Sydney's pretty great at the best of times, but when Art & About rolls around our city takes on a whole new splendour. Having just transitioned from a three-week shindig to a year-round event, Art & About are already ensuring 2016 is full of epic art with one of their most exciting installations to date. The Blue Trees by Egyptian-born, New Zealand-raised, Melbourne-based artist Konstantin Dimopoulos will transform Pyrmont’s leafy Pirrama Park into an ultramarine utopia with the help of a team of community volunteers. Using a biologically safe water-based colourant, Dimopoulos will colour the trunks of the park's living trees blue to highlight the impact of deforestation on old growth forests. By rendering our local environment uncanny Dimopoulos encourages us to consider the global impact humans have on the environment. Having been shown at the prestigious Vancouver Biennale last year and being an ephemeral work with an unknown duration, this is an installation not to be missed. The Blue Trees will be coloured by the community from 10am – 4pm on Saturday March 5. For details on how to help out, keep tabs on the Art & About website or Facebook page. The trees will be on display until the colourant is washed away by Mother Nature. Image: Roaming the Planet
Masters of block colour boardies, brewers of insanely good coffee and actual surfing enthusiasts Saturdays NYC have finally opened their very first Australian flagship store — in Bondi, where else? Until now, Saturdays NYC has only been available at stores like Incu around the country. Saturdays started their empire in 2009, selling boards, wetsuits, art and other lifestyle accessories in SoHo. Their wooden-floored Crosby Street digs became New York's go-to downtown surf shop, evolving into the coffee bar-fronted menswear Mecca it is today. After opening another NYC venture in the West Village in 2012, the crew expanded to Tokyo, Kobe, Nagoya and Osaka (featuring Saturday's first foray into cafe food). The Bondi store continues the tried and true Saturdays store-and-cafe formula, one that's sure to flourish in the beachside suburb. Sitting on Gould Street, the fitout is inspired by Saturdays NYC's Japan stores, inspired by surf shops of the '50s and '60s with a minimalist finish — we're talking breezy, light-filled spaces with blonde wooden floors and detailing. Like their international chapters, there's a coffee bar up front brewing up Surry Hills' own Artificer beans (a Sydney alternative to their signature Saturday blend, which New Yorkers will cross Manhattan for). And what will you be spending all your Saturday pocket money on? Saturdays specialise in weekend-y essentials, from bright boardies to printed cotton tees, sunglasses to wetsuits, surfing coffee table books to Mr. Zog's Sex Wax — not mention their own magazine. It's basically beachwear and accessories for people that can't always get to the beach — bringing a little Saturday into the boring, boring, suit-wearing workweek. Importantly (for Bondi especially), Saturdays NYC aren't just a brand that talks the surfwear talk, they also actually want you to get in the damn waves (just down the road). There's a unique range of surfboards to buy from both local and international shapers. Coffee Bar: Monday-Saturday 7am - 3pm, Sunday 8am - 3pm Retail Store: Monday-Wednesday 10am - 6pm, Thursday 10am - 7pm, Friday-Saturday 10am - 6pm, Sunday 10am - 5pm
In an attempt to reduce the spread of COVID-19 across Australia, Prime Minister Scott Morrison has announced an indefinite ban on non-essential organised gatherings of more than 500 people from Monday, March 16. The decision was made this afternoon at a meeting of Council of Australian Governments, which is made up of the PM and state and territory First Ministers, on the recommendation of Australia's Chief Medical Officer Brendan Murphy. Schools, universities, public transport and airports will not be impacted by the ban, but the government is recommending Australians reconsider all non-essential overseas travel, regardless of their age, health or destination. Large sporting games, concerts and food festivals will all be impacted by the ban and it's possible venues with a capacity of over 500 people will, despite not falling under the banner of 'organised events', also decide to close. We'll let you know if and when these are announced. While the ban does not come into place until Monday, many large-scale events across the country have taken precautionary measures and already cancelled or postponed, including Melbourne's Meatstock, Parramasala in Sydney's west and Brisbane's Paniyiri Greek Festival. Australia's ban follows a similar one introduced in New York yesterday, as well as the closure of large swathes of cinemas in China, Iran, South Korea, Japan, Italy and France, and theme parks in Shanghai, Hong Kong and Tokyo. We've also seen the cancellation of Texan music and film festival South by Southwest and postponement of Coachella. More locally, Tasmania's Dark Mofo and the Grand Prix in Melbourne have both been cancelled. The World Health Organisation (WHO) announced early this week that COVID-19 is a pandemic. As at 11am on Friday, March 13, Australia has 156 cases confirmed cases of COVID-19. To find out more about the status of COVID-19 in Australia and how to protect yourself, head to the Australian Government Department of Health's website.
If you're looking for something a little different to do on a sunny afternoon this summer, consider sipping an ice-cold drink and kicking back to dance-worthy tunes on an island while world-class sail boats race around Sydney Harbour. Any excuse to hang out in the sunshine, right? Returning to Sydney for its second season, SailGP will see the world's fastest yachts, with teams from Australia, Denmark, France, Great Britain, Japan, Spain, and the US racing through our iconic harbour on Friday, February 28 and Saturday, February 29. It's set to be an exhilarating couple of days — and you can get right in the middle of all the action at the event's Island Arena on Shark Island. Grab a premium ticket ($250) and you'll enjoy a gourmet hamper and drinks from an open bar, plus huge screens showing the race, live race commentary, DJs and entertainment. All tickets to Island Arena include ferry transfers to and from Shark Island departing Man O'War Steps. Rather be cruising alongside the yachts? Hop on a spectator boat run by Captain Cook Cruises (from $112), where you can get plenty of food and bevvies as you watch the race from the water. Or you can register to bring your own boat to a great spot on the water for free. If you'd rather go behind the scenes, you can book in for a tour of the boats on Cockatoo Island from February 17–27 for $29, too. For all the information on the different ticketing options, head here.
Given the globe's current state of affairs, there's no wonder we're all seeking a little escapism. For some, that's scrolling through luxurious (and exorbitantly priced) Airbnbs around the globe. For others, it's getting out of the house and seeing a spellbinding show. If you're after the latter, you can head straight to Sydney Opera House to see a seductive new production by dazzling circus group Circa, titled Peepshow. Running for less than two weeks, from Tuesday, February 2 till Sunday, February 14, Peepshow is part fantastical circus and part alluring cabaret — and is sure to titillate your wildest imagination. Directed by circus extraordinaire Yaron Lifschitz, it'll have you on the edge of your seat with some thrilling acrobatic stunts, as well as playful cabaret. And, with Valentine's Day just around the corner, why not treat your partner in crime to a night of live, racy theatre? And, to sweeten the deal, the Opera House is offering free flutes of champagne for performances between February 2–4. [caption id="attachment_799039" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Prudence Upton[/caption] For more information — and to buy tickets — head to the Sydney Opera House website. Top images: Prudence Upton
The restaurant bar is a curious beast. In recent times, it's gone from being something of an afterthought — at best, a prelude to the main event — to a considered part of the experience in many a restaurant. At its best, a restaurant bar is a destination in its own right. To shine the light on these spots, we've lined up some of the best restaurant bars in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane for when you want to elevate your next night on the town. Round up your crew, get the booze flowing and your night is set.
From an elevated 11-course spin on KFC and Disney degustations to nostalgia-driven menus themed around great British memories, Surry Hills fine-diner NEL continues to push the boundaries of creativity and invention with its contemporary takes on any theme it sets its attention toward. The restaurant's Executive Chef and Owner Nelly Robinson is leading the charge on these inventive degustations, assisted by a team of chefs with expert craftsmanship and a knack for inventing. Each time you venture to the Wentworth Avenue venue, you can expect something different — and something exceptional. When you opt to dine in this time, however, you'll have the chance to experience a behind-the-scenes glimpse at the creative process with the return of the NEL test kitchen. The limited lunch series will pop back up on Saturday, September 30th, offering an exclusive sneak peek into the inner workings of the venue's creation process. NEL's test kitchen will return for a single instalment, offering a nine-course set menu of seasonally-inspired dishes dedicated to "all things spring". The acclaimed restaurant's chefs will build new, exciting dishes, some of which may feature on NEL's future menu — and you'll be among the first to trial them. On this particular journey, you'll be met with a stunning kaleidoscope of colour paired with flavours that'll lead you on a sensory exploration of the season. Keep up to date with the event's details at NEL's official website.
As a teenager, a frozen coke or a slushie from the local fast food joint or convenience store was an essential part of any trip to the beach. Waterside spot Watsons Bay Boutique Hotel is introducing the adult version of the beach slushie to the eastern suburbs. Partnering with Don Julio Tequila, the hotel bar is offering up margarita and paloma slushies for the remainder of the year. For $14, you can pick up a frozen margarita, made with tequila, orange liqueur and lime; a frozen paloma, made with tequila, grapefruit soda and lime; or mix the two together to create what has been branded the margaloma. The pop-up slushie bar has been running out of the hotel's beach club since Saturday, November 7 and will run until Friday, January 1. The beach club offers ocean views as well as a breakfast, lunch and dinner menu that includes seafood, pasta, burgers and salads you can enjoy alongside the frozen cocktails. To ensure you get your hands on a margaloma this summer, book a table at the Beach Club.
We're all familiar with — and fans of — the pre-dinner tipple. But sometimes you don't have enough time to spend on an entire negroni (or you haven't eaten enough food yet to stomach it). For those times, you need a mini cocktail in your life. These cocktails — usually about half the size of a regular drink — still have all the trimmings and taste, but with what we think is the perfect amount of sips for a pre drink. Plus, they're affordable and tend to come in adorable mini glasses that are nice to drink out of. Since Merivale's Bar Topa opened with a focus on half-size cocktails, we've seen more bars add them to their menu — use this list for mini martinis, negronis, house cocktails and even irish coffees.
Situated at the heart of Sydney's historic centre, The Collective is Hunter St. Hospitality's new dining and drinking precinct bringing the ideal blend of sophistication and easygoing atmosphere. Opening in April, three restaurants, four bars and several smaller spots primed for elegant refreshments contrast against the storied neighbourhood's cobblestoned streets and turn-of-the-century architecture. Old meets new in terms of the dining options too, with much-loved establishments like Saké and The Cut Bar & Grill complementing the arrival of The Collective's three headline venues – The Garden, The Dining Room, and Cloakroom. With each offering a distinctive atmosphere and culinary flair, there's no shortage of ways to match your mood whether you're seeking an intimate dinner for two or a group feast with friends. Diving into the new venues, The Garden is an al fresco eatery styled after leafy, Parisian courtyard restaurants. Surrounded by heritage-listed buildings in this central hideaway, the vibe shifts from low-key coffee and sandwiches in the shade during the day to cocktails and dinner beneath a starry sky at night. Drawing from The Dining Room's menu, expect light and bright fare, like king prawn cutlets with gribiche. The Dining Room levels up the sophistication inside with welcoming but refined cuisine and surrounds. Here, a locally focused menu becomes a little more indulgent, with seafood dishes like blacklip abalone with bottarga and black rice alongside yellow tuna with blood plum and celery. After your feast, you're invited to head upstairs to the bar and lounge for cocktails and cosy seating. Building on this identity, Cloakroom is where guests can kick back in style with a top-shelf cocktail. Designed for maximum moodiness, warm timbers, dim lighting and plush seating give this 20-seat venue a swanky ambience. The drinks menu is suitably luxe, with a signature Cloakroom martini flanked by a complex collection of cocktails ready to enliven your evening. "Hospitality precincts are having a moment in Sydney, and I believe their appeal will only grow. With an 1800sqm footprint spread across three levels, we saw an opportunity to create something even more special with the properties we already have," says Hunter St. Hospitality CEO, Frank Tucker. "Each venue offers something unique, from casual dining to premium experiences, making The Collective as appealing to tourists exploring the area as it is for corporate and Sydneysiders." The Collective opens in April 2025 at 18 Argyle Street, The Rocks. Head to the website for more information. Images: Steven Woodburn.
With a history that trips back almost a century, the heritage-listed Balmoral Bathers' Pavilion is pretty hallowed turf. So, it's only fitting the historic waterside venue has an impressive cast of Sydney hospitality and design gurus overseeing its next phase of life. The art deco beauty has reopened after an extensive ten-week makeover, with some new and old hospitality elite at the helm. The new-look beachside venue now sports a fancy fit-out by award-winning design studio Luchetti Krelle, whose works you'll have spied at the likes of Manly Greenhouse, Verandah Bar, Banksii and the Sydney Opera House lobby. Expect lots of white tablecloths, sea-toned stripes, plants and lots of light from the venue's epic floor-to-ceiling windows. [caption id="attachment_744387" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The view from the dining room.[/caption] The new-look Bathers' gives you a few options: the bistro, the bar, the kiosk and the fine dining restaurant. The Bathers' Bistro is your more casual option, and it's open for brekkie, lunch and dinner. But, prices still aren't exactly cheap — smashed avo is $22, and mains like grilled Yamba prawns and fish pie will set you back around $35–45. For something a bit more special, you'll want to make a reservation in the venue's fine dining offering, The Good Room. The menu will change daily, but expect lots of seafood and cuts of duck breast and lamp rump. It's a set menu deal here, with two courses for $90 and three for $110. You'll also have 350 wines to choose from and an ocean view from wherever you sit. For snacks, you can grab a seat in the adjoining bar, and, on Sunday afternoons, the terrace will become a champagne bar, so you can indulge in Louis Roederer, prawns and steak frites alongside panoramic views of the ocean. If you're just after a post-swim feed, there's also the option to grab a hamper or fish and chips from the downstairs kiosk. A visit to the upstairs gallery is also an option Front-of-house star Cam Fairbairn has jumped on board to head up the service side of things, filling a void we've all been feeling since the closure of Rushcutters Bay favourite Acme earlier this year. In the kitchen, four years on from a previous stint at Bathers' Pavilion, Cameron Johnston (St Claude's, Jonah's) makes his return, stepping into the role of co-head chef of the venue's fine dining restaurant. alongside Peter Gong (Catalina). Kumiko Endo, with stints at Attica, Tetsuya, Fujisaki under his belt, joins the gang as head pastry chef, while Jess Mead (Acme, Kingdom of Rice) takes on the task of restaurant manager. Owner-Chef Serge Dansereau has overseen the Bathers' Pavilion site for the past 20 years and confirmed earlier this year that he's been granted a new lease for the next two decades. So you can expect to have more than a few Sunday sessions here. Bathers' Pavilion is now open at 4 The Esplanade, Balmoral. The bistro is open daily from 7am until late, and the restaurant is open for lunch and dinner every day except Monday. Top image: WikiCommons.
For the first time in history, Sydney Film Festival's Official Competition and the Cannes Film Festival's Palme d'Or have been won by the same film: Bong Joon-ho's Parasite. The final feature to screen as part of this year's SFF competition — and the recipient of rapturous audience applause after its first session in the State Theatre — the twisty family thriller took out 2019's $60,000 prize. Visiting Sydney for the second time in three years, after presenting Okja as the festival's closing night film back in 2017, Bong was on hand to receive the award. "This festival is really amazing, especially the audience… really special and extraordinary," the South Korean filmmaker said in his response to the accolade. "This is the most meaningful prize for me — in this beautiful city and beautiful theatre, and one of the most beautiful audiences in the world." A dark, devious, devastatingly smart and deceptively hilarious movie about two South Korean families — one struggling to get by, the other living in the lap of luxury — Parasite couldn't be a more deserving winner. From its slippery narrative that plays with several genres, to its exceptional performances from a cast led by Bong regular Song Kang-ho (The Host, Snowpiercer), to its scathing statement on class and its exquisite and astute production design, this tense, urgent and constantly surprising piece of cinema is one of the best films of the year so far. Also, as Bong told the Sydney audience, it was inspired by the time the director spotted a smudge on his pants. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SEUXfv87Wpk Selected by a jury consisting of Australian producer John Maynard (Jirga), Australian director Ana Kokkinos (Head On), Brazilian actor and filmmaker Wagner Moura (Marighella), New Zealand director Gaylene Preston (My Year with Helen), and Indian artist and filmmaker Ritu Sarin (The Sweet Requiem), Parasite emerged victorious in a hotly contested field — competing against Berlinale Golden Bear winner Synonyms, Oscar nominee Never Look Away, Pedro Almodovar's sumptuous Pain and Glory, the Tilda Swinton-starring The Souvenir, gentle New Zealand drama Bellbird and the Australian duo of Judy & Punch and Hearts and Bones, among others. It joins an impressive list of previous SFF prizewinners, including The Heiresses (2018), On Body and Soul (2017), Aquarius (2016), Arabian Nights (2015), Two Days, One Night (2014), Only God Forgives (2013), Alps (2012), A Separation (2011), Heartbeats (2010), Bronson (2009) and Hunger (2008). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WtLKQ09ikBg Also receiving a gong at SFF's closing night was She Who Must Be Loved, a documentary about pioneering Indigenous figure Alfreda Glynn, which took out the Documentary Australia Foundation Award for Australian Documentary (a $10,000 prize). It's slated to hit NITV on Sunday, July 14 at 8.30pm. Short film All These Creatures also nabbed the Dendy Live Action Short Award and the Rouben Mamoulian Award for Best Director, while fellow shorts Sohrab and Rustum and Ties That Bind picked up the Yoram Gross Animation Award and the Event Cinemas Australian Short Screenplay Award, respectively. The 2019 Sydney Film Festival ran from June 5–16. If you missed Parasite at the festival, you'll be able to catch it at Australian cinemas from Thursday, June 27.
On Friday, June 25, New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian announced that the City of Sydney, Woollahra, Waverley and Randwick Local Government Areas in Sydney will be placed under stay-at-home orders for a week in a bid to stop the spread of Sydney's latest COVID-19 outbreak. The outbreak began on Wednesday, July 16, and has seen case numbers grow daily — including 11 new cases yesterday and 17 so far today. The list of exposure sites has been expanding rapidly as well. The stay-at-home conditions are scheduled to start at 11.59pm tonight, Friday, June 25, and run until at least the same time on Friday, July 2. They'll apply to people who live in the four LGAs — and also to anyone who works within them as well. The restrictions include the reinstatement of the four reasons to leave your home, which should be familiar from 2020. Still, the list of things you can and can't do can be a bit overwhelming, so we've broken it down for you. This information is correct as of Friday, June 25. For what reasons am I allowed to leave the house? Remember those four reasons announced back in March 2020? Yes, that long ago. Well, they've been reintroduced. So, folks who either live or work in the City of Sydney, Woollahra, Waverley and Randwick LGAs can only leave home for work and study if you can't do it from your house, for essential shopping, for exercise — outdoors in groups of ten or fewer — and for compassionate reasons, which includes emergency medical treatment. Otherwise, everyone must stay at home. However, there are no restrictions on when you can go shopping or go out for exercise, and there's no curfew. You can find out more on the NSW coronavirus website and the NSW Health website. For how long can I leave the house? There are no limits on how long you can leave the house, including to exercise or to shop for groceries and other essentials. There are also no limits on how many people can leave the house. And, time-wise, there are no limits on how long you can leave for permitted work or caregiving. Why do the stay-at-home orders apply to folks who work in the four LGAs, but don't live there? Even if you don't live in the City of Sydney, Woollahra, Waverley and Randwick, you'll still be under stay-at-home conditions if you work in any of the four LGAS. Wondering why? Good question. The Premier said that "in this outbreak, we're seeing too many examples of workers coming in from other areas, getting infected in the workplace but then passing on the infection to multiple clients — and that is, without being specific, it hasn't just happened in one instance, it's happened in multiple instances." Is there a curfew? No, there is no curfew. You are allowed out of your house at any hour as long as it is for one of the four permitted reasons. Do I have to wear a mask? Yes, masks are compulsory in all indoor spaces outside of your own home — and on public transport and in public indoor spaces as well. How far can I travel? Residents of the four Sydney LGAs can only travel within the metropolitan Sydney area — and only for one of the four permitted reasons. Other than that, you can't venture beyond the city limits. Residents of the Bayside, Canada Bay and Inner West LGAs won't be placed under a stay-at-home order, but they also can't leave the metropolitan Sydney area as part of restrictions implemented on Wednesday, June 23. Those restrictions will also stay in place until at least 11.59pm tonight on Friday, July 2. Can I see friends and family? No, you can't have generally visitors to your home. That isn't one of the four permitted reasons to leave the house, either. And, you can't gather with friends and family in a public place under the stay-at-home order. That said, you are allowed to exercise outdoors with up to ten people — and there's no rule requiring those nine other folks other than yourself to all come from your household. Partners who live separately are allowed to visit each other at home, though. "We always have some components which are around intimate partner visits, and that will extend in this circumstance," said NSW Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant. Can I drive to a park to exercise? Yes, but only to exercise — not to picnic or to do anything else. Can I take my pet out for a walk in the park? Yes, you can take your dog for a walk as it's considered exercise. Can I go to the beach? Again, yes, but only to exercise — not to simply hang out or to do anything else. During Sydney's last lockdown, many local beaches closed, so you'd be best to check your local council website before heading out. Can I go on a holiday to a coastal/regional town? In short, no. Since residents of the four Sydney LGAs can only travel within the metropolitan Sydney area — and only for one of the four permitted reasons — you can't head out of town for a holiday. The same applies to residents of the Bayside, Canada Bay and Inner West LGAs, with restrictions implemented on Wednesday, June 23 also forbidding folks in those areas from leaving the metropolitan Sydney area. Can I road trip to an out-of-town beach for a day? Again, no. The ban on leaving the metropolitan Sydney area applies in all circumstances, including day trips. How about driving to my holiday house? Once again, no. Spending time at a holiday house isn't classed as one of the four essential reasons for leaving your home. Can I go to a gym? Exercise is only permitted outdoors, so visiting an indoor gym isn't allowed under the stay-at-home conditions. "For a business like a gym in those four Local Government Areas, we're saying only exercise outdoors up to groups of ten. That means that any gyms or indoor exercise places won't be open," said the Premier. Can I go shopping? For groceries and other essentials, yes. Supermarkets, food and liquor stores, and pet stores will be open. You must shop for essentials only within the metropolitan Sydney area if you can. How about to a restaurant or cafe? You can pick up takeaway from a hospitality venue located within the metropolitan Sydney area, but dine-in service is off the cards. "Clearly, if you are a business in those four Local Government Areas, unfortunately, unless you're providing essential food and services — that is take away food and services or grocery services of that nature — we don't expect those businesses to remain open in the next week," said the Premier. Can I buy alcohol for the weekend from a bottle shop? Yes, you can — bottle shops will remain open. Can I go out for a takeaway coffee? Yes, you can — but you won't be able to sit and sip while you're out. For more information on what you can and can't do in NSW, head to the NSW Government website. To find out more about the status of COVID-19 in Australia and how to protect yourself, head to the Australian Government Department of Health's website.
ICYMI, from now until the end of February, Wetherill Park's Kinchin Lane is hosting an al fresco summer festival packed with good vibes and delicious eats. Expect to see live music, a huge variety of cuisine and a series of events and workshops for all ages. But with so much on offer at this western Sydney spot, where should you begin? In partnership with Stockland, we've rounded up our favourite dishes for you to tuck into at Kinchin Lane this month. CRISPY PORK BELLY WITH SPICY PAPRIK SAUCE AT THAI ROCK Thai Rock serves up delicious versions of Thai classics, but we suggest taking a break from your chicken pad thai and branching out. This crispy pork belly with spicy paprik sauce is a must-try — a flavour explosion of crispy pork, wild ginger and makrut lime in a spicy red curry, served with stir-fried green beans. Our tip: order a serve of the excellent pineapple fried rice — served in a pineapple, naturally — to soak up the curry. SIGNATURE KBBQ COMBO (FOR TWO) AT SOJU Wanting to spice up your next date night? What better way than enjoying fun and delicious Korean barbecue at Soju, where you can prepare your platter together at your table for some bonding. This two-person feast features all the classics, including wagyu, pork belly, pork jowl, prawns, veggies and a selection of banchan which will leave you more than satisfied. Naturally, we recommend washing it down with a bottle or two of soju for the full experience. BAVARIAN TASTING PLATTER AT THE BAVARIAN The clue is in the name with this one, folks. At The Bavarian, you will find seven styles of German beer on tap, served in a stein, of course. And what better pairing for your cold, frothy bier than a selection of German-style pub grub? The Bavarian Tasting Platter is designed to share, so round up the crew and head down to enjoy a classic Bavarian pub experience. On the platter you can expect crackling pork belly, the restaurant's signature crispy pork knuckle, German sausages and schnitzel alongside kraut, cabbage, creamy mash, apple compote and bier jus. This is not for the faint hearted — and certainly not for any herbivores out there. CHURROS FOR TWO AT SAN CHURRO If you've been blessed with a sweet tooth, then head to San Churro with a date or a mate to enjoy a share platter of crispy, cinnamon-coated churros served with couverture chocolate, Spanish-style caramel and fresh fruit. These crunchy, doughy delights make a serious case for having dessert first — plus the fruit definitely counts as one of your five-a-day, right? VEGAN DUMPLINGS AT SMILING DUMPLINGS Head to Smiling Dumplings for delicious Shanghainese dishes — served to you by a robot. This is a dining experience for everyone to enjoy, thanks to the restaurant's range of juicy vegan dumplings that don't compromise on flavour and are free of eggs, dairy, shallots and garlic. Try the vegan prawn for a flavour-packed, textural delight, or the beautiful yellow pumpkin dumplings that taste as good as they look. To find out more about Kinchin Lane's Summer Eats and Beats festival, head to the event website.
Paperbark, the Scandi-inspired vegan restaurant opened by the Alfie's Kitchen team in Waterloo in August 2018, wants more of your company this summer. Every Sunday afternoon in January, the eatery is opening for a long, lazy, all-vegan brunch. Get started with a fancy share plate, such as eggplant and pepperberry dip with crisps, or salt-and-vinegar potato churros, before moving onto mains. Here, there's a caraway bagel by Iggy's, layered with tomato, pickled cherry, nectarine and fermented chilli jam, shiso and riberry, as well as an oyster mushroom burger with heirloom tomato, avocado and chipotle onion relish and hand-cut chips, among other colourful, plant-based creations. Come dessert, you'll have just one simple yet refreshing option: mango sorbet with lemon myrtle and macadamia. If you're one of those people who gets hives when trying to choose from menu options, go, instead, for peace of mind with the kitchen menu. For $50, you get three courses: avocado and paperbark-smoked celeriac; followed by cauliflower, radicchio and cabbage; and then a sweet finale — chocolate and passionfruit. Meanwhile, the drinks menu offers an array of delightful signature cocktails. Anyone worse for wear after an overly-merry Saturday evening will find remedy in the efficacious bloody mary (jalapeño vodka or tequila with tomato and fermented chilli) or the tangelo-infused mimosa. There's also a white russian made with macadamia mylk, espresso and cacao vodka; a margarita infused with pink peppercorn and lemon myrtle; and a twist on a negroni: a sprightly concoction of finger lime gin, amaro, eucalyptus and vermouth. For the moment, the brunch is only happening every Sunday in January, but we're keeping our fingers crossed that it's extended for, at least, a few months longer. Paperbark is open for brunch every Sunday from 12–6pm until the end of January. Find it at 18 Danks Street, Waterloo. Images: Kitti Gould.
In November last year, Sydney hospitality giant Merivale confirmed the Lorne Hotel would play host to a fifth outpost of the hospitality group's much-loved Italian eatery Totti's. Now, we have a confirmed opening date for pasta lovers in Victoria. Victoria's first Totti's venue will throw open its doors this Saturday, March 11, with bookings opening later this week on Wednesday, March 8. Launching as the group's first Victorian opening — and the first-ever outside of New South Wales — the restaurant will be helmed by Merivale Executive Chef (and Totti's creator) Mike Eggert, along with Lorne Hotel Executive Chef and Surf Coast local Matt Germanchis. It'll take over the Ground Floor space formerly home to MoVida Lorne, where Germanchis was most recently on the pans. The venue's set to plate up a faithful interpretation of the Italian fare that's earned Totti's its cult status up north, though with a few twists and new creations courtesy of the local chef. Familiar favourites will be in strong supply, from the puffy wood-fired bread to the fresh pasta; while the hotel's location will guide the menu's expansive seafood offering, showing off plenty of locally sourced ocean-fresh inclusions. Similarly, the drinks list is set to zero in on Victorian winemakers and producers, across a broad-ranging lineup of drops for all tastes. As for the vibe, it'll also embrace the restaurant's coastal setting, the space just as well suited to long weekend lunches, as to thirsty walk-ins strolling fresh off the beach. And you can expect foreshore views from every seat in the house. Totti's has proved a winning concept in Sydney since the opening of its OG Bondi outpost. The stable has expanded to include venues in Rozelle, the Sydney CBD and, as of August, Allianz Stadium, where Merivale has taken over the entire food and drink offering. The expansion into Victoria was initially announced back in May of 2021, with the news it had purchased the historic Lorne Hotel to play host to Victoria's first Totti's. Totti's Lorne will open its doors on Saturday, March 11 at midday at 176 Mountjoy Pde, Great Ocean Rd, Lorne. Bookings will open via the Totti's Lorne website at 9am, Wednesday March 8. Images: Ashley Ludkin
Ramen fans, rejoice! Popular noodle chain Motto Motto Japanese Kitchen is celebrating the opening of its fifth Sydney outpost — and its first in the CBD — with a massive discount promotion. From 11am on Saturday, July 27, the first 500 patrons through door of the new Sydney Plaza branch will be able to snag a steaming bowl of soupy noods for just $1. This cozzie-livs-defying deal applies exclusively to Motto Motto's signature ramen, made to a recipe devised by Executive Chef Ryuji Tomihara. The signature serve sees rich, creamy tonkotsu broth flavoured with shoyu kaeshi share the bowl with fresh noodles — made in-house — and finished with with tender slices of pork, a marinated soft-boiled egg, fresh shallots and seaweed. In addition to this opening day bargain bonanza, Motto Motto will keep the good times slurpin' for one lucky Sydneysider, with a year's worth of ramen for free. To enter, simply sign up to be a Motto Motto member, selecting the Sydney Plaza branch as your local. The winner will be drawn at random on Wednesday, July 31.
Something delightful has been happening in cinemas in some parts of the country. After numerous periods spent empty during the pandemic, with projectors silent, theatres bare and the smell of popcorn fading, picture palaces in many Australian regions are back in business — including both big chains and smaller independent sites in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. During COVID-19 lockdowns, no one was short on things to watch, of course. In fact, you probably feel like you've streamed every movie ever made, including new releases, Studio Ghibli's animated fare and Nicolas Cage-starring flicks. But, even if you've spent all your time of late glued to your small screen, we're betting you just can't wait to sit in a darkened room and soak up the splendour of the bigger version. Thankfully, plenty of new films are hitting cinemas so that you can do just that — and we've rounded up, watched and reviewed everything on offer this week. GOOD LUCK TO YOU, LEO GRANDE People have orgasms every day, but for decades spent closing her eyes and thinking of England in a sexually perfunctory marriage, Good Luck to You, Leo Grande's lead character wasn't among them. Forget la petite mort, the French term for climaxing; Nancy Stokes' (Emma Thompson, Cruella) big wrestling match with mortality, the one we all undertake, has long been devoid of erotic pleasure. Moments that feel like a little death? Unheard of. That's where this wonderfully candid, intimate, generous and joyous sex comedy starts, although not literally. Flashbacks to Nancy enduring getting it over with beneath her now-deceased spouse, missionary style, aren't Australian filmmaker Sophie Hyde (Animals) or British comedian-turned-screenwriter Katy Brand's (Glued) concern. Instead, their film begins with the religious education teacher waiting in a hotel room, about to take the biggest gamble of her life: meeting the eponymous sex worker (Daryl McCormack, Peaky Blinders). For anyone well-versed in Thompson's prolific on-screen history, and of Brand's work before the camera as well, Good Luck to You, Leo Grande inspires an easy wish: if only Nancy had a different job. Back in 2010, the pair co-starred in Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang, a title that'd also fit their latest collaboration if its protagonist cared for kids rather than taught them. Jokes aside, the instantly charming Leo is used to hearing that sentiment about his own professional choices. Indeed, Nancy expresses it during their pre- and post-coital discussions, enquiring about the events that might've led him to his career. "Maybe you're an orphan!" she says. "Perhaps you grew up in care, and you've got very low self-esteem," she offers. "You could have been trafficked against your will — you can't tell just by looking at somebody!" she continues. There are plenty of "if only" thoughts and feelings pulsating through Good Luck to You, Leo Grande, a film where its namesake's tongue couldn't be more important — yes, in that way, and also because talk is as crucial as sex here. If only Nancy hadn't spent half of her existence in a pleasure-free marriage. If only a lifetime of being middle class and socially conservative, and of internalising Britain's stereotypical 'keep calm and carry on' mentality, hadn't left her adrift from her desires. If only being a woman in her mid-50s wasn't seen as a libidinous void by society at large, a mindset that's as much a part of Nancy as the wrinkles and ageing body parts she can barely look at in the mirror. If only prioritising her sensual needs wasn't virtually taboo, too, especially in her mind — even after, two years since being widowed, she's booked an expensive rendezvous with Leo. Good Luck to You, Leo Grande unpacks those if onlys — not the Nanny McPhee one, obviously, but the idea that Nancy's life is immovably stuck in the same rut it has always been. As played by Thompson at the height of her acting powers, at her absolute splintery, finicky yet vulnerable best even with Last Christmas, Years and Years, Late Night and The Children Act on her recent resume, she's nervous, anxious, uncertain and always on the cusp of cancelling, including once Leo strolls into the room, beams his easy magnetism her way and starts talking about what she wants like it's the most natural thing in the world. Slipping into the sheets and knowing what excites you is the most natural thing in the world, of course, but not to Nancy. As her four appointments with Leo progress, she comes up with a lineup of carnal acts she'd like to experience — and she may as well be reading from her grocery list. But getting her to shed her inhibitions is as much his focus as shedding her clothes, and the twentysomething won't let Nancy keep getting in the way of herself. Read our full review. CRIMES OF THE FUTURE It takes a brave filmmaker to see cancer and climate change, and think of art, evolution and eroticism in a possible future. It takes a bold director to have a character proclaim that "surgery is the new sex", too. David Cronenberg has always been that kind of visionary, even before doing all of the above in his sublime latest release — and having the Scanners, Videodrome and The Fly helmer back on his body-horror bent for the first time in more than two decades is exactly the wild and weird dream that cinephiles want it to be. The Canadian auteur makes his first movie at all since 2014's Maps to the Stars, in fact, and this tale of pleasure and pain is as Cronenbergian as anything can be. He borrows Crimes of the Future's title from his second-ever feature dating back 50-plus years, brings all of his corporeal fascinations to the fore, and moulds a viscerally and cerebrally mesmerising film that it feels like he's always been working towards. Long live the new flesh, again. Long live the old Cronenberg as well. In this portrait of a potential time to come, the human body has undergone two significant changes. Three, perhaps, as glimpsed in a disquieting opening where an eight-year-old called Brecken (debutant Sotiris Siozos) snacks on a plastic bin, and is then murdered by his mother Djuna (Lihi Kornowski, Ballistic). That incident isn't unimportant, but Crimes of the Future has other departures from today's status quo to carve into — and they're equally absorbing. Physical agony has disappeared, creating a trade in "desktop surgery" as performance art. Also, a condition dubbed Accelerated Evolution Syndrome causes some folks, such as artist Saul Tenser (Viggo Mortensen, Thirteen Lives), to grow abnormal organs. These tumours are removed and tattooed in avant-garde shows by his doctor/lover Caprice (Léa Seydoux, No Time to Die), then catalogued by the National Organ Register's Wippit (Don McKellar, reteaming with Cronenberg after eXistenZ) and Timlin (Kristen Stewart, Spencer). When Crimes of the Future stages one of Saul and Caprice's gigs, it drips not with blood but spectacle and seduction. Indeed, it's no wonder that a curious Timlin utters that catchy observation about medical slicing and intimate arousal shortly afterwards. Alluring, eerie, grotesque and enthralling — and the epitome of the feature's sparse yet entrancing look and mood in the process — it's a powerhouse of a scene, with a self-autopsy pod at its centre. Saul lies still, Caprice uses an eXistenZ-esque fleshy video-game controller to get the contraption cutting, and an enraptured audience hang on every incision. Saul and Caprice do, too, although their visibly aroused reactions have nothing on their time later in the suite alone. (Cronenberg does love eschewing traditional ideas about what titillates; see also: his 1996 film Crash, about characters excited by car crashes. It's a clear precursor to this, and the movie that purred so that 2021 Palme d'Or winner Titane, by filmmaker Julia Ducournau, could rev.) Crimes of the Future's scalpel-equipped coffin is just one of Saul and Caprice's Lifeform Ware gadgets; if eXistenZ, Naked Lunch and Dead Ringers procreated, these are the devices the three flicks would spawn. HR Giger could've conjured them up as well, and thinking of the biomechanical artist's contribution to Alien, which saw him share an Oscar for visual effects, is as natural as feeling spellbound and perturbed by Cronenberg's movie in unison. This is a grimy world where a bed covered with skin and tentacles floats in Saul's home, calibrated to cater to his "designer cancer"-riddled body's needs as it slumbers — and where a chair that looks like a skeleton reassembled as furniture contorts Saul as he's eating, something he is having increasing trouble with otherwise. In other words, it's a world where the old flesh isn't doing what it always has, new flesh is sprouting in a changing and devastated reality, and technology fills in the gaps as it is always designed to. Read our full review. BOSCH & ROCKIT Remember the name Rasmus King. Based on 2022's slate of Australian films and television shows, that shouldn't be hard. The Byron Bay-born newcomer hadn't graced a screen, large or small, before this year — and now he has no fewer than four projects pushing him into the spotlight before 2023 arrives. Most, including surfing TV drama Barons, capitalise upon the fact that he's a pro on the waves IRL. Two, 6 Festivals and the upcoming sci-fi featurette What If The Future Never Happened?, get his long blonde locks whipping through the Australian music scene. The latter is based on Daniel Johns' teenage years, actually, and has King playing that pivotal part. If he's half as impressive in the role as he is in father-son drama Bosch & Rockit, Silverchair fans will have plenty to look to forward to. When writer/director Tyler Atkins opens his debut feature, it's in the late 90s, along Australia's east coast, and with King as eager surfer Rockit — son to weed farmer Bosch (Luke Hemsworth, Westworld). Sometimes, the titular pair hit the surf together, which sees Rockit's eyes light up; however, Bosch is usually happy tending to his illicit business, making questionable decisions, and coping with splitting from his son's mother Elizabeth (Leeanna Walsman, Eden) with the help of other women. Then a couple of unfortunate twists of fate upend Rockit's existence, all stemming from his father. Begrudgingly, Bosch is pushed into stepping outside his drug-growing comfort zone by an old friend-turned-cop (Michael Sheasby, The Nightingale) and his corrupt partner (Martin Sacks, Buckley's Chance). When a bushfire sweeps through the region shortly afterwards, he's forced to go on the run to stay alive. Bosch & Rockit approaches Bosch's absconding from Rockit's perspective, adopting the line that the former gives his boy: that they're going to Byron for an extended holiday. Atkins doesn't feed the same idea to its audience, but ensures that viewers understand why a bright-eyed teenager would take his dad at his word — not just because he doesn't know what Bosch does for a living, which he doesn't; or he's naïve, which he is; but also because he's eager to hang onto his biggest dream. There's sorrow in King's spirited performance, with Rockit more affected by his parents' split, bullying at school and the isolation that comes with finding solace in the sea, usually alone, than Bosch has the shrewdness to spot. There's earnestness as well, because what struggling kid who's desperate for the kind of love that genuine attention signifies, as Rockit visibly is, won't blindly believe whatever fantasy their dad or mum sells them for as long as possible? King does a magnetic job of conveying Rockit's inner turmoil, and expressing his uncertainty, too. There's an effortlessness to his portrayal, whether Rockit is lapping up Bosch's presence like a plant swaying towards the sunlight, listlessly left to his own devices when his dad decides he'd rather chase Byron local Deb (Isabel Lucas, That's Not Me), or finding a kindred spirit in Ash (Savannah La Rain, Surviving Summer), another restless and yearning teen vacationing under less-than-ideal circumstances and feeling like she's alone in the world. Avoiding formulaic plotting isn't Bosch & Rockit's strong suit, however, as the film makes plain at every turn. That's evident in both of its namesakes' trajectories, for starters — with Bosch a small-time crim falling afoul of the wrong people, with help from bad luck, then trying to start anew; and Rockit an innocent kid stuck with subpar parents, forced to grow up faster than he should, but hanging onto whatever he can. Read our full review. If you're wondering what else is currently screening in Australian cinemas — or has been lately — check out our rundown of new films released in Australia on May 5, May 12, May 19 and May 26; June 2, June 9, June 16, June 23 and June 30; and July 7, July 14, July 21 and July 28, and August 4 and August 11. You can also read our full reviews of a heap of recent movies, such as Petite Maman, The Drover's Wife The Legend of Molly Johnson, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Firestarter, Operation Mincemeat, To Chiara, This Much I Know to Be True, The Innocents, Top Gun: Maverick, The Bob's Burgers Movie, Ablaze, Hatching, Mothering Sunday, Jurassic World Dominion, A Hero, Benediction, Lightyear, Men, Elvis, Lost Illusions, Nude Tuesday, Ali & Ava, Thor: Love and Thunder, Compartment No. 6, Sundown, The Gray Man, The Phantom of the Open, The Black Phone, Where the Crawdads Sing, Official Competition, The Forgiven, Full Time, Murder Party, Bullet Train, Nope, The Princess and 6 Festivals.
Bulletin Place — the street — is quite the anomaly. Not only is it one of the more aesthetically pleasing side streets in the CBD, with its Victorian pastel-coloured building facades, but it also harbours some of the best beverages Sydney has to offer. By night, Bulletin Place — the bar — is the place to be. But during the day, crowds flock to Cabrito Coffee Traders to get their caffeine fix. The team here takes the bean business very seriously. Produce is ethically sourced from the global coffee capitals and house-roasted to perfection. Blends are on constant rotation and the old-school felt menu is a cheat sheet to nailing the tasting notes. Coffee geeks are also spoilt for choice in serving options: filter, cold drip, batch brew or plain ol' espresso. With coffee as the main affair, things are kept simple food-wise. 'Something between bread' is the general theme; there's toasties for breakfast and burgers for lunch. If you're after something sweet, the unconventional lamingtons from LusciousKiki are unmissable. In a jungle of poor coffee choices, it is clear to see why this small laneway shop generates such a buzz — and not just from the caffeine.
Darlinghurst's Forbes and Burton is under fire after the cafe's owner denied a Brazilian-born Australian man a barista job, telling him his customers wouldn't want their "coffee made by black people," according to the Daily Mail. Yep, WHAT. Although Nilson Dos Santos is an Australian citizen and has worked as a barista in Australia for nine years, the owner (who would only give the Daily Mail his name as 'Steven'), told the 39-year-old he "only wanted locals" for the job. A recent migrant from Shanghai, Steven is taking some furious heat for his hypocritical and outrageously racist actions. "There are a lot of white customers at the cafe and I think the clients here want local people, not African people," Steven said after this weekend's events. "We need to offer good service at this cafe and I think the coffee culture is more about white people." He keeps going. "I prefer the barista to be local, not from Italy or other countries ... In some people's opinions African people can’t make good coffee." Dos Santos saw the ad on Gumtree and rang Steven on Saturday, telling the owner he was from Brazil on the phone. When Dos Santos arrived at the cafe the next day for his interview, Steven pulled an incredibly racist (and geographically ignorant) switch. "When I came to the cafe for the interview today, he looked at me and looked surprised. He didn’t like what he saw," Dos Santos said. "We sat down and he said, 'But you’re black?' I said yes and he told me, 'But my customers are white. I don’t think they’d like to have their coffee made by black people. That’s not part of the coffee culture. You’re African.' I said to him, 'I’m sorry.' But he said I was not able to do the job because I am black." Dos Santos kept a cool head for someone who's just been point-blank discriminated against. "I thought to myself, what do I do? I wanted to punch him but I thought that if I reacted badly, that wouldn’t be the right thing either. But I thought that if I just left and closed the door, he’ll do that over and over again to everybody else that comes. So I felt I had to do something, to show him that he needs to learn his lessons and that's not the way to treat people." According to DM, Dos Santos stood up and addressed the Darlinghurst cafe, informing customers why he'd missed out on the job and asked if they'd have any problem having a coffee made by a black man. In a moment of pure high-fivery, many customers ditched the cafe in a walk-out, a bunch hit up Facebook and a staff member quit right then and there. Forbes and Burton are truly taking a hit on Facebook, with reams of angry posters shaking fists at owner Steven and calling for a boycott (although some are being outright racist in return about Steven's Chinese heritage, not cool): "I have never experienced anything like that in Australia," Dos Santos said. "I love it here, I am free here, that’s why I chose to stay. I’ve always felt welcomed and accepted. For me, it was never a problem that I am black until today." According to the Daily Mail, Steven needs to run Forbes and Burton for two years to nab his Australian visa. Good luck with that. Via Daily Mail.
As COVID-19 continues to spread around the globe, travel is in no one's immediate plans — and the airline industry is responding accordingly. In Australia, that means a huge drop in the number of available flights, both overseas and within Australia, with Qantas announcing that it's grounding aircraft and slashing services for the foreseeable future. In a statement, the 100-year-old Aussie airline revealed that it will cut flights from the end of March until the end of May, at least. International flights will be cut by around 90 percent, while domestic flights will fall by approximately 60 percent. Both moves come in response to Australia's current containment and quarantine measures, including the requirement that all international arrivals into the country must self-isolate for 14 days — and, unsurprisingly, the steeply dropping demand for air travel both internationally and domestically. In total, around 150 aircraft will be taken out of service across both the Qantas and Jetstar brands. At present, the company will also stick to its previously announced reductions from late May to mid-September — with capacity cut by 25 percent by using smaller aircraft and reducing the frequency of flights — although that could obviously drop further depending on how the coronavirus situation develops in the next two months. While Qantas hasn't revealed exactly which routes will be affected by the huge 90-percent cut, it's sensible to assume that all of them will. Big changes already announced and operational include postponing the launch of the new Brisbane–Chicago route, sending all Sydney flights to London via Perth rather than Singapore (which, yes, means experiencing that whopping 17-hour non-stop trip from Perth–London), and completely suspending all flights from Sydney–Shanghai and Melbourne–Bangkok. Given the extent of COVID-19's impact, all other airlines are obviously in a comparable situation. While Virgin Australia hasn't updated its plans since March 13, it too has begun reducing services — by six percent overall, including by eight percent internationally. Worldwide, the scenario is the same. Air New Zealand is reducing its capacity by 85 percent overall, and its trips across the Tasman to Australia by 80 percent. Airlines in America, Britain, Europe, Asia and, well, basically everywhere are taking similar measures — as is to be expected as countries everywhere begin to close their borders. For more information about Qantas and Jetstar's reductions, visit the company's website. For further details about Virgin Australia's plans, visit its website. To find out more about the status of COVID-19 in Australia and how to protect yourself, head to the Australian Government Department of Health's website.
It's no secret that women in the music industry have a tough time, and sometimes it feels like all we talk about is rampant sexism, female underrepresentation and, well, men. But not today. Nope, today is International Women's Day and you'd be damned to take that away from us. And to help out with the whole amplifying women's voices thing, triple j is dedicating an entire day to the ladies. But this isn't some kind of Richard Mercer Love Songs and Dedications situation. Rather, triple j will bring Girls to the Front and hand over all the programming and content to Australia's biggest boss ladies of music. All day. Can you think of anything more angelic? Running the day will be the radio station's female presenters. You'll have Linda Marigliano on Breakfast, followed by Zan Rowe on Mornings, Gemma Pike at Lunch, Veronica will be joined by Gen Fricker on Drive, and KLP will do her thing on Good Nights. Plus, there'll be a special edition of The Racket hosted by High Tension's Karina Utomo. The music will also be an all-lady affair, with Tkay Maidza, Alpine, Sampa The Great, Tired Lion, Sarah Blasko, Lauren from Chvrches, Little Simz and more sharing their favourite and most inspiring female artists and music. The magic will be carried out on the airwaves over at triple j Unearthed and Double J as well. On Unearthed, garage punk legendary ladies LAZERTITS will play some of their local female faves, while over on Double J Myf Warhurst will speak with Natalie Prass and Ibeyi before music journalist Jessica Hopper programs two epic hours of female music-makers. So turn off Spotify this arvo and listen to some kickass local lady talent — and remind yourself that the music industry isn't just run by dudes. You can get involved by using the #GirlsToTheFront hastag.
Usually, if you'd like to tuck into Butter's fried chicken-heavy menu, you need to wait until the day has really started to kick into gear. First thing in the morning isn't normally the time to indulge your chook, sneakers and champagne urges — or ramen, when that's on the eatery chain's list. That's changing for a brief period, however, all thanks to Butter's new limited-time breakfast menu. It's only available on weekends, and only until Sunday, August 1. If you'd like to try the chain's version of an egg muffin, though, you'll want to make a date with its brekkie lineup ASAP. The Butter breakfast range is available from 9.30am–12pm Saturdays and Sundays, although it's a get-in-quick affair — because only a limited number of dishes will be made at each store each weekend. Well, we say dishes, but there's really just one star of the show: the Egg Thot Muffin. It comes with scrambled egg, kombu-glazed caramelised onions, salted chilli mayo, Japanese barbecue sauce, fried egg, cheese and fine herbs, as stacked between two halves of a sourdough English muffin. You can add to your muffin, and to your order, too. So, make some room for hash browns, bacon, fried chicken thigh, a fried field mushroom and fried halloumi as well. Butter's stores in Surry Hills, Parramatta and Chatswood are all serving up the new brekkie additions, and they'll be doing the brand's regular menu from 11am on weekends also. While Sydney is in lockdown, obviously all orders are takeaway and delivery only. In fact, if you order via Butter's own delivery platform and use the code BUTTERLOVE, you'll get 15 percent off all orders over $40. Butter's weekend breakfast menu is available from 9.30am–12pm each Saturday and Sunday until Sunday, August 1 at Butter Surry Hills, Parramatta and Chatswood. For further details, head to the Butter website.
#FOMO is a group art show that seeks to answer the age-old question: why can’t we just stay at home on a Saturday night watching reruns of Friends with our simple, earthly possessions and without the pangs of social unease? Artereal Gallery have taken it upon themselves to appropriate the social ill and, in #FOMO, have extended the phenomenon past the fear of missing out on social events, to missing out on owning and consuming artwork. It’s good timing for Artereal Gallery too: ‘FOMO’ has been bandied around for a few years now, but everyone’s favourite acronym really reached internet slang stardom when it was officially included in the Oxford Dictionary alongside words like michelada, omnishambles and selfie (no link needed). #FOMO curator Rhianna Walcott has chosen four emerging and established artists from Sydney to exhibit their FOMO-related art, including performance artist Liam Benson, Criena Court, Tully Arnot and Louise Zhang. Not to be missed. Seriously.
If you're bored of holidays spent idling by a pool, sunbaking on a beach and ambling in a park, step up your holidays with these next-level adventures. With Intrepid Travel, we have selected six adventures that will take you to the planet's most extreme corners, from Antarctica's pristine icy beauty to the Himalayas' rugged peaks. Whether you seek the roar of cascading water or the silent majesty of remote landscapes, prepare to be immersed in experiences that redefine the meaning of epic. Antarctica There's nowhere on the planet quite like the extreme icy desert that is the unspoiled Antarctic wilderness. Spy penguins, whales and seals (oh my), snowshoe to the best viewpoints and learn from the talented expedition team. Start your adventure at the world's southernmost city, Ushuaia, Argentina, before boarding a vessel to the ends of the earth. Cross the infamous and unpredictable Drake Passage — it can be calm as a lake or rough and turbulent. Experience the temperature falling as you reach the Antarctic Peninsula. Daily excursions will take you to Anvers Island, Deception Island and the South Shetland Islands. Explore the icy wilderness, with backdrops of towering icebergs, impressive glaciers, imposing snow-capped peaks, and waters dotted with ice flats. Mt Everest If bushwalking and hiking are your usual weekend activities, take your excursions up a notch (or 50) with a trek to the highest peak on our planet. Tick the mighty Mt Everest off your bucket list with an expedition to Base Camp. This trip of a lifetime to Mt Everest Base Camp will take you past unfathomably high peaks, stunning alpine lakes, icy glacial plains, unforgettable vistas and to the limits of your strength. Hiking the mighty Himalayas is no walk in the park. This trip includes 12 days of hiking for up to eight hours a day, reaching altitudes of over 5000 metres. Are you up for the challenge? Iceland What's more extreme than a hike to the highest mountain? How about an island created by volcanic eruptions? Iceland is a geographical marvel — but there's more to this island than ice (and Björk). This Nordic island nation is defined by its dramatic landscape of actively rumbling volcanos, scenic fjords, natural hot springs, gushing geysers, massive glaciers and gigantic waterfalls. Iceland is frequented by volcano-loving tourists who love to take a dip in the famous Blue Lagoon, gasp at the giant Skogafoss and Detifoss waterfalls and spy the aurora borealis as they circumvent this North Atlantic island. Madagascar Madagascar isn't just a lush jungle island overloaded with cartoon characters who like to move it, move it. This lush island nation has white sand beaches, steamy, humid jungles and numerous lemur species. Connect with nature as you travel down bumpy roads bordered by baobab trees and explore the national parks, reserves and lush rainforests. This adventure isn't for those who love to watch wildlife from the comforts of sleek bedsheets and spa baths. This is for wildlife lovers who want to get up close and personal with local animals in the rainforest. Scotland Embarking to the Orkney Islands promises a captivating adventure through untamed landscapes and rugged beauty. Located off the tip of Scotland in the North Sea, these islands boast an otherworldly charm, where ancient history collides with the raw forces of nature. The Orkneys are a haven for wildlife enthusiasts, offering a sanctuary for diverse bird species, seals, and other marine life. As you traverse the untamed terrain, be prepared to witness dramatic sandstone cliffs, windswept beaches and ancient Neolithic sites, all contributing to the untamed allure of the archipelago. From the mysterious standing stones of the Ring of Brodgar to the ancient village of Skara Brae, the Orkneys tell a story of a wild, resilient landscape shaped by natural forces and its inhabitants' resilient spirit. Central Asia Kyrgyzstan's rugged mountainous terrain, including the formidable Tian Shan range, beckons adrenaline seekers with challenging trekking opportunities and high-altitude landscapes. Uzbekistan captivates with its ancient mosaic-tiled ancient cities and arid deserts. Explore both on the trip to these contrasting landscapes, encountering nomadic traditions in Kyrgyz yurt camps and exploring Uzbekistan's historic cities like Samarkand and Bukhara. Witness where the past meets the present, offering an unforgettable journey for those seeking a blend of adventure and history. Get out, explore, dive into adventure and find your WOW with Intrepid Travel. Find out more on the website.
Following a successful launch last year that filled the dance-sized hole in our hearts during a time when clubs and music festivals were banned, the Sydney Opera House's free dance classes are returning for a second year. The classes offer the opportunity to fill your afternoons with dance across four nights in April. Running across two weeks, Every Body Dance Now takes over the Opera House's Studio with attendees learning a mix of dance styles ranging from disco jazz and line dancing through to Bollywood, Latin and contemporary hip-hop. There's also a Boy Band Bootcamp session for anyone who's ever daydreamed of being in the Backstreet Boys or BTS. Starting on Saturday, April 9, the classes will be run by dancers, choreographers, performing artists and educators. Classes will run for an hour each, with two to three classes occupying each afternoon of the program kicking off from 3pm on weekends or 4pm–4.30pm on weekdays. This way you can drop in for an afternoon dance fix or head over to Circular Quay after work to shake out the day's energy. If this is your first foray into organised dancing, there's no need to worry, as participants of all fitness, age and abilities are invited. The classes are free, but registration is essential, which you can do over at the Sydney Opera House website from 11am on Wednesday, March 23. Images: Daniel Boud
UPDATE: JUNE 28, 2018 — A second Melbourne show has been added on Tuesday, August 14. Tickets are on sale now. When Bob Dylan last toured Australia, it was billed as a 'once in a lifetime' experience. And, for all those who went, it was. It's just that now fans will be get the opportunity to have another such experience, because the legendary tambourine man will return to Australia for a national tour this August. This tour will be less exhaustive than his 2014 effort, with Dylan set to do seven shows — one in each of the usual capital city stops (Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide), as well as one-offs in Newcastle and Wollongong. He will draw on his incredible 60-year career — which spans 36 studio albums and countless hits — for the shows, so you better start praying to the music gods that your favourite makes it onto the setlist. Dylan may be 76 years old, but he has certainly showed no signs of slowing down as he approaches 80. In 2016 he was awareded the Nobel Peace Prize for Literature and, just this year, he oddly released his own whisky. But still, it could be the last chance you get to see this living legend perform live. His last tour sold out, so you better have your fingers ready when tickets go on sale next week. BOB DYLAN 2018 TOUR DATES Wednesday, August 8 — Perth Arena, Perth Saturday, August 11 — Botanic Park, Adelaide Monday, August 13 and Tuesday, August 14 — Margaret Court Arena, Melbourne Saturday, August 18 — ICC Sydney, Sydney Monday, August 20 — WIN Entertainment Centre, Wollongong Wednesday, August 22 — Entertainment Centre, Newcastle Friday, August 24 — Entertainment Centre, Brisbane Bob Dylan will tour Australia in August 2018. Tickets are on sale now here.
Here's one of Sydney Film Festival's many annual delights: for Australian cinema obsessives who can't make it to Cannes, which is most, it's a cure for movie FOMO. Plenty of the titles that wow audiences in France each year head Down Under the next month. For 2025, here's a few, all playing between Wednesday, June 4–Sunday, June 15: Josh O'Connor (Challengers) and Alana Haim (Licorice Pizza) in heist-thriller mode in filmmaker Kelly Reichardt's (Showing Up) 70s-set The Mastermind; It Was Just an Accident, the latest feature from acclaimed Iranian director Jafar Panahi (No Bears), who is also the subject of one of SFF's 2025 retrospectives; and Dangerous Animals, hailing from Australian helmer Sean Byrne (The Loved Ones, The Devil's Candy) and telling a tale of a shark-obsessed serial killer on the Gold Coast. Musing on its eponymous author as only filmmaker Raoul Peck (I Am Not Your Negro) can, Orwell: 2+2=5 is also taking the Cannes-to-Sydney route. So is coming-of-age story Enzo from BPM (Beats Per Minute)'s Robin Campillo; Mirrors No 3, which sees German director Christian Petzold reteam with his Transit, Undine and Afire star Paula Beer; Nigeria's My Father's Shadow, the first-ever movie from the country to be selected to play on the Croisette; The Secret Agent, led by Wagner Moura (Dope Thief) for filmmaker Kleber Mendonça Filho (a Sydney Film Festival Prize-winner for Aquarius); and Vie Privée with Jodie Foster (True Detective: Night Country). Some of these titles are vying for this year's SFF prize, in the competition's 17th year — where opening night's Together, a new body-horror by Australian filmmaker Michael Shanks (The Wizards of Aus) starring Alison Brie (Apples Never Fall) and Dave Franco (Love Lies Bleeding) is also in contention. Will DJ Ahmet, a Sundance-winner after collecting its World Cinema — Dramatic Audience Award, emerge victorious? Or will that honour go to 2025 Berlinale Grand Jury Prize-winner The Blue Trail? They're also in the running. What features Tom Hiddleston's (Loki) newest performance, with The Life of Chuck directed by The Fall of the House of Usher's Mike Flanagan and based on a Stephen King novella? What also boasts Jacob Elordi (Oh, Canada), Daisy Edgar-Jones (Twisters) and Will Poulter (Warfare) in queer romance On Swift Horses, plus Richard Linklater's (Hit Man) Blue Moon with Ethan Hawke (Leave the World Behind), Margaret Qualley (The Substance) and Andrew Scott (Ripley) — alongside Carey Mulligan (Spaceman) in music-fuelled comedy The Ballad of Wallis Island, the Dylan O'Brien (Saturday Night)-led Twinless and Pike River with Melanie Lynskey (Yellowjackets) getting its world premiere? This year's Sydney Film Festival. Which event is adding to its screening venues in 2025 in a spectacular way by showing films at Sydney Opera House, too? And which fest has 201 movies from 70 countries on its lineup, with 17 world premieres, six international premieres and 137 Australian premieres among them? The answer is still the same. Other 2025 highlights include Berlin's Golden Bear-winner Dreams (Sex Love); Aussie effort Death of an Undertaker, the directorial debut of actor Christian Byers (Bump), who uses an IRL Leichhardt funeral parlour as his setting; Dreams, with Jessica Chastain (Mothers' Instinct) reuniting with her Memory helmer Michel Franco; satire Kontinental '25, from Do Not Expect Too Much From the End of the World and Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn's Radu Jude; and What Does That Nature Say to You, the latest from South Korea's prolific Hong Sang-soo (In Our Day). Or, there's the near-future Tokyo-set Happyend, the Luca Guadagnino (Queer)-produced Nineteen, Tibetan-language anthology State of Statelessness (the first ever, in fact), Naomi Watts (Feud) and Bill Murray (Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire) in page-to-screen dramedy The Friend, Beyoncé and Kendrick Lamar collaborator Kahlil Joseph's BLKNWS: Terms & Conditions, and Vicky Krieps (The Dead Don't Hurt) and Dacre Montgomery (Stranger Things) tackling grief and possession in Went Up the Hill. Among the standouts on the festival's documentary slate, Jennifer Peedom (River) turns her focus to the quest to make the world's deepest cave dive by Thai cave rescue hero Dr Richard Harris in Deeper, 20 Days in Mariupol's Mstyslav Chernov works bodycam footage from the Ukrainian frontline into 2000 Metres to Andriivka and All I Had Was Nothingness features unused material from iconic Holocaust documentary Shoah 40 years on. Plus, Floodland is focused on Lismore, Journey Home, David Gulpilil charts the iconic actor's journey to be laid to rest, Prime Minister shines a spotlight on Jacinda Ardern and trying to open a Tokyo restaurant is at the heart of Tokito: The 540-Day Journey of a Culinary Maverick. Fans of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, take note: it's up for discussion in Chain Reactions from Alexandre O Philippe (Lynch/Oz). If you miss the video-store era, Alex Ross Perry (Her Smell) understands, and has made Videoheaven about it — a film essay solely comprised from movie and TV clips. A New Leaf, The Heartbreak Kid, Mikey and Nicky and Ishtar director Elaine May earns SFF's second 2025 retrospective, while the fest's lineup of restored classics includes the Aussie likes of Muriel's Wedding, Somersault and Mullet, plus Angel's Egg from Ghost in the Shell director Mamoru Oshii. For viewers of all ages, the live-action How to Train Your Dragon is also on the program. Barry Keoghan's (Bird) new Irish thriller Bring Them Down; the Australian premiere of homegrown animation Lesbian Space Princess; music documentaries One to One: John & Yoko and Marlon Williams: Ngā Ao e Rua — Two Worlds; Tilda Swinton (The Room Next Door)- and Michael Shannon (The Bikeriders)-starring post-apocalyptic musical The End; intimacy coordinators getting the doco treatment; Ellis Park, about Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds collaborator, Dirty Three founder and frequent film-score composer Warren Ellis: they're on the lineup, too. So is the one-film movie marathon that is 14-hour picture Exergue — on documenta 14, which is set inside the 2017 edition of the documenta art exhibition in Germany and Greece.
No longer just the realms of Monica Trapaga residencies and kiddie-aimed pantomimes, Twilight at Taronga — the after-hours live music series that boasts perhaps the best view of Sydney Harbour as well as lots of adorable animals — has proven they've got some real cred when it comes to hosting outdoor gigs in the past few years. After all, they got Courtney Barnett to open the series last year — and this summer, they're back with a brand new lineup playing spesh live sets every weekend from Friday, January 27 through Saturday, March 11. Considering it includes the likes of Kurt Vile and Tegan and Sara and then Killing Heidi and george, it's probably their most diverse yet. Yep, this year there's a definite throwback to late '90s/early '00s Australian music, with both Killing Heidi and george playing reunion shows, Jet making an appearance, and The Living End playing a 'stripped back' show with a string quartet. Random. In a complete 180, Kurt Vile will casually grace the stage on March 3, and Canada's Tegan and Sara are sure to draw some hardcore fans. Also taking over the lawns of Taronga Zoo's fully-licensed natural amphitheatre will be the likes of The Rubens, Martha Wainwright, Ball Park Music, The Jungle Giants and Teenage Fanclub. Plus, you can dag it up with ABBA tribute act Bjorn Again, who will be once again returning for two nights due to popular demand after the last two years. The feathered, furred and finned have plenty to choose from this summer. Plus, all proceeds from Twilight at Taronga go back into the zoo's ongoing conservation work with Wildlife Witness to help fight against illegal wildlife trade. Picnic-bringing is encouraged, but there'll also be incredibly delicious hampers available onsite — we tasted them, they're extremely generous and genuinely great. There's a bar on-site, and general nosh available from the canteen. Either way, it's actually the one of the best dates in Sydney — lock those tickets down. TWILIGHT AT TARONGA 2017 LINEUP Friday 27 January – PETER GARRETT & THE ALTER EGOS and KEV CARMODY Saturday 28 January – JO JO ZEP & THE FALCONS and THE SPORTS Friday 3 February – THE RUBENS supported by Bec Sandridge Saturday 4 February – KILLING HEIDI supported by Abbe May Friday 10 February – KASEY CHAMBERS supported by Thelma Plum Saturday 11 February – BALL PARK MUSIC and THE JUNGLE GIANTS Thursday 16 February – JET with special guests Friday 17 February – george supported by Felix Riebl (Cat Empire) and Jack Carty Saturday 18 February – JAMES MORRISON BIG BAND Friday 24 February – BJÖRN AGAIN Saturday 25 February – BJÖRN AGAIN Friday 3 March – KURT VILE (US) supported by Mick Turner Saturday 4 March – THE LIVING END 'TWANGIN' AT TWILIGHT' featuring special guests, supported by Gabriella Cohen Thursday 9 March – TEGAN AND SARA (CAN) with special guests Friday 10 March – TEENAGE FANCLUB (UK) supported by The Goon Sax Saturday 11 March – MARTHA WAINWRIGHT (CAN) supported by Oh Pep! Twilight at Taronga will return to Taronga Zoo from January 27 until March 11. Tickets go on sale at 9am on Tuesday, October 25 at twilightattaronga.org.au. By Lauren Vadnjal and Shannon Connellan. Image: Maclay Heriot.
Australia's stunning flower festival Floriade is back for another colourful year. Hosted in Canberra's Commonwealth Park from September 15 to October 14, the festival will this year be themed around 'pop culture'. Festival-goers will get up-close to an intricate array of retro-inspired flowerbeds showcasing many of our icons from music, film and literature, including Michael Jackson and Marilyn Monroe. And entry is free. The headline event is NightFest, Floriade's after-dark experience which, for five special nights from September 26–30, sees the park come to life with dazzling illuminated flowerbeds. To match, there's an exciting cultural program with food and drink stalls, an open-air cinema and stand-up comedy from the likes of Arj Barker and Akmal Saleh, not to mention a host of live music performances including Caiti Baker and Bowie Unzipped, featuring Jeff Duff and Kate Miller-Heidke. Tickets to the after-dark event will set you back $31.70 a pop. For dog-lovers, October 14 sees the return of the popular Dog's Day Out, which this year wants you to deck yourself, and your pup, out like the superhero your furry friend thinks you are. Meanwhile, green thumbs can refresh their skills at The Greenhouse, which hosts a range of creative gardening workshops, including kokedama and terrarium making classes. And for those looking to just have a tranquil layabout in the park, Sundays are your chance with the 'Jazz in the Park' sessions providing a peaceful soundtrack to the serene surrounds.
It's been 13 years since Danny Rogers and Jerome Borazio decided to fill a Melbourne alleyway with tunes in 2005. Thankfully, Laneway Festival has just confirmed it will be heading back to its collection of unconventional venues for another year, revealing it's 2018 dates and first two headliners. Returning to Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide, Brisbane, Fremantle, Auckland and Singapore next January and February, Laneway will raise a plastic cup to the middle of summer with what looks to be one heck of a lineup. Following on from sweltering sets from AB Original, Chet Faker, Tame Impala and Glass Animals last year, the festival has just announced two of 2018's headliners: California's inimitable Anderson .Paak with his live band The Free Nationals, and Canada's Mac DeMarco, who swayed, pashed and crowdsurfed through his slacker-rock set with about 20 of his buds (and his mum) at Laneway 2015. The full lineup is expected to be announced soon with a Via pre-sale happening this week and the rest of the tickets going on sale on September 18. But here's the dates so you can save the one in your city LANEWAY FESTIVAL 2018 DATES Singapore — Saturday, January 27 Auckland — Monday, January 29 Adelaide — Friday, February 2 Melbourne — Saturday, February 3 Sydney — Sunday, February 4 Brisbane — Saturday, February 10 Fremantle — Sunday, February 11 Image: Andy Fraser.
Sydney's sunny season is in full swing — and, if you like celebrating warm weather, adorable animation and mini golf all at once, the part-tee is just about to begin at Darling Harbour. Everyone's favourite Pixar characters are popping up in Sydney at a putt-putt course inspired by the Disney-owned studio's loveable films. Yes, Pixar Putt is returning, with the kidult-friendly course heading to the Pier St Underpass from Friday, December 16–Sunday, February 5. Designed to challenge both eight-year olds and adults, Pixar Putt features nine- and 18-hole courses that take you past childhood heroes like Buzz Lightyear, Sheriff Woody and Elastigirl. Flicks such as Monsters Inc, Onward, Finding Nemo, Up, A Bug's Life, Wall-E, Inside Out and Soul all get some putting love, too. Clearly, there's no need for a trip to Disneyland — and this year's course features new holes inspired by Pixar's recent Turning Red and Lightyear. So, if you don't think you'll beat your cousin at backyard cricket over the summer, challenge them to a match here. All you need is your hat and A-game (and no pressure if you remain defeated, there's always the nineteenth hole nearby). Pixar Putt is also open for after-dark sessions every Thursday–Saturday night — and they're only for adults. Operating from 7–10pm, the late-night putt-putt hours are perfect for those date nights when you want to do more than just have dinner and see a movie. Otherwise, head along from 10am–8pm Sunday–Wednesday, and be prepared to have littlies for company.
If you've spent the past year with your nose buried in a book, that's about to pay off beyond the everyday joys and thrills of reading. Sydney Writers' Festival returns for 2023 with another hefty catalogue of thought-provoking events — 226 of them, with almost 300 writers and thinkers involved. Every writers' festival converges around an annual theme, with Sydney's focusing on 'Stories for the Future' for its 2023 iteration from Monday, May 22–Sunday, May 28 at various venues around the city — and also beamed digitally. Today's most current Booker Prize-winner, plus three from past years as well, top the lineup: Shehan Karunatilaka, who won in 2022 for The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida; The Luminaries' Eleanor Catton; The Narrow Road to The Deep North's Richard Flanagan and Girl Woman Other's Bernardine Evaristo. Still on highly applauded attendees, two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning American novelist Colson Whitehead — for The Underground Railroad, which was then adapted into a TV series, and for The Nickel Boys — also leads the bill, arriving between Harlem Shuffle's 2021 publication and sequel Crook Manifesto's arrival this July. Among the international names at the Sydney Writers' Festival, the above headliners have ample company. When Trinidad-born UK musician Anthony Joseph isn't talking poetry — he is 2022's TS Eliot Prize for Poetry winner — London restauranteur Asma Khan from Darjeeling Express, and also seen on Chef's Table, will chat about comfort food; Daniel Lavery from Slate, who penned the Dear Prudence column from 2016–21, will run through his best advice; and Vietnamese author Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai will introduce her new novel Dust Child. On the local front, get ready for two iconic pairings: former Prime Minister Julia Gillard being interviewed by Indira Naidoo, plus Jurassic Park favourite Sam Neill discussing work, life and writing with his Sweet Country, Dean Spanley, Dirty Deeds and Palm Beach co-star Bryan Brown. Also on the must-attend list: Grace Tame chatting about The Ninth Life of a Diamond Miner: A Memoir, Heartbreak High's Chloé Hayden doing the same with Different, Not Less: A neurodivergent's guide to embracing your true self and finding your happily ever after, and Stan Grant on The Queen Is Dead. Also, on Monday, May 15 before the main festival, Tim Winton will discuss writing the ABC TV documentary Love Letter to Ningaloo. And, if your main relationship with the printed word is through recipe books, the 2023 festival is going all in on the topic for one day at Carriageworks Farmers Market. Stephanie Alexander and Maggie Beer will talk with Adam Liaw, while fixing the food system and family recipes will also nab chats by culinary talent. Capping off the bill will be foodie gala The Dinner That Changed My Life, with everyone from Nat's What I Reckon and Jennifer Wong to Alice Zaslavsky and Colombo Social's Shaun Christie-David involved. As always, free events are a big part of the program as well, with more than 80 on this year. And, also in the same category, the spread of venues is hefty — including Carriageworks, Town Hall, and 25 suburban venues and libraries across Sydney. [caption id="attachment_893385" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Grace Tame by Kishka Jensen[/caption] Images: Prudence Upton.
When it comes to matching drinks with our dinner, sake probably wouldn't be everyone's first choice. Nor would it probably be on the menu. Even in Japan, food and sake matching wasn't really a big thing until recently. However, more and more people have been jumping on the sake bandwagon as of late, lured by its heady aroma and diverse flavours, which span across the floral, the fruity and that of yeast and mushrooms. Slava Beliakova, one of Australia's first sake sommeliers and writer of Sake Guide, has been dedicated in breaking the traditional Japanese drink into Sydney's dining scene through leading workshops and teaching other sommeliers about its values. For Vino Paradiso, Beliakova is presenting a masterclass on 'Demystifying Sake', where participants can learn the real story of the alcohol and get the opportunity to taste three premium Japanese sakes. To tide you over until then, we put Beliakova to the sake pairing challenge. She's picked the perfect sakes to match some of the foods we've thrown at her — all favourites of ours, all oft-consumed. The sakes suggested below are available in Australia from leading restaurants and bottle shops. Sashimi Platter "Such a light, delicate dish is begging to be paired with a similarly light and fresh-tasting sake. Sake from the north-eastern prefectures of Japan has been traditionally brewed to match seafood-heavy local cuisine. Niigata, in particular, produces light, dry and smooth sake perfect for sashimi. Try Hakkaisan Junmai Ginjo or Yoshinogawa Gensen Karakuchi. Have the sake well-chilled, too." Okonomiyaki "A classic okonomiyaki derives much of its taste from the toppings — rich sauce similar to Worcestershire sauce, seaweed and katsuobushi (fermented bonito flakes). Those toppings are heavy in umami, that elusive 'fifth taste' that has become quite a buzzword. Umami taste comes from the amino acid glutamate, and imparts a pleasant savouriness to the dish. "Sake with a strong umami character is a match made in heaven for umami-rich dishes, intensifying the savouriness of both. Try Suishin Junmai Kome no Kiwami. This is a sake from Hiroshima, which, incidentally, is famous for its okonimiyaki dishes. Another way to enjoy okonomiyaki heartiness is with a gently warmed up, full-flavoured sake, such as Houraisen Kasumizuki Junmai." Pulled-pork tacos "Juicy, spicy, rich pork is just begging for a touch of acidity and sweetness. You could go two ways about it. You could match the high-octane natural flavour of pork with a full-flavoured sake that has acidity in spades. I am thinking Tengumai Yamahai Jikomi Junmai. Or you could inject freshness and fruity sweetness into the dish with an aromatic daiginjo, such as Masumi Sanka Junmai Daiginjo. Candied pineapple and green apple notes will marry well with pork that is not drowning in chilli." Southern Fried Chicken "Okay, how spicy are we talking? Heavy, fried dishes generally beg for something dry, with a prominent acidity. Try Oita Oni Koroshi Ginjo. But, as the chilli-meter rises, so should the level of sugar in the accompanying sake. If your palate is on fire, don’t stab it with acidity! One style of sake that is great with very spicy food is nigori, or cloudy sake. In nigori, some of the fermented rice solids are returned back into sake after pressing, creating a mild, sweet and creamy palate. Try Hakutsuru Sayuri Nigori Junmai." Chocolate Fondant "Sake indeed has a category that can be classified as a digestive, or dessert sake. It is koshu, aged sake. 99 percent of sake is not aged, and most of it doesn’t hold its own after 12-18 months post bottling. Sake that does age well, however, turns into something wonderful. The colour deepens, becoming golden and then amber, and sweetness, acidity and complex honey and herb aromas intensify. "One of the Australian sake importers brings a very special brew, Akishika Shuzo 'Yeast # 7' Junmai Yamahai Muroka Genshu, which is aged for five years. It is complex, sweet, acidic, with a long dry finish. A decadent sake like that could be paired with a decadent dessert — for a gourmand eager to double his or her enjoyment. Want more? Check out our Bluffer's Guide to Sake. Thanks to Vino Paradiso, we have ten double passes to give away to Vino Paradiso's masterclasses. To be in the running, subscribe to the Concrete Playground newsletter (if you haven't already), then email win.sydney@concreteplayground.com.au with your name, address and masterclass preference out of 'Demystifying Sake' on November 1 at 11am or 'I Love the Smell of Nebbiolo in the Morning' on November 2 at 12.30pm.
Intercontinental Sydney has refreshed one of its dining options, launching Pont Dining Room. Pairing with the luxury hotel's expansive accommodation, rooftop bar and spectacular views, the restaurant is dedicating its menu to celebrating the diversity of flavours on offer within Australia, opening its doors on Tuesday, April 9. Located inside the heritage-listed Treasury Building, and making high-quality local produce the star of its menu, Pont Dining Room operates under Chef de Cuisine — and ex-Mount Lofty House alum — Kanishka Amunugama. He brings a plethora of experience, as well as a sustainability-forward approach to celebrating the country's culinary flavours. "We're excited to welcome guests into the new restaurant," said Amunugama. "Whether that is for a catch-up with an old friend, a business lunch or a celebratory dinner, guests can expect an approachable and sophisticated dining experience from start to finish." The restored interiors of Pont Dining Room feature ocean-blue walls with arched, white windows and rum-coloured timber flooring, creating an inviting space with a rustic elegance. Plants are also littered throughout, complimenting the restaurant's leaf-inspired chandeliers with pops of green. Food-wise, Pont Dining Room's menu takes cues from Sydney treasures, iconic landscapes and recognisably Australian influences. When perusing the restaurant's offerings, you'll spot plenty of seafood-starring dishes and grilled meats, including a black onyx brisket and tenderloin, Bangalow sweet pork paired with Vegemite butter and chorizo jam, and a bluefin tuna dish that takes inspiration from the Botanical Gardens adjacent to the venue. Plus, there are signature dishes like the kimchi-fermented fries with gruyère sauce; a ricotta mille-feuille with orange blossom syrup; and sourdough crumpets accompanied by white anchovies chutney, whipped goat's cheese and lemon thyme. For dessert, a must-try chocolate mousse comes with raspberry crisp for additional tartness. "We wanted to create a menu that maximises the potential of every ingredient, leaving no element wasted and spotlight sustainably sourced, seasonal produce," said Amunugama. For sips to pair, the wine list spans tipples from organic to biodynamic, and from locally produced to internationally exported vinos. As for the cocktails, some utilise elements of the Australian landscape, with the Garden Walk incorporating bush mint and eucalyptus, and the Pont Sour starring Davidson plum. Find Pont Dining Room inside the Intercontinental Sydney at 12/117 Macquarie Street, Sydney from Tuesday, April 9 — open from 5.30–10pm Tuesday–Saturday. Images: Steve Woodburn.
Bars where you can do more than just sit around and drink are really having a moment in Sydney. And, in no small part, it's thanks to the ever-expanding empire of Funlab — the company in charge of the ever-popular Holey Moley, Strike Bowling and Archie Brothers Cirque Electriq. Now, Funlab is about to launch its latest brainchild: B. Lucky & Sons. It's a kidult-friendly bar-meets-arcade with some actually good pawn-shop prizes, instead of the usual plastic crap you get. Think vintage Chanel bags, classic cameras and rare vinyls, plus a Nintendo 64 in its original box and Tune Squad swag from the 1996 cult classic, Space Jam. Yup, they're going real old school with this one. The bar — which already has outposts in Melbourne and Brisbane — is coming to Moore Park's Entertainment Quarter from May 17. It'll be hidden behind the façade of an old pawn shop, and decked out with eclectic furnishings, from old-world casino chandeliers to neon-lit red octagonal booths. This East-meets-West fit-out will extend to the food, too, where pizzas will be topped with the likes of crispy wonton wrappers and bonito flakes or sausage, gravy and potato crisps. There'll also be bags of prawn crackers and pork bao buns. [caption id="attachment_694672" align="alignnone" width="1920"] B Lucky & Sons, Brisbane[/caption] For drinks, the bar will be slinging creative cocktails and alcoholic bubble teas — while no exact drinks have been announced yet, the Brissie bar has the Taro Bang (Frangelico, rum and taro with blueberry pearls and jellies) and the Passion Crackle (vodka, passion fruit and peach teas with apple flavoured pearls and jellies), so expect similar concoctions. If you prefer your cocktails shareable, you'll also be able to order punch bowls served with floral tea cups, too. While Sydney games haven't been confirmed, expect throwbacks for the millennial generation — featuring everything from Mario Kart and Space Invaders to NBA Hoops and a Dance Dance Revolution knock-off. And although the venue will be open to littl'uns during the day, it'll be strictly adults-only at night, so you don't have to worry about being laughed at by a ten-year-old when you fall off Rainbow Road for the fourteenth time. Find B Lucky & Sons at the Entertainment Quarter, Moore Park from Friday, May 17. It'll be open from 11am–11pm Monday–Thursday, 11am–midnight Friday, 10am–midnight Saturday and 10am–11pm Sunday. Images: B Lucky & Sons, Brisbane by Zennieshia Photography.
If you're looking for a different kind of yoga experience, head to Redfern's Humming Puppy. Here, the room literally hums, with the space engineered by leading acoustic engineer Arup. Its design uses frequencies that are meant to enhance your yoga experience, including Schumann resonances, which are the frequencies of the earth, that are meant to ground yogis in their practice. Rather than following a specific style of yoga, the mixed discipline classes follow the principles of pranayama (breathing exercises), movement-asana and meditation. The room is heated to 24-degrees and all levels of yogis are welcome here, with four different classes to choose from.
More than seven years in the making, Bondi Pavilion's massive transformation is finally complete, and the waterfront hub's retail and dining tenants are now swinging open their doors. Glory Days Bondi has already brought a big dose of waterfront brunch to the pavilion. Now House Made Hospitality, the team behind Circular Quay's luxurious multi-level venue Hinchcliff House, has also arrived with Promenade. Opening on Wednesday, March 8, this all-day cafe, restaurant and bar brings Lana's affection for ethically sourced seafood right to the beach, serving up picked mud crab and snapper curry to a dining room soundtracked by the sound of the waves crashing just outside. But, the menu expands far past just seafood, accommodating takeaway coffee, light snacks, quick drinks and lavish lunches, all within a breezy space that complements the new-look pavilion. There are several defined areas within Promenade. The kiosk is on hand for on-the-go morning coffee. Inside, there's a 67-person dining room perfect for a long lunch or celebratory dinner. If you want to soak in the sea breeze, you can nab a spot on the al fresco verandah. There's a 140-person walk-in-only terrace that's designed to accommodate quick and casual visits. Or, if you're after something a little more secluded, there are several private dining areas including 12-seat space The Grotto — which offers water views and a semi-private terrace. "The venue needed to be light and airy to complement the relaxed daytime vibes of the beach, but still cosy enough for an evening experience," says House Made Hospitality Director Scott Brown. "The other primary focus for us was ensuring Promenade Bondi Beach appealed to locals. We want it to be somewhere locals are proud of, they feel comfortable eating at regularly and want to show off to visiting friends and family." House Made Hospitality Culinary Director Stephen Seckold has pulled together the menu with the help of incoming Executive Chef Chris Benedet (Cirrus Dining, Yellow, Monopole, Rockpool), who will head up the kitchen from mid-March. Alongside the aforementioned mud crab and curry, there's toothfish skewers, wagyu rib eye, lamb shoulder, and a collection of pasta dishes such as squid-ink calamarata with pippies and XO jamon. There's plenty on offer for vegetarians too, with Turkish peppers paired with tarragon mayonnaise, potato galette with black garlic, charred zucchini, and roasted cauliflower all making appearances on the menu. Once Benedet arrives, diners can expect him to put his stamp on the offerings, making tweaks or adding some of his culinary favourites. The menu differs over at the expansive Front Yard, the more laidback 400-square-metre, 140-person outdoor dining area. Here, among the native plants and olive trees, you can order a nostalgic Sunnyboy Spritz made with strawberry, ginger, Aperol and white wine, alongside beachside classics like flatbread topped with garlic king pawns and crumbed fish burgers. The Apollonia negroni has also made its way over from Hinchcliff House and landed on the drinks list. It sits side by side with a collection of frozen cocktails for those hot summer days, as well as Bondi Brewing Co beers and an expansive wine list featuring a range of drops handpicked by the team as the House Made selections. Promenade Bondi Beach opens on Wednesday, March 8 at Shop 4, Bondi Pavilion, Queen Elizabeth Drive, Bondi Beach. The kiosk will open 7am–3pm Monday–Sunday, while the rest of the venue will be open 11.30am–11pm Wednesday–Saturday and 11.30am–10pm Sunday. Images: Jiwon Kim.
Last year, in bitter news for the Sydney restaurant scene, three-hat fine diner Sepia (recipient of a crazy amount of awards) announced it would be closing down at some point in the next two years. Now, co-founders Martin Benn and Vicki Wild (the head chef and front of house, respectively) have given the restaurant closure a date: December 31, 2017. Yep, at the end of the year, the restaurant — which has been open for eight years and is widely acknowledged as one of the best restaurants in Sydney, and the country — will take its leave. But that doesn't mean its owners will. While giving punters a closing date, Benn and Wild have also announced their post-Sepia project: they'll make the move to Melbourne to open a new venue in collaboration with restaurateur Chris Lucasin 2018. Yowsa. The partnership is great news for Melbourne, who is already anticipating a new Chris Lucas opening later this year. Lucas is the Lucas from hospitality group The Lucas Group, the brain behind Chin Chin, Baby, Kong, et al. The trio haven't given any hints as to what the restaurant will be like, but — considering they have decades of experience between them — it's gonna be a guaranteed good time for all our taste buds. The restaurant's Sydney departure also sadly signals the retirement of George Costi, a founding partner of Sepia and renowned seafood wholesaler, who will not renew the Sussex Street lease. But all good things must come to an end — and we give props to Sepia for pulling the plug in its prime and leaving behind a beautiful corpse. The team have promised finale of epic proportions though, so start saving your pocket money if you want to make a reservation before the year is out. We can't wait to see what comes next. Image: Lucas Allen.
Updated Tuesday, May 23: Longshore will open on Thursday, June 15 and will offer four different dining options: a la carte, a lunch tasting menu ($100), a standard tasting menu ($150) and a ten-course snacks flight ($80). Bookings are now available exclusively through OpenTable. When Jarrod Walsh and Dorothy Lee announced they'd be stepping away from beloved Enmore Road venue Hartsyard last year, they teased big things in the pipeline, thanks to plans to oversee the food and drink offerings at The Old Clare Hotel. The announcement coincided with the closing of longstanding hatted Sydney restaurant Automata, which operated out of the space next to the hotel bar for seven years — a spot that Walsh and Lee are now making their own. The dynamic hospitality duo have taken over the Chippendale digs from Clayton Wells and the crew, announcing a new 100-seat seafood-heavy restaurant and bar called Longshore. The multi-space venue will accommodate a variety of patrons, with outdoor seats on offer for light snacks over drinks, an upstairs bar for events and snack flights, and a welcoming ground-floor dining room where you can really lose a few hours. "We're honoured to be taking over a much-loved Sydney dining room and opening the suburb's first wine bar and restaurant," says Walsh. "Our menu utilises the whole of Australia's coastline, and is inspired by both our childhoods and our travels around the world. I grew up on the coast in Port Macquarie fishing, camping and exploring, and all these things I learnt as a child, such as how to catch a fish and prepare it, play a huge part in the menu." There are a couple of different ways to approach the menu at Longshore. Alongside the a la carte selection, the experimental ten-snack tasting flight will take you on a journey between hot and cold mouthfuls — and there's a five-course set menu for diners who want to sample the team's favourite dishes from the menu. [caption id="attachment_860564" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Automata, Nikki To[/caption] On the opening lineup, you can expect unique creations like a glazed abalone crumpet with guanciale and sansho pepper, steamed sand whiting with XO pipi butter, and grilled Australian wagyu accompanied by a bone marrow sauce and smoked fat. Longshore will be open four days a week, with lunch on Fridays and Saturdays. It'll launch in June, but the restaurant's exact opening date hasn't been announced just yet, so make sure to keep an eye on its Instagram for the latest updates. Plus, if you're still on the hunt for top-notch food on Enmore Road, Walsh and Lee have passed the baton of their old Hartsyard space onto Neville Dsouza, who has opened the sleek produce-driven eatery Irene's. The Hartsyard pair are still involved with the new restaurant, which serves up hearty dishes inspired by home cooking such as tamarind-glazed chicken and garlic cream grilled prawns. Jarrod Walsh and Dorothy Lee's Longshore is coming to 5 Kensington Street, Chippendale in June. It will be open for lunch Friday and Saturday, and dinner Monday and Thursday–Saturday — we'll update you with an exact launch date when one is announced. Images: Jason Loucas.
City of Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore has proposed an idea to make Sydney Harbour more swimmable, as part of her address at the Sydney Water Innovation Festival earlier this week. During her speech, Moore outlined how government-wide initiatives could be implemented around inner-city waterways to reduce water pollution, thus making these bodies of water swim-friendly for locals and tourists. While no concrete plans have been set in motion yet, renders supplied by the City of Sydney and created by Andrew Burges Architects show possibilities for new swimming areas — including ocean pools implemented at Beare Park and Pirrama Park. An ambitious infrastructure project at the Glebe Foreshore, featuring a floating aquatic centre on top of the harbour, is also in the mix. The Beare Park and Pirrama Park concepts would require minimal infrastructure once water quality was at an acceptable level, with swimming areas at Pirrama Park focused on reusing existing infrastructure. The Glebe project, on the other hand, would be a significantly larger undertaking, with the pool sitting on top of a man-made island connected to the foreshore by a footbridge. [caption id="attachment_829140" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Render of Pirrama Park[/caption] "Swimming in the harbour is no pipe dream," Moore said. "Cities around the world are turning to their natural harbour assets rather than building more infrastructure. Copenhagen spent 15 years transforming its harbour from a highly polluted waterway to a swimmer's paradise where wildlife is thriving." The key to introducing swimming to the harbour is cleaning up the waterways, Moore says. Some ways the City of Sydney is already pushing for this is through reducing stormwater pollution entering the harbour and implementing water sensitive urban design. The city council requires support from other sectors of the government in order to convert the harbour into a swimmable body of water. "This vision rests on improving water quality," Moore continued. "Being able to swim safely in the harbour is a wonderful symbol of a healthy water ecosystem. If we can clean up the harbour, we will unleash enormous potential for community recreation and wellbeing." [caption id="attachment_829141" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Render of Beare Park[/caption] The Sydney Water Innovation Festival is held on Monday, October 18–Wednesday, October 20. Registration is free. All images: Andrew Burges Architects supplied by City of Sydney.
Prepare to exclaim "yeah, science!" like Jesse Pinkman — and to see a whole lot more of Aaron Paul's Breaking Bad character. The acclaimed series is making a comeback, cooking up a movie that serves as a sequel to the show's finale. In the spotlight: Walter White's former student and protégé, who happens to be in a spot of trouble (again). When we last saw Pinkman in Breaking Bad's final episode six years ago, he had just escaped captivity, all thanks to Walt (Bryan Cranston). The latter was injured in the process, but when he asked his former meth cooking partner to kill him, Pinkman couldn't bring himself to do it. So, Pinkman ran, and Walt lost consciousness just a cop arrived. And, that's how the series ended. As happens when every great show comes to a conclusion, we've all wondered what happened next. Come October 11 — that's in just over two weeks — fans can find out. First revealed last year, and initially given the working title of Greenbriar, El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie will continue Pinkman's tale in a thriller written and directed by Breaking Bad creator Vince Gilligan. Although this follow-up will span a single package rather than run across multiple episodes, it is still coming to a small screen near you thanks to Netflix. Dropping the debut teaser in August, and another one during this week's Emmy awards, the streaming service has, finally, blessed us with a full-length trailer today. The film is set "in the wake of his dramatic escape from captivity", with Pinkman being forced to "come to terms with his past in order to forge some kind of future", according to the official synopsis. In the trailer, you see him hiding from police, digging holes in the desert and instantly ageing after showering and shaving — all dropping small clues to what you can expect next month. Whether Cranston will show up in El Camino is still the subject of rumour, but the trailer does reveal a couple of familiar faces, with Pinkman seeking shelter with Skinny Pete (Charles Barker) and Badger (Matt Jones). And, right at the end, an unidentified voice asks Pinkman, "you ready?". Could it be Walt? Ed the Disappearer (Robert Forster)? We'll find out very soon. Check out the El Camino trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1JLUn2DFW4w El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie hits Netflix on October 11.
The icy winter months have returned, and with them, an onslaught of hearty comfort meals — and plenty of truffles. To celebrate the return of truffle season, Four Seasons Hotel Sydney is ushering in the cooler weather at Mode Kitchen & Bar with a winter-themed menu available from Tuesday, July 9. Until the end of August, the venue is making truffle more accessible by offering guests the option to add a shaving of black truffle to top off any dish for an extra $20. You'll be able to indulge in dishes curated by Executive Chef Francesco Mannelli, from a creamy truffle-topped risotto to a lobster spaghetti or the restaurant's belly-warming vego tagliatelle ripene with a seasoning of truffle and more. Plus, truffle enthusiasts have even more reasons to celebrate as Mode Kitchen and Bar will also be hosting a single-night sagra event on Thursday, August 8. You can join the team at Moda for Sagra, a traditional Italian-style celebration dedicated to showcasing the finest of the seasonal delicacy, black truffle. Guests will venture through five stations of truffle-infused dishes curated by award-winning guest chefs and top-notch vino to pair. You'll indulge in a stellar selection from tagliatelle served in a parmesan cheese wheel and fine cuts of wagyu to bite-sized gnocchi fritto and a truffle tiramisu. Renowned names like Luca Ciano, Enrico Maritan and Andrea Accordi are set to appear on the stacked lineup of celebrity chefs, so you'll want to snap up your ticket ASAP. Plus, there'll be live entertainment to accompany, with the accordion duo According To Us playing vibrant tunes throughout the night. Tickets are $120 per person but are available for a discounted $100 as part of an early bird offer until Wednesday, July 31. Find more details on the website or secure tickets at the event page.
Fast cars, pulse-pounding action and plot holes bigger than the veins in Dwayne Johnson’s biceps: the seventh entry in the Fast and/or Furious franchise delivers everything fans have come to expect. And yes, to be clear, we mean that as a compliment. In an age where most Hollywood blockbusters do everything they can to seem dark and gritty, this souped-up seven-part soap opera drives straight in the other direction, delivering delightfully silly, self-aware thrills at every possible turn. The most over-the-top film in the franchise so far, Fast & Furious 7 doesn’t just jump the shark; it sails over the shark’s head at 245mph, in a $3.5 million Lykan Hypersport, in slow motion, while half a dozen strippers dance to a Wiz Khalifa song playing in the background. The 'plot' of the film sees Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) and his hetero life partner Brian O’Connor (Paul Walker) back on the streets of Los Angeles after earning a pardon for six movies’ worth of crimes. Unfortunately for them, their newfound tranquillity is short-lived, as Deckard Shaw (Jason Statham playing the same character he always does, only evil) shows up to avenge his brother Luke, aka the bad guy from Fast & Furious 6. Dom and Brian’s only option is to team up with Agent Frank Petty (franchise newbie Kurt Russell), who promises to help them deal with Shaw in exchange for rescuing a computer hacker (Nathalie Emmanuel) from a group of international terrorists. Of course, in order to manage such a mission, they’ll need their regular crew, including Letty (Michelle Rodriguez), Roman (Tyrese Gibson) and Tej (Chris ‘Ludacris’ Bridges). Think of them as being kind of like the Avengers, only more racially diverse, and marginally less bound by the laws of physics or common sense. If they’ve got time, they might even be able to solve the mystery of who keeps stealing the sleeves off Vin Diesel’s shirts. Australian director James Wan takes over from four-time franchise helmsman Justin Lin, and manages to capture the film’s many, many action scenes with similarly explosive aplomb. Silliness aside, one of the great things about this series is how it opts for actual stunt-work and stunt driving instead of just relying on digital effects. That said, we kind of suspect the scene in which a car is driven out the side of a skyscraper and through the side of another probably benefited from a little bit of computer-generated magic. To say that that sequence isn’t even the most ridiculous thing about Fast & Furious 7 should really drive home just how absurd this movie is. To their credit though, the cast still play it 100% straight, and in doing so have managed to get this franchise to that sweet spot where even its legitimately terrible moments — including maybe the most blatant moment of product placement in the history of modern cinema — still manage to be kind of entertaining. Well, almost. We’ve gotta say that Wan’s use of the Michael Bay ass-cam on any and all female extras gets creepy pretty fast. It doesn’t help that the once gender-balanced cast of heroes has basically been reduced to a bunch of bros plus Michelle Rodriguez. Definitely something they should correct in Fast & Furious 8. Apparently Helen Mirren has already put her hand up to play the villain. Now that would be amazing.
Back when the world population totalled 2.52 billion and houses cost less than the price of a hatchback today, Elvis was a rookie and polyester was the fabric of the future. Yes dear reader, this was the Golden Age nestled between the austere Forties and free-loving Sixties. This was an age where the new Miss World beauty pageant saw ‘world peace’ increase in popularity, Polio was defeated and dogs were rocketed into outer space. Ah, the Fifties. Where would we be without them?In celebration of this glorious age, the Rose Seidler House will again play host to the annual Fifties Fair. Now in its 15th year, attendees are encouraged to dress on theme and swing, jive and twist with the best of them. Specialty markets selling Fifties collectibles will lure and seduce even the most resistant buyer, while the ‘garage shed cinema’ will entertain and delight with genuine Government travel documentaries and home videos. And for total submersion into the period, tours of the iconic post-war residence built by Harry Seidler for his parents will be running throughout the day. So Guys and Dolls, dig out your Brylcreem and brush off your dancing shoes – this is a sashay back in time you won’t want to miss.
All star bands may evoke images of bad-eighties-hair Bono, MJ and Sting getting together to heal the world and feed people at Christmas and all that, but sometimes it just ends up being a spectacular mix of talented musicians, all coming together to make beautiful music.You can soon hear the beautiful music of the Menahan Street band, comprising members of Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings, El Michels Affair, Antibalos and the Budos Band, who were brought together by musician/ producer Thomas Brennick to record in his Menahan Street apartment in Brooklyn.Joined by Charles Bradley and the Dojo-Cuts, these guys produce outrageously groovy soul tunes. You might not be putting your best dancing feet forward but you will certainly have your head bopping and your body slowly rocking to the mellow sounds from the streets of Brooklyn.
Bodysnatchers is a young theatre company formed by playwright Mark Rogers and director Sanja Simic. Their latest show, Blood Pressure at the Old Fitz is an excellent domestic drama that incorporates some fascinating bioethical questions, from euthanasia to the legal status of dismembered body parts (it's finders keepers, in case you were wondering). Two adult brothers, Michael (Alexander Millwood) and Adam (Wade Briggs) meet up after a time apart on the evening of Michael's piano recital. Preparing to leave for the big night, younger brother Adam holds things up with his chronic illness. Susan Sontag's famous quote from Illness as Metaphor about our dual citizenship to the kingdom of the sick and the kingdom of the well is included in the program notes, and under Simic's detailed direction, this production articulates beautifully what those two kingdoms look like. Rogers has created a believable relationship between the brothers, who have the ability unique to siblings to adore and despise each other simultaneously. Millwood and Briggs bounce off each other well, particularly in the comic scenes, although Millwood seems to have some trouble executing the choppier parts of the text. The wider arguments that arise about organ donation and whether foreign tissue in a body can really influence personal tastes are interesting. But the debate about the nature of consciousness in which Adam reveals himself to be a materialist and Michael a more metaphysical type is unnecessary and thankfully brief. Their return to the business of being brothers is welcome. Theoretical arguments on stage are always inadequate because an essay could do it better. But where theatre triumphs is its capacity to move us. The emotional insight imparted by this play is that pathos is not a weak thing. Rogers has written a sick man who is good-humoured and practical, and Briggs embodies him with humility and grace. The only drawback of the piece is the ending. Because it is not well rooted in the preceding play, it doesn't resonate with the story thus far and impact as it should. Nevertheless, the spirit of this production is courageous and tender. Go and see this and then go home and write your living will, dictating the treatment you want when you enter the kingdom of the sick.
At a time when we've all been spending more of our minutes, hours, days and months on home turf, Instagram has just launched a new feature to help you make the most of it — and to help throw some love towards all of the small businesses in your area. Hitting the social media platform from today, Tuesday, September 14, the new 'Map Search' function lets you use Instagram to find restaurants, bars, shops and venues near you. Can't decide where to grab lunch? Looking for a hair salon in your vicinity? This'll assist. How does it work? Map Search uses a map (obviously) that highlights popular tagged locations. You might've seen these spots pop up in your feed anyway, and you could've even tagged some yourself. And, you can access the new function in a few different ways. You'll see an icon in Instagram's Explore feature, which is where you can hit up the map, and even filter locations by fields such as salons and restaurants. You'll also now see maps pop up whenever you search for particular hashtags — the very pandemic-appropriate #takeaway, for instance — which'll then highlight the relevant places that fit the hashtag near you. The aim: to support small businesses, and to help Instagram users do the same. Thinking local has been one of the mantras of the past 18 months or so, due to lockdowns, restrictions and border closures — and we all know that the hospitality industry, and small businesses in general, have been doing it tough during the pandemic. Map Search also helps give small businesses a boost on a platform plenty of them are using, and that many of us are using to find them anyway. So, the proprietors of restaurants, bars and shops get another way to be seen by potential customers, and patrons get another way to discover their local haunts. Fancy looking further afield? While Map Search definitely lets you find places immediately around you, users can also search anywhere they like. Either pinch and drag the map to wherever you're interested in, click on an Instagram geotag — which'll bring up the map, so you can start searching from there — or just type wherever you're looking for into Explore. For more information about Instagram's new Map Search function, head to the social media platform's website.
Fancy learning to drum the bongos or chowing down on rich, authentic African and Latin American grub? After its impressive, crowd drawing debut in 2011, the now-annual Afro Latino Festival will stage the same energetic cultural showcase again this year. Boasting a stack of musical workshops and performances, arts and craft stalls and even the odd fashion parade, the family-friendly event aims to educate Sydney siders on the history and spirit of our African-Latino community. Kicking off at 11am, folks are also invited to open their ears up to a specially-formed performance ensemble that will demonstrate just how much of the world’s music and dance has been influenced by African performance. Candombe drumming, one of the most vibrant, heart-racing forms of the musical art, will no doubt please the masses and families can also take part in lessons from the colourful local Candombe Urumbe crew throughout the day. Last year’s event saw over 1000 attendees but something tells us this type of high-energy weekend event will grab even bigger numbers this time around. The party will wrap up at 6pm.
