On the more casual end of the spectrum for the eating precinct, Gojima's American-Japanese fusion menu is more compact, with nine sushi burgers — made with a sushi rice and nori bun — and a selection of sides, such as Japanese-style southern fried chicken. For dessert, frozen custards and chocolate miso, green tea or strawberries and cream thickshakes are also available. Appears in: The Best Japanese Restaurants in Sydney Where to Find the Best Burgers in Sydney for 2023
A supermarket in Denmark has committed to fighting food wastage by only selling produce past its use-by date. Located in Copenhagen, the recently opened Wefood has been set up by not-for-profit organisation Folkekirkens Nødhjælp, selling expired food at a discounted rate with the hope of reducing the 700,000 tonnes of food that goes to waste in Denmark each year. "Wefood is the first supermarket of its kind in Denmark and perhaps the world as it is not just aimed at low-income shoppers but anyone who is concerned about the amount of food waste produced in this country," spokesperson Per Bjerre told The Independent. The supermarket came into being on the back of a successful crowdfunding campaign, which raised one million Danish kroner, or just over $200,000. The supermarket is staffed by volunteers, with profits being used to help fund Folkekirkens Nødhjælp's work in some of the poorest countries in the world. The supermarket also has the support of local government officials. "It's ridiculous that food is just thrown out or goes to waste," said Eva Kjer Hansen, Danish Minister for Food and the Environment. "A supermarket like Wefood makes so much sense and is an important step in the battle to combat food waste." According to the United Nations, human beings throw away around 1.3 billion tonnes of food each year. Given that one in nine people around the world don't have enough to eat, that's a fairly depressing statistic. In Australia alone we waste more than four million tonnes a year, although organisations like Second Bite and OzHarvest are doing their best to reduce that number. Perhaps we could use a Wefood of our own? Via The Independent.
For everyone who can't make a trip to IKEA to buy furniture and homewares without eating meatballs, but also doesn't eat meat, the Swedish retailer has added both vegetarian and plant-based versions to its range in recent years, including Down Under. But what if you feel the same about the chain's hot dogs? Enter IKEA's plant dogs, which have just hit Australian stores. Let's be honest — getting through a visit to the brand's warehouse-sized outlets doesn't just involve shopping, and also deciding that everything in your house could use a facelift, but also working up an appetite while browsing and buying. Accordingly, it usually entails tucking into one of IKEA's famed bites, whether you're sitting down for those meatballs mid-shop or nabbing a hot dog on the way to the car. Obviously, the original meaty hot dogs that've been on offer for more than four decades aren't going anywhere; however, these new plant dogs expand the range. They're made from rice protein, plus carrot, onion and apple — and they'll set you back $2 a dog. IKEA is working to make 50 percent of the meals in its restaurant meals plant-based by 2025, with offering plant dogs the next step in that direction. In Sydney only, on four individual dates, the brand is also busting out a plant dog truck to hand out freebies. You'll find it at IKEA Marsden Park from 2–6pm on Tuesday, May 28 and at IKEA Tempe from 11am–3pm on Wednesday, May 29. After that, it's popping up at Centenary Square in Parramatta from 12–4pm on Thursday, May 30 and at Dolphin Court at Bondi Pavilion, Bondi Beach, from 11am–3pm on Saturday, June 1. To nab a free taste — your choice of a plant dog or plant balls — from the yellow-hued truck at its Sydney stops, you will need to show your IKEA Family membership (and if you're not already a member, you can sign up for free online). IKEA's plant dogs are now available at its Australian stores — head to the chain's website for further details. The IKEA plant dog truck is popping up across Sydney from Tuesday, May 28–Thursday, May 30 and on Saturday, June 1.
When it comes to venturing out for a tasty feed, you don't have to ask us twice. And when that meal just happens to be raising funds for an excellent cause as well? Well, there are wins all round — which is the idea behind Enmore's newest culinary addition. There'll be plenty of winners at Colombo Social, which opened on Enmore Road. As a social enterprise eatery, it's lending a big helping hand to Sri Lankan asylum seekers and refugees, assisting them by providing employment opportunities and supporting their integration into Australia. The restaurant is the brainchild of Australian-born Sri Lankan Shaun Christie-David, who has teamed up with friend and hospitality veteran Peter Jones-Best. Inspired by Christie-David's own experiences feeling like an outsider during his childhood, the venue will recruit and train asylum seekers and refugees, as well as offering ongoing support through what's often a pretty rough transition period. Colombo Social is working with refugee support agency Settlement Services International — and not-for-profit suppliers. A meal here won't just help out folks doing it tough, though — it'll also open diner's tastebuds to a whole world of new flavours. In celebrating diversity, Colombo Social is dishing up a bold, colourful menu, melding authentic Sri Lankan flavours with clever tweaks and a bit of modern Australian fusion flair. You'll see that in Colombo-born Head Chef Chamara Pathiranage's menu — like the rich lamb bone marrow roll, the chilli mango-glazed fried chicken and a Sri Lankan-style 'snack pack' with devilled potatoes, pulled lamb and curry gravy. You also won't want to miss street snack staple kottu (chopped) roti, or the roti 'tacos' which come loaded with spiced soft-shell crab, mango salsa and fried curry leaves. A range of cooling cocktails rounds out the fun, with sips like the Invisible Mango Lassi – a milk punch concoction fusing Ceylon Arrack (a traditional Sri Lankan spirit), with custard, Sri Lankan tea and mango.
Keep it on the down low, but Sydney's got a brand new bar (well, technically new). Located in the basement beneath Riley St Garage in Woolloomooloo, in a subterranean space previously occupied by a mechanics workshop, Busby Under the Garage opened with little fanfare earlier this month. With champagne, cocktails and sophisticated bar food to accompany the classy surroundings, it seems like the perfect spot to wind up your evening after a big jaunt out on the town. That being said, you'll have to pick your nights carefully. While Busby will be open to the public on Friday and Saturday evenings, from Monday to Thursday it'll operate as a private functions space. According to Good Food, Riley St Garage co-owner Liesel Peterson initially planned to keep the new venue a secret from the public, utilising it as a hidden hangout for regulars and celebrities. Thankfully, he opted against that idea, and now it can be enjoyed by one and all. The drinks list at Busby promises wine, champagne and cocktails, while the food menu includes fish and chips as well as plates of cured meats and cheeses. The space itself, replete with luxe leather and industrial-style lighting, was designed by Alexander & Co, the same team behind the fit outs at Surly's, The Morrison, Daniel San and The Print Room. Busby Under the Garage can be found beneath Riley St Garage at 55 Riley St, Woolloomooloo. For more information, check them out on Facebook. Via Good Food. Image: Riley St Garage.
When the Vivid LIVE and Vivid Music (different things, it confuses us all) lineup was announced a good few weeks back, squeals were heard and hashtagged citywide. Since then there’s been time for the dust to settle and tickets to be snapped up, but you’re still sitting on your hands. Vivid kicks off on May 22 y'all, time to turn those circled program guides into reality. With kitsch '80s Japanese pop, brash Sydney garage punk, shoe-shufflin' soul and heartfelt indie folk on the bill, you can choose your own Vivid adventure through sound with our top picks. So grab a pre-drink at Vivid's Opera House pop-up bar, the Deep Purple Pool Hall, before Sufjan. Lock down your favourite Studio party. Take in some Italo beats and noms before Grace Jones. Or roll the dice on a Freda's party (highly recommended). Just don't watch it all happen on Instagram. By the Concrete Playground team. Image: Prudence Upton.
In an inspiring display of hospitality — one that you’d rarely associate with anyone in the moneymaking tourism industry — a new hotel in Vienna has been set up to provide accommodation to both tourists and refugees forced to flee their native countries. Recently opened just a stone’s throw away from the centre of the Austrian capital, the magdas Hotel boasts 78 furnished rooms for visiting tourists, right alongside two residential units providing housing for up to 25 young asylum seekers displaced by persecution and war. The hotel is an initiative of the Austrian arm of the international Catholic aid collective Caritas. In addition to providing temporary accommodation, magdas Hotel also offers employment opportunities, with a majority of the staff being refugees. No two guest rooms are the same, with most of the furnishing having been donated or purchased from second-hand stores. Don’t let the ramshackle set-up fool you though. This place looks nice. Basic rooms start from around €60 a night, although you might well be tempted to upgrade to a suite. Amenities include a breakfast buffet and a fully-stocked bar, while the front door is located just a few minutes away from the Praterstern Transportation Hub as well as the Prater Recreation Park. Fingers crossed that the magdas Hotel does well. It’s always nice to see social enterprises like this succeed, especially when you’re in a country whose own track record with refugees is a little... uh... less accommodating. That being said, certain Australian entrepreneurs have been taking steps in this regard, such as the recently opened migrant-run clothing manufacturer Social Outfit in Sydney and Melbourne. In the mean time, if you’re going to be in Vienna any time soon, you can book at room at the magdas Hotel via their website. Via Design Milk. Images: AllesWirdGut Architektur/ Guilherme Silva Da Rosa.
Every day, worldwide, McDonald's feeds approximately 1% of the earth's population. Like a partially-digested chicken nugget entering your bloodstream, we'll just let that sink in for a moment. The Founder, by writer Robert D. Siegel (The Wrestler) and director John Lee Hancock (Saving Mr. Banks) tells the true story of Ray Kroc, a milkshake mixer salesman from Illinois who in 1954 stumbled across an innovative hamburger joint run by the McDonald brothers (Nick Offerman and John Carroll Lynch) and convinced them to franchise it into the 92nd largest economy in the world. Again, just let it siiiiink on in. Played magnificently by Michael Keaton, Kroc presents as a ruthless and relentless businessman for whom 'no' is just a soft yes waiting to be solidified. "Contracts are like hearts" he explains at one stage to the brothers, "…they're meant to be broken". And so it was that the McDonalds empire began to form, with or without the support of the two men to which everything was owed. It's a fascinating, heartbreaking story to behold. Offerman and Carroll Lynch are perfectly cast as a pair of brothers whose steadfast belief in the importance of authenticity and quality seems at once admirable and naive - not to mention antithetical to the very ideas that would eventually turn each of them into multi-millionaires. Of course, the fact that they only make millions, and not billions, is what forms the bulk of the film's story, as it catalogues the means by which Kroc manoeuvred himself into a position of unmatchable power over the pair via manipulative and underhanded yet entirely legal means. By the time "gentleman's handshakes" are being proposed, you already know how things are going to end, just as you lament the feeling that there's nothing else the brothers could have done to stop it. This is a slick production from top to bottom, beginning with Siegel's superb script and its equal measure of laughs and wince-inducing severity. The direction, too, is impressively restrained, allowing the performers and script to shine without embellishment. As in the recent Birdman, Keaton is the standout in a field of outstanding actors, bringing similar levels of narcissism to the role. His serpentine smile and darting eyes betray much of the Kroc personality before he ever opens his mouth. Do not be surprised to see Keaton's name appear on the nomination roll for next year's awards season. In all, The Founder is an admirable piece of cinema that's at once a character study and a history lesson, just as its lead offers an uncomfortable mix of bastardy and astounding foresight. You won't like much about Ray Kroc by the end of this film, but you'll be hard-pressed to deny his determination, business acumen or impact upon a world in which 62 million customers eat at McDonalds every day. 62 million customers. That's more than the population of Great Britain. So yeah…just let that sink in. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AX2uz2XYkbo
Green Gourmet features a menu that reads like a vegan's heaven on earth. All dishes are entirely meat-free, dairy-free and (interestingly) free of onion and garlic as well. Green Gourmet buys into the ancient vegetarian practices of China and India, which tout vegetarianism as a means to rediscover ' universal love' and the pure character of man. Part of that practice is to eliminate all spicy-scented vegetables (including onion, garlic, leeks, spring onion and chives) which are believed to induce offensive reactions, from bad breath to lustfulness. Whether you are excited by Green Gourmet's adherence to these practices or thinking, 'Shit, the food will have no flavour', prepare to leave full and happy - and perhaps pleasantly surprised. Green Gourmet is family-owned and bases its business around creating nutritious food to benefit mind and body. The health vibes are apparent, making customers feel like they are cared about. And, don't worry, your tastebuds will be taken care of too. With one restaurant location in St. Leonards and a stall at the Sydney Vegan Market, Green Gourmet is clearly enjoying a regular crowd. Jump on this vegan bandwagon and stop in for some curry triangles and 'duck' spring rolls with hoisin sauce. If you prefer a spicy dish, we recommend the Sichuan style eggplant or cauliflower with sweet and spicy red vinegar glaze and sesame seeds. Make sure you save room for dessert, too.
Ah vino. Best paired with a fine cheese or a hearty meal, or enjoyed around the fireplace with your oh-so-classy friends. Or at least, that's how it works in your mind. In reality, we're more likely to be inhaling a $6 vintage straight from the goon sack, or using the discarded bottle as a microphone in our solo rendition of 'All By Myself' – all before stumbling woozily off to bed. Hopefully your experience lies somewhere in the middle of those two scenarios. But the reality is that, for every bona fide sommelier out there, a large portion of the rest of us are more likely to pick our poison based on the price and how nice the label looks, as opposed to things like acidity, provenance or bouquet. And something about tannins. Those are a thing, right? Embracing this fact, VinePair co-founder Adam Teeter (which is an excellent surname for a wine buff, by the way) has teamed up with illustrator Jeff Licciardo to produce 26 hypothetical wine labels that better reflect the average wine drinker's true experience. Forget about drinking to forget: these vintages know you better than you know yourself, offering everything from handy pairing suggestions ("drink me with post-break-up anger and takeaway") to positive affirmations ("yes, you're definitely on key") to nuggets of brutal honesty ("you're turning into your mother"). Look, somebody needed to tell you. At least this way you can get drunk immediately after hearing it. For more honest wine labels, visit VinePair. Via BuzzFeed.
Plan those half-hearted New Years Resolutions, the 2015 Falls Music and Arts Festival lineup is here, announced by triple j this morning. Returning to Lorne, Marion Bay and Byron for another bout of end-of-year scullduggery, Falls is back with the likes of Foals and Disclosure at the top of the bill (both with shiny new albums to boot). Expect those beloved Brits Bloc Party on the bill as well, alongside a killer collection of international gems — we're talking Gary Clark Jr, Mac DeMarco, Kurt Vile and The Violaters, Toro Y Moi, Django Django, Young Fathers and The Maccabees to start with. Even Weird Al' Yankovic will headline the opening Boogie Nights party. Random. Australia's contingent deserves two thumbs way up, from international goakicker Courtney Barnett to dancefloor dominators RUFUS and the likes of the legendary Paul Kelly (with his Merri Soul Sessions), Hilltop Hoods, Meg Mac, Gang of Youths, Hiatus Kaiyote, Little May, Alpine, Birds of Tokyo, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, Seth Sentry, Halsey, BØRNS and more. Enough chatskies, here's that lineup you're after: FALLS FESTIVAL 2015 LINEUP: Alpine The Avener Birds of Tokyo Bloc Party BØRNS Courtney Barnett Disclosure Django Django Foals Gang of Youths Gary Clark Jr Halsey Hiatus Kaiyote Hilltop Hoods King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard Kurt Vile & The Violators Little May The Maccabees Mac DeMarco Meg Mac Oh Wonder Paul Kelly & Merri Soul Sessions feat. Clairy Browne, Dan Sultan, Kira Puru, Vika & Linda Bull RÜFÜS Seth Sentry Toro Y Moi Young Fathers and more BOOGIE NIGHTS LINEUP Art vs Science El Vez Fleetmac Wood 'Weird Al' Yankovic and more Lorne, Victoria (18+) December 28, 2015 – January 1, 2016 Marion Bay, Tasmania (all ages) December 29, 2015 – January 1, 2016 Byron Bay, New South Wales December 31, 2015 – January 3, 2016 Via triple j. Image: Falls Festival.
Multisensory cooking, auto suggestion and a robotic desserts trolley: these are just a few of the things diners can expect when famed chef Heston Blumenthal restarts service at his three-Michelin Star restaurant The Fat Duck later in the year. After undergoing extensive renovations — during which time Blumenthal popped up in Melbourne's Crown Casino — the original Fat Duck in Bray, Berkshire, England is set to reopen this October. Interviewed by The Observer restaurant critic Jay Rayner, Blumenthal dropped a number of tasty tidbits as to what has changed. "The move to Australia was a great opportunity to question what the Fat Duck is," Blumenthal told Rayner. "In the sense that we cook food and it’s served to people, we’re a restaurant. But that’s not much, is it? The fact is the Fat Duck is about storytelling. I wanted to think about the whole approach of what we do in those terms." In addition to consulting with Billy Elliot writer Lee Hall on the idea of turning the menu into a story — complete with introduction and chapter headings — one of the most intriguing/terrifying things Blumenthal mentioned in the interview was that he had spoken with mentalist Derren Brown, star of Derren Brown: Mind Control, about ways of extracting information about his customers "without them being too aware", and using auto suggestive techniques in order to convince diners they're getting what they most desire. Yeah, that doesn’t sound sinister at all. The Fat Duck (along with other destination restaurants) has apparently long been in the habit of Googling guests in advance, but such prosaic sleuthing is no longer enough to sate Blumenthal. Other features of the "maturing" Fat Duck include a £150,000 robotic sweetshop shaped like a dollhouse and a new online booking system to help sort through the more than 30,000 table requests per day. You can, naturally, expect the prices to go up too — although considering the tasting menu was £220 a head before the renovations, that might keep you, and your suggestive mind, out of Blumenthal's orbit. Via The Observer..
Some artwork is just too spectacular to be limited to a canvas — not only to be seen, but truly experienced. Imagine walking through a Van Gogh masterpiece — Sydneysiders, you'll be able to very soon. In case you missed its previous two (very successful) runs, the globally touring multi-sensory experience Van Gogh Alive is coming back to Sydney from Thursday, December 8 until late February, 2023. After gracing the eyeballs of more than eight-million guests in 80 cities worldwide, the exhibition will be making its home in the The Entertainment Quarter's Grand Pavilion. Via 40 HD projectors, drifting fragrances and cinema-quality speakers, a visit will see you fully immersed in the colours, techniques and detail that immortalised Van Gogh in the art world. The massive 70-metre x 25-metre marquee will also boast a themed bar and cafe space to extend that immersion to your tastebuds. Walk through a multi-screen projection of Starry Night, touch real (fake) sunflowers instead of ogling painted ones in the Sunflower infinity room, and keep your eyes peeled for information on brand new spaces and experiences coming to this year's run. Kids and adults alike can appreciate the unique perspectives on the artist's inspirations via photos and videos alongside the staggering gallery. All of this come from Grande Experiences, a Melbourne-based group that owns and operates galleries and experiences as breathtaking as this one in over 150 different cities worldwide. Van Gogh Alive hits The Entertainment Quarter from Thursday, December 8 until Sunday, February 12, 2023, but could be extended later into February. For more information and to nab your tickets, visit the website.
Sydneysiders, prepare to take your love of the outdoors to its fanciest extreme. You'll get some fresh air, party by the ocean and swing a mallet like your life depends on it. That's right — the Royal Croquet Club will soon be making its New South Wales debut. After wowing Adelaide since 2013 and popping up in Melbourne and Brisbane earlier this year, March 24, 2016 marks Sydney's turn to enjoy an all-ages festival dedicated to the pastime many might associate with cult '80s teen flick Heathers. But the Royal Croquet Club isn't just about whacking balls around. Think 11 days of food, drinks, music and more good vibes than you can shake a croquet club at — which is an option here, clearly. Event organizers are keeping tight-lipped about the food and entertainment lineup, so we'll refrain from wild speculation. Based on what they put together for Brisbane, however, you should probably be getting excited. Games, sun, shade, tunes, food by local vendors and cocktails that won't stop flowing. What more could anyone possibly want? The Royal Croquet Club hits Bondi Park from March 24 to April 3. For more information, visit their website and Facebook page.
UPDATE Thursday, May 27: Ricos Tacos is closing its Rosebery taco truck. The truck's last day of service in front of Gelato Messina will be Sunday, May 30, with Ricos announcing it's "hibernating for winter". Head down this week for the last service of the truck, or head along to Ricos Marrickville pop-up at The Grifter Brewery Co. which will continue to serve the beloved tacos every Saturday and Sunday. Taco King at The George Hotel may be no more, with the Waterloo pub recently reopening under the direction of new operators, but the Taco King himself Toby Wilson is pressing on with a new tortilla venture: Ricos Tacos. The Taco King is dead, long live the Taco King. Following a two-day pop-up at the Grifter Brewing Co, the taco truck is setting up (slightly more permanent) shop in the car park of Gelato Messina's Rosebery HQ from Thursday, September 10. It'll be open from 5pm Thursday and 12pm Friday–Sunday until sold out, with three different $6 tacos on the menu: chorizo al pastor, Jalisco-style braised beef and fried cauliflower with tahini. Also on the lineup: corn chips and salsa ($8), black beans and rice ($6), cashew and malt horchata ($6.50) and iced hibiscus ($5). If you didn't try Wilson's tacos at The George, you may've encountered them at the various guises of Ghostboy Cantina (including at Dixon House and inside Tio's Cerveceria). Missed those, too? We suggest you make a beeline to Rosebery come Thursday. There's no word yet on exactly how long Wilson will be pressing tortillas in the Rosebery car park, but Messina says it'll be "ongoing" while its regular Messina Eats events are put on hold during COVID-19.
Apple's first wearable computer, the Apple Watch, is almost here. After months of furious pub debates, Android-loving naysaying and know-it-all speculation, Apple finally announced the release date for its next 'must-have' device at its 'Spring Forward' event in San Francisco — and the price tag for its sold gold version. Starting at AU$499 and running all the way up to AU$14,000 for their ultra-hard 18-karat gold version, the shrunken, wearable computer fits into a watch body and runs a modified version of iOS — the system running your iPhone and iPad right now. Available in two sizes (38 and 42mm height) the Apple Watch comes in three different 'collections' including the Apple Watch Sport Collection — with 60 percent stronger anodised aluminium case, though not completely waterproof — and the pretty, pretty AppleWatch Edition made from 18-carat yellow or rose gold, sapphire crystal glass (and costing that cheeky $10K). Not as baller as these watches, but a good first model. Preorders for the Apple Watch start April 10, available in the US, UK, China, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, and Hong Kong. The watch will be available from April 24, but if you wander into a Genius bar you'll be able to try one on from the 10th. Analysts are predicting Apple could up to 60 million shipments within a year of its release — perhaps not if Pebble Time has anything to do with it. So, how does the Apple Watch work? Behold, the 'digital crown' controls all The primary joystick of the whole device, you can go all James Bond by using the rotating dial on the side of the watch to navigate (something many smartwatches leave out for aesthetics). Even so, the display is also used as a touch screen classic smartthing style. For all you constant screencrackers out there, that face is made from a super hard-as-nails single line sapphire material. Your watch can tell you to run faster Using four sapphire lenses on the back of the watch and the mighty, custom-designed S1 chip, the watch can detect your pulse rate (along with an epic amount of other info). Combine this with the accelerometer measuring body movement and the GPS tracking your distance, the watch can figure out how hard you're exercising and suggests fitness goals. What a beneficial jerk. 'Glance' at your most important info The Glances feature is where you make the watch all about you. Swipe up from the bottom of the screen and your custom-selected screen of notifications pops up. Weather, dirty messages, calendars of events you're avoiding; it's all on your wrist. You can charge wirelessly No winding here. To charge up, the Apple Watch fuses MagSafe and inductive charging — you just hold the back of the watch near the charging connector and let the magnets pull everything together. Apparently the battery lasts 'all day', which could be anywhere from a probably 18 hours to 72 hours in Power Reserve mode. Siri runs the show Because the Apple Watch is so mini in screen size, Siri comes into play for a significant amount of commands. Yep, you'll feel like a spy. An awesome, awesome spy. You can send doodles to your mates Using the newly revealed app Digital Touch, watch wearers can create little animated drawings and send them to other watcheroos. Cute. App developers will be able to create Apple Watch versions, we're thinking Snapchat is particularly made for this. You need an iPhone for it to work And there's the catch. The Apple Watch needs an iPhone 5 or 6 nearby in order to function, feeding from the web or GPS info to work. Music, photos and contacts come across, sure, but this makes the device one of Apple's most you-need-that-to-get-this products ever, even the iPad stood on its own little stand. The Apple Watch will be available for purchase in Australia from April 24, pre-orders open from April 10. Via Mashable, TIME and PC Advisor.
Back in July, we told you about the opening of a booze-free bar in Auckland, whose owners hoped to tackle New Zealand's serious drinking obsession and simultaneously capitalise on council alcohol regulations that saw all city watering holes closed by 4am. It seemed like a nice idea in theory, but punters clearly didn't agree, and now just five weeks after opening, Tap Bar has shut its doors. Co-owner Grady Elliot admitted defeat to the New Zealand Herald, telling the paper, "We gave it a shot and Auckland drinking culture just didn’t tie in with the dry bar." Or, to put it another way, "No one showed up." Guys, this might be a reaaaaaal good time to start thinking about our relationship with alcohol. New Zealand's first and presumably last dry bar, Tap (briefly) served a mix of alcohol-free beer, wine and mocktails starting from around NZ$5. The absence of alcohol meant they could stay open all night, but according to Elliot, what few patrons they did get mostly stuck with the free water. The NZ$15 entry fee probably didn't help matters either. Perhaps the most depressing thing about this story is that Elliot was clearly well prepared for failure, and has already applied for a liquor licence for the location, which will reopen as a more traditional nightclub as soon as possible. Talk about sticking to your guns. On the plus side, now he'll be able to drink to forget about that pesky oversight. Meanwhile, the operators behind London's recently opened alcohol free bar Redemption are presumably rolling beer kegs in through the back door. Just in case. Via The New Zealand Herald. Image: Dollar Photo Club.
Less than a month after being cancelled due to alleged financial mismanagement, the iconic Tropfest short film festival has been thrown a much needed lifeline. On the very day that the festival was originally meant to take place, Tropfest founder John Polson has announced the event will instead be held on Valentine's Day next year, after securing a last minute sponsorship deal with CGU Insurance. "It’s incredibly encouraging to see that the Australian public and corporate community really want to see Tropfest return," said Polson, who was forced to cancel the festival after discovering what he, at the time, called "a terrible and irresponsible mismanagement of Tropfest funds." No word yet on whether the CGU deal extends beyond this year, or whether it will help Polson cover the festival's six figure debt. Details on how the money was actually lost likewise remain unclear, although it's worth mentioning that Polson is currently engaged in legal action against Tropfest managing director Michael Laverty. He told the Sydney Morning Herald that "in my opinion, we've done nothing wrong but respond as best we can to a terrible situation brought about by bad management." Polson also took a swipe at the lack of assistance from the NSW government, saying "many people have asked what has the NSW government done since this crisis…the truth is not a lot at this point." "Tropfest is a great festival, providing unique platforms for talented filmmakers through its events and initiatives, and we are excited to be able to help them get back on their feet," said Ben Bessel, Commercial Insurance Chief Executive for IAG, which owns CGU Insurance. "Supporting this fantastic cultural event is about creating a renewed opportunity for Tropfest and all those small businesses associated with the event to continue to thrive and get some business done." In recent years Tropfest has attracted a national live audience of up to 150,000 people along with hundreds of thousands more via live TV broadcast. Polson confirmed that all 16 of this year's finalists will make their premiere as planned – albeit a few months late – live in Sydney's Centennial Parklands on February 14. Trop Jr., the festival's competition for filmmakers aged 15 years and under, will also go ahead.
"Franchise" needn't be a dirty word in Hollywood, and the Mission: Impossible movies are shining examples as to why that is. Now in its sixth instalment, this isn't just a franchise done right. It's a franchise that somehow improves with each new chapter – an ongoing escalation of stakes and stunts that never sacrifices the intelligent, honest and light-hearted storytelling that's been so critical to the series' sustained appeal. At the forefront once again is leading man and producer Tom Cruise, whose capacity for performing increasingly complex and outrageously dangerous stunts remains inversely proportionate to his age. In Mission: Impossible – Fallout his IMF agent Ethan Hunt is at it again, weaving cars and motorbikes through the traffic-packed streets of Paris, HALO jumping from 30,000ft and leaping across rickety London rooftops. Cruise even accrued over 2000 hours of helicopter flight time prior to filming, all so that he could personally perform what is arguably the film's most thrilling and death-defying sequence. His love of filmmaking is apparent in every frame he occupies, and its value to the enduring allure of the franchise cannot be overstated. That the Mission Impossible brand could survive beyond Cruise's involvement seems far less assured than, say, James Bond or Batman. Not unlike the two most recent Bond films, Fallout compels its hero to shine a light on his own past deeds, with the movie's title referring not just to the literal threat posed by three nuclear devices but also the consequences of a lifetime spent obediently killing, stealing and undermining at the behest of the US Government. Adding to the emotional stakes, Fallout also repeatedly asks its characters to weigh up the value of a human life, presenting them with multiple scenarios in which they're forced to choose between the one or the many – knowing that either path carries with it irreconcilable guilt and heartache. Written and directed by Christopher McQuarrie (whose return to the franchise marks the first repeat involvement by a director, with McQuarrie having also written and directed the previous instalment, Rogue Nation), Fallout achieves the rare feat of being an unceasing action movie that always feels more like a drama. There is no superfluity here. Every punch, shot, jump, crash and explosion exists because it must. This is a story-driven international escapade that never stops to sit down and catch its breath. Around Cruise the IMF family assembles once again, with Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Alec Baldwin and Rebecca Ferguson packing equal measures of comedy and conflict into every scene they get. Man of Steel's Henry Cavill also joins the action, with his lumbering, muscular CIA assassin representing an appealing counterpoint to Hunt's penchant for the softer, tradecraft touch. He and Hunt are at once rivals and compatriots – two competing assets unwillingly paired together in pursuit of a common goal. Or so it seems. As always, the Mission: Impossible franchise throws up all manner of red herrings, double-crosses and mask-pulling identity swaps, meaning – just like the characters – you're never quite sure who to trust. If the story borders on confusing at points, it's only because the time-honoured tradition of spy movies commands nothing less. Ever since 1996, this series has unapologetically embraced jargon-heavy dialogue and twists upon twists without ever feeling compelled to play it safe or dumb things down (Mission: Impossible 2 being the regretful exception). If most sequels fail because they're rushed into production purely to capitalise on their predecessor's success, Fallout demonstrates the benefit of having the patience and the discipline to say: we will make this film not when, but if a good enough story comes our way. So it is that McQuarrie, Cruise and company deliver a benchmark setter for action movies – a rollicking, tense and captivating piece of cinema that begs to be enjoyed on the big screen. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wb49-oV0F78
Imagine that you could spend an entire week or so at an overseas film festival. If time and money wasn't a concern, and you could put your everyday life on hold, which movie bonanza would you go to? Cannes, Berlin, Venice, Toronto: they're all good choices. If you're after new indie flicks, you're probably already thinking about packing your bags for Sundance. Of course, Robert Redford's annual Utah event isn't the only early-in-the-year American film festival worth dreaming about. Come March in Texas, there's another fest making movie buffs envious. Since 1987, South by Southwest has proven a launching pad for music and technology — and, from 1994, for indie flicks, too. On the film front, SXSW's 2016 program keeps the good stuff coming with 137 features, including 89 world premieres and 52 efforts by first-time filmmakers. Alas, here at Concrete Playground we're watching from afar between March 11 to 20, rather than hopping on a plane to Austin. To soothe our jealousy, we've put together a list of the ten films from SXSW we're hoping will come to Australia. If we can't go to them, fingers crossed that they can come to us. DON'T THINK TWICE If you saw Sleepwalk With Me back in 2012, you're probably a fan of Mike Birbiglia. The comedian's first directorial effort, based on his one-man off-Broadway show and accompanying book of the same name, offered a breezy but insightful look at the problems of relationships, careers and planning for the future. His next film effort sounds just as subtly charming, with an improv troupe at its centre. Birbiglia stars again, joined by Keegan-Michael Key and Gillian Jacobs, should you need any more reasons to get excited. COLLECTIVE:UNCONSCIOUS Five filmmakers. Five dreams. Five attempts by the former to make movies out of the latter. Cinema is often called dreamlike, but collective:unconscious takes that description to another level. In stories involving the Grim Reaper hosting a television show and a sports class taking place inside of a volcano, among others, the group of indie directors doesn't just bring their own nocturnal imaginings to their screen. Instead, Lily Baldwin, Frances Bodomo, Daniel Patrick Carbone, Josephine Decker and Lauren Wolkstein attempt to make movies out of each other's unconscious musings. BEWARE THE SLENDERMAN You might've heard of the Slenderman. The very thin, very tall creature started popping up online in 2009, and was rumoured to stalk, abduct and generally terrorise and terrify people, particularly children. Slenderman was actually the creation of an online forum user, who created the figure as part of a Photoshop contest. That didn't stop two 12-year-old girls from killing their best friend in the hopes of meeting the faceless man, with documentarian Irene Taylor Brodsky dissecting their story, the impact of the darker side of cyber space, and how an internet meme inspired a murder. UNDER THE SHADOW We might've left Under the Shadow off of our Sundance list, but we won't make the same mistake twice. There's a reason that the Farsi-language film from Jordan, Qatar and the United Kingdom is playing a US festival again so soon after its world premiere in January, after all. Compared to The Babadook, Babak Anvari’s feature debut tells of a mother and daughter who begin to suspect that they’ve been targeted by evil spirits. Netflix has the rights to the frightening flick, but this sounds like something that really needs to be seen on the big screen. MY BLIND BROTHER Admit it: even the most serious film fans out there can't resist the lure of an impressive cast. Getting a group of great actors together doesn't always pay off, but when it does, it's magic. Here's hoping that's the end result for My Blind Brother, which stars Adam Scott, Nick Kroll and Jenny Slate. Yes, the fact that they've all either starred or popped up on TV sitcom Parks and Recreation is part of their appeal, but they're not the movie's only drawcards. Director Sophie Goodhart might be a first-time feature filmmaker; however she's adapting her own short film of the same name, which screened in competition at the 2003 Cannes Film Festival. TOWER Sadly, mass shootings in US schools are a much-too-common occurrence — but it wasn't always this way. In 1966, when an ex-Marine sniper turned University of Texas engineering student started gunning down people from a tower looming over the tertiary institution's campus, no one had ever contemplated the possibility of such horrors occurring at a place dedicated to learning and education. Keith Maitland's documentary explores this bleak chapter in American history, albeit in an unusual fashion. Telling the previously untold stories of the witnesses, heroes and survivors, he not only delves into archival footage, but combines it with surreal, animated recreations. THE TRUST Two words: Nicolas Cage. We have more words to share about The Trust than that, of course — but we'd be lying if we didn't confess that the man who can be either the world's best or worst actor, depending on the film, wasn't the main attraction. With Elijah Wood, he plays a cop who stumbles upon a mysterious bank vault. If the combination of Cage and the storyline doesn't pique your curiosity, this might: writer/directors Alex and Ben Brewer are better known for their music video work, including winning an MTV Video Music Award for working with Justin Bieber. Yes, really. KARAOKE CRAZIES Karaoke and cinema go hand in hand. Plenty of movies feature everyone's favourite form of amateur singing; however surprisingly few make it their main focus (and yes, we're ignoring Gwyneth Paltrow vehicle Duets for a reason). In Karaoke Crazies, Korean filmmaker Kim Sang-Chan sets his feature in a karaoke bar, lets a serial killer loose, and makes the latter obsessed with the former. If that's not an ingenious idea for a movie, well, we don't know what is. IN A VALLEY OF VIOLENCE Ti West has played with satanic panic in The House of the Devil, and toyed with found footage and religious fanaticism in The Sacrament. He also charmed Aussie audiences in person when he visited the Melbourne International Film Festival in 2011 to present his haunted hotel effort, The Innkeepers. In his next film, In A Valley of Violence, West swaps scares for revenge and horror for the western genre. Ethan Hawke and John Travolta tag along for the ride, stalking through a small town in the 1890s, and playing a drifter and marshal, respectively. EVERYBODY WANTS SOME Okay, okay, so Richard Linklater's latest film — and his first after the awarded and applauded Boyhood — is one of the titles we know for certain will grace Australian cinema screens. That doesn't make us any less enthused about Everybody Wants Some, which has the honour of opening SXSW's film lineup, and has been called a spiritual sequel to his 1996 effort Dazed and Confused. Don't expect a sleazy Matthew McConaughey trying to hit on high school girls, this time around. Do expect another wild series of events, this time set over a weekend in college in the '80s.
Remember when Big Poppa's head chef Liam O' Driscoll cooked us up a feast of epic proportions? We sure do. To celebrate the launch of the KitchenAid Mini in Australia, we created a Mini Dinners video series and asked two of our favourite chefs to throw a dinner party and cook up three courses of their favourite food. Obviously, O'Driscoll stayed true to his Big Poppa's menu and cooked three courses of simple, rustic Italian food. He's given us his recipes so you can recreate the dishes at home. The Big Poppa's food philosophy is all about using fresh, local produce and letting it speak for itself. You're not allowed to do anything fancy, because if the produce is great to begin with you won't need to. Make sure everything you cook with is of the highest quality. If you've sat down and dined at Big Poppa's upstairs restaurant you'll know this is a big deal. Treat these recipes with respect. HAND CUT TAGLIATELLE WITH GLOBE ARTICHOKE, PARMIGIANO-REGGIANO, PANGRATTATO AND SALMORIGLIO INGREDIENTS PASTA 500g '00' flour or plain flour plus a little extra for rolling 3 whole eggs 4 egg yolks 20ml olive oil pinch of salt ARTICHOKES 8 artichokes 2 lemons 2 cloves garlic sprig thyme PANGRATTATO 2 cup of home made bread crumbs (made from day old white ciabatta or sourdough) 2 cloves garlic finely chopped 1/2 bunch of parsley chopped 2 lemons zested SALMORIGLIO 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 3 sprigs rosemary chopped 1/2 bunch oregano chopped 1/2 bunch flat leaf parsley chopped 1 teaspoon salt zest of 1 lemon 2 garlic cloves, minced dash of freshly ground black pepper METHOD PASTA Place all ingredients into the bowl of the KitchenAid Mini with the dough hook attachment and mix on speed setting 4 for around 4 minutes, or until dough starts to form a ball Remove dough to a lightly floured bench and knead until dough comes together and has a uniform consistency (the dough should spring back a little if pressed with thumb) Wrap tight in cling film and place in fridge for 30 min Remove from fridge and rest dough for 20 min Unwrap dough a cut into 4 pieces On a lightly floured bench roll each piece out with rolling pin Take 1 piece of rolled out dough and feed through the KitchenAid Mini pasta rolling attachment on setting 10, continue to feed dough through roller decreasing the setting 1 mark at a time, until you reach the 0 setting, Lightly dust finished pasta sheet at set aside Repeat process till all sheets are rolled out. Stack sheets on top of each other and slice with a sharp knife into 2cm strips Set cut pasta aside covered with tea towel until ready to cook ARTICHOKES Snap back tough outer leaves until you begin to expose the pale yellow ones. Trim top off and pare down the leaves which cover the base of the heart and trim stem down till the pale yellow is showing Cut Artichokes in half lengthways and with a spoon scoop out the choke and place artichokes in water mixed with a small amount of vinegar or lemon juice to stop oxidisation In a large pot of cold water place the lemons that have been cut in half, garlic, thyme and artichokes, simmer until the base of the artichokes can easily be pieced with knife Strain and set aside, when cooled slice each half in two PANGRATTATO Bring 1/2 cup oil to medium heat in heavy based frypan, add bread crumbs and toast a light golden colour. At this stage add garlic, lemon zest and parsley, and continue to toast until golden brown Remove pangrattato from pan using a slotted spoon on to a baking try lined with paper towel, and let drain of excess oil and cool SALMORIGLIO Place all ingredients in the KitchenAid Mini food processor attachment and blitz BRINGING IT ALL TOGETHER Bring large pot of salted water to the boil and add pasta, cook for 2 min, add artichokes to water with pasta and cook for a further minute, strain and place in large mixing bowl with the salmoriglio, season with salt and pepper and mix Divide between 4-6 bowls and grate parmigiano-reggiano over each portion Top with pangrattato FLAT IRON STEAK TAGLIATA WITH CONFIT GARLIC BUTTER, TREVISO AND POTATO AL FORNO INGREDIENTS 1 kg flat iron steak, if unavailable flank or thick skirt can be substituted 1.5 kg waxy potatoes 2 heads of treviso or radicchio 3 sprigs rosemary 2 lemons 250g unsalted butter 1 head garlic 1 cup veg oil 1/4 cup chopped parsley salt pepper good quality Australian extra virgin olive oil METHOD BUTTER Place peeled garlic cloves in small pot with vegetable oil and heat at a low temperature until garlic is soft and starting to caramelise. Strain garlic and let cool In the KitchenAid Mini beat butter with paddle attachment and some salt until soft and pale in colour, add garlic and and parsley and mix until combined Take a sheet of foil and place a sheet of baking paper over this, spoon butter onto paper and then roll into a log twisting both ends until tight and butter feels firm Place butter log in fridge or freezer until firm Remove from fridge, unwrap and cut into 2cm wheels THE REST With are sharp knife thinly slice the potatoes into rounds and place slices overlapping each other into an oiled, deep, heavy based ceramic or glass baking dish. Drizzle with oil and season with salt and pepper and add water but do not cover potatoes with liquid Bake in oven at 200 celsius for 30 min Add rosemary leaves and continue to bake for a further 15min or until potatoes are cooked and golden brown Slice treviso lengthways into quarters and place on baking tray, drizzle with oil and season wit salt and pepper, roast for 10-15 min Season steak and bring a non-stick frypan up to smoking with a little oil, cook steak for approx 3-4 minutes on each side till a nice crust forms Remove steak and rest for 3min before slicing across the grain and serving on plate or board with butter crumbled on top and lemons cheeks, and treviso on side TORRONE SEMIFREDDO WITH DOLCE LATTE INGREDIENTS 2 cups heavy cream 1/4 cup good quality honey 225g hard hazelnut or almond torrone, finely chopped (Torrone is an Italian nougat made with honey, egg whites, sugar and nuts) 1 can of sweetened condensed milk METHOD In a deep pot place the can of condensed milk, cover the can with water and bring to a steady simmer for 3-4 hours. (Be sure to keep an eye on water level and top up pot to avoid water level dropping below the top of the can. The cans may explode if not fully submerged). After 3-4 hours remove can with tongs and set aside In a large bowl, whip the cream with the honey until firm. Fold in the chopped torrone. Transfer the mixture to a large, deep plastic container and press a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface. Freeze until firm. Spoon semifreddo into bowls and open the can of condensed milk. Thanks to science it will have magically transformed into delicious caramel. Spoon caramel over semifreddo and enjoy Images: Samantha Hawker and Bodhi Liggett.
Vivid Sydney is officially upon us, ready to light up the night for another year. From May 26 through to June 17, the city will be flooded with colour and sound – along with a couple of million punters. Every bloody year, we're paralysed with indecision as to where the hell to start chasing the Vivid lights. We put together a handy guide to this year's light precincts, from Taronga Zoo to Darling Harbour. Consider it a highlights package. Literally. By Tom Clift and Jasmine Crittenden. ROYAL BOTANIC GARDEN Sydney's Royal Botanic Garden is taking its Vivid participation to a whole new level this year. For a start, there's Electric Forest, a tableau created by a collaboration between art, design, animation and music students. If you don't get lost there, prepare for the shock of five massive eyeballs staring straight at you and, beyond that, the more joyful Sunflowers, which, unlike the eyeballs, are kind enough to bow when you pass by. You'll also get to meet Rowi, a rare species of kiwi, and her baby, who are made of light globes and wear night-goggles. Yep, this is probably Vivid's whackiest site. TARONGA ZOO At Taronga Zoo, take a stroll among a bunch of over-sized, illuminated sculptures of animals. Think Jurassic Park, but less scary. You'll be given a wristband that powers interaction: prepare to be eaten by a Port Jackson Shark, get to know a Sumatran Tiger, see life from a turtle's perspective and find yourself surrounded by a swarm of bees. On top of that, a small number of tickets will be sold for the cable car experience. It's pretty awesome at the best of times and takes on a whole new dimension during Vivid. The only catch is that, unlike most of the festival's light events, the zoo's isn't free. Your best bet is to buy a ticket online in advance. THE ROCKS You'll scarcely be able to move in The Rocks this Vivid without stumbling across one installation or another. Visitors can hop, skip and jump their way across an LED hopscotch grid (Electric Hopscotch), peer through mysterious windows into worlds heretofore unknown (Portholes), send a letter to a stranger via a light-up postbox (MailboX), and make beautiful music using a 3D projected keyboard (MUSIC|box). Cap off your night with a visit to MCA, where the façade will come to life courtesy of Organic Vibrations, a major new projection work created by local artist Julia Gorman and French art-collective Danny Rose. CHATSWOOD In Chatswood, you'll find yourself wandering through a futuristic city, where Blade Runner meets steampunk. Head to the Interchange to feel small again, staring up at Voxelscape, an epic, spacey installation made up of 9000 glowing spheres, and to let off some steam at Gear Shift, an interactive projection that imitates a 19th century engine. You'll also find yourself looking heavenwards in Chatswood Mall, where a sparkling canopy leads you to Crossword, which sends out mysterious messages. If you're visiting during the day, check out Light Bounce, a refractive forest at Chatswood Chase. Meanwhile, The Concourse is hosting Future City/Smart City, a utopian community that's both airborne and sustainable; and, beneath it, you'll discover Steampunk Waterworld, a kind of industrial Atlantis. MARTIN PLACE Creative legends Motti+Smith are taking care of Martin Place this year. And, with the help of Stagekings and Paper Moose, they've turned it into DeepForest, an enchanting oasis that combines light with food. Hovering above the whole scene is Atmos, an extraordinary display of ribbons inspired by Aurora Australis. UrbanTree, which was a hit last time, is back with version 2.0, this time promising to carry you into a exotic ecosystem, where you'll meet a massive glowing frog. Lux Populi is a tree of a different kind, assembled out of a kilometre-long piece of neon rope, with branches ten metres above the ground. Meanwhile, expect to see Lloyd Rees Fountain transformed into a glittering, refractive wonder. BARANGAROO Watch where you're walking at Barangaroo this Vivid, lest the earth suddenly open up and swallow you whole. Illusory floor projection Trapdoor 'reveals' a cavernous world beneath Sydney's newest harbourside destination, with animations that pay tribute to the precinct's industrial history. Other standouts include A Day in the Light, a synaesthetic light and sound experience that recreates the various different phases of light that occur over the course of a day, as well as You-niverse, an inverted floating pyramid at Exchange Place where projections correspond to a number of Spotify playlists. DARLING HARBOUR A 60m x 40m wall of water provides the canvas for what will surely be one of the most spectacular projections at Vivid Sydney this year. Devised by Ignatius Jones and Peewee Ferris, Magicians of the Mist incorporates fireballs, lasers, music and LEDs, along with 12 massive pumps throwing 28 tonnes of water per minute into the air above Cockle Bay. At nearby Tumbalong Green, 32 beams of light will paint patterns in the sky, while animated waves crash down on the room of the Australian National Maritime Museum. CIRCULAR QUAY Last Vivid, Circular Quay was home to the to the world's largest interactive light display. This year, they're breaking their own record. In Dreamscape, visitors will use a touch-sensitive 3D model to control lights and projections on buildings around the Quay, as well as a one kilometer stretch of the Cahill Expressway and the eastern face of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Then of course there's the Opera House, which this year will be illuminated Audio Creatures, an audio-visual tableaux featuring images of pulsating sea creatures, vibrant bird plumage and iridescent plant-life.
Even the most adventurous of foodies have their limits, don't they? New documentary Bugs aims to put that idea to the test — and to make audiences squirm in the process. You don't make a film about two researchers from René Redzepi's experimental Nordic Food Lab exploring the culinary value and environmental benefits of eating insects without causing a reaction, after all. The eye-opening doco is one of 12 titles set to screen at the Antenna Documentary Film Festival from October 11 to 16, with the Sydney fest revealing a selection of highlights before their complete program announcement on September 6. Regardless of how experimental your eating habits are, the flicks unveiled should whet the appetite of factual cinema fans thanks to a wealth of thought-provoking content. When the fest isn't trying to get viewers pondering their next meal, it'll be inspiring discussions about everything from a ladies man living with HIV to the impact of nuclear waste in a small Russian town. The former comes courtesy of moving opening night film The Charro of Toluquilla, while the latter informs documentary City 40, which examines the people trying to survive in one of the most contaminated places on earth. And for a change of pace, anyone keen on an Italian holiday without the cost of an airfare should put Rome-set road movie A Present from the Past on their must-see list. Aussie effort A Mother and A Gun, which has its world premiere at the festival, is also certain to get attendees talking as it explores the life of Shelly Rubin, the woman who fell in love with the leader of the Jewish Defense League. Elsewhere, environmental effort The Islands and the Whales, a tribute screening of Abbas Kiarostami's Close Up, and the latest chronicle of Bobby Sands and his famous hunger strike — as previously brought to the screen in Steve McQueen-Michael Fassbender collaboration Hunger — also feature among Antenna's initial list of films. Yep, they might've only given viewers a taste of a dozen titles so far, but the fest's 2016 lineup looks as varied as it is interesting. The 2016 Antenna Documentary Film Festival screens at Palace Cinemas Paddington from October 11 to 16. The complete lineup will be announced on September 6. For more information, check out the festival website. Images: Lloyd Dirks, Tom Truong.
A quintessentially Aussie summer day can be built on a few key ingredients: sun, beer, food, live music and some form of physical activity. Rocks Brewing Co can achieve four of the five, weather permitting. And for the latter, you can just pop around the corner to Archie Brothers Cirque Electriq. Founded in 2008, and after spending its first five years as a 'gyspy brewer', Rocks Brewing Co finally set down roots in this Alexandria industrial estate in 2014. The digs features an exposed wood bar, spacious indoor and outdoor seating and excellent views of the stainless steel tanks. The core range of brews includes an American pale ale, a pilsner lager, a mid-strength pale, a west coast IPA and an award winner porter. If you're keen to secure a seat, Rocks Brewing Co is open for lunch and dinner, with the menu featuring share plates such as crispy pork and prawn wontons, nachos supreme and pork quesadillas. Mains feature fish & chips, sirloin steaks, schnitzels and a range of burgers. It's not reinventing the wheel when it comes to Sydney brewpubs, but it's doing all the right things mighty well. Image: Kitti Gould.
Two Birds Brewing is celebrating five years of making stellar, award-winning beers. Australia's first female owned and operated brewery is celebrating in fashion with an Australia-wide, week long birthday bash. As a big thank you to patrons around the country, co-owners Danielle Allen and Jayne Lewis are offering up their Golden Ale and Sunset Ale flagship brews for just five bucks a schooner — in a whopping 25 venues across Queensland, Victoria, NSW, ACT and Tasmania. Lewis and Allen have also each brewed a birthday beer — the Two Birds G&T IPA and Two Birds PX Belgian Dubbel — which will be tapped at each venue on Thursday, June 16. This is one killer way to celebrate and we'll be raising a glass to these two badass birds throughout the week. The Two Birds $5 birthday schooners will be available from Monday, June 13 – Sunday, June 19, with the Birthday beer tapped on Thursday, June 16. Their beers will be tapped at the following bars and pubs. VICTORIA The Nest - Two Birds Brewery and Tasting Room, Spotswood The Valley Cellar Door - Wine Bar, Moonee Ponds Stray Neighbour, Preston Junction Beer Hall & Wine Room, Newport Freddie Wimpoles, St Kilda The Park, Werribee Beer Deluxe, Hawthorn Cookie, Melbourne CBD Terminus Hotel, Fitzroy North Cambrian Hotel, Bendigo NEW SOUTH WALES Hotel Sweeney's, Sydney CBD Royal Albert Hotel, Surry Hills The Welcome Hotel - Ajò Restaurant, Rozelle The Public, Cammeray Grain Store, Newcastle East QUEENSLAND The Spotted Cow, Toowoomba Flux Restaurant & Lounge, Noosaville Lester and Earl, Palm Beach Death Valley Bar & Records, Morningside Woolly Mammoth, Fortitude Valley
If your midweek lunches have looked a little sad of late, here's something to get excited about: all through March and April Harpoon Harry will be flexing its daytime charms and dishing up a limited-edition offering of Lunchtime Sandwich Heroes. You can ditch the sad salad roll and forget about the lacklustre leftovers — Harry's got you sorted with a tempting rotation of $15 sambos, on offer weekdays to takeaway or eat in. And with two new sandwiches hitting the menu each fortnight, no one's about to get bored of this lunch bunch. Sandwich Heroes kicks off on Monday, March 2, with a hefty club sandwich and a vego number called Plants, Shoots & Leaves filled with eggplant and feta. Elsewhere on the lineup, you'll get to devour the likes of a Japanese 7-Eleven-inspired egg salad number and a fried chicken sanga worthy of your finest midweek hangover. The latter is set to star southern-style Rice Bubbles-fried chicken, house-smoked chilli mayo, avocado and cos. You'll also spy a cheeky rye number, loaded with sliced pastrami, swiss cheese, slaw and russian dressing — and a classic fish finger sambo somewhere in the mix. To check out exactly when you can find each sanga, check out the lineup below. HARRY'S LUNCHTIME SANDWICH HEROES LINEUP March 2–13: Club Members Only and Plants, Shoots & Leaves March 16–27: The Steaks Are High and Croquet in Tokyo March 30–April 10: Red & Green Roster and Fush Funger Sambo April 13–24: So-Fried Chicken and Pistrami De Resistance Harry's Lunchtime Sandwich Heroes are available weekdays from 11.30am–3pm or until sold out. Updated February 26
Five years after debuting its legendary menu of 'BRGRS' at the Macquarie Hotel, Sydney favourite Pub Life Kitchen closed down, taking some of the city's best burgers with it. Four long years later and the beloved venue returned to the bottom level of the Lord Wolseley Hotel in Ultimo. Pull up to the Bulwara Street window and you can pick yourself up a selection from the new-look pub-style menu. Of course, the burgers are back. Choose between The OG, stacked with dry-aged grass-fed beef, cheese, pickles, tomato, lettuce, roasted garlic and lime mayo, or the TLC, a fried chicken burger topped with cheese, pickles and green Sriracha mayo. Also returning, are PLK's hot and sticky chicken wings alongside a far-reaching menu of snacks and mains. If you're looking for something on the lighter side, you can head for the chickpea fritters, marinated octopus salad or roasted peppers with buffalo mozzarella and capers. Further down the menu in the 'bigger' section, you can find classic pub feeds like the rump stake with burnt onion butter and chicken schnitzel, side-by-side with some more unique items like LP's smoked pecorino, parsley sausage mash and gravy, dry-aged cevapi and braised eggplant with XO sauce. Images: Nikki To Appears in: Where to Find the Best Burgers in Sydney for 2023
Want your Uber ride to be even cheaper? Don’t mind sharing a ride with strangers and making awkward small talk? UberPOOL might just be your perfect service. As reported by The Guardian, it’s rolling out in London today and allows Uber users to opt into a carpooling option with a very attractive 25 percent discount on the standard Uber fare. Sharing is caring. It’s not guaranteed there’ll be another user opting into UberPOOL in the vicinity, but if you don’t get matched you still keep that tasty discount. So basically, you get rewarded for being a chill and environmentally conscious Uber user, even if you don’t even right share (it’s the thought that counts). As well as making Uber even cheaper for anyone willing to share, UberPOOL also environmental benefits — more seats on bums and more cars making full use of their capacity means less cars on the road and less pollution. The option has been rolled out in a few cities and even accounts for half of all rides taken in San Francisco (half!), so it’s not exactly a new concept but it’s certainly taking off. We’re still waiting for word of when it will hit our shores but you can guarantee it's likely to. Gizmodo's Luke Hopewell wrote an interesting account of his experience in an UberPOOL and pointed out the one major flaw in the plan: as well as being hella awkward to ride with a complete stranger, if you hop our first, that complete stranger knows where you're going or where you live. The app doesn't give you the name of your riding buddy, but that's no guarantee you won't be Ubering home with a weirdo. While we wait to see how it all plays out, let’s just scroll through #yourtaxis and giggle gleefully over terrible PR ideas. Via The Guardian.
They've made fireworks you can eat, cooked T-bone steaks with lava and served bespoke cocktails tailor made to match your DNA. But this past week in London, culinary wizards Sam Bompas and Harry Parr may have outdone themselves yet again. Hosted in a converted warehouse in partnership with deals website bespokeoffers.co.uk, The 200 Club can claim the title of the world's longest tasting menu, featuring 200 different dishes over 24 non-stop hours of service. Eight chefs toiled away in the kitchen creating the tasting plates, which ranged from truffle bubbles to coffee-compressed watermelon. A two hour sitting cost between £49 and £99 depending on the time of day, or you could attempt the entire gastronomic marathon for £2,000 per couple. Only four people have the stomach for the latter option, but we have to imagine they were happy with their decision. Of course it wouldn't be a Bompas & Parr affair without a little additional visual theatre. As such, each sitting was differentiated by the colour of the food, a move inspired by the monochromatic feasts of Emperor Nero. Check out the menu, as well as some photographic highlights, below. 200 CLUB MENU Yellow Breakfast: A morning repast that zings with citrus, caffeine and craft. This culinary explosion will hybridise flavours of the East and West in a high-energy, high-end display of homely food love. White Elevenses: A British tradition bejewelled in surreal sparkle. Expect custards, shortbread, quiches, clouds of confection sugar and a dreamy sweet vision of the classic treats. Green Lunch: This meal will be a rustic yet refined version of the garden snacking of yore. Look forward to leafy eating including the freshest greens, meats and cheeses, plus a procession of fluorescent jellies. Blue Afternoon Snack: A powerhouse of flavour for the lazy hours of the day. Taste an otherworldly array of vibrant and dusty turquoises in the form of naturally tinted roots and skilfully prepared fish. Purple Five O’Clock Tiffin: Rooted in the wild and rich darkness of summer, enjoy ingredients such as wild game and dark summer fruits. Dishes will speak to simple food traditions reinterpreted with modern culinary craft. Pink Dinner: Forget “trendy” food items like burgers or hot dogs. Your table will be buzzing with eye-popping fuchsia, cured meats, and smouldering wood smoke. Red Party Time: A sultry explosion of party vibes and hot weather flavours. You’ll see Australian and Asian influences, balancing classic spice and tropical tangs with modern style. Orange Drunchies: The extension of a great night out. Expect contradicting textures, bleeding edge techniques, and lashings of moreishness to tantalise the palate. Brown Blackout: Indulge in a meal of carnal urges – sweet, hot and savoury dishes. The chef will keep you on your toes with coffee, chocolate, black garlic, squid ink, soy sauce, and liquorice. Multicolour Final Countdown: A communal carousal of globally-inspired festival food. Mark the culmination of The 200 Club with a multinational flavour and colour explosion, using vibrant colours with grand presentations. Images by Adam Laycock via Bespoke Offers.
Since launching in the US in January, female friend-matching app hey! VINA has been the talk of BFF-seeking ladies everywhere. For anyone that's tried to boost their girl gang with people they meet at parties, work, cafes and the like, but found the process a little awkward (i.e. everyone), it's the gift that keeps on giving. Now, the popular service is finally going global — albeit with some surprising assistance. Where does the app that's been called "Tinder for girlfriends" get support to expand its remit? From Tinder, it seems. The two entities have teamed up to help more gals look for more pals in more places. With more than 17,000 cities on hey! VINA's waitlist, the demand is certainly there. In fact, the service tallied up over 100,000 users in its first two weeks of operation alone. That's the good news: Aussies, you can now get paired up with fabulous potential friends based on your preferences, location and existing networks of mutual connections (via Facebook), then swipe your way to the perfect pal. Whether you've recently moved away from your besties, or have just found life taking you in different directions, hey! VINA is here to help you make some new mates. Of course, with the app endeavouring to help ladies forge long-lasting platonic bonds, it's okay to raise your eyebrows at their new partnership with a company known for facilitating romantic hook-ups of the much, much, much briefer kind. VINA is adamant that, while they both share a mission to connect people around the world, the two organisation's services remain separate, and that hey! VINA will remain a women-only non-dating social connection platform. Their updated FAQs spell this out, and are clearly designed to assuage any fears that the app will become Tinder 2.0. As for Tinder themselves, their investment and mentorship falls in line with other recent developments aimed to expand their remit — and their status as a go-to app for meeting others. Though trialled in Australia first, Tinder Social launched worldwide in July as a way for different groups of friends to cross paths. And just this month, they joined forces with Spotify to bring music tastes into the matching and swiping process. Image via Dollar Photo Club.
The show must go on for the folks at the Moulin Rouge. 15 years after the release of Baz Luhrmann's smash-hit movie musical, the story of doomed lovers Christian and Satine is coming to the stage. The lavish adaptation is currently in its early stages, and will be directed by two-time Tony nominee Alex Timbers. "I first encountered Alex Timbers through the remarkable and inventive production of Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson and the brilliance of Here Lies Love," said Luhrmann in a statement. "I immediately recognised the young director's creative spirit and felt we shared similar sensibilities and instincts." Writing duties will be handled by acclaimed playwright and screenwriter John Logan, whose resume includes the recent James Bond outing Skyfall as well as the Tony Award-winning play Red. "It's immensely gratifying to know that a new wave of artists will be leading Moulin Rouge! into its rightful theatrical realm," said Luhrmann. The show is being developed by entertainment group Global Creatures, who previously worked on the theatrical adaptation of King Kong and helped bring Luhrmann's Strictly Ballroom to the stage. A premiere date and location for Moulin Rouge! has yet to be announced.
When Vivid Sydney kicks off winter, the city instantly gets brighter. And, come Friday, May 27–Sunday, June 18, the popular event might just beam a little stronger than usual — returning for the first time since 2019. Vivid Sydney's 2022 lineup certainly boasts plenty of highlights — and more than 200 events in total. Sticking with all that eye-catching light, to begin with, there'll be more than 50 luminous installations dazzling the city, including two particularly spectacular attractions by the water. The first, Sydney Infinity by Oracle Liquid, is a water sculpture in Darling Harbour that'll feature 12 80-metre-high water shoots, plus a Sydney-inspired soundtrack by DJ Peewee Ferris. And the second, at Walsh Bay, will see a 100-metre floating Light Walk pop up for folks to mosey along. Vivid Sydney will also host First Light, a Welcome to Country celebrating the Gadigal people and Country on Friday, May 27. And, Our Connected City by Mandylights will literally shine new light on the city's landmarks via 150 searchlights, which will illuminate the CBD with ribbons of light from the Sydney Opera House all the way to the northern pylon of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. [caption id="attachment_851810" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Dan Hong and Mike Eggert, Destination NSW[/caption] In something completely new for 2022, Vivid Sydney will throw its first-ever Vivid Sydney Dinner, taking place at Merivale's Ivy Ballroom and hosted by Justine Clarke. The lineup spans Ken Done, Julia Baird, the Vivid Sydney Brass Band, James Morrison, Ngaiire, Virginia Gay and Kate Monroe, plus food by chefs Dan Hong and Mike Eggert. On the talks part of the program, American filmmaker Aaron Sorkin is headed to Sydney to discuss the intersection of politics and drama, as seen so often in his work. Also among the big names getting chatty: musician, artist and actor Troye Sivan, who'll talk with Lillian Ahenkan (AKA Flex Mami); and US journalist Gretchen Carlson — one of Time Magazine's 100 Most Influential People (2017) — who successfully sued Fox founder and CEO Roger Ailes for sexual harassment and has since worked tirelessly to change legislation that silences the victims of sexual harassment. Meanwhile, Vivid Ideas Up Late will pop up at the Museum of Contemporary Art, the Australian Museum, the Powerhouse Museum and the National Maritime Museum, hosting free nights filled with talks, performances, fashion, music and food. Music-wise, Vivid Sydney is no slouch, either. For starters, Vivid Live at Sydney Opera House will feature Paul Kelly, Thelma Plum and Ash Naylor during a gig dubbed Time And Tide: Four Decades of Song; Sampa The Great's new show An Afro Future; and Berlin-based piano star Nils Frahm performing Music for Sydney. Over at the Carriageworks precinct, the all-female Japanese rock band Chai will be hitting the stage, as will Estonian rapper Tommy Cash. Baxter Dury is bringing a splash of London disco to the CBD, and rock 'n' roll meets psychedelia at Spiritualized's taking over Luna Park's Big Top. Vivid Sydney 2022 will run from Friday, May 27–Sunday, June 18. For further information and tickets, head to the event's website. Top images: Yarrkalpa — Hunting Ground (2021), by the Martu Artists and Curiious with soundtrack by Electric Fields and Martu Artists (inspired by Yarrkalpa — Always Walking Country, 2014), Destination NSW (first image); For Sydney With Love, by Ken Done on Customs House, Spinifex Group (fourth image); Future Natives, by Chris Daniel, Destination NSW (fifth image); Convergence, by Mandylights, Destination NSW (sixth image).
Newsflash: fashion isn't just about looking good. Sustainability is playing an ever-increasing role for many designers, and there's a new Australian magazine trying to to support and highlight their noble pursuits. With their first edition launching only a matter of months ago, Hessian is your new go-to publication for feel-good fashion. For those a little out of the loop, we spoke to editor-in-chief Siggi McCarthy to get the inside scoop. How are people embracing this new trend? Where can you get your hands on the good stuff? What does it all mean? So, what is Hessian? "Hessian was founded simply out of necessity," McCarthy says. "Violette Snow (founder) felt there needed to be a magazine that packaged sustainable fashion in a way that was accessible, exciting and fresh. Without sounding like a crazy hippy, the earth and the people living here are in trouble and we need to step up and do something about it." McCarthy first met Snow when she was working for Ethical Clothing Australia, manning their stall at the Sustainable Living Festival. The two got chatting and soon realised they were very much on the same page. "I was immediately drawn to the idea of Hessian and knew I wanted to be a part of it. Violette was putting onto paper what I'd been thinking about for a long time: Why can't sustainable fashion be aesthetically pleasing? Why don't we expect more from fashion labels? Can someone please stop using the word 'green'?" "There needs to be a greater dialogue when it comes to ethical issues in the fashion industry but we can't create real change if we alienate young consumers. This is why Hessian uses a concept called subtle sustainability." Sustainability is a bunch of small choices "Subtle sustainability is a stripped back easygoing concept that encourages us to think about leading a more conscious lifestyle," McCarthy says. Instead of shoving it in people's faces, Hessian focusses on making realistic and achievable lifestyle changes — people want to feel as though they're making a difference, but they also don't want to read about doom and gloom. "Put simply, we just want young people to make informed choices and realise that mindful living can actually be fucking cool." Focussing on the bigger picture, Hessian prefers to think of itself as a style magazine rather than a fashion rag. "We encourage people to embrace quality local production, independent design, good craftsmanship, and style that transcends seasonal fads." You don't have to look bad to feel good Good news do-gooders! These days you can buy sustainable products without compromising on quality or style. "While some brands unfortunately reinforce the stigma attached to sustainable fashion — that it's heinous — there are labels out there that are encouraging people to buy ethically through beautiful clothing," McCarthy says. "I think that's the key to a more sustainable fashion industry — blending ethics with aesthetics so seamlessly that sustainable clothing becomes the more desirable option." Bottom line: people want to buy clothing because they look good and that's never going to change. "They’re not going to settle for something that looks like crap just because it has a nice story behind it." There are lots of brands doing great things "I think us young folk get a bit of a kick out of knowing who is behind the clothing and wearing something that comes from a small run," McCarthy says. And, luckily for us, there are a bunch of local independent designers doing us proud in the sustainability stakes. In particular, Siggi recommends Kuwaii, Celeste Tesoriero, PER-TIM, Julie White, Thursday Sunday, YEVU, Kester Black, Nobody Denim and The Social Studio. Working at Ethical Clothing Australia, McCarthy also tries to support accredited labels. "R.M. Williams, for example, is ECA accredited and make the best boots locally in South Australia," she says. "I also dig NICO Underwear, which is made in Queensland using organic cotton and bamboo." Overseas favourites include Honest by, Everlane, Kowtow and Study. The good stuff can be hard to find The difficult thing about small independent labels is that they can be tricky to hunt down. In lack of an outlet store, McCarthy recommends hitting up Monk House Design, Dagmar Rousset, and trusty old op shops. But her hot tip is social media — there a bunch of great Facebook groups selling good quality, secondhand clothing. "When I meet girls to pick up items bought in these groups, it always feels like a drug deal," she says. "You generally don't know what the seller looks like, so you stand awkwardly on a corner hoping to make eye contact. When you suspect it's the right person, you walk up to them hesitantly, exchange pleasantries, inspect the garment, give them the money and then go about your day. Sometimes I think I buy clothing off these groups more for the experience than the clothing!" You can do it for cheap Of course, doing things right doesn't always come with a huge price tag — this isn't like the organic section at Coles. If you're doing this on a budget McCarthy suggests you stick to Facebook or Instagram and hit up online swaps like The Clothing Exchange. She also suggests you invest in quality over quantity. Buying one great item that lasts you saves you a bunch of money in the long term. You should also shoot for a well-curated wardrobe. This means thinking about what you already own and how your clothing can be worn with the garment you're considering buying. There's not much point having a wardrobe filled with pieces that don't work together. Last but not least, don't worry about wearing the same clothes often. If you look good — work it. For more on sustainable fashion pick up Hessian from their online store or Happy Valley, Brunswick Street Bookstore, Save Yourself Boutique, Dagmar Rousset, Greenhorse Boutique, Limedrop in Victoria. In NSW you can pick up a copy at Darley Collective. Images via Hessian Magazine, Dagmar Rousset, Kuwaii, Monk House Design.
From award-winning Australian novel to sold-out mainstage production, Jasper Jones is now getting the long-awaited big screen treatment it deserves. Madman Entertainment has today released the trailer for the anticipated film version of Craig Silvey's lauded novel, a revisualisation directed by Rachel Perkins (Bran Nue Dae, Radiance, One Night the Moon) and produced by Vincent Sheehan (Animal Kingdom, The Hunter) and David Jowsey (Mystery Road, Goldstone). Jasper Jones follows the classic story of 14-year-old Charlie Bucktin, a wide-eyed, book-loving kid living in small-town Western Australia in the summer of 1969. When local mixed-race outcast Jasper Jones wakes him up in the middle of the night, one heck of a mystery starts for the pair (and the town). Who's in the cast? Oh, just Australian royalty Toni Collette and Hugo Weaving, alongside Levi Miller (Pan, upcoming Red Dog: True Blue), Angourie Rice (These Final Hours, The Nice Guys), Dan Wyllie (Offspring, Muriel's Wedding), Matt Nable (Riddick, Son of a Gun) and Aaron McGrath (GLITCH). Get your eyes all over the trailer, it comes with a new song from Sydney lad Dustin Tebbutt, 'Atlas in Your Eyes'. Jasper Jones will be released in cinemas on March 2, 2017.
Bingo. Rave. Two ends of the spectrum of fine holiday fun finally came together in Australia last year. If you didn't make it along, Bongo's Bingo is a games night like you've never seen before. Part club, part rave, and, of course, part bingo night, this unlikely fusion event has been wildly popular in the UK since 2015. It's hardly surprising that taking the show on the road — that is, launching Bongo's Bingo Down Under — went well. And now, it's hardly surprising that is's coming back for yet another round either. What you mightn't expect is the event's new special guests: British boy band royalty, aka Westlife's Brian McFadden and Boyzone's Keith Duffy. Under the name Boyzlife, they'll perform their respective groups' biggest hits while all of the debauchery of the original British version of Bongo's Bingo gets underway. That includes rave intervals, dancing on tables and a loose kind of bingo that you definitely never played with your nan (well, maybe you have). The victorious players can win everything from big cash prizes to some absolutely ridiculous surprises, which is all part of the fun. Australia is the second international location for Bongo's Bingo, which recently launched in Dubai as well and, based on popularity, we imagine the event will continue to expand around the globe. BONGO'S BINGO DATES: Brisbane — Saturday, March 24 at The Tivoli Sydney — Saturday, March 31 at Big Top Melbourne — Thursday, April 5 at St Kilda Hall Doors from 6pm and shows kick off 7.30pm. Tickets are $40 per person and go on sale on Monday February 5 — the Brisbane show at 4pm AEST via Ticketmaster, and the Sydney and Melbourne shows at 6pm AEDT via Moshtix.
As part of Parramatta Nights, the richly diverse Street Festival is rolling into the western CBD, bringing with it celebration, flavour and a juicy squeeze of live music. Over two weekends this March, Phillip Street and surrounds will play host to five outdoor stages, which will be taken to by both local and international performers. Experience the thrill of being in the bustling crowd at a live music event again, while you bop to Jamaican dancehall or vibe-heavy R&B, before catching a Korean rap set or the joyous brassy notes of a jazz performance. Scoot on down to Phillip Street at 5pm on Friday, March 18, to start your festivities with the community Holi celebration, bearing witness to (and participating in) the smoky rainbow of colours filling the air. On the opening weekend, you can also groove to an energetic mix of Sister Nancy and Legal Shot Sound at the Erby Place Block Party. Weekend two is sure to get the crowds going too, with the Pist Idiots taking their Australian rock tunes straight to the Justice Stage. Meanwhile, on Saturday, Erby Place boasts a female- and non-binary-led lineup, with Jesswar and Kymie front and centre. Street Festival also has a stellar cast of bites to keep energy levels sky high. Archie Rose will be behind the bar mixing gin-laden cocktails, and tastes from all over will be dished out by the likes of Butter, Flavours of Spain and the Raza Central food truck, which will be serving up flavour-laden El Salvadorian favourites like piping-hot pupusas (grilled tortillas filled with cheese) and accompanying horchata. Street Festival is free to enter. Under-18s will be required to have a parent or guardian present. To find out more and explore the full program, head to the website.
The inner west is home to all things craft beer. You name it, they've got it: from craft focused brewpubs and bars to whole restaurants serving nothing but craft brews. The real draw to the inner west drinking scene, though, is the breweries themselves, many of which only opened their cellar doors recently. They're all into keeping it local and are swiftly rivalling bars as the go-to for afternoon sessions. Each brewery is distinct from the next and the beer has that 'just made' freshness because, well, it is fresh — you can quite literally see where it was made. Keen to try them all? Pick a Saturday and strap on those sneaks — no DD required for this drinking tour. [caption id="attachment_672371" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Stockade Brew Co, Letícia Almeida[/caption] FIRST, A FEW SIMPLE TIPS Start early — It's easy to lose track of time in a house full of beer. To fit all of these in, you'll need to get to your first brewery for 10am opening. Go with a group — Sharing a beer with friends doesn't just spread the love for local craft — it will also make the walking go by faster. Take advantage of tasting paddles — The most bang-for-your-buck option, paddles allow you to taste the brewery's range without going overboard. Schedule a brewery tour — There are few occasions in life when you get to see exactly where the product you're consuming is made. Take advantage of this moment. Pace yourself — Don't be a hero, you have a whole day of drinking ahead of you. This isn't a pub crawl for rowdy uni kids all wearing the same t-shirt. The breweries are community hangouts where friends gather to chill and grab a beer, best to keep that in mind. Eat, eat, eat — Drinking on an empty stomach leads to nothing but inevitable sadness; luckily, most of the breweries have food trucks parked outside or pop-up stalls inside. Pick and choose — Eight breweries is a lot to fit in one day, so don't feel you have to tick them all off. Choose your favourites, linger for longer. NOW, LET'S WALK. [caption id="attachment_751557" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Esteban La Tessa[/caption] STARTING POINT: WILLIE THE BOATMAN The new-look brewery Willie the Boatman has just opened a fancy new-look brew bar in St Peters' Precinct 75, and this is your excuse to go check it out. Start your trek in the Luchetti Krelle-designed space sitting on a comfy leather couch, in a booth or around a long communal table. The beers, like the brewery, all have fun names and stories — from the easy drinking Old Salty melon gose to the Tempe Tim pale ale. If you're really lucky, the bar will have its speciality Albo corn ale on tap (named for the current Leader of the Opposition Anthony Albanese); this beer is in a league of its own and could easily keep you at the brewery all afternoon. 75 Mary Street, St Peters. Get there via Sydenham Station or Buses 348, 418 and 422. Open 3–8pm Wednesday–Thursday, 12–9pm Friday, 10am–8pm Saturday and 12–7pm Sunday. SECOND STOP: BATCH (15-MIN WALK) The all-American brewery Next, head on over to Marrickville and rock up at Batch Brewing Company. It's no surprise that the Batch guys, American brewers Andrew Fineran and Chris Sidwa, are into big, bold flavours in their beer. Apart from their signature APA, their core beers include a summer farmhouse ale, the West Coast IPA and a nitro milk stout named Elsie. Batch is all about reppin' its neighbourhood and serving the community top-quality beer. The brewery does feel like a local hangout, complete with couches and lounge areas. Love Batch's beers? You'll find more of them of at the label's recently opened second brewery in Petersham. 44 Sydenham Road, Marrickville. Open 10am–8pm Sunday–Thursday and 10am–9pm Friday–Saturday. [caption id="attachment_672373" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Leticia Almeida[/caption] THIRD STOP: STOCKADE (FIVE-MIN WALK) The all-rounder Located in an old factory space in Marrickville, Stockade's brewery and bar boasts a communal dining space for 250 punters, plus a 14-person tasting room for private parties. Designed by RAD Studios, the fit-out includes terracotta tiles and blackbutt timber furniture that gives the industrial space an art deco feel, plus a custom-built bar made with up-cycled barrels and lightbox menu boards. Here, Stockade's sessionable core five beers are poured alongside the brewery's out-there seasonal releases. Time your visit right and you'll be able to try the coveted maple syrup-infused imperial stout. If you've had a couple of beers, this is the point at which you might start feeling peckish — luckily, Stockade can help. It has a rotating lineup of ten different burgers on offer, including an extra-cheesy number, one with jalapeños and a vego version. You can schedule in a brewery tour, a masterclass and sometimes even a boozy yoga class here, too. 25 Cadogan Street, Marrickville. Open 5–10pm Wednesday–Thursday, 12–11pm Friday–Saturday and 12–10pm Sunday. FOURTH STOP: SAUCE (TEN-MIN WALK) The roomy brewery In this comfy, laid-back watering hole, you'll sit overlooking the Sauce's shiny collection of brewing equipment. It has a beer garden and a bar area crafted from recycled bricks and timber, too, and seating options aplenty — because, as owner Mike Clarke will tell you, "there's nothing worse than a crowded bar with standing room only and 50-foot lines to get a drink". To drink, you can choose from Sauce's core beers, including the Hop Sauce pale ale and Piss-Weak Sauce mid-strength IPA, as well as seasonal releases and collab beers, such as a recent Citrus Haze IPA made with Spain's Garage Beer Co. There are food trucks here every Friday, Saturday and Sunday, too — check the Facebook event page for more info. 1a Mitchell Street, Marrickville. Open 4–10pm Thursday, 12–10pm Friday–Saturday and 12–8pm Sunday. FIFTH STOP: WILDFLOWER (TEN-MIN WALK) The wild one If you want to include Wildflower on your brewery crawl, you'll need to get your timing right. It's only open for four hours on two days: Friday and Saturday. But, schedule right and you'll be rewarded — this Marrickville spot is pouring some of the city's most unique brews. Made using wild NSW yeasts and barrel ageing techniques, the brews have distinctly tart characteristics. But as owner Topher Boehm will tell you, Wildflower is not a sour beer facility. On the contrary, Boehm is focused on producing balanced, easy-drinking beers that are closer to farmhouse or saison-style ales than sours. Blending newly brewed beer with existing barrel-aged beer is what gives this balance between fresh and funky. If you'd like to learn a little more about these tasty brews, you can book into a tour and tasting session, which run on the first Saturday of the month from 1–2pm. It'll set you back $25 and includes three tasters — you can purchase tickets over here. 11–13 Brompton Street, Marrickville. Open 2–6pm Friday and Saturday. SIXTH STOP: THE GRIFTER (FIVE-MIN WALK) The One with the Watermelon Pilsner Located in a former dry-cleaner, Grifter is one of the inner west's busiest breweries — it's packed, but it never feels overcrowded. Opening to the public at the end of 2015, the brewery has quickly gained a cult-like status for its sessionable and limited-release beers. Its orange-canned pale ale can be found at restaurants, bars and pizzerias across the city; its Serpent's Kiss watermelon pilsner has fans travelling from all across the city; and its hard-to-find Pink Galah pink lemonade sour has never been available in cans. You can wear your love for the brewery on your sleeve or head, too, thanks to its lineup of fresh merch. While you're there, grab something from the rotating pop-up food stall, which has hosted the likes of Dulwich Hill's Rosa Cienfuegos and Crows Nest's Johnny Bird. 1/391-397 Enmore Road, Marrickville. Open 4–9pm Monday and Thursday, 12–10pm Friday–Saturday and 12–8pm Sunday. SEVENTH STOP: YOUNG HENRYS (15-MIN WALK) The artsy brewery If you're still going strong, take an easy walk across town to Young Henrys. Part brewery, part gallery space, Young Henrys' tasting bar is an artist's hangout where music is always blaring and beers are a-flowing. These masterminds don't limit themselves to beer, either — their cider and gin game is strong as well, having launched their own Noble Cut. The brewery is constantly trying out new angles like chef-inspired beers, restaurant collaboration and community contests and events. It may be local craft, but Young Henrys is a big player in the beer industry as a whole. 76 Wilford Street, Newtown. Open 12–7pm every day. LAST STOP: WAYWARD BREWING CO. (20 MIN WALK) The lost brewery As evening draws in, head to the catacombs of Camperdown for Wayward Brewing Co. This covert laneway location was purposefully chosen to give patrons the sense of being "lost on purpose". The massive cellar door houses a 24-tap bar, foosball tables and a labyrinth of rooms filled with upcycled, retro lounge furniture. The beer is a fresh departure from the popularised big, hoppy beers — the core five including an Everyday Ale, pilsner, IPA, Red IPA and the popular raspberry berliner weisse. You can check out the rest of the rotating tapped beers over on its website. Wayward stays open late, as in 10pm late, and it knows how to throw a good themed party, an ideal spot to end on. Go ahead, Carpe Bierum. 1 Gehrig Lane, Camperdown. Open 2–10pm Thursday–Friday, 12–10pm Saturday, 12–8pm Sunday and 4–9pm Monday. Top image: Young Henrys
Deck the halls and unpack the plastic tree. The festive season is well and truly upon us, and with it come some of the biggest films of the year. Along with the cricket and stampeding through shopping centres, going to the movies is one of our favourite Boxing Day traditions. After all, what better place to recover from your post-Christmas food coma than in a nice, dark, air-conditioned cinema? Of course, not all of the end of year titles measure up. That's why we're reporting in with our annual Boxing Day Battle Royale, to ensure that you get maximum bang for your Kris Kringle gift voucher buck. ST VINCENT See it if: you've always dreamed of having Bill Murray for a neighbour We give it: 4 stars A crotchety old man gets a new lease of life when he becomes the reluctant babysitter to the 12-year-old kid next door. Sounds pretty unbearable, until you factor in that the old man is played by Bill Murray. First time writer-director Theodore Melfi doesn't reinvent the wheel, but the film's formulaic plotting is offset by sharp dialogue and the natural comedic chemistry of its cast. Melissa McCarthy and Chris O'Dowd are standouts in supporting roles, while newcomer Jaeden Lieberher is a revelation. Unsurprisingly though it's Murray who steals the show, delivering the perfect mix of irritable wit and genuine emotion. Read our full review. MR TURNER See it if: you're an art lover We give it: 4 stars Grunting and wheezing, Timothy Spall gives one of the best performances of the year as famed British painter J.M.W. Turner, in this two-and-a-half hour biopic from writer-director Mike Leigh. Strictly for arthouse crowds, the film doesn't have much of a narrative through-line, but as a portrait of a lonely artist it's surprisingly compelling. The film also contains some absolutely gorgeous cinematography, the painterly quality achieved by director of photography Dick Pope seemingly inspired by the work of Turner himself. Read our full review. BIG HERO 6 See it if: you're babysitting, or just want to indulge your inner child We give it: 3.5 stars Disney's follow-up to the phenomenon that was Frozen is an adaptation of a Marvel comic book about a plucky teenaged inventor who joins forces with an inflatable robot named Baymax in order to bring down a supervillain who is terrorising the city. As animated superhero films go, it's not a patch on The Incredibles, but kids will gets a kick out of it, and there's some great physical comedy courtesy of the film's plus-size robotic co-star. Frankly, if Baymax toys aren't flying off the shelf come January, someone in the Disney merchandising department should be out of a job. Read our full review. THE WATER DIVINER See it if: you're a really big Russell Crowe fan We give it: 2.5 stars Russell Crowe's directorial debut follows a father searching for the bodies of his sons after they're killed in combat at Gallipoli. Given Australia's tendency to mythologise that particular battle, it's refreshing to see how measured Crowe is in his approach, presenting the Turkish perspective as well as our own. Unfortunately, on a more technical level, Rusty still has quite a lot to learn. Flat photography and harsh lighting makes the film look as though it was shot for community television, while the overly earnest dialogue likewise leaves a lot to be desired. Read our full review. THE HOBBIT: THE BATTLE OF THE FIVE ARMIES See it if: you really, truly can't be bothered reading the book We give it: 1.5 stars We've had mostly nice things to say about this series up until this point, but that all ends now. After beginning with a dragon-sized anti-climax, the final part of Peter Jackson's painful protracted Tolkien adaptation turns out to be exactly what we all feared it would be: 2 hours and 20 minutes of padding. Comprised of one long, generic battle sequence, it's difficult to think of a recent film in which you feel less invested in the outcome. It's a sad, flabby end to what will likely be remembered as one of the most pointless movie trilogies of all time. Read our full review. Also out on Boxing Day: family flick Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb.
It won't be the liquor that's making your head spin at Mexico's Biré Bitori. Designed by architectural firm Tall Arquitectos on behalf of chef Maria Andrea Payne, the proposed two-story bar and restaurant would stick out over the edge of a cliff near the Basaseachic Falls, the second highest waterfall in the country. And if that weren't enough to kick your vertigo into gear, the bar and dining area will feature a transparent glass floor, offering breathtaking/terrifying views of the canyon below. The bar and restaurant (and nausea-inducing glass floor) would be located on the first level, while upstairs patrons would find a panoramic observation platform and pool. No word on what the menu might look like, although given the incredible surroundings we can't imagine it would be all that cheap. The falls themselves are located in the Basaseachic Waterfalls National Park, around three and half hours drive west of Chihuahua in the country's north. Via Traveller.
Is this vogue? Or bogue? It's the eternal question pondered by Big Ego Books founders, artists and all-round hilarious bloggers Raquel Caballero and Emily Hunt. On their insanely funny blog, these two wonderfully opinionated Australians weigh up the great and shit bits of our lives. Magic Eye? "I wish I had the skill of Magic Eye so I could write it on my resume." Vogue. Macarons? "Why are people still eating them? And why are publishers still publishing books about them? They taste like shit and they're really annoying to look at." Bogue. You'll find Raquel and Emily's latest greatest iratest Vogue/Bogue rant in the latest issue of Sturgeon. In case you've not met Sturgeon yet, it's a bi-annual Australian arts and culture publication published by Artbank — and boy is it pretty. The first issue was launched in November 2013 and this will be the fifth issue, guest edited by Miriam Kelly (curator and collection coordinator at Artbank). There's even original artwork by Sydney artist Leo Coyte on the cover. It's available to throw a measly $15 at in newsagents, museum stores and bookshops across Australia from May 16. But before you go and buy yourself a shiny new copy of Sturgeon, we have a little surprise for you. We love Raquel and Emily's Vogue/Bogue, and make a habit of reading it aloud and giggling over bits in the Concrete Playground office. So we asked them to do a special guest post just for CP, just for Sydney. What a coup. Here 'tis! BOGUE R.I.P. THE MONORAIL We will never get over this. We haven't forgiven or forgotten! The monorail to us symbolised the future, Jetsons-style. It's clear this country was going backwards when they decided to tear down the monorail. Sure it wasn't an economically viable mode of transport but does everything have to exist just to make a buck? Can't we have cool stuff just for the sake of it? Well apparently only people with $$$ are allowed this luxury. We just read on Wikipedia that Google owns a piece of the old monorail carcass (AKA a carriage) and uses it as an office meeting room because of course they do! Google thinks they're sooo cool, those dorks. BROADWAY BERMUDA TRIANGLE Similar to Bermuda Triangle, the Broadway Shopping Centre is a portal to a negative supernatural vortex. The streets around BSC are also haunted, probably from the Scientologists and their creepy uniforms. We've seen people murdered, a bank heist, three fires, a suicide off the walkway, a naked woman throwing chairs outside Oportos, a guy masturbating in the bushes next to the bus stop, nearly being killed by a semi trailer whose driver was drunk and a old woman falling flat on her back holding a baby as the lights had changed. Enough proof! Some one needs to light a candle and de-Satan that zone asap! THE DEVONSHIRE STREET CENTRAL STATION TUNNEL A.k.a - The dreaded tunnel, the boring tunnel, bad busker tunnel, horrible mural tunnel, slippery tile tunnel. The walk seems endless once you're in. Walk in the right stream, no eye contact, spray-painted nightmares of City Rail as mural art, no air, murder in the air, no tract for footwear and over-takers. It is awful down there. We have a few suggestions for easy and fast improvements. One – hurry up and build a travelator in both directions like at the Domain Car park, it wouldn't cost much. People are TIRED before they go to work and after they come home from work. A super fast travelator would be a perfect people moving machine, in a horrible tunnel like this one. Two – improve the awful sad murals! They are not art. The council needs to organise a competitive-war-grant to improve the art down there. We're thinking a 'mural war'. In one night the artists have five hours to paint a mural (from 12am to 5am), and the winner gets unlimited Opal, Uber and free drinks at every pub in Sydney for one month — paid by Sydney City Council. Number of Instagram likes will decide the winner. GREEDY LAND GRUBBERS Greed in general is a BOGUE. So is being a scab (an example of which is when you bring weed to a party and everyone flocks to you to smoke a puff and then they all leave as soon as the joint is done! Seriously guys, soooo rude!) Anyway back to the point. Greedy land grabbers are a major BOGUE in Sydney as everyone knows. The government is greedy selling off all the TAFE campuses which are sitting on prime real estate (tut tut), destroying beautiful buildings like the Sirius in Miller's Point – and kicking out a whole community of elderly people while they're at it (but who cares about that when there's money to be had)! Not to mention Westconnex because more cars on the roads is exactly what this city needs – not. Oh sorry, we forgot that cities are for cars – not people! Property investors are greedy buying everything up and then charging impossibly high rents. Meanwhile all we can do is pray hard for, not a recession – but a depression. As our friend George always says, "I'll be happy when people are forced to sell chicken skewers on the street." Amen! As a P.S. We just want to say one word: BOOMERS. Everyone knows why, we don't need to explain it. RENDERED HOUSES While we're on the topic of incredible Brutalist masterpieces — how about all those hideous rendered properties? You know the ones we mean: those ugly, grey or beige — but mostly grey — buildings that are meant to look slick and modern but they're GREY so they just look depressing and dirty. They are everywhere we look now! Seriously, the other day we were driving around and every second house was rendered grey! And what we want to know is: who started it? Who invented this horrific look? Was it Colorbond®? We just had a look at their website and we're blaming them to start off. The second question we ask is: who the hell thought this looked good? Was it perhaps the BOOMERS? Those tasteless land-grabbing bastards! They think that rendering is going to add value to their shitty properties? Those idiots. They are totally devaluing their properties because they already look dated! Jokes on them! Actually jokes on us for still living in Sydney where we actually have to PAY them money to live in these abominations. VOGUE GOULDS BOOK ARCADE Aaah the day Gould's Book Arcade closes down and is redeveloped into a grey rendered apartment block is the day we leave Sydney for good. We've found so many incredible books here in the past, that we were worried about including it (scared other fellow book obsessives will start raiding it). But we got nothing to worry about – Gould's is not for dabblers. It is for HARDCORE scavengers only. Even we who get our nails dirty dealing in books EVERYDAY sometimes walk in thinking we're ready for the trawl, but stop short at the door like, "No way. We can't deal with this shit today." If you even think about going to Gould's you have to ask yourself this question: "Are you going to do it?" Because – as Emily's High School year book photo quote says – "If you're gonna do it, then do it. If you're not gonna do it, then don't do it." And usually you're like, "Nah I'm not gonna do it." Ok see ya! CHINATOWN FOOD COURTS Oh man, we're getting hungry just thinking about this. It's hard to even formulate the words when we're so hungry, so we'll just do this in dot points. The food is cheap The food is TASTY You can buy booze from those weird stalls that just sell drinks – nothing else. It's quick. You get your food quick. You eat quick. It's all QUICK. After that you're in Chinatown and Chinatown is fun because the bars are shitty and you can get cheap jugs (not saying where or people will start going there to ruin it). Cheers! ARTEXPRESS The annual exhibition held at the Art Gallery of N.S.W is like the baby brother of the Archibald Prize. Every year my mother would take me along to see artwork and it would BLOW MY MIND! Art Express is a total Sydney Vogue because it is aspirational! Everyone in year 12 Art wanted secretly to be chosen to show in Art Express, amiright? Coming across an old catalogue from 1997, my favorite one ever, and so many memories flooded by. Memories of Leunig, Crowded House and Brett Whiteley. Art Express is dork zone, but that's why it's so amazing. Also, the standard of painting, drawing and sculpture is so far superior to anything we've seen recently. SYDNEY FERRIES In the dire situation we are in, at least we are a city that exists on the edge of a beautiful harbor. Some of the lucky ones get to transit to their work place, on a daily basis via the peaceful ferry. The ferry is the best and only nice form of public transport that exists in this busty town. Rain is worst on buses and trains, because even on the water, more water is ok because nothing compares to traffic. And it's the same price to pay for travel as a train or bus. And sometimes when the waves are rocky and the seas are rough - you feel like you might die. Everyone needs to feel like they are going to die more than they think. LOCAL HISTORY Booooooring! You may be thinking…. but you are WRONG! Local history is incredible, we warn you of becoming an obsessed historian. Knowing your old studio at Sydney College of the Arts was once probably a lounge room for the mentally insane, or your studio at National Art school was a solitary confinement cell, you start thinking more about the past lives that inhabited the walls around you. You never really own a place. Local history can be melancholy too. Seeing old photographs of theatres past and Victorian mansions are hard to look at because they no longer exist. The worst is when a local council decides to place a plaque of a photo showing what used to be there. But! There are still gems to be found. Just look up, ignore the shops and look higher at the old buildings that no one notices anymore. Sydney does have beautiful architecture, its just hidden under all the shit. Read more Vogue/Bogue in the latest issue of Sturgeon magazine. Find out where to buy it near you at Sturgeon's website. Top image: Sturgeon.
Stop everything and find a Frenchie to flip. Instagram has finally created its own collage-creating software — yep, finally. The social media giant launched their brand new standalone app today, dubbed (rather uncatchily) Layout from Instagram. The new app lets you easily combine multiple photos into one masterpiece of a 'gram. Though it seems Instagram were a little slow off the mark with this, the Instateam have taken their time to create one genuinely great editing app. According to Instagram, one in five monthly active users are sharing images that combine multiple photos — using external apps like Framatic, Photo Collage Maker and InstaCollage and importing the photos into Instagram later. So the team decided to make their own little editor and keep things in-house. So how does it work? Super easy to use, Layout accesses your photo gallery and does most of the work for you. The Faces option shows you all the photos in your camera roll that feature people — so you can cut the crap and go straight to making hella sick selfies. Speaking of selifes, you can take countdown photobooth shots in the app, but only using the frontal camera — because YOU. Apparently 90 percent of photos in collage images shared to Instagram are of people, and 50 percent of non-collage photos on Instagram are of people. It's all about your big beautiful self-promoting faces. Once you've picked your image, you can drag and drop photos to arrange them all nice and pretty like, pinch to zoom or pull the sides of each image to tweak its size, even flip and rotate to mirror your face on your face. Like George here: Layout masterpieces can be shared directly to your Instagram or Facebook, or saved to your camera roll to access and glorious sharing later. Things are going to get freaky in your feed. Layout from Instagram is available from today for iOS devices in Apple’s App Store. It’s currently only available for iOS. Layout from Instagram will be available for Android in the coming months.
Melbourne-based artist Adnate was just a kid when his obsession with graffiti took over. "I had my first tag when I was eight years old," he says. "So, it's something I've always been into." Since then, his obsession has grown into a full-time occupation. He spends his days on the road, painting mural after mural around Australia and overseas, and has become famous for his enormous, realistic portraits, which are influenced by the great Renaissance artists, like Caravaggio. Just outside Sydney's Chinese Gardens, on Harbour and Goulburn Streets, you'll find his epic impression of Jenny Munro, who founded Redfern's Aboriginal Tent Embassy. In partnership with Sonos, we visited Adnate's colourful North Melbourne studio to find out a little more about his work. Explore the multi-room space where he finds inspiration and gets in the zone by playing his music loud and clear. GRAFFITI, STREET ART, WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE? "Once I was a teenager and started visiting friend's houses, I saw the huge amount of amazing work being done on Melbourne's train lines, especially the Hurstbridge line. I discovered people like WCA [Wild Child Artists]," he said. Ten years of feverish graffiti art followed, until Adnate reached a point where "he wasn't feeling stimulated anymore". So, he thought he'd try his hand at portraiture. As it turned out, it wasn't as far removed from graffiti as you might think. "With lettering, you try and put a lot of expression, style and subconscious emotions into what you do. It wasn't too hard to transition to portraiture because, in some ways, it's easier to put expression into a face than into letters." In 2012, he painted his first Indigenous portrait in Fitzroy. And the public reaction was a "big turning point". "I wasn't sure about it, but as soon as I painted it, it created a massive dialogue," Adnate says. "I started seeing it on the Internet, people were coming down and taking photos, and it was creating excitement and pride in Indigenous communities in Victoria. It was then I realised I'd done something really powerful." ON PAINTING INDIGENOUS CULTURE RESPECTFULLY Today, you'll find Adnate's portraits as far afield as the Frog Hollow in the East Kimberley, Singapore and New York City. Among his subjects have been Adam Goodes and the 14th Dalai Lama. "Every year, I have more incredible experiences, make stronger connections and travel to more amazing places. Half the fun of my work is getting to meet the people I paint … It has been a really powerful journey and I feel very much inspired by it." Along the way, Adnate is learning more and more about Indigenous history and culture. "You don't learn much at school, so when I started out, I didn't have much knowledge … I met a cultural advisor in Melbourne, Kimba Thompson, and she quickly and strongly told me what was right and wrong … It's important to be culturally sensitive, follow protocols and be respectful to local communities. Many people think that Indigenous culture is very similar – from Melbourne to the Top End – but it's massively different. We're talking about a distance that's as far as from Spain to Germany." THE MUSIC THAT INSPIRES HIM Right now, Adnate is in Dubbo, working on a 15-metre by 8-metre high mural. Even though he works both outdoors and indoors, he has long favoured painting in the streets, with the sun on his back and music blaring in his ears. "I can't paint without music," he says. "It puts me in the zone — in a meditative state — and helps me block out everything else. My music tastes are very eclectic. I grew up listening to all forms of electronic music and hip hop." At the moment, he's listening to Kiasmos, a minimal, experimental techno duo based in Iceland. When he's at home in his studio, music is even more important. His Sonos speakers tune themselves to the environment of his spacious studio, so whether he's painting in his garage or sitting at his desk doing admin, the sound is loud and clear. He plays his music loudly for inspiration — it's integral to his artistic work. WHEN HE'S OUTSIDE THE STUDIO Adnate's next stop is Townsville and then Tahiti. Even though he occasionally misses having "his own space", having spent just three weeks in Melbourne since June, he is living the dream. He said, "It's always been a great dream of mine, to travel and paint." And for anyone who aspires to the same, here's his advice. "Don't stop. Keep painting. Everything's worth doing – whether you're painting a chicken for a chicken shop or graffiti letters for yourself. Everything teaches you something different. Nothing's not going to benefit you, as long as you have a pencil or paint brush in your hand … Eventually, it all starts making sense, though, at the same time, it doesn't always make sense to me. I'm still learning." Get studio-level sound in your home with multi-room speakers by Sonos. You can walk from one room to another and hear the same song in perfect quality. Powered by wifi, easy to tune, controlled by the Sonos app — in two steps you're ready to go. Images: Olga Rozenbajgier.
Adulting can suck sometimes but there is one major positive: you can eat dessert for dinner and nobody can stop you. And you'll feel like the fanciest kidult on the block when you sit down to this dessert tasting menu at Bennelong. Throughout March, the stunning fine diner is offering a four-course menu featuring some of chef Peter Gilmore's best desserts. The menu includes tasting size versions of the crème caramel vs mille-feuille, the white peach bellini and, of course, Gilmore's legendary lamington — sponge cake, coconut ice cream and cherry jam slathered with chocolate ganache and served in a bed of coconut milk parfait shavings. The finale to the sweet degustation is Bennelong's signature dessert. Taking inspiration from the restaurant's famed setting within the Sydney Opera House, the pavlova consists of a rhubarb and raspberry centre covered in carefully piped double cream and meringue, and finished with shards of meringue to mimic the Opera House sails. This special menu is on offer at the restaurant's bar as part of Delicious Month Out. It'll set you back $60 per person — not bad, considering the white peach bellini and lamington are normally $28 each. The dessert tasting menu is available at the Bennelong Bar with limited bookings available, but walk-ins also welcome. [caption id="attachment_664104" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Destination NSW[/caption] Top image: Nikki To
Sydney’s top Italian restaurateurs are bringing their own brand of Euro disco to Carriageworks during Vivid Sydney's Modulations. Combining a love for music, food and the motherland, the Italo Dining and Disco Club is a collaboration between the guys from Icebergs Dining Room and Bar, Da Orazio Pizza + Porchetta, Fratelli Paradiso and 10 William St. They promise to transport you to a different time and place with an immersive dining and dance experience. “We know how to throw a great party,” says Giovanni Paradiso, co-owner and manager of 10 William St and Fratelli Paradiso. “We all have a great vibe in our restaurants, you just don’t want to leave ... we want to get people's conceptions of dining and entertainment to change. You don’t need to go to seven venues to have a good night out, you can just go to one all-rounder.” With exclusive performances from Grace Jones, Pharoah Sanders and Bill Drummond (plus a Kooky party) running concurrently with the disco at Carriageworks, you'll be able to take a holistic approach to your night and get dinner at the club, go see Grace Jones, and head back to Italo to continue to party the night away under the influence of for-real European disco legends like Beppe Loda. Which is good, considering you'll probably have consumed a fair few carbs from the Italian menu. Paradiso's partner in this project is Maurice Terzini from Icebergs and Da Orazio, whose spit-roasted pig and 48-hour pizza dough are often on our minds. Terzini grew up in Pescara on the Adriatic coast, so has a very firsthand reference point for the kind of party they want to create. “We’re doing natural wine out of barrels," says Paradiso. "You’ll be able to order it by the glass, by the half litre ... Maurice will be doing some of his Ciroc things with paired cocktails, and there will obviously be jugs of spritzers. "Food-wise it is going to be pretty much our favourites from Fratelli Paradiso, 10 William St, Icebergs Dining Room and Bar and Da Orazio.” He boasts of a festival vibe and street food set to tempt. Paradiso encourages people to bring their families along early on in the night for a great Italian dining experience. "We know there’s going to be great food and great music,” he says, cheekily adding, “and pretty much you do the rest. You bring the fun.” With the success of the similar food-culture fusion Wild Porteno at Vivid Festival last year, Italo Dining and Disco Club certainly has some big shoes to fill; however, by taking a snapshot of Italy in its disco heyday and putting their own spin on it, Paradiso is confident they will transport club-goers into a simpler time when discos were more about a combination of great food and dance in the one location. "[What’s important is to] take a bit from a great movement, the '70s and '80s, and turn it into something pretty cool and pretty modern,” he says The Italo Dining and Disco Club runs from 5pm till late on May 31 to June 2 and June 5–7. Entry is free and all ages are welcome.
If you hadn't noticed, fermentation is a bit of a thing. One of the driving forces behind the movement is the fact that fermented food and drinks can help promote good bacteria in your gut. So it's not surprising that one of the more popular workshops at Cornersmith — who dish out hearty breakfasts and hold workshops in cheesemaking, pickling and fermenting among others — is the wild soda class, where you learn to make a fermented, fizzy fruit beverage that's both delicious and good for your digestion. That's the domain of Cornersmith's head fermenter Jaimee Edwards, a veteran in teaching lucky folks how to make wild soda, and then supervising as they make their own. For those who haven't attended one of her sessions — which have fittingly taken over nature-filled houses — go DIY and follow the instructions below. WHAT ACTUALLY IS WILD SODA? A wild soda is a fizzy fruit drink with a slightly sour, yeasty taste that's derived from the fermentation process involved in making it. The flavour is richer and more complex than any fizzy fruit drink you could pick up from a store because — like sour beer or wild fermentation wines — they're a product of nature. There are no artificial ingredients added. The fermentation process is unpredictable and gives each batch a unique flavour — even if you use the same ingredients and follow the same method each time. The process of making wild soda is similar to that of making wild fermentation wine. In winemaking, the yeast overpowers the lactic acid and turns the drink into alcohol, but in wild soda the lactic acid overpowers the yeast and creates carbonated water. Winemaking is best left to the professionals, but you can easily create wild soda on your own. Here's how. GET OUT THERE AND FORAGE To make wild soda, pick some of your favourite native plants, flowers and fruit. Edwards encourages you to get out there and forage. Supermarket fruit has likely gone through numerous cleaning processes, which means the natural microflora living on it (essential to the fermentation process) has likely been washed away. The more microflora, the easier the fermentation process — and the tastier the drink. "Foraging is pretty key," says Edwards. "That way you're not dealing with stuff that's gone through excessive washing." She recommends foraging for clean leaves and bark for bacteria, and wild flowers and fruit (strawberries, lemons and blueberries) for flavour. Once you've foraged, break up your flowers, leaves and bark, pulp your fruit and place it all into a plastic bottle. "Experiment with almost anything — that's part of the fun," says Edwards. "You're going to have some failures, and you're going to have successes. The ingredients you've added are obviously going to add a strong flavour, so you have to like them." GET THE FERMENTATION GOING When starting out, Edwards says it's a good idea to use plastic bottles. The natural carbonation that results from the fermentation process could cause glass jars to crack, and the last thing you want is a kitchen filled with half-finished strawberry and lemon verbena soda. Making a carbonated soda relies on the natural yeasts and bacteria that are available on the surface of plants. These microorganisms turn sugars into lactic acid and produce CO2 to make your soda bubbly. Because there is very little sugar in the foraged material in this recipe sugar is added. Mix all ingredients in a clean jar of filtered water and cover with a clean tea towel. Stir three times a day while the soda is fermenting. This will take between two and three days. Then strain the soda from the plants and bottle. Carbonation will occur as the CO2 builds up in the bottle over a few days. Refrigerate, and when it's nice and cold, take it out of the fridge and enjoy. HOW DOES ALL THIS RELATE TO WINE? Stoneleigh use a similar process of natural fermentation to make the wild fermentation wines in their Wild Valley range. Rather than adding a yeast known to produce a certain flavour, the yeasts and bacteria that naturally present on the grapes (aka microflora), are tasked with the fermentation. By letting nature do its thing (and because of the many different types of yeast getting involved), the wine ends up with a more complicated flavour profile. That means that just like wild soda, each vintage has its own unique flavour. Follow Jamiee Edwards' adventures at @fermentingprojects. Images: Steven Woodburn.
Two professional Aussie cricketers sporting an insatiable love of coffee start their own coffee pod company. Boom. It's true, meet Tripod Coffee. Cricketers Steve Cazzulino and Ed Cowan were perpetually on the road playing state cricket, and brought along a Nespresso machine with them for much-needed cups of coffee in the morning before matches. Seeking a local, sustainable alternative to the George Clooney-fronted pod giant proved difficult, so the pair saw a glimmering niche in the coffee-obsessed Aussie market. Steve and Ed decided to create their own small company making pods filled with high-quality coffee that fit perfectly in the Nespresso machine. "On a rainy day we thought, why don't we have a crack and take on the big boys?" says Ed. "We could fill the capsules with coffee that we really enjoy drinking". With Steve and Ed touting a pretty gutsy attitude to take on the pod monopoly, they cooked up a bit of clever naming ('tri' for their three foundation coffee blends and 'pod') and Tripod Coffee was born. You'll find a lot of Central and South American and African (namely Ethiopian and Kenyan) coffees in their store because "the coffees from those areas really suit the [capsule] extraction process." After their coffee has been ethically sourced, it's given the special treatment by a local award-winning roaster, packed and shipped. During the process, all oxygen is vacuumed from the pod so when you pop it in your machine, it'll be like it was freshly ground. The best bit? The capsules are recyclable. Sustainable, local coffee — yep, that's music to our ears. Ed and Steve started the business in order to provide a green alternative to the aluminium pods of Nespresso. Ed and Steve's sense of humour comes through the product names, using of different hats for different blends and strengths — Grey Gaucho, Red Fedora, Blue Beret, Black Panama, Gold Sombrero. The reason is pretty damn simple. "When you turn the capsule upside down, they look a little bit like hats." Aside from their mainstays, like the Red Fedora which works as a great citrus-y espresso, they're keen to run special edition capsules and expand their single origin series. Yes, with Tripod Coffee, single origin Panamanian might be coming to your Nespresso machine soon. So where can you find Tripod? As well as being stocked in every single QT Hotel across Australia, Tripod Coffee is available online or Harris Farm, IGA, and independent grocers across NSW, Victoria and Tasmania. Learn more about Tripod Coffee on their website.
Ramen is not an easy dish to make. The broth alone can take a dozen hours to simmer down to flavoursome perfection and recipes are jealously guarded by ramen masters. So when a new ramen joint opens, there's always a collective intake of breath. How will it fare? Will it live up to competition? Please god, let them serve tonkotsu. This drama is also as delicious as the ramen itself which is why we’re so overwhelmingly excited by Surry Hills newest noodle bar, Salaryman which will open its doors next week. Salaryman (A+ name there, guys) is a reference to the punch-in-punch-out hordes of white collar workers that modern day Tokyo is famous for. They’re efficient in everything they do, including smashing down a bowl of ramen at a high bench noodle bar after a 16-hour workday, but somehow we doubt you’ll find anything mass-produced or impersonal here. The venue is the passion project of Stephen Seckold, executive chef of Flying Fish, and his 18 years in the industry and expertise with seafood stands him in good stead to meet our lofty ramen standards. Salaryman will serve seasonal broths, misos fermented in-house and specialty ramen with a focus on crustacea and pork. Alongside the ramen will be a fluid izakaya-style menu with small share dishes like chicken wings stuffed with sea plant butter, smoked albacore with gooseberries and takoyaki (those tasty, tasty batter balls stuffed with octopus and sauced to the hilt). Plus, Salaryman will open as BYO until the liquor licence is finalised in early December. To complete the experience, Salaryman features a cute little takeaway window for taiyaki, which sound similar to takoyaki, but are actually sweet fish-shaped cakes made from pancake or waffle batter and stuffed with custard or red bean paste. Yes, yes, a thousand times yes. Is it too early to start lining up now? Find Salaryman at 52-54 Albion Street, Surry Hills from next week.
Looking for a pet-friendly apartment? A new Melbourne high-rise will do you one better. Opening at 5 Elgar Court in Doncaster next year, GardenHill Apartments will become the first residential apartment block in the country with its own private off-leash dog park. Construction on the 11-storey building is set to begin in September, but if you and your four-legged friend are interested, you might want to get in quick. 80 percent of the 136 one- and two- bedroom apartments have already been snapped up, at a cost of between $380,000 and $745,000. The dog park will be located on the ground floor, enclosed by secure fencing, and will include seating, a drink station and a clean-up station. Development director Adelene Teh told Domain, "By offering our Gardenhill residents a designated place they can take their dogs for exercise, socialisation or even mental stimulation, we're encouraging responsible pet ownership and, hopefully, paving the way for other developers to follow suit." Teh also confirmed that the dog park had been a drawcard with purchasers. A number of apartment blocks in the United States already boast on-site dog parks — and it's easy to see why the concept would be popular with tenants. Dogs and small apartments aren't exactly natural bedfellows, which can be a real bummer for animal lovers. Sure, you could get a goldfish, but they just don't offer the same level of affection. And don't get me started on cats. Via Domain.
Tramsheds Harold Park has announced another new tasty tenant ahead of its launch date on September 22. Sir Chapel Bistro and Brewery is the latest providore to join the menu at Sydney's highly anticipated new food precinct, with restaurateur Tom Chidiac set to serve up hearty bistro-style food alongside a selection of Australian craft beers — including one brew made right there on site. Sir Chapel will join the likes of Belle's Hot Chicken, Gelato Messina and a new restaurant from the team behind Tokyo Bird in the much-hyped new food hall at the heritage-listed Rozelle Tram Depot. "We are excited to launch our new concept at Tramsheds, side by side with some of the most exciting and revolutionary food providores around," said Chidiac, who also operates The Naked Duck in Darling Quarter and Sourdough Bakery & Co. in Westfield Hornsby, among a number of other culinary ventures. "We believe that the table is where memories are made – food is there to be shared, to be enjoyed amongst friends and family," he added. "Developing the concept and menu for Sir Chapel has been a really exciting process." What exactly that menu will include is being kept under wraps for the time being, although word is pizzas and roast dinners are a strong possibility. What we do know for sure is that there'll be a strong focus on locally made craft beer. And when we say local, we mean really local, thanks to an onsite brew team producing a homemade pint in a traditional copper brew house. Team members will even be on hand to offer tailored recommendations based on a drinkers' personal palate. Visit Tramsheds Harold Park at 1 Dalgal Way, Forest Lodge from September 22. For more information head to www.tramshedsharoldpark.com.au.
Next week marks the beginning of Art Basel Hong Kong, one of the biggest art fairs in Asia. Painting, drawing, sculpture, photography, video and installation will all be on display, in an event designed to showcase the work of thousands of artists from all around the world. But the work of one man in particular appears to be in particularly good taste (geddit?). Uwe Opocensky, the German chef at the Michelin-starred Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong, has put together a menu that blurs the line between food and art. The aptly named Art Menu at the Mandarin Grill + Bar begins with an entree inspired by the most iconic artwork of Englishman Damien Hirst. The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living features a 14-foot shark suspended in a tank of formaldehyde. Opocensky's version consists of a mackerel floating in horseradish-flavoured cucumber jelly. The main course is modelled after a box of paints, with different coloured purees including mashed sweet potato, brown truffles, black garlic paste and red peppers, as well as a slice of beef covered in edible flowers. And for dessert, an ice cream filled chocolate mountain on a bed of popping candy, inspired by the mountaineering photography of Chinese artist Xu Zhen. As with many things in the world of high art, Oponcensky's elaborate dinner doesn't come cheap: $HK1888 ($AU320) a head. Pretty pricey, especially when you won't have anything to show for it at the end of the night. "What we make has a very short life span," Opocensky said to Quartz. "It is very exciting though. I cannot draw to save my life, but I can put things on a plate, and I love that we can be associated with art as a movement" Via Quartz.
