Prepare to stare at the moon in all of its glory — up close, without a telescope and without zooming into space. Measuring seven metres in diameter and featuring renderings of the celestial body's surface based on NASA imagery, the Museum of the Moon is a detailed installation by UK-based artist Luke Jerram. The giant sculpture has been touring the world since 2016, displaying in New York, Hong Kong, Mumbai and plenty of spots around Europe. From June 29, 2019 it'll add Sydney to its orbit as part of a 200-item exhibition at the Powerhouse Museum marking the 50th anniversary of the famed moon landing. The looming artwork recreates the moon at a scale of approximately 1:500,000, with each centimetre equating to five kilometres of the lunar surface. And if you're wondering just how intricate the 120dpi imagery is, the high-resolution NASA photograph that it uses is 21 metres wide, and was taken by by a satellite carrying the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera. The spherical sculpture is lit from within, so it'll add a glow when it comes to the Powerhouse Museum. It also combines its imagery and light with a surround sound piece created by composer and sound designer Dan Jones, and just how each venue displays it is up to them. Basically, it's never the exact same installation twice. Its stint at the Powerhouse Museum will mark the Museum of the Moon's third visit Australia, following 12-day showing on the Gold Coast and a five-month stint at Melbourne's Scienceworks. And the floating sculpture won't be the only celestial fun happening in Sydney either. Other objects you'll find throughout the Apollo 11 exhibition include parts of the original Redstone Rocket and Parkes Radio Telescope, as well as a computer used by NASA to calculate the launch and landing. There'll be more immersive and interactive events happening, too, including a virtual reality experience in which you watch the moon landing, an interactive arcade game, tours of the observatory and a heap of talks by astronauts and astronomers.
First, Alexandria's sprawling all-day eatery (you know the one) was transformed into a sprawling wonderland of snow, sweets and flowers for The Nutcracker and the Four Realms. Then, it was filled with cherry blossoms, London lamps and kites for Mary Poppins Returns. Now, coinciding with the launch of Disney's live-action Aladdin, it's become The Grounds of 'Agrabah'. The setting — which is already gorgeous with or without Disney activations — is playing host to an otherworldly oasis, made up of a series of realms referencing those in the film. Inside the gold-filled Cave of Wonders, you'll find a magic lamp; at 10am, 12pm and 2pm everyday, the Genie will appear to grant you 'three wishes'. While we don't know exactly what that'll entail, we're hoping for free cake and cocktails (or, maybe, an endless Tim Tam packet). Continue walking and you'll enter the Palace Courtyard, Princess Jasmine's home, where you'll be able to relax on ottomans and cushions under palm trees. Hopefully, someone may even be on-hand to feed you grapes. Further still is the Market Place, channeling the souqs and bazaars of northern Africa and western Asia. Here, you'll find plenty of The Grounds' sweets and snacks, of course. For something more substantial, head across to the cafe for slice of the limited edition I Wish For More... Cake: a pistachio sponge layered with chocolate and orange blossom. Aladdin-themed cocktails will also be on offer at the Potting Shed and Garden Bar, including a a hibiscus and rosehip iced tea served in a giant magic lamp (you can, in theory, share this between two people) and a colour-changing guava and jasmine butterfly pea slushy. The Grounds x Disney's Aladdin will be open from 7am–9pm daily.
The vibrant suburbs of Balmain and Rozelle stand out as some of Sydney's most captivating and dynamic locales, a short ferry ride or light rail jaunt from the Harbour City's CBD. The area boasts an array of shops, pubs, cafes and restaurants in quaint Victorian-era buildings. Once humble blue-collar neighbourhoods, the suburbs have transformed into stylish hubs that entice residents, locals and tourists alike. Together with Balmain Rozelle Chamber of Commerce, we've curated this guide so you can make the most out of these suburbs in Sydney's inner west from day to night. Read on to discover some of our go-to spots to visit in Rozelle during the day, then flick the switch above, and we'll dim the lights to show the top spots to check out in Balmain once the sun starts to dip.
Merivale's latest George Street addition is thanks to the talents of Lebanese Australian Head Chef Simon Zalloua (The Collaroy, Rockpool). Part of the group's latest plan for the Ivy Precinct, which has also included the openings of Little Felix and Bar Totti's, Jimmy's Falafel is now open for both takeaway and dine-in — slinging mezze-style share plates, $16 cocktails and pitas aplenty. The Middle Eastern eatery boasts a late-night takeaway kiosk at the front and a lively bar at the back, both of which take design inspiration from kebab stores of the 1960s and 70s. The menu pulls influence from countries all across the region, including Egypt, Israel and Lebanon. As the name suggests, falafel is the star of the show here. Zalloua spent weeks travelling across Lebanon researching his recipe, which he then perfected over about three months (and 50 kilograms) of trial and error. The rest of the takeaway menu is especially vegetable heavy, too, with pitas filled with za'atar cauliflower, eggplant and falafel varieties (all $15) — as well as a late-night edition with lamb kafta, sumac onions and toum. [caption id="attachment_775853" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Nikki To[/caption] Meanwhile, in the bar, share plates are the name of the game. Expect mezze dishes like slow-cooked beans, barbecued eggplant salad, harissa-spiced fries and cabbage rolls. Another specialty is the kibbe nayeh, a Lebanese dish of raw beef, bulgur, seven spices and toum (garlic sauce). Off the charcoal grill come more Middle Eastern dishes, including chicken shawarma, za'atar calamari with pistachio and lamb kafta with hummus and aleppo peppers. For drinks, the wine list focuses on Lebanese and Greek drops, while the cocktail list offers six classics for just $16 a pop — including a spicy watermelon margarita, a rose old fashioned and a cobbler made using Havana Club rum, fino sherry, pomegranate and mint. Images: Nikki To
When Stanbuli closed, many Sydneysiders waited with bated breath to learn what would take its place in its iconic Enmore Road digs behind the Marie-Louise salon facade. While a sense of cynicism would have been warranted with Sydney's track record of preserving beloved venues, you can officially breathe a sigh of relief with the Porteno crew maintaining its ownership of the building, opening a much-hyped Spanish tapas bar in the space. Named after the salon that occupied the building from the 50s through until the 90s, Bar Louise maintains the eye-catching pink and purple facade while giving the interior a makeover of warm yellow walls, rich wooden tones and fake leafy vines, all reminiscent of a southern Spain wine bar. "We just want to make it a fun place everyone can come and drink wine and eat great food — open seven days a week," Porteno Founder Elvis Abrahanowicz told Concrete Playground. The star of the drinks menu is sherry, with more than 15 varieties available by the glass ($12–32). The signature drop is an ideal start or end to your meal, accompanied by a cocktail, Estrella or minimal-intervention wine. The cocktails at Bar Louise include a coffee negroni ($22), manhattan on the rocks ($20) and Sangria de Maria Lousie ($15), while the wine list showcases tipples from Spain, Australia, Italy, Portugal, Argentina and France. Once you've ordered your opening glass of sherry, your attention will move to the food. The Pulpo a la Gallega octopus ($28) is an absolute highlight, served with potato, aioli and pimento chilli, but there's plenty here for vegetarians, pescatarians and meat-lovers to all discover. Kick things off with your choice of starters which range from gildas ($6) and paleta ibérico served with chips ($32) to mussel escabeche ($16). From there you can get a little heftier with your choices, with some of the exciting options available including charcoal-grilled eggplant and capsicum ($20), garlic and parsley mushrooms ($26), potato and prawn salad ($24), fried pork belly ($26) and thick-cut chorizo in a cider sauce ($26). The chorizo is made in-house, and a lot of the bar snacks are house-cured with the help of Continental Deli Co-Owner and Manager Michael 'Mikey' Nicolian. And, fans of Stanbuli, never fear — the former Head Chef Ibrahim Kasif is opening a manoush restaurant and wine bar with the renowned hospitality team behind NOMAD.
Erskineville's Naked Brew doesn't just let you bring your pup along to brekkie, it has a whole menu dedicated to dogs. If you're into matching your meal with your doggo's, this cafe especially caters to you. Settle into one of the outdoor tables and order coffees for you and your furry friend — their's is the doggie-chino topped with frothed goat's milk and liver sprinkles. For eats, pair your apple crumble brioche French toast with a doughnut for the pup (maybe the pup-safe peanut butter variety). If you're both on a health kick, the menu also offers plenty of veg brekkie options along with fresh pressed juices for you, plus a peanut butter and blueberry smoothie for your pup. Overall, the cafe's laidback vibes and friendly staff give you and your best mate the perfect excuse to laze the day away. Images: Mad Men Media
A shiver shot through me somewhere halfway through The Sapphires. It was the point at which I realised I was watching a film that would go on to be a hit of The Castle- or Muriel's Wedding-esque proportions, an icon of Australiana that we treasure and quote and buy on successive video formats. And it stars four Indigenous women and an Irish guy. This is, we can assuredly say, a bit of a moment. First-time director Wayne Blair (with Tony Briggs and Keith Thompson scripting and the excellent Warwick Thornton behind the lens) from the get-go crafts a warm, relatable, charmingly mundane world for his Cummeraganja songbirds — protective Gail (Deborah Mailman), brash Cynthia (Miranda Tapsell), and the baby of the group, perfectly aware of her supereminent lung capacity, Julie (Jessica Mauboy). Staring down an inhospitable crowd at a pub talent competition, the sisters do manage to pick up one fan, drifter/pianist Dave (Chris O'Dowd, bona fide Bridesmaids celeb continuing to carve out his niche in adoreableness). He convinces them to ditch "shite" country music for soul, and they convince him to help them take the next step in their singing career. Recruiting their urbane, fair-skinned cousin Kay (Shari Sebbens), from whom they've long been separated, they prepare to head to Vietnam to entertain the American troops. The Sapphires is a feelgood film with mainstream sensibilities, so prepare yourself for every kind of musical cliche here, including the Rehearsal Montage (from learning to dance to learning the true meaning of soul) and Winning Arguments by Opening One's Mouth to Sing and Allowing the Purity of One's Talent to Do All the Communicating. That's one thing that got everyone on their feet at Cannes, but it's not the only thing; this is a winningly funny and upbeat flick that also works within its genre limitations in smart ways, and it is ultimately, appropriately, soulful. It's set in 1968, one year after the Constitution was changed to count Indigenous Australians in the census, three years after the Freedom Rides shone a spotlight on racial segregation in outback towns, and within the period when Aboriginal children were still being forcibly removed from their families. These events flicker behind the girls' personal lives. The characters are presented as archetypical girls next door, but The Sapphires also draws a very nuanced picture of Aboriginality as the girls experience not only prejudice but liberation. Soul music connects them to a movement and allows them self-expression, while their tour to Vietnam — performing to American troops, whose young black men are substantial in number — gives them the opportunity to make an impression for something other than the colour of their skin. It also gives them the opportunity to pursue various romances against the backdrop of Saigon's fading glamour, which they do, with gusto. Do not let any prejudice you have about Australian movies keep you from seeing The Sapphires; there is nothing parochial about it nor a bum note in the mix. The Sapphires' tune is all about salvaging something sparkling when the situation looks like pure muck, so it's a joyous moment when a recent photo of the four women flashes onto the screen and you're reminded that the story is based on lives really lived. The Sapphires is gorgeous and could prove to be the best iteration yet of the argument that comedy is healing. https://youtube.com/watch?v=6Ljho1cyEfg
Sydney's iconic Portuguese chicken institution since 1989, Frango has opened its latest outpost in the Marrickville Metro, and to celebrate, it's hosting a Family Fun Fair on Saturday, October 7 and Sunday, October 8. Frango's first chicken shop was opened in Petersham in 1989 by the Fernandes family, who entranced chicken lovers in the Inner West with their signature hot, rich and creamy chilli sauce. It led to eight other locations — including Sydney's first-ever charcoal chicken drive-thru in Edmondson Park. Luis Fernandes Jnr, son of the Frango founders, and his wife Rima Fernandes are helming the business growth across Sydney, including this latest location in Marrickville. Luis grew up in the suburb and is passionate about bringing his family's legacy to the local community. Besides offering lots of parking options and longer opening hours, the Marrickville Metro location will offer all the same menu items as Petersham and is equipped with plenty of al fresco seating. Frango was an instant hit with Sydney chicken lovers over 30 years ago with its fusion of traditional Portuguese charcoal cooking and the rich flavours of the founders' Angolan heritage to produce succulent chicken. At the grand opening on Saturday, October 7, there'll be chicken slathered in the signature chilli sauce, of course, as well as face painting, balloons for kids and lots of freebies to take home. Two more stores are confirmed to be opening soon, and the family have said they are scouting more drive-thru locations so Sydneysiders all over the city can enjoy some charcoal chicken. Frango Portuguese Charcoal Chicken at Marrickville Metro is open from 10.30am–9pm from Monday to Saturday and 10.30am–8pm on Sunday. The Family Fun Fair is happening all day on Saturday, October 7.
Childish Gambino (real name: Donald Glover) is no ordinary artist. The American do-it-all, who took his stage name from a Wu-Tang Clan name generator, has a stacked resumé which includes Golden Globe winner, Grammy winner and Star Wars character. It should be no surprise then that his live show is not your average stand-behind-a-microphone experience. Glover announced via Twitter this morning that he is bringing his concert experience PHAROS to New Zealand this year. Described as an immersive virtual reality, multi-sensory concert experience, the event will be held over three days from November 23–25 at an undisclosed location near Auckland Airport — Concrete Playground Auckland's calling the vines and rolling pastures of Villa Maria Estate. The festival was first held in Joshua Tree, California, where Glover debuted material from Awaken, My Love inside a VR dome with collaborators. Episodes of his award-winning series Atlanta screened inside an amphitheater and an "Illumination Forest" projected art from inside the dome. Mystery is a big part of the experience; the first edition saw attendees seal their phones in lock bags for the duration of the concert. Glover told Vanity Fair that PHAROS is "meant to be a communal space—a place that evolves and reacts to the culture". "We aren't tied to a format and that lets us adapt in a way that others can't. We're selling real intimacy. We protect the experience and it becomes something you genuinely share with the people around you and you take away something special. We're looking at expanding the world in 2018—there will be more artists involved." Tickets are on sale now via the PHAROS app. Source: Vanity Fair.
Sydney was almost there with Stitch. But the latest addition to Wentworth Ave brings a real slice of New York City to Surry Hills: The Soda Factory, in the old home of Tone nightclub, is our first bar to be hidden behind a fully functioning business. Owner Graham Cordery (Experience Entertainment)'s first thought was to have the place concealed by an NY-style pizza joint. Frankie's got there first, so what you're looking for instead is a kitschy neon sign reading 'Bobby's Boss Dogs'. Bobby's draws the comparison to New York's Crif Dogs, the entrance to clandestine East Village cocktail lounge PDT, and lives up to the latter's reputation. For just $9, the Johnny Drama (beef sausage topped with bacon, sour cream, avocado and tomato salsa) straddles the line between gourmet and good old-fashioned grub. The only thing fake in Bobby's is the Coke machine. Pull on the handle and you're inside The Soda Factory – a dimly lit industrial expanse lined with inviting booths and comfy mid-century sofas. Mitchell Warters of Richard Branson's members-only Rooftop Gardens in London is in charge of the drinks menu, so cocktails are the name of the game. In keeping with the factory theme there are boozy root beer floats ($14) and share siphons ($30 - $35) for groups, which will get you five or six sparkling old school cocktails plus some great Instagram opportunities. And for those who can't stomach the idea of alcohol and ice cream, the Chocolate Passionfruit Martinis ($17) is a potent blend of rich liquor with just a hint of sweetness that won't leave you wondering where your money went. The Soda Factory's other draw card is music. So far Cordery and his business partner Michael Chase have roped in some rather heavy-hitting acts (including the legendary Grandmaster Flash) and Electric Empire, but sound levels allow for both dancing and engaging in just-audible conversation. On school nights smaller bands play acoustic sets and local DJ's spin '50s rock 'n' roll. With a little grubbying up of the interior and a few smart additions to the food menu (Chase is trained chef from a family of food-loving Italians and plans to roll out a '50s-inspired share plate menu), The Soda Factory should really be able to make the most of its late-night trading license. As it stands the weekly specials are worth cabbing it for, with Tuesdays offering $1 dogs and Wednesdays featuring a $5 menu of carb-laden snacks inspired by Tarantino films. Whether you kick on here or elsewhere, there are few better ways to start a night off.
We're in the thick of summer festivals, and organisers of Splendour in the Grass and Falls Festival have launched a brand newie: Sydney City Limits. A sister festival for Texan mega-fest Austin City Limits, Sydney's version will be a one-day all-ages event full of music, food, art and market stalls aplenty. Gracing four stages in Sydney's Centennial Park will be a serious lineup of Australian and international artists. Over 30 huge names — including international acts Justice, Beck, Phoenix and Grace Jones, and local artists Gang of Youths, Tash Sultana, Vance Joy, Dune Rats and Allday — will converge on the inner-city park for the festival. Not a bad debut lineup. You'll also be nourished by a handful of Sydney's top chefs, restaurants and food trucks, all curated by the team behind Mary's and The Unicorn. And just like the festival's American counterpart, the creative arts will get a strong representation here, too. You'll be able to explore an openair art space that showcases snapshots of the city through painting, street art, photography, video and performance art by Sydney artists. There will also be artisan markets, with the opportunity to bring home fashion, jewellery, art and merchandise.
If you were planning to fly with Bonza today, Tuesday, April 30, your travel plans have changed. The budget Australian airline has suspended its flights across the country — a move that the carrier says is short-term while it works out a plan to stay operational. In a statement, Bonza CEO Tim Jordan advised that "Bonza has temporarily suspended services due to be operated today, as discussions are currently underway regarding the ongoing viability of the business". "We apologise to our customers who are impacted by this and we're working as quickly as possible to determine a way forward that ensures there is ongoing competition in the Australian domestic aviation market," the statement continues. When it launched in 2023 with the backing of US private investment firm 777 Partners, which also has a hand in Canada's Flair Airlines and the Southeast Asian-based Value Alliance, Bonza gave Aussies a new option for flying. Its angle: a low-cost carrier with a particular focus on opening up routes to more of the country's regional destinations. It was in January last year that Jordan announced that the airline received its Air Operator Certificate (AOC) from the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA). "This is an historic moment for Australian aviation as we get ready to launch the first high-capacity airline in more than 15 years, and the country's only independent low-cost carrier," said Jordan at the time. "With the approval from CASA, 2023 is set to be the year of seeing more of your own backyard for less." Since then, on planes given names as Aussie as the airline's itself — aka Bazza, Shazza, Sheila, Malc, Matilda and Bruce — Bonza has serviced locations such as Bundaberg, Cairns, Gladstone, Mackay, Rockhampton, the Sunshine Coast, Toowoomba, Townsville and the Whitsundays in Queensland; Albury, Tamworth, Coffs Harbour, Newcastle and Port Macquarie in New South Wales; and Melbourne, Avalon and Mildura in Victoria. It operates out of two bases: the Sunshine Coast and Melbourne's Tullamarine Airport. Onboard, patrons tuck into an all-Australian in-flight menu, spanning both food and craft beer. While Jordan's statement on Tuesday, April 30 only references suspending flights for that specific date, there's no word yet when the carrier will be back in the air. At the time of writing, the brand's website currently includes the same message. For more information about Bonza, head to the airline's website.
Sydney is currently experiencing a wave of new hotel openings. From the sleek-as-hell Ace Hotel and the lavish Capella Sydney to exciting upcoming openings like the forthcoming W Hotel, the Harbour City is awash with flash new accommodation providers. On top of all of this, a five-star Sydney favourite has just received a multimillion-dollar transformation with heritage CBD hotel Swissôtel unveiling its new look, Euro-influenced rooftop pool and grand lobby bar. Both the bar and pool are located high in the sky, nestled among Sydney's high rises. Enter the hotel from Market Street and head up to level eight to find Arches On Market, a no-holds-barred dining and drinking experience within the building's pre-existing 1930s lobby. A luxurious fit-out has brought new life to the space, and an award-winning chef now heads up the kitchen, serving up a selection of finger food and bar snacks. Take your pick from intimate booths, relaxed lounge seating and the more formal dining space, or take a seat at the eight-metre-long Calacatta marble bar where you can really analyse the cocktail list with the bartenders to determine the beverage your heart truly desires. On the drinks menu, you'll find the signature martini served straight out of the freezer and garnished depending on your preference, as well as sours, cobblers and a twist on an Old Fashioned. Executive Chef John Giovanni Pugliano has pulled together a snack menu that will have you cancelling your dinner reservations elsewhere. Oysters, finger sandwiches, goats cheese and caramelised onion croquettes, prawn cocktails and pork terrine all make appearances alongside caviar and mandarin cheesecake. These vibrant cocktails and stellar eats are all calling to be enjoyed poolside, and hotel guests are in luck with the Arches fare available at the new rooftop pool. This inner-city oasis now boasts built-in cabanas and sun-soaked day beds, as well as booths set up to accommodate a spread of snacks from the lobby bar. Pristine white pool club-style walls surround the timber deck, giving the sky-high swim spot a sense of privacy without shutting it off from the sun and the surrounding skyline. The new-look 369-room hotel and all of its fresh amenities are open now. Rooms start from just over $350 a night and include access to the Ten Stories restaurant, Arches on Market, the rooftop pool and the wellness and spa facilities, all in the heart of the Sydney CBD. Swissôtel Sydney is located at 68 Market Street, Sydney. Restaurant images: Steven Woodburn
When Friday rolls around and the clock ticks 6pm, beloved local cafe Grind packs away the coffee beans, pulls out the bar stools and transforms into Cony's — a South American-inspired bar serving up delicious alcoholic concoctions and all of the tapas your heart desires. At this weekend-only haunt , you can try tropical cocktails aplenty — or, expand your espresso martini horizons, with the salted caramel and dark chocolate varieties. The latter is served with a Lindt ball on a cocktail stick. For food, Cony's guacamole is made fresh to order, the salmon ceviche is sourced locally and the empanadas are lovingly handmade. You can't really go wrong with any of it. Grab a seat at one of the street-side tables and enjoy your drink and eats with a spot of people-watching in the summer air. Images: Zane Wilson, Wilson Visuals
Sydney Theatre Company has lifted the curtain on Folio, an appropriately dramatic bar and supper club set inside the Roslyn Packer Theatre. Inspired by the great theatre bars and speakeasies of New York, the sleek Walsh Bay venue is designed to be far more than a pre-show pitstop, welcoming anyone in search of an elegant hideaway for cocktails, bar snacks and late-night conversation. Designers Like Minds Studio have wrapped the room in a rich palette of plums, reds and golds, creating an atmosphere that evokes sitting inside a negroni. Plush velvet banquettes, chrome-edged tables and an ornate walnut-and-marble bar form a warm, enveloping backdrop, while deep-plum leather drapery reimagines the classic stage curtain as a central motif. Soft lighting and an amphitheatre-like seating arrangement set the tone for lively pre-show drinks and intimate nightcaps alike, backed by modern jazz and the occasional DJ or live set. The sense of theatre extends to a cocktail menu by award-winning bar consultant Charlie Ainsbury. Reimagined classics anchor the offer: the House Bellini, for example, sees seasonal fruit sorbet and prosecco whisked to order at the bar, while the ice-cold Flame of Love martini is poured tableside and finished with a flamed orange zest. The Infinity Old Fashioned presents a tempting proposition for whisky fans — a build-your-own old fashioned in which your chosen whisky is mixed with a mother blend of every whisky on the back bar, ensuring no two pours are ever the same. The food offering takes its cues from late-night supper clubs — like the cocktails, the menu is built around familiar dishes given a contemporary spin. Start with cold cuts from LP's Quality Meats or Yamba prawns roasted with curry mayo, before moving to heartier fare like David Blackmore wagyu lasagna crowned with truffle pecorino, the hefty Folio Burger stacked with Pino's smoked bacon and served with a fried pickle, or playful late-night classics like poutine, buttermilk fried chicken and confit garlic bread. Dessert keeps the drama going, led by a chocolate mousse with whisky miso caramel served tableside from a big bowl. Open Wednesday to Saturday (and whenever performances run), Folio sits in the heart of the Walsh Bay Arts Precinct, adding an elegant and quietly theatrical new layer to one of Sydney's most beloved cultural neighbourhoods. [caption id="attachment_1053282" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Trent van der Jagt[/caption] Images: Trent van der Jagt.
You've heard us sing the praises of Sierra Escape before. The adults-only retreat in Mudgee is one of the best glamping spots in NSW — and it's just given you one more reason to book a country escape stat. Sierra Escape has launched a luxe new tiny house, dubbed Elouera, from the Indigenous term 'beautiful place'. The charming, eco-friendly tiny house is perched atop a hill on the 280-acre property, offering sweeping views of the landscape and native wildlife via its floor-to-ceiling windows. Elouera is crafted from a repurposed shipping container and is equipped with state-of-the-art amenities. We're talking a sleek designer kitchen, a spacious bathroom and an indoor fireplace. The luxury spills outdoors, too — you can get cosy by the fire pit, cook up a feast on the Weber barbecue and wash away your city slickin' stresses in the outdoor bath or shower. Owners Natascha and Cameron D'Arcy have been working on this addition for over five years. "We're so excited to be able to bring this beautiful tiny house to life, and we can't wait to share its magical experience with our guests," the couple says. Though the studio is in a secluded part of the property, guests can access Sierra Escape's other coveted amenities, like the swimming pool. The team can also connect you to local providers to level up your stay with experiences like massages, private yoga classes and guided kayaking. If you're keen to venture out of your luxury cocoon for a while, Mudgee's town centre is just a 20-minute drive away. There are around 40 family-owned wineries to check out, plus top-notch dining and boutique shopping. Sierra Escape's new tiny house Elouera is available to book online. For more information, head to the website.
Mean Girls is returning to the big screen — this time with songs and dancing joining the high school-set story about cliques, popularity and the general chaos of being a teenager. In the works since 2020, the new Mean Girls film doesn't just remake the OG 2004 movie two decades later, but adapts the stage musical based on that movie. So, yes, this tale about the Plastics, a burn book and new student Cady Heron went from being a flick to treading the boards, and is now charting the opposite course. When it leapt from the screen to the stage in 2018, Mean Girls not only found a second life in the theatre, but did so with tunes and fancy footwork. Unsurprisingly, the production was a hit. With the musical's book written by Tina Fey (Mr Mayor), just like the original feature — and its songs composed by her husband Jeff Richmond (Girls5eva), with lyrics by Tony-nominee Nell Benjamin (The Sea Beast) — this favourite struck just as much of a chord with audiences when set to music. Now, expect that experience in cinemas. Given that the all-singing, all-dancing show's tracks have highly appropriate names such as 'Meet the Plastics', 'World Burn' and 'Someone Gets Hurt', winning over audiences was to be expected. Also easy to predict: the musical's jump back to movies from Broadway, with the end result arriving Down Under on Thursday, January 11, and just dropping its first trailer. The film is releasing on a Thursday, but you'll still want to wear pink. And, as with the Lindsay Lohan (Falling for Christmas) and Rachel McAdams (Dave)-starring film from 20 years ago, as well as the stage musical that followed, audiences will be basking in Fey's talents. Again, she wrote the initial feature's screenplay, and now does the same on this second effort. She also produces with Saturday Night Live's Lorne Michaels. In the directors' chairs: Samantha Jayne and Arturo Perez (Quarter Life Poetry: Poems for the Young, Broke & Hangry). As seen in the debut sneak peek — which is light on songs, admittedly — the story remains the same, obviously. So, the film still charts Cady's rough adjustment to American high-school life after spending the bulk of her childhood living in Africa, plus her time spent with the resident popular group, aka the Plastics. Australian actor Angourie Rice (Spider-Man: No Way Home) plays Cady this time around, while The Sex Lives of College Girls' Reneé Rapp reprises her role as Regina George from the stage version. Also featuring: Bebe Wood (Love, Victor) as Gretchen and Avantika (also The Sex Lives of College Girls) as Karen, plus Christopher Briney (The Summer I Turned Pretty) as Aaron Samuels, Auli'i Cravalho (The Power) as Janis and screen debutant Jaquel Spivey as Damian — as well as Jon Hamm (Good Omens), Jenna Fischer (Splitting Up Together), Busy Philipps (Girls5eva), Ashley Park (Only Murders in the Building), Tim Meadows (I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson) and Fey herself among the adults. Check out the so fetch trailer for Mean Girls below: Mean Girls releases in cinemas Down Under on Thursday, January 11. Images: Jojo Whilden/Paramount © 2023 Paramount Pictures.
Opening this November, a historical event 3000 years in the making is coming to Sydney's Australian Museum. Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs will be an unmissable exhibition for any lover of history, arts and culture. As the name suggests, the exhibition profiles Pharaoh Ramses II, often referred to as Ramses the Great. So great in fact was Ramses, that in his 90-plus years of life he held the second-longest reign of all Pharaohs, a ruler so respected that many of his subjects feared the world would end when he died in 1213 BCE. The world kept turning but Ramses II left a permanent mark on Egypt — nine future pharaohs would be his namesake out of respect. And statues and artefacts from his reign still exist today — including the 181 objects bound for this exhibition comprising sarcophagi, animal mummies, royal masks, jewellery, amulets and other golden items from the ruler's tomb. Chief among them is the sarcophagi (royal coffin) that Ramses himself was entombed in on its first tour outside of Egypt. Many of these objects have never left Egypt before, let alone landed on Australian shores, with the entire collection loaned and supported by the Egyptian government. You can also upgrade your ticket to include a multisensory VR experience, allowing you to step inside two of the most significant structures from the era — the tomb of Queen Nefertari and the temples of Abu Simbel. Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs opens on Saturday, November 18 and will run until Sunday, May 19, 2024. For more information or to book tickets, visit the Australian Museum website.
There's a reason Enmore Road was the inaugural Special Entertainment Precinct, granting it special privileges when it comes to live entertainment, opening hours and al fresco dining. It's a smorgasbord of food and culture, offering up spaces for just about any occasion — including plenty of spots to catch live music. You'll find big-name acts performing at the Enmore Theatre, metal bands riffing at the Duke of Enmore and fresh acts cutting their teeth at the Midnight Special. On top of all of this, there are a couple of standout mid-sized gig rooms offering up just about everything under the sun — like The Trocadero Room, the throwback live music venue from the Earl's Juke Joint team. The 150-capacity spot occupies the former HiWay Enmore spot alongside The Magpie. From the start, Trocadero has hosted every kind of gig imaginable from beloved Sydney bands to comedy nights and evenings dedicated to reggae, scuzzy punk lineups and all sorts of dance parties. Adding to the charm is a nostalgic drinks menu, featuring retro cocktails like Midori Illusions, alongside classics like spicy margaritas, local craft beers and a range of wines.
Enmore Road has long been a go-to destination for excellent entertainment and nightlife. From the iconic Enmore Theatre to knockout cocktail bars, beloved pubs and incredible restaurants, it's easy to see why the Inner West strip attracts so many. This spring, the Inner West Council is showing its support of the entertainment precinct by trialling a new program that allows businesses to trade later and hold events without the red tape. That means comedy shows popping up in hair salons, Sydney Fringe Festival acts taking over bars and live music gigs having even more rooms to ring out loud in. Whether you're heading there for dinner, drinks, a show or all of the above, here are our top picks for the next time you visit the beating heart of the Inner West.
For decades, feasting your way through a Sizzler buffet was a regular part of Australian life. Families headed to the all-you-can-eat chain for special occasions, teenagers went along to gorge themselves full of bottomless soft drink and soft serve (and combine the two, obviously), and absolutely everyone couldn't get enough of the brand's beloved cheese toast. But, over the past few years, Sizzler restaurants have been shutting down around the country. Soon, they'll all be gone — with Collins Foods Limited, the company that owns and runs Sizzler in Australia, announcing that it is shutting down the chain's last remaining stores. Those nine restaurants — five in Queensland, three in Western Australia and one in New South Wales — will all close by November 15. So if you're eager for one last excuse to break out your stretchiest pants and indulge in a big dose of nostalgia (and food), you'll need to head to Mermaid Beach, Loganholme, Caboolture, Maroochydore and Toowoomba in the Sunshine State, Innaloo, Kelmscott and Morley in WA, and Campbelltown in NSW to hit the salad bar a last time. Collins Foods has been scaling down Sizzlers' footprint since 2015, when it announced that the brand was "no longer considered to be core to the company's strategic growth". In the half-decade since, 19 Sizzlers have shut down around the country. With COVID-19 now affecting the hospitality industry — and, unsurprisingly, people's eagerness to eat from buffets — Collins Foods has now completely called time on its endless soup, salad, fruit, pasta and dessert (and its regular menu of meals, too; however we all know they were never the drawcard). Announcing the news in a statement to the Australian Stock Exchange, Collins Foods Chief Executive Officer Drew O'Malley said that this was "not a decision we take lightly, especially for a brand as beloved as Sizzler, which has been such an important part of the Collins Foods' history". Collins Foods will continue to licence the Sizzler brand in Asia — so, when Australians are allowed to leave the country for holidays again, perhaps an overseas trip to the buffet can be in your future. In Australia, the Brisbane-based company also operates KFC and Taco Bell. Sizzler's nine remaining stores — in Mermaid Beach, Loganholme, Caboolture, Maroochydore and Toowoomba in Queensland, Innaloo, Kelmscott and Morley in WA, and Campbelltown in NSW — will all close by November 15, 2020. For more information about Sizzler, head to the chain's website. Top image: RegionalQueenslander via Wikimedia Commons.
Slow motion drips, close-up pourovers, helicoptered overheads of sprawling plantations — Brandon Loper knows how to write a love letter to his favourite bean-shaped subject. Premiering his straight-up stunning A Film About Coffee in Seattle in April, Loper's celebrated project has been subject to pretty limited screenings worldwide. Lucky for coffee fiends and doco lovers, the film is now available to stream online (for a teeny fee, just over the price of a cappuccino). Created with adorably-named production company Avocados and Coconuts, A Film About Coffee is an indulgence for the eyes and a bit of a wake-up call (fittingly), meandering through the story of specialty coffee from its organic beginnings to your morning cup. Loper's jaw-dropping cinematography makes for some serious foodporn — any hardcore baristas or coffee tragics need to get over here — but also captures some intimate interviews with the world's top coffee aficionados (featuring Kent Bakke, Devin Chapman, James Freeman, Katie Carguilo, Chris Owens, Darrin Daniel, Peter Giuliano, Eileen Hassi Rinaldi, Kyle Glanville, George Howell, Michael Phillips, Ben Kaminsky and Kevin Bohlin). While the film is scheduled to screen throughout Europe, the UK, US and Canada, plans haven't yet been announced for an Australian screening. For now, you can rent the film at home and stream until your caffeine addiction's content. Just throw the team a measly $4.99 for a 72-hour streaming rental (or $12.99 to own it, if that's a Thing any more) and hold your own screening with all the cheaper-than-Event-Cinemas popcorn you bloody well want. Here's the trailer, so, so pretty. Via Daily Coffee News.
Right now 3D printing is best known for its fun applications, such as making action figures of yourself or of your foetuses. But 3D printing is also a technology that's hugely useful and has the potential to reshape many industries. Somewhere in between is the 'Landscape House', the first 3D printed house, to be built in 2014. The house, by Janjaap Ruijssenaars of Dutch architecture studio Universe Architecture, has a two-storey design in the form of a single, flowing Mobius band. The architect worked with mathematician and artist Rinus Roelofs to develop the design, which will be printed in pieces and then assembled (ruining our daydream of a giant, multi-storey printer that spits out houses existing somewhere in the world). The Landscape House is part of the Europan competition, which gives 15 architects 15 blocks of land and two years to create something impressive with. Via 3ders. Images from Universe Architecture. Read more about 3D printing in our interview with The Beehive.
There's no denying that Sydney thrives during summer. The warmer weather means taking advantage of our enviable beaches, countless al fresco dining spots and watching, or playing, as many outdoor sports as possible. So, when the colder weather hits — which, for Sydneysiders, basically translates to anything below 20 degrees — we can often be at a loss as what to do. On one hand, you're rejoicing that the sweaty, sleepless nights are behind you, but on the other, you don't want to spend the next few months in social hibernation. To celebrate the launch of Coopers Session Ale, a refreshing brew with tropical notes that can be enjoyed regardless of the season, we've rounded up the city's best activities to keep the summer fun going — all year round. TAKE A DIP IN AN OUTDOOR HEATED POOL Summer may be over, but that doesn't mean you need to pack away the swimming costume and goggles. Sydney boasts a host of heated outdoor pools (including Prince Alfred Park Pool and Victoria Park Pool) so you can keep your lap count up all year round. Our pick is North Sydney Olympic Pool — it has a prime position beside Luna Park, which means looking up at the Harbour Bridge as you backstroke. Workout complete, pick up a six-pack of Session Ales on your way home, you've earned them. CAMP IN COMFORT It may be frowned upon by the more hardcore nature junkies, but glamping is truly the best of both worlds: you get to swap the city chaos for serene nature surroundings without sacrificing those homely creature comforts. One of our favourite spots is Tandara in Lane Cove National Park — it's a good option for a quick retreat sans road trip. Forget the sleeping bag, secure a luxury tent for $220 per night and you'll be cosy-ing up in a king bed with a TV after a luxurious bubble bath. Your private deck offers stunning bush views, too. Fire up the barbecue and enjoy dinner and some beers under the stars. HIKE ALONG THE COAST Trekking our glorious coastline seems like the perfect summer activity, until you realise that everyone has had the same idea and the walk becomes more of a shuffle. But as the summer sun disappears so do the crowds meaning that you can pick up the pace and cover more ground. If you're up for a challenge, tackle the 26-kilometre Royal National Park Coast Track and use the North Era campground as an overnight pit-stop. After something a little milder? Opt for the Middle Head, which packs the excitement in with forts, underground tunnels and sweeping harbour views. This time of year is also prime whale-watching season so be sure to pack the binoculars and some Session Ales to sip on while the glorious sea mammals put on a show. DINE ON SEASONALLY DRIVEN FRENCH FARE Fooling yourself into thinking the warmer weather hasn't disappeared can be a whole lot easier at Été. After all, the name quite literally means 'summer' in French. Fine dining chef Drew Bolton (Aria, Quay) is at the helm of this waterfront eatery in Barangaroo. Été specialises in contemporary French-Australian cuisine using locally sourced produce. Bolton cleverly merges his classical French training with experimental flair to produce a menu that is a bold take on standard French fare — think chicken liver parfait with salted plum jelly, duck breast with bitter orange and a pistachio madeleine with whipped ricotta. And you don't necessarily have to pay a lot for the privilege either. The restaurant offers a weekday lunch special for $29, which include its plat du jour with a wine, beer or soda. While you're sipping on a fresh, fruity ale, digging into seasonal fare and overlooking the glistening harbour, you could be convinced it's still summer. ROUND UP YOUR MATES FOR SOME BEACHSIDE BEERS Being near the beach is basically a prerequisite for most summer activities. And why should that change just because the weather does? Hotel Steyne, a mainstay on the Manly Corso, is a great spot for some winter escapism with the crew. The Steyne offers a variety of dining options to suit your mood but if it's the summery vibes you're trying to conjure, the Seaside Bistro offers the best ocean views and a seafood-heavy menu. The Steyne also offers a free barbecue on Saturdays from 5pm and nothing says 'Aussie summer' like the intoxicating scent of sea breeze mixed with grilled snags. Pair your feast with a Coopers Session Ale and you'll forget that your favourite season is long gone. Or, if there really is a chill, nab a spot in front of the fireplace and pretend that the blazing heat is the sun. Grab a Coopers Session Ale and make the most of summer, all year round. Top image: The Coast Track, Royal National Park
When you've won over one of television's most cynical characters with a serenade, what comes next? Taking the tunes on the road. During his time on beloved and hilarious Emmy-winning sitcom Schitt's Creek, Noah Reid did far more than sing Tina Turner's 'The Best' to Dan Levy's David Rose, of course. When he joined the show from season three onwards as Patrick Brewer, he helped bring balance to the Rose family's fish-out-of-water antics, and became one half of its big love story. But the series kept finding ways to get Reid singing, including having Patrick star in the comedy's version of Cabaret — and now he'll be taking to the microphone Down Under. Off-screen, Reid is indeed a musician, releasing his first album Songs From a Broken Chair back in 2016 before joining Schitt's Creek. Since then, he's dropped two follow-ups: 2020's Gemini and 2022's Adjustments. Next, he's bringing his live gigs to Australia for the first time ever. Yes, 'The Best' usually features on his setlists overseas. Beyond that, the Canadian actor and musician will be playing tracks from across all three of his records when he heads Down Under this spring. Reid will kick off his tour in Sydney, playing The Enmore on Friday, September 29. Since Schitt's Creek, Reid has popped up on sci-fi western Outer Range — and also has past appearances on Degrassi: The Next Generation, Alphas and House of Lies on his pre-Schitt's Creek resume.
Dulwich Hill's nighttime has expanded once more, with the opening of Butchers Brew Bar. The newcomer brings jazz and funk to Marrickville Road, slinging local craft brews, a serious wine list and live tunes six nights a week. It's an intimate, 50-seat venue owned by local and self-confessed live music junkie Caroline Buckingham, who's lived in the area for 20 years. It's housed in a former butchery (hence the name), and the 'retro-butcher' vibe has been maintained in the fit-out — the old butcher hooks have been repurposed into a ledge, and turquoise and gold tiles have been spruced up. To increase the jazz lounge feels, velvet curtains and vintage red spotlights were added, brick walls have been exposed and local artist Fernando Mosca (who's résumé also boasts Marrickville's Lazybones) was commissioned to paint a mural of Aretha Franklin. Music is the main offering here, with a focus on jazz and funk, but the genres aren't limited — other acts include surf rock bands, reggae hip-hop groups, New York jazz quintets and Brazilian musicians. Bands take the stage every Tuesday through Sunday night, with Mondays reserved for stand-up comedy by Happy Endings Comedy Club. The entertainment cover charge ranges from $10–20 — with all profits going to the band — and sometimes includes the first drink. At the bar, expect Sydney locals Young Henrys and Batch on tap ($10–12) and classic cocktails for $20, along with a compact, but carefully selected wine list ($9–15 by the glass). For hard booze, Marrickville's Poor Toms and Grose Vale's Karu Distillery are supplying the gin, while Sydney's Silver Moon Distillery is covering the vodka. According to Buckingham, the drinks at a live music venue are as important as the acts — but not all Sydney venues pay equal attention to both. "I've noticed that there'll be a beautiful venue and great band on, but a very basic or horrible wine list," says Buckingham. "I think having a nice glass of wine in your hand turns a good evening into a great evening." The drinks list may continue to grow, too, with Buckingham looking to get in bottled brews from Dulwich Hill's The Sausage Factory, which launched its own brewery Sausage Queen Brewing last year. While the in-house food offering is limited to cheese platters ($10–20) — at the moment, there's a Tasmania smoked brie, Danish blue and cheddar on offer — delivery from nearby ethical Japanese restaurant Manmaru is also available. Down the line, Buckingham is hoping to partner with Middle Eastern pizzeria Fred's Oil and Oregano Lebanese Bakery, across the street. Also to come is a mini art gallery, with local artists invited to hang and sell their work throughout the Butchers Brew space. Images: Katje Ford.
Fine dining meets Asian fusion at contemporary diner Luna Lu, located along Campbells Cove in Circular Quay. This restaurant fuses contemporary Asian fare with quality Australian produce. Diners can choose between tempting small plates such as Hokkaido scallop sashimi with cashew nut puree and pickled daikon; yellowfin tuna tataki with a som tum yum mango dressing; and Black Angus Ranger Valley short beef ribs with sticky sauce and fresh chillies. A range of dim sims are made fresh daily, with no artificial colours or flavours. Diners can choose between classic money bags, charcoal har gow dumplings with king prawn and spanner crab, green half-moon dumplings with Hokkaido scallops, and more. Larger dishes include a wok-fried MB9 rump cap steak, honey yuzu crispy fried chicken, and seafood candied fried rice. Vegetarians and vegans in attendance will not go home hungry with Kung Pao-style eggplant and a mock-chicken version of the honey yuzu chicken dish. The Luna Lu signature menu features a selection of the venue's showstopping dishes, such as Tasmanian southern rock lobster picked straight from the tank; Berkshire pork belly with crispy leeks and cinnamon dark soy sauce; and Glacier Heard Island toothfish coated in a green curry and English spinach emulsion. If there's room for dessert, choose between sticky date pudding, pandan deep-fried ice cream, or Luna's Opera House — inspired by the iconic building — among others. There's a variety of menus on offer at Luna Lu. Besides the main menu outlined above, there's the express lunch menu, a children's menu, a gluten-free version of the menu and a high tea menu available on the weekends from 12–4pm. Not to be outdone by the food on offer, Luna Lu pours a variety of signature cocktails, sake, gins and whiskies, as well as an extensive wine list — with 18 Penfolds wines making the cut. More beverage options can be found upstairs at Luna Lu's sister venue, Bar Lulu, where decadent bar snacks, cocktails and wines are on offer. Luna Lu can be found at Bays 4 and 5, 7-27 Circular Quay West, Campbells Cove, The Rocks. The restaurant is open from 12pm–late daily. Find out more at the Luna Lu website.
Women can do anything, except remember that straightforward fact without a film popping up to remind us. That's what Hollywood seems to keep telling us — and while it's refreshing to see the industry so eager to finally give female protagonists their due, the rush to support the #MeToo and Time's Up movements (and just work towards the kind of equality that should be a given) comes with a few significant caveats. Pushing ladies to the fore either in front of and behind the lens doesn't automatically make a movie a winner, sadly. Weaving empowerment into a narrative doesn't either. Indeed, the recent cinema slate has offered up plenty of average and underdone examples of all the above, including Ocean's 8 and Captain Marvel. They're pictures with great stars, and with their hearts in the right spot, and yet they remain content to simply pay lip service to the idea they claim to champion. Yes, ladies, you can rob a high-profile gala while looking fabulous. You can be a kick-ass hero who saves the world to 90s tunes, too. But when gender-swapped flicks barely bother to interrogate what it actually means to be a woman in a man's world, they rarely rise above generic levels. In The Kitchen's case, a tale about three women who become mob bosses when their Irish gangster husbands get locked up really doesn't appear to aim any higher. There's a winning cast and intriguing concept at the centre of this 70s-set film, but it shows its true colours in one mid-movie interaction — one that deserves groans rather than the fist-pumps it so desperately covets. Having worked hard to establish themselves as Hell's Kitchen's new kingpins, Kathy Brennan (Melissa McCarthy), Claire Walsh (Elisabeth Moss) and Ruby O'Carroll (Tiffany Haddish) are summoned to meet with the Italian mafioso over in Brooklyn. When the trio leaves their tête-à-tête with the family head (Bill Camp), they're given a few words of encouragement by his wife (Annabella Sciorra), who praises them for being "all Gloria Steinem and shit". Sure, The Kitchen is adapted from a comic book series, however cartoonishness doesn't excuse such a blatant, pandering line. Women can do anything, except appreciate a movie's message without it being spelled out for them so overtly, apparently. Appropriately, The Kitchen's three main ladies are accustomed to being underestimated. While their partners (Brian d'Arcy James, Jeremy Bobb and James Badge Dale) were prowling around, the trio did what they were told — and, in the case of domestic abuse victim Claire, as well as the verbally denigrated Ruby, weathered the consequences for simply existing. When their men are sentenced to three years in jail after a robbery, the new head honcho (Myk Watford) promises to take care of Kathy and company, but his offer is hardly generous. Struggling to get by, and observing that the neighbourhood isn't really receiving the protection that local stores are paying for, the gals decide to take matters into their own hands. Soon, they're not just collecting cash and keeping the streets safe, or negotiating criminal alliances, but getting violent to dispense with their problems. For a film that brandishes its go-get-'em attitude as firmly as its 70s aesthetic (including terrific costuming, the picture's best touch), The Kitchen wades into murky territory, and quickly. A woman's fight to be treated decently, let alone fairly, can be brutal. It's a topic well worth exploring, as the similar and far superior Widows did so exceptionally last year. Here, stock-standard crime antics are on display instead. If you've seen a gangster flick before, then you've seen Kathy, Claire and Ruby's path, as they battle their naysayers, get ruthless over turf and, eventually, face internal squabbles amongst themselves. The film makes it clear that Kathy is just trying to take care of her kids, that Claire wants to regain her sense of power after a decade in a dehumanising marriage, and that Ruby has racial barriers to overcome — not to mention a rude and overbearing mother-in-law (Margo Martindale). And yet, it still treats those details as mere window dressing, without truly stopping to contemplate what they mean. Claire's jump from victim to killer is particularly flimsy, though her romance with kindly hitman Gabriel (Domhnall Gleeson) does give the movie its best and most resonant moment. Evident in the aforementioned scene, and in The Kitchen as a whole, is ample talent. This isn't a badly acted film, with McCarthy, Moss and Haddish all making an impression, adding solid performances to their individual resumes. They just can't lift the thoroughly mediocre and familiar material, not that they're really asked to. They can't patch over the clear gaps in a movie that wants to make a statement, serve up a serious crime story and rustle up a few laughs as well. That's The Kitchen in a nutshell. Marking the directorial debut of Oscar-nominated writer Andrea Berloff (Straight Outta Compton), it has good intentions, however it never feels like it knows what it wants to do with them — other than splash around a clumsy girl power message to get an easy response. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uUfGlXdUU8c
Mexican cuisine has been flourishing in the spotlight lately, with the likes of MAIZ, El Primo Sanchez and Ricos Tacos cementing their status as Sydney staples and new openings such as Gitano, The Happy Mexican and Cancun Boat Club fuelling further excitement. Joining the ranks of newbies slinging quality south-of-the-border fare is Comedor, Australia Street's new restaurant which celebrates community through food. Opening its doors on Wednesday, July 10, this neighbourhood diner spotlights modernised Mexican dishes, with Head Chef Alejandro Huerta (ex-El Primo Sanchez, Chica Bonita, No.92) and Venue Manager Kieran Took (ex-Tio's Cerveceria, Big Poppa's) at the helm. "I want to make sure Comedor is seen as a place where you go to have a great time and experience new flavours, and I'm looking forward to being able to really show who I am and what I'm passionate about," said Huerta. Upon visiting, you may also notice that Comedor has taken up residence in a 100-year-old warehouse. It's owned by Newtown local Walter Shellshear, who shares a mutual appreciation for the culture and food of Mexico with the duo behind the venue. The vision to create a sense of connection and community through food is one that's been realised by all three, whose collaborative efforts have created an inviting and relaxed dining space for guests to enjoy. "I love my culture and Mexican food, but I don't like doing the same thing everyone else is doing," said Huerta. Huerta's ethos shapes the menu, which showcases the modern techniques he picked up working at some of the very best restaurants in the world, Noma in Copenhagen and Pujol in Mexico City, blended with traditional elements that pay homage to his heritage and carry the comfort of a home-cooked meal. The share-focused set menu includes smaller plates like a kingfish tostada with nduja, pineapple and spring onion and scallops coated in a corn miso vinaigrette and notes of wattleseed and saltbush. For heftier options, you can dig into a mushroom-glazed steak served with enoki and XO sauce, Murray cod in a honey-infused fermented black bean sauce or a pipis-starring linguine finished with chilpachole butter and nasturtium. Rounding out the menu are desserts like a persimmon and manchego tart or chocoflan topped with dulce de leche. The dinner tasting menu will set you back a quite reasonable $79 — you can also add on an agave or wine pairing for an additional $65 — but lunch is just as good a deal, with a weekly-rotating three-course chef's choice for $35. For drinks, expect an agave-forward selection. Took takes charge of the beverage offering, with hopes to encourage guests to explore spirits such as tequila, mezcal, sotol and raicilla. The cocktail menu stars a fresh and fruity raicilla-spiked strawberry spritz, a Tommy's-style marg with a rose almond and cardamon twist and a mezcal colada with honeycomb, coconut and pineapple for a sweet sip. You'll also be able to pair curated cocktails with each dish if you're feeling adventurous, while non-alc options include house-made sodas in a range of flavours. As for the fitout, the airy, natural light-filled space encourages casual dining by day while emitting a more sophisticated feel by night. Welsh + Major have led the charge on Comedor's design, drawing on artist Josef Albers' Mexico-inspired works to create an ambient earth-toned venue awash with vibrant reds, buttery yellows and deep blues. You'll also spot a 16-foot stone bar, as well as timber banquette seating lining the walls and a huge communal dining table, perfect for a slice of community paired with overlapping conversations and stellar cuisine. Comedor will begin operations on Wednesday, July 10, and will be open from 12pm–5pm on Sunday and Wednesday, and 12pm–10pm Thursday–Saturday, at 182 Australia Street, Newtown.
When you're fresh from donning armour and sparking an international frenzy in one of TV's biggest franchises, what comes next? For Ryan Corr, following up his stint as Ser Harwin Strong in House of the Dragon means sliding into a six-part Brisbane-shot ABC dramedy about loss and mental health. In its themes, tone, scale and budget, In Limbo is in another world to Game of Thrones and its prequel series — it's about a thirtysomething man struggling with the sudden death of his best friend and his mental health in general, and it's also a supernatural buddy comedy — but the Australian star wouldn't have that contrast of parts any other way. "I guess subconsciously, I try to get them as different as possible, like going from a bikie to a man in a suit," Corr says of picking his roles two decades into his career. "I think that I do that because I've done this since I was a kid, and I'm in pursuit of that challenge, and knocking down boundaries that I didn't think I could necessarily do." Corr has done plenty since earning his first screen credit as a teenager in Aussie series The Sleepover Club. Most homegrown TV shows since have featured the charismatic actor, from Blue Heelers, Neighbours, Underbelly and Tangle to Love Child, Cleverman, Hungry Ghosts and Wakefield — and, of course, his 60-plus-episode run on Packed to the Rafters. On the big screen, he made his movie debut in the film adaptation of Where the Wild Things Are, then added everything from rom-com Not Suitable for Children and horror sequel Wolf Creek 2 to biopic Holding the Man and bikie drama 1% to his resume, plus Ali's Wedding, Mary Magdalene, Ladies in Black and High Ground as well. Across a body of work with no shortage of highlights, his two most recent projects still stand out. House of the Dragon had Corr playing the strongest man in the Seven Kingdoms and, amid the global attention that followed, sparked an onslaught of 'Six Things You Might Not Know About Ser Harwin Strong' and 'Ryan Corr Has Gone From Blue Water High to Westeros'-style articles. "I don't see myself as a six-foot-five strong knight, and sure as hell not the strongest man in the Seven Kingdoms," he says. "But the challenge was how do I replicate that in my idea of what strength is and what the essence is? And can I portray that?" In Limbo, which is streaming now on ABC iView and airing weekly on ABC TV, swaps physical brawn for emotional vulnerability. After crane operator Charlie loses his lifelong best mate Nate (Bob Morley, Love Me), everything unsurprisingly changes, but Nate remains a presence in his life from the afterlife. "When I got the script, it really moved me. I found it laugh-out-loud funny, and really upsetting at times — and I thought it was really fresh. I don't think we've tried to deal with themes like this in quite this way before," Corr advises. There's a sense of responsibility that comes with a series like In Limbo, as well as that challenge that Corr is always seeking. Thanks to its subject matter, the show always felt personal while he was making it, too. Corr chatted with Concrete Playground about all about the above, having a profound reaction to the project, balancing In Limbo's tones and themes, his past year and his career highlights so far. ON MAKING A COMEDY THAT'S THOUGHTFUL AND WEIGHTY — AND IN LIMBO'S PERSONAL FEEL "There was a much longer rehearsal process than usual, where we just got to sit down together, weigh in and talk about what we were about to tackle subject-wise — and there were safety networks all around us while we did so — and also start to share and open up about our own lives and experiences, both direct and indirectly, to do with loss, so that we could develop trust together as people while we navigate these ideas. Because I think the series has to have heart. I found that everyone in the making of it — the crew all up in Brisbane, everyone that read this script — had a profound reaction to it and said 'I want to be a part of this'. I think you can feel everyone leaning into it in the final product. I hope so. I've, of course, experienced loss, as have most people that I know. I think it's a very personal tale. I very much based Charlie's relationship with Nate on some of my early childhood friends, who are a bridge past that now — we're not friends anymore, they're more like brothers and sisters, they are my family. So I very much know where that relationship lives, and the idea of losing one of them is the earth-shattering. We all actively worked through it, communicating with each other, personalising what we've been through and were going through, so that we could trust each other — and so you can invest the series with that heart and that meaning. I don't think it's possible if you don't." ON DRAWING UPON REALITY TO INFORM IN LIMBO'S MIX OF TONES AND GENRES "When I lost my grandfather, I was sitting around with a group of my friends and family, and we're all holding hands as he was literally leaving. And he did something funny in some of his final breaths, he made a funny noise or something. And so I found that my family were all holding each other and crying, and then laughing all of a sudden. We were saying goodbye to someone we love, and all of a sudden he made one of the funny noises and we laughed, and there was a wonderful lesson in that — it had both. And I think in life, it has both. And what In Limbo tries to explore is that — I think In Limbo is more about life than it is about death. Strangely, in the losing of Nate, Charlie discovers more about himself in the pursuit of trying to find answers about Nate. He becomes closer to his family, and it exposes things, it brings things to the forefront that he may have not been dealing with previously. And in a strange way, Nate guides Charlie through — in death, Nate helps Charlie through his life. And it's about the way that the people that are left continue to live, the way they come together, and the way they support each other and water those relationships and friendships, and help each other grieve and process. And that's what life is, you know? And within that, within this thing that we call life, there are often — at least I've found — moments of hysterical laughter, of mundane things that make you lose your shit laughing." ON PREPARING FOR IN LIMBO "Like with all characters, there are some parts that you research and some parts of yourself. I have some experiences with mental health myself personally, and with my family and with my friends. So it's not hard for me to go to places where I was in darker spaces with my anxiety and depression, and knowing what that felt like, and not being able to see the light. One the things that In Limbo brings up is that it's not always visible. In fact, it's very, very rarely visible. And I remember, just simply for me personally, that it wasn't until I was going through some shit for a couple of years until I was like 'oh, I don't think I'm happy right now' or 'I think what I'm feeling is muted. I don't feel the highs. I don't feel the lows'. I remember that being rather confronting, like 'oh [how long] have I felt like this for?". One of things that In Limbo tries to do is shed a bit of light on that. You ask more often if people are okay. When they say that they are, it's not always necessarily the full story. And it's about just trying a little further, it's about asking a little more and it's about checking on yourself. Everyone in In Limbo, we all have to pull from our personal worlds. This is an intimate story, and it's about family and it's about loss. So researching things like this, you have to draw from things in your own life, and then have an environment where you can leave that at the door and feel safe to expose it with other people and be safe going home afterwards. I think they very much made that environment for us." ON THE RESPONSIBILITY THAT COMES WITH TACKLING MENTAL HEALTH "It's not our responsibility to give answers or to hammer over the head any of our ideas around this — it's about starting a conversation, and I think that everyone in the creative process very much took that responsibility on board, and tried to keep that close through the shooting of it as our as our main drive. Our number-one prerogative was to take that responsibility seriously. You have responsibility to all characters you play. If you're doing it properly, it has to cost you something — and particularly with something like this, there's no phoning it in. So we made sure that being comfortable around dealing with these things, both as performers and as people, was right the forefront. And that we weren't trying to hand people any simple answers." ON WHAT CORR LOOKS FOR IN A PART "It can be a number of things, but usually something that challenges me or that I don't think I can do initially — something where I go 'all right, now we're gonna go over here'. It's about challenge and primarily it's about chase. It's about the pursuit of great writing and great directors. When you have language on your side, when you have great ideas on your side, that's the pursuit of this industry. It's raising to those writers and it's raising to those ideas — not making it about yourself and saying 'this is how it is when I feel', it's about trying to play your part in the whole of the narrative. It's really the pursuit of writing that excites me — and directors that, when you sit down and have meetings with them, the way they talk about their ideas gets you excited and inspires you, and you can see it as they talk. It's working with creatives who have a similar pursuit as I do." ON JUMPING FROM HOUSE OF THE DRAGON TO IN LIMBO "Obviously there's a difference in the scale and the reach, but honestly there's not a big difference between In Limbo and Thrones. There's more people, but it's ultimately always the same job. In fact, if anything, I find that the the bigger they get and the more expansive, the less personal they become, and the less involved with the people you're working with. You can shoot a scene over half a week [on House of the Dragon] — one scene of a sequence over half a week. On In Limbo, we're shooting 16 scenes the day and then waking up at 4am to do it again the next day. And we had bugger all time to do it in, like five weeks, so it becomes a completely different exercise in trusting each other. [With House of the Dragon] you just expand upon that. Instead of going into a house that we've decked out in Brisbane, it's a giant setpiece that is an operational castle — you can walk up the stairs, and there's 30 people teaching someone dance for next week, teams and teams of people. It's the same thing extended upon, obviously, because there's huge amounts of money involved, and because the shows are so big. I just tried to go in and fill Harwin's shoes the best way I knew how. There wasn't a huge amount of him in the book, so I had to fill in the lines. That part of it was exactly the same as sitting in the lounge room with In Limbo… working through these scenes, mining them for the best ideas, workshopping the best ways to do it, rehearsing it and then getting out there and trying to give it our all." ON THE PROJECT ON CORR'S RESUME THAT STANDS OUT "Honestly, every one — but two things. Kevin Jackson is my acting mentor who's just recently passed away — he was the acting teacher at NIDA for many, many years, and is responsible for framing the lives and artistry of many people that I know, including myself. I went at 17. I'd done teen shows, and I made the decision at that age — I was like 'I want take this seriously and I want to study it'. So I took myself out of the industry, went to drama school and that's where I met a man in Kevin that taught me what great writing was and how what we did was above ourselves. Like I say, he is 'the writer is God'. He's the reason that I pursue writing the way that I do. It's not about how you feel, it's not about bringing it down to you. It's about pain reaching these ideas. Can you make something of these ideas? And therefore it's universal. When I was growing up, I took a lot of my lessons, my understanding of emotion, my understanding of love, my understanding of grief, from a lot of the films that I inhaled. That was my go-to, that's what spoke to me and that felt important to me. And so, if I'm going to do it as my career, Kevin was very much a pivotal part of helping me understand what it is that we do. Also Holding the Man, I would say as an experience, as a film, working with [director] Neil Armfield, working with Tommy [playwright and screenwriter Tommy Murphy]. And having for the first time the yardstick of what I was doing, as my job slightly changed. It wasn't just 'here's my version of a character and I hope it's good' — it was someone's family. And I met that family, and I had them hand over their journals and their personal belongings, and I had his friends reach out from all throughout Melbourne. And we had the Victorian AIDS Council say, 'hey, can we can we do rehearsals here?'. I was just overwhelmed with the amount of compassion and the amount of love that reached towards us in doing it. And it made me realise that my job here wasn't to do a good job — it was to represent a real person's memory and their legacy and their love to the absolute nth degree that I possibly can. That felt important and, like with In Limbo, I felt a responsibility to the people that I was playing and to what it meant, and that really resonated with me throughout the years. It's not like you can have jobs like that all the time, but it really did entrench what this industry, what this thing that I call a job, what the arts can be and what it can do and how important it is." In Limbo streams via ABC iView. Read our full review. House of the Dragon streams via Binge. Read our full review.
Head to Braidwood, a historic country town in the South Tablelands of New South Wales, to check out the newly revived heritage-listed Albion Hotel. Sitting at the heart of the charming country town, The Albion is a local favourite and hot spot for visitors to Braidwood to get a taste of seasonal produce and country hospitality. The Albion cafe and restaurant is the sister business of Mona Farm, a stunning 124-acre estate located in Braidwood that offers luxury accommodation and destination weddings and events. Spend a cosy weekend at Mona Farm to immerse yourself in country life, Australian history and contemporary art. The Albion continues this penchant for combining country charm with a modern edge. Untouched fireplaces and original floorboards maintain the space's original character, while an elevated menu imbues a contemporary feel. Avo on toast is elevated with house-pickled zucchini, ginger rice pudding is served with pear and caramelised walnuts, and smokey baked beans are served with grilled corn bread and herbed sour cream. Lunch includes slow-cooked duck salad, build-your-own toasties, and a beef burger with mint and feta, red pepper jam, beetroot, and aioli. The recent introduction of Albion Nights sees Executive Chef Keira Madeley's intriguing menu carried through to dinner service on Friday and Saturday nights. Millie Di Maio, General Manager of Mona Farm, says, "This isn't just dinner or a quick bite. We called it Albion Nights because we want it to feel like a place where you sit, stay and connect - a sophisticated hub for our community." The dinner menu is built around seasonal snacks and generous sharing plates, with a tasting menu available if you're indecisive. San Daniele prosciutto is paired with guindilla peppers and buffalo mozzarella. Yellow fin tuna is topped with caramelised fennel, preserved lemon, puffed wild rice and yuzu. Roast chicken sits atop creamy cannelini beans, grilled prawns are served with romesco, pickled eschalot and jalapeno, and wagyu pichana is finished with bone marrow butter and caper vierge. The drinks list celebrates small-batch Australian wine makers, including Canberra's Collector Wines and Victoria's Momento Mori, and intriguing boutique beers such as Blue Mountains' Mountain Culture Status Quo Pale Ale and Burleigh Heads' Black Hops Eggnog Stout. Images: Supplied.
In excellent news for anyone who loves scouting out new tunes from fresh local talent, the folks at Rare Finds have announced an east coast touring circuit, kicking off in January 2018. The Sydney-based PR and artist management company has long been a champion of emerging Aussie artists, hosting regular showcases in Brisbane and Sydney over the past two years. Now it's teamed up with Oporto and creative collective Pilerats to bring its latest musical finds to a stage near you. Touring once a month across Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne, each Rare Finds circuit will feature a curation of up-and-coming acts, providing an all-important live platform for these emerging artists. Headlining the first tour in January 2018 is Sunshine Coast songstress Ayla, off the back of her second EP Let's Talk Monday. She'll be joined by a different lineup in each city: Asha Jefferies, Royal & The Southern Echo and DJ Tom Bloomfield in Brisbane; Otious, Magnets and British India DJs in Melbourne; and Aikonawena, The Longboys and Rare Finds DJs on the Sydney leg. Catch the first iteration of the Rare Finds circuit on January 12 at Brisbane's Black Bear Lodge, January 19 at Melbourne's Penny Black and January 20 at Oxford Art Factory's Gallery Bar in Sydney. Tickets to the Sydney and Brisbane shows are less than $15 and the Melbourne gig is free. The Rare Finds east coast circuit will take place in January 2018 in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. For more info and to buy tickets, visit rarefinds.com.au.
The Lansdowne Hotel's storied history is set for another chapter, with the team over at the Oxford Art Factory announcing that it has agreed to take over the reins. The OAF crew revealed it has reached an agreement with the beloved venue's owners, putting a halt to plans that would have seen the Chippendale spot close down. Back in February, longtime custodians Mary's announced they would be stepping away from the beloved pub and live music venue, following news that the owners were turning the upstairs live music space into hostel accommodation. The announcement stated that live music would cease at the venue in April; however, gigs have continued through May, sparking speculation that the venue could be saved. Oxford Art Factory CEO and Founder Mark Gerber has now confirmed that the OAF team will be stepping in to take over the venue. "Oxford Art Factory can confirm the rumours. We are pleased to announce that we have agreed with the owners to put aside any plans that could see the demise of this iconic venue of Sydney and Australia's live music and arts scene," the OAF crew said in a statement. The Lansdowne has stood proudly on the corner of Broadway and City Road for decades, acting as a breeding ground for local up-and-coming bands from the 80s and 90s through till today. After closing in 2015, it was revitalised two years later by Jake Smyth and Kenny Graham of Mary's. Gerber and co also revealed that renovations on the venue have started, with plans to give the pub a makeover complete with improved ammenities, bathrooms and audio-visual systems, alongside new food and drink offerings. "Music and art can never die. They make us stronger and live longer!" said Gerber. "Sydney doesn't need to lose any more live music venues; it has suffered enough. The lockout laws and COVID-19 have severely impacted a once flourishing and vibrant nightlife, and I wasn't going to let yet another music venue fall by the wayside — not on my watch!" To celebrate the good news, The Lansdowne will play host to a free Rejuve(nation) party on Saturday, June 25. The gig will run for 12 hours from 5pm–5am, and will feature a lineup of local favourite bands and DJs. You can expect more details be announced soon. The Lansdowne Hotel is located at 2–6 City Road, Chippendale.
With shareable contemporary food, culinary pedigree and a coolly minimal room, Cho Cho San seems perfectly Sydney. So it's fitting that the restaurant comes with that perfectly Sydney response: hype. It's been slavered over on blogs, on Instagram and in social scenarios of every permutation in the two weeks since opening doors. Our verdict? The place is good, but, as with so many things, it's best if you calm your expectations. Founded by chefs and co-owners Jonathan Barthelmess and Sam Christie, Cho Cho San replicates some of the atmosphere and attitude of their hit restaurant The Apollo across the street. This time, with Nicholas Wong (of Kylie Kwong and Bodega) heading up the kitchen, the cuisine in line to be given that Sydney modern touch is Japanese. (The name 'Cho Cho San' refers to the romantically and culturally exploited heroine of the opera Madama Butterfly. It's nice that they're self-aware?) Utilising a lot of traditional hibachi grilling and steaming, the menu is relatively light and healthy — a nice deviation in the present restaurant landscape. We lap up the carpaccio-like raw beef short rib, which comes with richly textured wild rice and a ginger dressing, though there's a popular fried chicken option if you must have something battered. The smoked duck steamed bun and spanner crab toasted bun are cute as buttons, and the smoky, creamy crab is a star performer. Our favourite dishes, however, end up being those that sounded the least appealing. The grilled kingfish head is surprisingly full of meat, and succulent, full-flavoured meat at that. This was one of the best fish-eating experiences I've had, period. Then there was the side of radishes with brown butter. This is not an exercise in quaint menu understatement; they are literally raw, seasoned radishes with a pat of mild butter beside. It's an inexplicable taste sensation that sees us hoe into the butter like we've just discovered it for the first time. When you have a transcendent meal out of what sounds like World War II rations, you know you've had a special night. Green tea soft-serve stabbed into a bowl of rice is an inexpensive and pretty post-meal palate cleanser, but dessert at Cho Cho is skippable. Drinks-wise, a Japanese white wine like the 2012 Grace Gris De Koshu is a no-brainer, partly because there's not much else available by the glass. There is, however, a great range of cocktails, beers, sakes and shochus for solo drinkers. All smooth slate and pale beech, Cho Cho San's is a nice room to sit in, particularly if you're at the big communal bar. It's a shame that our service, while friendly, is hurried. We came for the 6pm sitting, and, at the rate the small plates were being piled on top of each other, they could have had us out at 7pm (we were going for 8). It was hard to get to all the dishes before they'd gone cold. Extreme efficiency aside, Cho Cho San is an arrival worth singing about. Let the lines die down a little, Sydney, then pay her a visit.
Channeling the style of a Hamptons beach house, Girdlers is kitted out for casual brunches and lazy lunches. Perched at the south end of Dee Why Beach, a table out on the deck is a prime spot to kick back and watch the sets roll in — there's even a couple of couches you're quite welcome to curl up on with a book. Another Northern Beaches cafe that's on a health kick, these guys have two kinds of kombucha on tap and almost everything on the menu is gluten free. But, as many other cafes in the area have already proven, taking the healthy option doesn't mean you'll be missing out. Savoury and sweet buckwheat crepes are their specialty. And while we're not convinced that anything compares to the real thing, we suggest you order a cacao split — a crepe with banana and 'goodtella' (healthy Nutella) — and decide for yourself ($14). If you're more of a savoury person, the smoked salmon crepe with toasted almonds, avo and cauliflower sauce is a strong option ($18). And if you don't have the luxury of spending the day lazing by the beach, they also have a sizeable takeaway menu.
Life can feel like it's getting more and more hectic, but thankfully, clever Australians keep coming up with new and creative ways to de-stress. You might've already hurled an axe at a target, for instance, or smashed plates, TVs, printers and computer monitors with a baseball bat. Now, Sydney's latest high-powered stress reliever has arrived, allowing you to get messy and wild with a supply of colourful paints. Bondi Junction's Kaboo Splatter Paint Studio will have you hurling and spraying paints of all shades at a pristine white canvas on a white brick wall. A session at Kaboo will have you tapping into your inner Jackson Pollock to create your own gloriously messy masterpiece. Once you've released some of the stress from your day-to-day life and created an abstract artwork worthy of any modern art gallery, you can also have it turned into a custom t-shirt, tote bag, tea towel, mug or cushion. The studio is available for a host of occasions, whether you're looking for a family activity, a team bonding exercise, a unique date idea or a birthday gift for that one family member that's impossible to shop for. There are even BYO sessions available if you'd like to enjoy a glass of wine as you unleash your inner artist. Classic sessions are available for $49 which include one hour of paint splattering and your finished canvas work, or you can add a piece of wearable art onto that for an additional $40. If you want to book out the whole studio for an hour and a half of fun with your family or for your office Christmas party, you can do some for $490 and you'll be presented with ten standard canvases, four large canvases and one colossal canvas for you to cover in paint.
Darling Harbour's ever-expanding dining precinct Darling Square has added another exciting new restaurant to its list of eateries with a neon-lit Japanese street food spot opening its doors on Monday, June 27. Tsukiyo presents fun and vibrant Japanese street food dishes, with the menu split between two primary dishes. The first is takoyaki, crispy golden fried balls of batter topped with bonito flakes and takoyaki sauce. The original flavour is also topped with kewpie mayo, but you can also order it spicy with mentaiko mayo and katsuobushi, or rotating special varieties like the Barcelona takoyaki featuring LP's chorizo, smoked paprika, aioli, tomato, fried parsley and lemon. The second style of dish is the cute fish-shaped taiyaki. These waffles come made in the shape of Japanese tai fish and are packed with a variety of fillings. The flavours include red bean, vanilla bean custard and chesnut, with each taiyaki coming with your prefered flavour of gelato and toppings. There's also a far less traditional croque monsieur taiyaiki on the menu that is filled with ham and gruyere. The final element of the menu is fruit sandos, made with fluffy slices of white bread, locally sourced Australian fruit and Calpis whipped cream. The restaurant has been developed by Zach Tan's Devon Hospitality Group and Hidetoshi Tsuboi (Hakatamon Ramen) with the help of former Zumbo pastry chef Markus Andrew. "Meaning 'moonlit night' in Japanese, Tsukiyo is the culmination of our innate yearning to recreate the nostalgic feeling of walking through the side street food stalls of Osaka's neon-laden Dotonbori district," Tan said. "I have always been a huge fan of Japanese food and culture, having opened both Devon Cafe and Japanese donburi restaurant, Dopa, so I'm excited to expand our offering with Tsukiyo." Tsukiyo is located at 17–19 Little Hay Street, Haymarket. It's open midday–9pm Monday–Sunday.
Under current COVID-19 restrictions, you can't go on a holiday (locally or overseas). But, the government has hinted travel between Australia and New Zealand may be allowed in the near future, so it's time to start dreaming. Bookmark this for when you can explore once again. With a bountiful backyard to be explored, it's high time you got out and slept in the most jaw-dropping rest stops in the South Island. You may be giving up your own bed, but you don't have to sacrifice any comfort for that natural NZ beauty at these glamping retreats. To help you find the perfect place to rest your head in the great outdoors (without getting too lo-fi), we've gathered a list of the best glamping spots in the south. Get ready for a night of luxury, trust us, you'll never sleep better. CAMP KEKERENGU, KAIKOURA Waking up at Kaikoura's Camp Kekerengu is like waking up on the edge of the earth. Perched high above the wild Clarence River, you can watch the sunrise from your bed over the expansive beaches below then enjoy sights of playful seals and whales putting on a show. The campsite is complete with outdoor baths and a kitchen with a vista to die for — you'll be moving in before you know it. Go for the full luxe experience, and head to Nin's Bin to eat some of the freshest crayfish you can get your hands on. $220 per night. LAVERICKS BAY, CHRISTCHURCH If you just want to switch off and escape, look no further than Lavericks Bay. Tucked away in the coves of the Banks Peninsula, this lavish campsite boasts wooden outdoor hot tubs and toasty wood burners for the cooler Christchurch nights. It also opens onto a private beach and backs onto rolling hills for your exploring pleasure. Fall asleep watching the stars, then hike up the hill to watch the sun rise over the ocean and feel the serenity. At a 40 minutes' drive from Akaroa and two hours from the garden city, it's a bit of a trek — but, trust us, it's worth the effort. While you're there, grab a surfboard and check out some of the remote breaks dotted around the Banks Peninsula. $210 per night. ROCKY POINT HUT, PEPIN ISLAND Just a stone's throw away from Nelson — but far enough to look back on the bay's beauty — is Rocky Point Hut on Pepin Island. Nestled on the remote tip of the picturesque farming island, the accommodation is a two-hour walk from the isolated Cable Bay beach. While that sounds long, your hard work will be rewarded with an epic vista to make you feel like the king of the land. Your throne? The outdoor hot tub with panoramic views of Tasman Bay. For the full royal treatment, forgo cooking and head to Cable Bay Cafe instead. It's a secret spot only the locals know and serves some of New Zealand's best fare. $150 per night. VALLEY VIEWS, OTAGO Deep in the heart of Mackenzie Country, you'll find a village of luxurious tents to call home. Valley Views Glamping does what it says, delivering incredible views of farm, river and mountain across the vast Waitaki Valley. The campsite sits two hours from Wanaka, giving you a chance to soak in the southern sights on your way to the comfy bed and cosy log burner that await your arrival. Bring a book, and your favourite person, you're not going to want to leave. While you're there, make tracks to Kurow Estate Winery's Cellar Door and pick up some vino to enjoy with the views. $200–$300 per night. WOODPECKER HUT Welcome to Woodpecker Hut, an oasis in the midst of the West Coast wilderness where you can kick back and let your worries subside. Designed and built by locals, the isolated cabin sits harmoniously within its natural surrounds. The hut marries luxury with nature seamlessly, so you can soak in the wooden hot tub all while you soak up a sunset. With bushwalks and beaches at your doorstep, there's plenty of adventuring to be done if you get tired of relaxing, too. If you're after even more views, take a trip just five minutes down the road to the breathtaking Pancake Rocks. $290 per night. Start planning your trip to New Zealand's south with our guide to the South Island journeys to take here.
Heading south from Kings Cross towards St Vincents Hospital, you might be taken aback by the bright and colourful corner of Liverpool and Victoria Streets. Like a glass of wine spilled on a white dress, Fortuna Drink and Eat immediately snags your attention. If you follow the sights inside, your nose and tastebuds will be equally rewarded. Inside is a menu of Italian excellence, curated to fill your stomach without emptying your wallet. Open all day, a morning visit can be met with spiced pear porridge while heading over for a mid-day meal could present Italian share plates of house-baked focaccia, Sicilian olives and burrata drenched in vivid-green herb oil. Evening visitors will be delighted by hearty dishes of lamb ragu, smoked mac and cheese or your pick of the pizza and pasta menus. Brilliantly, Fortuna also offers a bottomless feasting experience on weekends. For $89pp, you can dig into a mix of tasty plates while washing them down with 90 minutes of unlimited drinks.
New York has come a long way since Sex and The City's Carrie bought a cupcake from Magnolia Bakery and the world went into hysteria over the cute (but sort of bland — sorry cupcake lovers) little baked treats. Thanks to rock 'n' roll pastry chefs like Christina Tosi and Dominique Ansel — and Brooklyn's sweet artisan revival — the desserts of New York City are now competing with Paris for the title of global sweet heavyweight, and calling die-hard dessert fans from around the world to the bright lights of the city. In my three-month sweet-eating season in NYC, I ate over 373 desserts — so boiling down the selection to just five is a little tough. But if you're heading to the city soon, this is a good place to begin. And just to be clear, I'm a fan of Magnolia Bakery — I'd just recommend you order the banana pudding. Now that is worth making a fuss over. BOOZY PIES FROM BUTTER & SCOTCH NYC excels in Southern-style pies and the best ones can be found in Brooklyn, where producers combine the flakiest pastry with produce-driven flavours. Must-visits are Four & Twenty Blackbirds and The Blue Stove, but for an extra dash of fun, head to Butter & Scotch. It's a bakery and bar, and almost every sweet is made with a generous slug of liquor, from boozy shakes to the extraordinary bourbon ginger pecan pie. CHOCOLATE RUGELACH FROM BREADS BAKERY Back in the '90s, a new wave of bakeries changed the game with organic flours, age-old techniques and seasonal produce, and Sullivan Street Bakery and The City Bakery are still among the city's finest today. Breads Bakery is a relative newcomer, but just as tempting. Nutella babka may be the poster child — and rightly so, it's deliriously good — but don't leave without a chocolate rugelach: a bite-sized, light-as-air, croissant-shaped pastry laminated with chocolate ganache. Actually, make that five. CORNHUSK MERINGUE FROM COSME Today, New York is enjoying the rise of specialty sweet producers, from rice pudding and cannoli to soft serve — but that's not to say there's no innovation in restaurants. Case in point: Cosme. It's the fine dining restaurant of renowned Mexican chef Enrique Olvera, and one of the city's darlings for its good vibe and modern interpretation of south-of-the-border cuisine. Then, there's the finale: corn husk meringue with corn mousse. One of the most Instagrammed desserts of 2015 is barely sweet, with notes of charred corn husk and burnt vanilla, and is French-meets-Latino heaven. [caption id="attachment_628623" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Doughnut Plant[/caption] CAKE DOUGHNUTS FROM DOUGHNUT PLANT No trip to New York is complete without a doughnut. From Dominique Ansel's world famous cronut to Dough's mega glazed yeasted doughies, the selection will blow your socks off. If you had to choose just one, make it a Blackout, carrot cake or tres leches cake doughnut from Doughnut Plant. Inside the soft-crumb ring is a secret core of flavoured cream; it's unlike any doughnut you've tried before. SOFT SERVE FROM BIG GAY ICE CREAM NYC's ice cream offering is second to none, and you could fill an entire trip eating your way through the rambunctious flavours, epic sundaes, bad-ass floats and OTT ice cream sandwiches alone. Put Ample Hills, Van Leeuwen, Morgenstern's, Davey's and OddFellows on your list. For soft serve, however, there's only one contender: Big Gay, which elevates the creamy goodness with immaculate local dairy and grown-up flavours. Go the Salty Pimp with a dark, salty choc shell and Apple Gobbler, where apple pie meets an ice cream sundae. Yasmin Newman is a food and travel writer, photographer and presenter. For the full epic list of Yasmin's sweet adventures through New York, get your hands on her part-travel journal, part-cookbook, Desserts of New York (And How to Eat Them All) — it's published by Hardie Grant and is available in bookstores and online now.
Visiting a zoo, checking out all creatures great and small, then going home to slumber in your own bed: that's one way to get an animal fix. But menageries around the country have started offering more than just a day trip — with Taronga Zoo home to a wildlife retreat, as well as its own glamping experience; Melbourne Zoo letting folks stay overnight in its elephant exhibit; and Queensland's Australia Zoo now launching its own cabins. If this news sounds familiar, that's because the move was first announced back in 2019, with an opening date of 2020 originally planned. Obviously, we all know what's been holding life in general up over the past few years. So if you're keen for a sleepover among the animals at the Irwin family's Beerwah zoo, The Crocodile Hunter Lodge is now up and running. Guests can choose from eight rustic cabins, complete with roomy decks that peer out over the site's bushland surroundings — and at the wildlife within it. Indeed, the zoo is calling the whole Crocodile Hunter Lodge setup a "multi-species habitat". As well as the cabins' various human visitors, red kangaroos, emus, echidnas and koalas that were affected by the 2019–2020 summer bushfire season also call the venue home. Fancy keeping an eye out for animals while taking a dip? The Billabong, the Crocodile Hunter Lodge's 25-metre infinity pool, also looks out over the native wildlife. Unlimited Australia Zoo entry — where more than 1200 animals await — and a peek inside the Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital comes with every stay as well, for every guest. Back in the cabins, which are made out of timbers recycled from the zoo's famous crocodile viewing grandstands — which Steve Irwin built himself — you'll find a queen bed and two singles; a kitchen equipped with a fridge, microwave, cooktop and dishwasher; and a lounge with a TV. There's a dining space on the verandah as well and, to munch on while taking in the breeze, each booking comes with a breakfast pack, too. And, you'll also score a welcome gift. A stay doesn't come cheap, though, with prices starting at around $949 for an overnight visit for two adults. If you're keen on a restaurant feed, The Crocodile Hunter Lodge opened alongside the zoo's new Warrior Restaurant & Bar — and it's welcoming in lodge guests and general punters for breakfast, lunch or dinner, and also for group bookings in its private dining room. The focus inside its charred timber-clad walls: Aussie cuisine, locally sourced ingredients, and paying homage to Indigenous Australians and the plants that have long been part of First Nations diets. Breakfast options include haloumi and corn fritters with poached eggs, corn and tomato salsa, avocado, fresh herbs and tahini yoghurt — plus cranberry and pecan granola, with Maleny cane sugar yoghurt, bee pollen and berry compote. The lunch lineup features duck liver parfait with kumquat chilli marmalade and toasted brioche; salmon rillettes with toasted sourdough, capers, cucumber and, pickled shallots; and a selection of sandwiches. And, for dinner, there's pan-fried snapper, blue pumpkin and rosemary risotto with wattleseed crumb, and river mint-crusted Tasmanian lamb loin — among other dishes. At the bar, a small snacks offering helps line the stomach — think plates with cheese, ham and quandong chutney — while the wine menu spans three pages. Opening The Crocodile Hunter Lodge, Terri Irwin said that "Steve always had a dream that one day, people would not just visit Australia Zoo, but stay overnight, and have the immersive experience of listening to and being around wildlife after dark." She continued: "it was so important for us to make his dream come true through the opening of The Crocodile Hunter Lodge. This stunning luxury accommodation is surrounded by our conservation work, providing a home to endemic wildlife species while further continuing Steve's important legacy." Sustainability and conservation is a big focus of Australia Zoo's new addition, with the grounds featuring more than 3000 native trees and shrubs, including greenery that provides food for species such as the endangered glossy black cockatoo. "By building this luxury accommodation with lush bushland around for our animals, we are achieving Dad's vision of a world where humans and wildlife can peacefully coexist, making this planet a better and more harmonious place for future generations," said Robert Irwin. Find The Crocodile Hunter Lodge and Warrior Restaurant & Bar at 88 Irwin Road, Beerwah, Queensland. For further information, visit the venue's website.
Get ready to hear "wackadoo!" constantly, and "for real life", too. Come spring 2024, Brisbane will welcome a new immersive installation that lets you step inside one of the River City's and Australia's biggest hits of the past six years: the award-winning animated favourite that is Bluey. Missed out on staying in a replica of the Bluey house when it was temporarily up for rent in the Queensland capital in 2022? The home of the family-friendly animated phenomenon is now getting a Bluey attraction so that you have another chance to experience the global sensation beyond the TV. Announced in 2023, originally to open this August, but now welcoming fans in from Thursday, November 7, 2024, Bluey's World will get you walking around life-sized sets that recreate the beloved series. Yes, the Heeler house and backyard are part of the setup. Maybe you'll be taking your little ones along, or your nieces and nephews. Perhaps you know that appreciating the adorable Aussie show about a family of blue heelers isn't just for kids. Either way, this is set to be big — including literally. Opening at Northshore Pavilion in Northshore Brisbane, the space itself will be sizeable, spanning across 4000 square metres. When Airbnb listed its Bluey abode in 2022, the response was massive. Expect the reaction to Bluey's World to be the same. Bluey and Bingo's bedroom, the family's living room and kitchen, the poinciana tree in the backyard: they'll all feature, of course. So will recreations of recognisable scenes, characters and even games from the show. And yes, as seen in the series, you can arrive via CityCat. Visitors can expect to spend 70 minutes bounding through the experience — and will also find a playground and a cafe onsite, with interactive play a focus, taking cues from Bluey episodes in the process. There'll be a soundscape to match, plus a gift shop, all in a purpose-built venue. And, for big Bluey birthday celebrations, the site will host parties as well. Bluey's World is exclusive to Brisbane, making it a tourist attraction to fans not only locally and nationally but worldwide. Unsurprisingly, that's a big part of the push from both the Queensland Government and Brisbane City Council, who are supporting the BBC Studios- and HVK Productions-produced experience. "Bluey is globally adored and arguably our most famous Queenslander, from her Brisbane home and beyond, it's such a treat seeing our state's landscape immortalised in Bluey's adventures, episode after episode. Bluey's World will be truly captivating, giving fans an unforgettable and immersive experience, it is such a drawcard to drive visitation to Queensland," said Queensland Tourism Minister Michael Healy. "We're a family-friendly destination and we know that once the family have lived and played like our favourite Heelers at Bluey's World, that they'll get out and explore our state, which is Bluey's world — for real life." "This special event is so highly anticipated on our calendar, we expect more than 200,000 visitors will enjoy Bluey's World in its inaugural year, injecting more than $18 million into the local economy," Healy continued. Bluey's World will open at Northshore Pavilion, 281 MacArthur Avenue, Northshore Brisbane on Thursday, November 7, 2024 — head to the attraction's website for more information and to join the waitlist, and for tickets from Tuesday, May 21, 2024.
Like Eminem, we're all big fans of mum's spaghetti. But, sometimes the situation requires something a little… fancier. Heading on a date? Celebrating a win at work? Or, just acknowledging making it through to Friday? We think that calls for a four-cheese maccheroncini, truffle tortelli or vodka rigatoni. Sydney has a multitude of Italian restaurants, and, as a result, a multitude of pasta — but not all pasta is created equally. So, together with American Express, we've rounded up the ten pasta dishes that'll put mum's spag bol to shame (no offence, mum). Put on your fanciest stretchy pants and prepare for linguine with clams by the beach and the silkiest ribbons of pappardelle at a Sydney institution.
George A Romero has been called "the father of the zombie film". The late, great director — the creative force who helped usher in a horde of shuffling undead-focused movies thanks to his iconic and influential Night of the Living Dead in 1968 — is also the father of a new zombie flick-loving filmmaker. When you're the daughter of the man who is also responsible for Dawn of the Dead, Day of the Dead, Land of the Dead, Diary of the Dead and Survival of the Dead, and you're making your directorial debut, adding a new addition to the horror genre clearly just comes naturally. Tina Romero's Queens of the Dead is a horror-comedy about a Brooklyn warehouse drag party that gets overrun by a zombie outbreak. It's also the opening-night film at Sydney Underground Film Festival for 2025. That's how the event is kicking off its 19th year — with gore, glitter, and the no-longer-living terrorising the dance floor and eating flesh — with SUFF screening at Dendy Newtown from Thursday, September 11–Sunday, September 14. One year out from celebrating its next huge milestone, 2025's ode to wild, weird, wonderful, surreal and sublime cinema has anniversaries on the brain already. Marking 45 years of Xanadu is one big highlight, complete with a disco-themed afterparty at Bootleggers after the screening. Or, you can catch a 30th-anniversary session of Steve Buscemi (Wednesday)- and Catherine Keener (Joker: Folie à Deux)-starring indie comedy Living in Oblivion instead. Still on blasts from the past, SUFF is also heading back to the 80s with cult-classic UHF, where Weird Al Yankovic (The Naked Gun) plays a man who finds himself becoming the manager of a low-budget television station. You won't just be watching and hearing the picture, either — you'll also be smelling an array of scents due to the return of SUFF's scratch 'n' sniff experience, complete with cards giving you the full sensory treatment. Courtesy of the rest of the program, when audiences aren't checking into Japanese horror Tokyo Evil Hotel, catching Cheech & Chong's Last Movie or charting Butthole Surfers' career in documentary Butthole Surfers: The Hole Truth and Nothing But, then everything from Ebony and Ivory from An Evening with Beverly Luff Linn and The Greasy Strangler's Jim Hosking to dark comedy Snatchers and exploitation horror Pater Noster and the Mission of Light awaits. Plus, among SUFF's 2025 documentaries, Coexistence, My Ass! focuses on Israeli Persian actor-turned-activist/comedian Noam Shuster-Eliassi, Yellow House Afghanistan explores life under Taliban rule, The Life and Films of Andy Milligan pays tribute to its filmmaking namesake, the Iggy Pop-narrated Exorcismo dives into Spain's "Clasificada S" cinema and Occupy Cannes is all about Troma's efforts at one of the world's most-prestigious film festivals. When it wraps up for this year, the festival will close with the 16mm-shot Fucktoys, which takes inspiration from tarot's Major Arcana cards as it follows a hustler seeking salvation. "Underground film at its best doesn't just break rules — it reimagines what cinema can be. This year, SUFF celebrates the artists who are doing just that: fearless female filmmakers, radical Australian auteurs, and emerging voices who aren't asking for permission — they're forging new cinematic languages," said SUFF co-Festival Director Nathan Senn, announcing the lineup. "The films in this year's program are provocative, unruly, visionary; they unsettle and electrify in equal measure. At a time when sameness dominates, SUFF takes pride in being a home for the strange, the subversive and the gloriously unclassifiable." Sydney Underground Film Festival 2025 screens at Dendy Newtown, King Street, Newtown, from Thursday, September 11–Sunday, September 14. For further information, or to buy tickets, head to SUFF's website.
Always dreamed of a relaxing dip in Iceland's Blue Lagoon? How about bunkering down for the night next to the man-made series of geothermal pools, which happen to be in the middle of a lava field? Soon visitors to one of the Nordic nation's biggest attractions will be able to do just that when the Moss Hotel opens its doors. Expected to launch later in 2017, the luxurious Moss Hotel will feature 62 rooms with floor-to-ceiling windows looking out over its steamy setting, plus terraces allowing quick access into the warm waters, and balconies with views over the volcanic vista. A new subterranean day spa, Lava Cove, will boast a lagoon and waterfall sourced from the same seawater aquifer as the Blue Lagoon, and will be designed to take advantage of other natural aspects such as lava corridors. A viewing deck, a cold air well and the usual massages and other relaxation-inducing services, all with a killer vantage over the scenic surroundings, will also feature. Those keen on eating with quite the backdrop can head to the Moss Restaurant, complete with a wine cellar in centuries-old lava, and a seven-course chef's table experience. Basically, there's plenty of soaking, sleeping, steaming, sipping and eating in or near lagoons created on a bed of lava on the agenda. For anyone that hadn't already added a trip to the top of the globe to their bucket list — and therefore isn't up to speed on all things Blue Lagoon — the site has quite the history. The moss-covered lava flow dates back to 1226, but the mineral-rich pool itself was formed in 1976 as a result of the nearby geothermal power plant. People started having a dip in the silica- and sulphur-laden waters, which became popular for their supposed healing abilities. Come the late '80s and early '90s, the Blue Lagoon was officially established as a public spa and bathing facility. And no, for anyone who loves '80s cinema, or just thought the name sounded familiar, it has nothing to do with the 1980 movie that helped make Brooke Shields famous. Via inhabitat. Images: Blue Lagoon.
This is the way: after starting out on the small screen as the very first live-action Star Wars streaming series for Disney+, The Mandalorian is making the leap to cinemas. This news might be about as surprising as a trip to a galaxy far, far away that features lightsabers, but it still means that the bounty hunter played by Pedro Pascal (The Last of Us) and Grogu, aka Baby Yoda, have a date with the big screen. Disney has revealed that it's making a movie about Din Djarin and Grogu, which is set for a theatrical release. There's no date yet as for when you'll be able to head to your local picture palace, nor any cast announcements. The Mouse House has unveiled the film's director, however: Jon Favreau, who created The Mandalorian series to begin with. And, the picture will go into production in 2024. "I have loved telling stories set in the rich world that George Lucas created," said Favreau, announcing the movie. "The prospect of bringing The Mandalorian and his apprentice Grogu to the big screen is extremely exciting." Favreau will also produce the flick with LucasFilm President Kathleen Kennedy and The Mandalorian writer/director/executive producer Dave Filoni, with the latter also behind 2023's Ahsoka. Filoni is set to be busy thanks to Disney's other just-dropped piece of Star Wars news: a second season of Ahsoka. No other details have been advised there yet either, including a release date, other than the fact that more of the Rosario Dawson (Haunted Mansion)-led series about Anakin Skywalker's former padawan is in development. If you're new to Star Wars' small-screen adventures, The Mandalorian follows its namesake; however, it's his encounter with a fuzzy little creature first known as The Child, affectionately named Baby Yoda by everyone watching and officially called Grogu that's always had everyone talking. As for Ahsoka, it saw Dawson return to the eponymous role after playing the part in both The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett. As well as sporting those ties to Anakin from before he became Darth Vader, Ahsoka Tano is now an ex-Jedi Knight battling threats to the post-Empire galaxy — and the series is Disney+'s first series focused on a female Jedi. There's no trailer for the movie about The Mandalorian and Grogu yet, or for Ahsoka season two, but you can check out sneak peeks of The Mandalorian season three and Ahsoka season one below: The movie about The Mandalorian and Grogu doesn't yet have a release date, and neither does Ahsoka season two — we'll update you when more information is announced. The Mandalorian and Ahsoka both stream via Disney+. Read our review of Ahsoka season one. Images: © Lucasfilm Ltd & TM. All Rights Reserved.
UPDATE, April 19, 20201 The Invisible Man is available to stream via Amazon Prime Video, Binge, Foxtel Now, Google Play and YouTube Movies. In the latest version of The Invisible Man, Universal unwraps the bandages from one of its iconic horror figures in an astute, unnerving and thrillingly contemporary fashion. But it almost didn't happen, with the studio originally pursuing completely different plans. Let's all take a moment to thank the cinema gods that Tom Cruise's stint as The Mummy didn't work out. If his time dallying with Egyptian spirits had been a success, we'd now be watching Johnny Depp as The Invisible Man instead. That's what Universal's 'dark universe' — aka the studio's modern-day remakes of its old 1930s monster movies — had in store. Then the 2017 version of The Mummy proved a flop, forcing the company to change course. Suddenly, Depp's slated film disappeared into thin air just like the imperceptible man he was supposed to play. So too did an Angelina Jolie and Javier Bardem-starring take on The Bride of Frankenstein. And that left Universal with a gap — which Australian writer/director and Saw co-creator Leigh Whannell fills grippingly and convincingly with his top-notch update of cinema's most famous see-through character. In the Upgrade filmmaker's hands, The Invisible Man has been through some significant changes since HG Wells' 1897 novel and James Whale's 1933 first film adaptation. In fact, this movie doesn't really tell the eponymous figure's story, but that of the woman terrorised by the unseen guy. After years of suffering through an abusive relationship with hotshot optics pioneer Adrian Griffin (Oliver Jackson-Cohen), Cecilia Kass (Elisabeth Moss) works up the courage to leave him. Fleeing from his remote mansion in the middle of the night with the help of her sister (Harriet Dyer), she's petrified that he'll track her down and retaliate. But, as she hides out with a cop friend (Aldis Hodge) and his teenage daughter (Storm Reid), word arrives that Adrian has committed suicide — although when strange things start happening around Cecelia, she's convinced that he's still somehow messing with her. To not only make The Invisible Man today, but set it in today's world too, two areas needed to be addressed. The first is technology, recognising that turning a person invisible is far more plausible than it once was — and that being involved in someone's life without being physically present isn't just possible these days, but commonplace. The second is gender politics. Watching a man terrorise a woman sight unseen has very different connotations in the 21st century, as does the stalking and gaslighting that comes with it. Crucially, Whannell embraces the complexities of both areas in this thoroughly modern take on the tale, switching focus from villain to victim, and bolstering his narrative by pondering the underhanded capabilities of technology as well as the ongoing problem that is domestic violence. Accordingly, this slow-building version of The Invisible Man isn't an account of a scientist corrupted by his latest discovery, as seen in its predecessors. Rather, it's a portrait of a woman at the mercy of a man who'll do anything and use any means to get what he wants. The end result: psychological horror mixed with futuristic science-fiction and layered with a piercing societal statement, and it's as effective as it sounds. Of course, anyone who saw Upgrade will realise that this is the only interpretation of The Invisible Man that Whannell could've made. The Aussie filmmaker continues his fascination with body modification and tech-enabled surveillance, as well as his fondness for hyper-kinetic action, a pervasive mood of dread and tension, and a sparse, sleek look — plus his interrogation of the kind of society that, with not too many imaginative tweaks needed, we just might be headed for. Forgetting the terrible Insidious: Chapter 3, the only blip on his directorial resume to date, Whannell is swiftly establishing a reputation as a genre filmmaker with smarts, style and something to say — as well as the skill to combine all of the above into a thrilling, harrowing and engaging package. He also has canny casting instincts, with The Invisible Man as much Moss' movie as Whannell's. The Handmaid's Tale and Her Smell actor has had more than a little practice in this terrain of late — aka battling insidious enemies, navigating persecution, and devolving into distress, distrust and paranoia — and she draws upon that experience here. Indeed, watching someone face off against an unsighted foe can play as hokey or unintentionally comic, but not with Moss and her haunted yet determined stare taking centre stage. This definitely isn't the movie that Universal imagined when, high on dreams of building its own megastar-studded, monster-fuelled universe, the studio announced its now-defunct Depp-led project. That's something else to continue to thank the movie gods for — because no one needed Depp's usual daffy schtick wrapped in gauze, but cinema definitely does need Whannell's savvy, unsettling, spirited and refreshing The Invisible Man remake. Great horror movies have always reflected and responded to the times they're made in and, in the same vein as Jordan Peele's Get Out and Us, The Invisible Man helps lead the charge as the 21st century reaches its third decade. This is a socially conscious, savagely creepy, supremely clever reinterpretation of a classic scarefest that takes every part of that equation seriously. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLAJyugYEiY
Eastside Kitchen draws inspiration from a number of fertile food scenes: New York's high-end steak houses, Japanese cuisine's reverence for seafood and the buzz of Hong Kong dining. That might seem like a lot to work into one venue, but the Kensington Street restaurant does it quite seamlessly. The nicely lit space brings to mind the industrial style of lower Manhattan's Meatpacking District, while a Japanese binchotan grill takes pride of place in the kitchen. Executive chef Stanley Wong is himself fresh from a stint in Hong Kong, and has brought with him some key staff and a whole grab bag of good ideas from the city's dining scene. Seafood is tackled with creativity, as in the trio of plump oysters ($16) which come alternately topped with a plum salsa, a raspberry vinaigrette and a lemongrass sorbet. Each variation makes the right move in seeking to complement rather than overwhelm the oyster. Another seafood option is the scallop ceviche ($24), where pieces of ripe pomelo and a swirling sweet potato crisp add colour and bite to the tiger's milk — a Peruvian concoction combining the almost creamy seafood juices with citrus — it sits in. More interesting, slightly left-field fare comes in the form of bone marrow with mushrooms ($23). It's an indulgent treat, with the meaty, buttery texture of the marrow both good on its own and with a few slices of sourdough. A side of shishito peppers with yuzu essence ($14) is visually interesting, with the pepper flakes breathing and contracting on the plate, but more of the citrus would have been a plus. But the real centrepiece of the restaurant is their binchotan grill, an almost flameless and smoke-free style of grilling over Japanese charcoal that allows for extreme temperatures to cook meat. A good choice is black Angus beef New York-style strip steak ($42). With meat aged 270 days and quietly blasted into a blistered, charred state with pink, luscious softness inside, it's one of the most winning steaks in the city. You'll want at least one thing from the grill, but don't sleep on other options, like the Spanish-accented braised octopus ($29) in a romesco sauce blessed with both sweetness and a mild smoky heat. The recently instated liquor licence has allowed them to bring in a globe-crossing wine list, while desserts once again take cues from the Big Apple. The 'super-sized' New York cheesecake ($17) is a rich slab of dense, creamy sweetness which comes surrounded by a jammy berry coulis. A lighter option is the burnt fig bread pudding ($16), which is paired winningly with mocha ice cream. Eastside Kitchen may be the kind of upscale, cosmopolitan steakhouse at home in any world city, but you'll glad it's right here in Sydney. Images: Alana Dimou.
