The famed Sydney Opera House sails are set for a refresh, as Badu Gili's nightly sound and light show introduces its next series of artworks. Badu Gili, which translates to 'water light' in the language of the site's traditional owners, the Gadigal people, is a celebration of Indigenous Australian and Torres Strait Islander artists. It was first launched last June, projecting a vibrant seven-minute animation onto the iconic sails each night when the sun goes down and again at 7pm. Basically, it's like what the Opera House does for Vivid, but very single night. It has been experienced in real life by more than 160,000 people, and online by a further 620,000. Now, the Sydney Opera House has announced the six new artists whose work will grace the sails for the next edition of Badu Gili. From July 24, the installation will light up with large-scale designs from acclaimed artist and community leader Djambawa Marawili AM, ceramicist Penny Evans, watercolour painter Mervyn Rubuntja, Telstra NATSIAA awards finalist Mabel Juli, painter and traditional healer Patricia Ansell Dodds, and up-and-coming printmaker Aiona Tala Gaidan. The visual story is backed by an original soundscape by Wicked Beat Sound System's Damian Robinson. You can catch Badu Gili's striking display every night at sunset, and again at 7pm (9pm during daylight saving time). It's best enjoyed from the top of the Opera House's Monumental Steps.
In 2022, beloved social enterprise Two Good Co opened a cafe and convenience store in Darlinghurst's Yirranma Place. The venue provides Sydneysiders with tasty breakfast and lunch options, as well as products from local ethically minded businesses such as The Bread & Butter Project, Kua Coffee and Gelato Messina — all while raising funds to help Two Good's goal of supporting vulnerable women by providing pathways out of crisis living. Each month at the cafe, the crew brings in a well-known and well-loved chef or culinary team to create special one-off menu items. Kylie Kwong, Maggie Beer, Peter Gilmore and Matt Moran have all been on curating duties in the past, and the month of September 2023 sees the pleasure fall on food writer, restaurateur and Creative Director of the Carriageworks Farmers Markets Mike McEnearney. McEnearney is known for his ever-popular cookbooks Real Food and Kitchen by Mike. A purveyor of all things fresh, sustainable and down-to-earth, McEnearney brings a low-effort and high-flavour approach to Two Good Co's monthly menu. Available throughout September, the menu features two no-fuss lunch items and a little sweet treat. Item number one is the mushroom, lentil ragu and cheese toastie, which boasts a rich, herb-forward sauce and melted cheese sandwiched between two slices of thick white toast. Also available: a hearty Middle-Eastern inspired lentil soup coating tenderly spiced meat, topped with a dash of coriander and paired with a toasted slice of dipping bread to sop up the remains of aromatic soup. Rounding out the offerings is a little lunchtime dessert in a bite-sized form — light and crisp round jammie dodgers with a fruity marmalade and creamy hazelnut centre, topped with a generous sprinkle of icing sugar. If you want to sample the menu, just head over to 262 Liverpool Street at some point this month.
More and more Australians are reassessing their drinking choices, and choosing to ditch or simply limit the booze. In response, clever bartenders, winemakers and beer brands across the globe have been busy dreaming up new and creative alcohol-free beverages to make that no-booze night out a satisfying option. And, there's now one Melbourne haunt that'll leave teetotallers more spoilt for choice than ever before — with the Brunswick Aces Bar, the city's first dedicated non-alcoholic cocktail lounge, now open. From Saturday, May 1, local distillery and booze-free gin producer Brunswick Aces is welcoming patrons into its much-anticipated Brunswick East watering hole, which also marks the first of its kind in the country. The 150-person Weston Street space is not only a temptation-free drinking destination for the teetotaller or sober curious, but also just a neat spot to hang and imbibe when alcohol's simply not on your night's agenda. The bar's rocking a look best described as industrial baroque, with lots of plush furniture covered with velvety textiles, walls filled with gilded frames and moody floral arrangements trailing from the ceiling. While Brunswick Aces does make regular gin, it's perhaps best known for its range of sapiir — a non-alcoholic distilled drink crafted on botanicals. The brand uses aromatic ingredients like lemon myrtle, pepperberry, wattleseed and that all-important juniper to create a concoction that's akin to a gin, sans booze. And in this new bar, you've got a front-row seat to the sapiir distilling operations, while you sip the spoils just metres from where they're made. The menu might be short on alcohol, but it's sure not wanting for choice. In fact, there's more than 100 booze-free options available. You can expect to find an ever-evolving range of crafty cocktails, led by boozeless takes on the classics such as a negroni and an espresso martini. There's be a focus on local ingredients, too, with appearances from some premium international labels and regular product features. And, alongside the cocktails sits an impressive lineup of non-alcoholic beers and wines sourced from all over the world, as well as mixed drinks made on booze-free spirits and sapiirs. While you're there, you can browse and buy some hangover-free tipples in the country's first physical non-alcoholic bottle shop. This retail section will be slinging local brands including Heaps Normal, Ovant and Songbird Wine, as well as international offerings like the Netherlands' Vandestreek Playground IPA. [caption id="attachment_801275" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Brunswick Aces' signature sapiir.[/caption] If you're hanging for the real deal, that's okay, too. In the spirit of inclusivity — and celebrating Brunswick Aces' other pursuits — the bar will be serving a single alcoholic option: a gin and tonic, made on the brand's own Spades and Hearts gin blends. Find The Brunswick Aces Bar at 124 Weston Street, Brunswick East, from Saturday, May 1. It's open Thursday–Saturday 3–11pm, with the bottle shop open Monday–Saturday 11am–5pm. Top images: Griffin Simm
First, Black Mirror's Twitter account broke a four-year silence back in April. Next, Charlie Brooker's dystopian sci-fi hit dropped a sneak peek at its next batch of technological nightmares — aka the first trailer for the show's long-awaited sixth season — and confirmed that the show would return sometime in June. Now, the Netflix series has unveiled more details about what's in store, including which new technological nightmares it'll be spinning. It might be a streaming smash, but that doesn't mean that satirising streaming is off the agenda. Indeed, one of season six's five episodes, Joan Is Awful, will focus on an average woman who discovers that a global streaming platform has adapted her life into a prestige TV drama. Playing her on-screen? Salma Hayek Pinault (Magic Mike's Last Dance). This instalment will be packed with familiar faces, too, including Annie Murphy (Kevin Can F**k Himself), Michael Cera (Life & Beth), Himesh Patel (Station Eleven), Rob Delaney (The Power) and Ben Barnes (Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities). Also on its way: Netflix seeing the darker side of nature documentaries — which, like biographical dramas, it's mighty fond of making itself. In upcoming Black Mirror instalment Loch Henry, a sleepy Scottish town welcomes in a young couple, who are keen to follow in David Attenborough's footsteps. Then they learn of a shocking local story, in an episode with Samuel Blenkin (The Witcher: Blood Origin), Myha'la Herrold (Bodies Bodies Bodies), Daniel Portman (Game of Thrones), John Hannah (The Last of Us) and Monica Dolan (Empire of Light) in its cast. Viewers looking forward to Aaron Paul's (Westworld) return to Black Mirror after first being involved in 2017 will been keen on Beyond the Sea, where it's an alternative 1969, two men are on a high-tech mission and dealing with a tragedy's big consequences, and Josh Hartnett (Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre), Kate Mara (Call Jane), Auden Thornton (This Is Us) and Rory Culkin (Swarm) co-star. In Mazey Day, the paparazzi hounds a troubled starlet who is coping with the aftermath of a hit-and-run, with Zazie Beetz (Atlanta), Clara Rugaard (I Am Mother) and Danny Ramirez (Stars at Noon) featuring. And in Demon 79, it's 1979 and a sales assistant in Northern England is informed that she has to commit terrible acts or a disaster will occur — with Anjana Vasan (Killing Eve), Paapa Essiedu (Men), Katherine Rose Morley (The Syndicate) and David Shields (Benediction) starring. Brooker has penned all five new chapters, co-writing Demon 79 with Bisha K Ali (Ms Marvel). This season is being teased as "the most unpredictable, unclassifiable and unexpected season yet", which is saying something given everything that Black Mirror has thrown at the screen in past seasons (and in choose-your-own-adventure-style movie Black Mirror: Bandersnatch). And yes, Brooker does have quite the challenge this time around: making something that manages to be even more dispiriting than reality over the past few years. That's increasingly been one of the show's dilemmas — and noting that something IRL feels just like Black Mirror has become one of the cliches of our times — but this'll be the mind-bending effort's first round of episodes following the pandemic. Check out the first trailer and latest teaser for Black Mirror's sixth season below: Black Mirror season six will stream via Netflix some time in June. We'll update you when an exact release date is announced. Images: Nick Wall/Daniel Escale, Netflix.
Combining camping in comfort with drinking in a vineyard, winery glamping is the trend that absolutely no one will ever complain about. It's been popping up all over the country, from Bendigo in regional Victoria, to Mount Cotton just outside of Brisbane, to a luxury pod-based version in South Australia's McLaren Vale — and now the Mornington Peninsula is getting in on the action. Meet Mornington Peninsula Glamping, which is now up and running at Blue Range Estate Wines in Rosebud. At a site overlooking not only the vineyard, but with views out over Port Phillip Bay, it features a number of luxe five-by-five-metre tents. There's three onsite at the time of writing; however there'll be ten by mid-October. Available for $265 per night, each tent is decked out with a queen-sized bed with 1000-thread-count sheets, two armchairs and a coffee table, plus solar power to keep your devices juiced. Visitors also have access to a shared cooking and eating area with two barbecues, hot water, and a choice of boutique tea or coffee, plus a luxury bathrooms in a shipping container. Mornington Peninsula Glamping is the brainchild of Christian Melone, whose family own and run vineyard, with his grandparents establishing the site back in the 80s. If you glamp over Thursday to Sunday, you can also mosey up to the winery's restaurant for a meal, tucking into the likes of tagliatelle with bay scallops and prawns, slow-roasted lamb shoulder with truffled mashed potatoes and ocean trout fillet with blood orange butter. Find Mornington Peninsula Glamping at Blue Range Estate Wines, 155 Gardens Road, Rosebud, Victoria.
The Sydney Fringe Festival will be transforming its own headquarters as part of the 2014 program, turning it into a three-level bar, theatre, info point and communal crafternoon gathering space. 'The Campground' at 5 Eliza Street, Newtown will serve as one of the hubs for a full month of comedy, cabaret, circus, theatre, music, art and out-of-the-ordinary events. The other hub? Well, for that you'll have to go exploring. "[Last year's hub] Emerald City was great but this year we moved to a new creative vision for the festival that we feel suits the geography and energy of Sydney better," festival director Kerri Glasscock tells us. "Instead of creating the traditional static festival garden [or] hub we wanted to create a roaming hub that moved throughout the festival, highlighting a number of different precincts and encouraging festival-goers to explore more of the city and keep it fresh." To that end, laneway hubs will take over a different part of town each weekend. We're particularly looking forward to seeing Darlinghurst's Foley Lane come over all Montemartre, with jazz and swing music, street performers and crepes, but Newtown's King Street and Sydenham's Faversham Street are also scheduled to throw multi-day bashes. Back at the more stationary Campground, each of the three levels has been given a mission and a name — 'the Tent', 'the Campfire' and 'the Annex'. Downstairs in the Tent is where to hide away to drink, view the exhibition on the walls and gather Fringe-related information, while upstairs at the Campfire is the place to tell stories, with artist talks, performances and sketching and snow globe-making workshops the order of the day. On the top floor is the Emerging Artist Annex, a 60-seat pop-up theatre for some of the festival's newcomers. "We wanted a space where the general public could come and experience art making, no matter what your skill level, be it hobby or master," says Glasscock. "So we have created mini spaces within the Campground where you can come and draw, knit or participate in a crafternoon." The four weeks of the program revolve around loose themes — Inner City in week one; Community, Ideas and Laughs in week two; family in week three; and something juicily titled 'The Final Frontier' in week four. "We wanted to engage as many practising local artists as possible and encourage as many partnerships and collaborations as possible," says Glasscock. "The festival offers a unique opportunity to try out an idea that has been brewing or work with a fellow artist you have wanted to collaborate with." Unlike some of the big fringe festivals of the world, the Sydney Fringe has always been open to anyone who wants to put on a work, which has sometimes resulted in a mixed bag of experiences for people. But Glasscock thinks they may have a solution to that, while still keeping the festival's open-access ethos. "We like to say that we don't curate the art but we curate where it goes," she says. "This is a new approach to the festival this year and has so far worked really well. It means that care has been taken to place the right content in the right venue so hopefully it is a better experience for the artists, the venues and the punters." Venues this year range from the perennial Factory Theatre to Freda's, Giant Dwarf, the Glebe Justice Centre, Rookwood Cemetery, the Record Crate and Venue 505. Opening the festival is the Ignite Launch Party on August 31, curated by Potbelleez Ilan Kidron and winding its way down Crown Street. The Fringe continues until September 30, and its full program is now available on the festival website.
Before Stranger Things returns for its fifth and final season sometime in 2025, Finn Wolfhard has some slasher things to deal with. Movie lovers in Sydney can see how that pans out at Fantastic Film Festival Australia's 2025 run. With Hell of a Summer, the actor also turns co-director and co-writer with his Ghostbusters: Afterlife, When You Finish Saving the World and Saturday Night co-star Billy Bryk, with the pair giving the summer-camp masked-killer horror subgenre their own spin. Helping out on-screen: Gladiator II and The White Lotus' Fred Hechinger, plus Reservation Dogs' D'Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai. That's how Fantastic Film Festival Australia is opening this year, with a meta horror-comedy. From there, this celebration of boundary-pushing pictures has 26 more features on its lineup, 16 of the rest brand-new and then ten others must-see classics. Sydneysiders can get their fix from Thursday, April 24–Friday, May 16 at Ritz Cinemas, Randwick. If you haven't been to FFFA before, the event is marking its fifth iteration in 2025 — and one of its hallmarks, the nude screening, is back for the occasion. Get ready to say "yeah, baby" to watching a movie sans clothes, with Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery this year's flick to watch while wearing nix (following on from past sessions of nudist camp-set comedy Patrick, The Full Monty, Zoolander and The Naked Gun). Another highlight of 2025's program: the retrospective dedicated to Scottish writer/director Lynne Ramsay. Her filmography might only span four features since 1999, all of which are showing at FFFA, but it's a resume that any fellow helmer should envy. For audiences, getting the chance to see Ratcatcher, Morvern Callar, We Need to Talk About Kevin and You Were Never Really Here on the big screen — whether for the first time or as a revisit — is a cinephile's dream. Among the fest's new fare, The Second Act hits the lineup after opening the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, with Rubber and Deerskin's Quentin Dupieux enlisting Léa Seydoux (Dune: Part Two), Louis Garrel (Saint-Exupéry) and Vincent Lindon (The Quiet Son) for his latest absurdist satire. Or, catch Tár's Noémie Merlant in The Balconettes, which she co-wrote with her Portrait of a Lady on Fire director Céline Sciamma; see what happens when The Wild Boys and After Blue's Bertrand Mandico combines two film essays in one split-screen presentation in Dragon Dilatation; and head back to 1999 while journeying into teen antics 3000 light years away in Escape From the 21st Century. Viewers can get a dose of eerie puppetry via Monkey's Magic Merry Go Round, too, then watch Crispin Glover (Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities) as a magician in Mr. K and undergo a unique animated musical-comedy experience with Spermageddon. Back with FFFA's 2025 blasts from the past, John Woo's (The Killer) gun-fu great Hard Boiled is the festival's closing-night pick, including screening in 35mm in Sydney. If you're keen on a movie marathon, Umbrella-Palooza will get you watching three films about technological nightmares, all courtesy of Australian distributor Umbrella Entertainment — starting with 2002's Cypher, then heading back to 1990's vision of cyberpunk in Hardware, before the OG Japanese Pulse unleashes its presence. Supporting homegrown efforts, the fest has 1977 psychological thriller Summerfield among its retro component, alongside four newcomers: the Super 8-shot A Grand Mockery; the Pedro Almodóvar (The Room Next Door)-inspired Salt Along the Tongue; Pure Scum, which is set amid Melbourne's private-school culture; and Sword of Silence, as shot completely under a full moon. Aussie talents are also in focus in the Sydney Shorts screening.
It is hard to know what to expect from stores with acronym monikers. In the case of The DEA store, the title represents both a yardstick by which items are chosen for sale and what a customer should expect to find: products that will please the 'delicate eye area'. The store takes a minimalist approach — a wash of white, grey and timber — placing the focus on the pieces on display. The range features carefully curated homewares and jewellery from global and local artisans. There's favouritism towards Japanese designs in the ceramics, tableware and glassware. Local artists such as It's A Public Holiday and Sharon Muir are also stocked plus a range of ceramics designed by Australian ceramicist Peter Anderson exclusively for the store. The DEA store achieves the ideal balance between whimsical, stylish and functional that will please your eyes and your home. Images: Trent van der Jagt.
Two new exhibitions will be opening at Alaska Projects on April 29. The first features the work of Alair Pambegan. Originally from Aurukun in far north Queensland, Pambegan works out of a studio in Sydney, using ochre and charcoal to create compelling works that reflect the landscape of his home. The second is a collection of photographs from Samuel Hodge, Buzzkill. Drawing from 15 years of practice, Hodge has put together works from his archive that are arranged not according to chronology but according to their potential inspiration for future projects, and for their representation of innovative approaches to image production. During the past few years, Hodge has been a regular contributor to Butt magazine and, in 2009, published his book Pretty Telling I Suppose, which was distributed internationally. Opening night will be held at Alaska Projects on April 29 between 6 and 8pm. The exhibitions will run till May 10.
When the Australian Government announced last week that pubs, bars and nightclubs would be closing the following day to help contain COVID-19, it led to the mass-buying of booze across the country. Bottle shops are not impacted by the closures, but it didn't stop Aussies stocking up just in case. Booze is just the latest item to be targeted by panic-buying, with toilet paper going first, then essential food items. Supermarkets across the country have since introduced strict two-pack-per-person limits on coveted items, such as eggs, sugar, white milk, frozen desserts and canned tomatoes, and now bottle shops are following suit. Australia's major bottle shops have today, Tuesday, March 31, introduced new temporary restrictions on alcohol. "In partnership with all major Australian alcohol retailers...we have applied moderate restrictions on the amount of produce customer can purchase," a statement on the BWS website reads. "Don't worry, supply isn't drying up, these changes have been made to ensure this is enough for everyone to responsibly enjoy their drink at the end of the day." Thankfully, the limits aren't quite as strict as those on food. In NSW, Vic, ACT, Qld, NT, SA and Tas, there are per person, per transaction limits on six categories, with customers able to buy from up to two different categories at a time: 12 bottles of wine two casks of wine (up to ten litres) two bottles of spirits (up to two litres) two cases of beer two cases of pre-mixed spirits/RTDs two cases of cider [caption id="attachment_766137" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Stephen Dann via Flickr[/caption] The above restrictions have been enforced at major stores around the country, both in-store and online, including Woolworths Group's BWS and Dan Murphy's; Aldi; and Coles's Liquorland, First Choice Liquor and Vintage Cellars. The new limits follow and supersede the restrictions introduced by the Woolworths Group last week. In WA, the purchase limits are stricter, to adhere to state regulations, with customers able to buy a maximum of two from the following categories: 11.25 litres of beer, cider or pre-mixed spirits; 2.25 litres of wine; one litre of spirits; and one litre of fortified wine. All the alcohol retailers are also encouraging social distancing, have introduced maximum capacities at their stores, and are offering pick-up, with some offering delivery. The temporary alcohol limits are now in place at stores across Australia. To find out more about the status of COVID-19 in Australia and how to protect yourself, head to the Australian Government Department of Health's website.
The winner of this year's Cannes Film Fest Palm d'Or is an exercise in movie-going endurance. Written and directed by celebrated Turkish filmmaker Nuri Bilge Ceylan, Winter Sleep clocks in at a gruelling 196 minutes long, a figure that makes the most recent Hobbit flick look positively breezy by comparison. Frankly, only the most committed of arthouse nerds should even attempt Ceylan's latest — and even they may find themselves struggling with the picture's slow-as-molasses pace. Indeed, despite his film's epic run time, Ceylan appears committed to keeping actual dramatic incident to a minimum. Concerned, at its core, with the erosion of the marriage between a conceited old hotel owner (Haluk Bilgine) and his miserable young wife (Melisa Sozen), Winter Sleep at times feels more like a stage play than a movie. Characters argue at inordinate lengths about marriage, money, philanthropy, class and the nature of good and evil. Then they argue some more. The topics that Ceylan sets out to explore are certainly intriguing. In its best moments, Winter Sleep calls to mind the likes of A Separation and Two Days, One Night — films in which the dialogue cuts not just to the hearts of the characters, but to the issues facing the society in which those characters live. At other points, however, Ceylan's writing becomes strained, laying out his themes in painfully literal language, as if we can't be trusted to understand them on our own. On a more unequivocally positive note, Gokhan Tiryaki's cinematography is genuinely stunning. Under the harsh, grey-white light of foreboding winter skies, the Anatolian landscape seems almost otherworldly. Equally beautiful are several night-time interior scenes, the flickering glow from the fireplace casting shadows across the walls. Even so, it's difficult to get past that ridiculous three-hour run time, which drags behind the film like a ball and chain. Ironically, most of the truly compelling content can be found in the movie's second half. The problem is that, by the time you get there, there's a good chance that your brain will have already checked out. https://youtube.com/watch?v=P1nQbYtTPQg
Leichhardt's quiet Norton Street is now home to a small bar and restaurant heroing Aussie ingredients thanks to The Little Guy owner Dynn Smulewicz and its longtime bartender Daniel McBride. They've joined forces to bring a much needed new player to the suburb. And, after opening its doors just last month, Golden Gully is already looking to be a hit with locals. "The demographics have changed pretty rapidly over the last few years [in Leichhardt]," says McBride. "There are a lot of young people — including our friends — in the area, so we feel a neighbourhood small bar has its place now." At first glance, the bar has bit of a Little Guy vibe — the two-storey terrace is squeezed into a commercial strip, the narrow ground level has a long bar to one side and the large bi-fold window overlooking the street is lined with stools. But, as McBride assured us, the Gully is no Little Guy 2.0. "The Gully is really 'Australiana' with a focus on all-Aussie products and a full service vegetarian kitchen upstairs," says McBride. The two-storey, 100-seat venue is decked out with tropical green walls and brass accents throughout. Downstairs, you'll find a sleek timber bar and aged leather-backed booths, while the upstairs restaurant is clean and simple, with a pitched roof and exposed beams. The bar runs on a 'something for everyone' mentality, and the team takes this mantra seriously with a rather extensive drinks list to choose from. "We don't want to alienate anyone and we're trying to communicate that through all of the menus," says McBride. "We had to have a big Aussie shiraz for mum, for example." Apart from shiraz, the bar also pours more than a few drops for natural wine lovers, including a few pét-nat and biodynamic numbers. Regions span Adelaide Hills, McLaren Vale, Hunter Valley, Orange, Yarra Valley, Margaret River and Tumbarumba, to name just a few. There's also a long list of Australian-made gins, vodkas and whiskies, and a seven-strong cocktail list using those same Aussie spirits. On it, you'll find the Norton St Sour ($19) — made with Sydney's Mobius Distilling Company vodka, Adelaide Hills' Italian bitters, lemon and aquafaba — and the Aussie Negroni ($19), a concoction of Poor Toms Gin, sweet vermouth and Applewood Okar (a South Australian take on Italian amaro). [caption id="attachment_707936" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Trent van der Jagt.[/caption] The Gully is also just as much a restaurant as it is a bar. In the kitchen is Emma Evans, who hails from Woolloomooloo's plant-based eatery Alibi. She's creating an elevated vegetarian menu and is "a real boss lady", according to McBride. "Dynn and I are both vegetarian and we hate when people forsake flavour in vegetarian or vegan food," says McBride. "Emma is really good at playing with flavours and creating food that you wouldn't even notice is vego." Evans is turning out European share plates using all-Australian ingredients. Favourite menu items include the almond-based ricotta gnocchi with crispy oyster mushrooms and wattleseed in a wild mushroom broth ($24); tea and pepperberry-smoked potatoes with chives and parsley aioli ($11); and roasted pumpkin wedges, dusted with a native dukkah spice mixture and doused in herb cucumber yoghurt ($19). [caption id="attachment_707934" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Trent van der Jagt[/caption] "Australia is very internationally inspired, and now you can get European-style wines and American-style gin and whisky, but all produced in Australia," says McBride. "The same goes for produce. If you want a burrata on the menu, it doesn't make sense to import it from Italy when there's a Marrickville factory that makes it." And they do have that burrata ($17) on the menu, too, topped with balsamic, a side of sliced figs and served with sourdough. "We tried to make the venue be as comfortable as possible, so people can get stuck in — we're not trying to just turn over tables," says McBride. "You can eat at the bar or go upstairs and smash a bottle of wine without getting any food. There are no set rules." Find Golden Gully at 153 Norton Street, Leichhardt from 4pm–midnight, Wednesday–Friday; midday–midnight, Saturday; and 4–11pm, Sunday. Images: Trent van der Jagt.
For seven years, Melburnians have inhabited the world's most liveable city. But that reign has come to an end — the Victorian capital has been dethroned by Vienna for the top spot on the The Economist Intelligence Unit's global 2018 Liveability Index, which was announced today. The index ranks 140 cities on stability, healthcare, education, infrastructure, culture and environment, giving each city a rating out of 100. Last year, Vienna (97.4) and Melbourne (97.5) were incredibly close, but this year the Austrian capital has pipped the reigning champions. While none of Melbourne's ratings dropped — its overall ranking actually climbed to 98.4 — Vienna's stability and culture and environment ratings increased, which The Guardian is attributing to downgraded threat's of militant attacks in western Europe and the city's low crime rate. The Economist said, "Although both Melbourne and Vienna have registered improvements in liveability over the last six months, increases in Vienna's ratings, particularly in the stability category, have been enough for the city to overtake Melbourne. While Melbourne dropped, Sydney managed to climb the ranks (huzzah) — coming in at fifth this year, compared to last year's eleventh. Rounding out the top five were Osaka at third and Calgary at fourth.
Vivid is one of the best times of the year to be in Sydney — and also one of the most crowded. The festival of light, music and ideas has returned for 23 days from May 25 to June 16, and its tenth-anniversary program is sure to draw the biggest crowds yet. Want to see all of those glorious CBD light shows without packing into the streets like sardines? We know the best spots where you can get in on all the Vivid action — drink in one hand, phone in the other snapping shots from a unique vantage point. We've also partnered with our mates at Samsung to ensure we've selected bars with the primest of views, so you can use that new Galaxy S9 and S9+ with it's specially developed low light camera to snap the best evening shots. So whether you're into authentic margaritas with views of the Harbour Bridge, DJ sets with a front row seat to the new Luna Park installations or glowing gin cocktails with rooftop panoramas of those illuminated Opera House sails, we've picked out five of the best spots to hit for epic Vivid sights. MCA ROOFTOP BAR The MCA Cafe's rooftop boasts quite possibly the best Vivid vantage point the city has to offer — sans the heaving crowds. Panoramic sights of nearly all the festival highlights are visible from here (apart from the MCA itself, of course), so it's an ideal spot for snapping wide-angle pics. This year, Bombay Sapphire will be running the pop-up bar, which is open on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 5–9pm during the festival. Here, you can sip on glowing gin cocktails while taking in unobstructed views of the Opera House light show. The MCA has also extended its Lights on Later program to coincide with the Vivid hours; so in between drinks up at the bar, you can catch the last days of its 21st Biennale exhibition, running until Monday, June 11. THE GLENMORE Since being refurbished back in 2012, The Glenmore terrace has become one of our go-to spots all year 'round — especially during Vivid. The heritage-listed pub's rooftop offers 180-degree views over Sydney Harbour, featuring up-close sights of the Harbour Bridge light show. Tuck into some pub grub favourites and raise a glass to snagging one of Sydney's very best views of the festival. Our tip? Get in early (pre-sunset) so you can get a front row seat to all the glowing action come sundown. SMOKE No matter what you decide to snack on, this is really food with a view, as Smoke at Barangaroo House was designed to lead the eye out over the harbour. Thanks to Vivid Sydney, it's a prime location for a little light spotting. Barangaroo becomes a magical bushland of lights with The Liminal Hour, featuring the fiery six-metre high Marri Dyin, Eora for 'great woman'. You'll also surely catch a glimpse of the Australian National Maritime Museum rooftop, which will be projecting the underwater delights of BBC Earth and David Attenborough's Blue Planet II. Between sips of an Autumn Spritz — which blends Martini Riserva Abrato with pink grapefruit, St Germain elderflower liqueur, juniper and prosecco — you'll also be able to aim your lens at floating light boats and the beams of Skylark, an interactive custom-built laser, controlled out of nearby Pier 8. GOLDIE'S MUSIC HALL AT SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE Along with the Sydney Opera House's massive Vivid lineup comes its annual pop-up bar. This year, Goldie's Music Hall has taken over the northern foyer — brought to you by the team from Newtown's The Midnight Special. Themed 60s and 70s, the bar features a black and gold fit-out complete with beaded lampshades, plush furnishings and peacock chairs. DJs including Gonz, Mama Disquo and Rusty and Boonge will be spinning playlists of funk, soul and R&B, while you relax with signature cocktails like the Golden Years (a boozy concoction of cognac, rye whiskey and amaretto with whisky barrel bitters and orange zest), plus craft beers from The Grifter and Young Henrys, liquor from Poor Toms and Archie Rose and decadent small bites. Of course, you also get prime viewing of the Harbour and can snap all the waterside shots you want from the comfort of the bar. Goldie's is open daily from 6pm–late and runs until Monday, June 4. BLU BAR AT SHANGRI-LA Set on the 36th floor and fitted with floor-to-ceiling windows, the Shangri-La Hotel's Blu Bar boasts sky-high panoramas of the Harbour. So, if you want some sprawling overhead shots of Vivid, this is the place to be. From here, the technicolour lights dance below while you enjoy the late-night menu with an extensive cocktail list, featuring both classics and inventive signatures (like the chamomile sour or a yuzu-thyme vodka concoction), plus refined bar snacks that you can nibble on while watching the show below. Escape the crowds, opt for exclusive sights from some of the best bars with Vivid views and snap some seriously professional-looking shots on the new Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+, designed especially for low light. Images: Cole Bennetts.
Black Star Pastry has reached institution status after more than a decade creating world-class, Instagram-famous delicacies. The popularity of Black Star's singular pastry creations has seen the brand expand across multiple Sydney outposts, a Melbourne shop in St Kilda, as well as a flagship patisserie in Shanghai. But the ever-growing butter-fuelled empire started right here in Newtown back in 2011. The intimacy of this space belies its pedigree. Christopher Thé, of Claude's fame, is at the helm of this project, which takes classic delights and reworks them through inventive experimentation. The results remain whimsical, sometimes challenging and a sweet tooth's fantasia. Favourites from the menu include the now-iconic strawberry watermelon cake, the orange cake with Persian figs, and the lemon myrtle chiffon cake. Like all good things, the only fault of Black Star is its popularity. Outside seats and take-aways are always an option though — it's not worth missing out on, no matter how busy this little shopfront happens to be.
There's nothing like the feeling when everything falls into place. We’re talking about those pure moments when the ordinary becomes extraordinary, or when something great and unexpected happens, leaving you with a smile on your face. Luckily these moments normally don't stun you quite so much that you forget to whip out your smartphone, because if you've got photographic evidence, then social-media-savvy beer masters Pure Blonde are offering to deliver the unexpected to your bank account. There's $10,000 in cash up for grabs, and for the chance to win a share of it, just upload a photo from Facebook or Instagram via the competition app on their Facebook page. You'll also get the chance to see your fleeting moment live a longer life in a crowd-sourced video montage using the campaign's best images. Check out the competition here, start digging through your favourite photos, and get your entries in before May 10. Here are a few of the shots we will be entering. Concrete Playground photography by Nick Fogarty
What's creepy, kooky, mysterious and spooky, has been around for 84 years now, and just keeps scampering around screens big and small like a mischievous severed limb? The Addams Family, of course. What's finally in the hands of Tim Burton, aka the director who could easily be one of the altogether-ooky crew's long-lost relatives, and has spent his entire career channelling their gothic aesthetic? Yep, that'd be The Addams Family again. It's time to get a witch's shawl on and a broomstick you can crawl on, because Netflix — and Burton — are gonna pay a call on popular culture's most famous supernatural brood. The show in question: Wednesday, starring Jenna Ortega as the titular figure. Indeed, it's turning out to be quite the year for the actor, especially when it comes to horror, with this new take on The Addams Family following her roles in Scream, Studio 666 and X already in 2022. Wednesday will clearly focus on its namesake, aka the Addams' eldest child, who plenty of teenage girls with long black hair have been compared to for decades. Wednesday is indeed a teen in the new series — a high schooler, in fact. As seen in the just-dropped first trailer for the show, she has been terrorising her way through schools, hopping through eight of them in five years. The sneak peek starts with the plait-wearing figure getting the boot from another, too, with some help from a couple of bags of piranhas, then ending up at Nevermore Academy. Her father Gomez (Luis Guzmán, Hightown) and mother Morticia (Catherine Zeta-Jones, Prodigal Son) met at Nevermore, and think that she'll love it — but clearly Wednesday's storyline isn't going to be that straightforward. While she's there, she'll have a monstrous killing spree to stop, and a supernatural mystery linked to her parents a quarter-century ago to solve. Sleuthing, high school antics and all things Addams Family: that's the spell that Wednesday plans to cast when it arrives this spring Down Under (Netflix hasn't announced an exact release date, but you could put money on it dropping in October for obvious reasons). The trailer looks like Burton is filtering his Frankenweenie, Beetlejuice and Edward Scissorhands vibes through Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children — so, it looks exactly like a Tim Burton-directed version of The Addams Family was always going to. Wednesday treads in huge footsteps, though, given that this isn't the first time that The Addams Family has made the leap from a beloved cartoon in The New Yorker to the screen. The 1960s TV series is a gem of the era, and 1991's live-action film The Addams Family and its 1993 sequel Addams Family Values are two of the best movies of that decade. (The less said about the recent animated flick and its own follow-up, however, the better.) Netflix's eight-part series also stars Isaac Ordonez (A Wrinkle in Time) as Pugsley and George Burcea (Comrade Detective) as Lurch, while Game of Thrones' Gwendoline Christie is also set to pop up. And, although exactly who she'll be playing hasn't been revealed, the 90s Wednesday Addams, aka Yellowjackets' Christina Ricci, is also on the cast list. Check out the first teaser trailer for Wednesday below: Wednesday will start streaming via Netflix sometime in spring Down Under — we'll update you with an exact release date when one is announced. Images: Matthias Clamer / Vlad Cioplea / Netflix © 2022.
When SXSW arrives in Sydney for the first time ever, it'll give Australia perhaps the biggest tech, innovation, screen, music, games and culture festival that the country has ever seen. It's fitting, then, that the event has just added one of the nation's most famous acting names at home and in America: Nicole Kidman. 2023 marks 40 years since Kidman starred in BMX Bandits, but that's not why she'll be taking to the SXSW Sydney stage as part of its massive speaker lineup. Instead, she'll be chatting with her producing partner Per Saari about her production company Blossom Films. On its resume: the Nickers-starring Big Little Lies, Nine Perfect Strangers, The Undoing and Rabbit Hole, as well as this year's Elizabeth Olsen (Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness)-led Love & Death. [caption id="attachment_921120" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Ryan Pfluger[/caption] Among SXSW Sydney's latest additions, Kidman is joined by a few fellow Aussie talents who also know more than a thing or two about working in Hollywood. Indeed, in a separate session called Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, actor Jason Clarke and filmmaker Phillip Noyce will get talking about working in America's showbiz mecca. Jason Clarke has Oppenheimer, Zero Dark Thirty, First Man, Winning Time: The Rise of The Lakers Dynasty, playing John Connor in Terminator Genisys and more on his resume. Rabbit Proof Fence helmer Noyce's US credits include Salt, The Quiet American, Patriot Games, Clear and Present Danger, The Saint and Revenge (and no, he won't be joining forces with Kidman to dig into Dead Calm). As well as Clarke and Noyce, this session features actor Charmaine Bingwa from The Good Fight, plus Crazy Rich Asians 2 screenwriter Amy Wang. [caption id="attachment_921123" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Warrick Page/HBO[/caption] The two new SXSW Sydney sessions hail from the Los Angeles-based Australians in Film, which is about developing screen talent, and add to an already-hefty lineup of speakers. Charlie Brooker is on the bill, diving into Black Mirror of course, while Chance The Rapper will talk about 50 years of hip hop, Coachella CEO Paul Tollett clearly has his own fest to discuss, and Future Today Institute founder and CEO Amy Webb also sits among the big names. "Over the past 20 years, AiF has created a unique and supportive community of Australian screen talent in Los Angeles, from emerging actors and filmmakers through to our most revered screen icons. We are excited to have this opportunity to bring the spirit and energy of AiF and our Hollywood community to SXSW Sydney, together with our partner Screen Australia," said Australians in Film Chair Emma Cooper. "From the team at SXSW Sydney, I'd like to extend our heartfelt thanks to Australians in Film and Screen Australia for their ongoing support. We appreciate the time everyone is taking to travel and join us in our first year — our story will be about these visionaries, and about the diverse and compelling voices emerging alongside them," added SXSW Sydney Managing Director Colin Daniels. Also on the SXSW Sydney lineup: a 700-plus strong bill of talent, covering over 300 sessions. The event will feature more than 300 gigs across 25 venues, too, including an array of music highlights and must-attend parties. Its dedicated gaming strand will feature a tabletop game expo. And, the SXSW Sydney Screen Festival will open with The Royal Hotel, then host the world premiere of Hot Potato: The Story of the Wiggles among a heap of other standout flicks. The entire event — the festivals within the bigger fest, exhibitions, talks, networking opportunities and streetside activations — will happen within a walkable precinct in the Sydney CBD, Haymarket, Darling Harbour, Ultimo, Chippendale and more, with the SXSW Sydney's footprint operating as a huge hub. Venues include Powerhouse Museum, ICC Sydney, UTS, Central Park Mall, the Goods Line Walk, The Abercrombie and Lansdowne Hotel. [caption id="attachment_910713" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Brittany Hallberg[/caption] SXSW Sydney runs from Sunday, October 15–Sunday, October 22 at various Sydney venues, with the SXSW Sydney Screen Festival running from Sunday, October 15–Saturday, October 21 at The ICC's Darling Theatre, Palace Cinemas Central and more venues to be announced. Head to the SXSW Sydney website for further details. Top image: The Undoing, Niko Tavernise/HBO. If you're keen to make the most of Australia's first SXSW, take advantage of our special reader offer. Purchase your SXSW Sydney 2023 Official Badge via Concrete Playground Trips and you'll score a $150 credit to use on your choice of Sydney accommodation. Book now via the website.
Ahead of the much-anticipated opening of Redfern's The EVE Hotel, hospitality group Liquid & Larder (The Gidley, Bistecca) has officially launched the hotel's two stunning venues, each with its own fascinating concept. Situated amid The EVE's stunning rooftop oasis, Lottie is a contemporary Mexican restaurant and mezcaleria that combines the familiar with more than a few surprises. Guided by head chef Alejandro Huerta, his time spent working in acclaimed kitchens like Copenhagen's Noma and Mexico City's Pujol has made him the ideal candidate to lead Lottie's culinary experience. Alongside group executive chef, Pip Pratt, the duo's uncompromising commitment to quality ensures Mexico's rich heritage will be displayed with passion and care. What's more, the entire menu is gluten-free. "I feel like I'm exactly where I'm meant to be. I've loved working closely with Pip to help bring this menu to life, showcasing some of the best Mexican flavours and local ingredients that will challenge what Sydneysiders think of Mexican cuisine," says Huerta. "I'm excited to showcase new dishes, some inspired by my upbringing, and continue to evolve the Lottie dining experience as we welcome our first guests to our rooftop haven." Yet this place is only half of the story when it comes to The EVE Hotel's food and drink offerings. Liquid & Larder have looked to another continent to conceive Bar Julius – a European-inspired neighbourhood bar. Nestled into leafy Baptist Street, visitors can expect dawn-to-dusk dining where a midday martini or a 3pm espresso is a welcome order. Led by head chef Will Francis, it's the kind of place you can fritter away a weekday with only the occasional glimpse across to your laptop. But don't expect to drag out your work day here – a no laptops after 5pm policy makes sure Bar Julius is ripe for good cocktails and good times with friends. You'll be knocking off early anyway, as daily happy hours from 4–5pm feature top-notch specials like $2 oysters, $12 negronis and $6 Tanqueray gin and tonics. If you're more of an early starter, breakfast is just as good, with menu highlights including croque madames, French omelettes and pork hock toast soldiers. Designed by local architecture practice SJB, there are hints of European charm throughout, with a rich palette of burgundy, marble and leather fostering a warm but lively ambience. Meanwhile, Australian timbers, bold patterns and playful artwork bring a local flavour to the design. Together, this inviting combination makes it a natural fit for those hanging out for breakfast or checking in for cocktails with post-work pals. [caption id="attachment_988198" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Dexter Kim[/caption] [caption id="attachment_988199" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Dexter Kim[/caption] [caption id="attachment_988195" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Dexter Kim[/caption] [caption id="attachment_988189" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Dexter Kim[/caption] [caption id="attachment_988190" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Dexter Kim[/caption] [caption id="attachment_988191" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Dexter Kim[/caption] Lottie and Bar Julius are located in The EVE Hotel Sydney at 8 Baptist St, Redfern. Head to the website for more information.
Everyone loves cheese, but it's rare that it takes centrestage in a restaurant. It's usually one of so many sandwich fillings or pizza toppings, or it might be a pre-dessert course if you're somewhere extra fancy. But everyone's favourite dairy product is about to get the recognition it deserves at The Stinking Bishops, a cheese bar and retailer set to open in Newtown later this month. Kieran Day, who co-owns the venture with Jamie Nimmo, says he was inspired to open his own cheese shop after seeing similar places while travelling through Europe. "I have worked in the food industry for a number of years now, from delis to restaurants, and thought that the concept would work really well, combining a cheese shop with a dine in aspect," he said. Day plans on stocking a range of local and international cheeses and is "looking towards holding a nice supply of raw milk and specialty cheese". There'll also be bread, pastries, cured meats and house-made pickles available for purchase. The dine-in menu is still undergoing "rigorous taste testing processes", according to the Stinking Bishops' website, but will mainly consist of cheese and cured meat boards, pate, salad and various 'Mr. Crispy' toasted sandwiches (pictured above), matched with carefully selected wine, beer and whiskey. The Stinking Bishops will be located at Shop 5, 63-71 Enmore Road, and Day is aiming to open in mid-March. Images from the The Stinking Bishops' blog and Facebook page.
Filling your stomach with warm, toasty things to get you through the cold months is a tried and true method for surviving winter. We're talking veggie soup and ramen right through to hot chips and cheesy bowls of pasta. And not to mention booze — spirits like rum are often a good call for your cold bones, particularly they have a bit of wintry spice to it. As such, The Kraken Black Spiced Rum isn't too shabby a choice to liven things up and make you feel warm and cosy on your insides. At a recent Christmas in July event in Sydney, Kraken whipped out a a selection of dark wintry cocktails made to warm even the most cold-blooded, all made with its signature Black Spiced Rum. We learnt the tricks to some new fancy spiced rum cocktails that may just be our lifeblood until the sun comes around again — and we've nabbed the recipes. Here are four recipes to get you playing along at home. SPICED EGG FOGG A twist on the standard Christmas classic, this eggnog is much more appropriate for winter. Too often you've got the summer (and meat) sweats on Christmas Day, so this Egg Fogg might be the perfect way to warm up to Christmas in July — Kraken Black Spiced Rum provides the kick needed. Ingredients 700ml of The Kraken Black Spiced Rum 24 egg yolks 12 egg whites 3 cups of sugar 2 litres of milk 2 litres of cream 1 tablespoons of orange marmalade 3 cloves 4 star anise 2 cinnamon quills 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 teaspoon nutmeg Method Combine cream, milk, marmalade and all spices in large pot over heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Whisk together egg yolks and sugar in a separate bowl, slowly adding the rum bit by bit. When it's all mixed in, add the cream and milk mixture, then serve into rocks glasses. To finish, mix egg whites until they've formed soft peaks and top the eggnog mixture with the peaks. If you want to go the whole hog and just happen to have a kitchen blowtorch lying around, toast the tops of the peaks. Garnish with a star anise and serve (maybe while wearing a Christmas jumper). SUCKER PUNCH The Sucker Punch has more of a fruity vibe, with orange liqueur, lime juice and fresh pineapple on the go for one big hit of vitamin C. Along with The Kraken Black Spiced Rum, this one straddles that very important cocktail line of sweet vs sour, and will have you forgetting you're not on a tropical holiday. Ingredients 30ml of The Kraken Black Spiced Rum 15ml of Italian bitter orange liqueur 15ml of fresh pressed lime juice 15ml of demerara sugar syrup or agave syrup 60ml of fresh pressed pineapple juice Method This one's simple: chuck all ingredients in a cocktail shaker and shake with ice. Strain into a Nick and Nora glass, or any cocktail glass that makes you feel fancy. SEA SPECTOR The Sea Spector is one of those 'the simpler the better' cocktails, with just three ingredients and a lemon peel garnish. Using falernum — a Caribbean syrup made of sugar cane syrup, lime, almond and cloves — the Sea Spector is a bit of a taste of the ocean (just without all the salt). Ingredients 30ml of The Kraken Black Spiced Rum 10ml of falernum syrup 3 dashes Creole bitters 1 swathe of lemon peel Method Stir all ingredients over ice in a glass then strain straight over ice into a frosty rocks glass fresh from the freezer. Pop the lemon peel in and wham, bam, thank you ma'am you've a pretty civilised cocktail on your hands. KRAKEN ESPRESSO MARTINI Of course, no cocktail menu is complete without the requisite espresso martini — and this one's a corker. Give yourself a treat in the form of a rum cocktail that will also wake you up and have you raring for the rest of the night with the coffee, chocolate bitters in a glass rimmed with coffee beans and salt. Ingredients 30ml of The Kraken Black Spiced Rum 15ml of coffee liqueur 60ml of espresso coffee 15ml of agave syrup 2 dashes chocolate bitters A mix of smashed coffee beans and salt Method Grab a coupette glass, wet the rim, and coat with a mix of smashed coffee beans and salt. Combine all ingredients and shake with ice in a cocktail shaker. Strain into the glass, sip through the caffeinated rim and enjoy that sweet, sweet kick.
We all know it's never too early to start planning your summer – especially the bits that involve scouting out new drinking destinations and loading up on art and culture. Handy then, that the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia will again combine two of Sydney's favourite past-times for its third annual exhibition-themed summer pop-up bar, opening the doors to Colour Fields on November 3. As the name suggests, this year's project is set to inject the MCA's harbourside terrace with a healthy dose of colour, inspired by Pipilotti Rist's bold Sydney International Art Series exhibition Sip My Ocean, which is in town from November 1 until February 18. Not only will the rainbow-hued bar offer modernised classic cocktails and summery share plates to echo Rist's bold installations, but the team from Work-Shop will be hosting a series of Wednesday night classes on topics like DIY perfume-making and rosé appreciation – perfect for when that art gazing leaves you itching to unleash some creativity of your own. And, as the icing on the cake, local record label Future Classic has again jumped on board to serve up some awesome aural treats. Colour Fields will feature their handpicked mixtapes throughout the week, while weekly Sunday sessions will see the likes of Andy Garvey, Le Fruit, Freda & Jackson and Moving House DJ's gracing the decks. Find Colour Fields at the MCA, 140 George St, The Rocks, Wednesdays to Sundays starting November 3. For more information, go here. Image courtesy Scoundrel Projects
2015 brought you a cornucopia of hideous yet good for you root veggies, international restaurant swaps and bargain basement lobster, among other gustatory revelations. So, what's in store for 2016? Well, the restaurant transplants are set to continue with Copenhagen's Noma popping up later this month, and not-so aesthetically appealing foodstuffs are sticking around (see: algae). But just when you thought chefs and food technologists couldn't invent anything weirder, they come up with the goods. Then again, with the likes of Bompas and Parr setting up food museums, we shouldn't be surprised. This year is set to deliver a slew of culinary adventures, from cocktails you can inhale to niche food festivals, to more dishes featuring native Australian ingredients. Here are ten trends we've got our money on. [caption id="attachment_555266" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Attica[/caption] NATIVE AUSSIE INGREDIENTS Kylie Kwong's been caramelising wallaby tail and stir-frying native greens for a few years now, while Melbourne's Attica offers a dish of salt cured red kangaroo with bunya bunya (pictured). By and large though, Australian chefs have been slow to capitalise on Australia's indigenous produce. That might change when Copenhagen's two Michelin-starred restaurant Noma pops up in Sydney on January 26 for ten weeks. Head chef Rene Redzepi is passionate about expressing an area's unique environment through his cooking, and is sure to use our best native ingredients while he's here. Read more about the incredible potential of native foods over here. [caption id="attachment_555499" align="alignnone" width="1280"] blumblaum via Flickr[/caption] ALGAE Kale's still kicking around, but algae is closing in. In October, an upmarket Californian store put the world's first ever algae cooking oil on its shelves. With scientists warning us off other veggie oils due to their toxicity, this new product promises "goodness to your heart, the kitchen and the planet". Expect it to be added to foods and beverages to reduce fat and cholesterol and add a bit of extra protein and antioxidants. Meanwhile, a design collective has imagined a futuristic opera, in which singers grow algae with their breath during the show and give it to audiences to eat afterwards. But maybe that belongs under theatre trends. [caption id="attachment_555557" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Hunter and Barrel[/caption] PLAYING WITH FIRE Lucky we've been giving you inside info on Sydney's best caves, because your troglodyte skills are about to come in handy. When electricity arrived, we cast aside one of humankind's oldest technological developments, but, as any dedicated hiker knows, there ain't no potato like a campfire-cooked potato. So expect to see a lot more cooking with fire this year, whether it's at Hunter & Barrel, Firedoor or Hartsyard. Just don't think you can go wandering into any of these pubs with your marshmallow on a stick. [caption id="attachment_555568" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Stefano via Flickr[/caption] DNA MATCHING Not as in, would you like a chardonnay or a cup of genes with that salad, but choosing foods that best suit your DNA to avoid unpleasant symptoms and improve your health. Yep, it's a thing. It turns out your wheat intolerance mightn't be just about gluten, it might be linked to a plethora of factors, especially your DNA. Old mates Bompas and Parr are already onto this, having worked on a project that created bespoke cocktails based on your DNA last year. And Dr. Fredric Abramson, founder of Digital Nutrition, is already offering a service that helps you match your diet to your genes. So get on it. [caption id="attachment_555298" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Fir0002 via Wikimedia Commons[/caption] GETTING GOATY With bacon having some copped some bad press for its carcinogenic qualities, goat sales are on the rise. It's profitable news for Aussie farmers, who are the world's biggest exporters of goat meat. Long a staple of Bangladeshi, Nepalese, Sri Lankan, Pakistani and Indian diets, the horned creature will be making its way onto mainstream menus more and more often . In London, Aussie-born chef Brett Graham is already on the bandwagon at The Ledbury. NICHE FOOD FESTIVALS So, it happened before processed meat was added to WHO's top five most cancerous items, but Sydney hosted its biggest ever bacon party in August 2015. And Pinot Palooza, a touring festival devoted to the mighty pinot noir, is now a mainstay on the annual calendar. Last year also saw Melbourne host its first gin festival, Juniperlooza, and a festival 100 per cent dedicated to Nutella will be hitting Adelaide in April. Food festivals have been around for thousands of years, but we reckon they're going to get more and more specific in 2016. [caption id="attachment_555572" align="alignnone" width="960"] Master's 'Roast Potato' by kseet via Instagram[/caption] SWEET AND SAVOURY DESSERTS Everyone knows what a decent dash of salt can do for a good chocolate. And the ebullient marrying of sweet and savoury flavours is likely to feature in desserts all over the planet in 2016. New Yorkers are already sampling beetroot, carrot and sweet potato yoghurts, courtesy of Blue Hill founder Dan Barber, and here in Sydney Master is pushing the sweet-savoury envelope with their roast potato ice cream dessert. In Melbourne, Lume is going down the same lines with their beetroot cake dessert, and Mammoth is confusing everyone's tastebuds with their sugary doughnut lobster burger. INHALABLE COCKTAILS Many of our favourite bars look to the cocktail's 'golden age' for inspiration. And with good reason — an old-fashioned or a martini is hard to beat. But the inhalable incarnation of the cocktail is bringing the drink into the 21st century. This is thanks to Bompas and Parr, who ran a pop-up bar named Alcohol Architecture in London last August. Visitors were invited to walk into a 'cocktail cloud', created with enormous humidifiers. Inspired by the duo, Brisbane Festival got on this last year, creating a breathable gin and tonic room as part of their 2015 program. We can't wait to see where this goes next. LEAVES OF ALL KINDS Your iceberg lettuce just won't cut it anymore. And neither will your cos, rocket or radicchio, for that matter. Your salads are about to get much, much fancier and more diverse. Heston Blumenthal was onto it at 2015's Fat Duck pop-up in Melbourne — he organised exclusive access to a source of local oyster leaves, which he combined with chicken, grilled onion emulsion and spiced celeriac sauce. [caption id="attachment_555270" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Superfood Sushi[/caption] GOING VEGAN Veganism is nothing new, but this year looks like it might be the one to firmly cement it as a full-blown cuisine. And for a while there, it looked as though the whole of Sydney's King Street might go vegan. It added vegan superfood sushi and Bliss 'n' Chips — where soy-based protein and konjac are transmogrified into incredibly convincing deep fried seafood dishes — to the strip, and and then, in news that shocked many, Gigi announced it was taking animal products out of its pizzas. All three businesses seem to be thriving, so we're banking on more vegan openings and conversions this year. But for now, here are our top ten vegan joints. Top image: Bompas and Parr
When Normal People became the streaming sensation of the pandemic's early days, it made stars out of leads Paul Mescal and Daisy Edgar-Jones, and swiftly sparked another Sally Rooney adaptation from much of the same behind-the-scenes team. It wouldn't have been the hit it was if it hadn't proven an exercise in peering deeply, thoughtfully, lovingly and carefully, though, with that sensation stemming as much from its look as its emotion-swelling story. It should come as no surprise, then, that cinematographer Kate McCullough works the same magic on The Quiet Girl, a Gaelic-language coming-of-age film that sees the world as only a lonely, innocent, often-ignored child can. This devastatingly moving and beautiful movie also spies the pain and hardship that shapes its titular figure's world — and yes, it does so softly and with restraint, just like its titular figure, but that doesn't make the feelings it swirls up any less immense. McCullough is just one of The Quiet Girl's key names; filmmaker Colm Bairéad, a feature first-timer who directs and adapts Claire Keegan's novella Foster, is another. His movie wouldn't be the deeply affecting affair it is without its vivid and painterly imagery — but it also wouldn't be the same without the helmer and scribe's delicate touch, which the 1981-set tale he's telling not only needs but demands. His focus: that soft-spoken nine-year-old, Cáit (newcomer Catherine Clinch), who has spent her life so far as no one's priority. With her mother (Kate Nic Chonaonaigh, Shadow Dancer) pregnant again, her father (Michael Patric, Smother) happiest drinking, gambling and womanising, and her siblings boisterously bouncing around their rural Irish home, she's accustomed to blending in and even hiding out. Then, for the summer, she's sent to her mum's older cousin Eibhlín (Carrie Crowley, Extra Ordinary) and her dairy farmer husband Seán (Andrew Bennett, Dating Amber). Now the only child among doting guardians, she's no less hushed, but she's also loved and cared for as she's never been before. Clinch is another of The Quiet Girl's crucial figures, courtesy of a downright exceptional and star-making performance. If you were to discover that she was a quiet girl off-screen, too, you'd instantly believe it — that's how profoundly naturalistic she is. Finding a young talent to convey so much internalised, engrained sorrow, then to slowly blossom when fondness comes her way, isn't just a case of finding a well-behaved child who welcomes the camera's presence. Clinch makes Cáit's isolation and sadness feel palpable, and largely does so without words: again, this is The Quiet Girl in name and nature alike. She makes the comfort and acceptance that her character enjoys with the instantly tender Eibhlín feel just as real, and kicks into another still-composed but also visibly appreciative gear as a bond forms with the tight-lipped Seán. Pivotally, Clinch plays Cáit like she's the only lonely girl in Ireland, but also like she's every lonely and mostly silent girl that's ever called that or any country home. That astonishing performance, and the empathetic and absorbed gaze that beams it into the film's frames, tap into the lingering truth at the heart of this soulful picture: that overlooked and disregarded girls such as Cáit rarely receive this kind of notice on- or off-screen. The warm way that the movie surveys her life, and is truly willing to see it, is never anything less than an act of redress — and, even with dialogue sparse, The Quiet Girl screams that fact loudly. It gives the same treatment to loss, which is an unshakeable force in Eibhlín and Seán's home despite remaining unspoken. "There are no secrets in this house," Eibhlín tells Cáit, but that doesn't mean that the type of pain that defies speech doesn't haunt the place, as it does the lives lived in it. Grief, too, is usually pushed aside, but The Quiet Girl sees how it persists, dwells and gnaws even when — especially when — no one is talking about it. The Quiet Girl, and Bairéad and McCullough with it, sees everything with attentive eyes: chaos at home, bullying at school, and uncertainty mixed with relief when Cáit cottons onto why she's taking such a long drive with her dad, for starters. It watches as the girl's summer getaway teems with promise and wonder — on the farm, in its woods, in the gleaming rainwater well, simply watching Eibhlín in the house or shadowing Seán outside — and as her relationship with her surrogate parents has the same fantastical allure. It spots the tentative curiosity that Cáit has about the train wallpaper in her new bedroom, as well as the boy's clothes she's given to wear. And, it can't avoid the gleeful gossiping-slash-interrogating by neighbour Úna (Joan Sheehy, End of Sentence), when she gets her chance to spill Eibhlín and Seán's past, and also grill their new charge about their present. Viewers peer on intently as well; using the Academy ratio, the almost-square frame that was once the cinematic standard, has that effect. That stylistic choice can say more than words when a character feels boxed in or trapped — see Happening and The Tragedy of Macbeth — which The Quiet Girl uses to its advantage in its earliest scenes. The tighter canvas also hones focus, which is this film's entire purpose anyway. Thanks to the straightforward but nonetheless riveting narrative, and the emotional journeys that it charts, Bairéad didn't need to restrict the movie's visuals so blatantly. The Quiet Girl would've captured its audience's undying attention anyway. But a closer look begets a closer look, both at otherwise-shunned children and at the minutiae they only start to spy themselves when their lives get cosier and kinder, yet also bigger and more assured. When it premiered at the 2022 Berlin International Film Festival, The Quiet Girl made history as the first Gaelic-language film to compete at the prestigious event, and also won an award in the process. When it reached Irish cinemas midyear, along with those elsewhere in the UK, it broke box office records for Gaelic-language movies, too. Small things, big impact: that's this wonderfully heartrending, deeply resonant, exquisitely fleshed out feature over and over, within its poetic images and beyond.
Presenting Wilhelmina's Liquid + Larder: Starring the food talents of recent MasterChef finalist Jamie Fleming, it’s the third instalment from James Bradey and Warren Burns, the producers who brought you cosmopolitan kitsch at Grandma's Bar and Irish folk fun at The Wild Rover. At Wilhelmina's, there’s no theme or gimmick to get you in the door; it’s just local, fresh, seasonal and sensational. Located on Balmain’s Darling Street, Wilhelmina’s celebrates the local community through food, drink and design. Recycled materials from the timber yard make up the back bar and walls, local pottery hangs from the ceiling, and then there’s the vibrant mural by local artist Anya Brock. While bar menus are typically crowd-pleasing and cholesterol-inducing, Wilhelmina’s opts for fresh and thoughtful selections that change with the daily market offerings. Today, there’s a plate of kingfish ceviche ($14), where twirls of raw kingfish sit with piles of crumbed pistachio and pickled cucumber, garnished with translucent slivers of radish. There’s little resemblance to the traditional Peruvian version — will these fusion flavours spell disaster for Jamie? The music is tense and we cut to an ad break where George Calombaris spruiks Swisse Vitamins. Fortunately, the flavours are inventive, intelligent and it “packs a punch”. Jamie is safe for this round. Cue uplifting music. So there's that. But for a more substantial evening meal, the Newcastle pippies ($23) are a mariner’s paradise. These butterflied beauties swim in a buttery white wine broth, served with a great hunk of sourdough sourced from Sydney's Bread and Butter project. If it's a beer-friendly bar snack you need, don't go past the Berkshire pork cheek croquettes ($8) or a cup of Wilhelmina’s spiced nuts ($5). If you’re sceptical about beetroot’s place on a dessert menu, you’ll be left red-faced after trying the delicious lemon posset ($9.50). It balances with precision a tangy lemon curd with a sweet beetroot gel and it’s finished off with an almond crumb topping for textual crunch. Wilhelmina’s doesn't drop the ball in the drinks department either. There’s an extensive list of local boutique wines, craft beers and inventive cocktails to ponder over. The Thyme Me Up cocktail ($16) mixes rum, banana, apple and thyme into a marvellously herbaceous creation. As this episode draws to a close, it’s time to hold up our scorecards. Wilhelmina's is a winner, and what's more, Balmain’s masterful new bar is sure to score high ratings with the locals.
You may have thought bringing the chefs behind the World's 50 Best Restaurants to Melbourne next year was enough. But Wine Australia, Tourism Australia and The World's 50 Best have decided to take it one step further and bring the world's top sommeliers along with them. If you had access to that calibre of people — wouldn't you? Last month, we waxed lyrical on the World's 50 Best Restaurants awards and the week of foodie fun that surrounds it — industry events, workshops and eats that will go down between April 1-17. The news that the greatest wine minds in the world are tagging along for the celebration is the cherry on top of an already delicious sundae. The pool of sommeliers are from restaurants already in the top 50 and the Best Sommelier in the World competition. They're the biggest wine nerds from around the world, and they'll be treated to trips to our most important wine regions, as well as specially tailored tastings that show off the best that Australia has to offer. The point is to bring together the most influential people in the wine game from around the globe and really show off what's available in our Great Southern Land. So while we won't be able to attend any of these exclusive industry events, they will bring light to the Australian wine industry and hopefully encourage more chefs to explore what's available food-wise in Australia. It ties in perfectly with the restaurant awards and Melbourne Food and Wine Festival, which is celebrating its 25th birthday this year. These sommeliers will sample the best wines our shores produce in conjunction with the best food in the world, which hopefully, according to Wine Australia CEO Andreas Clark, will help them to "walk away with a refreshed perspective and love of Australian wine". The wine list throughout the events will be curated by some of Australia's sharpest wine minds, with the panel being drawn from a pool of wine writers, sommeliers, winemakers and consultants with the aim of showcasing the quality and diversity of Australian wines. Panelists include Franck Moreau of Merivale, Amanda Yallop from Quay and the editor of Gourmet Traveller Wine, Judy Sarris. As the world becomes more and more connected, the unique gastronomies and wine cultures from all around the world are becoming more apparent, and more available, on a global scale never seen before. This event and others like it are the embodiment of a spreading and sharing of these cultures and their individual bold flavours. William Drew, Group Editor of the World's 50 Best Restaurants, said: "Wine is a key aspect of the overall gastronomic experience and Australia boasts some of the finest wine producers in the world, so this collaboration makes perfect sense." And while we blush with a feigned modesty, we truly can't help but agree.
As 2024 winds down, the sound of jingling sleigh bells can be heard just over the horizon. The silly season is upon us, which brings with it fond memories of fireside stories, heart-warming food and snowy landscapes (even in the southern hemisphere). While it probably won't be a white Christmas for Sydneysiders, Surry Hills restaurant NEL is nonetheless transporting diners to a winter wonderland, summoning classic yuletide flavours in clever and surprising ways. Patron Chef Nelly Robinson and the team at NEL are once again giving Sydney an early present with their annual The Story of Christmas menu. This year, the menu hopes to capture classic Christmas imagery but with a few Aussie winks. "It's equal parts childhood memories and traditions from across the globe," says Robinson. This nostalgic 11-course degustation pays homage to Aussie ingredients — sourced sustainably from local producers. The prawn and mango course, for example, offers a refreshing prawn mosaic marinated in native spices and topped with mango "snow". For a more classic taste, the duck dinner course delivers rich, roast dinner flavours, prepared both confit and with crispy skin. Diners can also pretend they're Santa biting into a Christmas cookie, but with a savoury spin, courtesy of two Red Leicester and Pyengana cheddar custard cookie sandwiches served in a wooden cookie tin. In a nod to traditional beverages of the season, the menu also reinterprets the seasonal flavours of mulled wine, spinning it into a layered Christmas trifle. Make sure to leave room for dessert as you won't want to miss the edible snowflake course, starring a vanilla Victoria sponge coated in white chocolate mousse, strawberry compote and chocolate popping candy. And at NEL, even those in Santa's bad books can have some fun, with a dish titled Naughty Child, trippy plating featuring a pumpkin and carrot croquette with macadamia hummus and honey made to resemble a lump of coal. "I'm just a lad who loves Christmas," says Robinson. "Each dish is designed to spark joy and conversation."
While festivals and concerts around the world have been cancelled and postponed (Bluesfest, Dark Mofo, gigs at the Sydney Opera House and Splendour in the Grass to name a few), a bunch of Sydney mates have created their own virtual gig: Room 2 Radio. Dubbed Sydney's first online nightclub, this party is letting you get your groove on even if you're stuck at home. Bringing the club to your bedroom, this online boogie kicked off in March and sees local DJs perform on your screens every Friday. This week, the night is aptly dubbed Pretty over it and will see the likes of Johnny Lieu playing early 2000s garage and bassline bangers, DJ, R&B artist and FBi Radio host Latifa Tee and eclectic Sydney-based selector Papi Chulo. So, expect more than just a video of someone hitting play on Spotify. Room 2 Radio is scheduled to run every week until further notice, with each week's program being announced via Facebook. To add to the good times, there'll be disco lights, drink recommendations and a live chat going so you can socialise with other partygoers. Room 2 Radio even played a sneak peak set to get things started, which you can check out here. Is this the future of nightlife? Who knows in these wild times, but at least for now we can party together, at home. To check out upcoming programs, head here. Updated, July 31, 2020.
Diane Kruger returns to her German roots with In the Fade, a tense, moving portrait of tragedy and vengeance, and the winner of the 2018 Golden Globe for Best Foreign Language Film. Helmed by German-Turkish director Fatih Akin, the film stars Kruger as Katja, a mother whose son and husband are murdered in a terrorist attack. It's an incredible performance, with the actress slipping into the empty, hollow-eyed space of insurmountable grief. She abuses drugs, alienates her family, and even attempts to take her own life. But she's eventually lifted out of her sorrow by the burning desire for revenge. For lack of a better category, In The Fade is a revenge story, one driven by Katja's personal mission to deliver justice for her family. We soon learn that the crime was committed by a pair of neo-Nazis, who are eventually acquitted after a lengthy, emotionally charged trial. We watch as Katja sits behind the plaintiff's desk, just a few short metres away from the accused, and feel her internal world becoming more and more pressurised. Kruger's performance is more than deserving of the Best Actress award she scooped up at Cannes. She's also stated that the process of making the film wore her out, to the point that she took six months off after filming. It's easy to understand why. Beyond Kruger's performance, what works best about the film is the format Akin employs. The narrative is split into three separate segments, set in three different environments, with three distinctive looks. In "Family" we see Katja cordoned off in her house, drowning in an ocean of grief, even as rain buckets down outside. Then there are the fluorescent lights and straight lines of the court room in "Justice". Finally we get to "The Sea", in which a softer, sunnier aesthetic belies the chapter's actual function – Katja has bid goodbye to her old life and is now bent entirely on vengeance. Perhaps less successful is the minutiae of the film's actual plot, including the fact that the two perpetrators are acquitted despite all the evidence against them. Nor are we given much insight into their twisted psyche. In The Fade provides a thorough study of its protagonist's state of mind, but could have benefited from doing the same for its villains. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UyjnzhXJlHU
Circus advisor Preston Jamieson has a unique perspective on the musical Pippin, having performed in the first Broadway production and during the US national tour before working as a circus coordinator for the show's tour in Japan. "I've been involved in every single production," says Jamieson. "This is the first time I've done a new Pippin with completely new acrobats — and I'm really excited about that. They're champions, and I know we're going to wow." When Concrete Playground spoke with Jamieson, Pippin was only in its first week of rehearsals — and, unusually, the rehearsal studio for the show is precisely where you'll get to experience it: on stage at the Sydney Lyric Theatre. It'll be the first show to open at the Lyric in Sydney since the theatre temporarily closed due in March 2020. Its cast includes locals like Ainsley Melham (Aladdin), who plays the titular role, and Kerri-Anne Kennerley, who plays his grandmother. The role of Leading Player will be performed by US actor Gabrielle McClinton (pictured, below), who knows the story inside out from performing in its Broadway and US tour productions. [caption id="attachment_789195" align="alignnone" width="1920"] US actor Gabrielle McClinton plays the Leading Player, photographed during rehearsal by Cassandra Hannagan[/caption] The 2013 Broadway revival of Pippin was lauded for having a woman of colour cast in the Leading Player role, and it's now part of the show's tradition. The same production also won four Tony Awards, including Best Musical Revival. But, though the Sydney version is based on the Broadway show, it doesn't mean you'll get to see a carbon-copy of the Broadway production when it opens on Tuesday, November 24. "Every iteration is unique because of the skills the acrobats bring to the table," says Jamieson. "Sydney's will be slightly different than any other version we've ever done before." [caption id="attachment_789193" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Cassandra Hannagan[/caption] Though it's too early to confirm exactly what we can expect to see on stage, we do know there'll be hand-to-hand (partner) acrobatics, plus aerial and silk acrobatics, and a guy who can clamber up a ladder without any support. "If it's in the centre of the room, he can get to the top of the ladder," says Jamieson. During his time with the show, Jamieson has learned knife-throwing, as well as how to set the acrobatics within the key 'spots' allocated to each song, which includes tunes like 'Corner of the Sky' and 'Magic to Do', all composed by Oscar- and Grammy Award-winning composer Stephen Schwartz (Wicked and Godspell). "We're also trying to find a spot for some hair hanging, too. One of our acrobats has hair-hanging experience, and, as crazy as it seems, they suspend themselves by their own hair. It's a [Pippin] first." There'll also be "a 67-year-old dangling by her feet, so there's going to be a lot of death-defying," he says. [caption id="attachment_789198" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Ainsley Melham as Pippin, Cassandra Hannagan[/caption] On the surface, Pippin's medieval storyline might seem a little dated for 2020. But Jamieson says the most surprising thing about the production — no matter what stage it's on — is "how relevant and touching" the show is. Pippin is a prince struggling to find his identity and purpose in a life destined for the throne. "And, to have a show that has the wow-factor, but also the personal, intimate touch, is really hard to pull off. "It's everything that's been missing from our lives right now," Jamieson adds. "And, this show, more than any other, has the relevance of finding your fulfilment; doing something because it fulfils you. And we need a lot more of that in the world today." Images: Cassandra Hannagan
On the lookout for a dope new denim jacket? Or do you want to be rid of that weird-looking lamp taking up space in the living room? Then, by golly, you're in luck. The Garage Sale Trail works with local council partners Australia-wide to get as many trash-and-treasure troves happening on the same day as possible. More than 8000 garages opened their doors to bargain hunters in previous years, and they're doing it for the seventh time on Saturday, October 22. Aside from the retro goodies up for grabs, the Trail is all about sustainability. Instead of ending up in landfill, unwanted clutter becomes a fantastic find. So get that tight pair of sunnies for peanuts and help the environment at the same time. The Garage Sale Trail began humbly in Bondi in 2010 and is growing bigger every year. There's a right slew of sales happening all around Sydney, with everyone from an ex-Vogue editor to the Rose Bay Community Gardens joining in on the festivities. You can views the best Sydney sales here, or register online to make a quick buck from your old junk and hang out with the friendly folks in your hood.
As a generation, we've watched the internet emerge from its fledgling beginnings to its modern state, where nearly a third of Earth's population is logged on. In mere decades, the internet has gone from nonexistent to a necessity. We are a population obsessed. And then came Facebook. The ever-expanding social network debuted in 2004, turning us all into Facebook-stalkers and using up any free time we had left. It's hard to remember the internet before Facebook, let alone any of the computer technology of yesteryear. Squirrel Monkey's video tutorial, which imagines Facebook if it had been designed in the 1990s, will bring you right back to the horrendous colour graphics and primitive Windows versions of the technology's start. The video, a humourous how-to, takes a new user through the nuances of "the Facebook". The concept of Facebook, set against the simplistic '90s graphics, suddenly seems very ridiculous. And perhaps that is just the point. The subsequent videos, which imagine Twitter in the '80s and Draw Something as an old PC game, similarly put social media into perspective, reminding us not to take our status updates and tweets all too seriously. https://youtube.com/watch?v=xrYRH3PYYT0 [via Flavorwire]
The tournament turns six this year and is set up to be better than ever. It goes down on February 22 at the newly resurfaced Bat and Ball Park in Moore Park and kicks off at 9.30am for a day of community and family fun. Hosted by the Sydney Rangers FC, Sydney’s first football club for gay men, and the Flying Bats FC, the world’s largest lesbian football club, the event will have qualified referees, a men's and ladies' tournament, a field set up for the kids and a good ol’ BBQ. The tournament forms part of the slew of sporting events teed up for this year’s Mardi Gras Sports Festival, including the Rainbow Run in Sydney Park on February 8, and the City Hoops 3 on 3 basketball tournament at Prince Alfred Park on February 9. Want more Mardi Gras events? Check out our top ten picks of the festival.
Perched in the treetops above Cockle Bay Wharf, Hunter & Barrel's setting is a kind of upmarket rustic retreat, with a spacious room stocked with stacked whisky barrels, fur throws, a large-scale hanging greenery and a roaring coal pit fire. On a summer night, you can sit outside on the deck and watch the people passing over nearby Pyrmont Bridge. Overseen by ex-Danks Street Depot supremo Jared Ingersoll, it’s a welcome addition to an often indifferent dining strip, showcasing a love of meat, smoke and all things pastoral — a kind of concept restaurant offering a slice of the outback in an urban centre. Kick things off with the hearty Hunter's Platter ($28), which comes piled with bresaola, Italian coppa, honey-glazed ham, pickles, eggs and olives. Starters include mussels ($16), which continue the theme of smokiness, being lightly steamed in smoked porter. The drinks list includes the likes of a well-balanced Solena Negroni ($16), which blends both the barrel-aged and fresh, benefitting from the spice and botanicals of the McLaren Vale Settlers Gin. The Chieftain brings the sweetness of prosciutto to a watermelon and vodka-based cocktail, while the Devoted Squire (both $16) boasts a citrusy, fresh taste. The smoked margarita ($28, serves two) offers butter-washed tequila and glasses rimmed with Himalayan rock salt. There are also unusually good mocktails, like the Queen Regent — which is dessert-like with berries and white chocolate syrup — and the very fresh Masquerade, made up of hibiscus, elderflower and hints of stone fruit (both $8). The centrepiece of the restaurant though is its flamed-cooked offerings, which include the likes of braised kangaroo tails ($24). You get the feeling it's the kind of tender, tasty stew early settlers probably dreamed of enjoying around a campfire after a long day of labour. The coal-roasted rump ($29) is a moist piece of meat elevated by a black pepper and garlic sauce, which makes the winning choice to go for bold flavour over subtlety. Still on beef, the slow-roasted rib ($34) benefits from being cooked overnight; it's fall-apart tender and you won't leave a morsel. Each main comes with a choice of sides (also available separately for $8), including juicy roasted corn and grilled cauliflower, which comes soft and creamy like mashed potato. The desserts (all $10) go for a kind of campfire comfort. Golden syrup dumplings are sweet and sticky, while the chocolate and marshmallow roast comes with McVities digestive biscuits to scoop up the mallow and chocolate sauce — kind of like a s’mores deluxe. Overall, this is a winning update of a particularly rustic and Australian brand of dining. Staff are unfailingly enthusiastic about the restaurant — and, chances are, you will be too.
For fans of beautifully made things, there can never be too many design markets. Now, the women behind Authentic Design Alliance and Factory Design District have announced another. DESIGN-MADE will span over three days from October 27–29 and focus on genuinely original, accessible and sustainable design pieces. For co-founders Kobe Johns and Anne-Maree Sargeant, the market has been some time in the making. They have each been in the sustainable design scene for years, both in various capacities. Johns is the one-woman show behind Factory Design District, a three-day exhibition of new and established Aussie designers which has formed the basis of DESIGN-MADE. Sargeant, a designer herself, has been attending and curating design markets since 1987. In her position as director of the Authentic Design Alliance, she's a strong advocate for originality in design and the ADA is also attempting to outlaw the grossly prevalent counterfeit trade that is hamstringing the Aussie furniture design scene. The event will be held across two venues — SUNSTUDIOS and the Fisher and Paykel Experience Centre — and is more than just a market. While the phrase 'a celebration of Australian design' is a little cheesy, it's probably more accurate. You can expect educational talks, book signings, workshops, installations and 'meet the maker' forums. Of course, there will also be craft beer, organic wine, yum cha and food trucks to fuel your browsing. Exhibitors include: CULT, Designer Rugs, Dinosaur Designs, Hava Studio, MUD Australia, Spence & Lyda, Archer Objects, Fresh Prince, Ilanel, Jonathan West, Tom Fereday and Tom Skeehan, along with installations from LOCAL DESIGN and Interpretations V, a design collective created by Andrew Simpson featuring eight leading Australian designers. Image: Fiona Susanto.
Wellington Paranormal is back for its fourth and final season, Rose Matafeo's rom-com sitcom Starstruck has just returned for its second batch of episodes, and now Taika Waititi and Rhys Darby's HBO Max pirate parody is less than a month away — yes, it's proving a fantastic time for TV comedies either made in New Zealand or starring NZ talent. And if you're particularly keen to say "ahoy!" to Waititi and Darby's Our Flag Means Death, here's some more great news: its just dropped an unsurprisingly hilarious full trailer. Sometimes, the world just handily delivers answers to questions you didn't even know you ever had. You might not have actively wondered to yourself "what'd happen if NZ treasures Taika Waititi and Rhys Darby played pirates?", for instance, but we're betting you're now keener than a buccaneer searching for a bottle of rum to discover how it turns out. And, arriving on Thursday, March 3 on Binge in Australia and Friday, March 4 on Neon in NZ, Our Flag Means Death will firmly answer that query. The ten-episode sitcom sees Darby lead the show as Stede Bonnet — who was a real-life pirate who took to the seas in the early 18th century. The reason that his story is getting the streaming treatment? Bonnet was a 'gentleman pirate', as both the initial teaser and just-dropped full trailer for Our Flag Means Death dubs him. He left his life of privilege to rove the oceans, which this comedy is set to have plenty of fun with. [caption id="attachment_840021" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Aaron Epstein/HBO Max[/caption] As the show's sneak peeks so far demonstrate, Bonnet has some bold ideas about how life onboard should run — bold compared to the usual pirate stereotypes, that is. And, that sees him clash with a very famous name from pirate history: Blackbeard, which is who Waititi plays, and who appears far more traditional with his views on the whole pirate caper.. The two immensely funny NZ talents are joined by a long list of co-stars that includes Ewen Bremner (First Cow), David Fane (Paper Champions), Nathan Foad (Bloods), Joel Fry (Cruella), Samson Kayo (Truth Seekers), Rory Kinnear (No Time to Die) and Leslie Jones (Death to 2020). And, while Our Flag Means Death is the brainchild of writer, showrunner and executive producer David Jenkins (People of Earth), Waititi directs the pilot — and executive produces, lending his name and support to another up-and-coming comedy after doing the same with Reservation Dogs last year. And yes, that means he's directing Darby yet again, as he's already done in everything from Flight of the Conchords and What We Do in the Shadows to Hunt for the Wilderpeople. Our Flag Means Death will drop three episodes on March 3, another three on March 10, then two episodes on both March 17 and March 24. Check out the full trailer for Our Flag Means Death below: Our Flag Means Death will start streaming in Australia via Binge on Thursday, March 3 and in New Zealand via Neon on Friday, March 4.
For those of you in the audience who love a movie adaptation, there's one that should be on your roster in 2024. The Color Purple is set to make a resounding return to the silver screen, and this time, it's been reimagined as a musical. The decades-spanning tale tells an extraordinary story of love and resilience, and a woman of colour's journey to independence and the bonds of sisterhood. Before you head to a cinema to see it for yourself, here are the five things you should know about The Color Purple — which is poised to captivate a new generation of viewers. 1. THE CULTURALLY SIGNIFICANT STORY WAS FIRST A PULITZER PRIZE-WINNING NOVEL Penned by American writer Alice Walker, The Color Purple made its mark as a Pulitzer Prize-winning novel when it was published in 1982. Told through letters, the narrative explores the complexities of race, gender and sexuality — themes that weren't widely written about at the time, let alone in a piece of popular fiction. The story follows the life of Celie, a Black woman in the early 20th century in Georgia in the USA's south, as she navigates oppression from society and patriarchal family structures and discovers the power of sisterhood. Merely two years after the novel was published, movie producers were knocking down Walker's door to adapt it for the big screen. This would mean the story would be brought to the attention of even more people, highlighting the struggles of women of colour. This latest version aims to bring a more hopeful and lifted atmosphere to the story. It has already been certified fresh on Rotten Tomatoes and smashed the US box office when it was released on Christmas Day. 2. STEVEN SPIELBERG AND OPRAH WINFREY RETURN TO BRING THE STORY TO A NEW GENERATION Alice Walker herself was highly involved in the first movie adaptation; she wrote the initial script draft and insisted on the film being produced with mostly Black talent in front of and behind the camera. The film was directed by Steven Spielberg in a departure from the blockbuster adventure and sci-fi flicks that had made him famous. It was also only the second movie that Spielberg made without his regular musical collaborator John Williams (who had composed the legendary scores for Jaws and the Indiana Jones movies), instead working alongside pop legend Quincy Jones on The Color Purple's musical score. Walker was initially sceptical, as was Spielberg, as he lacked the life experience of a person of colour in the deep south. But he did know how to make a damn good movie. The rest is cinematic history. This iteration of the story also saw the big-screen launch of Whoopi Goldberg and featured the first cinematic role for Oprah Winfrey. Winfrey has been a staunch supporter of The Color Purple and has been involved in most adaptations of the story for stage and screen. The trio of Spielberg, Quincy Jones and Oprah are all returning to breathe new life into this classic, this time as the film's producers (but keep an eye out for a brief onscreen return for one of the original film's main stars). 3. IT TELLS A POWERFUL COMING-OF-AGE TALE OF SISTERHOOD At its core, The Color Purple weaves a poignant and universally meaningful coming-of-age tale centred around the bonds of sisterhood. As Celie navigates her challenging journey, the connection she has with women in her life — her younger sister Nettie, the songstress Shug and the outspoken Sofia — becomes a source of strength, resilience and empowerment. In every adaptation of the tale, each of these women goes on their own journey. They each struggle and overcome their struggles with help from one another, help that is unasked for but gratefully received. Celie faces unfathomable hardships in her life, but through her relationships with these women, she finds her own way and, ultimately, her independence and sense of self. 4. THIS VERSION IS BASED ON THE BROADWAY STAGE MUSICAL Prepare to be swept away by soulful melodies because this adaptation is based on the acclaimed Broadway stage musical. Director Blitz Bazawule — a Ghanaian multimedia artist who was co-director of Beyonce's Black Is King and made his feature debut with the Afrofuturistic The Burial of Kojo — takes Walker's original novel and the screenplay by acclaimed playwright and WGA Award winner Marcus Gardley (I'm a Virgo), and incorporates elements from Spielberg's film adaption including an original song sung by the character Shug in the juke joint. The film's other songs woven throughout come from the hit musical, which debuted on Broadway in 2005 and won two Tony Awards for its revival in 2016. 5. YOU'VE SEEN ITS STARS BEFORE — AND YOU WILL AGAIN The ensemble cast of The Color Purple boasts a lineup of wildly talented familiar faces that have graced both stage and screen. Grammy- and American Idol-winner Fantasia Barrino is making her major motion picture debut and reprising her 2005 role from Broadway as lead character Celie. Joining her from the Broadway production is Danielle Brooks as Sofia (you'll probably recognise Brooks from her role as Tasha 'Taystee' Jefferson on Orange Is the New Black). She received a Tony nomination for her portrayal. Grammy-nominee Halle Bailey joins as the younger version of Nettie, Celie's younger sister. Bailey made literal waves as Ariel in the Disney live-action retelling of The Little Mermaid. The film also stars Oscar-nominee Taraji P Henson (Hidden Figures) as songstress Shug Avery, Tony-nominee and Emmy Award-winner Colman Domingo (Euphoria, Rustin) as Celie's abusive husband Mister and the film's main antagonist, and Tony Award-nominee Corey Hawkins (The Walking Dead, Straight Outta Compton) as Sofia's husband Harpo. Finally, rounding out the central cast is Oscar- and Grammy-winning artist H.E.R. (Judas and the Black Messiah). Other notables on the roster include Oscar-nominee Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor (King Richard), the legendary Louis Gossett Jr (An Officer and a Gentleman) and Oscar-winner Jon Batiste (Soul). Book your tickets now to see The Color Purple — only in cinemas from Thursday, January 25.
Maybe you lived through the 90s rave scene. Perhaps you spent every weekend enjoying club life in the 00s. Or, you might just wish you were old enough to have ticked both boxes. Ministry of Sound was around to see both, and now it's revisiting the experience — bringing back its massive Testament parties for another year, this time touring them around Australia over two weekends. If cutting loose like you've travelled back in time is your ideal way to mark absolutely anything, then you'll want to make a date with Testament when it hits up six Australian cities. For two nights each in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth, plus one-day-only stops in Adelaide and the Gold Coast, the event will have you making shapes to 90s and 00s bangers. [caption id="attachment_799510" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Ben Jones[/caption] More than 90 DJs will be hitting the decks between Friday, August 4–Sunday, August 13 across the tour. It's a choose-your-own-adventure type of affair, so fans of old-school tunes can hit up the session dedicated to 90s house, rave, trance and garage tracks, and lovers of 00s electro and breaks get their own shindig. Leading the bill at the 90s parties are Barbara Tucker, Inner City, Phil Hartnoll and Tall Paul, while The Bloody Beetroots, Digitalism, Freq Nasty and Stanton Warriors are their 00s counterparts. The roster of local DJs varies per show and per city, too, including everyone from Alan Thompson, Jason Digby, Barking Boy, Mark Dynamix and Jen E on the 90s bill, plus Groove Terminator, Goodwill, Kid Kenobi, Bang Gang Deejays and Andee Van Damage on the 00s lineup. MINISTRY OF SOUND: TESTAMENT 2023 DATES: Saturday, August 5 — 90s session at Overseas Passenger Terminal, Sydney Sunday, August 6 — 00s session at Overseas Passenger Terminal, Sydney Saturday, August 12 — 00s session at The Timber Yard, Melbourne Sunday, August 13 — 90s session at The Timber Yard, Melbourne Friday, August 4 — 00s session at Warner Laneway, Brisbane Saturday, August 12 — 90s session at Warner Laneway, Brisbane Saturday, August 5 — 00s session at Metro City, Perth Sunday, August 6 — 90s session at Metro City, Perth Friday, August 4 — 00s session at Unibar Adelaide, Adelaide Sunday, August 13 — 00s session at Miami Marketta, Gold Coast MINISTRY OF SOUND: TESTAMENT 2023 LINEUP: Barbara Tucker Inner City Phil Hartnoll [Orbital] Tall Paul The Bloody Beetroots Digitalism FreQ Nasty Stanton Warriors + 85 local DJs around the country Ministry of Sound: Testament 2023 will tour Australia in August. For further details, and to buy tickets — with pre-sale registrations until midnight on Monday, May 29, pre-sales from 8am on Tuesday, May 30 and general sales from 8am on Wednesday, May 31 — head to the event's website.
He's one of the most critically acclaimed and successful hip hop artists of our generation. He has 14 Grammys to his name, plus an Academy Award nomination for one of his contributions to the Black Panther soundtrack. He won the 2017 Triple J Hottest 100, and also became the first ever artist to take out the prestigious Pulitzer Prize for contemporary music in 2018. His last stadium shows Down Under, back in that same year, sold out ridiculously quickly, too — and he's coming back to Australia and New Zealand to play five huge gigs before 2022 is out. We're talking about Kendrick Lamar, of course, who has just announced a huge 'The Big Steppers' world tour in support of his just-dropped fifth solo studio album Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers — his first since 2017's DAMN., and also his first full-length release since 2018's Black Panther soundtrack. The Compton rapper will be heading to Perth, Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Auckland in December, to close out a global jaunt that starts in the US in July, then ventures through Europe before coming our way. The word you're looking for: alright. While fans can expect plenty of tracks from Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers, Lamar's extensive catalogue is sure to get a whirl — including tracks from 2011's Section.80, 2012's good kid, m.A.A.d city, 2015's To Pimp A Butterfly and, obviously, DAMN.. Lamar won't be taking to the stage solo, with Las Vegas rapper Baby Keem, aka Lamar's cousin, in support on all dates. Just like his last trip Down Under — when he also headlined Splendour in the Grass — expect tickets to get snapped up quicker than Lamar can bust out lyrics when they go on sale at 12pm local time on Friday, May 20. Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers literally just dropped yesterday, Friday, May 13, too, so there's your soundtrack sorted while you celebrate the tour news. KENDRICK LAMAR'S 'THE BIG STEPPERS' 2022 TOUR AUSTRALIA AND NZ DATES: Thursday, December 1 — RAC Arena, Perth Sunday, December 4 — Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne Thursday, December 8 — Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney Monday, December 12 — Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Brisbane Friday, December 16 — Spark Arena, Auckland Kendrick Lamar's 'The Big Steppers' tour will hit Australia and New Zealand in December. Tickets go onsale online at 12pm local time on Friday, May 20. Top image: Renell Medrano (@renellaice).
With Australia's borders firmly shut, international travel has been relegated to the realm of dreams, and it looks like it'll be staying there for a good long while. But if you're happy to pretend you're taking a getaway, Qantas has been offering up several products to help. First, it sold its pyjamas, amenity sets and other in-flight goodies. Then, it moved onto fully stocked bar carts. Now, the Aussie airline has released a luxe range of athleisure wear — the type of thing you'd don if you were heading off on holidays, obviously. Launched in collaboration with Australian designer Martin Grant, the new collection has a retro feel, too — because fondly recalling better times gone by is another thoroughly 2020 pastime. A number of Qantas' vintage logos are splashed across range, so you can choose between old-school lettering or the famed kangaroo motif. The collection spans a cashmere jumper, a hoodie, sweatshirts, t-shirts and a beach tote. Colour-wise, the range highlights the company's red and navy colour scheme, as well as grey and wattle yellow. And yes, it's definitely designed to make you feel nostalgic. "This collection is all about classic shapes, comfortable styles and materials that are kind on the environment. But the hero of the designs are the iconic logos that evoke so many fond memories for Australians," said Grant. If wearing an airline logo will make you feel like you've jetted far, far away, a word of warning: this limited-edition collection doesn't come cheap. If you're paying cash, you can expect to fork out $425 for a yellow or navy sweater, $275 for a navy hoodie, $250 for grey sweatshirts, $150 for a navy or grey t-shirt, and $350 for a navy beach tote — or part with a heap of Qantas points. You can buy Qantas' athleisure-wear collection online, using cash or points.
In news that everyone already knew, no one will be dancing in North Byron Parklands this winter, with Splendour in the Grass moving to November this year instead. Thanks to New South Wales' current COVID-19 outbreak, the lockdown to prevent its spread and the growing number of cases in other Australian states, no one will be making shapes in Sydney this July, either. That's when the fest was planning to host Splendour in the City, a nine-day Sydney pop-up slated for SITG's usual midwinter spot — but organisers have announced that the event has now been cancelled. In a statement on Monday, June 28, the festival's team pulled the plug on the mini fest, which was set to take place at Sydney's Overseas Passenger Terminal from Saturday, July 10–Sunday, July 18. "With Greater Sydney currently in lockdown until 9 July and COVID-19 outbreaks now evolving in other states, it has become impossible to progress with plans to move artists and staff around the country, and also to build the event in Sydney," the Splendour crew noted. "Organisers also acknowledge the health and safety of staff, volunteers and ticketholders is the foremost consideration in line with the health advice from authorities." Splendour in the City has been completely cancelled, rather than rescheduled, too — a decision made due to "uncertainty around venue and artist availability in coming months, and IRL Splendour in the Grass scheduled for November." Ticketholders will start receiving refunds automatically via Moshtix from today, Tuesday, June 29. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Splendour in the Grass (@splendourinthegrass) Splendour's virtual festival Splendour XR will still run online across the weekend of Saturday, July 24–Sunday, July 25 — and, at this stage, Splendour in the Grass itself is slated for Friday, November 19–Sunday, November 21. It's been a rough year or so for the music and events industry, for festivals in New South Wales and for Splendour. 2020's SITG was postponed from July until October, then completely scrapped. Also, plans to proceed in July 2021 as usual were pushed back, leading to the current November date. Splendour in the City was planning to host an array of beloved Australian artists such as SITG mainstays like Violent Soho, Illy, Vera Blue, Dune Rats and Tash Sultana, as well as two stacked nights of stand-up comedy and a whole heap of extras — all aiming to recreate as much of the OG Splendour experience as possible. If the full-sized Byron Bay edition of SITG goes ahead in November, it's set to do so with headliners Tyler, The Creator, The Strokes and Gorillaz; however, that's obviously all reliant upon COVID-19 restrictions allowing the event to take place. Splendour in the City will no longer run from Saturday, July 10–Sunday, July 18 at Sydney's Overseas Passenger Terminal. Ticketholders will start receiving refunds automatically via Moshtix from Tuesday, June 29.
The world's first wandering institution dedicated to showcasing the creative efforts of ordinary folks is coming to Australia. That'd be the Museum of Everything, which will head to Tasmania for a ten-month stint filled with pieces that you won't find in any other gallery. Launching during MONA's Dark Mofo in June, then running through until April 2, 2018, the Museum of Everything, the exhibition will feature over 1500 works in themed spaces, taking visitors on an informal journey through human making. Drawings, sculptures, paintings, ceramics, collage, photography, assemblage, found objects and installations will all be on display during its first trip to our shores. Starting in London in 2009, and touring to Paris, Venice, Moscow and Rotterdam since, the Museum of Everything aims to improve the profile of art that falls outside of the usual channels. Forget famous names — you won't find them here. Instead, lining its walls are works crafted by untrained, unintentional, undiscovered and and otherwise unclassifiable artists from the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries. Indeed, the people responsible for the kind of pieces favoured by the travelling display are compelled to channel their creativity into new, different and experimental works, but they don't fit the conventional definition of artists. As founder James Brett explains, "our artists do not create for the markets or museums. They make because they must and— from Henry Darger to Nek Chand Saini — have something vital to say about the essence of their lives". The Museum of Everything will exhibit at MONA from June 11, 2017 to April 2, 2018. For more information, visit the MONA website. Image: George Widener, c. 2007, Courtesy of The Museum of Everything.
It's about to be a whole lot easier to get your hands on Berkelo's crowd-pleasing breads and baked goods, with the bakery adding two new retail sites to its stable. Having clocked up two years in its original Brookvale space, owners Tom Eadie and Matt Durrant are gearing up to take a even bigger bite out of Sydney's Northern Beaches. The pair has opened the doors to a second cafe, on Mosman's Military Road, with a Mona Vale location soon to follow. Open daily, the new Mosman space is built around that same passion for simple, healthy fare that's made its sibling such a hit. It's slinging a range of revamped breakfast classics and seasonal lunch dishes, most of them starring Berkelo's legendary, long-fermented sourdough breads. Think, smashed avo with fermented vegetables, and duck served with mushrooms, onion jam and potato focaccia. You'll also find freshly baked croissants, a daily-changing lineup of generous sandwiches, and coffee made using Single Origin beans. And of course, there's plenty of that beloved Berkelo bread available to go, all naturally leavened and crafted with all-Aussie, unbleached stone-ground flours. Find Berkelo at 8 William Street, Brookvale, and 2/557 Military Road, Mosman. A third venue will open soon at 1/7 Bungan Street, Mona Vale.
Everyone's favourite uncle has moved to Sydney — and what's more, he bought cake. With over 70 stores worldwide, Australia has finally made the cut for the world famous, best-selling Uncle Tetsu's Japanese cheesecakes. So stick a spoon in your back pocket, fashion yourself a paper napkin pocket square and get in line for a slice of the action. The queue, of course, is long. Stupid long. There are crowd control barriers set up and dedicated staff with clipboards managing the flow. Sounds like overkill, but the precautions are necessary. People can do crazy things when made to wait for cake. On my first visit, I'm invited to join a pre-line a few doors down. A line to join the line? Sydney, take a good look at yourself. Ordering is straightforward. There are just two items on the menu: the famous Uncle Tetsu cheesecake ($17.99) and the honey madeleines ($4). If you had planned to stock up wartime-style on cheesecakes, think again — these babies are strictly limited to one per person. Like all serious foodies should — and if you've just waiting in two lines, chances are you're dead serious — we take our box immediately to the park to enjoy a still-warm slice. We carefully free the cake from its sheath of protective paper — inside is a snow-white cake with a golden burnished top, branded with the signature Uncle Tetsu stamp. We gasp. We clap. The cake is revealed to be incredibly light and fluffy. There is no biscuit base, as the style dictates, and having been baked in a water bath, the sides are moist like pudding. As for the taste, it's eggy and pancakey, with little sweetness. Resist the temptation to eat it all at once. When you cool it in the fridge it grows denser and crumbly, with a soft, sweet cheese flavour. In my humble opinion, it improves. One thing that will strike you is how overwhelmingly understated it is. It's refined and pure — a real backlash to the more is more, over-the-top desserts that Sydney has grown accustomed to (*cough* cronut *cough*). Butter, milk and eggs become distinct and delicious flavours, while complexity is delivered in the form of its ethereal lighter-than-air cotton consistency. Uncle Tetsu, methinks you're going to need another store. Image: Ryan La.
If you tuned into MasterChef last night, Monday, April, 13, you would have noticed a few things. Firstly, the show has three news judges: food writer Melissa Leong, Orana founder Jock Zonfrillo and Andy Allen of Three Blue Ducks. Secondly, Gordon Ramsay is weirdly nice (?). And lastly, Reynold Poernomo makes a damn fine dessert. Those familiar with the long-running show — which is now in its 12th season — will already know this, of course, with the Dessert King whisking and foaming for the cameras in the seventh season. Last night, though, Poernomo gave us a nice little reminder with his White Noise dessert — made with whipped coconut ganache, strawberry gun jelly, yoghurt gel and strawberry pebbles — which Ramsay called "breathtaking" (see, nice). Instead of Googling 'how to make Reynold Poernomo's all-white 'MasterChef' dessert', then realising you actually need liquid nitrogen and titanium dioxide to make it, you can order one of the Dessert King's cakes to your house. Yes, Poernomo has two Sydney dessert shops, in Chippendale and Ryde, called Koi, which he runs with his brothers Arnold and Ronald. In these COVID-19 times, both shops are offering Koirantine Cake Delivery, which means they're dropping off delicious desserts to a whole heap of suburbs across inner-city Sydney and the northern suburbs. Convenient. You know what's even more convenient? That White Noise dessert is on the menu, available for pick up or delivery from this Friday, April 17. We're sure it's not a coincidence in the slightest, but we're still excited. Also on the menu is a spiced chocolate brownie, a mascarpone tiramisu and a Red Fortune Jar layered with lychee pear, strawberry compote, rose and yuzu. You can order Koi Desserts for pick up or delivery over here.
In Australia, we remember the devastation of the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami even more than most of the world. It was right there, just over the Timor Sea, in places we've been to, or come from. Nearly 10 years later comes The Impossible, a film based on the experiences of a Spanish family who were holidaying in Khao Lak, Thailand at the time of the tsunami. They survive the impact but are separated and have to fight for their survival while trying their utmost to believe the rest of their family is alive somewhere, too. The film has earned Oscar and Golden Globes nominations for star Naomi Watts, and Ewen McGregor and newcomer Tom Holland are also said to impress. If drama doesn't sway you, go for the special effects, which use a stunning mixture of digital technology and real water surges created in a tank. The Impossible has not been without its controversy, specifically, for being a film about the South Asian tsunami that has basically no Asian people in it. And for making the Spanish family it's based on even whiter. But a bit of controversy just piques our interest at this point. See it and see it early, so you too can take a side. Concrete Playground has five in-season double passes to give away to The Impossible. To be in the running, make sure you're subscribed to our newsletter and then email hello@concreteplayground.com.au with your name and address. https://youtube.com/watch?v=HU4mXJRHIcQ
Elisabeth Moss has been on our screens for more than three decades, dating back to when she was just eight years old — and she's amassed an enviable resume that spans everything from The West Wing and Mad Men through to Girl, Interrupted and The French Dispatch over that time. But of late, from Jane Campion's Top of the Lake onwards, the two-time Emmy-winner has been loving thrillers. So, it should come as no surprise that her latest series falls firmly within the genre. Joining Moss' resume after The Handmaid's Tale, Queen of Earth, High-Rise, Us, Shirley and The Invisible Man, Shining Girls sees the acclaimed actor play the victim of a violent attack — a traumatic assault that saw her character, Kirby Mazrachi, put her plans to be a journalist on hold. Now, she's a newspaper archivist in Chicago, but her old terrors and dreams both get pushed to the fore when she hears about a new murder with similarities to her own incident. Soon, she's teaming up with experienced reporter Dan Velazquez (Wagner Moura, Narcos) to hunt down the culprit. That's just part of the new Apple TV+ show's setup, however. Also a key aspect of the story, as the just-dropped trailer shows: a blurring of reality, which unsurprisingly gets in the way of Kirby's quest. In the first sneak peek, she thinks she has a cat, then suddenly she has a pet dog instead — and that's just the beginning of the tale's mind-bending chaos. Where the show goes from there will start to be revealed from Friday, April 29, with the first three episodes dropping all at once, then future instalments arriving weekly. And if it all sounds familiar, that's probably because you've read Lauren Beukes' best-selling novel of the same name. Moss executive produces as well, and is also joined on-screen by Phillipa Soo (Hamilton), Amy Brenneman (Goliath) and Jamie Bell (Rocketman). Of course, the latter has been part of the film and TV landscape since he was a kid, too. Here, though, in a trailer that's both twisty and eerie — and instantly gripping — he looks worlds removed from Billy Elliott. Been obsessing over Apple TV+'s exceptional Severance lately? This might help fill the gap when its first season wraps up. And, obviously, it'll help tide you over until Moss' The Handmaid's Tale comes back as well. Check out the trailer for Shining Girls below: Shining Girls will start streaming Down Under via Apple TV+ on Friday, April 29.
Shaping up to be a standout exhibition is Chromatic Syncopation, opening at Firstdraft on March 3. It will feature three of our best contemporary artists — Reko Rennie, Ross Manning and Rebecca Baumann (of last year's Romance Was Born exhibition) — brought together for the first time. Harnessing a range of different media, each artist engages with processes of reproduction and mechanisation. They also share a deft understanding of patterns and colour schemes. Curated by Consuelo Cavaniglia, this show aims to explore points of harmony and discord. You can probably expect whirring colours and kinetic sculptures — a bit like a deconstructed rainbow. Odds are it will be a dynamic and stimulating experience. This event is one of our top ten picks of Art Month. Check out the other nine here. Image: Rebecca Baumann, Motion Study II (2009), wire bound books, industrial fans, dimensions variable, photography: Bewley Shaylor, image coutesy of the artist.
No one went to Splendour in the Grass in 2024, after the Australian music festival announced its dates and lineup, then ditched its plans. No one attended Groovin the Moo this year, either, after it went through the same cycle of reveals and cancellations. Harvest Rock hadn't gotten to the stage of unveiling its bill, but it is now the latest Aussie fest to pull the plug on its event for this year, also joining Spilt Milk, Summergrounds Music Festival and Dark Mofo. "After two years of eating, drinking and dancing in Adelaide, we've made the difficult decision to postpone Harvest Rock 2024," announced the festival team in a statement on both the event's website and its social media channels. "This decision was made to ensure that Harvest Rock continues to deliver the experience that our local, national and international fans have come to know and love into the future," the message continued. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Harvest Rock (@harvestrockfest) If you're wondering when Harvest Rock will be back, there's no confirmation of that as yet. "We look forward to delivering another amazing Harvest Rock in the future," the statement also advises. It was back in 2022 that Secret Sounds, the crew behind Splendour in the Grass, gave Australia another massive multi-day music festival. The big aim: to get everyone dancing in a park in Adelaide each spring, including interstaters heading to South Australia to enjoy the fest's travelworthy lineups. The first year welcomed Jack White, Groove Armada, The Avalanches, Crowded House and Courtney Barnett, for starters. 2023's second spin featured Jamiroquai and Beck doing Australian-exclusive shows, plus everyone from Sparks and Nile Rogers & Chic to Bright Eyes and Paul Kelly. [caption id="attachment_969733" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Ian Laidlaw[/caption] A two-day blend of music, food and wine — well, it is in SA — Harvest Rock has also spanned Adelaide's top restaurants and eateries serving up dishes, a culinary-focused stage and wine tastings in the two years that it has taken place. Upon debut, it instantly proved a success, attracting 15,000 attendees per day; however, that hasn't made it immune to Australia's spate of recent music festival cancellations. While Harvest Rock hadn't revealed its 2024 lineup, it did make tickets available for this year in 2023. If you snapped some up, you'll receive an automatic refund via however you purchased them within 14 days. Harvest Rock 2024, which was set to take place at Rymill Park / Murlawirrapurka and King Rodney Park / Ityamai-itpina, Adelaide, is no longer going ahead. Head to the festival's website for further details.
