melbourne and Perth, Purity Ring will make two headline appearances while they're here — one at the Sydney Opera House on February 9 and at Melbourne's Forum Theatre on February 11. Then they're off to the States to play a bunch of festivals, including Coachella.
It's been a big few months for gadgets. In September Apple released the iPhone 7 and, just last week, Google released their first ever fully-Google phone, the Pixel. The new MacBook Pro went on sale today after an early morning our-time launch by Apple in California — and devotees are very, very excited. Thinner, shinier and way more powerful than previous iterations, the computer will retail for between $2199 and $2999 depending on which of the three models you're after (more on that in a second). It's probably not the sort of cash you blow willy-nilly, so before you make any impulse buys — and, yes, we realise the temptation is strong and the online store is right there — we've taken a gander at the specs and broken down Apple's new laptop into five key talking points. IT'S WAY THINNER 17 percent thinner, to be precise. The new MacBook Pro is available in two screen sizes: 13-inch and 15-inch. They come in at 14.9 and 15.5 millimetres, respectively. Thinner also means lighter, with a weight of 1.37 and 1.8 kilograms (also respectively). The accepted wisdom is that these bad boys will replace the MacBook Air, may it rest in peace. THE KEYBOARD HAS A NEW LED TOUCHSCREEN BAR The coolest addition to the new MacBook Pro is the organic LED function bar that replaces the standard keys for controlling volume, brightness and so on. The so-called Touch Bar (proper noun) can do all those things, but can also be customised depending on what you're doing at the time. So for example, if you're using the internet, the Touch Bar can display your favourites or open tabs. It can even be used as an emoji keyboard — what a brave new world this is. The Touch Bar is available on both 13-inch and 15-inch models, although there is also a cheaper 13-inch variant without it. YOU CAN LOG IN USING YOUR FINGERPRINT One of the additional upsides of the Touch Bar is that it enables Touch ID. Located on the power button (makes sense), the sensor lets users log into their MacBook using their fingerprint, just as the they can with their iPhone. The sensor also works with Apple Pay, making it that much easier to splurge on more Apple products in the future. THE TRACKPAD IS ENORMOUS AND USES ELECTROMAGNETIC TECHNOLOGY The new MacBook Pro trackpad seems the same as ever, but don't let yourself be deceived. Rather than actually depressing when a user pushes down, electromagnets within the track pad shift to create that clicking sensation, meaning the pad itself doesn't physically give at all. Sorcery! It's also nearly twice as large as one previous MacBook Pros. THE USB AND CHARGE PORTS HAVE ALL BEEN REPLACED The downside of making your laptop so much thinner is that you don't have room for all the fancy holes. Gone is the standard USB and MagSafe charging ports, replaced by four identical Thunderbolt 3 powered USB-C ports. The ports are incredibly versatile, and can be used for power, USB, HDMI and more. Good idea, but it promises to be a bit of a pain in the short term, with adapters required for all your current devices, including your brand spanking new iPhone 7. Typical. The new MacBook Pro is available from today, Friday, October 28. For more info, visit apple.com/macbook-pro.
A new prepaid initiative from Uber looks set to deal yet another blow to the rapidly dying taxi industry. You remember taxis don’t you? They were those cars that used to drive around the city not picking you up, which didn't show up when you called them and whose drivers didn't know how to operate a GPS. They were all the rage back in the day, before people had literally any other option. Rolling out in New York City over the next couple of weeks, UberEVENTS will allow event organisers to arrange prepaid Ubers for their guests. You simply log on to the Uber website and enter your information, including how many guest passes you'd like to prebook. Uber then sends those passes to you so you can forward them on to your guests. When the big day arrives, they enter their passcode into the Uber app, and before they know it they're being whisked away to your very exciting party. If you didn't follow all that, don't worry: this nifty little graphic helps lay it all out. "When planning a company happy hour, client appreciation dinner, or even upcoming nuptials, there is a lot that goes into ensuring that your event goes off without a hitch—including how your guests can safely get to and from without any fuss," wrote Uber Senior Marketing Manager Kimiko Ninomiya in a post on the Uber blog. "We want to make the experience of planning transportation logistics as seamless as ordering a ride at the touch of button [sic]." The service will only be available to select riders and Uber for Business users at first, although assuming it's a success, then presumably it won't be too long before it becomes a standard feature. In the meantime, Uber's legal status in Australia remains a point of contention. A Victorian state Magistrate yesterday rejected the company's attempts to have a legal case against one of its drivers thrown out of court. The taxi industry, for their part, continues to flail around feebly in the face of progress. A strike in Melbourne a couple of weeks back saw about 500 cabs taken off the roads – Uber retaliated by offering people free rides across the city. Yeah, it's pretty clear who's winning this fight. Via Tech Crunch.
Forget all your preconceptions about inner-city dumpling houses and cheap, fast Chinese restaurants. Ruyi is a new breed of Chinese restaurant, one that inhabits a space somewhere between the Chinatown stalwarts and the high-end likes of Chin Chin. Fresh, quality ingredients are the main focus of the food and the menu offers some inspired flavours. Instead of the oily, heavily sauced dishes you might expect, here you'll find the likes of salt and pepper soft-shell crab ($16), mushroom and crispy tofu skin parcels topped with caviar ($12 for three pieces), summer chicken with fresh mango and vegetables ($25), sliced beef fillet with wasabi, zucchini and peppers ($28) and fragrant floral jelly with ice cream and pistachio nuts ($15) to finish. Then, of course, there are the dumplings. Made onsite and smelling of freshly steamed dough, they are filled with pork and crab, vegetables, pork and chive, seafood or pork and prawn. Also doubling as a wine bar, Ruyi is the perfect environment for sitting and sipping — with a side of dumplings if the hunger calls for it. The wine list is extensive without being overwhelming and features local and European drops as well as organic options. It is apt that the atmosphere at Ruyi is clean, fresh and bright — just like the food. The earthy interior, designed by renowned studio Hecker Guthrie, features plenty of pale timber, tiling, potted plants, pendant lights and an edible colour palette of jade, oxblood and sage. Everything seems well considered and every little detail holds meaning. The name itself is an ode to owner Sheng Fang's family heritage; Ruyi is a spiritual family heirloom said to make everything 'as you wish'. It's a beautiful sentiment, and quite befitting of this bright new CBD restaurant.
One of Australia's biggest beats-loving festivals has been canned. Mushroom Group have announced the discontinuation of Future Music Festival today, after reporting low ticket sales for the last two years. Despite attracted huge crowds to this year's March festival nationwide, Future apparently underperformed with ticket sales. This means Future isn't returning for 2016, with Mushroom looking to steer away from large-scale travelling festivals and put more focus on its touring adventures with Frontier Touring, A Day On the Green, Melbourne's Sugar Mountain and under-18s event Good Life. "The decision to discontinue Future Music Festival was not made lightly," says Mushroom Group Chairman Michael Gudinski. "A point came though where it simply no longer made sense to continue. We believe in the festival industry in Australia and plan to announce an exciting new festival concept in the coming months." Mushroom Group are developing a new festival concept, planned for the same time period previously held by Future and set to be announced later this year. Image: Future Music Festival.
More and more of Melbourne's top hotels are opening up their luxury pools to the public — like W Melbourne, which runs bottomless food and drink deals poolside every Sunday. And the latest to join the fold is Melbourne Marriot Docklands. Yes, access to its pool will cost you considerably more than your usual public pool (it's $50 for the whole day), but you get to truly escape the crowds and enjoy sweeping views across the city. But you don't just get access to the stunning outdoor infinity pool, which is always heated to a comfortable 28 degrees. During your visit, you also get use of a complimentary towel, plus access to the sauna and rooftop lounge bar. And if you come as a duo, you can grab the Pool Day Pass package for $120, which includes pool access, a large pizza to share and two cocktails. There's even a great happy hour deal running daily from 4–6pm, with the team slinging $12 Aperol Spritzes throughout the two-hour window. There are certainly worse places to be on a hot summer's day. But do note this deal is only available on weekdays — we recommend you time this visit with a little annual leave.
Overcoming systemic discrimination, both in the music industry and society more broadly, Indigenous hip hop artists are the vanguard of an exciting new era of Aussie hip hop. In the words of politically-conscious rapper Briggs, star of the ABC's Cleverman and Black Comedy: They're growing up fast, they're growing up tough, They're giving back everything they never got as a pup, And if they want something, you're giving it up, If they want something, you're giving it up. It's tempting to say that Indigenous hip hop is undergoing a renaissance of late, but it wouldn't be entirely accurate — the scene has been strong for years, it's just that now it's finally starting to get the attention it deserves. One initiative responsible for this greater recognition is Klub Koori, a regular showcase of emerging and established Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander musicians produced by Koori Radio. So, before they storm the stage on Thursday, July 7 at Carriageworks and with NAIDOC Week in full swing, we thought we'd introduce you to some Indigenous artists who are coming up fast and coming up tough. Oh, and they do want something: the throne. JIMBLAH Hailing from the Larrakia Nation in the Northern Territory, Jimblah sums up the paradox of 'traditional' (read: predominantly white) Aussie hip hop when he raps: "I see your fans, they're a bunch of racist kids, so who's to blame?" While there are few examples of overt racism in the local scene there is a definite racist undertone — so much so that those paragons of Aussie hip hop Hilltop Hoods felt compelled to write a whole song about it. Jimblah's fiery pull no punches lyricism — highlights include: "Australia just look what we made here/From slave ships to Great Britain's blood on their hands/Understand the royal fam, flying the flag/Unlawfully stands a generation unlawfully here" — has seen him garner significant critical acclaim. LADY LASH A Kokatha/Greek woman from far western South Australia, Lady Lash is a generic anomaly. Combing equal parts jazz, hip hop and soul interwoven with powerful storytelling, her music pushes sonic boundaries in profoundly beautiful ways. Having taken out the Victorian Indigenous Performing Arts Award for Most Promising Act and The Age Music Victoria Award for Best Indigenous Act with her debut album Crystal Mercy: The Fisherman's Daughter, Lady Lash is set to release her third album Therapy Tapes later this year. NOOKY 2016 has been an exciting year for Yuin Nation rapper and @IndigenousX host Nooky. Taking out the Australia Council Dreaming Award at the National Indigenous Arts Awards not only came with prestige but also a very tangible $20,000 grant towards developing his debut album. Signed to Briggs' label Bad Apples Music and having collaborated with Taboo from The Black Eyed Peas (after a chance encounter and cypher at The Block in Redfern), it's safe to say that his debut album is being hotly anticipated. It seems as though it's only a matter of time before Nooky blows up, so get on board early. TASMAN KEITH Splitting his formative years between inner city Sydney and Bowraville in the bucolic Nambucca Valley, Tasman Keith's music reflects these contrasting locales, combining sun-kissed beats with an effortless flow and lyrical dexterity reminiscent of early '90s East Coast hip hop. Having burst onto the scene in 2015 with his debut single 'B You', Tasman, the son of legendary Australian hip hop pioneer Wire MC, pays homage to his Gumbaynggirr heritage while epitomising the thoughtful, soulful sound that seems to be emerging in the local scene. At just 18 years old, Tasman Keith is definitely one to watch out for. Klub Koori is happening at Carriageworks on Thursday, July 7 at 7pm. Tickets are just $10 +BF.
Here in Melbourne, we're proud to be one of Australia's premiere late-night destinations. Melbourne comes to life at night. A vast range of places to eat and drink thrive until the (very) early hours — not only can you get a cocktail after 2am, you can also get a Le Bon Ton cheeseburger with table service, partake in a hot dog eating competition until 4am, or eat pizza whenever you damn well like (24-hours pizza shops). You'll often hear cities complain about their public transport system, but here in Melbourne we've come to kind of like ours. Mainly because all night public transport has helped transform our city into a 24 hour oasis, where there's something to eat, drink or do at any hour of the night, and a safe way to get home afterwards. Unlike our friends in Sydney and Brisbane, we can save ourselves a bit of money at the end of the night by hopping on the Night Network of train, tram and buses during a night out or on the way home. Here is our extensive late night guide to Melbourne. Read this, stay out until dawn and get home safe. WHEN YOU'RE AFTER A LATE NIGHT BITE Isn't Melbourne the best? Our selection of food to eat only slightly dwindles after 12am. Melbourne establishment Mamasita on Collins Street is renowned for two reasons: their bomb, late-night Mexican menu and the fact that it's mostly gluten free. They're open until midnight on Friday and Saturday night (make sure you book beforehand). We seriously recommend the pork and pineapple taco as a late night snack. Not keen for Mexican? Collingwood's Le Bon Ton is a short walk from the Peel Street stop on the 86 tram, and they serve Melbourne's best cheeseburger (big call, but you gotta try it) and smoked stacks of meat (chargrilled wagyu, cheese and various charcuterie) until 3am. Follow it up with a house-made sweet pie for dessert — the banana cream with white chocolate, vanilla custard and toasted meringue is calling you. Ramen is an anytime food, but it's especially a late-night food. Our 24-hour ramen bar Shujinko Ramen enables your late-night habits. Stop by anytime (literally). Bourke Street trams and Swanston Street trams are equidistant. Close by in Chinatown is Belleville Chicken, who know that the best way to cook a chook is over an open flame, and the best way to serve it up is with a side of poutine. They serve food until 1am on weekends in a social, mess hall style atmosphere. More Japanese: fancy supper club Izakaya Den (just off Bourke St in the CBD) is open until midnight on Friday and Saturday nights and 11pm on weeknights. The prices are high, so this isn't the best place to stop after a few drinks. Although, you can indulge and save on cab fare by getting the tram home, the spicy tuna tataki with garlic soy will melt in your mouth and the Kurobuta pork belly will change the way you think about pork belly. 8-bit down the road is open for precious, gooey, meaty burgers and salted caramel milkshakes until 11pm in the CBD. Choo Choos, within the Toff in Town, stays open and serves dinner until 5am on weekends, 3am on weeknights and is conveniently located near the Swanston Street tram. See also: Lord of the Fries, Massive Weiners on Chapel Street (hot dogs until 4am on weekends), The Black Pearl in Fitzroy for cocktails and nachos until 3am, and Milk the Cow in Carlton for cheese plates and wine until 1am. ONE LAST DRINK BEFORE YOU LEAVE Many people don't know that Nieuw Amsterdam has a 24-hour license. The CBD cocktail bar regularly stays open until 5am, so you can head down at any time of the day or night to try out both their stunning 1920s interior design and their tasty drinks. The basement bar serves food all the way up until 5am. Settle into a fancy booth and eat some food until it's time to hop on the train home. The people responsible for The Everleigh on Gertrude Street also run Heartbreaker in the CBD. She's described as The Everleigh's seedier sister and she certainly is (but not in a bad way). You can grab yourself one of their famous cocktails in a bottle — choose between a Negroni, Old Fashioned, Martini and Manhattan and relax in the grungy, retro atmosphere until 3am. Siglo on Spring Street will make you feel like you're in a Woody Allen film. It can get pricey, but it's open until 3am every night serving whisky and cocktail in a very luxurious atmosphere. The intimate terrace overlooks the city and they make a mean rum cocktail. On that note, the equally as classy Melbourne Supper Club is open until 7am. Cheeseboards, ploughman platters and drinks are available until 3am at whisky bar Boilermaker House. Glamorama is perfect for a dance, and open until 5am. Magic Mountain Saloon serves food and cocktails until 3am, and the classic place to sip on a gin and tonic, Bar Ampere, is open until 3am as well. FEEL LIKE A LATE NIGHT DANCE? Boney is always good for a dance and hosts some quality gigs, but generally the party doesn't kick off until late. It's super central, sitting on the corner of Little Collins and Exhibition Street — close to both late night food and public transport. There's something for everything at the Toff In Town on Swanston Street, it's like a layer cake of possibility. Whatever your poison, you'll find it at the Toff. It's always loaded up on gigs, dance floors and excellent company and, in summer, a most excellent rooftop bar called Rooftop Bar is open until 1am above it. Nearby is Lounge, open until 3am on weekends and (weirdly) Tuesdays. New Guernica is right near the Elizabeth Street tram, that stays open and is generally packed with people dancing until 5am. Outside of the city but close to tram lines is Revolver Upstairs (classic), and the tiki bar of your dreams in Fitzroy, LuWow. Yah Yahs on Smith Street is always a winner, open until 5am and almost guaranteed to have 'Come On Eileen' on the playlist every night. Rock and roll bar Cherry Bar can't be forgotten — generally open until 3am on weekends. MUSIC, MOVIES AND KARAOKE Cinema Nova near the Swanston St tram does it old school in many ways. You can take your drinks into the cinema, they only take cash and they do late (we mean late) sessions. Fearlessly walk into a 11:00pm session and enjoy the empty theatre, knowing that the late night trams from Lygon street have you covered on transport. If you're on the south side check out The Astor, they regularly host late night screenings of classic movies and movie marathons, or Hoyts in Crown Casino has a regular 11pm session and its own dedicated tram stop. There are gigs all around town to catch. The Public Bar in North Melbourne is one of the few venues in Melbourne with a 24-hour license, and while they don't normally stay open until then, you're definitely in for a late one if you head here. Rainbow Karaoke in the CBD is a karaoke bar with 44 private rooms and three VIP rooms, each with its own decor. Have a late night one and don't worry about getting home — the Night Network runs all night and on weekends. Words: Imogen Baker and Kelly Pigram.
Located at 80 Collins Street, Lillian Brasserie is situated within Society — a multifaceted dining experience opened by renowned restaurateur Chris Lucas. The venue includes the Society Dining Room and Lounge, but it is Lillian, its French brasserie, which really sets this place apart. The interior is all sweeps and curves, with private booths and fringed overhead lamps sending the eye this way and that as the highly skilled waiters weave in and around their guests without any fuss. In the evenings, with the lights dimmed and the conversation humming, the room gives off the air of a classic Parisian dining room — with all the frivolity and joie de vivre centred around the various dishes. Lillian Brasserie's menu is heavily seafood focused, and begins with an offering of shucked oysters and prawns. The snacks include hand-cut potato chips and lobster and leek croquettes with a fresh herb emulsion. For an entree, try the cured salmon with house pickles and the burrata with pickled figs and walnuts. The pasta menu is vegetarian friendly with the parmesan gnocchi served with pumpkin, zucchini and ricotta being a huge hit. For a main, try the confit duck with cassoulet for a truly French offering, or the spiced pork sausage with smoked bacon and lentils for something a little heartier. The woodfired grill is where Lillian Brasserie really flexes its muscles, and the grass-fed sirloin with pink pepper bordelaise is the pick of the menu. If you're looking to share with a few sides, look no further than the spice roasted whole crown of chicken, pairing it with some woodfire roasted greens and potato chips. The wine list is impressive too, with over 10,000 bottles in the Society cellar. This is the kind of Melbourne French restaurant you visit when you're really looking to treat yourself. Appears in: The Best French Restaurants in Melbourne for 2023
Not too long ago the only place to eat at Flinders Street Station was Lord of the Fries. Then Arbory opened right next to platform 13 and made killing time while waiting for the train not a horrible proposition. And now the station has scored another actually good food offering — and it's located in the Swanston Street-facing Clocks space. If you're familiar with Clocks then you're probably thinking RSL vibes and pokies noises right about now. But, after a renovation that took nine months and $3 million, the place is looking pretty different. Unfortunately the pokies are still out the back as the venue is still owned by Doxa Social Club, but the bistro has been replaced with Green Light Diner, an American-themed joint run by Steve Schreuder and Darran Smith (the ex-owner of Carlton's Roving Marrow). The duo took inspiration from the late-night diners of Los Angeles and have created their own day-to-night venue with all-day breakfast and a 1am license on weekends. The impressive fit-out has been designed by Studio Nine Architects, and looks like Edward Hopper's Nighthawks come to life. Think marble counter tops, leather booth seating and brass and copper fixtures, along with restoration of the building's original windows that haven't been used in decades. "The interior has a 1920s train station feel, like Grand Central in New York," says Smith. It certainly has an old-world vibe, one that works particularly well within the setting of the historic station, which was built in 1909. "[The clientele] is really a cross section of people who come through the station, from old locals who came in before the renovation to business folks and tourists" says Smith. Smith took inspiration from LA diners and their "brekkie sandwiches that you can eat all-day or late at night", as well as the salt beef bagels from Brick Lane in London. The breakfast menu is egg-centric, and accompanied by pub staples like porterhouse steaks, pork schnittys (with a fried egg if you so fancy) and parmas. For drinks, it'll start slinging pre-batched cocktails in the coming weeks, including negronis, espresso martinis and cosmos. The transformation isn't done yet, either, with a late-night whisky bar also in the works. Miss Guns will be located downstairs and is slated to be completed by the end of the year. This June, Green Light will also roll out monthly after-midnight feasts for hospitality folk, which will run on Sunday nights from midnight till 3am. "It's a chance to get people in the hospo industries together at the end of their work week for some networking, music and good food," says Smith. "There will be guest chefs each month, along with a few seats reserved for non-hospo people to come along and see what we get up to." Green Light Diner is now open at Shop 17, The Concourse, Flinders Street Station, Melbourne. Opening hours are Monday through Thursday 7am–9pm, Friday 7am–1am, Saturday 8am–1am and Sunday 8am–9pm. For more info, visit clocksatflinders.com.au.
The show must go on for the folks at the Moulin Rouge. 15 years after the release of Baz Luhrmann's smash-hit movie musical, the story of doomed lovers Christian and Satine is coming to the stage. The lavish adaptation is currently in its early stages, and will be directed by two-time Tony nominee Alex Timbers. "I first encountered Alex Timbers through the remarkable and inventive production of Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson and the brilliance of Here Lies Love," said Luhrmann in a statement. "I immediately recognised the young director's creative spirit and felt we shared similar sensibilities and instincts." Writing duties will be handled by acclaimed playwright and screenwriter John Logan, whose resume includes the recent James Bond outing Skyfall as well as the Tony Award-winning play Red. "It's immensely gratifying to know that a new wave of artists will be leading Moulin Rouge! into its rightful theatrical realm," said Luhrmann. The show is being developed by entertainment group Global Creatures, who previously worked on the theatrical adaptation of King Kong and helped bring Luhrmann's Strictly Ballroom to the stage. A premiere date and location for Moulin Rouge! has yet to be announced.
There are certain things that shouldn't find themselves blended into milk. Salmon, for instance. Wine, also. But Vegemite is up there as one of the aw hell no's of the shake ingredients — until now. An Australian-owned cafe is serving Vegemite shakes in Los Angeles. Dear sweet mother of Benedict Cumberbatch. Just opened at 456 North Fairfax in LA, Paramount Coffee Project have expanded their Surry Hills cafe to the City of Angels. Hoping to bring an authentic Australian cafe experience to the States, the PCP team teamed up with their mates Russell Beard (Reuben Hills) and Mark Dundon (Seven Seeds) for the American venture. The menu was a bit of a mystery until now, and this little gem will sort the culinary soldiers from the civilians. According to Good Food, PCP's serving up a Vegemite and butterscotch shake to give the locals something to tweet about. "We've had a few asking WTF Vegemite is," Beard told GF. "They're digging it though." Yeah, yeah, yeah, we get the whole sweet, salty thing. This might be like that time Cadbury tried to smuggle Vegemite in their chocolate blocks. Interesting in theory, interesting for the first taste, horrific for the rest. Well, we'll just have to book a flight to LA and take a serious heap of time off to make sure. Via Good Food. Image: Wiki.
Prepare to wolf down some really fucking hot poultry, as Belle's Hot Chicken flies south. The beloved fried chicken and natural wine joint teased the opening of its new store last week via Instagram, sparking a flurry among finger-lickin' fanatics trying to pin down its exact location. Now it looks like the cat chicken is out of the bag, with bird watchers identifying the green timber façade as the old Spud Bar in Windsor to be the new home to Belle's Nashville-style cooked chooks. Coming soon to 147 Chapel Street — just a convenient few minutes' walk from Windsor Station — the southside restaurant will be Belle's fourth permanent location, after their original coop in Fitzroy inspired spinoffs in Richmond and Sydney. Other than the address, information is thin, although it appears they are currently in the process of hiring staff. As for the menu, we have to assume they'll be frying up the same mix of wings, tenders and dark meat on a sliding scale of spiciness, along with sides like mushrooms, fries, pickles and oysters. We have another #belleshotchicken in the pipeline.. Can anyone guess where? #thatwithchicken A photo posted by Belles Hot Chicken (@belleshotchicken) on Jun 7, 2016 at 8:11pm PDT Seriously though, are there any two words more frustrating for foodies than opening soon? Belle's Hot Chicken will open...eventually...at 147 Chapel Street, Windsor. Keep your eyes on their Instagram for further information.
Filipinos may drink the most gin in the world, but they're not simply lovers of this botanical libation. While San Miguel makes the region's most popular, easy-drinking beers, Manila's emerging craft beer market has swiftly become the talk of the town. When it comes to craft beer, Manila is way ahead of the pack and on the level of Hong Kong and Japan as a leader of the craft beer revolution in Asia. While the country's capital alone houses over ten microbreweries already, a few smaller breweries are also popping up in the southern islands, including Cebu and Palawan. Filipinos are going for the range, brewing everything from deep stouts and bold IPAs to tropical, fruity beers and highly alcoholic ginger beers. If you're a craft beer fanatic heading to Manila, we've got your back — here's which beers to drink and where to find them. [caption id="attachment_618703" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Katipunan Craft Ales.[/caption] WHERE TO DRINK You're spoilt for choice with Manila's nightlife, which rivals New York City in its love of late-night partying and all-hours dining. It seems there's always a new joint popping up, and this is especially true of the budding craft bar scene. It's always a party at Big Bad Wolf, with live acts a constant accompaniment to their craft brew offering. Beers to keep an eye out for here are Summer Sessions blonde ale by Craftpoint and 'Signal No.1', a stout made by Katipunan Craft. Both are Manila-based breweries so you know the brews will be fresh as. Another, simply called The Brewery at the Palace, serves up its own brews from gorgeous copper tanks visible from the restaurant floor. The rustic interior well matches the old-world-looking brewing equipment and the beers are as impressive as the place makes them look. They're brewing up some serious beers here, including an alcoholic ginger beer at a surprising seven percent ABV. The Perfect Pint is your go to for an ever-changing, extensive craft beer list and fusion Filipino-Western food that goes all too well. If you're lucky enough to find Pedro's Procrastination pale ale on tap, don't pass it by. These brewers were inspired by the craft beer scene in Hong Kong and turn out some of the most impressive brews in Manila. Out of all of the craft beer joints in the city though, Kabisera is not to be missed. They're serving up authentic Filipino pulutan, or drunk food, and craft beer in a relaxed, well-designed dining room playing some killer tunes. The menu of street food, including fish balls and kwek-kwek (deep fried quail egg) is a great drinking accompaniment, as is the sisig bangus (sizzling fish) and array of noodle dishes. Kabisera houses all of the usual craft beer suspects, along with speciality brews from the southern islands, including Cebu's Cebruery and Palaweño Brewery — Palawan's first and only craft brewery. [caption id="attachment_618701" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Nipa Brew.[/caption] WHAT TO DRINK When in Manila, keep an eye out for these locals in the craft brew scene: Pedro Brewcrafters Katipunan Craft Ales Craftpoint Brewing Co. The Brewery at the Palace Baguio Craft Brewery Palaweño Brewery Cebruery Turning Wheels NIPA Brew
Park Street Pasta & Wine is an absolute banger of a neighbourhood Italian diner — with pasta made in-house and a heavy focus on head chef Bartoli's Tuscan roots. The venue itself is elegant and understated, on a beautiful corner terrace on Park Street, South Melbourne. With a minimalist approach and carefully curated artwork, the food is the star here and is presented with style. As is in the name, handmade pasta is the star of the show, with a seasonal selection of truly outstanding dishes up for grabs. The cacio e pepe is a knock-out dish, incredibly rich and creamy, and the pappardelle with slow-cooked wild boar is a must for any cold night in Melbourne. Alternatively, if you're after something on the fresher side, opt for the smoked ricotta ravioli with semi-dried roasted tomato sauce, caperberries, lemon zest and mint. You could simply come and order a few bowls of pasta to share — pairing it all with some vino — and be very content. But those after a long lunch or dinnertime feast should also sample a few cheeky starters. The crudo kingfish sashimi with parsley sauce and smoked oyster mayo, and the burrata with Sicilian caponata are both made for summertime spritz sip-and-snack sessions. And the deep-fried buffalo mozzarella carrozza with salsa verde and anchovies is a must-order. First off, who doesn't love fried cheese? Secondly, it's top-grade buffalo mozzarella which is stunning as it is. And thirdly, the seasonal toppings tend to have a good kick of salt and spice that bring the dish to a whole other level. When it comes to bevs, the team takes great care in sourcing local and Italian wines, offering 14 by the glass and a huge selection by the bottle. Classic cocktails and signature sips are also available alongside beers, mocktails, aperitifs and digestifs. The few seats inside are great for those wanting a cosy night out, but we are all about nabbing a street-side table when the sun is shining. Park St Pasta is easily one of Melbourne's top Italian restaurants and home to some of the city's best pasta. Top image: Roberto Pettinau.
Thanks to all of last year's drama, it has probably been a while since you hit the slopes. But, if you'd like to get into the alpine spirit without the 5-hour drive to Hotham, head on down to The National for this special apres ski-themed edition of its popular bottomless brunch. Heating up the long weekend on Sunday, June 13 (aka Queen's Birthday eve), the one-off party will see the Richmond pub moonlighting as a cosy Aspen chalet, where guests will enjoy a three-hour bottomless brunch to remember. You're in for cheese fondue and other winter warming eats, matched to free-flowing drinks including a house-spiced mulled wine and marshmallow-topped boozy hot chocolates. You'll want to don your finest ski bunny get-up for the occasion, as there'll be prizes up for grabs for the best-dressed guests. And to round out the frosty fun, expect tunes from house DJs firing up the heated beer garden right through the afternoon.
Collingwood's Le Bon Ton is bringing back their iconic, slow-cooked Independence Day BBQ, and it's looking even stickier than last year. Due to the way calendars work, Le Bon Ton is actually celebrating Independence Day on Sunday, July 2 – not July 4 – because it's hard to get Melbourne excited about chicken-eating competitions on a Tuesday. This way, you can celebrate Independence Day two days early, the way the founding fathers intended: by watching grown adults eat a basket of hot wings. The challenge is the same as last year: eat six wings, smothered in Le Bon Ton's spiciest signature sauce, then sit in front of a glass of milk and an ice-cream for five minutes without touching them. Anyone can enter for $25, and that includes your wings. For people who value their digestive system, there's also a slew of regular New Orleans-style BBQ specials to enjoy, including pit-smoked chicken, hotdogs, jackfruit tacos and brisket by the truckload. You can check out the sneak peek menu here. Independence Day celebrations run all day. Quoting from the iconic Will Smith movie is encouraged. Images: supplied.
Next week marks the beginning of Art Basel Hong Kong, one of the biggest art fairs in Asia. Painting, drawing, sculpture, photography, video and installation will all be on display, in an event designed to showcase the work of thousands of artists from all around the world. But the work of one man in particular appears to be in particularly good taste (geddit?). Uwe Opocensky, the German chef at the Michelin-starred Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong, has put together a menu that blurs the line between food and art. The aptly named Art Menu at the Mandarin Grill + Bar begins with an entree inspired by the most iconic artwork of Englishman Damien Hirst. The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living features a 14-foot shark suspended in a tank of formaldehyde. Opocensky's version consists of a mackerel floating in horseradish-flavoured cucumber jelly. The main course is modelled after a box of paints, with different coloured purees including mashed sweet potato, brown truffles, black garlic paste and red peppers, as well as a slice of beef covered in edible flowers. And for dessert, an ice cream filled chocolate mountain on a bed of popping candy, inspired by the mountaineering photography of Chinese artist Xu Zhen. As with many things in the world of high art, Oponcensky's elaborate dinner doesn't come cheap: $HK1888 ($AU320) a head. Pretty pricey, especially when you won't have anything to show for it at the end of the night. "What we make has a very short life span," Opocensky said to Quartz. "It is very exciting though. I cannot draw to save my life, but I can put things on a plate, and I love that we can be associated with art as a movement" Via Quartz.
Cider isn’t just a summer thirst quencher. Turn the stove on, throw in some spices and in just ten minutes you can wrap your gloves around a toasty hot beverage that makes mulled wine seem tame in flavour. Packed with fruits and spices like nutmeg, star anise, cloves and cinnamon, mulled cider gives your tastebuds a tasty kick on a cold winter night. INCREDIBLE MULLED CIDER by Jamie Oliver The recipe calls for clementines but if you can’t find them mandarins make a suitable alternative. It takes less than ten minutes for the flavours to infuse and the punch to warm up. Plus with oranges, clementines and pomegranate — you could even help stave off the dreaded winter cold... but that’s probably wishful thinking. SLOW COOKER HOT SPICED APPLE CIDER by mykitchentreaty.com Four spices, four hours. This recipe couldn’t be easier and the extra brewing time fills the cider with flavour and the kitchen with an inviting, spicy aroma. The fun bit is sticking the cloves in the whole oranges, which not only looks good enough for an Instagram snap, but could also ease the stress of a day that deserves nothing more than a glass of hot mulled cider. HOT BUTTERED APPLE CIDER by bonappetit.com Winter is no time for diets. That’s what we’ll tell ourselves as we’re stirring up all the butter and brown sugar that goes into this sinfully good recipe. It’s a time to add a little extra layer for warmth and what better way to do it than with this eye-rolling, tongue-out taste explosion in a mug. There’s a little lemon squeeze in her too for some subtle zest. Top Image: Dollar Photo Club
Have you ever wished you could wash down all that spicy hot pot with an ice-cold beer out in the open air? David's Master Pot branch in Glen Waverley recently redid it's beer garden located at the rear of the restaurant, making it one of the only of its kind in Melbourne. After choosing your favourite ingredients from the open fridge, follow the neon signs to the cosiest outdoor area, full of gas heaters and artificial grass. Our tip is to try the signature stir-fry spicy pot - it's a dry version of their famous soup base that uses over 20 kinds of Chinese herbs and spices for a fiery kick. Remember to ask for a complimentary bowl of steamed white rice for a match made in malatang heaven. There are also snacks to complete the meal at David's Master Pot, including steamed eggs, crispy pork belly and special sour spicy potato noodles. Wash it all down with a house cocktail or a Tsing Tao beer while deciding which dessert to order - rice cake with brown sugar or sticky rice noodles. Appears in: Where to Find The Best Hot Pots in Melbourne for 2023
One of the biggest mistakes that novice surfers make is thinking they can learn anywhere. Soft-top board in hand, they plunge idealistically into thrashing waves and rips, before returning to shore after two hours of near-drownings without a single catch to brag about. Start in the right place, however, and it's a different experience altogether. What newbies need are small waves breaking over sand, as opposed to rocks or reefs. You won't find them at just any old beach — which is why we've teamed up with Jim Beam to find just the right spots for you and your mates to get to grips with Australia's favourite beach pastime. Assemble the squad, grab your boards and pay a visit to a few of these beginner-friendly surfing destinations. Umina Beach If you (or God) were to design a beach specifically for apprentice surfers, it would like the Central Coast's Umina. Its blissfully protected location — along the north east curve of Broken Bay — means the ocean's relentless hammering is barely felt. Only a serious storm can mess matters up. What's more, the long, sloping sea bed gives the waves buckets of time to exhaust themselves before reaching you. Surf lessons and hire are available at Central Coast Surf School. Palm Beach (Southern End) When the swell is powering in from the south, grab your boardies and hotfoot it to Palm Beach. The sheltered southern corner is a beginner's Nirvana. You can count on mercifully consistently waves, giving you ample time to conquer the whitewash and, when you're ready, take off across smooth, green faces. Need some tips? Cast an eye around for the Manly Surf School van. For après-surf leisure, there's the Barranjoey Lighthouse Walk or a dip in the ocean pool. Collaroy Beach (Southern End) Like Palm Beach, Collaroy is shielded at its southern end. Long Reef Point (a splendid spot for snorkelling, by the way) juts into the Pacific, separating the beach from neighbouring Dee Why. So, it's also at its best in south swells. Once you've racked up some experience, have a crack at the gloriously long point break. One word of warning: this one is better avoided when seas are rough or north winds are raging, when the shore break can turn into a dumping ground. Long Reef Beach On the city side of Collaroy Beach lies the northern end of Dee Why Beach, formally known as Long Reef Beach (the two beaches are separated by the mouth of Dee Why Lagoon). Here, Long Reef Point also does its protective duty. It, in combination with some solid sand banks, keeps the waves smooth and regular. For practising in whitewater, head down at low tide; if you're ready to tackle faces, high tide is more promising. When winds are strong, you'll find milder conditions in Dee Why's southern corner. Freshwater Beach Freshwater Beach is the birthplace of Australian surfing. Exactly 100 years ago, residents got a shock when they saw a Hawaiian by the name of Duke Kahanamoku carve a board out of local timber, jump into the sea and ride the waves, on his feet. Soon enough, everyone was giving it a go. For lessons, get in touch with Surf Skool. Once you're done, the nearby Harbord Beach Hotel (aka the Harbord Hilton) will vanquish your post-surf appetite with some fresh tucker and cocktails. Manly Beach (Southern End) Get started along Manly's southern stretch and you'll land yourself in esteemed company. Midget Farrelly, Pam Burridge and Layne Beachley are just a few of the surfing legends to have had their early rides here. Like those at Palm Beach and Collaroy, the waves are best when the south winds are a-blowing. Chaos reigns when a north swell is coming in. Options for surfboard hire and lessons are plentiful. Try Manly Surf School or Manly Surf Hire. Bondi Beach (Northern End) When you've a north wind on your hands, make tracks to Bondi. The waves can get wild in the middle of the beach, but in the northern corner, you're protected by Ben Buckler headland. The only catch is that crowds can be intense, especially on sunny weekends. So if you can, pop along on a weekday or in the late afternoon. For lessons, give Let's Go Surfing a call. Greenhills Beach Backed by grassy sand dunes, Greenhills is the northen end of Cronulla Beach. It tends to be less busy than South Cronulla — and many of Sydney's other beaches for that matter — which is a bonus for learner surfers. There's no need to worry about driving your out-of-control board into an unsuspecting swimmer. Go here during north-east winds. If you're in need of a teacher, try Cronulla Surf School or Cronulla Surfing Academy. Thirroul Beach (Southern End) One hour and 15-minutes drive (or 90 minutes by direct train) south of the Sydney CBD along the Illawarra Coast, Thirroul is home to a kilometre-long strip of golden sand. According to former international surf master Terry Richardson, the Illawarra is home to "the best surfers in the world". Beginners should visit when the swell is weak and the wind is coming up from the south. Leave the big surf to the pros. Plus, you can always drop by Thirroul village instead for great coffee, art galleries and records. Illawarra Surf Academy offers classes and gear hire. Corrimal Beach (Northern End) Drive ten minutes south of Thirroul, and you'll find Corrimal Beach. It's also best for learners in small surf. Stick to the northern end, which is sheltered (to an extent) by Bellambi Point. The Illawarra Surfing Academy runs three-day camps here, which can be a great way to gain confidence quickly. There's a caravan park within a few hundred metres of the surf, so staying the night isn't a hassle either. Like Jim Beam, surfing and other outdoor adventures are all about bringing people together, so get out there this summer and find your tribe in the great outdoors. Images: Dollar Photo Club, MITLRproductions, Kspilling, Kyle Taylor, Terovian at English Wikipedia, Nigel Howe, George Grinsted, J Bar, Vanessa Pike-Russell
You know the drill. The weekend rolls around and you and your mates end up doing exactly the same thing as last week — or at the very least, something pretty darn close. Sure, you chums are guaranteed to have a blast no matter what you're doing, but maybe it's time to spice up those group hangs (just a tiny bit, okay?). We've found a few perfect ways to do exactly that, from a spot of puppy patting to floating in a salty tank. Book in a friend date and head out of your usual comfort zone for one of these unexpected activities to do with your mates. BORROW SOMEONE ELSE'S PUP FOR THE DAY Dog-sharing. Yep. Read it again: dog-sharing. Services that allow pooch owners to connect with other pooch owners to help with everyday care, pupsit for holidays, do walks and so on. It's a thing (thanks to Australian service Dogshare) and you and your dogless mates can 'borrow' a pup for a walkie or sleepover from time-poor dog owners in your local area. To become a borrower, you just have to create a profile on Dogshare's website, list your previous experience with dogs and flag any services you're keen to volunteer for — like walks, park playdates, overnight stays or going to the vet. Can you think of a more joyous way to spend a sunny day with your squad? Just remember — you've gotta give them back at the end. Look after dem pooches, people. Do it at: where you live via Dogshare. LEARN HOW TO HULA HOOP LIKE A PRO When it comes to hula hooping, we're going to guess that you suck (although, props if you're a secret hula hooping champ). And the best way to learn is with your mates — because there's nothing like sucking at a physical activity to bring you closer together. Hula Sparz is run every Monday at 5.30pm at The Knowledge Market, and hooper Donna Sparx will teach you how to master the hoop to some cool beats. If nothing else, you'll work up a sweat and go out for dins after. Do it at: Hula Sparx at The Knowledge Market every Monday evening, Docklands. [caption id="attachment_592149" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Gravity Float[/caption] FLOAT AROUND IN A POD OF SALTY WATER You might be a few years off being able to float around with your mates in outer space, but you can enjoy the feeling of zero gravity, right here, right now. It seems like sensory deprivation tanks (yes, just like Stranger Things) popped up on just about every shopping strip overnight, offering an out-of-this world experience designed to take your relaxation levels to the max. Each tank is light-proof, sound-proof, and filled with a mix of Epsom salts and water, which takes away the sensation of gravity and leaves you floating in a temperature-controlled bubble of absolute peace. Those cortisol and adrenaline levels dip, as any external stimuli and distractions (read: all that stuff that's currently stressing you out), disappear completely. Do a simultaneous float with a mate and go grab lunch afterwards. Do it at: Gravity Float, Armadale. CLIMB A REALLY TALL WALL Sometimes it feels like the only way to catch up with friends is over food. Brunch, lunch, dinner, dessert, second dinner, second dessert are all great options (don't get us wrong), but sometimes you feel like doing something active and building muscle rather than building up a bill. Round up the crew and get vertical with a climbing session at your local indoor wall. With most rock climbing centres boasting a wide range of routes and climbs, you can tailor a visit to suit your group's abilities, whether that involves putting Spidey to shame with your ninja skills, or simply squashing that mild fear of heights. Sessions at most indoor rock climbing centres clock in at under $20 (safety demo included) with harness and shoe hire available for a few extra bucks each. You'll need someone to spot you, so take a friend who you trust with your life in their hands. Do it at: Hardrock, CBD. [caption id="attachment_556153" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Visit St. Pete/Clearwater via Flickr[/caption] TAKE TO THE SEAS ON A STAND-UP PADDLE BOARD Make the most of that impending sunshine and those bearable water temps this summer, and gather your mates for a stand-up paddleboard group lesson. Imagine gliding across the water, catching some rays, seeing fishies — or, alternatively, laughing at your mates and belly-flopping into the water as you try to stay standing. Both sound similarly fun. A carry-over from ancient Polynesian times, stand-up paddle boarding (SUP) has enjoyed a resurgence in recent years as a brilliant way to sharpen that balance and exercise on the high seas. Plus, the sport's a whole lot easier to master than its gnarlier cousin surfing — one lesson usually enough to have you paddling like a pro. Fish and chips on the beach post-paddle is, of course, a given. Do it at: Stand-Up Paddle Board HQ, St Kilda.
Mere days after Keep Sydney Open launched their commemorative plaques for live music venues campaign, Sydney's loudest anti-lockout lobby group have an even bigger surprise for Sydney, with fresh news that Flume has called in from the old US of A to release a brand new jam especially for KSO's new video today. Have a peep, below. Plaques organiser and KSO activist Jonno Seidler says: "This is such incredible news to receive at the 11th hour. Harley is currently on tour in North America, playing sold out theatres across the country. But he is proud of where he's from and really backs the Sydney scene, and this just shows how dedicated he really is to the future of local music." The track, called 'Heater' will presumably form part of Flume's next release, which is anyone's guess but could be an EP, coming off the international success of Skin, which dropped earlier this year. "The plaque for Harley was the easiest one to make, because I was there!" says Seidler. "It was a double header with him and Chet Faker [now Nick Murphy] at Goodgod Small Club, my favourite venue for years. Ask anyone who was in the audience, you could tell something was cooking even way back then. I've seen Flume play to tiny rooms in New York city and huge stages at Byron, and he's been world class the whole way." The video, prepared by Keep Sydney Open, features interviews with Gang of Youths Dave Leaupepe in Kings Cross and Jim Finn and Dan McNamee of Art Vs Science, who showed up at Oxford Street to play a trio of songs dedicated to NSW premier Mike Baird, including 'I Love The Nightlife', 'All Night Long' and 'Blame It On The Boogie.' "I met Jim and Dan seven years ago, and it was pretty much a mutual love fest from then on in," says Seidler. "I think they're largely seen as a festival band, but they have amazing musical chops. I've been lucky enough to jam with them a few times and they are the real deal. You have no idea how fast they learned all of those songs." The response to the plaques has been immediate, picked up by media across the country. Seidler says he that while he, Tyson Koh and the rest of Keep Sydney Open are beyond thrilled, they're not surprised at how quickly it took off. "The reason we went with this method is that everyone relates to music. We have so much incredible talent that started right here in small to medium venues that are now literally world-class talent, from Anna Lunoe and Alison Wonderland to The Preatures. When you see those names and you put the two things together, the lockouts starts to become a much bigger problem than just where you can have a drink late at night." More on Keep Sydney Open's plaque campaign over here.
Seasonal change is finally settling into Melbourne and with it comes one of the NGV's best annual exhibitions: the Winter Masterpieces series. This year, it's no secret they've snagged a true master, Vincent Van Gogh, the poster boy for post-impressionism and dramatic self-mutilation. Set to open on April 28 and running until July 19, blockbuster exhibition Van Gogh and the Seasons has been years in the making, and is expected by NGV to draw one of the gallery's biggest audiences yet. Curator Sjraar Van Heugten has fine tuned a thematic exhibition after Van Gogh's own heart, an exploration of the seasons in over 60 works. "In the seasons, he [Van Gogh] has perceived infinity, something larger than humanity. The seasons represent ongoing life," he says. Inside the exhibition, you'll find a fascinating investigation into Van Gogh's life, alongside some of his best naturalist pieces. The artist's character, and his fluctuating mental health, often receive as much attention as his best works. The story of his life, and his death, are expounded wonderfully (and sensitively, snaps for not stigmatising mental health) through quotes, correspondence and essays. Although the collection itself doesn't feature his most famous works, you'll leave with a window into the artist's true persona and an understanding of the sheer breadth of his talent. Structurally, Van Gogh and the Seasons is broken into (you guessed it) the four seasons, that masterfully weave a narrative through the artist's life. The NGV has produced a short accompanying film, narrated by David Stratton and David Wenham, that's worth a watch before you proceed through the exhibition, as it explains the structure of the exhibition and sets the mood. We'll let you experience the exhibition for yourself, but in case you'd like a little guidance in your visit, here are five works you shouldn't miss. A WHEATFIELD WITH CYPRESSES, 1889 This painting is perhaps one of the exhibition's best known pieces. You'll see it emblazoned on all the NGV's marketing collateral and once you're standing in front of it, you can feel why. The vibrant colours and rolling cloud banks are euphoric. There's nothing more to say except this painting is worth the ticket price alone. TREE TRUNKS IN THE GRASS, 1890 The composition of this painting is a departure from the Van Gogh tradition. It's an awkward close-up of a tree trunk and surrounding vegetation but it stands out for the detail, the peaceful atmosphere, and the perfectly balanced colours. Van Gogh painted this in the spring (April) of 1890, just after a period of severe mental illness and only months before taking his own life. VIEW OF SAINTES-MARIES-DE-LA-MER, 1888 Love a good Cezanne town landscape? Don't miss this work. Painstakingly composed and one Van Gogh's more structured pieces, View of Saintes-Maries-de-la-mer will catch you off-guard. While his style was overwhelmingly more fluid and impressionist, this scene is clearly defined and an interesting counterpoint to the rest of the spring and summer pieces. ORCHARD IN BLOSSOM, 1889 This is part of a series in the 'spring' section that is collectively stunning. The delicate pastels used in this season represent Van Gogh's time in Paris, living with his doting brother Theo in Montmartre, where his style lightened and evolved into what we know today as his best works. As a lover of nature, the fertile spring inspired some of his most beautiful pieces. SELF PORTRAIT, 1887 And at the very end of the exhibition, we get a final glimpse of the man who had previously remained faceless. A small but articulate self portrait of a weary looking artist, rendered three years before he died. Van Gogh's final words, spoken to his brother Theo, were famously, "The sadness will last forever". There's a lot of sadness in this exhibition. If you can, we recommend you walk through alone and take it all in. Van Gogh and the Seasons runs April 28 to July 19 at NGV. Installation images: Tom Ross.
No cruise ship festival fun for you, Australia. Sea N Beats, the event set to be Australia’s first ever music festival at sea, was supposed to set sail March 5-8, 2016. But this morning, the crew announced the cancellation of the event, due to "challenges that could not be overcome". Posted on their website and Facebook this morning, the organisers said: "Australia’s first cruise ship Festival, Sea ‘N Beats, announces with regret the cancellation of their March 5-8, 2016 event. Whilst every possibility in the hope of proceeding with Australia’s first cruise ship festival has been looked at, ultimately all parties involved concluded that conducting a music festival at sea comes with challenges that could not be overcome." "The risk factors surrounding the event were ultimately assessed by all parties involved as too great to continue. Whilst every potential avenue to save Sea N Beats was exhausted, ultimately we have been left with no option but to cancel." All ticket buyers have been individually contacted via email and full refunds will be issued. At this stage, Sea N Beats will not be looking at another departure date for the cruise. Set to boast seven stages and a huge pool deck, Sea N Beats was set to be one huge enterprise, with the likes of Alison Wonderland, Peking Duk, Allday, SAFIA, Wave Racer, Cyril Hahn, Tkay Maidza, Hayden James and more on the lineup. Tickets also included entry to an exclusive mystery island festival on an exclusive mystery island, somewhere off the exclusive mystery Queensland coast. Looks like the anchor will stay put on Australia's first answer to S.S. Coachella. By Shannon Connellan and Jessica Surman. Image: Sea N Beats.
Just four kilometres long and three kilometres wide, Hayman Island might be small, but it be fierce. In one day, you can snorkel with swirling schools of tropical fish, play Robinson Crusoe on very own private beach and trek through lush rainforest to Baraka-worthy sunsets. When you're ready to leave shore, there are uninhabited islands to explore, outer reef coral kingdoms to dive among and luxury yachts to climb aboard. Want to enjoy all this without spending a cent? Mastercard is giving away an all-expenses-paid Hayman Island adventure worth $6000 to one lucky, lucky Nemo. Jump over here to go in the running. This highly opulent prize includes flights, accommodation in a luxe suite in Hayman Island's only resort and a VIP dining experience with Neil Perry. In the meantime, start planning your itinerary with these ten tips. SNORKEL THE GREAT BARRIER REEF Hayman Island's busiest aquatic community is on its north-western side, at Blue Pearl Bay. Prepare to meet local resident Priscilla, an enormous Māori wrasse, among rainbow-coloured parrot fish and striped angel fish. For an off-shore escapade, catch a private boat to pocket-sized Langford Island, where you'll come across magical underwater gardens. Afterwards, you can kick back on the long, sandy spit, picnicking, swimming and lazing about. Another option is the outer reef — at the legendary giant Stepping Stones, which drop away to 40 metres. You'll be gliding among magnificent rays and scary-looking-yet-utterly-harmless reef sharks. TAKE A HIKE To get your bearings, start with a short climb to Cook Lookout, Hayman Island's highest point. At 250 metres above sea level, it gives you a bird's perspective on surrounding reef formations and the rugged shores of neighbouring Hook Island. Come late afternoon, set off for Whitsunday Lookout, from where you can see the sun setting over the Whitsunday Passage, or to Dolphin Point, Hayman Island's northernmost tip. Alternatively, for a d0-nothing day on perfect white sand, take a stroll to Blue Pearl Bay. Don't forget your swimmers and snorkelling gear. STAY IN AN ULTRA-LUXE SUITE Hayman Island is privately owned and there's but one accommodation option, appropriately named One&Only Hayman Island Resort. Fortunately for you, it's a bloody masterpiece. An array of room types are available and they're all ultra-luxe. We're talking Royal Family-level linen draped across four-poster beds, massive ensuites with separate showers and baths, dressing rooms fit for Marilyn Monroe and private balconies overlooking the resort's tropical gardens or the ocean — depending on where you are. Facilities include two pools, seven bars and restaurants, a spa and a fitness centre, for those who, inexplicably, can be bothered moving. GET PADDLING To see Hayman Island from the water, at human-powered speed, jump in a kayak or man a paddleboard. If you're a newbie — or not very brave — there's no need to travel far for beautiful views and, thanks to the island's crystalline waters, flashes of aquatic life. Meanwhile, Bear Grylls types can venture further afield, perhaps even attempting a circumnavigation. Along the way, be sure to stop by Coconut Beach, where you can regain your energy by sinking into a sun lounge, and Blue Pearl Bay. SWIM IN A 'LAGOON' SEVEN TIMES THE SIZE OF AN OLYMPIC POOL The likelihood of bumping into another guest in the One&Only Hayman Island Resort's behemoth of a pool is next to nix. It's seven times the size of your average Olympic Pool. So, whether you're lapping, synchronised swimming or simply bobbing about in between cocktails, no one's going to get in your way. There are day beds aplenty and four private cabanas. Super-keen swimmers can book a suite in the Hayman Pool wing, where the rooms open directly onto the water. Should you find yourself working up an appetite, swing by the nearby On The Rocks Restaurant and Bar. EAT DINNER WITH NEIL PERRY Even a multi-hat winning chef's gotta go troppo every now and again. So, why not join him for the ride? In July, Neil Perry AM (of Rockpool and $10 burger fame) will be cooking up a feast on Hayman Island and then hosting you while you munch your way through it. He hasn't given away any of the culinary details yet, but we imagine there'll be no shortage of seafood inspiration, as well a handpicked selection of fancy wines to match. The only catch is, the only way you can experience this hedonistic evening is by entering the comp mentioned above or by laying your card down — it's one of Mastercard's Priceless Dinners and spots are strictly limited. GET A MASSAGE FLOATING IN THE SEA No tropical holiday is complete without a massage. And, on Hayman Island, you can take yours next level by ordering it outdoors. For water babies, there's the 90-minute 'Ocean Dreaming' experience, which involves pretty much what you see in the pic above: lying on a bed, floating on still water and surrounded by clear sky. If you're more Jungle Book, book into a 'Rainforest Massage'. You'll be ushered into a private, canopy-sheltered cabana and given a massage according to your specific bodily needs. Yogis might also be interested in the 'Sun Salutation', inspired by Oriental techniques and involving acupuncture, stretching and rocking motions. LEARN TO SCUBA Yet to scuba? There's no more classic place to learn than the Great Barrier Reef. Except, of course, that it might make dives closer to home seem somewhat anti-climactic. On Hayman Island, you'll kick off with a basic coaching session, before starting your underwater explorations in the safe, shallow waters of Blue Pearl Bay. Next up is a guided tour of nearby The Maze, so named because wandering through it feels a bit like twisting and turning through a coral labyrinth. You'll then be taken to The Fish Bowl, which is absolutely teeming with diverse fish species. RIDE A SEAPLANE Many a traveller has seen the Great Barrier Reef through a snorkelling mask or from the deck of a boat, but, there's no more startling way to get your head around its extraordinary proportions than from the window of sea plane. So, if you can scrape some dosh together, make it happen. You'll soar high above the Great Barrier's 350,000 square kilometres (which is divided into 2800 separate reefs altogether) swoop down for a closer look, and even take a break for a spot of snorkelling in Hardy Lagoon. CLIMB ABOARD A LUXURY YACHT Go James Bond-style and travel to and from Hayman Island via luxury yacht. Or, while you're there, charter one and design your own Great Barrier Reef cruise. You can loll about on the deck doing not much, cruise on the bow pretending to be Kate Winslet or watch the crew in action. Needless to say, fine dining and premium beverages will be at your disposal. You're the boss, after all. Want to enjoy all this without spending a cent? Mastercard is giving away an all-expenses-paid Hayman Island adventure worth $6000 to one lucky, lucky Nemo. Jump over here to go in the running. Images: One&Only Hayman Island/Mastercard.
A woman and her young daughter, alone in their apartment, begin to worry that something is amiss. Personal items start disappearing, there's a feeling of tension in the air, and a shadowy figure seems to lurk just out of sight. On its face, Under the Shadow sounds like a fairly standard haunted house movie, but Iranian-born, London-based filmmaker Babak Anvari has delivered anything but. Setting his film in Tehran during the late 1980s, a time when the city was being bombed by neighbouring Iraq, Anvari uses horror movie trappings to explore the various social issues that have affected his native country for so long — from the rights of women under a religiously conservative regime, to the traumas of war creeping into everyday civilian life. After a rapturous premiere at Sundance back in January, Under the Shadow screened at the Sydney and Melbourne International Film Festivals, ahead of a planned theatrical release on October 7 (you can read our review of the film here). It was in Melbourne that Concrete Playground managed to catch up with the talented young writer-director, for a chat on everything from growing up during wartime to the challenges of funding a Farsi-language horror film in the West. A CLASSIC HORROR STORY IN AN UNFAMILIAR SETTING When talking about Under the Shadow, the most obvious comparison for critics is A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night – if only because it's the only other Farsi-language horror movie people have heard of. But where that film draws on vampire tales, Westerns and ultra-cool American indie flicks, Anvari's movie feels closer to classic psychological thrillers. Think The Haunting, Rosemary's Baby or even the recent Australian spooker The Babadook. "I love smart horror films," stresses Anvari. "I'm not one of those genre fanatics who watches every B-movie and grindhouse film. But I do love smart horror. With Under the Shadow, it just made sense to me, because I'm setting it in such a dark period... I just found it was a great setting for horror." In addition to his various filmic inspirations, he also drew on his own experiences growing up in Tehran. "Obviously it's not autobiographical, but a lot of it comes from a very personal place, tapping in to my memories from childhood," says Anvari. "I was born right in the middle of the Iran-Iraq war. [I took] stories I heard from relatives and family friends, combined them and added the genre beats, and [the film] became what you have now." CAN'T WE JUST MAKE IT IN ENGLISH? Of course it's one thing to write a horror movie in Farsi, and something very different to actually get it funded. "I met producers who were like, 'Great script, but is there any way we can shoot it in English?'" recalls Anvari. "I just thought it would look so fake and unbelievable if it was set in period Iran and people were walking around speaking English with a weird accent. Even for an international audience I think it would have been strange." While the language hurdle was eventually overcome thanks to the support of production company Wigwam Films, shooting the film in Tehran was never really an option. "I don't think there's anything offensive in the film, but [there are] limitations one has when making film in Iran," says Anvari, who ended up shooting in nearby Jordan instead. "Even very minor things like, in Iran, if you're shooting a female character, they have to cover their hair. But a majority of this film is a woman in her own personal space, and even the most religious person wouldn't go to bed wearing a head scarf." "There are fantastic filmmakers in Iran who are still working there, and they always find a way to go around these limitations and censorships," he adds. "But having worked in England, and having been so spoiled, I just wanted to tell my story the way I wanted." OPENING A WINDOW While the comparison to A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night can be a little misleading, one thing that both films definitely have in common is that they've sparked renewed interest in films about the Middle East that depict the region in ways that Western audiences may not be used to. "That was one of the reasons I was so interested in this story," says Anvari. "Not many people know about the Iran-Iraq war. So I just thought it would be great to use genre tropes as a hook to keep people interested, and open a window to that period and that region." Whatever the draw, Anvari just wants people to go and see the film — and preferably in a cinema. Recounting a story from Sundance where audience members were so frightened that they had to leave the cinema, the filmmaker stresses the importance of the atmosphere you get with a crowd. "It's great to watch such films in a cinema," he says. "The fear is contagious." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G_ATX4C8Pmw Under the Shadow is currently screening at Cinema Nova in Melbourne.
Since launching in the US in January, female friend-matching app hey! VINA has been the talk of BFF-seeking ladies everywhere. For anyone that's tried to boost their girl gang with people they meet at parties, work, cafes and the like, but found the process a little awkward (i.e. everyone), it's the gift that keeps on giving. Now, the popular service is finally going global — albeit with some surprising assistance. Where does the app that's been called "Tinder for girlfriends" get support to expand its remit? From Tinder, it seems. The two entities have teamed up to help more gals look for more pals in more places. With more than 17,000 cities on hey! VINA's waitlist, the demand is certainly there. In fact, the service tallied up over 100,000 users in its first two weeks of operation alone. That's the good news: Aussies, you can now get paired up with fabulous potential friends based on your preferences, location and existing networks of mutual connections (via Facebook), then swipe your way to the perfect pal. Whether you've recently moved away from your besties, or have just found life taking you in different directions, hey! VINA is here to help you make some new mates. Of course, with the app endeavouring to help ladies forge long-lasting platonic bonds, it's okay to raise your eyebrows at their new partnership with a company known for facilitating romantic hook-ups of the much, much, much briefer kind. VINA is adamant that, while they both share a mission to connect people around the world, the two organisation's services remain separate, and that hey! VINA will remain a women-only non-dating social connection platform. Their updated FAQs spell this out, and are clearly designed to assuage any fears that the app will become Tinder 2.0. As for Tinder themselves, their investment and mentorship falls in line with other recent developments aimed to expand their remit — and their status as a go-to app for meeting others. Though trialled in Australia first, Tinder Social launched worldwide in July as a way for different groups of friends to cross paths. And just this month, they joined forces with Spotify to bring music tastes into the matching and swiping process. Image via Dollar Photo Club.
Smokey. Bacon. Breakfast. Ramen. If those four words don't sell you on House of Lulu White, we just don't know what will. South Yarra's new brunch spot can be found at 4 Yarra Street, South Yarra, an address that has a bit of a storied history. Prior to this week's revamp, it was chic restaurant space Sth Central. But some Melburnians might know it better as the old home of Paradise Girls brothel — which is why the new eatery is named after an infamous former procuress. These days the site is operated by upscale hospitality company the Tommy Collins Group, who, it must be said, are laying on the innuendo a little bit thick. "Short time or long time, it's always a good time," reads a welcome message on their website. "Play with her coconuts as she quenches your thirst with bottomless cocktails and espresso martinis on tap… Lulu will have you screaming for more." Alright guys, we get it. Still, while you might roll your eyes at a menu split into sections marked 'naughty' and 'nice', there's no arguing with the actual food. In addition to the ramen, your all-day breakfast options include almond and fig loaf with whipped yuzu ricotta, umi plum syrup and matcha; buttermilk fried chicken and waffles with maple nahm prik and coriander; and sautéed 'green stuff' with hummus, pickled beetroot, seven seeds, avocado, lemon and a poached egg. As for lunch, Lulu's got a mean-looking chicken burger with double bacon, house made kimchi and sweet potato fries on the side. If that doesn't grab you, maybe try the steak baguette with roast onion, cavalo nero, beetroot pickle and whipped smoked cheddar, or the purple kale and roast cauliflower salad with sweet potato, pistachio dukkah, avocado and goats curd. Drinks-wise, you can grab tea or coffee, or split the difference with a tea latte: strawberry swoon, turmeric chai or apple matcha, take your pick. They've also got a small selection of beers and wines — although if you're really feeling boozy, your best option is their weekend bottomless brunch, featuring two hours of bottomless cocktails for just $30. Alternatively, you can just add a nip of whiskey to your porridge and call it a day. Find House of Lulu White at 4 Yarra St, South Yarra. For more information visit www.houseofluluwhite.com.au.
Most visitors to Fitzroy's Vegie Bar would be more than familiar with the eatery's luscious sweet creations, which beckon from that cabinet beside the till every time you go to pay. Well, now those treats have become the stars of their own show, with owners Mark Price and Laki Papadopoulos launching a new dessert bar in the adjoining Brunswick Street space. Plant-based goodness is the name of the game at this sweet-tooth haven, with the menu at Girls & Boys full of vegan delights running from the virtuous to the downright decadent, and offering a hearty array of gluten- and refined sugar-free options. You'll be ready to beat the summer heat when shlepping up Brunswick Street with a range of house-spiced mylks, smoothies, thickshakes, and cold-pressed juices, alongside an impressive rotation of vegan desserts. With gems like a matcha almond tart, a maca fudge bar, and the signature Caramisu, we can't imagine you'll be missing those animal products in the slightest. They're also doing a slew of vegan gelato flavours, including blood orange and yuzu, and caramel and miso, along with a pretty epic vegan baklava soft serve. Having opened quietly over the weekend, Girls & Boys will be closing out 2016 with limited hours, before ramping up both the offerings and the opening hours in the New Year. With both Vegie Bar and Transformer next door and Smith & Deli just down the road, to say vegans are well-catered for in Fitzroy is an understatement. Girls & Boys is now open at 382 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy. At the moment they're operating on limited hours, but as of January 10 they'll start trading 11am till late, seven days a week. For more info, visit girlsandboysfitzroy.com.
With the end of the year come lists in which we can wrap up 12 months into a neat little package, and 2014 thankfully has been an uncommonly good year for publishing. Some of the most interesting and articulate books published in recent memory emerged in the last 12 months. What follows is our selection of some of the some of the best. Read them deeply, and furiously, with all the extra sunlight the summer affords. A GIRL IS A HALF-FORMED THING BY EIMEAR MCBRIDE A Girl Is A Half-Formed Thing follows an insistently insurrectionary young girl from childhood in rural Ireland through to her mid-twenties. The book has acquired the beginnings of its own literary mythology: it took Eimear McBride six months to write and nine years to find a publisher. In short, it’s a book that does what it does with complete indifference to the needs of the book market. And that makes it utterly unique, and a heretically, dangerously beautiful book. The story loosely follows the young woman’s relationship with her brother, and the long shadow cast by his childhood brain tumour. But the plot is not as important as the mode of expression. The language, while difficult to compare to anything else, is forceful, jagged, bearing close resemblances to the writing of Samuel Beckett and James Joyce. The result is a book that tears you apart, which feels completely and overwhelmingly necessary. Get A Girl Is a Half Formed Thing from Booktopia. THE EMPATHY EXAMS BY LESLIE JAMISON The Empathy Exams is arguably the best and most culturally pivotal collection of essays published in recent memory. Beginning with the author’s experience as a medical actor, paid to perform symptoms for medical students and then grade their responses, Jamison’s essays focus on how we understand the pain of others: how, and if we should, care about one another, the ways that empathy can be tested, how we confront pain both real and imagined. In writing which is both precise and vulnerable, Jamison’s essays in The Empathy Exams cover poverty tourism, bewildering marathons, reality television and incarceration, the fundamental thesis of which is that we are experiencing a very specific cultural moment: an urgency compelling us to feel. Get The Empathy Exams from Booktopia DEPT. OF SPECULATION BY JENNY OFFILL Jenny Offill’s second novel, Dept. of Speculation charts the course of a steady and then gradually precarious marriage through curious fragments of prose. The narrator, like the writer, lives in Brooklyn, falls in love, marries, has a child (it being Brooklyn there is both yoga and bedbugs). Over the course of the marriage there are jobs and dinners and sleepless nights; the plot is not really the point here. What makes Dept. of Speculation important is the language — gorgeous, enthralling, moving quickly while it commands your attention. I read Dept. Of Speculation in one sitting, over three hypnotised hours. When I got to the end of it I crept into the bedroom, nuzzled against my boyfriend who had been quietly checking his email, and wept — to his immense confusion – for a solid 20 minutes. Get Dept. of Speculation from Booktopia AN ELEGANT YOUNG MAN BY LUKE CARMAN An Elegant Young Man was published at the end of 2013 by Giramondo — arguably the most interesting Australian publishing house at the moment — with a particular interest in supporting literary culture in western Sydney. An Elegant Young Man does precisely that, imbuing the streets of Liverpool and Penrith with the poetry of Dylan Thomas and the dark ennui of Dostoevsky, but going further than that, making something uniquely his own, a distinctive literature to reflect contemporary Sydney. The book comprises eight interlinked stories, all narrated by 'Luke', who hails, like Carman himself, from the suburb of Mt Pritchard. Luke is adrift, unsure whom he represents, shifting between bluster and hesitation in a place where the lights from police helicopters wake children from their sleep, where kids in gang wars crush the roses on the front lawn. An Elegant Young Man deserves to get Carman much more attention than he has so far been afforded. Get An Elegant Young Man from Booktopia THIS HOUSE OF GRIEF BY HELEN GARNER On Father’s Day 2005, near the town of Winchelsea in rural Victoria, a car ran off the road and plunged into a dam. Robert Farquharson, the man driving the car, escaped unharmed. His three sons — who he was in the process of returning to their mother, from whom he had recently separated — they all drowned. The ensuing court trial spanned the best part of the decade, resulting in three life sentences for murder. This House of Grief presents the theatre of the courtroom: how we grapple with truth, what justice looks like, what a person means by their words and by their actions. Helen Garner is without question one of Australia’s greatest living writers, and arguably our best writer of nonfiction. And this book is some kind of masterpiece. Get This House of Grief from Booktopia THE BLAZING WORLD BY SIRI HUSTVEDT The Blazing World is Siri Hustvedt’s sixth and newest novel, returning her to the territory of New York’s art world. The story is set in the years before and after 9/11, and follows an ageing, brilliant, occasionally unruly artist named Harriet Burden, who orchestrates an elaborate hoax on the art world she entitles ‘Maskings’. Over a period of five years she holds exhibitions of work using the 'masks' of different practising male artists to expose the art market’s gender bias. The hoax is eventually revealed. Mayhem ensues. The Blazing World is pieced together from multiple sources; there are critical essays by art scholars, interviews with art dealers, reviews of exhibitions, diary entries and written testimonials. It is without doubt one of the most innovative and unsettling books published in the last year. If you are interested in art, in women, in New York, then, please, read this book. Get The Blazing World at Booktopia THOSE WHO LEAVE AND THOSE WHO STAY BY ELENA FERRANTE In September the third book in Elena Ferrante’s Neapolitan series was published: Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay. For those who are new to Ferrante, it’s best to begin at the beginning, with My Brilliant Friend. The Neapolitan books (of which there are an uncertain number, although so far three have been published) follow the story of a life-long friendship between two women, Lilia and Elena, growing up in an impoverished neighbourhood in 1950s Naples. Their lives converge and diverge, and in doing so they encompass personal truths about family, friendship between women, desire, and the political and economic realities of Italy and the rest of the world as it stumbled through the mid-20th century. Ferrante’s writing is sinewy, scaldingly direct. Her books ransack you. If you aren’t reading Elena Ferrante you are missing out. Get Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay at Booktopia WHAT WE SEE WHEN WE READ BY PETER MENDELSUND Peter Mendelsund’s What We See When We Read is a friendly and shyly philosophical, fully illustrated exploration into the phenomenology of reading — precisely how we visualise stories from reading words on a page — from one of America’s very best book designers. It explores a simple but confounding question, one the author wrests from literary theorists and transforms through beautiful imagery redolent of X-Acto knives, drawing tables and the very best design books you can find. It’s fascinating, beautiful and filled with news you can almost use. Get What We See When We Read at Booktopia READ HARDER: FIVE YEARS OF GREAT WRITING FROM THE BELIEVER EDITED BY ED PARK AND HEIDI JULAVITS Read Harder collects some of the finest essays from the last five years of The Believer magazine, which, it’s reasonable to argue, is one of the best magazines anywhere. Read Harder features articles by Nick Hornby on his first job explaining England to Korean businessmen, Kent Russell on self-immunisers in Wisconsin, Molly Young on the Hollister experience, Rebecca Taylor on her time acting in no-budget horror movies and Francisco Goldman on the failings of memoir to deal with personal tragedy. “If you sincerely investigate it, every detail hides reason, and any environment is far more sophisticated than our senses can appreciate,” former Washington Post reporter Monte Reel writes in a survey of Victorian explorer manuals. This is the sentiment that unites the pieces in Read Harder, in what amounts to a primer for the best contemporary non-fiction writing being written. Get Read Harder at Booktopia 10.04 BY BEN LERNER 10.04 was arguably the most ‘hyped’ book of the last year. Lerner, ordinarily a poet, published his first novel, Leaving The Atocha Station, in 2011, and 10.04 takes off where that book leaves off. 10.04 inhabits a weird liminal zone between maybe-true and maybe-not-quite-as-true. The narrator bears every resemblance to a writer who has published the same short stories and poetry in the same magazines as Lerner. 10.04 isn’t strictly a work of fiction; it’s much more interested in the changes in cell metabolism or air pressure or whatever it is that turns life into art. Sometimes it can feel a little like a big practical joke at the reader’s expense. But if you want to know where the English language was at in 2014, 10.04 is the book to read. Get 10:04 from Booktopia
Successful documentaries are often boiled down to a well-worn old adage, with the best films frequently benefiting from filmmakers simply being in the right place at the right time. The saying seems to ring true for Australian Jennifer Peedom, although calling the experienced high-altitude director 'fortunate' isn't quite appropriate. When she went to Nepal in 2014, she was motivated by reported tensions between travellers and their Sherpa guides. With the chasm between the two groups screaming for more attention, Peedom planned to make a movie about one of the local workers, the unassuming Phurba Tashi Sherpa, who was on the cusp of making history. But then nature struck, and the movie had to change. A time capsule of the toughest climbing season imaginable, as well as an exercise in quick-thinking filmmaking at its best, Sherpa is undoubtedly the superior Everest-based movie of the last 12 months. Forget re-enactments, high-profile actors looking frosty, strained accents and 3D special effects. In capturing the blackest day the mountain has ever seen with on-the-ground footage of a tragedy unfolding, as well as the build up to the Khumbu Icefall avalanche and the harrowing, heartbreaking aftermath, the film presents devastating details that could only spring from real life. Phurba's feat — ascending the world's highest peak for a record-breaking 22nd time — would've made a rousing story in its own right, as well as a powerful testament to the largely unrecognised role the Sherpa people play in the mountain's growing tourism industry. The weather had other plans, however. As the ice and snow began to move, his tale became even more emblematic of the broader situation facing Nepalese residents, and brought the appalling labour conditions of the Sherpas, who make wealthy Westerners' treks possible, sharply into focus. With the precision of a master craftsperson and the breathtaking vision to match, Peedom balances the personal plight of one pivotal figure with the anger-inspiring human rights issues that surround the mountain. Viewers will find themselves simultaneously marvelling at the images Peedom and her trio of cameramen have recorded, and wanting to leap out of their seat with frustration at the dangers the Sherpas face just to make a living. In that way, Sherpa is more than just a tale of triumph over adversity. Instead, it's a high-stakes, high-altitude dissection of commercial and financial interests triumphing over a very human cost, as pieced together with an insider's perspective and understanding. Interviewees hail from all sides of the business of climbing, but there's never any doubting the film's allegiances. That's not a consequence of Peedom's lack of balance, but simply a reflection of the galling reality on the mountain. Offering an astonishing account of a just-as-astonishing slice of life, documentary filmmaking doesn't get much better than this.
Imagine that you could spend an entire week or so at an overseas film festival. If time and money wasn't a concern, and you could put your everyday life on hold, which movie bonanza would you go to? Cannes, Berlin, Venice, Toronto: they're all good choices. If you're after new indie flicks, you're probably already thinking about packing your bags for Sundance. Of course, Robert Redford's annual Utah event isn't the only early-in-the-year American film festival worth dreaming about. Come March in Texas, there's another fest making movie buffs envious. Since 1987, South by Southwest has proven a launching pad for music and technology — and, from 1994, for indie flicks, too. On the film front, SXSW's 2016 program keeps the good stuff coming with 137 features, including 89 world premieres and 52 efforts by first-time filmmakers. Alas, here at Concrete Playground we're watching from afar between March 11 to 20, rather than hopping on a plane to Austin. To soothe our jealousy, we've put together a list of the ten films from SXSW we're hoping will come to Australia. If we can't go to them, fingers crossed that they can come to us. DON'T THINK TWICE If you saw Sleepwalk With Me back in 2012, you're probably a fan of Mike Birbiglia. The comedian's first directorial effort, based on his one-man off-Broadway show and accompanying book of the same name, offered a breezy but insightful look at the problems of relationships, careers and planning for the future. His next film effort sounds just as subtly charming, with an improv troupe at its centre. Birbiglia stars again, joined by Keegan-Michael Key and Gillian Jacobs, should you need any more reasons to get excited. COLLECTIVE:UNCONSCIOUS Five filmmakers. Five dreams. Five attempts by the former to make movies out of the latter. Cinema is often called dreamlike, but collective:unconscious takes that description to another level. In stories involving the Grim Reaper hosting a television show and a sports class taking place inside of a volcano, among others, the group of indie directors doesn't just bring their own nocturnal imaginings to their screen. Instead, Lily Baldwin, Frances Bodomo, Daniel Patrick Carbone, Josephine Decker and Lauren Wolkstein attempt to make movies out of each other's unconscious musings. BEWARE THE SLENDERMAN You might've heard of the Slenderman. The very thin, very tall creature started popping up online in 2009, and was rumoured to stalk, abduct and generally terrorise and terrify people, particularly children. Slenderman was actually the creation of an online forum user, who created the figure as part of a Photoshop contest. That didn't stop two 12-year-old girls from killing their best friend in the hopes of meeting the faceless man, with documentarian Irene Taylor Brodsky dissecting their story, the impact of the darker side of cyber space, and how an internet meme inspired a murder. UNDER THE SHADOW We might've left Under the Shadow off of our Sundance list, but we won't make the same mistake twice. There's a reason that the Farsi-language film from Jordan, Qatar and the United Kingdom is playing a US festival again so soon after its world premiere in January, after all. Compared to The Babadook, Babak Anvari’s feature debut tells of a mother and daughter who begin to suspect that they’ve been targeted by evil spirits. Netflix has the rights to the frightening flick, but this sounds like something that really needs to be seen on the big screen. MY BLIND BROTHER Admit it: even the most serious film fans out there can't resist the lure of an impressive cast. Getting a group of great actors together doesn't always pay off, but when it does, it's magic. Here's hoping that's the end result for My Blind Brother, which stars Adam Scott, Nick Kroll and Jenny Slate. Yes, the fact that they've all either starred or popped up on TV sitcom Parks and Recreation is part of their appeal, but they're not the movie's only drawcards. Director Sophie Goodhart might be a first-time feature filmmaker; however she's adapting her own short film of the same name, which screened in competition at the 2003 Cannes Film Festival. TOWER Sadly, mass shootings in US schools are a much-too-common occurrence — but it wasn't always this way. In 1966, when an ex-Marine sniper turned University of Texas engineering student started gunning down people from a tower looming over the tertiary institution's campus, no one had ever contemplated the possibility of such horrors occurring at a place dedicated to learning and education. Keith Maitland's documentary explores this bleak chapter in American history, albeit in an unusual fashion. Telling the previously untold stories of the witnesses, heroes and survivors, he not only delves into archival footage, but combines it with surreal, animated recreations. THE TRUST Two words: Nicolas Cage. We have more words to share about The Trust than that, of course — but we'd be lying if we didn't confess that the man who can be either the world's best or worst actor, depending on the film, wasn't the main attraction. With Elijah Wood, he plays a cop who stumbles upon a mysterious bank vault. If the combination of Cage and the storyline doesn't pique your curiosity, this might: writer/directors Alex and Ben Brewer are better known for their music video work, including winning an MTV Video Music Award for working with Justin Bieber. Yes, really. KARAOKE CRAZIES Karaoke and cinema go hand in hand. Plenty of movies feature everyone's favourite form of amateur singing; however surprisingly few make it their main focus (and yes, we're ignoring Gwyneth Paltrow vehicle Duets for a reason). In Karaoke Crazies, Korean filmmaker Kim Sang-Chan sets his feature in a karaoke bar, lets a serial killer loose, and makes the latter obsessed with the former. If that's not an ingenious idea for a movie, well, we don't know what is. IN A VALLEY OF VIOLENCE Ti West has played with satanic panic in The House of the Devil, and toyed with found footage and religious fanaticism in The Sacrament. He also charmed Aussie audiences in person when he visited the Melbourne International Film Festival in 2011 to present his haunted hotel effort, The Innkeepers. In his next film, In A Valley of Violence, West swaps scares for revenge and horror for the western genre. Ethan Hawke and John Travolta tag along for the ride, stalking through a small town in the 1890s, and playing a drifter and marshal, respectively. EVERYBODY WANTS SOME Okay, okay, so Richard Linklater's latest film — and his first after the awarded and applauded Boyhood — is one of the titles we know for certain will grace Australian cinema screens. That doesn't make us any less enthused about Everybody Wants Some, which has the honour of opening SXSW's film lineup, and has been called a spiritual sequel to his 1996 effort Dazed and Confused. Don't expect a sleazy Matthew McConaughey trying to hit on high school girls, this time around. Do expect another wild series of events, this time set over a weekend in college in the '80s.
With a neon lamb flashing at you above the entrance of an assuming corner shop, which looks like a cross between a butcher and a fish and chip joint, Lamb on Chapel is a no-frills kebab joint serving up delicious chargrilled Greek meals with a friendly smile Monday through Saturday. The menu here is simple and delightful, with small bites including dolmades, spicy grilled sausages, grilled calamari and traditional Greek salads. There is also a heap of house-made dips like tzatziki, eggplant, hummus and a spicy capsicum concoction not for the weak of heart. Come picnic season, these are an easy addition to the hamper. Other traditional Greek dishes include stuffed peppers, cabbage rolls and moussaka, while the meat container is a mix of lamb and chicken. There are also lamb and chicken gyros — the Hawaiian version comes with pineapple, the Mexican version adds jalapeños while the classic Mediterranean options come with lettuce, tomato and onions. The Aussie souvlaki is a also fun take on Aussie Greek culture — think lamb or chicken gyros served with bacon and eggs, cheese and barbecue sauce. Lamb on Chapel is busy throughout the day and week, but do expect lines on a Friday or Saturday night when the shop is open till 5am, serving the drunk Chapel Street crowds. Images: Tran Nguyen
Angled away from the bustle of Footscray's main streets is Rudimentary, a fresh cafe made from disused shipping containers in an abandoned car park. It's so fresh, in fact, that you can spy the chefs strolling from the kitchen to the garden with a pair of scissors in hand. It's the first venture into Melbourne's cafe scene for Desmond Huynh and team who have melded and plastered the four shipping containers together, forging an open, sunlit cafe. They're not the first to do it (think Grace Cafe in Fitzroy) but they've blended it with a community-style garden, where visitors can lock their bikes to planter boxes and smell the lavender before taking a sprig home. Whimsical only begins to describe Rudimentary's vibe. Chefs have free reign of the outdoor herbs before they head back inside to dish up modern Australian fare with Vietnamese influences. [caption id="attachment_517969" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Ruby Wang[/caption] Inside, forest greens, mustards and creams all await you. And these aren't even the edibles. They are the tasty chairs that may have had a previous life in a 1970s boardroom, but now swivel around the cafe's communal table. We'd recommend nabbing one of these so you can ogle the portions of grub that you couldn't choose between. Order the Nurungji porridge ($23) with scorched rice, kimchi, spicy bamboo and a sous vide egg, or Bubble & Squeak ($24) featuring eggplant ontop of corn fritters, poached eggs and hollandaise. The greasy breakfast bun ($17) is also a fine choice for those hangover days when nothing makes you feel better than the brilliant combination of bacon, cheddar cheese, tomato relish, mayo and a fried egg. Baristas use Small Batch coffee, extracting fine drops of that caffeinated nectar of the gods. A filter brew, homemade sodas and a selection of teas are also on the menu. But we can't forget to mention the boozy options, too. Try the bloody mary and mimosa or get stuck into some of the many beers and ciders available. There's absolutely nothing rudimentary about this beloved Melbourne café. Updated May, 2023. Appears in: The 13 Best Cafes in Melbourne for 2023 Where to Find the Best Breakfast in Melbourne for 2023
When your nine-to-five plays out like a well-oiled machine, it can sometimes feel like each week is a little same-same. But Melbourne is brimming with a fine bounty of things to experience and explore each and every day. So aside from casual laziness and a little lack of inspiration, there's really nothing stopping you from squeezing a little adventure and spontaneity into your schedule. We've teamed up with Mazda3 to celebrate the landmark 40th anniversary of their iconic small cars, and in turn, help you celebrate the Melbourne landmarks and institutions we all love. This week, discover and rediscover the things that make Melbourne so great, with seven different detours through our city's classic spots. From Monday to Sunday, channel that Melburnian spirit, and enrich your everyday with one completely achievable, time-honoured activity that helps bypass any mundane roadblocks in your routine. This week, rediscover the classics of Melbourne we know and love, from lasagne at the iconic Pellegrini's counter in the CBD, to an old-school screening at the Coburg Drive-In, to a casual jog around The Tan. Plus, we've got your future detours sorted for the new few weeks here. All require no more effort than a tiny break from the norm — what's your excuse for not trying them all?
