So much has changed in Melbourne over the last 10 years – particularly in the hospitality world. We’ve been through a gazillion restaurant openings and closures, the rise and fall of obscure food trends and lastly, most notoriously, an unwavering pandemic.
What has not changed however is that gleeful thrill you get when you successfully manage to nab a table at what’s now cemented as a Melbourne institution – Chin Chin (without a booking, of course). Ten years ago it was exciting. It’s still exciting.
A decade after opening, Chin Chin has safely achieved the unachievable. Chock-a-block, trendy and most importantly executes damn good food. Every time.
One only needs to walk past on any given lunchtime (even post-pandemic), glance inside and see that this diamond continues to shine and has stood the test of time. There are no empty seats or empty glasses. The loud gregarious dining hall is as inviting and igniting as ever, with white collars, tourists (if there are any these days) and families alike. Music so loud it drowns out a baby’s cry and cocktails rattling before midday – where it’s socially acceptable for your first bevy to be at noon. Hey, no arguments with that!
Food wise, it’s equally as pleasing. Start off with a classic kingfish sashimi. Ten years ago, it was one of the most memorable raw dishes the city had to offer. Tantalising deep heat, refreshing aromatics, and coconut creaminess. A decade later, understandably, the only thing that’s changed about the dish is its price tag, and certainly not its glowing reputation. All the classics – like the crispy pork and barra salad, the Ora salmon in a banana leaf – are still there, along with some freshies, like an incredible stir-fry prawn with egg noodles, and ‘hellfire chilli oil’ to match this hellfire event. You’ll leave glowing, bursting and yearning to return.
Bottom line: Some things don’t change. Let’s hope Chin Chin stays one of them.
Italian cuisine has an appealing simplicity that makes it one of the most popular cuisines in Australia. Italian immigrants introduced olive oil, pasta, pizza, cappuccinos, salad, and wine, all of which became integral parts of Australian cuisine. Italian cuisine has remained central to Australian dining, despite the influx of more international cuisines. Indeed, Spaghetti Bolognese – or Spag Bol – is the most popular family dish cooked in Australian homes – it is Australian!
So, it is not surprising that Italian restaurants are popular, and Brisbane has many outstanding venues. One of the most anticipated newcomers on the block, is Bianca.
Bianca is the new creation from Tyron Simon, Bianca Marchi, Frank Li and Ben Williamson, the team who brought us Agnes, sAme sAme and Hôntô. Located next door to sAme sAme in the bustling Calile Hotel precinct of Fortitude Valley, Bianca is a stylish yet casual Italian trattoria. The space is open and airy, bathed in peach and brown colours that give it a bright Mediterranean terracotta feel. The open preparation areas provide a great view of the kitchen team producing simple fresh dishes. It has all the hallmarks of a special occasion venue with signature crockery and glasses and excellent service, but is friendly, approachable and great value.
The menu includes a good selection of breads, including a sourdough with olive oil and balsamic, and a range of antipasti that can serve equally as shared bar snacks or as entrées. An entrée of fried sardines is generous enough to share, with fresh succulent fish coated in a crisp savoury lemon and parsley crumb.
The range of pastas may change regularly, with all the pasta made fresh in-house. Choose perhaps from paccheri pomodoro with delicate stracciatella, or lasagna with a classic pork and fennel passata, or a hearty mafalde with a rich earthy lamb ragu in a thick meaty sauce. The main courses including a huge 1Kg T-bone bistecca alla Florentina, and a generous porchetta alla Romana are best shared.
Finish with some excellent house made desserts including freshly churned gelato, tender Bombolini, creamy Tiramisu or fresh Cannoli.
There is an extensive cocktail and wine list, with both Italian and local Italian-style varieties that complement the menu perfectly, with a range a prices to suit everyone.
This is simple, fun, homey yet elegant well-crafted Italian cuisine served in a casual, friendly accessible venue that suits most occasions, and at good value prices. So if you want an affordable classic trattoria, with uncomplicated honest food, head to Bianca. Definitely worth a detour.
Last Tuesday’s budget, like most budgets, had good news and bad news. The good news includes funding for tourism and aviation, supporting domestic tourism with half-price airfares and lots more.
The Federal Government has provided a massive financial package to supercharge the economy post-COVID. Our economy seems to be doing well and, domestically at least, we can look forward to some semblance of normality.
But it comes at a cost. The bad news – our national debt will increase to its highest level. And we remain a cut-off community, with international borders likely to remain closed for sometime.
This time last year, tourism bosses were forecasting (or perhaps praying) for a return to normality by Christmas 2020. This was later reforecast to mid-2021 with Qantas expecting to resume international flights by October 2021.
However, the Federal Governments forecast for a return of international travel – both inbound and outbound – is now mid-2022, at the earliest. That is at least another twelve months away. Our borders will remain closed. Tourism will be limited to Australia, and possibly New Zealand and some Pacific islands. And the proposed “bubbles” with Singapore and Japan are now less likely to occur until sometime next year.
This is not only disappointing due to the decline in tourists but will also see a continued absence of migrant workers and students, who worked in the hospitality, tourism and farming industries, which will create labour shortages, especially in the regions.
Whilst it is predicted that we are still on track to fully vaccinate the population by the end of this year, there are growing concerns about new vaccine resistant strains of the virus. And there is debate as to whether or not, people who are vaccinated can still catch and transmit the virus.
Australia has been spared the worst of the pandemic. We are relatively free of the virus and any outbreaks are controlled quickly. But this also means that we have to maintain rigid protocols to prevent the entry and spread of the virus. Our success is also our downfall – we are now a closed island. We are reliant on an effective vaccine and the reduction of cases overseas.
The biggest issue for Australia is the fact that the pandemic is getting worse overseas. Reopening the borders depends on how the virus is contained overseas. Yet much of the rest of the world is still in the grips of the pandemic with more than 800 000 new cases being recorded EVERY day (at 30 April 2021) and 3.3 million deaths worldwide to date. And more dangerous variants are emerging. So, to allow social distancing to be relaxed here, we have to remain a closed fortress.
Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said, in his budget speech, “With respect to international borders, it’s quite a conservative, cautious assumption that international borders will gradually reopen from the middle of next year,” He hailed the border restrictions as one of the nation’s biggest weapons in the fight against COVID-19. “Early and decisive actions saved lives and livelihoods,”he said. “We closed our borders. Australia’s fate could have been so much worse.”
2022 is an assumption – not a decision. In other words – it maybe indeed be sometime after 2022 that our borders will be allowed to reopen.
So – let’s count our blessings and concentrate on what we can do. Let’s get used to and revel in the new normal. There is no need to go stir-crazy. We may be confined to an island – but it is the largest in the world. Domestic tourism and consumption IS the new norm. Embrace. Enjoy.
Guest Registrations are vital. The virus will continue to arrive on our shores to test us. And even if we are all vaccinated, it is important to control its spread. To allow us to mix socially, contact tracing is our best defence – and this is only possible with Guest registration.
Social distancing is still important. If we make social distancing a normal habit, we will be able to reduce any potential spread. Similarly, good hygiene practices should become normal – they are still important even if the virus is eliminated.
Contactless payment is now normal, cash is declining, and pre-payment will become more common.
A personal plea – now that we all use credit and debit cards for payment, let’s get rid of the card surcharges! We all know the banks charge a fee. But so does the milkman and the gas company – so just cost it in, with all the other ingredients.
Encourage local tourism. As the advertising says, we should explore our own backyard and support our local businesses. Australia is a large, wonderful and diverse country. There is something for everyone.
Businesses need to be mindful that short notice shutdowns may still occasionally occur. Pre-plan for shutdowns – and re-openings. Adjust menus and work with other local businesses and suppliers to minimise waste. Be preprepared. Find ways to pivot quickly, share supplies and limited staff.
Businesses should also adapt to reduced labour – due both to the skills shortage and costs. Scale down. Small intimate venues are the go. Contain costs and waste, with simpler, fixed price, “table d’hôte” menus. Reduce operating hours. Develop multi-uses for the space and premises. Share space with other operations.
The borders may be closed. But because of this we can socialise. We can go out with family and friends. We can visit our favourite bars and restaurants. We can have holidays. We have some of the best wines, some of the best foods, some of the best restaurants and some magical destinations. So, get out and enjoy. Explore your local regions. Go see Australia. Now is the time to support our fabulous hospitality industry. Keep calm and carry on. Australia is worth a detour.
By Jeremy Ryland
Information based on the Federal Government Budget Tuesday 12 May 2021.
Image: Karen Arnold has released this “Keep Calm And Carry On” image under Public Domain license
As the quarantine-free travel bubble launches between Australia and New Zealand with flights across the Tasman Sea, online alcohol subscription service Gin Loot is celebrating with a drop of the New Zealand gin Scapegrace.
Scapegrace is a contemporary Kiwi juice from just outside Auckland. Made in a 19th-century John Dore pot still in very small batches, the gin uses 12 botanicals (described as “nature’s wild apostles”). Scapegrace place a great emphasis on the quality of water used in production, as this gin contains the purest NZ water from the country’s Southern Alps.
The still used to make this gin was apparently found in an old shed. Thankfully, Scapegrace has given it some love, and it is back to doing what it was made for: distilling top-quality spirits.
Scapegrace flavours its gin with botanicals of juniper, coriander, nutmeg, cardamom, lemon peel, orange peel, orris, cinnamon, cassia, angelica, clove and liquorice – fairly traditional stuff. The gin takes its name from an old-fashioned word meaning “scoundrel” – which is apt, as the company’s first name was the Rogue Society Distilling Co. In 2018, this gin won Best London Dry at the International Spirits Awards, which were held in London – certainly an impressive away win!
Vamos was born from the innate desire of four friends Iliana Hernandez (Mexican), Marcela Rodriguez (Colombian), Juan Ignacio Angel (Colombian) and Thomas Norwood (Australian) with diverse backgrounds in hospitality, music, and education, to showcase the best that Latin America and Spain have to offer in terms of food, drinks, live music and fun. After six successful years in the CBD the team has found a new home in the heart of Melbourne’s Latin quarter, Brunswick Street, Fitzroy.
The Vamos menu takes guests on a trip to Latin America and Spain, with traditional Spanish dishes such as patatas bravas, Mexican favourites such as tacos and tostadas with homemade salsas, Peruvian Aji Panca dishes, and Argentinian chimichurri marinated pork ribs.
Vamos executive chef and co-owner Iliana Hernandez’s life has revolved around the kitchen. As a child, growing up in Cuernavaca, Mexico, everything happened inside the kitchen; her mum, grandma and aunts constantly cooked up a storm of traditional Mexican recipes from scratch, with a level of intricacy and attention as the matriarchs who cherish the bond between food and family.
After this rich culinary upbringing, Iliana lived in Japan for a number of years where she immersed herself in the fascinating rabbit hole that is the world of Japanese cuisine, and for two years she was the head chef of a Mexican restaurant in Tokyo. In 2003, she arrived in Melbourne where she immediately fell in love with the city’s gastronomic culture, and Melbourne’s infatuation with good food. She paired her food knowledge with the wine culture of this city and became a connoisseur of Australian wine and gin, along with her passion for Chilean, Argentinian and Spanish wines. The food at Vamos has a little piece of Iliana’s journey and experience.
To wrap up the perfect Vamos experience, the venue has live music from Wednesday to Sunday, including Brazilian Jazz, Flamenco, Latin classics, Cuban Son, and a rumba band that is sure to get everyone out of their seat and dancing.
Spanish wine tasting nights are held on Wednesdays, where delicious wines are paired with the best of Vamos dishes, and acclaimed Brazilian singer Dany Maia and her band entertain audiences every Thursday evening.
For the Vamos team, providing a journey through Latin America and Spain has always been at the forefront. These cultures are seen throughout the food, drinks, music and entertainment.
Looking for a private dining space for an EOFY party, or a gathering with family and friends? Here are some private dining spaces for group bookings.
Silks Renowned Chinese restaurant Silks plays host to a beautifully presented private dining tent (pictured above), with dedicated personal service.
The impressive Mongolian tent is the centrepiece of the restaurant’s private dining spaces, offering an intimate and unforgettable private dining experience for up to 12 people.
There are also four other impeccable private dining rooms available that can accommodate parties of a minimum of six to a maximum of 12 guests in Silks signature Chinese grandeur. Each room features Chinese-inspired tapestry and walls adorned with richly detailed wood carvings, as well as stunning views of the Yarra River.
Koko With four dedicated teppanyaki rooms, Koko at Crown Melbourne presents a range of dining possibilities to suit any occasion.
Two of the teppanyaki rooms at Koko seat a maximum of 8 guests, with the remaining 2 private dining rooms catering for 6 and 12 guests respectively for the ultimate teppanyaki experience.
Bistro Guillaume Renowned French restaurant, Bistro Guillaume offers a range of stunning spaces for group bookings. Their selection of private dining rooms affords guests to choose from an array of two- and three-course menus, a specially curated menu of share plates, and canapé packages.
What happens when four gun chefs with a raft of experience and talent from Sydney and the Hunter Valley go head-to-head after a year on the ropes?
The annual Food Fight is the signature event organised by the Hunter Culinary Association (HCA) and this year marks a triumphant return as the industry reunites after missing the 2020 edition due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
This year’s line-up promises to be as impressive as ever, with the chefs tasked with creating a standout dish to take out the prestigious title. Each chef will prepare one lunch course, which will be matched with a premium Hunter Valley wine. Guests will vote for their preferred dish at the conclusion of the lunch.
The chefs involved in the 2021 Food Fight are Mitchell Beswick (Muse Restaurant), Alex Prichard (Icebergs Dining Room and Bar), Sam Alexander (Yellow Billy Restaurant) and Andrew Wandless (Una Más – Coogee Pavilion).
HCA Chairman Gus Maher said the 11th annual Food Fight makes a welcome return to the Hunter’s culinary event calendar, and will once again be hosted by the inimitable duo Colin Fassnidge and Matt Kemp, who are long-time supporters of the Hunter Culinary Association.
“This year marks an exciting return of our beloved signature event and we are thrilled to be back in action, especially after such a difficult year for our region and the hospitality industry at-large in 2020,” Mr Maher said. “Each of these talented chefs have earned their stripes at some of the world’s most prestigious Michelin-starred and hatted restaurants, so guests will be dining at an incredibly high standard.
“The Food Fight and its signature auction raises money for a range of apprentice support and mentoring opportunities, including the Brett Graham Scholarship, which is a long term partnership between the HCA and TAFE NSW.”
The key objectives of the HCA are to provide scholarship opportunities to develop the careers of young and aspiring chefs and apprentices, and to raise the profile of the Hunter region’s rich culinary scene. The Food Fight attracts large industry support but is also open for members of the public to attend and immerse themselves in this special gastronomic experience.
Australian-born and hailing from Penrith in New South Wales, Andrew started his career at the age of 19, holding apprenticeships at restaurants within the Bayfield Hotels Group, including the historic Newport Arms Hotel in Sydney. He moved to London in 2009, where he began working as Commis Chef under Gary Rhodes at his city-based modern-British venue, Rhodes 24.
Andrew went on to work at some of London’s most feted restaurants, including Mayfair’s two Michelin-starred Hibiscus and two Michelin-starred, The Ledbury. In the same year, The Ledbury placed 14th in the prestigious World’s 50 Best Restaurants ranking.
Andrew worked at acclaimed Clapham venue The Dairy, before taking on a role as Junior Sous Chef at Fera at Claridge’s under award-winning chef Simon Rogan. Working for such outstanding culinary experts has allowed Andrew to develop his own approach to technique and flavour.
Andrew joined Texture in 2014, as Head Chef and worked closely with owner and Chef Patron Aggi Sverrisson to lead a team, manage service, maintain Michelin-starred standards and develop exciting new dishes that celebrate both flavour and texture.
After returning to Australia, he moved to Adelaide, then joined Merivale for the Head Chef role at Una Más, one of the latest additions to the middle floor of Coogee Pavilion.
Mitchell Beswick – Muse Restaurant
Mitchell started his career at the age of 15 at a family-owned Spanish restaurant, Pimento, in Sydney’s Paddington. There he learnt the basics of food preparation and kitchen etiquette. Keen to learn more, he moved on to Nick’s Seafood restaurant in Darling Harbour, where he spent three years learning about the preparation of fresh seafood in a very fast paced, highly demanding kitchen, doing 600 covers a service.
Travelling to Far North Queensland at Salsa Bar and Grill Port Douglas, his eyes were opened to a wide range of culinary flavours and from-scratch cooking.
From there he headed back to Sydney to work at the two-hatted Longrain Restaurant, which honed his skills on the balance of Thai flavours and precision knife work. Moving on to work at Ravesis Bondi, and then running a small café and restaurant in Berowra.
Mitchell worked at Qualia Resort on Hamilton Island, before relocating to the Hunter Valley, and held the role of Sous Chef of the two-hatted Rock Restaurant in Pokolbin. He then took a role as Head Chef of Leaves and Fishes and Black Creek Farm for three years. Fast forward to 2021 and Mitchell has been Head Chef of the award-winning two-hatted Muse Restaurant in the Hunter Valley for the past six years.
Alex Prichard – Icebergs Dining Room & Bar
At the young age of 15, he left his hometown of Kurrajong, NSW to begin his apprenticeship and work with some of the best chefs in the world. He is a lover of native produce and celebrates small growers and producers honing on in the importance of origin. Alex is currently Head Chef of the iconic Icebergs Dining Room & Bar.
Sam Alexander – Yellow Billy Restaurant
After starting locally at Nightingale Wines in his hometown of Broke and progressing to The Golden Door Health Retreat in the Hunter Valley, Sam notched up time at two hatted Fins of Byron Bay with seafood legend Steve Snow. Heading back to the Hunter, Sam worked under Robert Molines at Bistro Molines.
A move to Sydney saw him work with Robert Marchetti within the Icebergs Group and finally with the late Jeremy Strode of Bistrode CBD (Merivale Group). After moving to Newcastle, he found his niche at Reserve, cooking bistro classics on the char-grill with his inimitable Mediterranean influences.
The lure of the open fire was too hard to resist and in 2018 he opened his first restaurant Yellow Billy in the Hunter Valley with great friend and wine guru, Patrick Hester. Focusing on the nose-to-tail and kitchen garden philosophy, Sam is able to source the best local produce in the Hunter region using farmers and growers to complement the restaurant-grown produce. The signature style employs an open fire pit to cook whole animals ensuring no wastage while dishes pay homage to his Middle Eastern and Mediterranean background.
HUNTER CULINARY ASSOCIATION
Established in 2006, the Hunter Culinary Association is a not-for-profit association guided by a group of industry professionals who volunteer their time to support and promote the region and give back to the industry they are so passionate about.
As a region, the Hunter is a culinary destination offering diverse and abundant dining experiences ranging from quality cafes to two-hatted restaurants, which proudly showcase passionate and talented industry professionals, regionally sourced produce and award-winning wines from some of its highly regarded wineries.
The Hunter Culinary Association continues to grow and establish new opportunities for its members, fostering the region’s talent through initiatives including the Brett Graham Scholarship, the First Creek Front of House Scholarship, the Hunter Culinary Association Apprentice Scholarship, the Encouragement Awards, Front of House Workshops and produce tours.
It works together with key stakeholders to guide and empower the young talent of the region and assist them in developing their culinary skills through mentoring and guidance.
Freshwater’s Harbord Hotel is bringing live music and comedy to the Northern Beaches this May.
Great Gable LIVE – Sunday, 23 May Harbord Hotel is stoked to bring Perth’sGreat Gableto the Northern Beaches after selling out their only other Sydney show. Great Gable will be supported by Triple J Unearthed High winner, Aodhan. Tickets are $40 and can be purchased here.
From meeting on the cricket pitch to recording their debut album with the help of Matt Corby, Great Gable are not a band to do things in the standard way. The band will be playing songs from their album, Tracing Faces, produced by Alex Henriksson & Matt Corby.
Image Credit: Liam Fawell
Never ones to worry about industry hype, Alex Whiteman (vocals), Matt Preen (guitar), Callum Guy (drums) and Christopher Bye (bass) have spent the past few years focused on one thing only – getting their music heard by their fans. With very little radio or media attention, the band have quietly been selling out multiple national and international tours and amassing millions of online streams for their music, building themselves a die-hard fan base that has stuck with them every step of the way.
Fresh Comedy by the Comedy Store – Wednesday, 26 May Experience the finest local and international comedic talent LIVE on stage at Harbord Hotel. Presented by the Comedy Store, Australia’s premier stand-up comedy club since 1981, guests can expect lots of laughs, cold beers, and great company. Tickets are $25 and can be purchased here.
Prahran Market Discovery Trail launches 22nd May. Prahran Market is re-launching its tour program with the Prahran Market Discovery Trail. The insightful tour will give Melburnians and visitors an opportunity to learn about the history of the market, the traders and their produce and the sustainability programs, all while enjoying tastings.
The Prahran Market Discovery Trail will take place on the third Saturday of each month from 9.45am–11am, kicking off on 22nd May.
The tour will begin with a coffee before participants are taken around the aisles and introduced to traders, where they will get to sample some of the delicious fresh produce. There will be some behind the scenes aspects of the tour, including seeing the Market’s extensive recycling programs.
All guests will also go home with their own Prahran Market bag, so the tour is great value at $25. There is a maximum of eight participants on each tour (minimum of four participants).
What: Prahran Market Discovery Trail – Prahran Market Tour Why: To give people the opportunity to learn more about Prahran Market, its history, traders, produce and sustainability programs – all while enjoying delicious samples Where: Prahran Market, 163 Commercial Road, South Yarra When: Third Saturday of each month at 9.45am–11am. First tour 22nd May Cost: $25 – includes a coffee, Prahran Market bag and tastings
Mid-June 2021, acclaimed chef-owner Jessi Singh will open his “unauthentic Indian” restaurant Daughter in Law on Fletcher Street, Byron Bay. 100% of all proceeds from the opening night will go to a three-pronged initiative close to his heart, which directly supports Indian people through COVID.
This is not your typical Indian joint. Singh has been mastering the art of what he calls ‘unauthentic Indian’ food for many years now, and will be blending the flavours he grew up on with local Northern Rivers ingredients and new cooking techniques.
“I like working with what surrounds me. Yes, I’m Indian, but I live in Australia and I’m also Australian,” he says.
The menu at Daughter in Law Byron will be more coastal style “unauthentic Indian” and it’s important to note that this is going to be a very different Indian restaurant that’s ambitious and playful, and encapsulates the Byron Bay lifestyle with an emphasis on seafood, vegan and gluten-free fare.
Singh describes his food as “unauthentic” because, in his view, “there is no such thing as authentic Indian food. There are no recipes, and everything is passed on through the generations in the kitchen verbally. Daughter in Law represents my travel journey throughout the world, so it’s global food with an Indian twist; these recipes will be passed on to my children”.
Singh is already building relationships with local brands (food, drink, producers) and intends to visit the famous Byron Bay farmers market weekly to harness the exceptional produce available in the Northern Rivers.
Celebrated sommelier Bhatia Dheeraj will be overseeing the extensive wine list, which includes local producers alongside interstate and overseas drops. All beverages, including a line-up of beers and ciders, can be found in self-serve fridges. For cocktails, there’s an Indian spiced sangria – a mixture of red wine, sweet vermouth, and orange – as well as the Daughter in Law, which is made with Byron’s favourite Brookie’s gin, a tandoori-fired pineapple and cardamom lime.
The 65-seat restaurant will have a vibrant atmosphere with daily DJs spinning 80s and 90s tunes to get the party started, while projected scenes from famous Bollywood films will flicker on the walls. Green and blue velvet seating, handmade glasses with rainbow peacocks, gold touches (a colour that traditionally symbolises wealth and prosperity in India) and a pink neon sign will add to the buzzing space.
“We don’t take things seriously, but we’re very serious hospitality people. That’s the goal; to be fun and relaxed, not to be stuffy,” says Singh.
Daughter In Law Byron Bay 22 Fletcher Street, Byron Bay NSW 2481 Open 7 nights, 5pm–late www.daughterinlaw.com.au @dil_byron
For one day only – on Sunday 16 May – Shane Delia will be on the pans at Nour for a seven-course brunch created alongside Executive Chef Paul Farag. The one-off menu pays homage to both chefs’ Middle Eastern heritage, featuring dishes such as whipped cod roe bun, baharat-spiced beef crackling, duck and pine mushroom manoush and a strawberry and arak ice to finish. Food isn’t the only thing on the menu though, with entertainment from rising star Ellis Hall, who will be playing from 12pm–3pm.
Nour × Maha Brunch with Shane Delia | $79pp Shane Delia brings his Melbourne restaurant Maha to Sydney, in collaboration with Nour’s Executive Chef Paul Farag, on Sunday, 16 May. The event is the first of the pair’s chef exchange, which will be followed by Paul bringing Nour to Melbourne on Tuesday, 25 May.
~ Sharing Menu ~ Whipped cod roe-filled borek bun, dill, Yarra Valley salmon caviar Carrot and caraway warqa, honey and toasted spices Baharat-spiced beef crackling, ricotta, wagyu basturma, shanklish Duck and pine mushroom manoush Sumac-cured trout, green ful medames Moreton Bay bug, Arab XO scrambled egg Strawberry and arak ice, yoghurt curd, sesame barazek
Nour Does Truffle Executive Chef Paul Farag has prepped a selection of special truffle dishes to welcome the forthcoming truffle season. Available across the month of May, classic Middle Eastern dishes have been infused with the decadent truffle in a variety of ways to create four unique dishes: foie gras truffle shawarma, a fried potato skewer with truffle and caramelised kishk sauce, a lamb kabsa rice and dessert of “halawet el jibn”.
The truffle dishes can be ordered individually or in addition to Nour’s current à la carte menu, available each day until sold out. Sommelier Eleonore Wulf has worked alongside Paul to curate a matching selection of wines for each dish, all of which are available by the glass.
Camberwell café born in lockdown brings a new concept to the scene by mixing plant-based alternatives and puppy-friendly atmosphere.
Set on the junction where Glen Iris and Camberwell Roads intersect, the 50-seat cafe comes from hospitality professionals Prince Dib and Rachael Schinck. Rachael’s interest in animal law was the catalyst for The Old Garage’s pet-friendly and vegan menu. Aside from dog bowls that protrude from picket fences and ample outdoor seating, profits from every puppy chino sold go towards supporting no-kill animal shelters and sanctuaries like Loki’s Lodge in Derrinal, Victoria.
On the first Saturday of March, The Old Garage celebrated their 1st birthday as they opened in the midst of lockdown; this was the cafe’s first real celebration with the community. To kick things off, Prince cooked up a vegan sausage sizzle using sausages from The Kynd Butcher. The Camberwell café is all about collaborating with like-minded businesses that have the same values as The Old Garage and they raised more than $1K for New Life For Animal Rehoming Center at the party.
Following a fire on the site, which was formerly a video store, the 1950s petrol station has been given a new lease on life. Now, the space has an industrial but welcoming feel thanks to careful restorations that are a nod to the building’s past. Much of the brick and timberwork was restored to its original condition using materials like recycled timber and black steel. Rays of light shine in through the handmade steel window frames, which take up an entire wall and afford diners sitting at the bar seats an outlook of the front courtyard. It’s the prime spot for brunchers and their four-legged besties who can sit beneath yellow-and-white-striped Spanish Marbella umbrellas surrounded by plants and a charming white picket fence. Inside is characterised by custom copper lighting, lofty ceilings, recycled wooden furniture, exposed beams and concrete floors.
Genovese coffee at The Old Garage comes from a custom Sanremo cafe racer machine and locals on the go will appreciate the quick-service coffee window. As for produce, it’s sourced from local markets and ties in with the ethical ethos of The Old Garage. Dib has designed a modular menu, where those who are curious about eating more plant-based foods or who have dietary requirements can easily replace animal products. There are also plenty of gluten-free options.
“We want to provide the same kind of meals that people would have every single day, but a plant-based version, showing them they don’t have to change anything in order to be vegan,” says Schinck. “We can still eat what we want to eat, but if we can live happy and healthy without harming animals, then why wouldn’t we?”
Charcoal Fish 670 New South Head Road, Rose Bay NSW 2029 is due to open in late June 2021
We are both thrilled to announce that we will be opening a new business in Rose Bay called Charcoal Fish.
I have been hugely inspired by the charcoal chicken shop model. So many Australian families, ours included, on a near-weekly basis enjoy the convenience of a healthy meal of grilled chicken and salad. And yet, this same simple luxury does not extend to fish.
Our mission is to make restaurant-quality, charcoal-grilled Australian fish accessible to everyone. We have taken away all the hesitancy associated with a fish meal – fishy smells and pin bones are a thing of the past. There has never been a simpler way to get fish on your dinner table (or beach towel).
The menu will feature Aquna Murray Cod from Griffith, NSW – chosen for its performance as a sweet, white-flesh fish that grills well and its stability for the journey home with the flesh remaining juicy and skin keeping crisp. The Murray Cod also provides for an innovative use of all its parts (92%) in line with our waste-minimisation practice.
We have always championed diversity in the fish we use, but Charcoal Fish is about being dynamic and diverse with one fish.
Gravy will be made from the Murray Cod heads, frames & fins. The gravy will be spooned over floury baps filled with picked rotisserie cod fillet. The offal from the fish will be removed and allocated to the team at Saint Peter and Fish Butchery, where we will continue to make our charcuterie selection for retail and restaurant. The collars will be grilled over charcoal and served up with a fermented tamarind hot sauce and the fat from the fish will be rendered and added to our Murray cod fat caramel ice cream.
On the rotisserie, we will have whole Murray cod (with stuffing) spinning over charcoal and cooking until crackled to perfection. This will provide us with picked BONELESS fillet for our Rotisserie Cod & Gravy Rolls and our Salad of Rotisserie Cod, Skin, Butter Lettuce, Avocado & Charcoal Tomatoes.
Finally, the show-stopping, big-ticket item on the menu will be the square of butterflied, BONELESS Murray Cod – available as a Whole fillet, Half, Quarter or Single and grilled over our wonderful charcoal grill. This fish will be perfect for families big and small and a fantastic easy option on any night of the week paired with a salad.
Salads and charcoal-grilled vegetables will be an ever-changing array of options to ensure the offering is hyper-seasonal and relevant to the venue and its location.
Fish always carries a high level of expectation due to its price point. The generation before me grew up in an era where fish had always been relatively cheap and lesser celebrated. Often thoughtlessly captured or processed fish, i.e. tap washing, trawling etc., were dredged in batter and fried for the lowest price. Unfortunately, the damage this has done to perception when purchasing fish takeaway is not to spend more than $12 a portion.
We are setting out to elevate the standards of fish and how we cook, prepare and store our fish, but we are also trying to create a fish shop that the next generation can walk into with their families. A fish shop where the meal exceeds all expectations while remaining accessible. Our guests will see the provenance, science, love and attention that has gone into creating their meal.
Charcoal Fish is to be enjoyed every night of the week, not just Fish & Chip Friday.
Can you recall the first restaurant you went to? Probably with the family. Maybe for a special occasion … a birthday or taking Grandma out? Can you recall the dishes and the aromas?
The first restaurant I remember as a kid, was the Lyons Corner House in Cheltenham in the UK. I guess I was about 6 or 7. I recall the smell of freshly baked fruit buns. And coffee.
My parents ate out quite a lot. I remember going out for “Chicken in a Basket” – very fancy back in the ‘60s! We travelled through Europe regularly and I also look back on a meal in Provence in France, in a fancy restaurant, sitting under the vines with crickets in cages chirping away.
Another distinct memory was a time we were in the picturesque courtyard of a Tuscan villa, surrounded by olive trees, during a fierce storm, huddled under a leaking market umbrella. The food was sensational – Taglierini al Tartufo – a small basket made of baked bread dough, filled with perfectly cooked pasta tossed in a little butter and served with a generous amount of white truffle. The flavour was earthy yet ethereal, the butter bringing out the flavour of the fresh truffles.
The human senses of taste and smell can transport us back in time. Through food, you can hear the laughter and squabbling as a child. You can see places in your mind that you have not been to for some time. Food plays a powerful role in our memories. The taste, smell, and texture of food can be extraordinarily evocative, bringing back memories – not just of eating food itself but also of place and setting.
Nostalgic smells, especially those associated with childhood can take us back as smell and emotion are linked. Your mother’s perfume, grandma’s apple pie, dad’s whisky, even the cat’s fish can trigger feelings. Smell can recall emotions and memories, and often the recall of a smell is stronger than the visual memory – we “smell the memory first”!
And with the COVID pandemic restricting travel, we long for some of those good times from the past. In times of stress and uncertainty, we seek comfort foods and traditional, old-fashioned dishes. “Comfort foods” are foods that make us feel safe, warm and protected. They are simple, uncomplicated meals that relieve stress and remind us of our childhood or time spent with parents, grandparents and other special people. Their flavours bring back memories and emotions of good times past. In recent years, our palates have become more international and discerning so that some simple foods have been lost in time. But “memory” foods transcend time and deserve to be revisited.
What smells bring back memories for you? And what restaurants do you look back at fondly?
Melbourne Good Food Month presented by Citi, supported by the City of Melbourne and Victorian Government, will safely return to Melbourne this June, celebrating the very best of the capital city for the eighth sensational year. Tickets are on sale only at goodfoodmonth.com.
This year’s programme celebrates culinary collaborations between homegrown industry talent from different corners of the country as Neil Perry takes over Flower Drum; Alanna Sapwell brings her travelling restaurant, Esmay, to life at Bar Liberty; a talented line-up of young chefs unite, hand-picked and led by the punk rock queen of veg herself, Shannon Martinez, and Culinary Consultant Ian Curley, for a lunch at Lona Misa; and Andrew McConnell’s Cumulus Inc. hosts Cho Cho San for one night only, before the legendary Cumulus Inc. team joins forces with Good Weekend and Good Food to bring The Good Weekend Quiz: Food Edition to Melbourne for the first time at Chapter House.
Venessa Cowell, Head of Nine Food Events said, “More than ever before, the importance of supporting the Melbourne hospitality and dining industry is at the front and centre of our minds. This year, not just throughout the month of June, but at every opportunity, in any way you can, together let’s throw our support behind the venues that we love and those we take for granted as being part of the fabric of Melbourne”.
Presenting Partner Citi is offering their customers a 20% discount on feature event tickets when customers pay with a Citi card. T&Cs apply.
Samantha Elliott, Head of Digital Sales and Marketing at Citi said: “Citi customers love to dine out, and with travel being difficult at the moment it’s the perfect excuse to explore the culinary adventures available in your local city. Good Food Month will provide the perfect reason to try that new restaurant or head to one of the excellent events we have on offer, including the Young Chefs Dinner presented by Citi which spotlights new industry talent”.
City Activation portfolio lead, Councillor Roshena Campbell, said Melbourne is undoubtedly the foodie capital of Australia and there is no better time to support the city’s world-class dining.
“Sponsored through our City Reactivation Event Grants, Good Food Month will be helping to revitalize our hospitality and entertainment sectors by bringing more people back to the city,” Cr Campbell said.
WIN an exclusive VIP experience, courtesy of Major Partner, Celebrity Cruises. For the first time in Melbourne, Celebrity Cruises will be upgrading four lucky Good Food Month ticket holders to a taste of VIP luxury at one of the Good Food Month feature events! Guests can expect a surprise and delight experience with an upgraded table, unrivalled service, exclusive food and beverage inclusions and chef experiences, and much more.
As a proud partner of Melbourne Good Food Month this year, Celebrity Cruises will be sharing what sets the luxurious Celebrity experience apart from the rest, making them the most revered culinary offering at sea. From Michelin-star chef menus, inspired by, and locally sourced from, the amazing regions they visit, to the most awarded wine list at sea – served by the largest on board sommelier team in the world – and the values of diversity, inclusion, sustainability, and outstanding service that underpin it all. Get ready to challenge your perceptions of a cruise holiday, as Celebrity Cruises pushes boundaries to a new tantalising level.
Heaps Normal is proud to be served at all Melbourne Good Food Month feature events this year. Heaps Normal brews real beer without the hangover. Whether you’re cutting back or sober, cheers to making it heaps normal to enjoy a great tasting beer.
Flower Drum × Neil Perry | Flower Drum | 6pm, 6:30pm & 7pm; Tuesday, 1 June | $220 Good Food Month couldn’t think of a better way to kick off Melbourne Good Food Month than with Flower Drum × Neil Perry. We wanted to go big – so we asked the country’s most hatted chef (149 at last count), Neil Perry, to collaborate with Melbourne’s culinary institution Flower Drum for something truly exclusive. Neil has curated a one-off special menu filled with his favourite Flower Drum dishes – some of which are on the menu and some of which are the secret off-menu dishes made especially for Neil when he visits. Tickets include multiple courses plus a Q&A with the chefs. BUY TICKETS HERE
Esmay Pop-up with Bar Liberty | Bar Liberty | 5:30pm, 6pm, 8pm & 8:30pm; Tuesday, 15 June | $140 Good things happen when you pair Alanna Sapwell’s travelling restaurant, Esmay, with Melbourne’s hatted wine and dine masterpiece, Bar Liberty. Both have a focus on seasonal produce, and both live on that axis where creativity meets comfort.
Alanna’s touring Esmay around the country with Good Food Month, with all events in Brisbane, Canberra & Perth selling out in a flash, so we recommend snapping up tickets early as tickets are limited to this Melbourne Good Food Month event. BUY TICKETS HERE – FIRST SITTING BUY TICKETS HERE – SECOND SITTING
Young Chefs Lunch presented by Citi at Lona Misa | Lona Misa | 12:30pm; Sunday, 20 June | $150 Viva la veg! A rebellious renaissance from root to stem is about to take place as we present the Young Chefs Lunch presented by Citi at Lona Misa. This event gives cooking’s wild young talent the chance to take centre stage and shine, and also officially launches the latest restaurant by creative culinary partners; the punk rock queen of veg, Shannon Martinez (Smith & Daughters, Smith & Daughters Deli) and her very own mentor, industry heavyweight, Ian Curley (French Saloon, Kirk’s Wine Bar).
Promoting and nurturing young talent is a Good Food Month legacy and we proudly shine a light on the crème-de-la-crème of Melbourne’s rising stars. This year’s hot young talent will design a four-course menu, under the mentorship of Shannon and Ian. BUY TICKETS HERE
The Good Weekend Quiz: Food Edition | Chapter House | 6:30pm; Sunday, 27 June | $140 Good Weekend’s The Quiz trivia masters have teamed up with Good Food’s restaurant critics to present The Good Weekend Quiz: Food Edition.
This is a night designed to test your knowledge of food, drinks and Australia’s dining history, have a laugh and enjoy some delicious food along the way. There will be multiple rounds plus bonus what/who-am-I questions, as well as a taste-test competition. The winning table will walk away with an array of prizes as well as bragging rights at every dinner party for the rest of the year. And it wouldn’t be a Good Food Month event without a very special menu – Andrew McConnell’s iconic Cumulus Inc. team will be fuelling guests’ brain power with multiple courses, wine and beer. All questions at The Quiz will be food-themed, so put your money where your mouth is.
The Quiz will be hosted by Good Food Restaurant Critic-come-Trivia Master, Callan Boys, and Good Weekend Magazine Editor, Katrina Strickland. BUY TICKETS HERE
Image Credit: Nikki To
Cho Cho San at Cumulus Inc. | Cumulus Inc. | Multiple sittings from 6pm; Thursday, 24 June | $90 Join Good Food Month at Andrew McConnell’s hatted Cumulus Inc. as they host Cho Cho San for one night only. Celebrate the dynamic flavours of the hatted Sydney izakaya in the convivial surrounds of Cumulus Inc.’s upstairs dining room for a multi-course mod-Japanese-inspired menu. BUY TICKETS HERE
Friends of Good Food Month Events Regional and metro venues running small capacity events will be supported more than ever this year as part of the umbrella program of events, Friends of Good Food Month, which is an epic series of bespoke dining experiences, as curated by the industry.
Events taking place w/c 31 May
Mister Bianco | Sicilian Beachside Dining | 7pm–10pm; 1 June | $150 Pull up a seat and feel the sand at your feet (literally) as special guest chef Lorena Corso from Napier Quarter, along with Joe Vargetto, owner and chef at Mister Bianco, share a special degustation menu highlighting well known produce and wines from Sicily. Tickets include six courses with wine.
Frederic | Mornington Peninsula Dinner | 6:30pm–10pm; 1 June | $160 Celebrate Good Food Month with an evening dedicated to the Mornington Peninsula. Enjoy a six-course meal with matched wines highlighting local producers and cuisine from the Mornington Peninsula area.
Dessous | Joel Baylon & Dan Sawansak | 6pm–9pm; 2 June | $110 Ex-Shobosho chef Joel Baylon is set to return to Melbourne from Adelaide, and his first move is to team up with friend Dan Sawansak of Dessous for a night of Asian-leaning dishes delivered with original spin. To welcome Joel home as he gets ready to open One Trick Pony in Fitzroy North, Dan will be sharing the kitchen at Dessous with his old friend as they play around with XO sauce, kimchi, fermented chilli and rice dishes, alongside bearnaise, anchovy, cured fish and more.
In a nod to the annual Couscous Festa held in the beautiful seaside village of San Vito Lo Capo, one of Sicily’s most popular food festivals, Mister Bianco will turn into a beachside paradise for an exclusive lunch event. Feel the sand under your toes and enjoy the tastes of traditionally prepared couscous dishes that feature across a four-course menu.
Events taking place w/c 7 June
Gingerboy | A Trip to Asia | 5:30pm–11pm; 8 June | $130 Pack your bags, because Gingerboy is taking you on a trip across Asia! Experience mouth-watering dishes inspired by various Asian countries from the Philippines to Korea, Indonesia and Bali, ending with a delectable dessert from Vietnam.
Hazel | The Agrarian Kitchen Eatery | 6pm–9pm; 8 June | $140 Don’t miss a rare chance to see three young leaders of Australia’s school of DIY and zero-waste cooking as they team up for a special dinner. Stephen Peak of The Agrarian Kitchen will join chefs Brianna Smith and Oliver Edwards of Hazel to offer a thoughtful DIY approach to cooking that’s rarely seen at a large CBD restaurant. Every course will involve multiple dishes that highlight produce, process and a passion for time-honoured skills.
Hogget Kitchen | Taste of West Gippsland | 6pm–10pm; 12 June | $180 Showcasing the best produce, ingredients and wines that West Gippsland has to offer, immerse yourself in the stunning views surrounding the restaurant at Hogget Kitchen, while watching the open kitchen prepare your menu for the evening. Each menu item will be paired with wines from local winemakers working the vineyard at Wild Dog Estate.
Events taking place w/c 14 June
Kisumé | Chablis Wine Dinner | 7pm–10pm; 15 June | $350 Indulge in a five-course menu that pays homage to the crispness and minerality of Chablis wines, paired perfectly with Kisumé’s seasonal produce. Embrace the experience with wines such as 2018 Domaine Piuze, Terroir Magnum and 2018 Domaine Long-Depaquit Chablis Grand Cru ‘Les Blanchots’, paired perfectly with Red Emperor with bamboo, smoked soy and marron with chazuke, sea urchin and more.
Rosetta Ristorante | Red Wines & Winter Braises: The Mid-Winter Feast | 6:30pm–9:30pm; 16 June | $199 Enjoy the comfort of warming winter braises, stews and slow-poached dishes from different regions of Italy, with bold reds and other beverages at Rosetta’s exclusive four-course, mid-winter feast.
Matilda | A Story of Provenance: The Butcher, the Providore & the Chef | 7pm–10pm; 16 June | $125 Join Matilda Head Chef, Aleksis Kalnins, long-standing supplier and providore, Mark Foletta and Scott Pickett Group’s in-house butcher for a four-course collaborative dinner celebrating the butcher, the providore and the chef. The exclusive event menu will take you on a journey of provenance from farm to table.
Entrecôte | Chasseur & Amis | 7pm–10pm; 16 & 17 June | $249.90 This special event is a celebration of the relationship between Entrecôte’s Mr Jones and his favourite French restaurant in Melbourne. Nick Stock, one of Australia’s most respected wine critics, will play a hosting role at this dinner that will showcase wines exclusively imported by France-Soir. These delicious drops will be matched with a divine winter menu by Entrecôte chef Tim Menger, in what is sure to be a night of pure enjoyment.
Saké Restaurant & Bar Hamer Hall | Nose-to-Tail Bluefin Tuna Experience | 6pm–9pm; 17 June | $169 Watch Saké’s Japanese chefs break down a whole sustainable bluefin tuna, as guests enjoy an exclusive five-course menu that showcases a variety of cuts of meat, traditional cooking methods, as well as Saké’s signature super-fusion stamp.
Spice Temple | Spice Solstice Feast | 6pm–9pm; 17 June | $149 Spice Temple is dedicating a delicious multi-course menu to the Winter Solstice, or Dōngzhì Festival, including the creation of special dishes, each with the warming fragrances of classic spices and paired with beautiful beverages.
Chancery Lane | Women in Wine with Winemaker Mel Chester | 6pm–10pm; 17 June | $175 Join the team at Chancery Lane as they celebrate female winemakers this Good Food Month. Chancery Lane’s Sommelier, Hannah Day, partners with local winemaker Mel Chester of Sutton Grange for a three-course dinner, emceed by influential wine writer Jeni Port. Don’t miss this chance to taste an exclusive menu from Chancery Lane and learn more about locally grown alternative wine varieties by three ‘women in wine’ with a shared passion.
Image Credit: Thom Rigney
Farmer’s Daughters | Gippsland Truffle Degustation | 12:30pm–3:30pm; 19 June | $250pp Indulge in a fine five-course lunch celebrating Gippsland-sourced truffles, seasonal produce and premium wines at Farmer’s Daughters. Executive Chef Alejandro Saravia and Head Chef David Boyle are set to create a menu that highlights the restaurant’s philosophy of sourcing and serving seasonal ingredients from the Gippsland region, and cooking over wood and charcoal in a campfire kitchen.
Bar Carolina | A Day in Milan: A tribute to Gualtiero Marchesi | 12:30pm–4:30pm; 20 June | $265 Join the team at Bar Carolina as they transport you to the streets of Lombardy’s capital for a luxurious long lunch with matched beverages, where diners will indulge in signature Milanese dishes.
The premier event in Bar Carolina’s upcoming Uno Chef, Una Città series, ‘A Day in Milan: A tribute to Gualtiero Marchesi’ honours the legacy of the father of modern Italian cuisine, with a menu showcasing the rich culinary traditions Marchesi established in Milan at Ristorante Gualtiero Marchesi, the first Italian restaurant to receive three Michelin stars.
Events taking place w/c 21 June
Eureka 89 | Winter Solstice Game Dinner | 6.30pm–9.30pm; 21 June | $190 Eureka 89 celebrates the Winter Solstice with a special game dinner curated by award-winning Executive Chef, Renee Martillano in collaboration with Australia’s leading game specialists. The special five-course event menu will focus on the flavours of the colder months and highlight local Australian game whilst wines will be expertly matched by Eureka 89’s Sommelier.
Image Credit: Kate Shanasy
Citrico | Omakase | 7pm–10pm; 24 June | $110 Citrico will celebrate Nikkei cuisine at this special Good Food Month event, where the art, techniques, style and flavours of Japan meet Peruvian foods. Citrico’s Omakase will feature a ten-course tasting menu, inclusive of some of the finest quality seafood, fish and meats sourced by Head Chef, Dave Allison.
Poodle Bar & Bistro | Rocco’s Returns | 6pm–10pm; 22 June | $69 Rocco’s Bologna Discoteca returns to take over Poodle Bar and Bistro for one night only this Good Food Month. Think Italian home-style cooking, meatball subs and an exciting list of natural and classic Italian wines. This event will be an all-out Italian celebration with an Italian DJ who’ll hit the decks to get the festa feels flowing.
Estelle | Pickett’s Gin Launch & Exclusive Gin-Paired Dinner | 6:30pm–9pm; 24 June | $150 Scott Pickett has partnered with local distillery Anther Spirits to create a special limited-edition gin every year since 2018. This year, Pickett’s Gin will be taken to new heights with the ‘Altitude Gin’, flavoured with native botanicals all foraged above 400m. Join the team at Estelle to celebrate the launch of the new gin with a three-course menu plus snacks and matched gin cocktails.
Ten Minutes by Tractor | Making Waves | 11:45am–4pm or 6:30pm–10pm; 25 June | $190 for 6-course tasting menu or $300 with matching wines Join the team from Ten Minutes by Tractor as they explore some of Victoria’s traditional and most famous wines, up against some wonderful varieties and styles showing Victoria is also on the bleeding edge of wine innovation. Each of these exciting and iconic wines will be paired with a six-course tasting menu featuring the best produce the Mornington Peninsula has to offer.
Hemingway’s | Prosecco vs Sparkling Sake Luncheon | 1pm–4pm; 26 June | $129 Everyone loves a glass of bubbles, but do you know much about the incredible flavour profiles of Prosecco and Sparkling Sake? Join the Queens of Fizz, Prosecco Queen Melissa Brauer and Sake Specialist Melissa Mills, for a five-course luncheon at Hemingway’s Wine Room where guests will taste their way through Italy and Japan.
Longrain | Thai Street Food & Cocktail Celebration | 4pm–6pm; 27 June | $95 Longrain is opening on Sunday, 27 June for an exclusive cocktail-style Thai street food celebration where guests will enjoy canapes of Longrain favourites and exclusive street food-style dishes, cooked authentic Thai-style over hot coals and fire along with a Thai-inspired cocktail menu.
Multiple Event Dates
Kumo Izakaya & Sake Bar | Taste of Japan with Jazz | 6pm–9pm; 2 & 22 June | $149 Relax to the sounds of live jazz while enjoying a Japanese four-course dinner, featuring pescatarian delights and foraged wild mushrooms. Included is a selection of wine and sake pairings per course.
Rob Dolan Wines | The Pairing Method: Food and Wine Down to the Element | 11am–2:30pm; 5, 12 & 19 June | $160 Join Master of Wine Meg Brodtmann and hatted Chef Tyson Bertoncello to take your food pairing to the next level. After sparkling on arrival, you’ll kick off the session with a tasting by Meg, renowned as one of Australia’s top wine judges and all-round legend. Once you’re a pro at tasting wine, you’ll start exploring different ingredients, aided by Tyson of two-hat restaurant O.MY. That’s right – the king of the kitchen will take your pairings to create the perfect match for the wine right in front of your eyes.
Image Credit: Griffin Simm
David’s | Pinot with Shanghai Pork & Roast Duck | 6:30pm–9:30pm; 9, 16, 23 & 30 June | $50, or $78 with matched wines Enjoy a five-course dinner celebrating Shanghai-style duck and pork dishes including tea-smoked duck leg, braised pork belly with mini fried sweet buns. Add the special Pinot Noir package to have each dish matched with a half-glass of Pinot Noir – making this the perfect winter dining experience.
Rice Paper Scissors | Tiki Tuesdays | 6pm–10pm; Tuesdays throughout June | $45 Thought Tiki was all about plastic flowers? Think again! Experience a dining event like no other – a restaurant with no plates and edible cocktails, with a fun Tiki twist. Enjoy Rice Paper Scissors’ South-East Asian flavours, but this time with no plates or cutlery, using only your hands to enjoy the food. This event will exclusively use local and sustainable suppliers, minimising waste in every way possible, but maximising flavour and, of course, fun.
Mamasita | Taco Flight Tuesdays | 5:30pm–10pm; Tuesdays throughout June | $45, or $90 with paired wines For Good Food Month, Mamasita will be rotating a six-course taco flight every Tuesday throughout June. Guests will have the option of pairing each taco with a matched six-course agave flight (wine is also an option) prepared by Mamasita’s head Mezcalier. The matches will alternate dependent on the taco courses for that particular day.
Poodle Bar & Bistro | Good Food Month Fridays | 12pm–3pm; Fridays throughout June | $45 Poodle Bar & Bistro will be offering an express lunch throughout the month of June, in celebration of Good Food Month, featuring highlights from their delicious bistro menu. Enjoy snacks, your choice of main and a glass of wine or beer and coffee or tea for just $45 per person, with the option to add on dessert.
Vue de monde | Taste of Vue | 12:00pm–1:30pm; Fridays throughout June | $165 Vue de monde presents a Taste of Vue for Good Food Month. A thoughtfully curated five-course lunch menu designed to be enjoyed on a Friday lunch break with friends and colleagues alike. Taste of Vue will run each Friday throughout June showcasing a selection of innovative Australian-focused dishes that have become synonymous with Vue de monde.
The Grand Hotel | Italian Yum Cha | 12pm–3pm; Saturdays & Sundays throughout June | $40–$80 Head to The Grand Hotel this Good Food Month for an array of Italian classics served yum cha-style – a dining concept that is tried and tested and loved by many! Steam baskets of arancini, mini serves of ravioli and tortellini, mini pizzas and bomboloni (Italian doughnuts) are just a few of the favourites.
Ishizuka | Premium Bento Boxes with Paired Sake | Available for pick-up from 5pm Thursdays to Mondays throughout June | $450 feeds 3–4 people Take home a three-level premium bento box created with the highest grade Australian and Japanese produce including a range of Japanese delicacies in the style of osechi ryori, with paired sake. Each box is designed to share with family or friends.
Lunch Events
Bar Lourinha | Let’s Do Lunch | 11am–2pm; daily throughout June | $45 Join the team at Bar Lourinha for lunch throughout the month of June and enjoy tapas and two raciones with a glass of wine for only $45 per person. A delicious Portuguese and Spanish lunch created by Chef Matt McConnell of Bar Lourinha, the iconic restaurant and bar in its fifteenth year of service.
Estelle | Let’s Do Lunch | 12pm–3pm; Fridays throughout June | $45 Experience Good Food Month at Estelle every Friday in June for a special Let’s Do Lunch offer. Enjoy Estelle’s famous tapioca croquette snack and a pork loin main with a glass of Counterpoint wine for just $45 per person – the perfect way to end the working week.
Maha | Let’s Do Lunch | 12pm–3pm; weekdays throughout June | $45 During the month of June, experience a delectable two-course lunch at Maha with a glass of wine, plus tea and coffee for just $45 per person.
Image Credit Tim Grey
Matilda | Let’s Do Lunch | 12pm–3pm; Fridays throughout June | $45 Join the team at Matilda every Friday during June for a special Let’s Do Lunch offer for Good Food Month. Matilda will be serving house dry-aged Milla’s Farm duck with a glass of Bannockburn pinot noir for just $45 per person – the perfect way to ease into the cooler weather.
Noir | Let’s Do Lunch | 12pm–2pm; daily throughout June | $45 Noir brings ‘fruits de mer’ to Richmond this Good Food Month. Enjoy a classic lunch packed with fresh seafood and exceptional French wine with your choice of a two-course lunch or a shared seafood platter.
Rare Hare Wine & Food Store | Let’s Do Lunch – The Hare’s Share | 12pm–5pm; Weekdays throughout June | $45 Savour a selection of delicious dishes and a glass of estate wine followed by tea or coffee, while overlooking the rolling vines at Rare Hare Food & Wine Store this Good Food Month.
Rice Paper Scissors | Battle of the Bao: Suckling Pig V Tempura Eggplant | 11:30am–2:30pm; Mondays to Fridays throughout June | $45 Order the lunchtime banquet for two or more Mondays to Fridays throughout June for a free suckling pig bun or tempura eggplant bun per person. Which bun is the most popular? You decide! The winner will be announced at the end of the month.
Rockpool Bar & Grill | David Blackmore Wagyu Burger Lunch | Available daily throughout June | $20 Treat yourself to a mouth-watering David Blackmore Wagyu burger and a beer or glass of wine for just $20 per person this Good Food Month. Available in the bar only. No booking required.
Yagiz | Friday Long Lunch | 12pm–3pm; Fridays throughout June | $45 Celebrate the end of the working week with Yagiz this Good Food Month. Every Friday during the month of June, enjoy the progressive cuisine at Yagiz with a three-course Turkish lunch and a glass of Turkish wine for just $45 per person.
Melbourne mums are in for a treat this Mother’s Day, with a variety of options available to spoil Mum on her special day.
Agostino & King and Godfree Carlton’s iconic food precinct has curated special menus for both the K&G Deli and Agostino to celebrate mum.
Down in the K&G Deli, you will spoil Mum with a special three-course set menu designed to share for $55 per person. You’ll start with an array of antipasti including focaccia oregano, giardiniera, arancini and the mouth-watering K&G × Meatsmith Mortadella. Paying homage to a traditional Sunday roast, you’ll then dig into delicious chicken from the rosticceria with salsa verde; kasundi and mustard with fries and insalata mista. Finishing on a sweet note, there’ll be cannoli for dessert to round out the perfect, casual Sunday celebration with mum.
Next door at neighbourhood wine bar Agostino, go all out with a classic Italian feast for $85 per person. For starters, Mum will be treated to gnocco fritto with prosciutto and salted persimmon and fried eggplant parmigiana polpette. On to mains and she’ll enjoy veal and pork ravioli del plin, followed by snapper with salmoriglio, fries and insalata.
You’ll also score some extra brownie points in both the K&G Deli and Agostino, with a Koko Black Chocolate Box included as part of the day for Mum to take home.
Bookings can be made via kingandgodfree.com and agostinowine.com. Please note that both King and Godfree and Agostino’s à la carte menu will be unavailable on Sunday, 9 May.
INDU INDU will open especially on Mother’s Day Sunday for lunch, offering two beautiful set menus plus a kid-friendly menu for kids 12 and under. Choose from either a classic or deluxe feast and enjoy string hoppers with coconut sambol and kiri hodi; smoked goat’s leg dosa, zucchini ribbon raita, pomegranate, chilli and bacon jam and pork belly curry with crispy crackling, coconut milk and cinnamon bark. Mum will also receive a complimentary bubbly or cocktail on arrival to make her feel that extra little bit special.
Providoor Premium restaurant delivery service Providoor has all the big names on board this Mother’s Day. Choose at-home banquet menus from Supernormal, Matilda, Entrecôte and more and get everything delivered to your door before the big day.
For those looking for a more interactive experience, treat Mum to a cooking masterclass with Julia Busuttil Nishimura and Providoor founder Shane Delia on Sunday, 23 May and learn how to perfect her recipes from her wildly popular cookbooks.
Mejico Mejico Melbourne is putting on a fiesta to celebrate the special women in our lives, with special Mother’s Day lunch menus for $65 per person and $75 per person that are full of colour, flavour and, of course, love. To start, enjoy kingfish ceviche with coconut dressing, young coconut, chilli oil followed by pulled pork tacos with pickled jalapeño and onion. On to the larger dishes, Mejico’s famous pasilla chilli-spiced roasted chicken with molé negro will make an appearance, as will the watermelon salad and patatas bravas. To finish on a sweet note, indulge in mint granita with coconut ice-cream and churros.
Stalactites Greek institution Stalactites is treating mums to a traditional three-course Greek feast for only $40 per person this Mother’s Day. Start with warm pita, dips and saganaki before choosing between four mains, including oven-baked lamb with lemon, oregano, Greek olive oil with baked lemon potatoes. Finish on a sweet note with either baklava, traditional rice pudding or galaktoboureko. All bookings will include a complimentary glass of Prosecco or Nico Lazaridi Greek wine on arrival.
Free to Feed Free to Feed is celebrating all motherly figures with special Mother’s Day cooking experience packages. There are two experiences to choose from – each including two tickets for you and your loved one to cook together over a few glasses of bubbly, as well as a take-home floral arrangement to extend the celebrations a little longer.
Choose either a day or night-time class, exploring delicious Iraqi and Persian dishes. Head to freetofeed.org.au for more details.
LUCAS RestaurantsThis Mother’s Day – Sunday, May 9 – LUCAS RESTAURANTS will help you celebrate the special ladies in your life with a range of events and offerings right across the day. Chin Chin, Baby Pizza, Hawker Hall and Kisumé have done the hard work covering all bases and budgets, so all you have to do is book!
Chin Chin Chin Chin are putting their spin on brunch this year, and it’s safe to say their flavour-packed brunch offer will surpass the avo toast you had planned on dishing up for Mum. For just $55 per person, enjoy smoked trout and curried egg tartlet with salmon caviar; corn fritters with lettuce cups, chilli jam, ginger and mint; or bacon and egg noodles with wood ear mushroom and spring onion. Don’t fret if you’re not a morning person, Chin Chin is also offering Feed Me menus for lunch and dinner for $69.50 per person or $88 per person. You can add a little extra with a range of Piper Heidsieck specials including a glass of Piper Heidsieck NV for $22, or you can go all out with a bottle for $125 alongside both the Brunch and Feed Me Menus. • Chin Chin’s Mother’s Day brunch will be available from 9am–11am for $55pp at Chin Chin Melbourne and Sydney • All brunch and lunch bookings must commit to a menu • Bookings can be made via https://www.chinchinrestaurant.com.au/
Baby Pizza Want something that will blow her away this year … literally? To really pamper Mum, Baby has teamed up with the best in the business – online celebrity styling platform, SELECTED, and premium Blow Dry experience, The Blow. They’re helping you treat Mum like the queen she is with the first 100 Mother’s Day bookings receiving a $65 voucher for The Blow and a one-month subscription to SELECTED. Plus, on the day, you’ll dig into deliciousness with a choice of special menu items like the creamy mushroom bruschetta with truffle pecorino and poached eggs; baked eggs amatriciana with spicy tomato and guanciale, or Ortiz sardines with toasted focaccia and pickles. • Baby’s Mother’s Day brunch menu will be available on Sunday, 9 May from 9am–11am for $44pp • All morning bookings must commit to the brunch menu • Bookings can be made via https://www.babypizza.com.au/
Hawker Hall Hawker Hall are keeping it yummy for all mummies with banquets available from $66 per person for lunch and dinner. An exclusive Mother’s Day Feed Me Menu will include specials like salmon tartare with curry chips, pear and cucumber; braised beef short ribs with lemongrass, daikon and chilli sauce, as well as cumin pork salad with sweet and sour dressing, coriander, chilli and Thai basil. Of course, all your Hawker favourites – like mushroom dumplings, popcorn chicken and butter chicken curry – will also make an appearance. To finish on a sweet note, indulge in the pandan panna cotta with coconut ice-cream, cashew and sago gula melaka. • The Mother’s Day Feed Me Menu is available from 12pm for lunch and dinner exclusively on Sunday, 9 May for $66pp • Bookings can be made via https://www.hawkerhall.com.au/
Kisumé For those wanting to go all out, give the gift of Kisumé this Mother’s Day and enjoy the revered Chef’s Tasting Menu for $128 per person. And for those wanting to give Mum the royal treatment, Kisumé are also offering a special grilled crayfish exclusively for Mother’s Day, served with seaweed butter, sea banana, Yarra Valley salmon caviar and baby cucumber. Piper Heidsieck specials will also be available exclusively on Mother’s Day, where you can treat her to a glass of Piper Heidsieck NV for $22 or go all out with a bottle for $125. • The Chef’s Tasting Menu will be available for lunch and dinner for $128pp • Bookings can be made via https://kisume.com.au
The unveiling of Diageo’s Special Releases range is always one of the most eagerly awaited events in the whisky calendar. Diageo, by far the biggest player in Scotch whisky, own no less than 27 different whisky distilleries in Scotland. The Special Releases are an annual series where Diageo lifts the lid on its more secretive locations, and reveals the astonishing depth of its whisky reserves.
The drams are always presented at cask strength, often at great age and are strictly limited in the number of bottles available. These whiskies are regularly ranked as some of the very best you are ever going to encounter. The 2020 range continued the previous year’s theme of “Rare by Nature.”
Australia’s most lovable whisky subscription service, Whisky Loot, have got their hands on some of Diageo’s 2020 iconic Special Release juices and are doing what few thought possible – breaking the bottles so that whisky lovers of Australia have the opportunity to experience these rare drams for themselves.
Whisky Loot × Diageo 2020 Special Release Pack – Rare By Nature Explorers Edition RRP $129.00 ● Cardhu 11-Year-Old This Cardhu was aged in a mixture of former Bourbon barrels, and new and refill American oak casks, before being bottled at a warming 56%. Again, this maturation was perfect for illustrating the natural flavours of the spirit itself. The dram reveals sweet, juicy apple and pear notes, accompanied by buttered malt toast, pineapple, funky honey, bright oak and some thick vanilla custard. ● Talisker 8-Year-Old The youngest juice in the line-up, but also one of the most interesting! For this bottling, the Skye distillery’s spirit was matured in former Caribbean Pot still rum casks, a first for Talisker. Sweet and savoury, this bottling contains notes of funky molasses, full peat smoke with sea spray, dark chocolate, burnt brown sugar and peppery spice. ● Cragganmore 20-Year-Old Another well aged Speysider, from another favourite distillery. This bottling has been aged in a combination of refill, and new, freshly charred casks for two decades, and weighs in at 55.8%. The final result was a whisky rich in notes of honey, chilli, dusty oak, tinned peaches, white chocolate and vanilla.
Whisky Loot × Diageo 2020 Special Release Pack – Rare By Nature Collectors Edition RRP $499.00 ● Dalwhinnie 30-Year-Old An astonishingly well aged offering from the beloved Dalwhinnie distillery. The highest distillery in Scotland, Dalwhinnie is very cold, and their spirit cools quickly, creating a fragrant and characterful new make. This Special Release has been matured for no less than 30 years in refill Hogshead casks, producing a whisky that is wonderfully complex, whilst allowing the Highlander’s natural profile to shine through. ● Mortlach 21-Year-Old This ripper dram, aged for 21 years and finished for a time in Oloroso and Pedro Ximénez casks is presented at a generous 56.9%. The only sherried whisky in the range and includes notes of rum and raisin ice-cream, weighty malt, sweet wine, toasted nuts and some cracked black pepper. Both fruity, and a little savoury. ● Pittyvaich 30-Year-Old The rarest whisky in the line-up came from “Ghost” distillery Pittyvaich (ghost is the term Diageo use to describe spirit from closed or demolished distilleries). The whisky itself has been fully aged in first-fill Bourbon casks for its three-decade maturation, and clocks in at a respectable 50.8%. With notes of banoffee pie, dark honey, milk chocolate and drying oak, this sweet, decadent whisky is a real taste of liquid history.
Showcasing six unique expressions from the Diageo 2020 Special Releases stable, discover the Whisky Loot × Diageo 2020 Special Release Packs at whiskyloot.com.
Whisky Loot × Diageo 2020 Special Release Pack – Rare By Nature Explorers Edition RRP $129.00 Whisky Loot × Diageo 2020 Special Release Pack – Rare By Nature Collectors Edition RRP $499.00 Available 7th May 2021 @whiskyloot | www.whiskyloot.com
Stokehouse is joining forces with Melbourne’s iconic whisky distillery Starward to bring you a night of whisky and waves on Wednesday, 12 May.
An innovator in the whisky world, Starward celebrates the city it was born in and pays homage to Melbourne’s casual brilliance by focusing exclusively on flavour and creating something that is fundamentally different. They will take to St Kilda to deliver an exclusive night of premium food and speciality whisky. Stokehouse’s Executive Chef Jason Staudt has curated a seasonal three-course menu with the best local produce that will be specially paired with a menu of whisky and whisky-based cocktails curated by Stokehouse’s Lee Smith and the Starward team.
New Group Pastry Chef Ash Smith will conclude things on a sweet note – serving up a delicious Starward Whisky baba with coconut meringue, wood-fired pineapple and coconut sorbet.
Tickets are $165 per person and can be secured by calling the Stokehouse reservations team on 9525 5555 or emailing info@stokehouse.com.au with any enquiries.
Two strong chefs, two strong cuisines fused together to bring you an unforgettable experience.
Greek Chef – David Tsirekas | Italian Chef – Salvatore D’Alterio | One Space – Vizio Caffe e Cucina, Woolloomooloo.
Vizio Caffe e Cucina is taking fusion to the next level during this event, showcasing the best of both Greek and Italian cuisine, with well known chefs David Tsirekas and Salvatore D’Alterio working together from the Vizio kitchens to bring you an unforgettable evening.
On 13 May, both chefs will be cooking up a storm in this 7-course degustation, presented by Vizio’s expert staff with wine pairing on demand, in the last of a two-part series “Una Fatsa Una Ratsa”.
Celebrate with a night of great food, carefully selected wine, and expert service. With a supporting cast of Greek and Italian music, vintage movie feature, and all the old world charm you have come to expect from this beautiful restaurant to celebrate the fusion of both cultures.
Vizio Caffe e Cucina practises safe and responsible service of alcohol and food handling and is fully compliant and trained with the new COVID-19 legislation.
In more good news on Melbourne’s revival, The Grand Dining Room in Richmond will re-open on 12th May, after closing last March for the first lockdown. One of the city’s favourite dining venues, the restaurant is known for its consistent quality, modern Italian cuisine and impeccable service.
The award-winning pub dining room will celebrate its 18th birthday this year. Much remains the same, and so it should. That said, the team have made some subtle changes to this elegant space, striking a harmonious balance between modernity and grand tradition.
Maro Kobayashi, from Hiroshima, Japan, was promoted from Sous Chef to Head Chef shortly before the venue closing at the start of the pandemic. Maro brings to the Grand Dining Room kitchen a wealth of experience that includes cooking Japanese in his home country and the USA, before joining the 2 Michelin-starred Italian restaurant, Marea in New York, where he worked as sous chef. Needless to say, he is excited to be able to welcome guests to experience his modern Italian menu – the heart of which is drenched in the roots of classic Italian dishes, interpreted with the refined clarity that sets Japanese cooking apart.
The Grand Dining Room menu will feature a range of classic antipasti such as San Daniele prosciutto, beautiful salami and a stunning rendition of a Piemonte favourite – giardiniera. Primi plates are just as appetising, including Negroni-cured kingfish crudo ($21), eye fillet carpaccio, rocket & parmesan ($19) and one of Maro’s new signature dishes – tiger prawn ravioli, chilli butter & pangrattato ($27).
For mains, it’s a difficult choice with the menu including dishes such as wild boar ragu lasagna ($29), the signature roast duck, semolina gnocchi, green beans, orange & juniper sauce ($39), as well as locally sourced market fish and aged steaks of the day. To finish, dolci include bomboloni, burnt orange crème & chocolate crumble ($15) and a divine lemon tart & mascarpone cream ($16).
There is also the Chef’s Menu option where guests will receive six dishes for $65 per person – perfect for those who can’t make a choice or wish to try the chef’s favourites.
The Grand Dining Room will be offering Italian yum cha the first Sunday of each month – The Grand’s beautiful Italian food served yum cha-style. Think steamed baskets of tortellini, mini pizzas, croquettes, little lasagne, signature gnocchi, beautiful crudo, bomboloni … need we say more!
“We are delighted to have such a skilful and focused artisan to lead our team as we re-open our Dining Room,” says The Grand owner Barnie Bouchaud. “His talent and passion shines through his food and, after a very tough 2020, we are excited to once again welcome guests to our very special little dining room. We have also made some subtle changes to the decor that will excite our regulars and new guests alike.”
The Grand 333 Burnley Street, Richmond VIC 3121 03 9429 2530 Opening Hours: Lunch Fri & Sun 12–3pm; Dinner Wed to Sun from 6pm https://grandrichmond.com.au/
With high anticipation surrounding its opening CORO 88 has opened its doors in Burwood, revealing a fully redesigned customer-focused 130-seat bar and eatery with a dedicated sports positioning plus a stylishly designed 61-seat café, Nelsons By The Park.
Previously known as the Coronation Club, the established NSW registered club, located directly opposite Burwood’s beautiful landmark park and in walking distance to Westfield Burwood, CORO 88 forms part of an exciting multi-million dollar mixed-use development of the club, which closed its doors to their dedicated membership in 2018 with the promise of an engaging, elevated, yet intimate experience the club has always been renowned for and innately proud of.
Says CEO, Carolynne Williams: “Closing the Coronation Club was a very difficult decision for us as it meant our loyal members would be without ‘their’ club and meeting place. However, it was a move that had to be made, the original building dated from the 60’s, had insufficient parking and we were land locked. Trading had to be revived and renewed for a new customer and era so the only way we could provide our members with a secure future for the club was to demolish and rebuild.
“What has resulted is a modern venue with direct access from the street, 60 car spaces directly under the club, a revived destination for past and present members with an environment activated to bring in the mixed demographic CORO 88 has been designed for. We are truly excited to open our doors and to welcome the Burwood community – and beyond – back!”
The venue sees two food offerings including CORO 88 and Nelsons By The Park, with a fusion of modern-contemporary western and Asian contemporary dining, with flavours backed by both classical and modern cooking techniques.
Menus have been carefully curated by specialist catering consultancy, Great Eats (known for The Fernery, Mosman), to complement the newly renovated venue – a stylish yet warm and welcoming environment with thoroughly delicious food, a strong drinks menu, an 100” TV for avid sports fans to keep up with the highlights that also maintains the ease and welcoming ambience of the club’s history.
Great Eats is dedicated to using fresh Australian produce in support of local food artisans whose products are highlighted on its menu. As a result, the menu sees a culmination of Great Eats’ passion for “creating good food for everyone”. The company allows their new, highly passionate and young team of chefs to express their culinary experience and love of cooking through their food creation resulting in a unique, courageous, yet carefully crafted menu … with a twist on traditional club fare.
Set in a unique open-kitchen environment, must-try menu items include the hibachi-grilled duck breast and crab tagliatelle, the scrumptious beef wagyu sando, as well as bistro classics including battered fish and chips, and the Southern fried chicken burger.
With CORO 88 boasting an impressive elevated menu offering, Nelsons Café – serving cult St Dreux coffee – aims to become a local morning favourite and create a harmonious hub for the community through food, social gatherings, and open interactions for the business community, members, friends and family with the site perfectly located to capture the passing foot traffic of Burwood Road – all of which has been revamped to capture the expanding Burwood community, changing demographic and discerning diner.
CORO 88 and Nelsons By The Park is officially open for service and located at 88 Burwood Road, Burwood, directly opposite Burwood Park and adjacent to the Westfield Shopping Centre and benefits from a general growth in Burwood for both residential and commercial populations.
With FREE dedicated parking for 60 car spaces underneath the building located from Webbs Lane access to the venue is also readily available.
Rebecca Lines and Hamish Ingham will be closing the doors of Banksii Vermouth Bar & Bistro at the end of May to make way for their new Mexican-inspired concept, Tequila Daisy.
The announcement comes as Sydney’s first vermouth bar approaches its fifth birthday and the pair are ready to embrace a new adventure.
“Banksii has enabled us to invite Sydneysiders to dine at our Mediterranean table and develop an understanding and appreciation of the aromatic flavours of vermouth.”
“The last twelve months has given us the freedom to experiment and explore our obsession with Mexican-inspired flavours. We’re excited to be able to share what we’ve been working on with the opening of Tequila Daisy in August,” says Rebecca Lines, Co-founder and Sommelier of Banksii Vermouth Bar & Bistro.
Banksii Vermouth Bar & Bistro will be taking final bookings until Sunday, 30 May.
Saddle up for the biggest country music takeover: 14–16 MayGet ready for an epic country music takeover with the iconic Regatta Hotel hosting Town & Country, a celebration of country music, 14–16 May.
Over 20 of Brisbane’s best country music artists will play as the Regatta Hotel is transformed for this free event. From the main stage in the laneway to the open-air Courtyard, the Wild West Ranch in the Main Bar to the underground honky-tonk hideaway in The Walrus Club, the Regatta will be alive with the coos of country tunes. The full act line-up will be released soon and information is on the event Facebook page.
In addition to the music, there will be pop-up bars and themed food stall all three days.
Whether you are a country fan or not, this event is not to be missed, so dust off your boots as this is going to be fun!
Town & Country What: Town & Country Weekend – country music takeover at the Regatta Hotel When: 14-16 May | Friday 4–10pm, Saturday 12–10pm, Sunday 12–8pm Where: Regatta Hotel, 543 Coronation Drive, Toowong QLD 4066 Why: To celebrate good times & country music throughout the pub while enjoying pop-up bars and food stalls Who: Artist line-up to be announced soon Cost: Free entry
The whisky vs. whiskey debate has raged for nearly as long as the spirit has been around. So how should we be spelling our favourite dram? Most aficionados can agree: whisky is one of man’s greater inventions. What they can’t seem to agree on is how to spell the bloody thing.
“Whisky Loot is an alcohol subscription service, delivering three premium and hand-selected whisky tasters from around the world each month. At Whisky Loot our name is always written as “Whisky” but in general both spellings are used, and it completely depends on the context about what type of Whisky (or Whiskey) that we are talking about.
“Whiskey” is the spelling used when talking about Irish and American spirits. There are some notable exceptions: Maker’s Mark, George Dickel and Old Forester all use the “whisky” form, and this is purely down to tradition, where usually the brands were first established by Scottish migrants over 100 years ago and still use the same spelling today. “Whisky” is normally used for almost all other whisky-producing nations. For example, Scotland, Australia, Canada, India and Japan – the other major producing nations. Again there are exceptions – new distillery Gospel and Whipper Snapper use the “whiskey” form, as they produce an “American whiskey” style of spirit. With so many small producers in Australia, it always pays to check here. Some producers are also more touchy than others – there are Scotch distilleries that will not want their product getting confused with an American or Irish whiskey, and vice versa.
At Whisky Loot, we provide a platform to discover new things about whisky. It’s about a shared passion for whisky-starting conversations that open people up to new social experiences and connections. We believe that you’re technically not wrong whichever way you spell it—just like you’re not wrong however you choose to drink your whisk(e)y, so long as you enjoy it! “
~ Joel Hauer, Whisky Loot Founder
Whisky Loot aims to gently guide you on a tasting journey through the beautiful and varied world of whisky in the comfort of your own home every month. The subscription: Top-shelf whisky worth $380 for only $59 per month. There’s no commitment. You can cancel, pause or skip a box at any time.
One Off Gift RRP $79 | Monthly RRP $59 | Yearly RRP $649
Pappy Van Winkle is often regarded as the most premium Bourbon whiskey in the world. This incredibly rare, award-winning dram is so exclusive that few get to enjoy a drop of this juice.
Australia’s most lovable whisky subscription service, Whisky Loot, have got their hands on three of Pappy’s most iconic juices and are doing what few thought possible – breaking the bottles so that whisky lovers of Australia have the opportunity to experience these rare drams for themselves. Rather than let these three titans of the whisky world sit on the shelf to gather dust, Whisky Loot has created 10 limited edition Pappy packs each containing 3 × 60ml tasters of Pappy’s 15-year, 20-year and 23-year family reserves. Simply put, this box contains three of the most sought-after whiskies, of any style, anywhere in the world.
● Pappy Van Winkle 15 Year: The youngest of the range is still exceptionally old for a Bourbon aged in the heat of Kentucky. Contains the same wheated Bourbon as the older bottlings, but this dram is presented at a feisty barrel proof of 53.5%, ensuring a full body and intensely spicy profile. ● Pappy Van Winkle 20 Year: Ranked the number one Bourbon whiskey in the world. This dram’s two-decade slumber in heavily charred oak barrels produces an opulent and maddeningly complex whiskey. Bottled at 45.2%, it hits the sweet spot between drinkability and richness. ● Pappy Van Winkle 23 Year: After 23 years in heavily charred oak barrels, this dram has developed a uniquely sophisticated profile. Truly one of the rarest whiskies in the world, it really does not get much better than this.
To ensure whisky lovers everywhere have an opportunity to purchase one of these unique, limited edition Pappy Van Winkle Packs, Whisky Loot has created a ballot enabling entrants to put their name and details forward to win the opportunity to purchase.
How to enter: ● Launching on World Whisky Day, 15th May 2021, the ballot will have two draws: one for active Whisky Loot subscribers and one for the public ● Additional opportunities for entries into the draw for entrants who share a link to the ballot site on Facebook and their friends sign up too ● The lucky winners will be drawn on 7th June 2021 and will then have 24 hours to purchase this exclusive pack. ● On top of this, Whisky Loot are offering a golden ticket to anyone who spends $150 at whiskyloot.com during the month of May, giving them the out-of-this- world opportunity to have a Pappy box added to their order FREE OF CHARGE!
Rather than letting the bottles sit on some collector’s shelf, Whisky Loot is giving you a truly once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to taste, compare and enjoy Pappy van Winkle’s esteemed line of Bourbons. So what are you waiting for? Head to whiskyloot.com to be in with your chance to purchase a box of Pappy Van Winkle.
Bridge Lane will be set alight with the sights and sounds of Shanghai this May, when Merivale and The Glenlivet host Shanghai Nights, a dazzling laneway showcase of live entertainment, street food and cocktails.
Held over two special nights – 6 & 7 May – and supported by the City of Sydney, Shanghai Nights will transform the laneway into an aromatic Shanghai experience, injecting colour, vibrant energy, rich flavour and originality into the heart of the city.
Dan Hong’s decadent Chinese flavours will be brought to life across three unique food stalls, matched by bespoke The Glenlivet cocktails and soundtracked live music and DJs.
● Dim Sum Scallop and prawn shumai (3 pieces) $12 Poached prawn wontons with Sichuan chilli sauce $12 Wild mushroom dumpling (3 pieces) $12
● Work Station Stir-fried Shanghai noodles with roast duck and black pepper $12 Stir-fried rice cakes with prawns, mushrooms and fragrant chilli oil $12 Wok-fried Shanghai noodles with shiitake mushrooms, gai lan, garlic and black pepper $12
● Grill Station BBQ lamb skewers with fennel and cumin salt | $6 each BBQ chicken skewers with garlic, chilli, flower pepper | $6 each
Guests will be able to choose from one of two specially crafted The Glenlivet cocktails; Apple Highball (with The Glenlivet 12, cucumber pandan cordial, green apple juice, lime juice, kiwi, soda) or Green Tea Highball (with The Glenlivet 12, Midori, green tea, soda, maple syrup).
Also on offer at Palmer & Co. and Mr Wong from 22 April to 7 May, will be two additional cocktails to set the mood: the Bridge Lane (with The Glenlivet 12, Cynar, grapefruit juice, picon, grapefruit bitters, red wine reduction), and The Peach Nights (with The Glenlivet 12, peach puree, Osmanthus ginger honey, Yuzushu sake, lemon).
Bodriggy Brewing Co. is hosting a variety of froffy events during this year’s annual Good Beer Week (GBW) from 14–23 May, including a collaboration with heavyweight Footscray brewery Hop Nation; a week-long Bodriggy Cantina where head chef John Dominguez will match a new dish to the Bodriggy tap beers; and a limited-edition Collingwood Beer Trail pass with commemorative GBW merch.
North vs West Fight Club | Sunday 16 May, 11:30am–late Bodriggy are up against Hop Nation in a North vs West good old-fashioned beer fight club, a highly anticipated froff fight taking place in the heart of Abbotsford at Bodriggy, with comedian Eddie Duffield as MC.
Bodriggy and Hop Nation may be going head-to-head at the beer fight club but have also collaborated on a limited-edition brew that will be released and available on the day. Beer connoisseurs on the day will vote online for their preferred pot and the winning brewer will earn all the glory and at the end of the evening the losing brewery will nominate a sacrifice to the dunk tank. Free arcade games and fun competitions will be held, with live music performances on stage from the likes of roots/R&B musician Marsden Williams. To round off the Fight Club, sister venue Stingray’s Upstairs will host sumo wrestling. Free Entry https://goodbeerweek.com.au/event/beer-lover/729-north-vs-west-fight-club
Bodriggy Cantina | Saturday 15–Sunday 23 May The team at Bodriggy is also hosting a Cantina where Head Chef Johny Dominguez and the kitchen team will match a new dish to the signature Bodriggy brews on tap including limited, core and more. Free Entry https://goodbeerweek.com.au/event/beer-lover/728-bodriggy-cantina
Good Beer Week Collingwood Beer Trail | Friday 14–Sunday 23 May The newly launched Collingwood Beer Trail has been a popular way to taste beers from Bodriggy, Fixation, Molly Rose, Stomping Ground and The Mill. For the duration of GBW patrons can pick up a limited-edition pass and do the self-guided trail and receive some GBW merch. $30pp https://collingwoodbeertrail.com.au/ Bodriggy Brewing Co. is the brainchild of Dr Morse owners Jon Costelloe, Anthony Daniel and Pete Walsh, featuring a huge bar with 64 taps pouring craft beers, wine and cocktails, and a dining area serving up delicious Latin American fare by chef John Dominguez. Guests can expect live music and DJs, offering so much more than a typical brewery.
Sydney’s East welcomes Lorraine’s, a European-inspired bistro made for lazy afternoons and evenings spent drinking and dining with friends and family.
Situated on level one of the iconic Robin Hood Hotel in Waverley, and following its multi-million-dollar renovation, the light-filled venue features a stunning glass atrium roof – the perfect space to relax and enjoy good food and drinks until late.
The approachable menu has been created by Michelin-trained chef, Clement Marchais (previously Executive Chef of Peppe’s Bondi), and overseen by acclaimed chef Phillip Davenport. Designed for casual grazing, the menu makes the most of local ingredients in partnership with Jack’s Creek Beef. A custom-built charcoal grill enhances the ingredients’ natural flavour to create simple and delicious dishes locals will want to enjoy again and again. The menu also features an array of vegetarian and vegan options.
Start with tasty snacks – such as Alto olives, sourdough bread with Pepe Saya butter, and shiitake mushroom pâté on sourdough – before moving on to an array of entrees and sharing-style plates with a focus on fresh and seasonal produce, finished off on the charcoal grill. Highlights include charred octopus with harissa and potato aioli, mussels over charcoal with garlic butter and gremolata, charcoal leek with hazelnut and truffle vinaigrette, and cured ocean trout with pickled celery. Mains are hearty and wholesome, including a grilled snapper fillet with caponata, rocket, lemon and crispy capers, a stand-out chargrill chicken vadouvan with smoked labneh, and incredible steaks sourced from Jack’s Creek Beef in New England, New South Wales.
The venue, designed by H&E Architects and Design Miss M interiors, and built by Calida Projects, is awash with natural sunlight during the day and a soft glow in the evening, providing a warm and welcoming environment for families and locals to dine. The space features two contemporary private function areas, perfect for group dining, weddings, birthdays, corporate events and more. The Art Deco fit-out features hardwood floors, exposed brick walls, and a decadent marble-top bar. The venue is complete with brass accents and pink and green hues.
The name ‘Lorraine’s’ serves as a homage to Lorraine Havin, one of the first female licensees in New South Wales, original owner, and previous licensee of The Hood.
“I want Lorraine’s to be an approachable and affordable restaurant and bar space for the Charing Cross locals,” explains owner, Daniel Whitten. “The Lorraine’s project has been in the works for the past 5 years and I am extremely happy with how we have brought our vision to life. The space has been transformed into an accessible venue for locals and families to enjoy lunch or dinner and stay for a few cocktails. Our goal was to revitalise the Waverley and Charing Cross area with an accessible yet glamorous restaurant and bar that showcases a relaxed and unpretentious atmosphere.”
Lorraine’s also features a premium wine room with over 200 unique wines, including back vintages. Diners will have access to an extensive cocktail list and six beer taps, ensuring there is the perfect drop for everyone.
Lorraine’s brings community spirit and a vibrant mainstay to Charing Cross. Locals and visitors alike can revel in European-inspired flavours with a range of sharing plates and more sustainable dishes, enjoyed in an open, relaxed setting. The venue is open Wednesday to Friday for dinner, and all day Saturday and Sunday. Drinks, cocktails and bar snacks are available until late, licensed until 2am.
In the second episode of this ongoing series, The COVID Pivot, experienced restaurant critics Brian Steel, Jeremy Ryland and Dane Richards discuss the impacts of COVID-19 on both food critique, and the wider industry at large.
If you would like to express an interest in being mentored by one of the panel, please email: dane@newsforthefoodlover.com
Distiller Xavier Nalty launches Cherry & Cacao Husk Brandy by Saint Felix.
Saint Felix distillery introduces a limited edition brandy on 10th May 2021. With only 800 bottles available, the brandy is the first of Saint Felix’s limited release aged spirits and brandy collection. Master distiller and ex-chef of 20 years, Xavier Nalty created the recipe for this first Saint Felix brandy with the support and expertise of World Class Bartender of the Year, Orlando Marzo. Saint Felix Brandy is set to become the hero in their portfolio of fruit-based beverages.
For this, his first Australian brandy, Xavier uses Cherry & Cacao as the key ingredients, playing on the flavour combination of cherry, chocolate and red wine creating the perfect winter warmer. This limited release is priced at $85 per bottle.
In 2016, to understand the history of brandy making, Xavier reached out to Calvados Christian Drouin Distillery in the historical region of Normandy, France. French distilling is a highly exclusive world to gain access to, but Xavier’s commitment and persistence was rewarded. In June 2017, he began a 6-month journey living and learning with third-generation distiller and connoisseur Guillaume Drouin. Xavier developed an in-depth knowledge base of the brandy making process – from fermentation and distillation to the art of barrel ageing. During his time in France, he also worked in Reims and Cognac, where he learned about old-world spirits and further developed his love for brandy.
After France, Xavier travelled to the futuristic Empirical Spirits in Copenhagen. The culinary and scientific approach at Empirical further developed his knowledge and technique from cold distillation to the use of technology, such as distilling with a rotary evaporator.
Inspired, Xavier returned home to Australia and created Saint Felix. This distillery’s beverage portfolio represents Xavier’s use of ingredients at his fingertips on the Mornington Peninsula, married with the centuries-old knowledge he gained in France and his desire to devise spirits that perfectly accompany food. For this first brandy, raspberries are added to the critical element of cherries (including pits) and macerated. The fruit is then removed and distilled in the kettle. That distillate is then used to macerate the cacao husk, which lastly is blended and finished in Barossa red wine casks.
The brandy is distilled in an 18th-century Portuguese copper pot still. This ancient approach is used for Saint Felix brandy and blood orange aperitivo. In contrast, a rotary evaporator – a technology uncommonly found in the Australian distillery landscape – is used for their yuzu and green tea spirit and their gin.
The Cherry & Cacao Husk Brandy ($85) will be available for pre-order from Friday, 30th April at www.saintfelix.com.au.
In addition to purchasing online, the brandy will also be revealed at a ticketed launch event on Thursday, 13th May at BYRDI bar in Melbourne’s CBD. Ticket holders will enjoy tasting the Cherry & Cacao Husk Brandy as well as a selection of brandy cocktails mixed by World’s Best Bartender, Orlando Marzo and BYRDI bar owner Luke Whearty. Mörk Chocolate Brew House will also be there to treat guests to a chocolate and brandy pairing. Xavier and Orlando will describe how the brandy was made and their inspiration behind the bottle. Further information, how to book and ticket prices will be released on Saint Felix’s social channels over the coming week so keep an eye out as tickets will be limited.
Just in time for Mother’s Day, NON and Maison Balzac are releasing an exclusive gift pack.
Two of Australia’s most exciting brands, NON and Maison Balzac have united to create a sensorial gift pack just in time for Mother’s Day. The companies joined forces to produce a limited edition candle and 0% beverage that combine to deliver an immersive moment of autumn.
With a mutual interest in exploring the unconventional, this gift pack was born from a joint exploration of autumn. The result is an aroma and flavour that complement one another and celebrate this magnificent season. The gift pack (priced at $50) contains the specially developed bottle of NON and Maison Balzac candle.
In an effort to support small retailers, these limited edition gift packs will not be available online. Rather, they will only be sold from select bricks & mortar bottle shops, including Blackhearts & Sparrows nationwide, Winona Wine in NSW and Wine Republic in Melbourne, available on shelves from next week, 3rd May.
The flavour and fragrance of each product have been designed to complement one another so that when burned and imbibed together they create an immersive experience. Inspired by autumnal ingredients, both use notes including golden mandarin, thyme and Earl Grey, which provide a warming and energising flavour and aroma.
To further the sensory experience of this gift pack, a mix has been commissioned by Melbourne music producer Alex Albrecht of Analogue Attic. The contemplative mix highlights all Australian artists and can be accessed here or via the QR code in the gift pack.
Maison Balzac’s Founder & Director Elise Pioch says: “The minute we created the NON candle in our studio, we opened the drink, poured it into our colourful glasses and slowly sipped on the beverage while smelling the candle. It was a memorable experience. The drink is fresh, dry and grounding, the salt enhances the notes of lemon while the candle further develops the scent of mandarin and somehow also grapefruit. Together they made our brain go fizzy, it was like smelling the skin of a wild mandarin while biting on a citrus seed”.
Founded in Melbourne in 2019, NON pushes the boundaries of drinking with their range of 0% beverages. They have radically changed the game in alcohol alternatives by promoting an inclusive drinking culture. NON can be enjoyed paired with food, out partying with friends or any time a good drink is in order.
NON × Maison Balzac marks yet another collaboration by the team at NON. To date, they have united with fashion brands, restaurants and most recently with renowned photographer Tom Blachford. NON, the category defying 0% beverage company will continue to explore new expressions of flavour through unconventional collaborations.
Enjoy the finer things in life at Poodle Bar & Bistro and indulge in a bottomless brunch on Sunday, 23 May. The event features two seatings at 11.30am and 2.00pm and will serve up a decadent menu prepared by Head Chef Josh Fry paired with all-you-can-drink bubbles, wines and spritzes.
Experience one of Melbourne’s fanciest brunches and treat yourself to the likes of cured trout tartare; Yarra Valley Caviar crumpets; roasted cauliflower with Café de Poodle butter and curry leaves; Bundarra Pork Scotch; a boozy whipped cream chocolate dessert and more.
Bottomless booze – including wine, bubbles, Peach Bellinis and Blood Orange Vodka Seltzers – will be on offer.
Guests will also have the add-on option for oysters and Poodle’s signature vol-au-vents for an extra touch of luxe.
Poodle’s all-out bottomless brunch is the perfect excuse for a fancy culinary outing north of the river. Expect a luxurious brunch experience set in the two-storey Art Deco-style restaurant designed by Wendy Bergman (Bergman & Co.).
Since opening in 2020, Poodle Bar & Bistro has received high commendations in Best Restaurant Design, Best Bar Design categories at the 2020 Eat Drink Design Awards, as well as Best Hospitality Design at this year’s IDEA Awards.
Good Beer Kitchen returns to Melbourne’s iconic Arbory Bar & Eatery.
Good Beer Kitchen is back on deck at Arbory Bar & Eatery, celebrating some of Australia’s best brewers as a part of the Good Beer Week program on Saturday, 15 May, giving a nod to pairing at its best.
Known as the festival’s favourite long lunch, Good Beer Kitchen will host four acclaimed Melbourne chefs who will dish up four beer-inspired courses. Arbory’s very own Executive Chef Nick Bennett has rounded up some of his mates, challenging them to cook a dish using or served alongside their favourite ferment.
Joining Nick in the kitchen this year is James Gibson (Head Chef Arbory Bar & Eatery), Renee Trudeau (Little Latin Lucy) and Oliver Hagen (Hagen’s Organics).
To celebrate some of the country’s finest craft beers, the partnering brewers showcased are Stomping Ground (VIC), Mountain Goat (VIC), Wolf In The Willows (VIC), and Pirate Life (SA).
Looking after the day’s proceedings will be proclaimed foodie and radio voice Cam Smith, the host of the longest-running food show in Australia, 3RRR’s Eat It program.
“I am so pumped to be a part of Good Beer Kitchen. It continues to astound me as to how great a match beer is with food and seeing the increasing sophistication and assuredness of the food and beer pairings over the last six years. I can’t wait to see what our chefs come up with for this year’s event. Craft beer, great food by the river, it’s a cracker!”
Cam will guide guests through each course, chatting to each chef and brewer to find out more about the inspiration behind each dish and beer being served.
Tickets for Good Beer Kitchen are $80, inclusive of four specially curated courses as well as a beer from each brewery.
Well-loved cook, author and teacher to host online masterclass with Shane Delia showcasing a menu of Italian winter warmers.
Julia Busuttil Nishimura (aka. Julia Ostro) is one of Australia’s most loved cooks, with her work celebrating simple ingredients, seasonal produce and the joys of coming together at the table. Providoor is giving you and your loved ones an opportunity to bring some of that joy to your own kitchen table, with Julia hosting an online masterclass on Sunday, 23 May, alongside Chef Shane Delia.
Timed close to Mother’s Day, this class is the perfect gift for Mum – or just the perfect opportunity to spend time in the kitchen with a loved one and enjoy a Sunday lunch. On the day, Julia will be sharing some of her favourite recipes from her best-selling cookbooks Ostro and A Year of Simple Family Food, including a hand-rolled pasta dish. As the weather starts to cool down, these winter warmers will keep you perfectly satiated and heading back for seconds:
• Pissaladière • Handmade Cavatelli with Maltese Sausage and Cavolo Nero • House Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette • Sweet Ricotta Tart
Even those who don’t like anchovies will love the pissaladière, a combination of caramelised onions, salty black olives and anchovies. After some delicious handmade pasta, enjoy a sweet ricotta tart studded with Italian candied citrus and dark chocolate.
“I’m really excited to be sharing my food for this one-off masterclass – it’s a rare opportunity to bring the recipes from my books to life. It’ll be a fun day to roll up your sleeves, learn some new techniques, and pick up some tricks along the way,” says Julia.
The class kit is $130 + shipping and includes all the elements and ingredients needed to cook along at home, including a wooden gnocchi board & fluted tart tin to keep. You can also add Julia’s books to your order.
Providoor × Julia Busuttil Nishimura masterclass sales are now open, with the one-hour live class being broadcasted on Sunday, 23 May at 1pm (the kits arrive the day before – Saturday, 22 May). Orders will close Thursday, 20th May unless sold out prior, so head to the site for bookings: www.providoor.com.au
A new plant-based menu will run alongside Pinchy’s ‘Made By The Sea’ offering, creating an exciting vegan-friendly dining experience in the heart of Melbourne CBD.
Pinchy’s is known for serving some of the most imaginative seafood in town, and now it’s adding a complementary plant-based menu to its repertoire to run alongside its existing ‘Made by Sea’ menu. This new menu devoted to plant-based cuisine is aptly named – ‘Made Friendlier’.
Head Chef Jack Tsai’s(Benu, Attica, Fera at Claridge’s) new ‘Made Friendlier’ menu can be enjoyed à la carte or as a five-, seven-, or nine-course set menu. Artfully created, the dishes deliver a feast for the eyes before it reaches your palate.
“We work with some great producers that supply us with amazing vegan products. We treat these products with the same respect and attention as our seafood to thoughtfully create a menu that will excite both vegans and non-vegans alike,” says Tsai.
Leek Croquette
White Funghi Ceviche
The ‘Made Friendlier menu includes: • Smoked Capsicum Cappuccino – White Bloody Mary, Fermented Chilli • Vegan Oyster – Rice Crisp, Sea Lettuce Cream and Black Garlic • Carrot Cornette – Carrot Tartare, Jalapeño Salsa, Wasabi Mayo • White Fungi Ceviche – Smoked Coconut Sorbet, Coral Mushroom, Green Papaya • Spiced Tofu Taco – Spicy Tomato and Avocado Mousse • Leek Croquette – Vegan Parmesan and Herb Oil • Smoky Ratatouille – Roasted Pine Nut and Lemon Eucalyptus • Sweet Corn – Truffle Cauliflower and Miso • Grilled Celeriac on Toast – Tartar Sauce and Pickled Fennel • Lion’s Mane Mushroom Roll with Hand-Cut Fries
“We are very proud of our pescatarian menu and excited about our new vegan-inspired menu. The ‘Made Friendlier’ menu mirrors our ‘Made by Sea’ menu and allows diners to choose their own Pinchy’s journey. Choose between à la carte or from one of the three set menu options,” says owner Jeremy Schinck.
With the new ‘Made Friendlier’ menu, Pinchy’s has got vegans and those intrigued in plant-based dining covered.
Mother’s Day felt really different last year and it’s only fitting that we can celebrate this year – bigger and better than ever.
That is why Head Chef/Owner Natasya Soetantyo of Salt & Palm restaurant in Glebe has decided to change up her usual lunch format and has developed a bespoke and authentic Indonesian High Tea experience for customers to enjoy.
For $40 per person, guests will be treated to a selection of over 10 house-made small Indonesian traditional snacks with the perfect balance between sweet and savoury.
Playing to the nostalgia of a childhood favourite snack in Indonesia, Kue Cubit is a bite-sized sweet pancake topped with chocolate sprinkles or cheese. DadarGulung, a traditional pandan crepe roll filled with caramelised shredded coconut and palm sugar filling, is also included on the menu.
It’s no secret that Australians love avocado so it’s only fitting that Es Teler gets a shoutout – an iced coconut cream with avocado, jackfruit, young coconut flesh and coco pandan syrup.
From the savoury selections, Salt & Palm favourites including Sate Ayam (chicken satay skewers served with their house-made peanut sauce and pickles) and Bakwan Jagung (Indonesian corn fritters seasoned with garlic, spring onion and parsley) will be available.
All high tea is offered with a selection of T2 Tea or single-origin coffee beans from Toraja, Indonesia – which are roasted by Natasya’s good friends at The Q on Harris.
Imperial on Bourke introduces bottomless brunch with show tunes.
Musical theatre lovers rejoice! Imperial on Bourke has introduced its latest event – Broadway Brunch on the Rooftop. For two hours each Saturday, guests can enjoy bottomless spritzes, wine and beer plus a brunch item, with live performances of favourite show tunes.
Some of Melbourne’s finest musical theatre artists – including Alister Kingsley, Kala Gare, Sam Ward and Baylie Carson – will come together every week to perform numbers from Broadway’s most popular musicals.
Think Wicked, Les Misérables, Frozen and Phantom of the Opera. The show tunes will change so there’s all the more reason to experience Broadway Brunch more than once.
To eat, guests can choose a dish from the brunch menu, which ranges from the sweet such as Pav Hotcake to everyone’s favourite Smashed Avo, a healthy Breakfast Salad to a little bit spicy with Chorizo Baked Eggs.
Ed Chalmers, Imperial on Bourke Venue Manager, said the Broadway Brunch really brings something special to the famous rooftop.
“Our rooftop is a favourite spot for many who want to enjoy good times with friends and amazing views. We are excited to now be able to offer a really special experience where guests will hear fantastic show tunes from some of Melbourne’s most talented artists, along with good food and free-flowing drinks.
“The Imperial on Bourke is in the heart of the theatre district and we wanted to embrace that while creating a fun event for everyone.”
Broadway Brunch on the Rooftop, Saturdays 11am–1pm, $70 per person.
Menu (choose one dish):
Smashed Avo – heirloom tomatoes, sourdough, semi-dried tomatoes – with or without eggs (cbvg) Pav Hotcake – berries, meringue, whipped cream (v) Sesame Schnitzel – lemon, sesame raw slaw Breakfast Salad – pumpkin, kale, carrots, squash, pepitas – with or without eggs Steak Sanga – wagyu rump, cheese, smoked bacon, cos, egg Chorizo Baked Eggs – ‘nduja, spinach, chickpeas, spiced tomatoes
Plus, two hours of bottomless spritzes, wine and beer
If your family has fasted before an unlimited buffet, this one is for you. SkyFeast at Sydney Tower is switching back to an all-you-can-eat buffet, some 82 floors up in the air.
Following a $12-million refurbishment of the Sydney Tower Dining precinct last year, SkyFeast Head Chef Stefan Schröder is in charge of the kitchen, bringing with him two decades of experience across five-star hotels, luxury cruises and restaurants throughout Europe and Australia. Guests can help themselves to more than 30 dishes across 11 sections as the restaurant completes a full rotation every 1½ hours. Buffet enthusiasts know that the key is to pace oneself.
Perhaps start with the cold seafood selection, at no extra cost. Sydney Rock oysters are there for the slurping, alongside tiger prawns, poached blue swimmer crab, cold-smoked ocean trout and more. Antipasto is up next, whether dips or sliced cold cuts, while on weekends you might prefer to skip straight to sushi.
Hot dishes at SkyFeast are a culinary trip around the world, from Marrakesh-style lamb korma with raisins, to stir-fried Hokkien noodles, to grilled ‘roo marinated in native thyme. That’s before you get to the carvery, where whole roast beef is ladled with cognac and pepper sauce and honey-glazed turkey is served with sides such as truffled cauliflower bake.
Anyone who grew up celebrating the buffet knows that dessert is a second-stomach scenario. Think salted caramel and chocolate tarts with hazelnut praline and dark chocolate rocky road brownies, through to Persian love cake and khanom chan, Thailand’s steamed coconut and pandan slice.
Kids are also well catered for with tempura fish bites and tartar sauce, spring rolls, chicken nuggets and steak-cut chips. Those between three and 12 years old eat free Monday to Thursday for lunch and dinner, as well as on their birthday. Adults are not forgotten and will be receiving their first drink on the house.
Long live the buffet!
SkyFeast at Sydney Tower Westfield Sydney, Level 4/108 Market St, Sydney NSW 2000 1300 391 808 Lunch Mon to Fri: $70pp | Window Table Package $90pp Sat & Sun: $80pp | Window Table Package $100pp Kids $35pp (3–12 years) Dinner Mon to Fri: $90pp | Window Table Package $100pp Sat & Sun: $95pp | Window Table Package $105pp Kids $35pp (3–12 years) Website | Facebook
Following a $12 million refurbishment, the Sydney Tower Dining venues took on a new life in 2020. Sydney Tower Buffet became SkyFeast, a casual buffet restaurant, while 360 Bar and Dining is now a premium restaurant called Infinity. A new bar on level 3, Bar 83, also opened for the first time in September 2020.
The SkyFeast at Sydney Tower team has completed the COVID-19 Safety Plan and Trippas White Group is an approved COVID-safe business.
Across a series of Tuesdays rising talent will be taking over the kitchen and serving up their menus.
From May 18, celebrated chef-restaurateur Shane Delia is shining the spotlight on four of the country’s top young chefs to showcase the evolution of Middle Eastern cuisine at Collingwood’s Maha Bar.
The rising masters of modern Middle Eastern fare – Ben Williamson (QLD), Paul Farag (NSW), Adam Wolfers (QLD) and Tom Sarafian (VIC) – will each take over the kitchen across four consecutive Tuesdays, serving a set menu influenced by their unique culinary styles and background, and personal connections to the region.
“This is a really special event that I am excited to bring to Victoria, it is proud Middle Eastern chefs taking the best produce and pairing it with brilliant cooking. It’s something that’s not to be missed.
“I was inspired by Greg Malouf, the original Middle Eastern cuisine chef, and am now honoured to highlight the rising talent of my peers from around the country, and to have them cooking in my Maha Bar kitchen,” Shane Delia said.
Each chef will present their own style with signature dishes and bespoke creations where classic Middle Eastern flavours are enhanced by the highest quality Australian produce.
This exclusive dinner series will kick off with Ben Williamson (Agnes, Bianca) who has created a menu inspired by his travels through the Middle East and its immense tapestry of cuisines. Williamson will be plating up dishes such as Turkish crumpets, southern calamari, grilled quail with harissa, and more.
Following Williamson will be Paul Farag (Nour), presenting a seven-course dinner on 25 May that draws on his Egyptian heritage and minimal-waste ethos, with dishes such as muhammara toast, duck crown fesenjan and basbousa.
Next up, on 1 June, is Adam Wolfers (Gerard’s Bistro) with a distinctive menu that honours his rich Jewish heritage and the best of Australian produce. Guests can expect dishes like dry-aged kibbeh nayyeh, short rib shawarma and his very own Golden Gaytime with carrot molasses.
Lastly, Victoria’s own Tom Sarafian (Little Andorra, Bar Saracen) will be closing the series on 8 June, combining traditional techniques and recipes with innovative touches, including his famous spanner crab and prawn hummus, fish fatteh and cheese maamouls.
Maha Bar’s drinks list will be on offer with an optional beverage pairing available for each menu at $55 per person. Expect Middle Eastern-inspired house cocktails including a Turkish Delight Martini, Raki Sazerac, and Anise Eastside.
Maha Bar Chef Series | Schedule: Tuesday, 18 May: Ben Williamson Tuesday, 25 May: Paul Farag Tuesday, 1 June: Adam Wolfers Tuesday, 8 June: Tom Sarafian Timings: from 5:00pm Price: $85 per person Booking: via the Maha Bar website
Town Centre offers extra convenience for local residents • The NSW Government and Frasers Property confirm a Service NSW Centre is coming to Ed.Square • Service NSW will join a host of new retailers and Eat Street to open soon • Next stage of Ed.Square Town Centre launches on 29 April • Service NSW Centre to open in second half of 2021
A new Service NSW Centre will offer extra on-site convenience to the residents of Ed.Square, the game-changing south west Sydney community by Frasers Property Australia, and draw people from across the region to Ed.Square Town Centre, next to Edmondson Park train station.
The NSW Government and Frasers Property have confirmed the new 530 sqm Service NSW Centre will open on level 1 of Ed.Square Town Centre in the second half of the year.
With a full-line Coles and Liquorland already open and serving the community, the next stage of Ed.Square Town Centre launches on 29 April with an entertainment and shopping precinct including a new Eat Street, state-of-the-art Event Cinemas, flagship iPlay centre, tavern and a wide range of health, medical and wellbeing services.
Warwick Dowler, Development Director, Frasers Property Australia says the decision by the NSW Government to open a Service NSW Centre in the new Town Centre underlines the importance of Ed.Square in a regional context.
“While we’re excited to provide our residents with the convenience of a Service NSW Centre in their new Town Centre, we also look forward to welcoming people from across south west Sydney to discover the fantastic line-up of shopping, entertainment and dining choices on offer,” says Mr Dowler.
“The location of Ed.Square Town Centre next to Edmondson Park train station means it’s convenient and easy for people to visit. For residents, the complete range of shops and services are all within walking distance of their front door.”
Melanie Gibbons, Member for Holsworthy, says the Service NSW Centre will make a real difference to the community when it opens in the second half of this year.
“The centre will make it easier for locals to access hundreds of NSW Government transactions in one convenient location, including driver testing,” Ms Gibbons says.
With an onsite train station, Town Centre, Eat Street, shops and amenities, Ed.Square combines an inner-city lifestyle with an urban village feel in a leafy neighbourhood, offering the in-built convenience of having everything residents need within walking distance of their home.
Stage one of Ed.Square Town Centre will comprise 25,000 sqm of retail space and on completion of stage two, of up to an additional 15,000 sqm, the Town Centre will comprise up to 40,000 sqm of retail space.
At Ed.Square, Frasers Property has collaborated with world-class architectural firms HDR, GroupGSA and HASSELL to deliver the vision for a 21st-century town centre, integrated with 1,884 homes in a mix of apartments, terraces and ‘mews’-style townhomes.
Contact Frasers Property on 13 38 38 or visit http://www.EdSquare.com.au for more information about Ed.Square.
Brunswick has just welcomed 100% plant-based dessert haven Swirl’d Frozen Yoghurt and Dessert Bar!
Vegan, halal, and with gluten-free options, Swirl’d is making sure no one gets left out when it comes to everyone’s favourite meal.
After struggling to find good desserts for his lactose-intolerant daughter, Mo Chakielli and his half-brother Sam Nasri launched Swirl’d. The frozen yoghurt bar hosts six flavours, including on-trend Biscoff, all made with a vegan, coconut base.
Mix and match flavours to create a delicious swirl, then let your creativity run wild with over 30 vegan toppings to explore!
It doesn’t stop there, Swirl’d also serves up delectable milkshakes, waffles, and house-made baklava. If you’re in need of a plant-based coffee, you’ll find it here!
The newly renovated store even has a floating seat perfect for posting on the‘gram.
Swirl’d is perfect for the health-conscious, those with food intolerances, and everyone who loves desserts!
More than 80 Australian bars feature in the festival program as new luxury beverage experiences are announced across the five-day festival.
As the highly anticipated World Class Cocktail Festival approaches, more of Australia’s best bars have announced bespoke cocktail experiences, fun collaborations, and one-off parties to the mix.
The already impressive, jam-packed line-up has been further bolstered with the news Flex Mami will now curate entertainment for the Paramount House Recreation Club rooftop series on Saturday 1 May and Sunday 2 May. The Don Julio Flex Mami & Friends Sessions from 2pm–8pm are set to be a highlight, taking the tempo up to ignite the dance floor as the sun sets over Surry Hills, the World Class Cocktail Festival precinct.
One of Sydney’s hottest new venues, Sammy Junior, has teamed up with Ketel One and Mr Black coffee liqueur to serve up personalised espresso martinis and Irish coffees on Friday night. You can get creative and customise your design in the foam, opting for personalised pictures, messages, or both for the most Instagrammable moment.
With less than two weeks until World Class Cocktail Festival, it’s time to dust off the party shoes and get the dance moves ready for a Disco Night at Double Deuce, with 70s soul and funk tunes being served up alongside 70s-inspired Ketel One cocktails. More music will be rocking the Ramblin Rascal with Copper Dog whisky creations available at the bar, as well as Earl’s Juke Joint teaming up with Ketel One to put on a nostalgic 90s night and join us for some after-dark fun at Big Poppa’s with a DJ and Tanqueray N° TEN negronis whilst you get down on the dance floor.
Take a walk down memory lane and sip your way through the history of the cocktail, discovering the ‘Golden Age of the Cocktail’ at Door Knock, with previous World Class Australian Bartender of the Year winner Alex Boon serving specially curated retro cocktail options.
And for those after a cocktail and bite to eat, PS40 will be hosting a pop-up with ‘Big’ Sam Young and Tanqueray. At Old Mate’s Place, they will be serving up a delicious Japanese taco lunch to feast on alongside Johnnie Walker. Kittyhawk will be hosting a bougie night with Ketel One martinis, oysters and snacks, and Dead Ringer will be hosting a Sunday brunch with a range of Ketel One spritzes on offer.
Across Sydney, Melbourne, Hobart, Brisbane, Perth, and Adelaide, more than 80 venues have put their hand up to join the festivities by offering locals a bespoke $15 cocktail option over the five days.
MAIN STAGE Paramount House Little Melbourne | Golden Age Bar Wednesday to Sunday, 5pm–late Melbourne’s reputation for hospitality shows up no better than in their incredible bar scene, so we’re paying tribute to our neighbouring city by celebrating a selection of their best! Award-winning Melbourne venues will take up temporary residence at the Golden Age Bar each evening, with an impressive line-up of bartending talent from the likes of Above Board, Black Pearl, BYRDI and The Everleigh (all featured in the World’s 100 Best Bars) coming to town to share their top Don Julio tipples with Sydneysiders.
Simon Johnson × Ketel One: The Truth About Caviar | Golden Age Bar Sunday, 1 May | 2:15pm–5pm, bookings available at https://www.ourgoldenage.com.au/film/wc-caviar Celebrating the increasingly popular vodka and caviar pairing in an afternoon titled ‘The Truth About Caviar’, the team from Simon Johnson, Purveyor of Quality Food, will offer unique tastings and education for guests to better understand this luxury ingredient and its history of being partnered with vodka. Ketel One vodka martinis will be served alongside a bump of caviar, or for the more inquisitive guests, a hosted in-depth 20-minute tasting experience. Menu: $15 Ketel One martini $15pp caviar bump: Russian Oscietra OR $60pp mini caviar masterclass 3 types of caviar, 30 mins, groups of four: White sturgeon caviar; Siberian caviar; Russian Oscietra
Spirit of Mexico | Golden Age Cinema Wednesday to Saturday, session times available at www.ourgoldenage.com.au If you’re missing holidays abroad, Don Julio is going to transport you to Jalisco at Paramount House, where all week we bring the spirit of Mexico to life with a feast for the senses! For a cultural buzz, sip contemporary Don Julio tequila cocktails while you watch cinematic favourites celebrating some of Mexico’s most esteemed film directors at Golden Age Cinema. For a cultural buzz that pays homage to Mexico’s best, Don Julio has taken charge of the film schedule, screening Desperado, Like Water for Chocolate, El Mariachi, Brimstone & Glory and Pan’s Labyrinth.
Flex | Paramount Recreation Club Saturday, 10:30am – Yoga; Sunday, 10.30am – Pilates The flexitarian lifestyle is all about balance and you can be your best self by nurturing and partying at the Paramount Recreation Club rooftop, where we will host mid-morning yoga sessions followed by a vegan feast and fresh tasting, zero alcohol Seedlip cocktails along with low calorie Ketel One Botanical spritzes. Heading into the afternoon, the vibe ignites and the tunes flow, as Don Julio hosts the ultimate sundowner sessions, offering signature margaritas and palomas. Flex Mornings: $35 per session (free PRC members), bookings available at https://www.paramountrecreation.club/event/flex-am/
Flex Mami & Friends × Don Julio Saturday & Sunday, 2pm–8pm, bookings available at https://www.paramountrecreation.club/event/flex-pm/ $15 tickets available at the door and ahead of time, each ticket includes a $15 cocktail
Espresso Martini Project | Paramount Coffee Project Wednesday & Thursday, 5pm–7pm In partnership with PCP, and one for the true coffee connoisseur, Ketel One will be serving bespoke blend espresso martinis with your choice of Colombian or Ethiopian coffee beans.
HEADLINERS Maybe Sammy – Maybe Sevilla (Closing Party) When: Sunday, 4pm–12am Where: 115 Harrington St, The Rocks NSW 2000 Three of the World’s 50 Best Bars are in Sydney and the highest on the list, placing 11th is the incredible, theatrical, and formidable, Maybe Sammy. The team here will take honours hosting the World Class Cocktail Festival closing party, Spanish style. Tanqueray N° TEN & Tanqueray Flor de Sevilla cocktails will be a highlight of the night as the sounds of live Latin music will set the mood for the celebration as the week comes to a close and we send our new Australian Bartender of the Year to compete against the rest of the world as part of the global World Class finals.
Cantina OK! – Mama OK! When: Sunday, 2pm–8pm Where: Shop 2/106-112 Commonwealth St, Surry Hills NSW 2010 A cultural collaboration never seen before; Cantina OK! (placed #28 in World’s Best Bars) is teaming up with cult kebab shop Shwarmama for Mama OK! – a unique Sunday pop-up where you can spend the afternoon enjoying tasty tacos and Don Julio margaritas.
Bulletin Place × Belsazar Place When: Wednesday to Saturday, 5pm–late Where: 10–14 Bulletin Place, Sydney NSW 2000 Ranked 39th in the World’s Best Bars, Bulletin Place will introduce Belsazar Place, a long-term installation at the foot of their popular CBD establishment that takes inspiration from Berlin’s much loved small bar culture. Taking over part of the laneway, Belsazar Place will highlight the German Vermouth through a carefully curated cocktail list while bringing familiar German flavours to the fore with its bar snack menu including pretzels and onion dip, house-pickled caraway carrots, and smoked curry almonds.
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COLLABS Some of Sydney’s most renowned new restaurants have teamed up with Diageo’s Reserve Brands to present a curated offering of ‘Cocktail Bites’ throughout the festival.
Africola Sound System × Hotel Harry × Don Julio When: Wednesday to Saturday, 6:30pm and 8:30pm sittings Where: Hotel Harry, 40–44 Wentworth Ave, Surry Hills NSW 2010 Book the 3 course set menu via www.hotelharry.com.au Adelaide’s famous Africola Sound System takes over Level 1 of Hotel Harry in Surry Hills with Duncan Welgemoed and his team making the trip up to share a hot take on North African eats alongside an epic line-up of Don Julio cocktails and a sweet soundtrack from Godlands. Bookings essential.
Butter x CÎROC When: Wednesday to Sunday, from 5pm Where: Butter, 6 Hunt St, Surry Hills NSW 2010 Cult burger brand Butter has teamed up with Luke Whearty from BYRDI (#80 World’s Best Bars) to create the limited edition ‘Dirty Byrdi’, a limited-edition Butter Fried Chicken (fat wash) CÎROC martini served with chicken bites you’ll only be able to order throughout the festival. For something a little sweeter, opt for a Don Julio Cherry Cola Slushie paired with the infamous Butter OG Sandwich. Menu: CÎROC martini and chicken bites combo $22, CÎROC martini served with chicken bites garnish $15 or Don Julio Cherry Cola Slushie and OG sandwich $29
PS40 When: Wednesday, 28 April, 6pm Where: 40 Skittle Ln, Sydney NSW 2000 Ex-Lotus chef ‘Big’ Sam Young will be hosting one of his highly anticipated pop-up events with world-class snacks paired with Tanqueray Gin cocktails curated by the crew at PS40.
Old Mate’s Place When: Friday to Sunday, 12pm–4pm Where: Level 4/199 Clarence St, Sydney NSW 2000 Kerby Craig and Jo Siahaan from Ume Burger and Don Taco will be putting up a selection of Okinawan Tex Mex-inspired tacos while the team from Old Mate’s Place will be matching each Okinawa taco with a signature Johnnie Walker Black Highball. Please check @OldMatesPlace for bookings
Dead Ringer When: Sunday, 10.30am–3pm Where: 413 Bourke St, Surry Hills NSW 2010 Easy like a Sunday morning, dig into a brunch complete with Ketel One Botanical spritzes and breakfast martinis.
Kittyhawk When: Wednesday, 6pm–9pm Where: 16 Phillip Ln, Sydney NSW 2000 Want to feel like a Royal for the night? Head to Kittyhawk for one bougie night with Ketel One mini martinis handed to you on arrival, followed by oysters and delish snacks throughout the night – all while taking in the sounds of a three-piece jazz band. What more could you want?
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BACKSTAGE Pamela’s × Don Julio Night Brunch When: Friday & Saturday, 10pm–2am Where: Prince of York, 18 York St, Sydney NSW 2000 For an evening of entertainment that’ll take you into the wee hours, city nightspot Pamela’s is partnering with Don Julio for a special edition of their hugely popular weekend drag brunch series. ‘Night Brunch’ kicks off at 10pm and features performances from some of Sydney’s finest Queens, Charisma Belle and Karla Bear. Grab a bacon sandwich and Spicy or Pam’s Disco Blue Don Julio margarita and the night is yours.
Sammy Junior – Drinks of the Future – Printed Garnishes When: Wednesday and Thursday, 4:30pm–6:30pm; Friday, 5pm–10pm Where: 66 King St, Sydney NSW 2000 Dress up your drink! Turn an ordinary martini into your own creative canvas by printing pictures and messages on your drink! In partnership with Ketel One, Roe & Co and Mr Black, Sammy Junior will be serving bespoke espresso martinis and Irish coffees. You can also exercise some creative flair by adding your own personalised design on the foam, making it a photo moment not to miss!
Door Knock When: Wednesday, from 7pm Where: Basement/70 Pitt St, Sydney NSW 2000 For one night only there’ll be a party to celebrate the ‘Golden Age of the Cocktail’ where you can sip on retro cocktails curated by former World Class Australia Bartender of the Year winner, Alex Boon. With a guest performance by Queenie and the Cavaliers (Miss Pia Andersen).
Double Deuce When: Thursday, DJ goes live from 9pm Where: 6 Bridge St, Sydney NSW 2000 Disco your night away with the Ketel One Kitchen Disco Party – a night with DJs spinning 70s soul and funk vinyl, served up with delicious canapés and 70s-inspired Ketel One cocktails.
Earl’s Juke Joint When: Thursday, DJ goes live from 9pm Where: 407 King Street, Newtown NSW 2042 It’s 90s night at Earl’s Juke Joint looking at the ‘Decade that Cocktails Forgot‘ with Ketel One and all your favourite 90s tunes to keep the vibes flowing.
Ramblin Rascal When: Wednesday, band goes live from 9pm – drinks deal all night Where: Basement/60 Park St, Sydney NSW 2000 From Sydney’s best five-star dive bar, Copper Dog will be featuring live blues legends Howlin’ Alvarez and Drey Rollan for some late-night fun.
Big Poppa’s When: Wednesday from 10pm Where: 96 Oxford St, Darlinghurst NSW 2010 Join us after dark for fun with a live DJ, half price cacio e pepe, and some Tanqueray N° TEN negronis.
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SUPPORT ACTS To celebrate our nation’s best beverages and this year’s top 100 World Class Bartender of the Year entries, $15 cocktails will be available from selected locations nationally during the festival, from 28 April–2 May.
Participating venues include:
SYDNEY Apollo, Barber Shop, Bancho, Bitter Phew, Bistecca, Burrow Bar, Cho Cho San, Dead Ringer, Fortunate Son, Grandma’s, Icebergs Dining Room & Bar, Jacoby’s, Kittyhawk, RE, Rosenbaum & Fuller, Shady Pines, Tio’s, Tokyo Bird, Wild Rover, Riley St Garage, The Gidley, Big Poppa’s
BRISBANE Alba, Canvas, Cielo, Death & Taxes, Electric Avenue, Savile Row, The Scottish Prince
MELBOURNE 1806, Black Pearl, Bad Frankie, Bar Liberty, Beneath Driver Lane, Boilermaker, Bomba, Capitano, Eau de Vie, Elysian, Glass House, Leonardo’s Pizza Palace, Lover, Nick & Nora’s, Vue de monde, Woods of Windsor
HOBART MACq 01, Society, The Glass House
ADELAIDE Alfred’s Bar, Bar Torino, Maybe Mae
PERTH 399, Alfred’s Pizzeria, Caballitos, Ezra Pound, The Flour Factory, Foxtrot Unicorn, Hadiqa, Long Chim, Lot Twenty, Mechanics Institute, Palace Arcade, QT Perth, Varnish on King, Tiki As FK
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The World Class Cocktail Festival programme can be found at www.worldclasscocktailfestival.com with all booking links and further information.
Kicking off the week-long festivities on Tuesday, 27 April, the country’s very best bartenders – our top three finalists for 2021 – Evan Stroeve (RE, Sydney), Kayla Saito (Leonardo’s Pizza Palace, Melbourne) and David Aznar (Rosella’s, Gold Coast) will battle it out to be crowned Australian World Class Bartender of the Year.
One of Australia’s best pastry chefs, Lauren Eldridge will be joining the kitchen at iconic Sydney restaurant Berowra Waters Inn, forming a collaborative cooking duo with Head Chef and Owner, Brian Geraghty.
Officially joining 20 May, Lauren will bring her impressive CV of postings and awards to the riverfront restaurant, including Pastry Chef at Mark Best’s Marque and Pei Modern, Group Pastry Chef for Van Haandel Group (Stokehouse St Kilda, Fatto Bar & Cantina, and Pontoon), and Head of Pastry at Woodcut. She has also worked at three-Michelin-star restaurants Le Cinq and Guy Savoy in Paris, and at Osteria Francescana in Italy with Massimo Bottura.
Lauren will work alongside Berowra Waters Inn owner of nine years, Brian, to jointly deliver an enhanced Australian degustation menu of savoury (Brian) and sweet (Lauren) creations.
Previous winner of the Josephine Pignolet Young Chef Of The Year Award, Lauren will bring her signature style of creative, focused and beautifully plated dishes to the menu from 28 May.
The new culinary collaboration marks the next phase of the continued evolution of Berowra Waters Inn, or The Inn as it’s known to regulars, which in the past 18 months has moved its focus to all-Australian ingredients and beverages, befitting of its emblematic Australian setting: a distinctive Glenn Murcutt-designed sandstone, tin and glass building, perched on a tributary of the Hawkesbury River and surrounded by bush.
“Berowra Waters Inn’s mission is to deliver a dining experience which exemplifies Australia, from the food and wine to location and architecture. Adding one of the country’s best pastry chefs into the mix, who celebrates Australian produce at the core of her approach, is a very exciting way to enhance the restaurant experience as a celebration of the best this country has to offer,” said Brian Geraghty.
Previous winner of Gault&Millau Australia Chef of the Year, Brian has been Head Chef of the restaurant since taking it over in 2012, before which he worked at other leading Australian restaurants, including three-hatted Quay and Bilson’s, and Sean Connolly’s Astral, as well as London’s two-Michelin-starred Pied à Terre with fellow Australian chef Shane Osborn, and New York’s Per Se.
Plant-based eatery Alibi Bar & Kitchen will shake up its unique high tea, offering the tiered banquet to-go on weekends.
Alibi High Tea Takeaway is an expansion of the in-house offering, with a selection of 100% plant-based sweet and savoury treats, best enjoyed with a friend alongside tea, coffee, or even a tipple of booze. There’s a whole lot more than your typical scones and jam – think pulled ‘duck’ pancakes, cashew meringues and strawberry tomato compote with basil ‘cream’ and Valrhona raspberry chocolate.
The offering is available for pick up on Saturdays and Sundays, and you pre-book via their website. Whether DIY’d as a picnic on the wharfs, in nearby botanic gardens, or the comfort of your own home, it’s the perfect weekend treat.
Alibi High Tea Takeaway | $90 (feeds two)
Sweet selection: – Strawberry tomato compote with basil cream and Valrhona raspberry chocolate – Mango cheesecake with caramelised pineapple and mango sponge – Hazelnut praline sponge with chocolate glaze and hazelnut cream – Blueberry cashew meringue with kalamansi curd – Vegan scones with jam and ‘cream’
Savoury selection: – Bagel with cashew cream cheese, pickled smoked carrot, capers and Spanish onion – Pea and coriander tart with crumbled marinated ‘feta’ cheese – Pulled ‘duck’ (jackfruit) pancake with hoisin, cucumber and shallot – Corn custard with paprika sorghum and watercress – Sweet potato and olive savoury scones – Dip, olives and corn chips
Additional beverage options: – Prosecco – Perrier-Jouët ‘Grand Brut’ NV – Selection of house bottled cocktails
A festival for all the senses this April and May – with art and experiences curated by Tame Impala’s Cam Avery, artist and florist Doctor Cooper and DJ Alex Dimitriades.
The Star Sydney is curating a carnival of pleasure throughout its venues this April and May, with the theme of indulgence threaded through artist collaborations, imaginative drinks experiences and specially created menus.
Each of The Star’s Signature restaurants – Sokyo, BLACK Bar & Grill, Flying Fish, Cucina Porto and CHUUKA – along with The Darling Spa, have been tasked with creating an entirely original menu that represents their vision of indulgence: silky-textured seafood crudos, marbled meat cooked over flames, and desserts laced with chocolate, cream and red fruit.
The Star Sydney has also tapped three connoisseurs of culture to articulate their own idea of indulgence, bringing all the senses into play. Tame Impala’s Cam Avery, floral artist Doctor Cooper and DJ Alex Dimitriades will each curate a signature sensory experience to complement the food and drinks on offer.
The Star Chief Marketing Officer George Hughes said: “Indulgence is food, of course – great wine, delicious desserts, cocktails and rich flavours. But it is also about all the things that surround and elevate a great dining experience. We wanted to expand the meaning of indulgence to think about all five senses and create a luxurious sense of occasion with every experience – something we’ve missed over the last year. Expect tables laden with sumptuous dishes, abundant blooms, and evocative soundscapes”.
Dine inside an opulent still life painting at BLACK Bar & Grill, with floral art by Doctor Cooper
At BLACK Bar & Grill, Executive Chef Dany Karam will pair with florist Lisa Cooper (Doctor Cooper) to present a dining experience reminiscent of a Renaissance still life. Themes of dark and light collide, with lavish wood-fired dishes meeting an abundance of delicate, beautiful blooms.
Cooper, a butcher’s daughter and a fine art sculptor, is heavily influenced by her father’s trade and claims that sculpting is in her blood.
“Working with meat (my father’s work) is about breaking down the whole raw material; removing pieces to expose the perfect piece – like you would with a piece of marble,” says Cooper. “My work, with floristry, is about building up that piece of art by putting elements together. I’m really inspired by the contrast of those two different methods.”
Cooper will weave in the theme of indulgence in her choice of blooms: the magnolia. The entire work will be made up of this rare, beautiful and transient flower, creating a visually arresting experience.
“You never see a big bunch of magnolias,” says Cooper. “For the scope of your vision to be filled with these big, soft, silken flowers is, for me, the true meaning of indulgence.”
In conversation with Doctor Cooper’s sculpture, Chef Dany Karam will present a tasting plate of the finest in Australian meat, cooked simply and beautifully with fire and natural fuels. The dish will hero aged lamb loin (200g), Kurobuta pork chop (250g) and Wagyu beef tenderloin ($290 for two guests), pairing the smoky scent and marbled texture of the cuts with a Ridge ‘Geyserville’ Zinfandel blend.
“There’s nothing more indulgent than finding the best produce and cooking it beautifully,” says Karam. “It’s amazing to explore the different tastes and smells you can have on one plate, with three different proteins from three different farmers cooked on the grill.”
Take flight at Sokyo: top shelf Japanese whiskies and a guided groove journey with Alex Dimitriades
Sokyo’s rare dignity is set to meet rare synth grooves, as the venue invites DJ and famed crate-digger DJ Alex Dimitriades to soundtrack the venue.
When Executive Chef, Chase Kojima was tasked with devising a menu celebrating indulgence, his mind went straight to his favourite whisky, Yamazaki: “It’s precious, it’s not something you can have every day,” says Kojima. “But when it’s time to indulge, that’s what I go for.”
Diners at Sokyo can choose between four unique flights of Japanese whiskys ($80–$210pp). Each flight is paired with beef tenderloin tataki, selected to complement the characteristic smokiness of Japanese whisky. Lightly grilled on binchotan (white coals), the tataki will be served with a smoked aioli to round out the charcoal sensation.
Resident selector Alex Dimitriades (Boogie Monster) will take diners on a different kind of flight, curating a playlist of rare global grooves that will form the soundtrack for Sokyo over April and May. Dimitriades will also be stepping behind the decks every Saturday night of May from 7pm–9pm, starting May 1 to May 22, reaching into his deep bag of vinyl to bring genre-bending selections from smooth Japanese funk to Italo disco and beyond.
Dimitriades said: “I’m very excited to be a part of this collaboration with Sokyo and having the opportunity to tailor a unique soundtrack to suit the indulgent sensory overload the other resident artists are bringing to the table”.
Healing psych sounds: A restorative spa treatment soundtracked by Tame Impala’s Cam Avery
From mid-April touch meets sound at The Darling Spa, with a sonic bath of transformative ambient sounds curated by Tame Impala’s Cam Avery.
Inspired by traditional Japanese compositions, the soundscape is crafted to augment the Lit’Ya Mala Mayi treatment: a restorative full body exfoliation, mud wrap and massage ($280 for 90 minutes). This will be a unique piece of music created exclusively for The Darling and can only be experienced while immersed in this luxurious treatment. Avery has created an ambient soundtrack to evoke deep calm and relaxation.
This is truly an experience to engage the five senses, with nourishing massage, music and aromatic oils rounded out by a luxurious Champagne service.
A long, luxurious lunch at Flying Fish
For Flying Fish Executive Chef Peter Robertson, indulgence is all about time: and nothing expresses it better than a long, luxurious lunch. With that in mind, Robertson has created a lunch menu ($130pp) designed for lingering over the extended snack selection (studded with luxury items like caviar, oysters and sea urchin), slowly working your way to a decadent dessert, and taking the opportunity to indulge in a few inventive cocktails throughout.
“Part of the indulgence is taking your time through the grazing process and savouring every mouthful,” says Robertson. “The relaxed, unrestricted dining experience is something we have been craving and missing over the past 18 months, so we really hope to see guests settling in and taking the time to treat themselves.”
Elegant roe service at CHUUKA
At CHUUKA, the world class skills of chefs Chase Kojima and Victor Liong collide, resulting in a menu of elegant, flavour-forward dishes that highlight the complexities of Chinese cuisine with Japanese precision.
Designed for shared feasts, the menu encompasses a stout selection of raw seafood as well as crowd-pleasers like tempura yuzu chicken and CHUUKA’s signature Peking duck. Rounding out the dining experience is a drinks list spanning inventive cocktails and a selection of fine sakes, as well as the best of Old and New World wines.
Here, indulgence comes in the form of silky textures and luxe ingredients. Diners can opt for a special roe service with Ikura Salmon roe, cashew cream, golden egg yolk sauce, shallots chives and potato rice cracker ($45), enjoyed while treating the eyes to a spectacular view of the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
Tableside Cocktail Magic
The Star will be bringing an added layer of glamour and drama with a unique drinks trolley experience. At BLACK Bar & Grill, as the Glenmorangie Whisky Trolley rolls from table to table it will be serving up premium whisky pours, Old Fashioned and Manhattan cocktails, a selection of house-made bitters (wattle seed, hickory and za’atar) and a one-off smoked cocktail.
Meanwhile, Flying Fish is turning its attention to a different spirit. Its trolley will celebrate the martini and all its luxury connotation with three Belvedere Vodka tipples: Heritage 176, Single Estate Rye Lake Bartezec and Single Estate Smogory Forest, alongside a selection of Australian and international vermouth, and aromatised cocktails to further delight the senses.
Sokyo will be taking indulgence to greater heights with their Suntory Old Fashioned with Hibiki Harmony Smoked with Cherry Wood, priced at $60 and available Fridays and Saturdays only. This drink is perfectly matched to the chef’s smoky wagyu beef tataki, using Hibiki’s harmonious blend of whisky rolled and smoked to perfection for a “Kanzen” or complete experience.
Behzad ‘Behz’ Vaziri, The Star’s award-winning cocktail connoisseur, said: “Our cocktail trolleys add a touch of tableside magic to the dining experience, allowing us to chat through the different spirits and cocktails with our guests and personalise their drinks based on flavour preferences and palate”.
Decadent desserts with Valrhona Chocolate
Each of the Star’s signature venues will also feature a specially created dessert using Valrhona luxury chocolate.
At Cucina Porto, chef Martino Pulito is looking across all of Italy to hand pick the finest desserts from each region. The Italian Dessert Plate ($64 for 4pax) features tiramisu from Veneto, cannoli from Sicily, bigne from Tuscany, cioccolato e lamponi and a classic torta della Mamma.
“If you want to treat yourself,” says Pulito. “You always have room for dessert. Most of the time we deny it, but it’s something everyone has a weakness for.”
At BLACK Bar & Grill, in a decadent final chapter to the meal, dessert will be a warm Valrhona chocolate ganache with cherry, crispy rice and coconut sorbet.
Flying Fish will be playing with texture, serving up a luscious Valrhona chocolate cream with cherries braised in mirin, miso caramel, hazelnuts and caramelia ice-cream.
In a more experimental direction, diners at Sokyo can experience the popular Japanese Goma St with Valrhona chocolate.
For the first time ever, The Winter Village will pop up from coast to coast, launching in four Australian cities this winter. The alpine-inspired winter wonderland will pop up in Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth for the first time and is returning to Melbourne.
The Winter Village will be open daily and will be complete with an ice skating rink, an igloo village, daily snow showers and food & drink pop-ups serving the ultimate cosy comfort food.
After a blockbuster debut in Melbourne 2019, The Winter Village is excited to be bringing the activation to three new cities along with some new additions, including a new Brunch & Skate package on weekends, party igloos and more frequent snow showers.
The Winter Village is brought to life by Australian Venue Co, which owns and operates more than 160 popular pubs, bars and event venues across Australia.
Activations Operations Manager Selena Majumdar is excited to bring The Winter Village to Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth, in a year when many people are looking for a new adventure without crossing state lines or going overseas.
“We’re still very restricted in the travel plans we can make, so we’re thrilled to be able to create an escape close to home this winter. We’ve gone all out this year and we are so excited to bring The Winter Village to Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth for the first time, as well as return to Melbourne!” she said.
“It’s perfect for a novel night out with friends, a fun day in with the family or for a unique event with clients.”
For the ultimate The Winter Village experience, guests can pre-book private igloos, which are ideal for afternoon or evening sessions while enjoying some drinks and bites. There are standard igloos to accommodate 2–5 people and include the choice of two food & beverage packages. There’s also 6m-wide igloos, perfect for groups and parties of 14 guests. All igloos must be pre-booked via The Winter Village website.
The Standard Igloo Package is $49pp and includes a grazing plate of chips, dips, mini pretzels and cured meats; fried chicken bites; mac & cheese croquettes; dirty fries; herbed slaw; mash; gravy; a choice of wine or beer; and a chocolate ice-cream sandwich for dessert. Those looking to indulge can upgrade to the Premium Package for $69pp, which includes an additional espresso martini-flavoured chocolate fudge dipping sauce, berries, brownies, marshmallows & cookies and the choice of an Aperol Spritz, Espresso Martini, wine or beer. Vegetarian options are available for both packages.
The new Brunch & Skate package will let the weekend warriors work up an appetite with a 45-minute skate session, followed by a well-earned brunch in a private igloo. Brunch & Skate packages are available every Saturday and Sunday at 10am, for $35 per adult and $22 per child.
Ice skating passes can be booked online, with 45-minute sessions available during opening hours. Passes are from $24 for adults, $18 for children aged 6–14 and $10 for children aged 3–5.
Entry to The Winter Village is free, walk in customers can order food & beverage directly from the pop-up bars, with casual outdoor seating available. The Winter Village is operated by Australian Venue Co & sponsored by Emu Australia.
Check out what’s on at some of your favourite Sydney venues this ANZAC Day.
Merivale
The Newport A Northern Beaches’ icon, The Newport will have nonstop fun with Two-Up from 1pm to sundown, drink specials, and live music all Sunday long. Open from 1pm–late with bookings available here.
Vic on the Park At your favourite local pub, Vic on the Park will be hosting Two-Up from midday to sundown, with live entertainment from Andy Golledge Band and DJs all Sunday long with drink specials from 11am–10pm. Bookings available here.
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Harbord Hotel
ANZAC Day – Lest We Forget: Sunday 25 April, 7am Harbord Hotel will open right after the dawn service for coffee and breakfast on the terrace. Renowned for being the best place to meet up with mates on ANZAC Day, the car park will then come alive from 10am till dusk. https://harbordhotel.com.au/whats-on/
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Australian Venue Co
Cargo Bar
Darling Harbour’s iconic Cargo Bar will be hosting Two-Up from 10am until sundown, with live entertainment and DJs throughout the day, along with a Sunset Trumpet Ode. Bookings available here.
Bungalow 8
Get into the Anzac Day spirit with Bungalow 8’s Harbourside Two-Up Arena, DJs, live entertainment, drink specials and free bacon and egg rolls for service men and women. Open from 10am until sundown. Bookings available here.
Following the success of Season 1 of his new TV series, Matt Moran is launching a second season of Kitchen Tales, with more surprise menus and great conversation with some of Australia’s most interesting personalities in his home kitchen. The series commences on May 2.
Across eight episodes broadcast on YouTube and IGTV, Moran invites friends and guests who inspire him into his home, and recreates some of their favourite food memories. It’s only as he cooks that they start to work out what’s on the menu. The dishes reveal Moran has done his research, delving into the meals that have stayed with each guest – from what they loved (or hated) for dinner growing up, dishes they cooked to woo their partner, and the weirdest places they have cooked.
In each episode, the guests tell stories that reveal a lot about themselves, and Moran shares some personal stories and cooking tips along the way, while he takes guests through how to prepare the dishes he’s making.
Jane and Jimmy Barnes with Matt Moran
The Season 2 line up features: Jane and Jimmy Barnes – music legends and food lovers The Stefanovic brothers (pictured at top) – TV hosts and an almond farmer, together in an interview for the first time The Inspired Unemployed – popular comedic influencers Zoe Terakes – up and coming actor and activist Ronni Kahn – waste warrior and founder of OzHarvest Angie Hong – renowned Vietnamese chef and mother of chef Dan Hong Matt Wright – Northern Territory-based ‘Outback Wrangler’ Vincent Fantauzzo – influential artist and Matt’s best mate
Matt Moran and Ronni Kahn
“I love filming this show. I feel very lucky to spend a few hours with these inspiring friends in my favourite place, my kitchen,” says Moran. “It’s no secret that the kitchen’s where all the best stories get told, and each time I welcome a guest into the kitchen, I learn something really surprising or special about them. There are some cracking tales in this season and, of course, the food’s not bad either.”
Great Australian produce is at the heart of everything Moran does and Kitchen Tales showcases some of Australia’s best produce from Olsson’s salt, Alto Olive Oil, Messina ice cream, Mandolé Orchard almond milk, Malfroy’s Gold honey, Maremma duck, Humpty Doo Barramundi and, of course, Moran family farm beef.
The first episode of Kitchen Tales will be live on May 2 via Moran’s YouTube channel, with episodes released every week for eight weeks. To watch Kitchen Tales, subscribe to Moran’s YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/user/chefmattmoran.
Melburnians can order an array of banquets from eight delicious eateries, delivered straight to their front door in one flavour-packed order.
The Night Noodle Markets at Home, co-presented by Citi and DoorDash, is coming to Melbourne this June. Bringing together the signature dishes and innovative tastes of eight sizzling vendors, Night Noodle Markets at Home offers a vibrant journey through Asia – now in the comfort of home. The at-home experience is an evolution of the traditional hawker-style market that has taken place in Melbourne’s Birrarung Marr since 2014.
Night Noodle Markets at Home runs every night from 1–30 June, and is available for home delivery exclusively through the DoorDash delivery app.
Food-lovers craving aromatic smoke and exotic spices of the bustling Asian festival can order an array of banquets from new and crowd-favourite eateries Hoy Pinoy, Wonderbao, Flying Noodles/Twistto, Puffle, Indomie Mi Goreng, Thai Tide, Hokkaido Baked Cheese Tart and Kariton Sorbetes, and have them delivered straight to their front door in one flavour-packed order.
Venessa Cowell, Head of Nine Food Events said: “As Melbourne missed out on the real-life Night Noodle Markets last year, we wanted to bring the feast to Melburnians at home this winter. The event’s loyal food vendors have been itching to get back to doing what they love, creating delicious cult dishes that conjure memories of exploration, travel and connecting with loved ones over moreish food”.
Presenting partner Citi is delighted to offer Citi cardholders $20 off their Night Noodle Markets at Home order* to encourage them to join in on the festivities. “We’ve partnered with the Night Noodle Markets for twelve years now, and we’re excited to try something new, with the at-home markets which are perfectly suited for a cold June evening. Consumers can feel good about indulging in comfort food from their couch, while also supporting Melbourne’s dining scene, which continues its path to recovery post-COVID,” said Samantha Elliott, Head of Digital Sales and Marketing for Citi Australia. *Terms and conditions apply.
Delivery Partner DoorDash is offering 25% off and free delivery for first time users of DoorDash, when purchasing from the Night Noodle Markets at Home. New users will also get $1 delivery for every other order placed on DoorDash from the Night Noodle Markets at Home, for a further 30 days. Rebecca Burrows, General Manager, DoorDash Australia, said: “DoorDash is proud to be partnering with Night Noodle Markets at Home this year, to deliver the reimagined festival experience to the doorsteps of Melburnians. It’s great to be able to continue connecting locals with their favourite eateries on-demand, and to showcase the delicious array of Asian cuisines our Melbourne restaurant partners have to offer”.
The Night Noodle Markets at Home kitchen will be one central CBD location, delivering to the following suburbs: Melbourne, West Melbourne, East Melbourne, South Melbourne, North Melbourne, South Bank, Parkville, Fitzroy, Collingwood, Carlton, Cremorne, Docklands, South Wharf with partial coverage to Abbotsford, Richmond, South Yarra, Albert Park & Port Melbourne, with more suburbs to be announced soon. To find out if the Night Noodle Markets at Home is available for delivery to your address, open the DoorDash app in June, and search for the ‘Night Noodle Markets at Home’.
Melbourne Good Food Month presented by Citi will safely return to Melbourne this June, with the full programme announced 3 May, with tickets on sale 9am Thursday, 6 May. Food lovers can subscribe to the Good Food Month mailing list to be sent a reminder when tickets go on sale.
Night Noodle Markets at Home Menus Tuesday, 1 June to Wednesday, 30 June (inclusive) Trading Hours: Sunday to Thursday 5pm–9pm; Friday & Saturday 4pm–10pm Some menu items will be available on rotation as specials throughout the month, so check in on the DoorDash app to view each week’s menus and prices.
Flying Noodles/Twistto Flying Noodles | Noodles with your choice of chicken, pork or seafood in tom yum soup Twist Potato | The original or sweet potato Korean-style salt and pepper calamari Famous Korean spicy rice cake
Hokkaido Baked Cheese Tart Original Cheese Tart Strawberry Cheese Tart Blueberry Cheese Tart Yuzu Cheese Tart Salted Caramel Cheese Tart Chocolate Cheese Tart Popcorn Butterscotch Cheese Tart
Hoy Pinoy Pak Pak inasal | Slow-smoked chicken wingettes in garlic, lemongrass, ginger & annatto Lumpia Shanghai | Chicken spring rolls with Hoy Pinoy banana ketchup & coconut mayo Inihaw na Baboy | Pork belly skewers in banana ketchup glaze Inihaw na Manok | Chicken skewers in traditional soy glaze Liempo rice bowls with fried egg | Slow-smoked free-range pork belly, adobo glaze on garlic rice, ensaladang pipino, atchara w fried egg Battered Adobo Chips | Battered chips with adobo seasoning Lechon Kawali rice bowls with fried egg | Braised & crispy fried free-range pork belly, caramel & coconut glaze, garlic rice, ensaladang pipino, atchara w fried egg Sisig rice bowl with fried egg | Roasted & smoked free-range pork, chopped w onion, garlic, chilli, vinegar on garlic rice, ensaladang pipino, fried egg
Indomie (Mi-Goreng) The OG | Mi Goreng with fried chicken ribs (coated with Mi Goreng crumb), fried egg and stir-fried vegetables Burritos Chicken Satay | Mi Goreng burritos with chicken satay and peanut sauce Chicken Satay | Chicken skewers (5) served with peanut sauce and Mi Goreng crumb Mie-Burg | Mi Goreng burger with beef patties, special cream cheese, tomato sauce and Mi Goreng chips Currymi-away | Indomie noodles served with fried chicken, soft boiled eggs and vegetables with a special Indonesian curry sauce Mie Roll | Mi Goreng spring rolls with prawn
Kariton Sorbetes Ube Halaya “gaytime” | Their signature purple yam gelato swirled with purple yam fudge and blackberry jam coated with purple yam cake crumbs, toasted coconut curds and freeze-dried blackberry Champorado “choctop” | Toasted rice and Filipino chocolate gelato with a fish sauce caramel swirl piped into a chocolate waffle cone and the top coated with crispy black rice and candied cacao nibs Yema “maxibon” | Malted milk gelato rippled with miso egg yolk fudge sandwiched in a salted egg yolk biscuit and dipped in white chocolate Desserts Taho ‘tapioca pudding’ | Silken tofu and soy milk gelato with soy tapioca pudding and oolong tea syrup-soaked boba pearls Turon ‘trifle’ | Bananas cooked down with rum, jackfruit, sponge cake, muscovado butterscotch, banana cream, candied sesame seeds and caramelised spring roll wrapper with a side of banana leaf gelato
Puffle Cheeseburger Puffle | Chopped bulgogi beef patty mixed with melted cheese, drizzled with kewpie mayo, mustard, spicy ketchup in a HK cheese waffle Korean Fried Chicken Puffle | Korean fried chicken topped with sweet n’ spicy sauce, kewpie mayo in a HK cheese waffle Plain Cheese Puffle Boneless Korean Fried Chicken | ZOMG seasoning, drizzled with kewpie mayo and spring onion
Thai Tide Roti with peanut sauce | Flaky roti bread served with creamy Thai peanut sauce Tom Kha Mussels | Fragrant Thai coconut soup of lemongrass, galangal, mix of Thai herbs and mussels Pad Thai Gai Yang | Classic Pad Thai with your choice of grilled marinated chicken or vegetables & tofu Pad See Ew Moo Krob | Stir-fried rice noodle, Chinese broccoli, egg and sweet soy sauce with your choice of twice-cooked pork belly or vegetables and tofu Khao Pad Pou | Thai-style crab meat egg fried rice Classic Thai Red Curry | with your choice of grilled marinated chicken or mixed vegetables and tofu
Wonderbao Gua Bao | your choice of fried chicken with spiced mayo, BBQ pork belly with hoisin or panko eggplant with kimchi (vegan) Traditional Bao | BBQ pork or Veggie Custard Bao | Sweet fried custard bao
Can’t decide what to order? Look out for the specially curated Night Noodle Markets at Home banquets, which rotate every week with new delicious goodies: Broc ‘n’ Roll: Vegetarian dinner for two I Love You Soy Much: The ultimate Date Night
To make the dining experience even more fun, some lucky eaters will be gifted with delicious bonus goodies in their order. Each night, Night Noodle Markets at Home will be giving away hundreds of surprises packed into orders – including AYAM™ Hawker Market Sauces, Redbull, and Night Noodle Markets at Home fortune cookies!
AYAM™ Hawker Market Sauces From Malaysian Char Kway Teow to Indonesian Mee Goreng, AYAM™’s Hawker Market stir-fry sauces capture the essence of Asia’s iconic street foods in 10 minutes! Simply stir fry your favourite proteins, veggies, noodles, add the stir-fry sauce and top off with the included garnish.
Imagine a world where all things were equal. There was no discrimination, diversity was embraced, and abled, disabled and anybody in between was treated the same. Unfortunately such a world is still a fantasy and worlds away. Yet it does exist – at a gorgeous café in the centre of Carlisle Street.
Walking in the door is like walking into any other charming café. It’s airy, spacious and light. Green foliage creates a wholesome feel, and friendly faces make you instantly welcome. The smell of ground coffee beans gives you a shot of positive energy and it’s a delight to sit down.
But what’s even more warming is that this regular café experience is extra special, because it’s staffed by people both with and without a disability. Based on the premise that everyone should be able to find a self-sustaining purpose in life and contribute to society in a meaningful way, the eatery employs a diverse range of people, celebrating them as they are and focusing on each individual’s unique qualities.
This ‘can do’ attitude is manifested in their scrumptious menu. With a Middle Eastern spin, you’ll find options like sizzling shakshuka, baked eggs bursting out of a rich tomato sauce, and chunks of creamy goat’s cheese. It’s served with fluffy warm pita to mop up all the secret spices. House-made hummus plate is a highlight, with Israeli-style pickles and falafel crunch. In true Melbourne style, there’s a staple smashed avo, with perfect poachies and a pistachio dukkah twist. Coffee lovers who want to live on the edge can try a turmeric latte and be on point with the latest café trend shaking our 2021 baristas and order it with ‘oat milk’ (anyone in the ‘know’ – soy and almond milk were so last year). Walk out the door with full bellies and even fuller hearts.
We’re a long way from all things being equal. But this café shows it not only can be done, but with good coffee too.
Australia’s leading mobile ordering and payment platform, me&u, has launched a nationwide drive to support hospitality workers with the announcement of Tip to Hospo Day, an initiative designed to help diners show their love and gratitude for the people who make their favourite venues tick. Scheduled for Thursday, 22 April, the event aims to raise awareness of the challenges faced by the sector, as well as directly support the teams that have been on the frontline and worked tirelessly to keep doors open to our favourite restaurants, bars and pubs over the past 12 months.
It’s not just words, either. To up the impact, me&u is pledging to match every tip raised on their platform, dollar for dollar, as a show of appreciation after what’s been an incredibly tough year for hospitality, marked by a stream of restrictions, shutdowns, closures and reopenings. With JobKeeper now ended, things are even tougher. For many staff, the reality has been one of reduced shifts and uncertainty in a time when we’ve relied on them to keep our stomachs full and our spirits high.
With the ABS revealing in March that hospitality continues to be the industry most affected by job losses since the start of the pandemic, there’s never been a better time to throw support behind the venues we love, by showing a little love for the people behind them. With in-venue dining now back in full swing, me&u sees Tip to Hospo as a way for us to get out and say thanks to all the workers who make hospo tick.
me&u has been a tireless advocate for hospitality, supporting venues through COVID by facilitating seamless contactless ordering and payment while helping increase safety and the diner experience. And while data from contactless ordering and payment apps initially saw tipping numbers taper off, with increased uptake and new features, that figure is on the rise. Since me&u added their tipping feature in June 2020, for example, they’ve seen an eightfold increase in tipping nationwide, and are now on track to raise $10 million of tips through their platform. That’s $10 million back in the pockets of hospitality workers.
Launching Tip to Hospo is a chance to remind diners that hospitality is nothing without its staff, and to say thanks to a section of the workforce that we’ve relied on so heavily over the past year. “Hospitality staff need our support. They have been some of the hardest hit during the pandemic, and yet we’ve relied on them to keep us safe and well fed,” said me&u in a statement. For me&u, if looking after people is at the core of hospitality, then Tip to Hospo is a chance to turn it around and, for a day at least, look after those people who look after us.
With hundreds of partnering venues around Australia, including Merivale, Rockpool Group, Solotel Group, The Portsea Hotel, Howard Smith Wharves and plenty more neighbourhood joints, me&u is committed to making Tip to Hospo reach far and wide, and maximising its impact. That’s why it’s pledging to dollar-match any tip made through its platform on the day to increase outcomes for workers, and to encourage diners to tip even bigger.
As for upping the stakes, Tip to Hospo is also a chance for our states to stake a claim as the country’s most generous. The latest data from me&u reveals that Victorians are Australia’s most generous diners when it comes to tipping, outspending those in New South Wales by 11% and by double in Queensland, but Tip to Hospo is an opportunity to bring a little healthy competition into the mix, with Victorians under pressure to maintain their reputation, and the onus on NSW, Queensland and other states to raise their game, all in the spirit of supporting an industry we love.
Whatever the state, Tip to Hospo is, at its core, about shedding light on the people behind the magic, but it’s also about backing it up with financial support when it’s most needed. So this Thursday, 22 April, get a group together, get out to your favourite local, and prime those tapping fingers to tip big for hospo.
Bring your Mum bayside for a weekend of celebration at Stokehouse and Pontoon.
Forget breakfast in bed, treat your mum this Mother’s Day at Melbourne’s iconic Stokehouse Precinct. Housing Stokehouse and Pontoon, the precinct has curated special menus across both venues to spoil those lovely ladies in your lives.
Upstairs at Stokehouse, take a seat in the Dining Room to enjoy unparalleled views of the bay and a seasonal three-course lunch menu curated by Executive Chef Jason Staudt, for $165 per person. This year, Stokehouse are granting mums double the love by extending their Mother’s Day offering across both Saturday, 8 May and Sunday, 9 May.
With a glass of Rosé Bollinger in hand, you’ll start by sharing one of Stokehouse’s premium Australian seafood platters. For mains, guests will enjoy Aquna sustainable Murray cod, mussel escabeche and lovage; Masala spiced spaghetti squash and sugarloaf cabbage with cashew butter and sorghum or grilled Altair grass-fed sirloin with bone marrow crème fraîche, roast onion and salsa verde.
New Group Pastry Chef Ash Smith will delight by dishing up his latest creations including a mango and white chocolate bar with macadamia and vanilla ice cream, and whisky baba with coconut meringue, wood-fired pineapple and coconut sorbet. And as a special gift for Mum, diners will take home a bon-bon of house-made chocolates for a sweet treat later on and also take home a little piece of the magic with a polaroid photo taken against the Bollinger photo wall.
For those with little ones, bring them along! Stokehouse has curated a two-course children’s menu of a main and dessert for $60 per person. Kids will have the fun of choosing from steak with chips and salad; battered fish bites with chips or herbed pesto pasta, before indulging in a decadent kids sundae.
The Stokehouse Mother’s Day menu will be available on both Saturday, 8 and Sunday, 9 May for lunch only. Bookings can be made via https://stokehouse.com.au/melbourne/ or by calling the Stokehouse reservations team on 03 9525 5555.
Downstairs at Pontoon, Staudt is making a playful adaptation on Melburnians’ favourite meal time by dishing up Brunch by the Beach. Paying homage to a traditional Mother’s Day breakfast in bed, you’ll find all your favourite morning delights from house-made scones with clotted cream and strawberry jam to a brekkie burger with porchetta, a fried egg and chipotle mayo.
For those looking to indulge, look for specials such as smoked salmon rosti with a poached egg and hollandaise sauce, as well as flamed tomatoes on toast with spinach, egg and goat’s cheese dressing. Of course, some of your beach house favourites will also make the menu including Pacific bistro oysters; fish ‘n’ chips with gurnard fillets and Bass Strait sirloin with Café d’Frank V, watercress and radish salad.
Your bayside brunch will be topped off with an array of sweets to finish – think grilled mango with coconut sorbet and shortbread; dark chocolate mousse with crispy pearls or an ice-cream sandwich with peanut butter cookie and a caramel centre. It would be rude not too, right?
You can indulge in Pontoon’s brunch à la carte menu exclusively on Sunday, 9 May only from 10.30am until 3.00pm. Bookings can be made via https://pontoonstkildabeach.com.au or by calling the Pontoon reservations team on 9525 5445.
Yellow Presents… will welcome some of the country’s best chefs to take over the kitchen and create an exclusive plant-based menu for guests to enjoy, for one night only.
The first instalment is taking place Wednesday, 28 April with Phil Wood, former culinary director of Pt. Leo Estate, when he will present a five-course tasting menu in addition to snacks.
Image credit: Kitti Gould
“I’ve been fortunate enough to live amongst and work with world-class farmers and producers on the Mornington Peninsula for the last few years. Access to great produce has shaped the importance I place on the raw article and led me to create many more dishes that hero vegetables,” says Wood.
Phil Wood’s event sold out within one day, however guests are encouraged to add themselves to the waitlist via info@yellowsydney.com.au.
Innovative Sydney-based coffee roaster, wholesaler and café group Single O announces it will achieve carbon neutral* status in time for Earth Day, April 22. Single O will relaunch its ‘No Death to Coffee Month’ initiative as part of a long-term goal to achieve net zero**, rallying customers and the wider industry to take part in a range of ‘Missions against Emissions’ to curb the trend towards a 60% reduction in the world’s Arabica coffee supply by 2050.
Single O’s ‘Missions against Emissions’ (April 22 to May 14):
● On Earth Day (April 22) Single O will partner with Three Blue Ducks, to ban single use cups across their venues for the day (including Three Blue Ducks venues in Melbourne, Nimbo Fork Lodge, The Farm in Byron Bay, Bronte and Rosebery in Sydney). The first 10 customers in each location will receive a free reusable cup, with Single O also offering extra ceramics (with seconds supplied by Mud Australia), its Loan-A-Mug program and Standing Bar to help customers enjoy their cup of coffee, sustainably. The initiative aims to inspire an additional 50 cafés to take part, which could remove 10,000 cups from the waste stream in a single day. As a call to arms for the wider industry, 66,900 tonnes of carbon could be saved if Australia’s 20,000 cafés took part for a single year (the equivalent of removing 4,549 passenger vehicles from the road, or 2.8 million trash bags of waste recycled instead of landfilled). ● Single O will launch a new blend Stone’s Throw – its “Missions against Emissions blend” (with beans from Sumatra, Papua New Guinea and Byron Bay, Australia), sporting 50% fewer shipping emissions than a typical Single O blend, further offsetting delivery from the farm to customers’ doors (launches April 23). This is not a declaration to stop shipping from afar, as Single O will continue to work with and support growers in Central America and Africa. Regionally though, quality initiatives are giving rise to more diverse and delicious profiles and this blend was an experiment to see how Single O could impact the emissions through its composition. ● Single O’s Surry Hills café will also introduce a range of plant-based dishes for vegan customers and those looking to experiment with more meat-free meals (a vegan diet is reported by Oxford University as the ‘single biggest way’ to reduce an individual’s carbon footprint, with an average reduction of 73%). Single O will also reduce the price of plant-based milks to match dairy [a 50c discount at all Single O cafes] from May 1–May 14).
“Single O is now carbon neutral and we’re absolutely stoked with that, but the fact is, our carbon footprint still sucks. Like most businesses, we still have a footprint the size of an army boot,” says Single O General Manager, Mike Brabant. “Our long-term goal is to achieve net zero status. Not only is that important in the context of a climate emergency, but carbon is threatening coffee and we’re certainly not taking that lightly either. In fact, according to the Climate Institute, over 60% of Arabica could disappear by 2050 – for us that means war! Our ‘missions against emissions’ have been created as a call to arms for ourselves, our customers and the wider industry to think about the journey our morning coffee goes on before it reaches our cup. We make subconscious decisions every day beyond just “extra hot, one sugar” that are all important in the context of a climate emergency, and these ‘missions against emissions’ are really about getting us to approach those choices consciously.”
In the first episode of this ongoing series, experienced restaurant critics Brian Steel, Jeremy Ryland and Dane Richards discuss the art and craft of restaurant reviewing, with a view to encouraging and mentoring the next generation of food reviewers.
If you would like to express an interest in being mentored by one of the panel, please email: dane@newsforthefoodlover.com
One of the country’s oldest pubs, The Royal Richmond Hotel has undergone an incredible transformation, officially opening a new gastro pub bistro and cocktail bar after an extensive renovation.
The much-anticipated unveiling marks the completion of the first phase of major works to the 170-year-old pub in Sydney’s north-west at the foot of the Blue Mountains, led by Peter Wynne and Karen Anderson, previous owners of Martin Place Bar in Sydney’s CBD.
The highlight is The Royal Richmond Hotel’s new sunlit bistro with glass atrium-style roof, original Oregon timber beams, American oak parquetry flooring, recycled brick walls, banquette seating and oversized family-style dining tables made from elm and locally reclaimed timbers.
The bistro’s large open kitchen is led by General Manager Todd Garratt (Fish Butchery, Balcon by Tapavino, Buzo, Wine Library) and delivers an all-day menu celebrating the abundance of local produce from the Hawkesbury region.
Small-scale local farmers, fishermen, producers and distillers are featured prominently on the menu, such as figs from Bilpin Blossom Farm, gin from Karu Distillery in Grose Vale, vegetables from Block 11 Organics on the banks of the Hawkesbury in Richmond, and school prawns from Gary Howard in Lower Portland.
The Royal Richmond Hotel is also producing charcuterie in-house, and carefully sourcing a selection of pasture- and grain-fed meats for the bistro’s dry-aging cabinets, with a particular focus on collaborating with Western Sydney University’s Hawkesbury Campus farm management program.
Adjacent to the bistro is the new cocktail bar with its deep green walls, timber-clad fireplaces, brass light fittings, striking rich tartan carpet, heritage wood-panelled bar with stunning brass bottle display and window seating overlooking Richmond Park.
Throughout both spaces, the walls are adorned with framed archival images of the pub over its many years, along with historic photos sharing stories and memories from the local community of Richmond, one of Australia’s oldest towns.
Working with Berry-based interior designer Victoria Hampshire and Sydney-based architect David Herron of Axil Architects, the renovation included a refurbishment to the pub’s original cosy sports bar established in 1848. Stage two renovations to be completed in 2022 will see the outdoor marquee area transformed into an all-weather beer garden that will become the hub of the venue’s music and entertainment program.
Since purchasing the pub, Peter and Karen have focused on celebrating the history and community spirit of the Hawkesbury, offering a dining and drinking experience that locals are proud of and visitors will travel for.
“The Royal Richmond Hotel has played an incredibly important role in the community and history of Richmond, and Sydney more broadly, for more than 170 years – as one of the oldest continuously operating pubs in the country,” said publican Peter Wynne.
“The pub is loved by the locals and has a rich and colourful history. We’re thrilled to be able to continue this tradition, while creating something special for locals to enjoy – whether it’s a quiet bite and casual beer or a special occasion celebration.”
The Royal Richmond Hotel is located on the main street of historic Richmond town, flanked by charming circa 1800s houses and boutiques, directly across from Richmond Park with its heritage-listed cricket stand.
The newly transformed pub is an easy 50-minute drive from Sydney’s CBD and a two-minute walk from heritage-listed Richmond train station, making it an ideal option for a memorable day-trip, lunch outing, or pitstop on the way to or from the Blue Mountains or broader Hawkesbury region.
The Royal Richmond Hotel is open 10am to 3am Monday to Saturday, and until midnight on Sunday, while the kitchen is open 11am until late every day.
400 Gradi’s Johnny Di Francesco scoops a prime spot on Southbank with his new gelateria where everything on the menu is made from scratch.
Zero Gradi, the gelato arm of the expanding Gradi Group empire by Johnny Di Francesco, is opening up in prime position along the Crown Riverwalk in Southbank on the riverfront at Crown Melbourne on Thursday, 22 April.
Five years since the original Zero Gradi opened its doors on Brunswick East’s Lygon Street, Zero Gradi Gelateria and Dessert Bar at Crown Melbourne will be offering its renowned own-made gelato, sorbets and handcrafted Italian cakes and pastries with coffee and more from Southbank’s Crown Riverwalk.
“Zero Gradi Gelateria and Dessert Bar houses all our pastries, desserts and gelato, made daily by our talented pastry chefs. The display cabinets provide an Italian fanfare of classic desserts with family recipes that have been passed down for generations. We look forward to continuing to expand the Gradi offering to the sweeter things in life,” says Di Francesco.
Made using traditional gelato-making techniques that Di Francesco perfected over two years in Naples, the gelato is churned daily using the high-quality ingredients in professional Carpigiani gelato machines with a minimum 24-hour pasteurisation time. With over 30 different rotating flavours on offer, sweet tooths will enjoy classic Neapolitan gelato flavours such as Lemon, Coffee (Zabaglione) and Pistachio, to the more obscure like Black Hawaii, White Chocolate and Sour Cherry, and Bacio.
For those avoiding dairy, Zero Gradi’s refreshing sorbets are 100 per cent vegan, with a creamy, smooth consistency ensuring the lactose is not missed in taste or texture.
In addition to the gelato, a crepe station, frozen yoghurt machine and Crema Cafe are all on-site, along with Italian pastries and cakes made daily by the creative and dedicated Gradi patisserie chefs. The Cornetti – an Italian croissant that is slightly smaller, slightly softer than its French counterpart – is made with butter imported from Europe, achieving a perfect pastry that rivals Melbourne’s best.
Zero Gradi Shop 34, 8 Whiteman Street, (Crown Melbourne Riverwalk) Southbank VIC 3006 Website | Facebook | Instagram Trading hours: Sun to Thu 7:00am–12:00am; Fri & Sat 7:00am–1:00am
Australian chefs wishing to enter the world’s most prestigious culinary competition, the Bocuse d’Or, have just one month left to apply online.
This elite event is being held at Foodservice Australia on Sunday, 27 June at the Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre. Former competitors George Calombaris and Luke Croston will be masters of ceremonies, along with acclaimed food writer Hilary McNevin.
Four finalists and their commis (assistant) chefs will be selected to compete in front of a live audience, with five and half hours to prepare two world-class dishes, one presented to judges on a platter and one on a plate.
The winner will receive a stunning trophy and prizes, as well as a trip to compete in the Bocuse d’Or Asia Pacific 2022. If placed in the top five in this regional event, they will qualify to compete in the Grand Finale in Lyon in 2023.
“International culinary events like Bocuse d’Or can transform an ordinary chef into an extraordinary chef,” says Calombaris, who encourages anyone wishing to challenge themselves to take the plunge and enter.
“To represent my country, Australia, in the most prestigious culinary competition in the world is a memory that I’ll forever cherish,” he says. “The experience set me up for an incredible career full of wonderful food, people and experiences.”
Calombaris, assisted by Commis Chef Luke Croston, competed in the Bocuse d’Or in Lyon in 2003. Croston went on to represent Australia himself in 2007 and again in 2009. The pair later went on to work together for several years.
While Croston and Calombaris will bring their experience of cooking and competing to the event, Hilary McNevin will contribute a forensic knowledge of food and ingredients gained from many years as a freelance food writer and author. Now her company Turnip Media creates digital content and connections for food producers, growers, purveyors and the hospitality industry.
“We are thrilled to have George, Luke and Hilary as MCs for this year’s competition,” says Tom Milligan, Head Judge and President of Bocuse d’Or Australia. “The four finalists will definitely be inspired and motivated to meet these professionals who have so much experience and knowhow.”
Chefs who are Australian citizens have until Sunday, 16 May to apply online at www.bocusedoraustralia.com.au. The four finalists will be announced on 31 May and need to be available to compete in Melbourne on 27 June.
“As a young 23-year-old chef, the Bocuse d’Or opened my eyes and taught me about being a chef as well as an artist,” reminisces Calombaris.
“Competing taught me that being creative is just as important as being accurate. It taught me never to compromise and always to strive for a standard of excellence.”
Bocuse d’Or Australia 2021 9am–3pm | Sunday, 27 June 2021 Foodservice Australia, Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre
Entry to Foodservice Australia trade show is restricted to people over 16 years who are working in the food, baking and hospitality industries. Pre-register for free entry online at www.foodserviceaustralia.com.au
The winner will be announced at The Road to Lyon Dinner 2021, from 6.30pm at MCEC. To book, go to www.trybooking.com/BQNHK
Sydney-based Two Good Co, a social enterprise that provides restaurant-quality food and employment training to domestic violence survivors, has launched its WHATAMOTHERL*VER campaign, aiming to raise national awareness of domestic violence survivors this Mother’s Day.
The national campaign will see Two Good Co match every #WHATAMOTHERL*VER gift pack sold with another care pack of products to a woman affected by domestic violence, living in a shelter in Australia.
The luxury care packs have become synonymous with the social enterprise, which employs vulnerable women to create beautiful gifts and food. This year, the Mother’s Day gift packs contain a 500ml Two Good body lotion, 500ml Two Good body wash and a Two Good OO Hugs candle, which is hand-poured by women in the ‘Work Work’ Program. Each care pack retails for $120.
This year, Two Good Men including Matt Kuchar from P&V Merchants and Young Henry’s founder, Oscar McMahon, are fronting the campaign, which raises awareness of the link between domestic violence and homelessness, with the fastest growing cohort of homeless people being women over 50. They hope to continue the conversation around how individual decisions can support local social impact and create tangible change in communities.
Speaking about the campaign, McMahon said: “The women I know in that age group have spent their lives being providers, nurturers and feeders. To think about a woman in that stage of her life now living in her car, or at risk of homelessness is very disheartening. This year we hope to highlight that individual decisions to support local social impact can create tangible change in our communities.
“For me, working with Two Good Co is a mixture of cause, effectiveness and the people. There’s so much positivity around Two Good; there’s strong energy and focus on the solution, rather than dwelling on the problem.”
The luxurious care products that Two Good Co have become known for were first inspired by a letter to Two Good Co’s founder Rob Caslick from domestic violence survivor Lisa McAdams, about a toiletry set she had received.
“When people think of domestic violence, they think about the abuse suffered, but rarely what was missing – love, affection and care,” says Lisa. “The day I arrived at the refuge I was handed some basics: shampoo, conditioner, soap. I was grateful to receive them as I had arrived without my own toiletries. The thing that touched my heart was they were wrapped in cellophane with a pretty, neatened bow. The fact that someone had taken the time to neaten the bow was so pivotal in my healing.”
Founder and CEO of Two Good Rob Caslick said: “Mother’s Day can be a particularly difficult time for vulnerable women, especially those staying in shelters. We want these women to know that they are seen, they are heard; that the community cares about them and that they are worthy of love and respect. We hope that this Mother’s Day, our gift packs remind them that they are not alone, and they are not forgotten; there’s a brighter tomorrow for them”.
The limited edition WHATAMOTHERL*VER care packs are available to purchase online from Two Good Co website from 6 April. https://www.twogood.com.au/good-things
It’s the time of year where the Hass v Shepard debate is in full swing. It’s a tale as old as time, and we’re eagerly awaiting the return of the superior (Hass) fruit to come back into season. But in the meantime, restaurateur Ibby Moubadder (owner of Nour, Henrietta, LILYMU and Cuckoo Callay) is throwing an avocado festival at Cuckoo Callay in Surry Hills for eight weeks, from 13 April to 11 June.
Avocados Australia data showed that the average Australian ate 4kg of avocados in 2020. “Australians are the highest consumers, per capita, for avocados in the English-speaking world, a title we are proud of,” said Avocados Australia CEO John Tyas.
Since we’re so nuts for the avo, Ibby Moubadder’s team (across his restaurants) have come together to devise a menu that pays homage to the big, green beautiful fruit. Dishes will include an avo burger, buttermilk avo chips and even an avogato (avocado ice cream served with a double shot of espresso).
Paul Farag (Nour) and Brendan Fong (LILYMU) have created dishes that tip the classic avo toast on its head whilst also paying homage to their heritage. Paul’s dish is tahini avocado served on saj bread with chermoula scrambled eggs, sujuk, wild rocket and herbs, while Brendan’s dishing up spiced avocado served on tostadas with smoked salmon, green nam jim, Thai herbs and a 63-degree poached egg.
It is a delicious day out daily across Rockpool Dining Group restaurants, but the Group’s flagship restaurants are making a month of it with a series of events and offers available throughout the annual Delicious. Month Out celebration this May.
Rockpool Bar & Grill Sydney is offering a standout event on the Delicious. Month Out calendar, with the Delicious. Legends Produce Dinner (pictured above) on Thursday, 20 May from 6pm.
The exclusive seven-course menu heroes producers who have won top accolades in the Delicious. Produce Awards, and whose produce is showcased daily on the Rockpool Bar & Grill menu.
The multi-course menu will showcase exquisite produce such as Provenir Beef, Pyengana Cheddar, Collison Reef Fish, Bruce Collis’ fish, Malfroy’s Gold Honey and Holy Goat La Luna hand-made cheese. The provisional menu can be found here. ($175 per person, or $225 with wine pairing). Bookings here.
Bruce Collis has been working with Rockpool Bar & Grill Sydney since it opened 12 years ago and describes the relationship as being “like a family”.
“Rockpool has been very kind to us. The chefs receive our beautiful fish, customers receive something special and local and it’s fantastic for us to showcase our fish at Rockpool, so it’s a win for everyone.”
Provenir has been supplying Rockpool Bar & Grill since late 2019 and says a direct line of communication with the chefs and in-house butchers ensures guests receive superb quality.
Co-founder and CEO Chris Balazs said: “What Rockpool does is connect with the producers in a way that enables them to get the absolute best produce that they demand and it’s a really special relationship”.
“We knew our meat was going to be better if we removed stress of transportation but for us to consistently supply meat on the menu of an iconic restaurant group such as Rockpool Bar & Grill has really validated that vision and passion.”
Japanese super-fusion institutions Saké Restaurant & Bar at The Rocks, Hamer Hall in Melbourne and Eagle Street Pier, Brisbane are offering guests two levels of interactive, hands-on dining experiences. A sushi masterclass followed by an izakaya-style dinner with matched drinks sponsored by Suntory Toki Whisky ($139 per person) is available for one night only in each city (Saké The Rocks 5th May, Saké Eagle Street Pier 12th May, Saké Hamer Hall 20th May).
Saké guests can also dial up the extravagance with a one-night sushi masterclass followed by an elegant omakase dinner with exquisite dishes crafted just for the occasion and paired with premium drinks ($279 per person) for one night in each city (Saké The Rocks 6th May, Saké Eagle Street Pier 13th May, Saké Hamer Hall 21st May). Sydney bookings here, Brisbane bookings here and Melbourne bookings here.
Sister restaurant Saké Manly is offering Izakaya Bites & Suntory Toki Highball sessions in the bar throughout May. Guests can enjoy an izakaya-style menu of edamame, gyoza and ramen paired with a Suntory Toki Whisky Highball ($49 per person). There are no bookings for this month-long offer.
Spice Temple Sydney is tapping into Cantonese traditions and the delicate craft of its in-house dumpling makers to bring the Delicious. Yum Cha Series, enabling guests to select five yum cha dishes from an exclusive Delicious. Month Out collection, paired with a zodiac cocktail, or a beer ($49 per person). The Delicious. Yum Cha Series is available Wednesday to Friday lunches throughout May, in the bar only. Bookings are not available. Minimum two guests required.
Fratelli Fresh restaurants are offering a three-course set menu for $39 per person. Guests choose an entree of arancini, bruschetta, calamari, or zucchini flower; a main dish of rigatoni lamb ragù, spinach and ricotta tortellini, linguine prawn (additional $3), margherita pizza, diavola pizza, house salad or grilled chicken salad; and a tempting house-made dessert of either hazelnut tiramisu, banoffee torta, key lime and meringue tart, or gelato. The set menu is available for lunch and dinner daily, throughout May. Bookings here.
Canberra-based distillery, Big River Distilling Co., has just unveiled new labels for its award-winning gins and vodka.
Founded in 2017 by former winemaker and nuclear physicist Clyde Morton, Big River has grown a loyal following across Australia for its expertly crafted spirits. With a Distillery Door based at the Dairy Rd precinct in Fyshwick, Big River spirits have won numerous awards in Australia and internationally.
The new labels were designed by creative director Matty Johnson, whose previous work includes Modus Operandi brewery, Bacardi, and Coca Cola.
The labels were inspired by simple, minimalist and layered Japanese design, with a touch of Nordic influence. The truly modern layout and information formatting tells a story of where Big River Distilling comes from and are reflective of their craft origin.
‘We were looking for a design that allows us to have brand consistency across all our spirits and that were reflective of what was inside the bottle,’ says Chief Sales & Marketer, Josh Stacey. ‘What Matty has delivered is truly exceptional and will allow us to roll out more spirits in the future that are immediately recognisable to our existing customers.’
Look for Big River Distilling at www.bigriverdistilling.com.au, your local independent bottle shop or bar, or at one of the national chains’ stores.
A new season brings a new menu and new faces to Melbourne’s fine dining Kaiseki restaurant.
Honouring the seasonal change, Ishizuka’s Creative Director Masahiko Yomoda has revealed his first autumn menu since joining Melbourne’s award-winning kaiseki restaurant last year.
Farewelling the warmer months and welcoming the change of season, Chef Yomo is now demonstrating his mastered culinary art form with a nightly nine-course set menu that celebrates the highest quality autumnal produce.
Hospitality veteren Chef Yomo joined the Ishizuka team in early 2020 prior to the first Melbourne lockdown. His Japanese heritage, flair for innovation, classic French training and natural talent has seen the kaiseki venue go from strength to strength under his guidance.
“When I first joined Ishizuka in early 2020 there is no way anyone could have predicted what lay ahead. I’m proud of how we managed during lockdown but I’m most excited to finally be able to present a Kaiseki menu to a full restaurant a year on,” says Yomoda.
“This menu is my representation of Autumn. In Japan, the seasons are incredibly important. Unfortunately, we can’t go to Japan at the moment – I miss it! – but I want to transport myself and my guests there through the creation of Japanese flavour and atmosphere. Ishizuka’s Autumn Kaiseki menu is a celebration of Australian Autumn produce and Japanese style.”
Another new face at Ishizuka is newly appointed restaurant manager Louise Naimo (Estelle, IDES). A hospitality professional with a passion for the industry and strong loyalty to her venues evident in her concise but impressive résumé of Melbourne institutions, Naimo is dedicated to creating impeccable experiences and looks forward to welcoming guests at Ishizuka.
Offering an unrivalled Kaiseki menu in Melbourne’s fine dining scene, Ishizuka is open for dinner Thursday to Monday.
Esquire Bar + Bistro is launching a new monthly dinner series: Smoke & Mirrors – a night of premium food, paired with the most exquisite drinks and a bit of magic.
Each month will be different from the last, as the neo-style bistro bar hosts a night filled with magical entertainment, astounding food courses paired with the best wines.
For the first event, on Thursday, 22nd April, guests will enjoy a 5-course degustation menu with premium paired wines from Jackson Family Wines.
To complete the experience, mentalist Andy Nunn and magicians Vincent Kuo and Adam Axford will delight the crowd with live and interactive entertainment. Learn more and see the menu here.
About Esquire Bar + Bistro: Located on Level 2 of the QVB, on the Market Street end, entering Esquire feels like stepping into a New York supper club, complete with reimagined modern Australian comfort classics alongside an array of the world’s best spirits and hand-crafted cocktails. A dark, oak bar framed with mosaic and parquetry flooring, soft leather seating and sensuous low lights all make the most of the QVB’s historical Romanesque revival architecture.
Smoke & Mirrors An evening of food, wine & magic Thursday, 22 April, from 6:30pm to 9:30pm
The new home of Kylie Kwong and Matt Whiley, South Eveleigh is now welcoming food and drink lovers. A stone’s throw from Redfern Station, Locomotive Street in South Eveleigh is quickly emerging as Sydney’s newest drinking and dining attraction. Once home to a collection of old railway sheds, developer Mirvac has lovingly restored the heritage buildings, retaining hundreds of old artefacts as a reminder of the location’s manufacturing heyday. There is even a working blacksmith still on site.
Image Credit: Kitti Gould
It’s here, in Sydney’s former industrial heartland, a raft of Sydney’s most celebrated culinary forces have chosen to make their new home. Already open for business and doing a roaring trade, you can find Eat Fuh, RaRa Chan, Steve Costi’s Famous Fish, Fishbowl and Bekya, among others.
Mirvac’s Head of Commercial Property, Campbell Hanan said: “The vision for South Eveleigh has been not only to create a world-class technology and innovation hub to work and play, but also to curate a food and retail space that has people and community at its heart, and that is welcoming and accessible to everyone.
Image Credit: Kitti Gould
“Some of Australia’s best and most dynamic restaurateurs and operators have chosen South Eveleigh as their home due to the history, culture and unique opportunity to be a part of shaping this vibrant new destination.
“The local community are embracing Locomotive Street, and the rest of our openings for 2021 will offer them many more reasons to visit.”
In mid-April, Matt Whiley, in collaboration with Maurice Terzini, will open Re, the world’s first permanent no-waste bar in one of the repurposed Locomotive Workshops. Whiley is also South Eveleigh’s Maven of Beverages, and will be curating an exciting program of events and activations throughout the year.
Image Credit: Mark Pokorny
They’ll be joined by Kylie Kwong (South Eveleigh’s ambassador for food, culture and community) in May when she opens her eagerly awaited new eatery in the Locomotive Workshops, while later in the year, The Grounds are set to open their third Sydney venue and event space at the new lifestyle hub.
Following the successful launch of Locali by Romeo’s in Sydney’s CBD, the independent supermarket chain will open Romeo’s Food Hall IGA, a new concept store in the Locomotive Workshops in April that will feature a pizzeria, patisserie, sushi bar, roastery and florist. Orazio D’Elia, Matteo owner and executive chef, has once again collaborated with Romeo’s Food Hall IGA on the food offering.
Priceline is also now open on Central Avenue at South Eveleigh, joining other retailers and wellness facilities at South Eveleigh including Nail Depot Bar; BodyFit; yoga studio and wholefood café, Egg of the Universe; and Xtend Barre.
South Eveleigh, with borders to Alexandria and Redfern, has been undergoing transformation since 2016, evolving the area into a vibrant new destination for diverse dining, drinking, work, shopping and health and wellness for the local community.
South Eveleigh was the birthplace of the Eveleigh Railway Workshops, Australia’s national rail network in the 19th century. As well as having significant historical relevance for industrial Australia, the site is one with important Indigenous legacy. South Eveleigh is working with local Indigenous community groups to ensure this legacy is represented throughout the community hub.
Jiwah, an Indigenous cultural and landscape design firm run by Clarence Slockee, oversees the South Eveleigh Community Rooftop Garden as well as the landscaping throughout South Eveleigh. The Community Rooftop Garden will be a place for education on native fauna as well as one of a couple of places in the precinct that will be used to grow edible plants for use by the hospitality retailers.
Public art plays a central role at South Eveleigh. ‘Eveleigh Treehouse’ 2019 by Nell and Cave Urban and ‘Interchange Pavilion’ 2020 by Chris Fox, both curated by Carriageworks, are two major pieces unveiled.
Australian chilli sauce specialist, The Chilli Factory, has developed the nation’s hottest BBQ sauce, The Scorpion Strike on Steroids, after demand from fans of their original Stupidly Hot BBQ Sauce, the Scorpion Strike. Made from specially grown Trinidad Scorpion chillies, which held the Guinness World Record as the world’s hottest chilli for almost three years1, the Scorpion Strike on Steroids comes in at a staggering 2.25 million Scoville heat units, nearly 1 million Scovilles hotter than the original Scorpion Strike.
The latest creation from the chilli experts, the Scorpion Strike on Steroids (RRP $28, 150ml) is currently the hottest BBQ Sauce made in Australia using chillies that are grown by a number of independent farmers from the Central Coast, New South Wales to Far North Queensland. “The Scorpion Strike on Steroids is best used sparingly and is certainly not meant for the faint hearted,” says Daniel Morgan, Director, The Chilli Factory. “It’s perfect for adding to marinades or stir-fries, brushing over barbequed meats, or sprinkling on a burger.”
Having won over 165 awards, The Chilli Factory prides itself on the quality spice factor of their all-natural fresh ingredients, to produce Australian grown, authentically made chilli products that are free from artificial colours, flavours, preservatives and MSG. The Scorpion Strike on Steroids is also suitable for vegan and gluten-free diets.
“We have a wide range of chilli products suitable for all tastes, from the tame to the totally wild,” says Daniel. “At The Chilli Factory we’re inspired by our own backyard and flavours from around the world. We want to inspire Australians to be adventurous and put a spicy twist on their everyday favourites. For those who like a mild chilli, there’s Numbat Nibble, Funnelweb Bite is a hot sweet chilli or Dragon’s Blood is really hot stuff.”
The Chilli Factory range includes sauces, seeds, chutneys and pastes and is available for national distribution and can be found in Independent Supermarkets, Barbeques Galore, Growers Markets and Fine Food Markets.
Poodle Bar & Bistro and Poodle Upstairs is fast becoming a Fitzroy favourite and venue of choice for private events. Award-winning interiors by Bergman & Co. across the two-storey restaurant help create a beautiful experience for parties of all sizes with event spaces spanning the Private Dining Room, Upstairs Lounge, Courtyard and the complete venue.
Since opening in 2020, Poodle’s interiors have received high commendations in Best Restaurant Design, Best Bar Design categories at the 2020 Eat Drink Design Awards, as well as Best Hospitality Design at this year’s IDEA Awards.
Tucked away upstairs, Poodle’s Private Dining Room is the secret hide-away from the buzz of the main bar. It is the ideal space for a smaller, more intimate event. It features a long dining table that is fully customisable and seats 20 guests. The room also has its own personal audio capabilities so guests can play their own music.
With art-adorned walls and a cosy fireplace for the colder months, the Art Deco-themed Upstairs Lounge is a welcoming space that features a view out onto Gertrude Street. Perfect for medium to large-sized groups, the space can host up to 40 people for seated or cocktail events. A retractable wall separates the Lounge from the upstairs bar for added privacy.
For groups of up to 75 people, cocktail events can also take up the entire Poodle Upstairs space, which can include the bar and Lounge areas and Private Dining Room. Upstairs is versatile and highly customisable to accommodate for multiple event styles from mellow to lively.
The Courtyard, located at the rear of Poodle is spacious, full of natural light, and ready for long, spritzy lunches. The Courtyard takes advantage of the Fitzroy lifestyle. It is heated and also features a large roll-out awning, making it suitable for all outdoor conditions and notorious Melbourne weather. Sit-down events accommodate 27 people or 50 standing.
Large events can book out the whole venue of Poodle Bar & Bistro holding up to 200 guests for a cocktail event. Having the complete venue allows for entertaining guests across all the different spaces from downstairs to the private dining room for an event that is sure to impress.
A wide variety of menu options are available ranging from curated canapé menus through to sophisticated share-style set menus designed by head chef Josh Fry. Expect a decadent selection of Poodle snacks and raw seafood, house-made charcuterie, signature cocktails and more. Any package can accommodate dietary requirements upon booking.
Complimentary tours of the stunning event spaces upstairs and throughout the venue are always available with the Poodle team upon request.
More information on private events including packages/pricing here.
I have just returned from a road trip through the NSW wineries of Mudgee and Rylstone. A lovely area at this time of year – clear open skies, crisp cold mornings, the beautiful autumn colours with fallen leaves swirling around on the ground in the light cold breeze. Now that the grapes are almost all picked, there is an air of optimism for both wine production and tourism.
Due to the COVID restrictions, wineries, like everyone else, are limited to a certain number of visitors at any one time – so most are now taking bookings for wine tastings. And they are charging a small fee – between $5 and $10 per person for the tastings. This is usually credited off any wines purchased.
$10 for a 45- to 60-minute tasting class with a passionate winemaker and a limited number of people is excellent value.
Yet it is odd. We have no problem paying for tickets to the cinema and the theatre, or providing a deposit on our accommodation, prepaying for our airfares, or buying tickets to the football. And online shopping, which has grown fast in the past year, requires pre-payment. Even if you order a home delivery, you expect to pay upfront. But for some reason, we have been reluctant to prepay for a meal at a restaurant.
Whilst we expect to pay for theatre tickets, we have been used to just showing up to restaurants. Habits are hard to break – but it’s time to rethink about how we pay for meals. And COVID has helped to change this.
In an industry hit hard by the impact of COVID-19, with reduced tables, occasional local lockdowns and social distancing, restaurant no-shows are a massive problem for pubs and restaurants. Sadly the “no-show” rate – that is the number of people who book a table and do not show up and don’t bother to cancel – is quite high in Australia. No-shows hover around 20–25% of pre-bookings. These are disappointing, financially damaging and demoralising. No-shows are a burden on the restaurant industry.
Running a restaurant is not easy. Apart from all the operational, human resource and event management issues, there is a need to invest in food and wine supplies. Pre-production and mise-en-place are a significant investment. There needs to be some security in ensuring a return on this investment.
Most restaurants are now taking credit card details to secure a table. Some are taking pre-paid deposits. And many now charge a cancellation fee, unless they are given reasonable notice (this is common in other services such as medical and dental appointments, accommodation, conferences, hairdressers and child care). Some may say that this is not in the spirit of hospitality – but restaurants are businesses and have to make a profit to stay around. So it is in our interests to support them.
No-shows have always been an issue. But they are exacerbated by online booking. It is simple to click and book. There is no longer a human face or voice associated with the booking. It’s simply an app. Some of the booking groups such as TheFork have introduced a penalty programme to identify regular no-shows. But it is still a problem.
So, bookings secured with credit cards and pre-paid deposits will become the new normal, as they are for most entertainment. This does, however make anonymous reviews a little challenging!
Having worked together previously at Rockwell & Sons and Bar Liberty, Casey and Oma’s own head chef Mark Hannell will team up again on Sunday, 18 April, to present a combined set menu for $75, showcasing the best of their Byron Bay- and Melbourne-based venues.
“Casey was an incredible mentor and friend to me during the time I worked under him at Rockwell & Sons and Bar Liberty, so I can’t wait to get back in the kitchen with him and see what he creates,” says Mark. “I know all too well what an amazing chef he is – so we’re definitely in for a great night”.
The eclectic menu will showcase Casey’s cult-favourite dishes of raw beef with caramelised onion and dijon from Bar Liberty, vodka rigatoni from Capitano and charred savoy cabbage from Bar Liberty; alongside a selection of Oma favourites from Mark Hannell. All dishes will also be available as part of the à la carte offering, and will remain on the menu for the week to follow. Oma’s full beverage list will be available, including the female-led natural wine list curated by Group Beverage Manager, Mem Hemmings and a special Pennyweight × Bar Liberty Palomino blend wine available for the evening. Merch will be available including tee’s from Bar Liberty and Capitano, alongside Casey’s famous ‘chicken flour’ – a secret blend of flour and spices used in his fried chicken recipes, which he sold through Falco Bakery for the first time during the 2020 lockdowns.
Designed to be relaxed and informal, the event will not be ticketed but bookings are highly recommended via omafoodandwine.com
This Mother’s Day Melburnians are encouraged to bring a touch of Nobu to their home with a specially curated high tea from the internationally praised Japanese fusion menu.
With a Nobu twist on high tea favourites, like matcha scones with yuzu marmalade & nori butter to lobster rolls with mentaiko mayonnaise and a kinako & sesame chocolate ball, it’s the ultimate way to truly spoil your mum. To make the day even more special, guests are encouraged to upgrade to a bottle of Moët Chandon Brut Rosé NV to perfectly complement their Nobu high tea.
For the first time, the indulgent Nobu at home Mother’s Day high tea offering will be available to order online ($165, serves two people) and can be delivered up to a 20km radius from Crown Melbourne.
Delivery & Click and Collect online orders must be placed before 12pm on Friday, 7 May 2021.
A 10-day festival celebrating the Northern Beaches surf culture.
Harbord Hotel, Freshwater’s laidback beachside haven, presents FROTH FEST, a 10-day festival celebrating Sydney’s Northern Beaches surf culture, from 16–26 April. Riding the wave of the 2021 World Surfing League Rip Curl Narrabeen Classic, the action-packed programme of events will encourage Sydneysiders to immerse themselves in the salty tapestry of ‘The Beaches’ and deep dive into all things surf, art, film, boards, music, great food and cold beers.
Glenn Piper, owner of Harbord Hotel, said “Sydney’s Northern Beaches have been an incubator for surf culture for more than 60 years, producing some of the greatest heroes, larrikins and infamous characters in surfing and Australian counter-culture. FROTH FEST is a celebration of their art, their films, their song, their history.”
FROTH FEST features an epic line-up of events, talks, exhibitions and gigs including; an Awake Academy ‘Lunch & Learn’ with seven time world-champion surfer, Layne Beachley; two live recordings of ‘AIN’T THAT SWELL’, the surfing podcast by esteemed journalists and hosts Jed ‘Smivvy’ Smith and Vaughan ‘Deadly’ Blakey dedicated to cutting sick; a live performance in the main bar by Australian singer-songwriter, Ruby Fields; Divine Flow Yoga with Freshwater local and yogi, Eliza Hayward; a photographic exhibition of ‘The Beaches’ by revered surfing icon, Peter Crawford; and a screening of ‘Men of Wood and Foam’ which tells the story of pioneers of the Australian surfboard industry and uncovers a golden decade in surfing where it transformed into a sport and culture.
On ANZAC Day, Harbord Hotel will open right after the dawn service for coffee and breakfast on the terrace. Renowned for being the best place to meet up with mates on ANZAC Day, the car park will then open from 10am, coming alive with 2UP from midday til dusk.
The festival will conclude with the unofficial Surf League Afterparty hosted by The Swellians on Monday, 26 April, as they toast to an epic ten days of events. More details to be announced soon on https://harbordhotel.com.au/froth-fest/.
A Freshwater institution for nearly a century, Harbord Hotel reopened after a spectacular restoration in January and quickly won the hearts of the local community with its fresh look and respectful nod to Freshwater’s surf history. Located a short stroll from Freshwater’s shoreline, Harbord Hotel is home to an expansive main bar, sun-soaked terrace, and the Balsa dining room, where guests can settle in and enjoy good mates, great food, cold beer, cracking tunes, and, of course, the ocean.
FROTH FEST 2021 PROGRAMME Flow & Feast hosted by Divine Flow Yoga | Friday 16th April, 7am Glide through your morning with Freshwater local and founder of Divine Flow Yoga, Eliza Hayward, as she guides an intimate morning zen-flow similar to how a surfer feels when they are in the zone. The practice will be followed by breakfast in the courtyard. All proceeds will be donated to Waves of Wellness, a mental health surf therapy charity committed to changing lives by delivering for-purpose, innovative support programs for people experiencing mental health challenges. Tickets are $35pp and include 45min yoga flow followed by coffee and breakfast.
Ash Holmes Art Exhibition | Friday 16 April–Sunday 18 April Northern Beaches local Ash Holmes has been painting for as long as her hands could hold a brush. A fourth-generation artist, she developed her painting practice from a vocational pursuit into a fully-fledged professional career and has become one of Sydney’s most hotly tipped artists. Ash is responsible for the stunning mural that warmly greets you when you enter Harbord Hotel, and the team are proud to feature more of Ash’s works throughout the venue during FROTH FEST.
Board Demo with Bennett Surfboards | Saturday 17 April, 9am–4pm Test drive a new board and chat to the legends at Bennett Surfboards on the grass in front of Harbord Hotel. Everyone’s invited – from the old surf dogs to the little groms – and there will be coffee and breakfast available on the terrace, and a BBQ at lunch to fill up on after a surf.
Peter Crawford Photographic Exhibition | Monday 19 April–Wednesday 21 April Peter Crawford is one of the Northern Beaches’ most revered surfing icons. His life was a sun-soaked wild ride drenched in surf travel, exploration, and stories of the 70s surfing avant-garde. Presented by his son, Justin Crawford (surfer, photographer and founder of fallenBROKENstreet), this exhibition will particularly focus on ‘The Beaches’ during this explosive period in surfing history.
‘Men of Wood & Foam’ Film Screening | Monday 19th April, 8pm ‘Men of Wood and Foam’ tells the story of pioneers of the Australian surfboard industry. It uncovers a golden decade in surfing, starting in 1956, when surfing was transformed into a sport and culture with its very own music, movies, fashion and heroes. Underpinning this exciting transformation was a small group of Brookvale-based artisans called the Brookvale 6. Bennett Surfboards will donate a board to be auctioned on the night with all proceeds donated to SurfAid, an organisation whose mission is to improve the lives of women and children in remote areas connected to Australia through surfing. The film will be screened in the Balsa dining room, and guests can book a table for dinner beforehand here.
Ruby Fields LIVE | Wednesday 21 April, 8:30pm, $65pp Ruby Fields will be playing a very intimate live gig in Harbord Hotel’s main bar. Ruby is an Australian singer-songwriter whose use of simplistic but poignant lyrics has garnered the attention of the Australian music industry and fans alike. After uploading a single to Triple J Unearthed and gaining national airplay that same day back in 2017, Ruby’s indie rock chords with punk rock delicacy have amassed over 12 million listens across streaming platforms _ her song ‘Dinosaurs’ took out ninth place on Triple J’s Hottest 100 in 2018. Tickets are $65pp entry, and Ruby will be supported by Love Drunk Hearts.
Lunch & Learn with Layne Beachley | Thursday 22 April, 1pm Layne Beachley is a seven-time world champion and the only surfer in history to claim six consecutive world titles. Standing firm in her values with a clear vision for the future, Layne lives a life of unapologetic honesty, with humour and humility. Her no bullsh*t leadership style blazed a trail for equality, in and out of the water – and led her to create Awake Academy, an online self-empowerment platform designed to help people unlock a life filled with fun, freedom and flow.
Join Layne for an intimate lunch in the Balsa dining room, where she will share her lived experience and reveal how to transform your life. Tickets are $150pp and includes a three-course set lunch menu and a welcome drink.
‘AIN’T THAT SWELL’ LIVE at Harbord Hotel | Thursday 22 and Monday 26 April, 6–8pm
Grab a cold one and join hosts Blakey and Jed as they record LIVE at Harbord Hotel. The ‘AIN’T THAT SWELL’ podcast and YouTube show has been churning out degenerate, shambolic, straight-talking, p*ss-taking, car park surf radio for over half a decade. With over 50 years in magazine and online publishing between them, esteemed journalists and hosts Jed ‘Smivvy’ Smith and Vaughan ‘Deadly’ Blakey have created a podcast with its own cult sub-culture of core lords, corn draggers and swellian queens who tune in every episode to experience their unique, informed and outrageously non-filtered take on the culture, sport and lifestyle of surfing. No topic is too ridiculous, no feat in the water too epic. Tickets available from harbordhotel.com.au/froth-fest
Steve Gorrow Art Exhibition | Thursday 22 until Monday 26 April Harbord Hotel is proud to premiere the first show of Australian award-winning designer and art director Steve Gorrow’s new works. Mostly known for being one of the masterminds behind surf brand, Insight, Gorrow has produced some of the surf industry’s most revered campaigns. Born and raised on the Northern Beaches of Sydney, his style is intrinsically linked to pop culture and is infused with a unique sensibility, simultaneously blending playful pop iconography with socio-political undercurrents.
Fluro Friday hosted by Chix Surf School | Friday 23 April, 7am Harbord Hotel is proud to partner with Chix Surf School to bring OneWave’s Fluro Friday to Freshwater Beach. Dress up in your brightest outfit, share stories, surf with Chix at Freshie then head to the sunny courtyard for breakfast – all while raising awareness for mental health. Every Fluro Friday participant will receive a free coffee when they order breakfast at Harbord Hotel.
Harbord Shakes with Haydenshapes | Friday 23 April, 8:30pm Haydenshapes is a modern performance surfboard brand, founded in 1997 by Hayden Cox at the age of 15. Inspired by design, technology, innovation and a simple, clean aesthetic, Hayden and the brand are recognised for notable projects both within and unconventional to the world of surfing. Join Hayden Cox as he takes over the Balsa dining room and gives away Dion Agius’ new signature board (a customised Raven), with tunes from DJ Rad Dan and a screening of ‘These Violent Delights’ featuring Dion alongside Craig Anderson, Micky Clarke, Dylan Graves, and Jake Kelley. Tickets are $45pp and include a drink on arrival and canapés.
Curly Maljam Pro Welcome Drinks | Friday 23 April, 6pm Harbord Hotel is proud to sponsor Curly Maljam, Australia’s premier one-day longboarding surfing event – celebrating the three main stages of the longboard evolution; from the early 1950s hollow wooden boards, to the classic single fins and the modern-day high-performance models. Since its inception in 2011, the Maljam has been attracting the best of the nation’s riders and past and present, and World Champions all going head to head with the best of the locals. Guests can expect live music and the chance to rub shoulders with Maljam participants as they gather for drinks before the main event on Saturday, 24th April.
Board Demo with M/SF/T Shapes | Saturday 24 April, 9am–4pm Hosted by M/SF/T Shapes on the grass in front of Harbord Hotel, everyone from old surf dogs to little groms can test drive a new board, or chill on the grass with surfers from all over.
ANZAC Day – Lest We Forget | Sunday 25 April, 7am Harbord Hotel will open right after the dawn service for coffee and breakfast on the terrace. Renowned for being the best place to meet up with mates on ANZAC Day, the car park will then come alive from 10am til dusk.
Unofficial Surf League Afterparty hosted by The Swellians | Monday 26 April, 8pm
Join The Swellians as Harbord Hotel toasts to an epic ten days of events celebrating the salty tapestry of The Beaches with surf, art, film, boards, music, good grub and cold beers.
This Mother’s Day, online alcohol subscription service Gin Loot has created its very own GINerous hamper, perfect for spoiling mum. Designed to take mum on a journey of gin discovery, this hamper includes all she will need to create the ultimate Gin and Tonic whilst also learning the lowdown on all things Gin.
Gin Loot Mother’s Day Hamper: ● Gin Loot Best of Australia Tasting Pack – Australia is currently deep in the midst of a craft gin revolution. Taste your way through Australia’s best distilleries that are harnessing the unique flavours of the outback. ● Fever-Tree Premium Indian Tonic Water (150ml can) – the Tonic that changed the industry forever. Made blending spring water with rich botanicals and cinchona bark from the “Fever Trees” of the Eastern Congo. Complex and refreshing. ● A Life of Plenty Citrus Garnish Pack – each pack contains 5 pieces of assorted citrus. Made from 100% Australian citrus, this dried citrus range is all natural – preservative and additive free. ● Gin Made Me Do It by Jassy Davis – gin aficionado and cocktail maven Jassy Davis explains everything you need to know about gin: how to choose the perfect blend, mix the ultimate martini, and deliver delicious cocktails for every occasion. ● The Sunday Blue Blood Orange & Grapefruit Candle – tropical desert island, cocktail in hand, this candle provides a crisp zesty experience. With base notes of freesia and fig topped with orange and grapefruit.
So what are you waiting for? Head to ginloot.com and spoil mum this Mother’s Day with Gin Loot’s immersive gin hamper.
• Traditional smoking ceremony and sod-turning event to be held onsite • Anaconda, McDonald’s and Officeworks confirmed as new tenants coming soon • Large format retail precinct leasing now • ECQ Stage 2 to be launched in 2022
With Anaconda, Officeworks and McDonald’s all coming soon to Eastern Creek Quarter (ECQ), Frasers Property Australia officially launched the next stage of the centre, the new large format retail precinct, on Thursday, 8 April.
Special guests including Blacktown Mayor Tony Bleasdale, Executive Director of Western Sydney Parklands Trust Suellen Fitzgerald and Frasers Property CEO Anthony Boyd were on site at ECQ, 159 Rooty Hill Road South, Eastern Creek for a traditional smoking ceremony and sod-turning event.
The second stage of ECQ will comprise approximately 11,300 sqm of large format retail space and feature up to 20 stores ranging in size from 200 sqm to 2,000 sqm. It will also deliver an additional 340 on-grade parking spaces.
A 5 Star Green Star Design & As Built rating is being targeted for Stage 2, in keeping with the centre’s sustainable identity, with plans for a major 400kW solar system to generate energy for use in the precinct.
The leasing campaign for ECQ Stage 2 is progressing well with Anaconda, Officeworks and McDonald’s confirmed as major tenants and negotiations with other leading brands progressing.
Frasers Property Australia anticipates launching the large format retail precinct in 2022.
Anthony Boyd, CEO, Frasers Property Australia says the launch of the new large format retail precinct is an important milestone for the centre and for the local community.
“Thanks to the efforts of our wonderful tenants, Eastern Creek Quarter has become established as an important social and retail destination for the local community. The start of construction on the new large format retail precinct at ECQ adds a new dimension to the community and will draw visitors from across Sydney,” Mr Boyd says.
“We look forward to creating the new precinct in a way that supports all retailers and does justice to the beautiful Western Sydney Parklands backdrop,” he says.
“Eastern Creek Quarter has already benefitted the whole community by creating more quality local jobs and significantly contributing to allow the Western Sydney Parklands Trust to provide high quality and free recreation facilities in Blacktown and to continue to restore native bushland. The creation of Stage 2 will further benefit the Trust that manages the Parklands including providing high-quality green open space, award-winning recreation areas, maintaining over 60 km of tracks and trails and helping to fund a 1,000 ha expansion of bushland corridor,” says Suellen Fitzgerald, Executive Director of Western Sydney Parklands Trust.
In addition to direct benefits to the Parklands, the development is projected to create approximately 100–120 construction jobs and 271 ongoing retail jobs on-site.1
Opportunities exist at ECQ for homewares, electrical goods, automotive, recreational, outdoor, pet and baby goods operators. There are also potential opportunities for indoor children’s recreation centres and swim schools.
For large format retailers, ECQ’s location offers substantial potential. The centre benefits from convenient accessibility and very high exposure, with 11.2 million2 vehicles travelling along the Great Western Highway annually, and the population in the main trade area is undergoing significant growth.
According to LocationIQ, the trade area for ECQ is categorised by younger, larger than average families with household income levels around 20% higher than the Australian benchmark of around $98,5003. The centre serves a large and growing catchment and is within a 15-minute drive for 330,000 people and a 30-minute drive for 1.2 million people4.
Large format retail leasing specialist Retail Projex has been appointed to coordinate the leasing campaign for ECQ Stage 2.
With a full-line Woolworths supermarket, Stage 1 of ECQ houses a mix of local concepts, quality brands and the unique ECQ Social precinct, with its covered and al fresco seating, outdoor deck, kids play area and large format outdoor digital screen.
Stage 1 of ECQ has been awarded a 6 Star Green Star Design & As Built rating by the Green Building Council of Australia and features 1MW of solar panels, a 200kL onsite rainwater tank, extensive landscaping and trees in the external carpark area, and bicycle parking facilities, making it a world leader in sustainability.
1 Ethos Urban, Environmental Impact Statement on the Eastern Creek Stage 2 development lodged to DPIE, November 2018. 2 Eastern Creek Business Hub, Market Potential Assessment, LocationIQ, November 2017. 3 Eastern Creek Business Hub, Market Potential Assessment, LocationIQ, November 2017. 4 Eastern Creek Business Hub, Market Potential Assessment, LocationIQ, November 2017.
Top image: Blacktown Mayor Tony Bleasdale, Executive Director of Western Sydney Parklands Trust Suellen Fitzgerald and Frasers Property CEO Anthony Boyd
Artichokes & Village Greens by author Fofi Gourlas is a tribute to the author’s mother, showcasing a variety of Greek and vegetarian recipes that have been refined and passed down through generations of family and friends.
In Artichokes & Village Greens, Gourlas shares 72 vegetable-focused recipes, from meze and soup to salads, greens and traditional (and non-traditional) cakes, biscuits and sweets. The importance of family and heritage and their capacity to inform the way we eat and cook is a common thread that runs through the book. Recipes include semolina halva, soupa avgolemono and meringue, date and walnut torte, alongside well known Greek dishes such as spanakopita, horiatiki salata (Greek salad) and koulourakia (Easter biscuits).
Gourlas describes Artichokes and Village Greens as, “a handbook for Greek home-style cooking. This book conveys a love of family and community, expressed through the preparation of food. It’s my way of honouring the wealth of tradition that has been passed down to me through cooking and sharing food and is a means of preserving my Greek heritage”.
This is a personal cookbook, made universal in its demonstration of the ways in which tradition and the practice of sharing food coalesce. It encourages readers to experiment with traditional cooking techniques while cooking and sharing the recipes.
Gourlas is a Sydney-based interior designer and passionate cook. She learned to cook in her mother’s home kitchen, mastering time-honoured dishes that have always had a place at the Greek table, as well as Australian classics.
The book will be available from early April where all good books are sold. The book will also be available direct from the author at www.foficooks.com.
Our Senior Perth Contributor Christophe Chevallier, invited to celebrate the occasion of Rockpool Bar & Grill’s 10th Anniversary in Perth, reports back on an exceptional night, which featured the greatest hits of the menu over that period of time. He writes:
April 2021 marks the 10th anniversary of Rockpool Bar & Grill Perth, which is celebrating the landmark achievement with a full month dedicated to the very best producers in Western Australia.
Head Chef Ludovic Mulot has designed a 7-course tasting menu around the best that Western Australia has to offer – from a succulent dry-aged in-house Wagyu beef slider to open proceedings, to the luscious chocolate dessert.
All the dishes were as divine as each other but for me the highlight was the ceviche – Pink Snapper, freshly caught from the Abrolhos Islands, marinated beautifully with a crunch of blood lime – hard to fault, a superb dish.
Next up, the charcoal Blue Ridge marron was equally satisfying. The tail meat melted in the mouth with classic winning flavours of butter, garlic and parsley.
The Mediterranean-influenced fried calamari from Fremantle was another pleasing dish – lusciously tender, and served with Romesco sauce.
To follow, another successful dish in my eyes and my mouth, simple yet delightful, perfectly grilled dhufish from Geraldton. The charcoal cooking method makes the difference with the homemade aioli, and again the dish speaks for itself.
The pièce de resistance, a meat trilogy – Arcady Lamb, White Rocks Veal and Blackwood Valley Beef – the best in the West. Wood-fire grilled to perfection, on the bone, tender, succulent, ideal for meat lovers. What can beat a béarnaise sauce to dip in charcoal grilled meat? The meat is served with a side of grilled broccolini topped with melted pecorino cheese, and a colourful, well-seasoned leaf salad.
To finish (if you still have room for dessert!), a velvety chocolate and subtle salted caramel gateau with creamy vanilla ice-cream is a delectable way to finish this exclusive meal.
This anniversary celebration is an ode to gastronomy – the entire degustation menu will delight your tastebuds. Ludovic has kept the dishes as natural as possible to let the real flavours shine. It takes a dedicated and skilled chef to add his own delicate touch to enhance the flavours.
Treat yourself with wine pairing – all those mouth-watering dishes are perfectly matched with – of course – magnificent West Australian wines. From the newly released sparkling “Idée Fixe” from Vasse Felix to the famous Leeuwin Art Series, wines from the state’s most renowned wineries complement the food. The sommelier made great pairings with wines from Mount Barker and Swan Valley.
This anniversary is a great showcase for the West Australian food industry, farmers, producers, butchers, fishermen, winemakers, chefs and waiters to come together to produce this sumptuous, unforgettable experience. Cheers to another 10 years!
Come and celebrate 10 years of succulent food at Perth’s Rockpool Bar & Grill, available only from 1st to 30th April.
Five days of quality cocktail and food experiences, epic pop-up events and parties are set to excite the city this month.
At a moment when we are all looking forward following the events of 2020, Australia is set to be inspired by its own vibrant bar culture with the World Class Cocktail Festival taking place in Sydney from 28th April to 2nd May 2021.
Reigniting our love affair with outstanding hospitality, quality dining, award-winning cocktails and celebrating our nation’s best bartending talent, World Class Cocktail Festival marks a significant milestone for the hospitality industry, as it welcomes customers back to bars and restaurants for the moments they’ve been missing, plus a whole lot more. Seven of the World’s 100 Best Bars are in Australia and every one of them is included in the festival line-up. The exciting schedule of events and unexpected partnerships is set to give the world a glimpse of what they can expect when the world’s most prestigious cocktail competition, Global Bartender of the Year, comes to Sydney in 2022.
On Tuesday, 27th April, the country’s very best bartenders will battle it out to be crowned Australian World Class Bartender of the Year, with the winner moving on to represent Australia virtually in the global World Class Bartender of the Year finals in July.
From Wednesday, 28th April, the bustling suburb of Surry Hills and Sydney’s CBD will come alive with the World Class Cocktail Festival, five days of bespoke cocktails, live entertainment, pop-up events, immersive brand experiences and dining collaborations, all championing the very best of Sydney’s diverse bar scene.
As the official festival ’Main Stage’, Paramount House will feature luxury brand collaborations, including Don Julio tequila and Ketel One Botanical vodka offering one-of-a-kind experiences every day.
The festivities will flow into the nearby surrounds of Surry Hills and the CBD where the likes of Tanqueray No. TEN London dry gin, Belsazar vermouth and CÎROC vodka will offer a curation of unexpected activities for Sydney to take pleasure in for the very first time.
World Class Cocktail Festival will not only highlight Australia’s best bars and an international standard of cocktails – at just $15 each – but also hero the most highly regarded and awarded drinking destinations in our very own backyard.
MAIN STAGE Paramount House
Little Melbourne | Golden Age Bar Wednesday to Sunday, 5pm–late Melbourne’s reputation for hospitality shows up no better than in their incredible bar scene, so we’re paying tribute to our neighbouring city by celebrating a selection of their best! Award-winning Melbourne venues will take up temporary residence at the Golden Age Bar each evening, with an impressive line-up of bartending talent from the likes of Above Board, Black Pearl, Byrdi and The Everleigh (all featured in the World’s 100 Best Bars) coming to town to share their top Don Julio tipples with Sydneysiders.
Simon Johnson × Ketel One: The Truth About Caviar | Golden Age Bar Saturday, 1st May, 2pm–5pm Celebrating the increasingly popular vodka and caviar pairing in an afternoon titled ‘The Truth About Caviar’, the team from Simon Johnson, Purveyor of Quality Food, will offer unique tastings and education for guests to better understand this luxury ingredient and its history of being partnered with vodka. Ketel One vodka martinis will be served alongside a bump of caviar, or for the more inquisitive guests, a hosted in-depth 20-minute tasting experience.
Mexico’s Golden Age | Golden Age Cinema Wednesday to Saturday, session times available at www.ourgoldenage.com.au If you’re missing holidays abroad, Don Julio is going to transport you to Jalisco at Paramount House, where all week we bring the spirit of Mexico to life with a feast for the senses! For a cultural buzz, sip contemporary Don Julio tequila cocktails while you watch cinematic favourites celebrating some of Mexico’s most esteemed film directors at Golden Age Cinema. For a cultural buzz that pays homage to Mexico’s best, Don Julio has taken charge of the film schedule, screening Desperado, Like Water For Chocolate, El Mariachi, Brimstone & Glory and Pan’s Labyrinth.
Flex | Paramount Recreation Club Saturday & Sunday, 10.30am–12.30pm & 2pm–8pm The flexitarian lifestyle is all about balance and you can be your best self by nurturing and partying at the Paramount Recreation Club rooftop, where we will host mid-morning yoga sessions followed by a vegan feast and fresh tasting, zero alcohol Seedlip cocktails along with low-calorie Ketel One Botanical spritz. Heading into the afternoon, the vibe ignites and the tunes will be flowing, as Don Julio hosts the ultimate sundowner sessions, offering signature margaritas and palomas.
Espresso Martini Project | Paramount Coffee Project Wednesday to Thursday, 5pm–7pm In partnership with PCP, and one for the true coffee connoisseur, Ketel One will be serving bespoke blend espresso martinis with your choice of Colombian or Ethiopian coffee beans.
HEADLINERS
Maybe Sammy – Maybe Sevilla (Closing Party) When: Sunday, 4pm–12am Where: 115 Harrington St, The Rocks NSW 2000 Three of the World’s 50 Best Bars are in Sydney and the highest on the list, placing 11th, is the incredible, theatrical and formidable, Maybe Sammy. The team here will take honours hosting the World Class Cocktail Festival closing party, Spanish style. Tanqueray No. TEN & Tanqueray Sevilla cocktails will be a highlight of the night as the sounds of live Latin music will set the mood for the celebration as the week comes to a close and we send our new Australian Bartender of the Year to compete against the rest of the world as part of the global finals.
Cantina OK! – Mama OK! When: Sunday, 2pm–8pm Where: Shop 2/106–112 Commonwealth St, Surry Hills NSW 2010 A cultural collaboration never seen before, Cantina OK! (placed #28 in World’s Best Bars) is teaming up with cult kebab shop Shwarmama for Mama OK! – a unique Sunday pop-up where you can spend the afternoon enjoying tasty tacos and Don Julio margaritas.
Bulletin Place × Belsazar Place When: Wednesday to Saturday, 5pm–late Where: 10–14 Bulletin Place, Sydney NSW 2000 Ranked 39th in the World’s Best Bars, Bulletin Place will introduce Belsazar Place, a long-term installation at the foot of their popular CBD establishment that takes inspiration from Berlin’s much loved small bar culture. Taking over part of the laneway, Belsazar Place will highlight the German vermouth through a carefully curated cocktail list while bringing familiar German flavours to the fore with its bar snack menu, including pretzels and onion dip, house-pickled caraway carrots, and smoked curry almonds.
COLLABS
Some of Sydney’s most renowned new restaurants have teamed up with Diageo’s Reserve Brands to present a curated offering of ‘Cocktail Bites’ throughout the festival.
Africola Sound System × Hotel Harry × Don Julio When: Wednesday to Saturday, 6:30pm and 8:30pm sittings Where: Hotel Harry, 40–44 Wentworth Ave, Surry Hills NSW 2010 Book the 3-course set menu via www.hotelharry.com.auAdelaide’s infamous Africola Sound System takes over Level 1 of Hotel Harry in Surry Hills with Duncan Welgemoed and his team making the trip up to share a hot take on North African eats alongside an epic line-up of Don Julio cocktails and a sweet soundtrack from Godlands. Bookings essential.
Butter × CÎROC When: Wednesday to Sunday, from 5pm Where: Butter, 6 Hunt St, Surry Hills NSW 2010 Cult burger brand Butter has teamed up with Luke Whearty from Byrdi (#80 World’s Best Bars) to create the limited edition ‘Dirty Byrdi’, a limited-edition Butter Fried Chicken (fat wash) CÎROC martini you’ll only be able to order throughout the festival.
BACKSTAGE
Pamela’s × Don Julio Night Brunch When: Friday & Saturday, 10pm–2am Where: Prince of York, 18 York St, Sydney NSW 2000 For an evening of entertainment that’ll take you into the wee hours, city nightspot Pamela’s is partnering with Don Julio for a special edition of their hugely popular weekend drag brunch series. ‘Night Brunch’ kicks off at 10pm and features performances from some of Sydney’s finest Queens of Drag. Grab a bacon sandwich and spicy Don Julio margarita and the night is yours.
SUPPORT ACTS
To celebrate our nation’s best beverages and this year’s top 100 World Class Bartender of the Year entries, $15 cocktails will be available from selected locations nationally during the festival, from 28th April to 2nd May.
Participating venues include: Apollo, The Barber Shop, Cho Cho San, Dead Ringer, Door Knock, Icebergs Dining Room & Bar, RE, Tio’s and Wild Rover with more to be added daily.
The World Class Cocktail Festival programme can be found at www.worldclasscocktailfestival.com, with more activity to be announced weekly and some secret parties to pop up unexpectedly.
One thing is for certain, with lockout laws lifted and NSW’s COVID-19 restrictions currently removed, World Class Cocktail Festival is sure to be a memorable experience all Australians should get excited about! This year’s festival also promises to present a taste of what’s to come when Sydney hosts the global final for World Class Bartender of the Year in 2022. Stay tuned!
Jason Staudt and Matt Germanchis join forces for a special dinner celebrating Greek Easter.
To celebrate Greek Easter, Stokehouse’s Executive Chef Jason Staudt is teaming up with seafood master Matt Germanchis from Fish by Moonlite for a special one-off event at the iconic St Kilda beachside restaurant.
Kicking off at 6pm on Sunday, 2 May, the two chefs and friends will put on a traditional Greek Easter feast with a few twists along the way for the diners.
“Matt and I have been wanting to do something for Greek Easter for a long time now, so we’re excited to see how the first event goes. Hopefully it’ll become a permanent fixture on the calendar for years to come,” says Jason.
Matt recently opened up a popular takeaway fish and chip joint in the Anglesea Village with his partner Gemma Germanchis after a successful stint heading up the hatted Captain Moonlite at Anglesea Surf Lifesaving Club, which was adored by locals, tourists and foodies alike. Fish by Moonlite also doubles as a fishmonger, where customers can select fresh and locally caught seafood and cook it at home for lunch or dinner.
“Jason and I share the same mindset when it comes to food – we’re both very produce driven. You don’t have to be Greek or Orthodox to enjoy this holiday, everyone’s welcome to come together for a great day of food and culture,” says Matt.
Dishes on the night include cod head dolmades, raw Abrolhos Island scallop with bottarga and orange, and charred Aquna Murray cod with avgolemono (Greek lemon soup) and rice. For mains, guests will enjoy slow-cooked lamb forequarter rack over the embers, overcooked roman beans & tomato, Andean potatoes with oregano brulée and village salad with house-made feta.
“The avgolemono brings back fond memories of my childhood. I remember coming home from school and smelling the fresh, vibrant soup made with lots of love by my grandma,” says Matt.
Stokehouse Precinct’s New Group Pastry Chef Ash Smith will also be dishing up a special dessert for the evening – his take on the classic red egg, which is enjoyed during Greek Easter.
Tickets for Greek Easter with Jason and Matt are $130pp, with group bookings of 8+ only – because in true Greek style, the menu will be designed to share. Round up old friends and family and head to https://stokehouse.com.au/melbourne/#reservations to reserve your spot.
Boho Social Club, Tiki Sundays & Jazz Jamboree. Brisbane’s iconic Regatta Hotel has announced a series of events this autumn – Boho Social Club, a Bohemian style pop-up in the Courtyard until the end of May; Tiki Sundays, celebrating tropical vibes underground every Sunday; and Jazz Jamboree on Thursday, 29th April, which is a must for all jazz lovers.
Boho Social Club The open-air Courtyard has been transformed into a beautiful bohemian-inspired pop-up to create a relaxed vibe for catch-ups with friends and family. Running until 31st May, there are dedicated share-plate and cocktail menus available to enjoy in the warm autumn days and nights.
• Wednesday–Sunday from 11.30am, until 31st May • Bohemian-style pop-up in the Courtyard • Share-plate menu including Reuben sliders, smoky beef tacos, baked halloumi and hand-stretched pizzas • Boho-inspired cocktails such as Courtyard Royale, Boho Breeze and Red Wine Sangria • Monthly Boho BBQ with house-smoked brisket, pulled pork, jalapeño & cheddar sausages, paprika slaw, pickles and Boatshed barbeque sauce • Free entry and no reservation required • Information: https://regattahotel.com.au/portfolio/boho-social-club/
Tiki Sundays Hidden away under the Regatta Hotel is The Walrus Club, a speakeasy bar that will celebrate Tiki Sundays every Sunday from 5pm. Guests can hula underground while listening to Brisbane’s best vinyl DJs and sipping on exotic Tiki cocktails. A Caribbean-inspired menu will be available.
Jazz Jamboree The Jazz Jamboree is a one-night only event in celebration of International Jazz Day. Being held in Regatta’s underground den, The Walrus Club, guests will enjoy a jazz-packed line-up of local jam groups while sipping on cocktails and enjoying a charcuterie plate.
• Thursday, 29th April, 8pm until midnight in The Walrus Club • Four-hour jazz line-up • Signature cocktail on arrival and charcuterie plate • Rum tastings from Husk Distillers • Tickets $49 per person plus booking fee • Information and bookings: https://regattahotel.com.au/portfolio/jazz-jamboree/
Bings is back! Lotus Dining Group’s fast casual Barangaroo eatery is celebrating a triumphant return this April, reopening its doors for the first time since March last year. To celebrate, the colourful Asian restaurant will be handing out free schnitties to customers who walk through its doors anytime between 11am and 2.30pm on Friday, 16 April.
Tucked away in Barangaroo Avenue, Bings is bursting with colour and flavour. Closed back in March 2020 due to COVID-19, Group Head Chef Steve Wu has used the break to revamp Bings’ menu with a whole new look and feel. Moving away from its traditional Buddha bowls, the new menu will still feature its popular baos as well as a newly introduced selection of pan-fried buns, salads, sides and a brand new range of Asian-inspired chicken schnitties. The new ‘Schnitz’ range will feature three more-ish options of oversized chicken schnitzels, including ‘The O.G’, the ‘Seoul Flavour’ with gochujang and kimchi and the ‘Keen as Mustard’, served with honey mustard mayo, bonito and seaweed.
The perfect spot for a quick lunch break on-the-run, the new menu will feature a range of Mumbo Combo meal deals that make ordering simple and fast and guarantees to send you back to work in a food coma. The range of combos includes everything from their new ‘Schnitz’ options through to baos jam-packed with sticky pork belly or crispy tofu, all paired with salads or sides, a soft drink or even a cheeky beer.
“We’re excited to be re-opening the doors of Bings and have had a lot of fun updating the menu,” says Wu. “We wanted to focus on combining the classic and most popular parts of our old menu like the signature baos with a heap of new and exciting dishes like our Asian schnitz and pan-fried buns. I think it’s exactly what the lunch-time crowd at Barangaroo needs!”
The grand re-opening celebrations will run through lunchtime on Friday, 16 April. The Bings team will be serving up free schnitties from 11am to 2.30pm or until sold out (limited to one per person – let’s not get greedy!) but the celebrations don’t stop there, with $5 tinnies, $5 snacks and live tunes providing the perfect soundtrack to your TGIF lunch.
Bings will be open Monday to Friday for lunch from 11am to 3pm.
Sydneysiders are invited to celebrate a taste of The Star Championships at Sokyo at The Star, with Executive Chef of Sokyo, Chase Kojima, the Official Culinary Ambassador for the Autumn Racing Carnival.
Kojima is working alongside the Australian Turf Club’s culinary teams to create an exciting menu for racegoers and food lovers alike of some of his most sought-after dishes, which will showcase his imaginative spin on traditional Japanese flavour. The dishes will be served at The Grandview and Centennial Restaurant across The Star Championships at Royal Randwick (April 10 and 17).
A selection of his dishes – including the flank steak with king brown mushroom, Shiokoji toothfish with pumpkin puree, and Sokyo’s signature dishes such as kingfish miso ceviche, dengakuman, and caramel macchiato dessert – will be on the menu. If you’re missing out on experiencing these dishes at the ATC, a selection of these dishes is now available on the Sokyo menu until April 18.
“I’m excited to put my Japanese spin on some classic dishes, showcase the freshest seasonal produce, and invite racegoers back to The Star to continue the fun and celebrations,” Kojima said.
There’s always something on at The Star this Autumn Carnival, the best place to play, stay and dine. Visit star.com.au/sydney
Check out what’s on at Rockpool venues for the month of April.
The Bavarian fires up menu with Jack Daniel’s-inspired dishes The Bavarian has added a Jack Daniel’s kick to its autumn menu, with the refined, mellow, maple syrup notes of this Tennessee whiskey underscoring a range of dishes, platters and drinks.
Available throughout April and until the end of May, a new range of burgers, schnitzels, wings and shared platters are doused in sensationally sticky Jack Daniel’s sauces. The new menu additions include the Jack Daniel’s Chookhaus burger, the Jack Daniel’s Southern Fried Schnitzel, and Jack Wings, which are doused in a combination of Jack Daniel’s BBQ and hot sauces. A Jack Daniel’s Platter (pictured above) includes 12 Jack wings, crackling pork belly, southern fried chicken schnitzel, potato gems and coleslaw, served with lashings of Jack Daniel’s sauce on the side. Meanwhile, fans of sticky ribs can launch themselves into slow-cooked, coffee and spice-rubbed Jack ribs, by the full or half-rack, which are basted in Jack Daniel’s BBQ or hot sauce and served with fries.
A hat-trick of drinks includes jugs or steins of Jack Daniel’s and Coke or Dry, 30ml shot of Jack Daniel’s Fire cinnamon whiskey, and a Jack Daniel’s Death Charge cocktail, which combines Jack Fire with alcoholic ginger beer or cider. Customers who purchase any Jack Daniel’s menu item via the self-serve me&u until the end of May will enter the draw to win a Weber BBQ, or a Jack Daniel’s bar fridge. Locations and bookings HERE.
Bottomless tacos and Margarita towers at El Camino Cantina Tex-Mex and Margarita fans can get their fill of their favourite food and drink thrills at El Camino Cantina, with a value-packed, bottomless Tacos & Towers deal available for $50 per person. Indulge in an endless supply of tacos, and a bottomless Margarita tower over the course of one hour. Tacos & Towers are available at all locations daily from 12pm to 4pm. Locations and bookings HERE.
Fratelli Fresh Easter Sunday Roast Fratelli Fresh is warming the ovens ready for its slow-roasted Easter spectacular: 12-hour slow-cooked lamb shoulder. Available at all Fratelli Fresh locations in Sydney (Darling Harbour, Entertainment Quarter, Manly, Miranda and Westfield Sydney) on Easter Sunday for lunch and dinner, it is served with rosemary roast potatoes, honey roast vegetables with brown butter and toasted almonds, mint salsa verde and gravy. There is house-made hazelnut tiramisu for dessert, too.
This tremendous Easter feast costs $39 per person (minimum 2 people, pre-bookings only). It is also available to pre-order for pick-up or takeaway at $79.
The cut-off date to order the roast for pre-order in-venue dining or take-away/pick-up is Thursday, 1st April 10am. Pick-up is available all day on Friday, 2nd and Saturday, 3rd April, and between 11am and 12pm on Easter Sunday. In-venue bookings and orders can be made through RESERVATIONS. For takeaway/pick-up orders please call: (02) 9259 5600.
Nerd Alert: Trivia at The Argyle Unleash your inner nerd every Thursday from 7pm, with The Argyle’s interactive and OTT trivia experience. Entry is free and there are prizes for the nerdiest participants. Plus happy hour from 4pm–7pm, with $5 beer, wine, spirits and cocktails: Aperol spritz, lychee margarita, strawberry frozé and pink G&T; $7.50 espresso martinis; and $10 Long Island ice teas. Happy hour coincides with pizza hour (4pm–7pm) when wood-fired pizzas are $10.
Fratelli Fresh Seafood Series Everyone’s favourite Fratelli Fresh is launching a Seafood Series in April across its Sydney fleet of restaurants: Darling Harbour, Entertainment Quarter, Manly, Miranda and Westfield Sydney. The following revolving specials will feature throughout the month: • Lobster spaghetti with cherry tomato, chilli, garlic and basil ($33) • Blue swimmer crab risotto with crab bisque, ginger and shallot ($32) • Strozzapreti with Kinkawooka mussels, fennel, chilli and tarragon oil ($28)
Merivale has acquired The Quarterdeck in Narooma, a beautiful town in the Eurobodalla region of the NSW South Coast. This is Merivale’s first hospitality venue outside Sydney.
Justin Hemmes, CEO of Merivale, said: “Narooma has become my second home and the backdrop to so many of my happiest memories with my family. I think it is one of the most beautiful spots in the world, with a unique landscape, crystal clear waters and an amazing community of people who call it home. It has been an absolute privilege to spend so much time here over the past six years and I’m excited to now join the local business community”.
He continues, “One of the silver linings to come out of the last year is a heightened appreciation for our own backyard, an excitement to explore our spectacular country and its coastline. We are so lucky to call Australia home”.
Set on the shores of Forsters Bay, The Quarterdeck has been an institution in the Eurobodalla community for decades. Originally an oyster grower’s shed, it has been operating as a tiki bar for the past 20 years.
Merivale will receive the keys to the venue within the next few months. It will trade as normal for the foreseeable future.
The CBD stalwart on Little Collins Street is back.
A year after the first lockdown, much-loved Italian restaurant Massi in Melbourne’s CBD will be resurrected after Easter and re-open on Monday, 12th April.
Known for its modern Sicilian cuisine and intimate, convivial atmosphere, Massi has been a destination for lunch and after-work eats since opening in 2016. The initial opening will see Massi opening for lunch Monday to Friday, then Thursdays and Fridays for dinner soon after, with Saturdays coming soon.
“We are so delighted to be able to be opening our doors once again,” said owner/chef Joe Vargetto. “With ongoing restrictions and the risk of more lockdowns we continued to postpone our re-opening. While big brother restaurant Mister Bianco was able to continue trading through takeaway and delivery, Massi’s location in the city made it impossible to trade. But, now that vaccines are rolling out, people are more relaxed, staff are feeling good and the CBD is coming alive again, the time is right.”
Chef Jason Lear (formerly of Pilu @ Freshwater and Di Stasio) will be joining the kitchen and he, along with Joe, has created the autumn menu that will be focused around quality produce, with dishes such as fried zucchini flowers (with stracciatella, grilled peach and horseradish) and slow-cooked beef short rib (with pickled shimeji, confit shallots and potato gratinata). House-made Mattarello pastas will include squid ink cavatelli (with clams, calamari, bottarga and pangrattato) and tortelloni (with caramelised pumpkin, nutmeg, Amaretto and aged balsamic).
Favourite desserts will be on offer. including Lemon Parfait, Ferraro Roche, Bombe Alaska, Sicilian Cassata, Tira mi su and Joe’s famed Gold Cannoli.
As always, the wine list has been curated to offer a drop for everyone – from those simply looking for a glass to complement their meal to the wine connoisseur.
The Bavarian is drawing on its German credentials and inspiration from an Aussie national food icon with a 10-week schnitzel festival – or Schnitty Fest – showcasing 10 types of schnitzels and $10 Schnitzel Wednesdays every week.
This legendary haus of hearty bites, with locations across NSW, Queensland, Victoria, the ACT and South Australia, is giving schnitzel fans ten weeks to indulge in a smorgasbord of ten schnitzel variations, which are available from Wednesday, 31 March until Wednesday, 9 June.
Ten incredible flavours have been created by The Bavarian’s Schnitzel Masters, who hand-make hundreds of schnitzels daily: pounding chicken and pork to mere millimetres thick, dipping in flour and egg, dredging in house-made breadcrumbs, and pan-frying in hot oil until perfectly golden and blistered. The new menu includes:
There will be a $10 schnitzel blitz every Wednesday with all ten flavours available during the all-day deal.
Lining up next to the schnitzels are beer paddles showcasing The Bavarian’s unique range of eight imported German beer styles, spanning Löwenbräu, Hofbräu, Spaten, Franziskaner and Paulaner. Beer explorers can sample four beers for $20, or eight for $35, and choose an all-German line-up, or interspersed with Aussie brews.
Food & Beverage Director John Sullivan said The Bavarian is renowned for its German beers and food, including eight imported beers, legendary pork knuckles and pork belly that are thick with golden crackling, traditional flavour-packed sausages, and the most popular Bavarian dish of all: the schnitzel.
“We’re known of as the Haus of Schnitzels and Steins for good reason,” Mr Sullivan said. “The Bavarian is the only restaurant and bar in Australia where eight imported German beers can be found under one roof, where they’re served in traditional one-litre glass steins, and can be paired with classic, house-made German dishes.”
“Our schnitzels are a perennial favourite on the menu for their generous size, fantastic bread-crumbed crunch and tender meat filling and our schnitzel festival is an homage to this classic Bavarian dish that Australians have made their own.”
Chef Morgan McGlone of Potts Point’s hottest new chicken joint, Sunday, will team up for a Sunday Session with some of the country’s hottest chefs to pay homage to the roast chook.
First up, Pauly Carmichael from Momofuku Seiōbo will heat up the rotisserie with Morgan on Sunday, 18 April, creating a Puerto Rican-inspired menu. Pauly’s menu will include his version of Arroz con Pollo, featuring seasoned roast chicken, yellow rice, beans, and sweet potato.
Award-winning bartender and Sunday drinks consultant Jenna Hemsworth has created a mix of rum-infused cocktails, and non-alcoholic drinks to match the Puerto Rican menu available for one day only.
With drinks and snacks from $30pp, there are four sessions, so get in quick and reserve a spot, via here.
More Sunday Sessions to be announced in the coming weeks. A hint … the next guests are coming in hot from up the road with their Italian fare.
Icons of Sydney nightlife celebrate with a fresh line-up of live music & DJs.
Two enduring icons of Sydney nightlife, Cargo Bar and Bungalow 8, are celebrating the return of dance floors with back-to-back live DJs and live entertainment kicking off this April.
Cargo Bar welcomes the return of the famous harbourside parties with two levels of live DJs and dance floors from 5pm until late, every night of the week, spinning the very best of old school hip hop, 80s, 90s and R&B from Monday, 29 March.
Sunday Soul Sessions will also return, with live bands from 2pm–5pm, and DJs from 5pm–midnight. Launching on 11 April, entry is free, with bookings suggested to grab a spot.
Bungalow 8 is bringing back live DJs every weekend. The hottest local talent will showcase their sounds on Friday nights, while Bungalow Saturday Night Headliners’ take over from 3 April. Upcoming headliners include:
● April 3 – Helena Ellis ● April 10 – A-Tonez ● April 17 – Ember ● April 24 – Lionette
Ian Smith, Australian Venue Co National Entertainment Manager, said: “The return of dance floors to our venues is a great cause for celebration, one that reinforces the incredible job that the state governments and locals have done over the past year. The move will have a tremendous impact on the local music industry devastated by last year’s events and inject much-needed energy back into city nightlife”.
Bar Liberty, Capitano, Meatsmith alumni join Pidapipo for ‘New El Paso’ at Johnny’s Green Room.
On Sunday, 11 April, hospitality heavyweights are joining forces for a once-off Tex-Mex extravaganza at Johnny’s Green Room. Taking over the rooftop bar will be Casey Wall (chef/owner at Bar Liberty and Capitano) and Chris Watson (Meatsmith and Wats-on the BBQ), slinging delicious Mexican/American-inspired dishes on the day.
Kicking off at midday, DJ Chico G will be spinning tunes and bringing the party vibes from the afternoon into the evening. A special one-time-only gelato taco from gelateria (and Johnny’s neighbour) Pidapipo will round out the menu with the perfect sweet finale. Garage Project will also have their Golden Path IPA on tap to sip (for only $12 a pint) and enjoy the city views whilst you chow down on delicious tacos and quesadillas.
Forget ‘OId El Paso’, the ‘New El Paso’ dishes available on the day are:
A new Armadale wine and snack bar from the team behind Amaru.
Appellation, a new wine bar concept from Clinton McIver (Amaru), will launch in late April with a focus on grower champagnes and drinking snacks representative of the Amaru food philosophy, delivered with an informative, yet informal service style.
Inspired by Amaru regulars – who would tell McIver they could ‘ just have this and be happy’ after starting their sittings with appetisers and Champagne – Clinton set out to create a place where “ you stop in for a glass but stay for a bottle, and call it an afternoon well spent”.
He continues, “ We want Appellation to represent the same level of quality that we do across the road at Amaru, albeit in a more accessible and relaxed format. It will be the place to drop in for a wine after work, or a champagne with a friend or a lover. We can also host special events in our upstairs private dining room.”
At Appellation, a wine list overseen by Venue Manager and Head Sommelier Jenna Philpott (The Recreation) features predominantly grower champagnes (30 per cent), with boutique Victorian producers and lesser-known international varietals and vignerons, with an ever-changing selection by the glass.
Leaning on the philosophy and hospitality of Amaru, McIver along with Appellation Head Chef Steven Harry (formerly Cumulus Inc.) have developed a menu to complement the champagne and wine list to include:
● Freshly shucked raw shellfish ● Tasmanian octopus and desert lime takoyaki balls ● Mini chicken boudin hotdogs with onion and plum ketchup ● Smoked Great Ocean duck liver with smoked breast, buckwheat and rose vinegar ● Smoked kangaroo tartare soldiers ● Seasonally flavoured ice-cream sundaes
Designed by Iva Foschia, the fit-out is based on a gradual blending of colours and textures, reminiscent of wine regions and their terroir, from the Yarra Valley to Burgundy, the colours and textures changing as you delve deeper into the venue.
Much like the wine, every design detail of Appellation has been carefully considered, right down to the table settings. Ceramics will be locally sourced and handmade along with the glassware, which is to be hand-blown and designed by Gabriel Gold glasses.
The main space will seat 40, with a trellised outdoor courtyard accommodating up to 25 guests. Those looking for a more intimate experience will find a private dining area upstairs that seats up to 12 guests.
Appellation 1160 High Street, Armadale VIC 3143 Website | Instagram
With Greater Brisbane heading back into a 3-day lockdown from 5pm today, Gerard’s Bistro will be bringing back their beloved takeaway menu.
The daily changing takeaway menu will be offered for Tuesday 30th and Wednesday 31st March and will be $50pp. The restaurant will be back to normal dine-in trade on Thursday, 1st April, all things going well.
To place your orders and to view the menu’s for the next two days, click here.
Max Drag Queen & The Jawbreakers DJs steal the show, starting this Sunday.
Melbourne’s best bottomless brunch party has a fabulous new set, starting this Sunday, 28 March. The Smith’s brand new Drag Brunch will kick off this Sunday, following the wildly popular Brunch with Soul, which is held every Saturday.
Guests will be hosted by Max Drag Queen and entertained by Jawbreakers DJs Kali and Sabrina, while enjoying a 2-hour brunch package that includes a brunch dish & bottomless spritzes. Brunch dishes range from healthy starts like the breakfast salad and smashed avo, to indulgent dishes such as the berry hotcake and lobster & prawn roll with Kewpie & Bloody Shiraz gin caviar.
Venue Manager Dylan Hewett said that the live entertainment was the key to elevating bottomless brunch into something special.
“We work with amazing, talented artists who make our brunch events pop. Our original Brunch with Soul is sold out weeks – sometimes months – in advance, and by the end everyone is on their feet singing & dancing!” he said.
“We can’t wait for Max Drag Queen & The Jawbreakers to get the party started this weekend – we’re thrilled to be supporting local LGBTQIA+ artists & we know our regulars will love them,” he added.
G-A-YPEROL SPRITZ – Aperol, prosecco, blood orange, soda B!TCHES LOVE CRANBERRY – vodka, prosecco, lemon, cranberry GIN IS MY SIN – gin, lemon, apple MRS DEL RIO – Martini bianco, prosecco, rosemary, lime, soda
+ house white, red or sparkling wine & select tap beer
Australian Venue Co, which owns and operates more than 160 pubs and bars across Australia, is looking for mystery shoppers to join its Secret Sipper team. That’s right, AVC are looking to pay people to have lunch or dinner in their venues, and tell them what they thought.
Secret Sippers visit local pubs and bars and provide feedback about their experience while posing as ordinary customers. Sippers will visit a venue once per month and then submit a report. They get a $30 meal allowance, plus $200 each time they review!
Quality and service is everything at Australian Venue Co, so having a Secret Sipper team ensures that staff can gain valuable constructive feedback to continue the good work or make improvements where necessary.
What are the responsibilities of a Secret Sipper? AVC’s Secret Sippers need to be able to travel to assigned pubs and bars through the year, remain discreet and impartial, interact with venue employees to gauge cusπtomer service, complete a survey & written report detailing the experience in a timely manner.
A passion for hospitality, good communication and memorisation skills are a must for a Secret Sipper and AVC is looking to build up a great team of food and drink lovers as part of the program.
After many months last year of not being able to visit our favourite pubs and bars, what’s better than being paid to visit in 2021?
There are 36 Secret Sipper positions nationally and the job listings are here http://bit.ly/Secret_Diner
Whatever the cuisine or your mood, celebrate Easter at Chin Chin, Kisumé, Baby Pizza and Hawker Hall.
Save the Easter eggs for later and enjoy an indulgent Easter feast on any day of the Easter long weekend with LUCAS RESTAURANTS (LUCAS), which will be open every single day of the holiday with a series of activations and specialised menus to suit every craving.
Chin Chin Melbourne Hungry bunnies will be well fed this Easter long weekend with a Chin Chin spin on an array of saucy special Yum Cha dishes (back due to popular demand) featuring their fan-favourite Yum Cha menu for a saucy $69.95 per person. Think prawn toast with sesame and fermented chilli sauce; pork shu mai with hellfire chilli oil; scallop dumpling with fragrant green curry sauce; steamed rolled rice noodles with barramundi and red nahm jim; egg fried rice with asparagus, shiitake and corn; and smoked brisket with black bean and red pepper relish, gem lettuce and shiso.
Alternatively, if you choose one of the Feed Me menus, you will have access to a customised dessert of Chocolate parfait with peanut brittle.
· Chin Chin’s Yum Cha is available for lunch on Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday for $69.50 per person · Bookings are available via www.chinchin.melbourne
Baby Pizza Say cheese, Baby Pizza will be dishing up their cheese centric ‘Formaggio’ menu all Easter long weekend. Entrees include quattro formaggio pizza with mozzarella, parmesan, gorgonzola, smoked scamorza and bruschetta with smoked ricotta and blistered cherry tomatoes. For mains, you can try pastas such as linguine cacio e pepe and baked gnocchi. It doesn’t stop there – from 12–5pm daily you can experience Aperitivo Spritzes, Nastro Azzuro Beer and Stefani Estate Rosé all for $6.50 each.
· The Formaggio Menu will be available from Thursday, 25 March · Bookings are available via www.babypizza.com.au with groups of 8+ guests required to commit to the Feed Me menu
Hawker Hall There’s no party like a Hawker Hall party. This Easter long weekend, they’re inviting you to dine, dance and disco with a line-up of some of Melbourne’s best DJs taking to the Hawker decks each day.
On Friday, April 2, the London-born true vinyl hunter Jimmy James will kick start your long weekend spinning tunes from 6pm–11pm. On Saturday, April 3, Melbourne’s MzRizk will get the party started right from 12pm–3pm, DJ Prequel will keep the vibes going from 6pm–9pm and finishing off the night with funk is DJ Wahl taking the stage from 9pm–12pm. On Sunday, April 4, you’ll hear the sounds of the 70s, classic disco and jazz funk from DJ Lady Soul from 12pm–3pm and upbeat party music from Frank Driscoll from 6pm–10pm. Finally, DJ Stuckey will be the last to take to the decks from 6pm–10pm on Monday, April 5.
The Hawker Hall banquet will be running all weekend from $55pp and you will be invited to take the party to the next level with a range of à la carte specials like salmon fillet with spiced tomato curry and turmeric potatoes and banana fritters with caramel and coconut sorbet.
· Hawker Hall’s DJ Program will run on Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday · Bookings are available via www.hawkerhall.com.au, Friday & Saturday dinner – groups of 6 or more will be required to commit to a Feed Me menu. Thursday– Sunday dinner – groups of 8 or more will be required to commit to a Feed Me menu.
Kisumé Kisumé will be open for trade as usual all long weekend from lunch until late with a range of specials available all weekend long. Think WA Crayfish Yakisoba with chilli crunch and avruga caviar and for those with a sweet tooth, a Chocolate Garden dessert with hojicha, chocolate and goma.
For those wanting to experience the ultimate in Japanese skill, technique and craftmanship, Kisumé’s Chef’s Table encapsulates the long-held Japanese tradition of respect and hospitality and is perfect for those wanting an intimate Easter celebration. Embark on the ultimate Omakase showcase where you can have the ultimate multi-course dining experience like no other for up to 12 guests.
· Chef’s Table: Available for dinner Friday to Monday for $250pp. · Lunch and dinner reservations can be made as usual via www.kisume.com.au
This Good Friday (2 April), support the Good Friday Appeal’s 90th Anniversary by enjoying a Margherita Verace pizza dine-in at any 400 Gradi restaurant in Melbourne, including its Crown, Essendon, Brunswick and Eastland locations.
The award-winning 400 Gradi Margherita Verace pizza – winner of the ‘World’s Best Pizza’ title at the Campionato Mondiale della Pizza in Italy in 2014 – will be sold for a bargain $20 for dine-in on Friday, 2 April, with 100 percent of the proceeds donated to the Good Friday Appeal to enable The Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne to provide world-class care to our children.
“I’m delighted to be able to support such a fantastic cause this Easter. Ninety years is an incredible milestone, and I hope to see Melburnians tucking into pizzas for a good cause on Good Friday,” says Johnny Di Francesco, Director of Gradi Group (400 Gradi, Zero Gradi and Gradi Mercato).
Rebecca Cowan, Good Friday Appeal Executive Director, is thrilled to have the support of the award-winning restaurant behind the 90th Good Friday Appeal. “We’re so grateful to Johnny and the 400 Gradi team for their generous support this year. We hope that all Melburnians can enjoy a pizza and know that every dollar that has been raised this year and over the last 90 years will go towards supporting the Royal Children’s Hospital to provide world-class care to sick kids in Victoria and beyond,” said Rebecca.
Good Friday Appeal offer details: Date: Friday, 2 April 2021 Price: Margherita Verace pizzas retail for $20 for dine-in only, with 100 percent of the proceeds donated to the Good Friday Appeal. Locations:
Australia’s number #1 Seltzer brand expands its range of flavours.
After taking Australia by storm this summer, Australia’s number one Seltzer brand1 Smirnoff Seltzer has introduced a fourth flavour to its popular line-up with Mango available in liquor stores nationwide from 22nd March 2021.
Fruity in flavour and refreshing in taste, Smirnoff Seltzer Mango boasts no sugar, low calories (70 per serve) and gluten-free credentials so is an ideal drink for every social occasion.
The ready-to-drink mix of Smirnoff No.21 Premium Vodka, sparkling water, and a hint of natural fruit flavours is a clean, crisp, and fresh tasting serve that is best served chilled from the fridge, or over ice in a glass.
Mango joins the line-up of flavours already available, including Natural Lime, Raspberry Rosé and Passionfruit, all providing a great alternative for those looking for the lighter calorie option to wine or beer.
A 250ml serving of Smirnoff Seltzer contains 36% less calories than a standard 150ml glass of wine and 53% less calories than a 375ml can of beer2.
For its Australian debut, Smirnoff launched Smirnoff Seltzer Party Yard in December, a virtual music festival headlined by ARIA award-winning artists Lime Cordiale and hosted by Australian DJ Anna Lunoe. This year, Aussies should expect Australia’s number one Seltzer to continue to challenge the way we socialise and experience culture with more exciting activations to come. Make sure to keep checking the Smirnoff social channels for all the latest news and announcements.
The 250ml Slim Can four-pack retails for $19.99. Smirnoff Seltzer Mango is now available at Liquorland, First Choice and independent retailers. Natural Lime and Raspberry Rosé are available in liquor stores nationwide and Passionfruit is available exclusively at Dan Murphy’s and BWS nationwide. For more information visit @smirnoffaustralia on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.
1 According to a recent report by data analytics and market research company, Information Resources Inc. (IRI), Smirnoff Seltzer currently holds the highest share of the market at 29%, based on the current financial year to date (up to 17 January 2020).
2Drinkwise Calories in Alcohol Calories in 250ml serving of Smirnoff Seltzer = 70 calories Calories in 150ml glass of white wine = 111 calories Calories in a 375ml 4.8% can of beer = 150 calories
It wouldn’t be Easter without a chocolate overload and the team at Gelatissimo are delivering all that and more with their new April flavour, delivered just in time for the holiday.
Presenting a choc–mint gelato loaded with mini chocolate eggs and cookie crumb, the flavour is a fresh take on the traditional family favourite, with the chocolate eggs and cookie bringing loads of chunky texture to the mix.
“We wanted to enhance an already firm favourite,” says Gelatissimo CEO, Filipe Barbosa. “What better way to do that than by loading our popular choc-mint gelato with even more chocolate?”
The flavour will be available from 26th March until 22nd April, while stocks last.
With Easter nearly upon us, here’s a selection of gift ideas, special offers and opening hours available to make the most of the long weekend.
Apotheca by Anthia Apotheca by Anthia’s small bespoke batches of tisanes and teas are perfect for relaxing during the long weekend with (or without) your Easter eggs and goodies or as a cleansing drink in between.
‘Paris’ is an elegant French Earl Grey organic tea with orange pekoe black tea leaf perfumed with bergamot essential oil and a flourish of rose, lavender, jasmine & orange. Available here in 50g format for $26 in a carton or $35 in a glass jar.
‘Paddington’ is a lovely lemony infusion created specially by Anthia. The unique blend of Australian lemon myrtle leaf, licorice root, lemon verbena leaf and lemongrass can curb sweet cravings and stress, especially during this busy period. Available here in 100g format for $24 in a carton or $33 in a glass jar.
Aria Treat yourself to dinner and a view at Aria this weekend, open Friday & Saturday with their signature autumn tasting menu.
Friday, 2 April: open from 12pm–1:30pm for lunch / 5:30pm–9:30pm for dinner Saturday, 3 April: open from 5:30pm–9:30pm for dinner Sunday, 4 April: closed Monday, 5 April: closed
Bentley For the ultimate Easter dining experience, Bentley Restaurant & Bar will be open for dinner Saturday, 3 April from 6pm with their signature luxury tasting menu.
Chiswick Chiswick Woollahra is the perfect place to celebrate with the whole family, for a weekend full of delicious autumn dishes, hot cross buns and hot beverages, plus an Easter Egg Hunt on the Chiswick Lawn on Saturday morning. The Easter egg hunt will be accompanied by delicious hot chocolate and coffee, as well as hot cross buns from Baked by Keiran for the first 100 customers who order a hot beverage.
Head Chef Francois Poulard has also created a delicious Easter takeaway package with Chiswick favourites such as barra-masalata with crispy bits, heirloom tomatoes with Berkshire prosciutto, a generous bake-at-home Shepherd’s Pie and strawberry and apple crumble for $199. Bookings and further info available here.
Friday, 2 April: open from 12pm–3pm for lunch; 5.30pm–8pm for dinner Saturday, 3 April: open from 12pm–3pm for lunch; 5.30pm–9pm for dinner Sunday, 4 April: open from 12pm–3pm for lunch; 5.30pm–8pm for dinner Monday, 5 April: open from 12pm–3pm for lunch
Cirrus Celebrate Easter all weekend long with a Seafood Feast ($75pp) in Cirrus’s newly revamped outdoor terrace. The exclusive Easter menu will feature scallop dumplings, whole roasted Murray cod with lemon myrtle vinaigrette and sour cream and chocolate pavé. Standard à la carte and group menus will also be available for lunch & dinner, Good Friday–Easter Sunday.
Friday, 2 April: open from 12pm–3pm for lunch; 6pm–11pm for dinner Saturday, 3 April: open from 12pm–3pm for lunch; 5:30pm–11pm for dinner Sunday, 4 April: open from 12pm–3pm for lunch; 6pm–10pm for dinner Monday, 5 April: open from 12pm–3pm for lunch; 6pm–10pm for dinner
Glorietta On Saturday 3 April, Glorietta will be holding their bottomless lunch offering for $79pp. Diners can sit inside the beautiful dining room and enjoy pasta, pizza and all the trimmings plus unlimited drinks for two hours!
Shared Menu includes: Paccheri, spicy tomato, vodka cream Spaghetti rustichella, king crab, citrus, chilli, peas, parsley Classic selection of Glorietta pizzas for the table Baby cos lettuce, horseradish, shaved ricotta Broccolini, cashew cream, sesame
Friday, 2 April: open from 12pm–11:30pm for lunch and dinner Saturday, 3 April: open from 12pm–11:30pm for lunch and dinner Sunday, 4 April: closed Monday, 5 April: closed
LilyMu Celebrate Easter with a modern Asian banquet and impressive cocktails at LilyMu, open for dinner both Saturday & Sunday and for lunch on Sunday.
Friday, 2 April: closed Saturday, 3 April: open from 5:30pm–10pm for dinner Sunday, 4 April: open from 12pm–2:30pm for lunch; 5:30pm–9pm for dinner Monday, 5 April: closed
Monopole Get everyone together and celebrate Easter with Monopole, open Saturday, 3 April for dinner from 6pm. For $80pp you can enjoy the group menu, featuring a range of signature dishes designed to share.
North Bondi Fish There’s no better way to spend the Easter long weekend than sipping on natural Australian wines paired with locally sourced, freshly shucked oysters on the North Bondi Fish balcony. Bookings and further info available here.
Wine includes: 2020 Vino Volta Grenache Methode Ancestrale, Swan Valley WA – $13 glass| $72 bottle 2020 Dune Bonaire Rosé, McLaren Vale SA – $13 glass|$60 bottle 2015 Clay Pot Wines ‘Pandora’s Amphora’, Alpine Valleys VIC – $16 glass| $75 bottle La Sirène Season Ale, Melbourne VIC – $10 can
Oyster menu: Sydney Rock Oysters – $5 each Pacific Oysters – $5 each Angasi Oysters – $7 each
Friday, 2 April: open from 12pm–8pm for lunch and dinner Saturday, 3 April: open from 12pm–12am for lunch and dinner Sunday, 4 April: open from 12pm–8pm for lunch and dinner Monday, 5 April: open from 12pm–12am for lunch and dinner
Nour Enjoy a Middle Eastern-inspired feast at Nour to get your Easter festivities rolling. You can get your hands on their signature dishes, including the carob-glazed lamb shoulder served with mujadara and crispy onion, and beetroot and blood plum, sheep’s curd, pomegranate dressing and house pita.
Friday, 2 April: open from 5:30pm–10pm for dinner Saturday, 3 April: open from 12pm–2:30pm for lunch; 5:30pm–10pm for dinner Sunday, 4 April: open from 10am–2:30pm for brunch Monday, 5 April: closed
Oma Food & Wine For those taking advantage of the long weekend to head north, Byron Bay’s Oma will serve up a special Easter menu, in addition to their à la carte offering. To start you can munch on whole prawn with citrus butter, followed by lamb shoulder with salsa verde and almonds, and, of course, a delicious sourdough hot cross bun with moscato custard to finish.
Oma will also be serving up a special ‘hot cross bun sour’ cocktail with bourbon, cinnamon vodka, egg white, fig and ginger syrup for $18. Bookings available here.
Ria Pizza + Wine Get your fix of pizza and wine over Easter from Ria, open for dine in and takeaway from 5pm–11pm throughout the whole long weekend.
Single O
For those road tripping this Easter long weekend, Single O has you sorted with a range of coffee, hot chocolate and chais, perfect for adventurers.
Single O ‘Parachutes’ Brew on the fly! The Single O Parachute is a pre-filled drip coffee bag, or ‘hanging ear drip coffee bag’, as it’s known to some in Japan. Single O Parachutes are about cutting to the chase of specialty coffee. These are coffee drip bags that enable a fuss-free & delicious brew when travelling, working or for at home use. Coffee is roasted, ground, pre-weighed and pre-filled into handy bags.
Purchase Single O Parachutes between now and April 15, to go in the chance to win the ultimate adventure bundle valued at over $1,700 – in celebration of Single O’s partnership with Unyoked. Prize includes: • 2 × weekends away at an Unyoked cabin • A year’s supply of Parachutes • A Single O Thermal KeepCup so you’re set to brew up a chute anywhere.
Single O has also collaborated with Artist Nick Potts on their latest range of hot chocolate and chai products, including:
Good Chaibrations Made by ex-Single O trainer Zac, who spent 10 years perfecting this masala chai. Good Chaibrations is made of Sri Lankan Ceylon black tea, chai aromatics & spices. Finely ground for speedy prep (without flavour compromise). Available here in 500g format for $40.
Sweet Choc O’ Mine Single O’s sweet cocoa go-to, tropical fruit sugars balanced with cocoa & panela. Produced by the Dominican Republic’s Conacado cocoa co-op, this choc is helping 182 small-scale producer associations & their extended communities. Available here in 750g format for $26.
Cocoa One Chocolate aficionados with a thing for the darker side will be at one with this. Super high-quality organic cocoa, with jammy dried fruit, vanilla & honey. From Guatemala’s Alta Verapaz region, via ex-rebel leader & pal Roberto. Available here in 750g format for $30.
Sunday Potts Point Chef Morgan McGlone’s (Belle’s Hot Chicken) recently opened chicken joint Sunday is open for takeaway all long weekend so you can bring a classic roast home (with all the fixings) to enjoy with the family.
Friday, 2 April: closed Saturday, 3 April: open for takeaway only from 11:30am–10pm Sunday, 4 April: open for takeaway only from 11:30am–9pm Monday, 5 April: open for takeaway only from 11:30am–9pm
Three Blue Ducks Three Blue Ducks will be serving up a range of special dishes this Easter long weekend across their Bronte and Rosebery venues, in addition to Nimbo Fork Lodge for those travelling south.
• Rosebery Enjoy entrees including lamb kofta with labneh, smoked eggplant, quinoa tabbouleh and sumac ($22) or BBQ prawns with seaweed butter, avocado puree, charred greens and finger lime ($28). For mains, choose from the rainbow bowl with harissa-roasted pumpkin & carrot, poached eggs, avocado puree, quinoa, daikon, sauerkraut, shaved vegetables, seeds, cos lettuce ($21, add kingfish pastrami for $6) or share a whole wood-roasted harissa-glazed Dory with charred spring onion and lemon for $69 for 2 people. Bookings available here.
• Bronte Enjoy Three Blue Ducks’ Easter breakfast special of hot smoked salmon with confit cherry tomato, chilli, soft herbs, poached eggs, toasted buckwheat, poppy seeds and sourdough ($24) or for those dining for lunch or dinner, enjoy crumbed John Dory with preserved lemon, capers, parsley, dill, lettuce and salsa verde. Bookings available here.
• Nimbo Fork Lodge Nestled at the bottom of the Snowy Mountains, Nimbo Fork Lodge is a boutique hotel with six cottages and five suites, as well as a bar and restaurant. Three Blue Ducks restaurant shares the same passion for sustainable and ethically farmed produce as their other venues. Mark LaBrooy leads the kitchen, shining a light on the best of regional produce and suppliers – and that is no different for the Easter menu.
For those looking to make the most of the long weekend, head to Three Blue Ducks at Nimbo Fork Lodge and enjoy Easter specials starting with citrus-cured rainbow trout with quinoa cracker, lemon crème fraîche, trout roe and herbs ($24) then enjoy a main of rabbit ragu pappardelle with olives, fried capers, garlic, parsley and lemon ($38). Bookings available here.
Yellow Yellow’s new outdoor terrace is the perfect spot for a long lunch or dinner over the Easter weekend, and your furry friends can even join the fun too.
Friday, 2 April: closed Saturday, 3 April: open from 12pm–2:30pm for lunch; 6pm–11pm for dinner Sunday, 4 April: open from 12pm–2:30pm for lunch; 6pm–11pm for dinner Monday, 5 April: open from 6pm–11pm for dinner
Free hot cross buns and plenty of fun this Easter at ECQ.
• Three picnic sessions with the Easter Bunnyon Saturday, 3 April • Free hot cross buns from Baker’s Choiceif you spend $30 or more with ECQ’s fresh food retailers • Easter fun and festivitiesrun from Thursday, 25 March–Sunday, 4 April
The Easter Bunny is visiting soon, and Eastern Creek Quarter (ECQ) is on the itinerary.
As part of the Easter fun and festivities at ECQ, local youngsters can book in for one of three sessions to have a picnic with the Easter Bunny in the ECQ Social precinct, complete with food, goodies and, of course, plenty of chocolate eggs.
Bookings are essential via easterncreekquarter.shopping with tickets just $10 each and all proceeds to be donated to The Children’s Hospital at Westmead. It’s recommended for kids between four and 12 years of age, with the three sessions to be held at 9am, 10.30am and noon on Saturday, 3 April.
But that’s not all this Easter at ECQ. From Thursday, 25 March to Sunday, 4 April, shoppers who spend $30 or more at participating fresh food retailers at ECQ will receive a free six-pack of delicious hot cross buns made with love by Baker’s Choice.
Customers who visit ECQ Fruit World, Redly Chicken, Fishery & Co, Desi Hatti Indian Grocer or Baker’s Choice and spend $30 or more across these stores in one day will enjoy the free taste of Easter.
Check out the Facebook and Instagram pages for full details of the offers and events this Easter at ECQ.
“Easter is a special time, especially for our younger customers, so we encourage everyone to visit their local centre, book in for a chance to meet the Easter Bunny, support our local fresh food retailers and claim their free six-pack of hot cross buns,” ECQ Centre Manager Amanda Whittlesays.
“There’s always plenty happening at ECQ and this Easter will be no different,” she says.
Also at ECQ, Anaconda, Officeworks and McDonald’s have just been confirmed as new tenants headlining the new large-format retail precinct that is coming soon. Leasing for this stage is progressing well and more new retailers will be revealed throughout the year.
With a full-line Woolworths supermarket, ECQ houses a mix of local concepts, quality brands and the unique ECQ Social precinct, with its covered and al fresco seating, outdoor deck, kids play area and large-format outdoor digital screen.
Reflecting its high-profile Western Sydney Parklands location, ECQ is a global leader in environmental sustainability. Stage 1 has been awarded a 6 Star Green Star Design rating by the Green Building Council of Australia, representing world leadership.
The Art Gallery of New South Wales announces the opening of an exciting new restaurant concept, Art Gallery Restaurant Crafted by Matt Moran this Friday, March 26. The restaurant launches in partnership with newly appointed culinary advisor, Matt Moran, who will sit across the development of restaurant and catering menus, and work with food and beverage partner, The Fresh Collective to execute his vision.
Taking advantage of the impressive location, Crafted by Matt Moran, in the former Chiswick at the Gallery site, will provide a unique all-day dining experience for Art Gallery of NSW guests and those simply looking for brunch or lunch in one of Sydney’s most stunning dining rooms. Reflecting Moran’s signature style, Crafted by Matt Moran will showcase locally sourced produce and premium Australian meat and seafood through a light, Mediterranean-inspired menu guided by the seasons.
The Art Gallery of NSW holds a special place in my heart, having worked with the venue for the last seven years,” says Moran.
“It’s an incredible venue, and grazing your way through our brunch, lunch or afternoon tea menu, while inside one of Sydney’s cultural hubs is unbeatable in my opinion – there’s no better day out. In fact, many of the dishes have been inspired by the unique space itself.”
Mid-week brunch invites guests to choose from a selection of light dishes including buttermilk lemon scones; blueberry and almond crostata; crab sliders or an autumn fruit bowl alongside a selection of Single O coffee, tea, fresh juices and Australian sparkling. On weekends the brunch offering expands with Sydney rock oysters; corn fritters and brunch classic – a croque monsieur with Heidi Farms gruyère. The lunch menu easily adapts to suit guests, whether it’s grazing on antipasti such as Alto olive oil focaccia paired with taramasalata and Mayan Gold crisps and La Stella burrata with autumn figs. For a longer lunch menu, highlights include beef carpaccio with rocket, fennel, radicchio and parmesan; southern calamari fritti, grilled swordfish with sautéed Italian greens and olive dressing; and blueberry and almond crostata with lemon mascarpone to finish.
The drinks menu has been curated by Samantha Payne and features an all-Australian wine list, as well as Champagne, cocktails, beers, ciders and a substantial non-alcoholic offering.
Moran has developed a selection of menus for events to complement the Fresh event packages. The thoughtful, ever-changing menu, paired with the Gallery location with views of Sydney Harbour and Woolloomooloo, sets Crafted by Matt Moran apart as a unique space to host a private event or wedding for up to 120 people. Working alongside Matt to deliver the relaxed and seasonal menu will be The Fresh Collective Group Executive Chef Keith Higginson, who brings with him a wealth of experience from bills, Bathers’ Pavilion, Sartoria in London and Bali’s La Lucciola.
Art Gallery of NSW director of development, John Richardson, said the Gallery is delighted to continue to collaborate with Matt Moran in his new capacity as culinary advisor for the much-loved venue.
“We are thrilled to be guided by the culinary expertise of Matt Moran and work closely with the experienced team at The Fresh Collective to deliver our guests an exciting and memorable dining experience in what remains one of Sydney’s most extraordinary locations,” said Richardson. “We look forward to welcoming guests to the beautifully redesigned restaurant as we present a packed program of exhibitions and events and launch celebrations for our milestone 150th anniversary and the centenary of the Archibald Prize.”
The restaurant will launch alongside a packed program of exhibitions at the Gallery, including The National 2021: New Australian Art (26 March–5 September), Margel Hinder: Modern in Motion (until 2 May), ARTEXPRESS 2021 (until 5 April), and Longing for Home (until 22 Aug).
Guests can look forward to collaborations with Australian artists to come, with special dishes on the Crafted by Matt Moran menu to align with future exhibitions such as the Archibald Prize in June.
Crafted by Matt Moran will open five days a week for brunch and lunch, beginning 26 March. Bookings and further info available via www.craftedbymattmoran.com.au
Melbourne-based small business Charlie Bucket Dessert Boxes has launched a collection of delectable hampers and boxes especially for Easter.
The two Easter hampers support local, featuring a collection of beautiful Melbourne produce.
The four Easter boxes are the perfect gift for any confectionery lover, a party box, or simply to treat yourself.
The Charlie Buckett Easter collection is available to order online and for delivery in Australia (delivery fees apply).
Charlie Buckett Easter Hampers
• For the Love of Easter Hamper, $94.95. Featuring Cremorne St Bakers Easter cookies, Four Pillars Rare Dry Gin, Koko Black chocolate eggs and Chocolatier egg
• Happy Easter, Love Melbourne Hamper, $99.95. Featuring Cremorne St Bakers Easter cookies, Four Pillars Rare Dry Gin, Koko Black Bunny, Koko Black Bunny Egg Pop
Charlie Buckett Easter Boxes
• Mini Egg-stravaganza, $49.95. Ideal for an individual or a small gathering, this box features Cadbury eggs and bunny, Easter Trollis and is filled with favourites including Oreo, Darrell Lea solid eggs and loose chocolates
• Lady Lindt, $64.95. This is one for the Lindt lovers with Lindt Bunny and solid eggs alongside handmade brownies, Malteser & Kit Kat bunnies, Ferrero Rocher and Raffaello, as well as a selection of Tim Tams and loose chocolates
• Hop To It Kinder & Friends, $69.95. Kinder Surprise Bunny is joined by Kinder mini bunnies and animals, as well as Cremorne St Bakers Easter cookies, Cadbury eggs and assorted chocolates
• Bunnies ‘n’ Brownies, $99.95. This box is the ideal Easter gift for a family, the ultimate chocoholic, a corporate gift, or for an Easter gathering. Filled with Cadbury Easter chocolate, handmade brownies, artisan choc hot cross bun cookies, artisan Easter cookies and filled with various chocolate eggs, marshmallows, cookies, Tim Tams and assorted chocolate. Metro Melbourne delivery only.
Of course, the recently launched Charlie Buckett also has dessert boxes for all occasions. See here for more details.
As the rain hits Sydney, this chilly autumn day, Whisky Loot Sommelier, Joel Hauer, has put together the ultimate whisky warmer recipe, The Penicillin, to help you keep the colder temperatures out and the sniffles at bay. Check out how to make this autumnal cocktail hit below:
Leading Champagne House, Maison Pommery, is thrilled to officially launch its highly coveted POP It’s a boy, POP It’s a girl range within Australia – much to the delight of expectant parents!
The adorable offering is the result of imagination, creation and innovation. The piccolo bottles are 200ml of pure Champagne joy and boast a traditional cork and wire cage – allowing new parents to ‘pop’ and toast their happy news!
POP was the first champagne especially blended to be consumed directly from the bottle or with a straw.
The POP range is curated using traditional champagne methods. The elegant individual bottles are the perfect accompaniment to celebrate baby showers and gender reveal parties.
POP It’s a girl! is a beautiful, perfectly balanced and easy-to-drink rosé Champagne filled with aromas of red berries and fresh-baked pastry.
POP It’s a boy! provides the delicious freshness of a Brut combined with roundness and delicacy.
The Champagne Pommery POP It’s a boy, POP It’s a girl range is a sophisticated drop, ideal for celebrating the arrival of new life into the world.
Halliday Wine Companion is delighted to launch the inaugural Halliday Barnbougle Cup from 14th–16th May, 2021. The luxury weekend incorporates an itinerary of fine Tasmanian wine and world-class golf at one of the country’s most well-regarded golf clubs, Barnbougle. Located on the north east coast of Tasmania, the club comprises two World Top 100 Golf Courses – Barnbougle Dunes and Barnbougle Lost Farm.
The Halliday Barnbougle Cup weekend promises to be an unforgettable experience, offering guests the opportunity to play on Barnbougle’s prestigious courses by day and dine on fresh, locally sourced produce by night. As an exclusive part of the event, enjoy a four-course food and wine masterclass complete with matched highly rated wines and expert insights from your host, Halliday tasting team member, Ned Goodwin, MW – a dux of the Len Evans Tutorial, Japan’s first Master of Wine and ex-sommelier of the Michelin-starred Veritas restaurant in New York.
There’s plenty on offer for non-golfers looking to enjoy the weekend away, too. Golf may be replaced with other experiences including wellness treatments at Barnbougle’s renowned Spa 180, a trip to one of the region’s award-winning cellar doors or the opportunity to explore Tasmania’s natural beauty through its various well-known walking tracks.
Tasmania represents the perfect location for a weekend of fine wine and golf. The region is renowned for its untouched wilderness, pristine coastline, cool-climate wines and fresh local produce, and Barnbougle is internationally recognised as one of the most spectacular golfing destinations in the world. It continues to receive acclaim for its outstanding course layouts and breathtaking views.
These elements combined make for the perfect getaway for those looking for an interstate escape this year.
Prices start from $1350 per person twin share and include: • Halliday welcome pack • 2 × nights accommodation at Lost Farm Lodge • 18 holes on Lost Farm – or 60-minute Taster Treatment at Barnbougle’s Spa 180 • 18 holes on The Dunes – or 60-minute Relaxation Treatment at Barnbougle’s Spa 180 • Casual dinner on Friday evening in the Sports Bar, including Halliday rated wines • Four-course dining experience at Lost Farm Restaurant matched with highly rated Halliday wines • Boutique spirit tasting on site • Breakfast and lunch daily (Saturday and Sunday) • Prizes for Halliday Barnbougle Cup winners – this will be a Calcutta event
For more information and to secure your booking please contact the Barnbougle reservations team via reservations@barnbougle.com.au or phone (03) 6356 0094.
With restrictions easing and autumn on our doorstep, the Gerard’s team has decided that it’s time to bring back their à la carte menu.
As an addition to their weekly rotating set menu, the à la carte menu enables Executive Chef Adam Wolfers to showcase even more exceptional produce from local suppliers and farmers.
The à la carte menu will also change weekly, allowing Adam to revisit popular dishes and utilise daily seasonal available produce. Think hispi cabbage skewer, tabil tahini and lime; wood-fired bagel, sunflower hummus; Westholme wagyu bavette, smoked harissa; and wood-roasted tiger prawns, labne whey.
Like their set menu, the à la carte menu is designed to be shared. You can view this week’s menu here. For bookings, click here.
Check out these Easter-themed banquet menus and dining experiences available at The Conservatory and Bistro Guillaume at :
The Conservatory, 8 Whiteman St, Southbank VIC 3006 To celebrate the Easter weekend, from Thursday, 1 April to Monday, 5 April, The Conservatory at Crown Melbourne will play host to a limited-time Easter-themed banquet. Session times are outlined below with further details around how to book and pricing here.
~ Saturday, 3 April–Monday, 5 April • High tea: 3.30pm–5.00pm
Bistro Guillaume,8 Whiteman St, Southbank VIC 3006 Feast on a curated 4-course Easter menu at Melbourne’s renowned French bistro. Start with a section of charcuterie including chicken liver parfait and confit duck rillettes, ahead of feasting on slow-roasted Easter lamb with a selection of sides, finished off with Paris-Brest and fromage.
• When: Thursday, 1 April–Sunday, 4 April. Available for lunch and dinner during regular trading hours • Price: Available to share, minimum 2 people. $95 per person • Booking link: here
Additionally, Bistro Guillaume is launching limited-time hot cross buns, which will be available for purchase in-venue daily from Friday, 2 April–Sunday, 4 April. • Single pack: $5 • Half dozen (six-pack): $24 • One dozen (12-pack): $42 • How to order: Call 03 9292 5777 to place an order or, email bistroguillaume@crownmelbourne.com.au
The 2021 NSW SOMMELIER’S WINE LIST AWARDS launched last week with a new look and a revitalised aim of showcasing and rewarding the very best ‘NSW Wine Stars’. A ‘NSW Wine Star’ is a sommelier/beverage manager or venue that offers their customers a great NSW wine experience and a range of delicious local wines that highlight the quality and diversity of wines being produced in NSW.
NSW Wine Industry Association President Mark Bourne says, “In these challenging times it is more important than ever that all sectors of hospitality work together. NSW has an exceptional selection of wines, from a diversity of regions and climates, that are created by passionate and driven people across the State. The NSW Sommelier’s Wine List Awards celebrates those sommeliers and restaurant venues that work with local wine producers to create memorable NSW dine and wine experiences”.
Mark continues, “We have just this week received the latest wine list research, which shows that wines made in NSW hold only 11% of listings within restaurants and bars in NSW. This shows there is still plenty of opportunity for growth and it is critical for the sustainable future of all our industries that we support and work with each other.
“We are very proud of the exceptional wine experiences offered at our cellar doors, and these awards look to celebrate when these are complemented by sommeliers and expanded into memorable dining experiences. So, it is with great pleasure that I announce the 2021 NSW Sommelier’s Wine List Awards are now open for entries, and look forward to sommeliers and restaurants showcasing their passion and commitment for the First State Of Wine, New South Wales.”
As well as the new look, there have been a few other changes to the Awards since the inaugural awards in 2019. Entry is still FREE via a simple online form but this year there will be submission categories for wine lists from hotel accommodation venues, as well as restaurants, gastro pubs and wine bars. Anywhere that has a wine list now has a chance to be crowned a ‘NSW Wine Star’ and then go on to possibly win one of the seven ‘2021 NSW Sommelier’s Wine List of the Year’ titles on offer.
In 2021, submitted wine lists will be judged by three experienced, independent judges. Dane Richards, with experience as GM and Head of Reviewing Australia for Gault&Millau, and judging food and wine at all levels for a diversity of organisations, providing invaluable, honest and objective assessments. Ned Goodwin, Master of Wine, is a former Sommelier, a dux of the Len Evans Tutorial, Japan’s first Master of Wine and a highly regarded wine educator and critic. He brings a wealth of wine knowledge to the team. Mark Baulderstone, MD of Riedel Spiegelau Nachtmann Australia, has worked with some of the world’s finest wine glasses and a diverse range of restaurants, giving him great insight into the broader wine experience.
The 2021 winners will be announced at a prestigious event at Government House Sydney, hosted by the Governor of New South Wales, Her Excellency the Honourable Margaret Beazley AC QC, on 24th May.
Along with a stunning trophy and promotional opportunities, some great prizes are also up for grabs, including automatic entry into Australia’s Wine List of the Year Awards, exclusive food and wine trips to some of NSW’s best wine regions, invaluable advice on and creation of the right digital systems and design for your business, some of Australia’s best wine logistic solutions and some cutting-edge wine service equipment and premium wine glasses (individually selected for your venue), making these awards a must-enter event for any sommelier and restaurant.
An autumn explosion of food, drink and entertainment at The Star Gold Coast & Treasury Brisbane.
As the season changes, The Star Entertainment Group is spicing up South-East Queensland with 40 Days of Flavour, an autumn explosion of food, drink and entertainment from 22 March–30 April.
Inspiring locals and visitors alike to enjoy the best of the Sunshine State, 40 Days of Flavour will bring together cultural tastemakers, expert chefs and music talent in an exciting celebration of the season’s flavours.
For 40 days and nights, The Star Gold Coast and Treasury Brisbane will deliver up a diverse program of dining experiences, created by some of Australia’s brightest chefs, using the finest produce available.
Guests can experience a Japanese flavour fusion at Kiyomi, as visionary mastermind Chase Kojima delivers an intimate omakase experience for just seven people per seating; a four-course feast by Nineteen at The Star’s Uday Huja, set against the glittering Gold Coast skyline; Tom Mumford’s mouth-watering degustation at world-class steakhouse, Black Hide by Gambaro; and a progressive dinner of signature dishes from The Star Gold Coast’s dazzling dining portfolio; plus Moët & Chandon High Tea, Paint & Sip with Bacardi, Wine, Cheese & Bubbles ticketed events against the backdrop of one of Brisbane’s most iconic historic buildings, and the hottest homegrown music talent, live on The Lawn.
Serving up an unforgettable expression of Queensland flavour every day of the week, The Star Gold Coast and Treasury Brisbane are set to be the ultimate dining and entertainment destinations this autumn.
FOOD AND DRINK EXPERIENCES
The Star Gold Coast
● Nineteen at The Star Chef’s Showcase | The Star Gold Coast | 26 March– 30 April (excl. Easter Friday), Friday & Saturday lunch from 12pm | $96pp
Guests will enjoy a spectacular four-course celebration of Executive Chef Uday Huja’s favourite flavour combinations and staple spices for autumn, set against the glittering Gold Coast skyline from this chic rooftop restaurant and bar. A sensory overload, the indulgent feast starts with the restaurant’s signature oysters paired with a glass of Dominique Portet Brut Rosé, before a first course that features a choice of heirloom tomato and nectarine salad, beef tartare, southern calamari or pumpkin risotto. Mains include John Dory, roasted ocean trout or a grain-fed scotch fillet, while sweet tooths will savour the coconut and mango panna cotta with smoked macadamia ice cream or chocolate meringue pie. https://www.star.com.au/goldcoast/whats-on/flavour-festival/chef-favourites/nineteen-at-the-star
● Kiyomi Omakase | The Star Gold Coast | Select dates between 27 April– 1 May, 6.30pm | $195pp
Revel in the most exclusive seat in town as the restaurant’s chefs handpick the season’s freshest flavours and finest produce with an adventurous omakase menu, just for you. Privately tucked away, Chase Kojima’s only Queensland restaurant has a moody feel thanks to the candlelight, dark furnishings and warm wood feature walls – ideal for a cosy autumn celebration. With the intimate event accommodating just seven guests per seating, Chase Kojima and his talented chefs will be exclusively yours in this ultimate Japanese degustation. https://www.star.com.au/goldcoast/whats-on/flavour-festival/experiences/omakase
● The Star Grazing Tour | The Star Gold Coast | 1–29 April, every Thursday from 6.15pm | $145pp
Experience the very best of The Star with a four-course progressive dinner, enjoying signature dishes fromsome of the Gold Coast’s most popular dining experiences. The evening starts at Nineteen at The Star, with the second course at Garden Kitchen & Bar and the third course at Kiyomi. An Italian-inspired chocolate dessert at Cucina Vivo brings the tour to a sweet close, with a mystery post-dinner cocktail for those tempted to uncover the Gold Coast’s newest underground bar. https://www.star.com.au/goldcoast/whats-on/flavour-festival/experiences/star-grazing-tour
● Cucina Vivo Cork & Canvas | The Star Gold Coast | 10 April and 24 April, from 12.45pm–3pm | From $99pp (booking fee applies)
● The Lab Moët & Chandon High Tea | Treasury Brisbane | 27 March– 25 April, Saturday & Sunday from 1pm | $65pp (surcharge applies for public holidays) For those who wish to indulge their sweet and savoury desires with a decadent afternoon, this is an ideal treat for that special occasion, or no occasion at all. The high tea experience, which includes two hours of French Champagne, is available for a maximum of 10 guests every Saturday and Sunday throughout the 40-day festival. https://www.treasurybrisbane.com.au/whats-on/flavour-festival/indulgences/the-lab
● Black Hide by Gambaro Set Lunch and Dinner Degustation | Treasury Brisbane | 23 March–30 April | $79pp lunch, $199pp dinner
Head Chef Thomas Mumford has crafted a new seasonal menu at the world-class steakhouse, available as a special set menu at lunch, or dinner degustation with the option to include matching Coravin wines. Treat your midday belly rumbles with a Lockyer Valley witlof and herb salad, your choice of wagyu skirt steak, wagyu rump cap or grilled market fish and finish with a peach and prosecco sorbet or grilled stone fruit and cantucci (Italian almond cookies). At dinner, the degustation menu includes Sydney rock oysters as an amuse-bouche before the angus eye fillet tartare for entrée. The main course is wagyu, available as a fillet or sirloin, with seasonal sides and dessert is a chocolate tasting plate. https://www.treasurybrisbane.com.au/whats-on/flavour-festival/indulgences/black-hide
● Wine, Cheese & Bubbles | Treasury Brisbane | 1 April, 5.30pm–7.30pm | $50pp Discover a world of bubbles, culinary and wine delights throughout the Treasury Hotel and Courtyard. Sip back and relax as you embark on an indulgent two-hour journey of cheese sampling, wine tasting and bubbly with live entertainment. https://www.treasurybrisbane.com.au/whats-on/flavour-festival/experiences/wine-and-cheese
Live on The Lawn | The Star Gold Coast | 25 March–13 June, Thursday–Sunday | Free It’s not just tastebuds that will receive The Star treatment this autumn. 40 Days of Flavour will also feature the best Australian sounds to satisfy live music cravings, with a weekly line-up of homegrown headline talent at Live on The Lawn at Garden Kitchen & Bar.
Held in partnership with popular Seltzer brand White Claw, this event will be a crowd pleaser and the perfect excuse to keep those summer festival vibes going. The line-up includes an acoustic soloist on Thursdays and Sundays, an R’n’B DJ on Fridays and headline acts alternating with James Canning and the Radio Metro DJs every Saturday as the sun goes down. Headline Acts: ● Sat, 27 March – KLP ● Sat, 3 April – Northeast Party House [DJ Set] ● Sat, 17 April – Miami Horror [DJ Set] ● Sat, 1 May – Confidence Man [DJ Set] ● Sat, 15 May – Set Mo [DJ Set] ● Sat, 29 May – Bag Raiders [DJ Set] ● Sat, 12 June – Dirty South https://www.star.com.au/goldcoast/whats-on/flavour-festival/experiences/the-lawn
SUNDAZE at Will & Flow | Treasury Brisbane | Until 30 April, every Sunday from 1.30pm | Free Brisbanites can bask in glorious autumn afternoons as the change of season brings with it some of the river city’s best weather. There’s no better place to lap it up than overlooking the water at Will & Flow with live music, sumptuous seafood and seasonal wood-fired pizza specials and fresh sips, including a range of seltzers, spritz and sangrias, every Sunday. https://www.willandflow.com.au/whats-on/sundaze
EASTER FEAST
● Dine at Home Easter Hamper | Treasury Brisbane | 1 April, 10am–2pm | $75pp (Classic), $85pp (Deluxe) or $140pp including seafood upgrade A spectacular Easter treat of the freshest locally sourced seafood, salads and dessert extravaganza, prepared by the Treasury chefs to enjoy in the comfort of home. https://www.treasurybrisbane.com.au/whats-on/flavour-festival/experiences/dine-at-home-hamper
● The Lab Easter High Tea | Treasury Brisbane | 3 & 4 April, from 1pm | $45pp, or $65pp with Moët & Chandon Indulge in two-hours of mouth-watering macarons, sumptuous sandwiches and decadent desserts by Executive Chef Steven Jones, served in the sublime heritage setting of The Lab, with your choice of bottomless La Maison Du Thé French hand-crafted teas, or upgrade to Moët & Chandon. https://www.treasurybrisbane.com.au/whats-on/flavour-festival/experiences/easter-high-tea
● Chocolate Egg Delight | Garden Kitchen & Bar and Cucina Vivo | The Star Gold Coast | 2–4 April | $20 This adults-only Easter treat is a sinful blend of chocolate, Baileys, Crème de Cacao and Butterscotch Schnapps, served with a mini egg.
STARCATION PACKAGES
Who needs a passport when the world’s best destination is on your doorstep. Starcation packages are the perfect excuse to soak up the very best Queensland has to offer and at these prices, there is no need to wait for an occasion for that special getaway.
The Star Gold Coast:
● Book from 15 March–31 May for stays 15 March–30 June 2021 ● Spontaneous Starcation – From $189 a night (Sunday–Thursday) in a Superior Deluxe Room at The Star Grand ● Stay & Save More Starcation – 20% off rooms or 35% off suites at The Star Grand and The Darling. Package also includes welcome drinks and unlimited in-room movies ● Signature Starcation – 30% off rooms at The Star Grand, plus a daily $50 dining credit, daily breakfast per registered guest, and late check-out
Treasury Brisbane: ● Book and stay from 15 March–31 May 2021 ● Stay & Save – 25% off all room types with complimentary drink vouchers and unlimited in-room movies. Option to add High Tea with complimentary upgrade to standard to Moët & Chandon
40 DAYS OF FLAVOUR The Star Gold Coast | Treasury Brisbane 22 March–30 April
It is a Saturday night in the Kensington dining precinct, and it’s just a pleasure to see so many diners out after the COVID-19 restrictions have been lifted. The industry, which lost many good restaurants during that period, needs new, exciting and quality openings to fill that void and offer hope, and Jung Sung hits that mark perfectly. Executive Chef Insup Kim, whose CV includes graduating from the Culinary Institute of America, and working for Mario Batali, before moving to Australia and starring as the Chef de Cuisine at Altitude, is already making his mark here after opening only ten days ago.
As impressive is the front-of-house service team who do not miss a beat the entire night, supporting this exceptional and sophisticated iteration of Korean cuisine. The understated but stylish room is full on this second sitting of this weekend service and is as vibrant as the food that is to follow. There are plans to utilise the balcony space more in the future, but for the moment this intimate mode works nicely.
The textural amuse of delicately charred squid, served with pine nut seaweed juk (Korean for soup or velouté), pear tomato, and tangerine vinaigrette, is the first sign that the traditional boundaries are going to be pushed. However, it is the exquisitely presented red snapper with white soy crystal, perilla extract, seaweed and coastal foraged karkalla that now has our full attention. This zesty dish of excellent textures, with astutely judged acidic counterpoints and exceptional balance, wows even two hardened senior reviewers.
Similarly, the Moreton Bay bug done two ways showcases a level of execution and thoughtfulness that indicates this restaurant has the perfect combination of humility and ambition to make its mark in Sydney dining. The first, richly butter poached, and served with a memorable crustacean jus, is sigh-worthy, not in any way diminishing from the second more playful textural nod to a more rustic and traditional presentation that would be lauded in any other context. Likewise, the tuna with sweet soy, glazed anchovy, capsicum, black garlic and the most more-ish potato mash perhaps suffers a little unfairly in comparison.
The textbook execution of the impeccable 9+ marble score wagyu beef from the Riverina, presented two ways, is counterpointed nicely by brown rice vinegar, jalapeño jus, burnt eggplant and nasturtium. It is hard to imagine this produce being showcased in a better way, and whilst the texture of the lamb served with summer tomato gochujang, onion powder and zucchini chutney cannot compete, it is packed with flavour, nonetheless.
With so many intense savoury profiles, the brilliant sweet corn custard dessert, served like a cob with caramelised pistachio, is both welcomed and equally admired for the technical level of skill that underpins it. The rich cherry chocolate dessert with decadent mousse, cherry sorbet and coconut meringue that follows is noteworthy, but the watermelon and lime sorbet, with puffed Korean rice, roast grain powder, and native finger limes is next level.
For a restaurant to be so accomplished, so early, is a testament to the development committed prior to its opening, and to its team that have achieved so much to this point. What excites me is where the journey of this restaurant could take us, when the complexity of the ferments set aside comes into play, and the overall experience matures more fully. Clearly, I really like what I see early, and this restaurant could both influence and inspire a more refined development of this Korean cuisine in this country, if it fulfils the potential it has shown us at this formative stage. I, for one, wish them well in that endeavour and will be following them very closely.
If you are celebrating World Vermouth Day this Sunday, you may want to ‘support local’ and consider some homegrown offerings. Aussie brands Regal Rogue and Unico Zelo both offer unique, environmentally conscious vermouths that would make a great addition to any home bar cart.
Regal Rogue Founded by Mark Ward in 2011, Regal Rogue is committed to creating the best Australian vermouth that is an expression of place, with minimum impact on the land itself. Regal Rogue begins with 100% organic Australian grapes, blended with organic botanicals. This is everyday quaffing vermouth for the ultimate wine aperitif, available in four varieties: Lively White, Daring Dry, Bold Red and Wild Rosé. Regal Rogue works with award-winning organic winemaker, Justin Jarrett of See Saw Wines, whose wines are sustainably farmed in Orange, New South Wales. This wine is blended with 17 organic botanicals and three Indigenous botanicals to make each vermouth. Working closely with Vic Cherikoff of Australian Functional Ingredients, the botanicals are sourced directly from Indigenous communities, ensuring the revenue goes back to the farmers and the communities themselves. Wild pepper berry, lemon myrtle and finger limes; each sip is a celebration of Australia and champions minimal intervention or disruption to the grape, earth and local communities. In March 2020, Regal Rogue launched its new 98% recycled packaging globally, with revised recipes to use 100% organic ingredients.
Vermouth has a natural place in the centre of aperitivo – an occasion credited to the distiller Antonio Benedetto Carpano, who also created one of the first vermouths in Turin in 1786. He claimed that his special combination of fortified white wine and various herbs and spices stimulated the appetite. Today, aperitivo hour conjures up those golden hours that fall between the end of the working day and the start of night, sharing drinks and snacks in good company, and it is here that Regal Rogue finds its natural home, somewhere between regal and rogue. Available for purchase here.
Unico Yuzu Following its highly successful debut in 2019, Unico Yuzu, Unico Zelo’s Yuzu Vermouth has returned. Using Merlot in place of Nebbiolo, the second batch of Unico Yuzu makes for a richer and juicer addition to your home bar cart, pairing perfectly with cocktails such as spritzes or negronis, served on its own as an aperitif, or as an excellent addition to zesty marinades, sauces, or even desserts.
Unico Yuzu started as a fun side project by the Unico Zelo team and has since grown into one of their cult products. To create the vermouth, Unico Zelo starts with a fresh Merlot base from the current vintage, before infusing an array of native Australian botanicals via their sister brand Økar Island Bitter. The mixture is then fortified with yuzu – an intensely flavoured citrus grown by Australian citrus producer Mountain Yuzu in Victoria. The Vermouth provides another use for native botanicals from their sister product Økar Island Bitter, allowing Unico Zelo to continue their sustainable focus.
A creative extension of their Ugly Citrus project that began with Unico Cello (a limoncello liqueur crafted from lemons that would usually go to waste), and Unico Mando (made from the large portion of Dekapon mandarins that are typically discarded), Unico Yuzu is part of Unico Zelo’s ongoing commitment to sustainability, utilising unique ingredients that would typically go to waste in the supply chain, leading to their status as the only Australian distillery with B-Corporation certification, meeting the highest standards of verified social and environmental performance. Available to purchase here for $34.99.
Surry Hills is getting sweeter in March, with cellar door & restaurant NOMAD and artisan gelato Rivareno teaming up to create a mouth-watering gelato special, the Macadamia Baklava Sundae.
Executive Chef and Rivareno fan, Jacqui Challinor will stir up the gelateria’s classic fior di panna gelato flavour, adding special ingredients including orange blossom, macadamia baklava, salted honey caramel, and wood-roasted macadamia.
The Mediterranean-inspired sundae will be exclusively available at Rivareno’s Crown St store for one weekend only, on Saturday 27 and Sunday 28 March.
Yakimono, a contemporary high-energy, inner-city eating house, is a collaboration between Chris Lucas and Chef Martin Benn.
Located at 80 Collins, next door to the soon-to-open SOCIETY, Yakimono will offer a Japanese-style grill menu with a pared-back, delicious and modernist take on Japanese inner-city dining. Due to open late 2021, Yakimono will combine adventurous and robust flavours in a high-energy environment.
The name hints at the offering – the word ‘yaki’ means ‘grill’ in Japanese and ‘mono’ means ‘everything’. The menu will represent Chris and Martin’s shared love of Japan and focus heavily on cooking over charcoal. The food, while respecting age-old methods of cooking over fire, will also bring Martin’s creative ingenuity to ingredients and techniques.
The fit-out takes cues from Chris’s favourite hangouts in the years he spent living in Japan. Set over two floors, with a completely open kitchen at its heart, Martin’s deep connection with traditional Japanese cooking is re-interpreted at Yakimono, an energetic and vibrant all day, every day dining experience.
To celebrate the launch of their book The Heart of Hospitality, a collaboration with food writer Katrina Meynink and crowdfunded publisher Somekind Press, Gerard’s Bistro will be holding a special event on Wednesday, 24 March. Executive Chef Adam Wolfer will create a menu of dishes taken from the book and talk to guests about the recipes and what makes Gerard’s Bistro such a special restaurant.
Gerard’s Bistro : Dinner & Book Launch Gerard’s Lane, 14/15 James St, Fortitude Valley QLD 4006 07 3852 3822 Date: Wednesday, 24th March Time: 6:30pm for a 7pm start Enjoy: A mezze banquet curated by Executive Chef Adam Wolfers, featuring recipe highlights from The Heart of Hospitality Price: $125pp – includes banquet and complimentary copy of The Heart of Hospitality by Somekind Press To book tickets click here Website | Facebook | Instagram
Next Wednesday is World Gelato Day, and Lygon Street’s Zero Gradi is celebrating with a series of limited-edition offerings available for one day only.
Zero Gradi’s margherita gelato is back for the occasion, with the red, green, and yellow gelato reflecting the vibrant colours of 400 Gradi’s award-winning margherita pizza. The Zero Gradi team will also be serving up brioche con gelato for the day – a traditional Italian dessert where a buttery brioche roll is filled with a gelato of your choice.
Finally, there will be three surprise limited-edition gelato flavours available, which will be revealed at the Brunswick East store on Wednesday.
Comforting, fragrant and packed with flavour, Jessi Singh’s smash-hit curry pies (butter chicken and lamb vindaloo) now have three new filling options to choose from:
Served up daily at his four-level British-Indian curry pub Mr Brownie Rooftop Hotel in South Melbourne, the steaming, rich fillings are engulfed in a flaky pastry and served with curry chips and a house-made tomato sauce.
The new curry pie flavours have arrived just in time for AFL season and will be available for both dine-in and takeaway, perfect for those looking to enjoy a freshly made pie on the couch with a footy game on the TV.
A BBQ Pork Hot Cross Bun … need we say more? Lotus Dining Group are getting in the Easter spirit this year with their own dim sum inspired twist on the classic hot cross bun. With its rich BBQ pork and flaky pastry, it’s all the things you know and love about a traditional baked BBQ pork bun, all wrapped up in a festive little hot cross bun package.
For just $12 for two, these decadent little bites will be available at Chi by Lotus, Lotus Double Bay, The Gardens by Lotus, Madame Shanghai and Lotus The Galeries, launching just in time for the Easter long weekend.
For those hoping to devour them at home (in between all of the chocolate, of course), The Galeries will be packing up boxes of 6 for $36 to takeaway – but get in quick, pre-orders close next Friday, 26 March.
Golda welcomes everyone to celebrate at their Mimouna, a little-known Moroccan-Jewish Passover feast.
With Passover – arguably the most popular of Jewish High Holidays – around the corner, Golda’s head chef Rotem Papo will be looking to his Moroccan family roots. On Thursday, 8 April, Golda will host a one-off Moroccan/Israeli dinner feast including elements of the Mimouna, a little known post-Passover tradition amongst North African Jews.
The feast will feature interpretations of dishes from Rotem’s upbringing, including house-made frena bread; tomato & chilli matbucha with Lebanese cucumber; Harira soup, chicken & lemon pasta with lentils; Moroccan slow-cooked snapper with capsicum & coriander sauce; lamb neck tagine with pumpkin & dried apricot; baby cos lettuce with pickled garlic & date dressing. Dessert will include the most popular of the traditional Mimouna foods, the mofletta – a thin, layered flatbread filled with butter and orange honey, as well as chebakia – a Moroccan sesame & honey cookie served with sesame ice cream. Full menu available here.
Guests can expect a one-night-only exclusive 5-course menu designed to be shared with friends and eaten family-style, for $85pp. An optional drinks match is also available for a further $60, with Golda’s signature cocktails and full wine list also available à la carte. Reservations essential. Bookings via this link.
Popular with North African-Jewish families, a Mimounais a festive celebration that occurs after sunset on the final day of Passover to mark the end of the traditional ban on leavened food products or chametz. The celebration is open to everyone and traditionally the evenings are full of music, dancing and friends, all fuelled by the sweet flavours of the Mimouna delicacies.
Rotem remembers his family Mimouna taking place each year in his grandparents’ two-bedroom apartment in Israel, which would always be packed with people. “About 500 people would come and go through the night,” says Rotem, “and my grandmother would be in the kitchen, flattening and cooking mufleta so it is hot and fresh to eat. They had an open-door policy and everyone was welcome; it was a real party atmosphere and I hope to recreate it at Golda”.
‘Mimoun’ means ‘lucky’ in Arabic. At a Mimouna, families traditionally lay different symbols on the table to symbolise luck, fertility, health and prosperity, with an emphasis on the number “5”, such as five pieces of gold jewellery or five beans arranged on a leaf of pastry. The repetition of the number five references the five-fingered hamsa amulet common in both Jewish and Muslim North African and Middle Eastern communities from pre-modern times.
Learn about gin by tasting it. Discover three new gins a month, delivered to your door with Gin Loot.
From the creators of Whisky Loot, Australia’s most loveable whisky subscription service, Gin Loot launches to bring you an experience of a lifetime, immersing your senses in some of the world’s best gin from the comfort of your couch!
Curated by gin sommeliers and delivered over a 12+ month journey, the Gin Loot experience takes you on a monthly adventure of learning through tasting. We’re talking about all types of gins; classic gins and New World gins, from how gin is produced, to crafting the perfect Martini. Gin Loot subscribers receive a curated monthly selection plus expert tasting notes and videos to learn along with, helping you to understand and appreciate the aroma and taste, plus recipe cards to make some tasty drinks.
Just like learning an instrument by practising, you can to build your confidence in gin. Begin as a gin lover, and become a gin expert. There’s no commitment. You can cancel, pause or skip a box at anytime.
So whether your relationship with gin is a throwback to a classic G&T, or you’re an avid explorer of juniper-heavy aromas, we’ll walk you through the story of gin’s extraordinary complexity and depth, in this second Golden Age of Gin.
Saturday’s are heating up with Nick Bennett, Ross Magnaye and James Gibson taking over the deck at Arbory Bar & Eatery.
Holy smokes it’s getting hot on deck! Kicking off this Saturday, Melbourne’s iconic riverside bar and restaurant Arbory Bar & Eatery will be hosting the first ‘BBQ Smokedown’ event, with three of the city’s favourite chefs coming together to cook up a storm on Arbory’s Yoder Smoker Charcoal BBQ.
Running every Saturday for the next four weeks, Arbory Executive Chef Nick Bennett and Head Chef James Gibson are joining forces with Rice Paper Scissors’ Ross Magnaye to deliver three smokin’ dishes.
Think Filipino pork with pickled achara and dirty rice from Ross Magnaye, barbecue sticky pork jowl with collard greens roll from James Gibson and Mayura Station Wagyu with smoked fat, black garlic and pickled lovage from Nick Bennett.
Guests can catch the trio in the flesh when things kick off this Saturday, 20 March from 12pm–3pm on the eastern deck at Arbory. Those who can’t make the first week can still indulge in the limited-edition BBQ Smokedown menu, which will be on offer from 12pm until sold out on Saturday, 27 March and Saturday, 3 & 10 April.
Tickets are $25 a pop and will score you the BBQ offering from all three chefs, and a tinny from the Pirate Life Brewery crew. With DJs on deck each afternoon for the smokedown, they’ll be no better spot to relish in the autumn air. Run, don’t walk because tickets are limited. Secure your spot for the BBQ Smokedown here.
In a celebration of local flavours and Australian produce, Anther Gin is launching their yearly limited-edition Cherry Gin with a tasting and special set menu at Northcote neighbourhood favourite Estelle on Friday, 26 March.
The evening will begin in the leafy courtyard with a tasting of Anther’s award-winning gins, followed by a bespoke three-course menu by acclaimed chef-restaurateur Scott Pickett, with each course matched with an Anther gin-based cocktail. Limited spots available and bookings are essential.
Modern Indian restaurant Horn Please has created a set menu of their most popular Indian street food snacks and sips, available every night in the colourful North Fitzroy venue.
Designed to be shared between two people, the menu features Horn Please’s favourite entree items – gol gappa ‘balls of happiness’, masala okra fries, Colonel Tso’s cauliflower and tandoori chicken – served alongside two Kingfisher beers.
Byron Bay’s Oma Food & Wine is set to launch Oma & Co., a monthly dinner series in collaboration with some of the state’s hottest chefs, producers and winemakers.
Hosted by co-owner and chef Darren Robertson, Oma & Co. creates an opportunity for the local community to meet and greet guest collaborator’s across NSW and beyond, experiencing their signature dishes and favourite tunes to accompany.
Kicking off this Sunday, 21 March with Sydney-based chef Luke Powell of LP’s Quality Meats, Luke will take over the specials menu serving up a selection of his well-known dishes, such as boudin with apple mustard, chorizo with grilled peppers and parsley & pecorino with white bean puree alongside a pork and brandy terrine with pickled prunes, saucisson and smoked tongue, which will remain on the menu for the week to follow.
Continuing as a monthly series, additional guest collaborators will include Casey Wall (of Melbourne-based Bar Liberty, Falco Bakery and Capitano) in April, Alana Sapwell (of Noosa-based Esmay) & Venetia Scott (Hungry Earth Agroecology) in May, and Adam James (Rough Rice) & Luke Burgess (Chef & Photographer) in June. Further information to be released in the coming weeks.
Oma & Co. is a monthly dinner series in collaboration with guest chefs, producers and winemakers from around Australia. Designed to be relaxed and informal, the events will not be ticketed but bookings are highly recommended via omafoodandwine.com
Celebrate this year’s vintage with an exclusive Thai banquet at the stunning Central Victoria winery.
This autumn, modern Thai restaurant Longrain heads north to Central Victoria, bringing an exclusive Thai banquet lunch to the picturesque winery and working farm, Sutton Grange.
Located just 1½ hours from Melbourne CBD or 20 minutes south of Bendigo, Longrain will offer weekend lunches at Sutton Grange Winery each Saturday and Sunday from March 13 for a limited time only. Chef-restaurateur Scott Pickett has created bespoke dishes for the occasion, along with some Longrain signatures that perfectly pair with the winery’s award-winning drops, traditionally handcrafted by winemaker Melanie Chester.
Though Sutton Grange has a longstanding relationship with Longrain, this is the first venture for Pickett’s new catering business, SP Events.
“We can showcase the punchy flavours of Longrain within the scenic vineyards and match the dishes with the outstanding Sutton Grange wines. It’s an opportunity for us to give our guests the full culinary experience and share our love for our local region and fine produce. It will also be the first gig for our new catering arm of the business, so we are very excited to start this new chapter,” said Pickett.
Image credit: Tania Bahr-Vollrath
Served in the grand limestone barrel hall, Longrain’s banquet menu effortlessly balances the four essential elements of South-East Asian cuisine: hot, sour, salty and sweet. Designed to complement Sutton Grange’s unique wine offering, dishes include:
● East 33 Sydney Rock oysters, finger lime, ma kweng pepper ● Betel leaf with smoked trout, galangal and trout roe ● Barbequed black pepper chicken skewers ● Wagyu beef crying tiger, leeks, roasted rice, jeow dressing ● Barbecued salmon wrapped in banana leaf, shiitake xo ● Gaeng hung lay lamb curry, kipfler potatoes, pickled garlic, roasted macadamia ● Steamed jasmine rice ● Papaya salad, snake beans, tomatoes ● Coconut tapioca, spiced quince
Sutton Grange is easily accessible as part of a day trip or weekend escape for city dwellers, or an enjoyable day out for locals in Bendigo, Castlemaine, Kyneton, Harcourt and beyond. As vintage season approaches, guests can take in the breathtaking views of the vast vineyard and watch pickers harvest grapes beneath the spectacular rolling hills of Leanganook (Mt Alexander).
To complete the afternoon, Sutton Grange’s sit-down cellar door tasting experience is available for just an additional $10. Explore the classic Central Victoria varietals and alternative blends that capture the uniqueness of the terroir as the winemakers share the story of the 1000-acre property.
Additionally, guests are invited to continue the experience at home with gift packs ($99) available to purchase featuring Longrain sauces, Sutton Grange wine, Scott Pickett’s cookbook Marriage of Flavours and a Longrain tote bag.
“We all could use a little getaway right now, whether you live in Melbourne or Bendigo. We hope that you will come with your friends and family and enjoy a beautiful day in the vineyards with great food and wine,” says Pickett.
Longrain × Sutton Grange pop-up details: Location: Sutton Grange Winery – Barrel Hall, 1 Carnochans Rd, Sutton Grange VIC 3448 Dates: Every Saturday and Sunday from 13 March (excluding Saturday, 27 March and Saturday, 17 April) Time: From 12:00pm Price: $95 per person for an exclusive banquet menu Bookings: are essential, via longrainmelbourne.com
Cult cycle studio brings the Hawker heat for the ultimate weekend workout.
Hawker Hall will be hosting a new series of pop-up events – dubbed ‘Garage Sessions’ – with a range of unique collaborators, and hosted behind a secret roller door next to the iconic Asian beer hall at 100 Chapel Street, Windsor.
Kicking off the series on Saturday, 27 March, Hawker Hall and Bodhi & Ride will come together to serve up their signature hip hop class followed by a feast of Hawker treats. So get ready, set and ride with the first of the sessions putting a new spin on your usual Saturday gym class in more ways than one.
The exclusive one-day event will invite you to push it to the pedal and feel the heat with one of Bodhi & Ride’s iconic cardio disco workouts. After you’ve felt the burn, you’ll head into Hawker Hall where you’ll be treated to a specially curated menu of all your Hawker favourites with a Bodhi & Ride take to give you all the sustenance you need.
Get ready to devour vegetable san choi bao lettuce cups with tofu, mushroom and seasonal herbs; mushroom dumplings with red vinegar; Singaporean poached chicken with gai lan egg noodles; butter squash Buddha bowls and a green mango salad with cucumber and coconut and lime dressing.
You’d better get pedalling because there are only a limited number of spaces available for this one-day event. Tickets are $65 per person, including the Bodhi & Ride class in the Hawker Hall Garage and the special lunch menu.
For those who can’t make the exclusive event, Hawker Hall has also curated a special menu of Bodhi Buddha Bowls that will be available from Sunday, 28 March until Friday, 30 April. Think chicken salad with peanut–tamarind dressing and chilli oil and coconut prawn salad with vermicelli noodles, coriander and mint.
This epic collaboration will be the first of many instalments of Hawker Hall’s Garage Sessions supporting local small businesses.
Hawker Hall presents ‘Garage Sessions’: Bodhi & Ride Date: Saturday, 27 March 2021 Time: 2.00–2.30pm Bodhi & Ride class with 2.45pm lunch seating Price: $65 per person Location: Hawker Hall Garage, 100 Chapel Street, Windsor (Bodhi & Ride class) and Hawker Hall, 98 Chapel Street, Windsor (lunch) Booking: https://www.hawkerhall.com.au/whats-on/garage-bodhi-ride/
Fratelli Fresh is reopening at Sunshine Plaza’s waterside dining precinct on Wednesday, 24 March at 4pm, bringing its signature Italian, family-friendly dining experience and an even more affordable menu back to the Sunshine Coast.
After a 12-month hiatus, guests can indulge in Fratelli Fresh’s much-loved dishes, now with nothing over $24 and including $10 house-made desserts and $5 gelati. The menu, served with a nod to classic dishes and Fratelli’s signature riff, includes:
Pasta ($18–23) Spinach and ricotta ravioli with tomato, basil and parmesan Penne boscaiola with cotto ham, mushroom cream, parsley and parmesan Spaghetti Bolognese
Italian wines, beers, cocktails and a revolving line-up of house-made spritzes are also available. Children under the age of 12 eat for free from the kids’ menu daily, with a paying adult.
Every week will see $15 Pizza Wednesdays and $15 Pasta Thursdays, exclusive to diners who are already members of the Fratelli Friends loyalty program.
Fratelli Fresh Food & Beverage Director Molly Haranis said the team is thrilled to be reopening at The Riverwalk dining precinct with a refreshed, repriced, more affordable menu of much-loved dishes.
“We are throwing our support behind the region, our local team, Queensland suppliers and the appetite for quality dining at an affordable and competitive price point on the Coast,” Ms Haranis said.
“In turn, we are calling on our loyal customers and local diners to support our reopening and come along to Sunshine Plaza to enjoy la dolce vita Fratelli Fresh-style.”
Fratelli Fresh is open Wednesday and Thursday 4pm–late, and Friday to Sunday 12pm–late.
Cannoleria has done it again with its upcoming flavours of the week – a limited-edition cannoli for St Patrick’s Day, Pina Colada and Maltesers. Plus, there are Easter Cannoleria Hot Cross Buns. You heard us right, sweet ricotta-filled hot cross buns!
The Cannoleria limited edition flavours of the week and Easter Hot Cross Buns will be available at all stores, including Grazeland, which opens on 19th March.
St Patrick’s Day Green Cannoli, released 19th March
St Patrick’s Day is here and to let the celebrations continue, Cannoleria has released an inspired cannoli as flavour of the week.
The St Patrick’s Day cannoli is, of course, green – with matcha-infused ricotta in the signature crunchy shell and garnished with matcha and white chocolate crumbs.
Available in Cannoleria stores Friday, 19th March to Thursday, 25th March until stocks last each day.
Priced at $5 each or $4 each when three or more are purchased.
Easter Cannoleria Hot Cross Buns, released 26th March
It’s nearly Easter and Cannoleria can’t wait to mix it up a bit!
To make the Easter Cannoleria Hot Cross Buns, the team are taking delicious hot cross buns and filling them with their signature Sicilian ricotta.
Individual filled hot cross buns will be available in Cannoleria stores for $6 each.
DIY kits are also available to order online for delivery. The kit contains 6 hot cross buns, a piping bag of the Cannoleria signature Sicilian ricotta and a QR code to access a tutorial video on how to fill the buns. Priced at $23 (plus $5 delivery across Melbourne).
Individual Easter Cannoleria Hot Cross Buns available in Cannoleria stores until stocks last each day and the DIY kits available for order & delivery online Friday, 26th March to Monday, 5th April.
Pina Colada, released 26th March
Just because summer is over, it doesn’t mean the summer feels need to end. The delicious Pina Colada cannoli is inspired by the cocktail with pineapple and coconut-infused ricotta in the signature crunchy Cannoleria shell, garnished with shredded coconut.
Available in Cannoleria stores Friday, 26th March to Thursday, 1st April until stocks last each day.
Priced at $5 each or $4 each when three or more are purchased.
Maltesers Cannoli, released 9th April
You can’t go wrong with chocolate and cannoli and so Cannoleria has incorporated one of their favourites to create the Maltesers Cannoli. Malted ricotta with Maltesers crumbs fills the crunchy cannoli shell with a garnish of more Maltesers.
Available in Cannoleria stores Friday, 9th April to Thursday, 15th April until stocks last each day.
Priced at $5 each or $4 each when three or more are purchased.
Cannoleria Locations: • South Melbourne Market • Watergardens Shopping Centre • Preston Market • Grazeland Melbourne • Highpoint Shopping Centre pop-up (Fri, Sat & Sun) • UGO café at Cannoleria HQ, 69 Sheehan Road, Heidelberg West • That’s Amore Cheesery, Thomastown Website | Facebook | Instagram
Cookbook author and beloved Melbourne foodie to host online masterclass with Shane Delia.
To celebrate the rise and rise of Alice Zaslavsky’s In Praise of Veg cookbook, Alice (aka @aliceinframes), alongside Providoor founder Shane Delia, will be hosting an online masterclass on Sunday, 11 April.
Timed perfectly in the middle of school holidays (and with a special appearance from Shane’s daughter), Alice will teach the whole family how to make four of her delicious veg-packed dishes from her new best-selling cookbook, including:
~ Whole roasted cauliflower with Maha Secret Spice and Satsibeli ~ Mushroom-stuffed potato Zrazy ~ Baharat butternut squash tagine ~ Six-spice ginger cookies
One of the highlights are the mushroom Zrazy (pronounced Zrah-zii). It’s like all-in-one rissole – a genius combination of everything you’d pop on your plate for lunch or dinner, stuffed into a pan-fried, oblong-shaped parcel: crisp-crusted mashed potatoes, filled with mushroom duxelles (an intensely flavoured mushroom and onion mix). Satsibeli is Georgia’s answer to tomato salsa, with a good hit of garlic and coriander. A real taste and texture sensation.
“The best part about Providoor’s classes like these is that most of the heavy lifting’s already been done for you, so all you’re left to get on with are the good bits – like squishing mashed potato between your fingers and shaping cookies,” says Alice.
The class kit is $130 and includes all the elements and ingredients needed to cook along at home, with a lot of heavy lifting done for you so you can get the kids involved for a veggie forward lunch feast. There is also the option to upgrade your kit with a signed copy of In Praise of Veg for $60.
Providoor × Alice Zaslavsky masterclass sales are now open (see link), with the live class being broadcasted on Sunday, 11 April at 12pm (the kits arrive the day before – Saturday, 10 April). Orders will close Thursday, 8 April unless sold out prior, so get in quick.
Jeremy Ryland chats with Chef Ben Williamson and Tyron Simon about the journey that has seen Agnes become the hottest culinary ticket in town, after emerging from the limitations of the COVID-19 restrictions.
Landmark Brunswick pub Sarah Sands Hotel will re-open in May 2021, following a renovation that will revitalise the shuttered venue and return it to the local community. Sarah Sands Hotel has a long history in Melbourne, dating back to 1854. In 2021, the Brunswick institution will return to its original name and purpose: a proper local’s pub.
Melbourne-based pub group Australian Venue Co is breathing new life into the historic hotel, working with architects Studio Y. on the renovation. The project, which has a budget in excess of $2million, will deliver a new pub dining room, kitchen and bar inside the two-storey venue.
The hotel, previously trading as Irish-themed bar Bridie O’Reilly’s, has been closed since 2017. AVC acquired the leasehold in October 2019 and construction is currently underway for a May 2021 re-opening.
“This pub has great bones, and a long history in the community. Finding ways to revitalise heritage venues and update them to meet the needs of locals is something we take so much pride in at Australian Venue Co. We can’t wait to get the neighbours in for a first look!” said Australian Venue Co Chief Executive Officer Paul Waterson.
“Opening a venue that has been closed for a long period of time is always rewarding – we love bringing beautiful old pubs back to life,” he said.
Executive Chef Telina Menzies is writing a menu anchored by high-quality pub classics, with hearty vegetarian versions of pub favourites also available.
Australian Venue Co is looking to hire locally for the re-opening, with both front-of-house and back-of-house opportunities available.
Australian Venue Co operates a number of historic pubs across Melbourne and takes pride in preserving the heritage and character of these local institutions. Other historic venues in Melbourne include The Duke of Wellington in Melbourne’s CBD, which is Melbourne’s oldest licensed pub; O’Connell’s in South Melbourne; Auburn Hotel in Hawthorn; and Middle Park Hotel in Middle Park.
Sarah Sands Hotel is slated to re-open in May 2021.
After taking a hiatus for much of 2020, Oriental Teahouse has reopened its freshly renovated Little Collins Street venue sporting a new post-lockdown look across two levels, and more yum cha and dumplings than ever before.
Yum cha in the city means mouth-watering dumplings that are not only delicious, but convenient for the CBD worker or dumpling-lover on the go. Oriental Teahouse Lt. Collins is back with daily yum cha lunch service from Tuesday to Friday that includes two lunchtime seatings, and à la carte service on offer during all times.
Expect trays of yum cha favourites serving up the likes of pan-fried pork and chive dumplings, chilli wagyu beef dumplings, roast duck dumplings, lemongrass chicken dumplings, BBQ pork buns and more to hungry city dwellers.
Diners can also revel in a variety of feasting options that widely cater to different dietaries and group sizes. The Feasting Menu, which is also available as plant-based, starts at a minimum of two people for $48–$68 per person. Featuring a choose-your-own menu of dumplings, mains and sides across 8–12 different dishes, groups of six or more can also opt for the unlimited Feasting Menu for the ultimate yum cha feast in the city.
For restaurateur David Zhou, he comments: “The decision to finally reopen our venue is one that we hope encourages others to do the same. We’ve missed the energy of our bustling CBD and we are excited to be back with a more focused menu that features customer favourites, so that people, no matter how much time they have, will be able to get their yum cha fix.
“We want to bring back excitement into the CBD, do what we do best in a safe way and continue moving forward as a community.”
The refurbished Teahouse also showcases an impressive new bar downstairs that brightens up the venue as soon as you walk through the doors. The drinks menu features tasty cocktails such as the Miyagarita (tequila, lime, agave, umeboshi) and Yuzu negroni (Roku gin, sweet vermouth, Campari, yuzu), as well as local and imported brews, their signature range of hot teas and more.
Oriental Teahouse is a household name that provides a world-class teahouse experience that is authentically Chinese but with a modern twist. The space encompasses a day-to-night culinary experience that does not sacrifice the essence of a traditional Chinese teahouse.
Introducing an energetic new combo of food, music, art and design.
Now open, Commune Group introduces a remixed version of its Swan Street restaurant New Quarter,bringing a fresh take on Neo Vietnamese to Richmond’s bustling dining scene in a new identity that is textural, impulsive and alive.
“While Melbourne took a break during 2020, it’s back to being the country’s most exciting food city. New venues and concepts are popping up all over town and New Quarter is our contribution to this mix. A restaurant not just for Richmond but for the whole city,” says Simon Blacher, Commune Group Creative Director.
“Richmond has always been the home for Vietnamese food in Melbourne. At New Quarter we are embracing the flavours and history of the area and repackaging it into what we believe is a unique expression of Melbourne Vietnamese.”
The restaurant, located on the prominent corner of Swan and Lennox streets, once known for its street food vibes and takeaway, has relaxed its offering releasing a shorter, tighter menu led by Head Chef Scott Lord (Sunda Dining, Tokyo Tina and Cumulus Inc.). Lord has stamped his own style onto the menu, reinventing the traditional Vietnamese creations with a Melbourne twist.
The new menu includes dishes: • Banh mi finger, whipped chicken liver pâté, chicken skin and pickled cucumber • Beef tartare, egg yolk, pho jelly and anchovy tapioca crisps • Nước chấm caviar, chicken toast with Laughing Cow cheese • Clam “in parchment”, banh canh cua broth and watercress charred tomato • Grilled short rib, burnt chilli nước chấm and charred betel leaf grill
And for dessert: • Vietnamese coffee crème caramel, bitter caramel • Mango parfait, Oreo crumb, micro Thai
Designer Ewert Leaf and agency Space Between, regular collaborators of Commune Group, were called upon to bring the Melbourne vibe to the 80-seat venue, taking cues from two local artists – Soul Mckenzie’s dynamic artwork and photographer Josh Robenstone, who has provided soft, raw urban streetscapes of Richmond.
Providing contrast to the rich artwork, the new interior is pared back with cork-top tables, natural muted tones in timber, hardwood veneers and textured plaster. The warm neutral walls reflect the natural light during the day and transform it into a dark and moody space at night.
The new iteration presents four distinct dining areas to choose from, the low seating area accommodates 58 diners, with space for eight in the high-backed wooden booths. For those who would like a seat at the bar, there are 10, along with some prime high seats with windows to the action on Swan Street.
“The restaurant allows dinners to flow seamlessly between day and night, vibrant Melbourne art and music. New Quarter will demonstrate a cleaner and more restrained approach to the Vietnamese cuisine, but feel free to get your hands messy,” says Simon Blacher.
FISH SHOP is Bondi’s newest fine-casual restaurant. The team behind FISHBOWL (Nathan Dalah, Nic Pestalozzi and Casper Ettelson) have designed the perfect menu with both dine-in and takeaway in mind, featuring sustainable and normally hard-to-access seafood from Sydney’s best suppliers. Head Chef Joel Bennetts (PIER, Bistrode CBD, Three Blue Ducks, Peppe’s) leads the kitchen.
The FISH SHOP menu encourages diners to pair the fish (or seafood) with their choice of condiments, vegetables, sides and salads, and with FISH SHOP fronting directly onto the park, the venue offers picnic blankets for those wanting to embrace the sunshine.
For takeaway, the menu features a selection of ‘Boxes To Go’ – giving choice, flexibility and a clear direction for those looking to roam freely over their Easter weekend.
MasterChef regular teams up with Providoor for an Easter Saturday how-to on chocolate Easter eggs.
Burch & Purchese founder Darren Purchese is joining forces with Providoor for an Easter Saturday online masterclass teaching the art of making and decorating delicious chocolate Easter eggs.
Aimed for the kids (and the kids at heart), it will be the perfect Easter holiday activity with the kit containing everything you need to make two 15cm jumbo sized milk chocolate eggs including a mould, chef-quality Belgian chocolate, garnishes, stencils and piping bags.
Darren will show you how to cast your eggs and how to create amazing decorations to give the eggs a professional but fun finish. Each egg can be decorated by you and your junior chefs using stencils, chocolate, garnishes and edible glitter provided.
“This masterclass is definitely a great one to entertain the kids on Easter Saturday morning. Get messy with them whilst also learning the art of moulding and decorating impressive Easter eggs,” says Darren.
Since its inception 10 years ago, Burch & Purchese has become the go-to dessert and sweet destination in Melbourne. Food directors Darren, and his wife Cath Claringbold, have recently made the decision to turn their retail store on Chapel Street into a 100% online business. Benefits like zero waste and a bigger made-to-order menu mean they will continue to sweeten the city well into the next decade.
Providoor × Darren Purchese sales open this Saturday, 13 March. The live class will then be broadcasted on Easter Saturday (3 April) at 11am, with kits arriving the day before. Orders will close Wednesday, 31 March unless sold out prior, so get in quick.
The class and kit together are $95 (plus delivery fee) and can be delivered across Victoria, and Sydney metro suburbs. Check your postcode here to see whether Providoor can reach you.
BrewDog supercharges its Australian expansion plan, with new sites to open in Sydney and Brisbane.
Australia will soon be home to its first craft beer hotel, thanks to BrewDog Australia. The craft beer trailblazer has announced the exciting development as part of its ambitious two-year blueprint for its Antipodean expansion, which also includes the launch of several new sites across the country and New Zealand by 2023.
Since its launch in 2019, BrewDog Brisbane has become one of BrewDog’s most successful sites globally and the blueprint reveals a staged plan to make it Australia’s ultimate beer destination.
Alongside plans to open a second BrewDog bar site in Brisbane and its first in Sydney, the blueprint reveals plans to open BrewDog bars in Melbourne, Perth and Auckland – complete with micro brewing facilities so locals can enjoy freshly brewed beers on site.
BrewDog has also revealed exciting plans to open the country’s first-ever eco-friendly craft beer hotel – The DogHouse Brisbane – that will cater to both human and canine guests. Following on from the success of The DogHouse in Columbus, Ohio – TIME Magazine named it as one of the Greatest Places on Earth in 2019 – The DogHouse Brisbane will be equipped with shower beer fridges and hotel-room draft beer taps filled with fresh Aussie-brewed Punk IPA.
Ed Bott, BrewDog’s ANZ CEO, said: “We are extremely grateful for the outstanding support we have received in Australia since we landed Down Under. It’s been a pretty wild ride so far, but we have ambitious plans for Australia and New Zealand, building a fast-paced sustainable business that can be a force for good. We can’t wait to bring our relentless obsession with incredible craft beer to the rest of the country and for our Punks to be able to head to their local BrewDog bar and get their paws on our freshly brewed Aussie beers.”
BrewDog was born with the aim to revolutionise the beer industry and redefine beer-drinking culture. The first carbon-negative beer business in the world with the ambition to become the world’s most sustainable beer business, BrewDog is owned by thousands of craft beer lovers across the world who have all invested in the brewery’s pioneering ‘Equity for Punks’ crowdfunding program. These 180,000+ ‘Equity Punks’ are the brewery’s heart and soul.
After releasing the blueprint for its expansion Down Under, BrewDog has now extended its pioneering crowdfunding initiative, Equity for Punks, until 31 March in Australia to give more beer lovers the opportunity to shape the future of the Australian-owned company. They have also opened up the raise to New Zealand.
Bott said the response to the current raise in Australia had exceeded the initial $300,000AUD target and is currently sitting at over $600,000AUD with over 900 investors to date. The raise is now scheduled to close on 31 March 2021, with every single dollar raised used to sustainably fuel BrewDog’s growth across both countries and fund investment in groundbreaking, high-impact green projects to help build a more sustainable future.
Aussie beer drinkers who want to see a BrewDog bar open in their town can help speed up the process by participating in the brand’s pioneering crowdfunding initiative, Equity for Punks. The brewer has also confirmed that if more than 500 Equity Punks join from the same city before the current raise closes on March 31, they will open a BrewDog bar there within the next three years.
Changes are already underway at the Brisbane beer campus, adding a larger outdoor seating area with shaded seating on the riverside terrace before they expand the brewery to install a pasteuriser that will help expand its AF (alcohol-free) beer range and an additional packaging line. Next, they will upgrade the taproom adding 100m2 of private event space, expanded walk-in takeaway shop and larger kitchen space.
BrewDog plans to fuel its growth by employing eight full-time sales reps across Australia and New Zealand, increasing its product line and launching a number of special limited-edition collaborations. The first, a European collaboration with the kings of Manchester, Cloudwater, was released last month, and they are also working on releasing their alcohol-free beer range as soon as possible. Starting with Nanny State, the range will be expanded later this year with Punk AF, Hazy AF and its raspberry AF Sour, Faux Fox.
Investments can be made through the OnMarket platform at www.brewdog.com/efpoz. Full details can be found in the Offer Information Statement.
The team behind iconic Melbourne sourdough café and bakery Rustica have opened a new café and retail space in Collins Arch – First Love Coffee – devoted to providing the first home to its in-house coffee blend. The elegant new CBD space is designed as a walk-in standing-room-only coffee bar – serving city-dwellers coffee, Rustica pastries, and breakfast and lunch-to-go daily – as well as a stunning store where the team retails First Love Coffee’s Brazilian, Ethiopian and Nicaraguan single origins or their house Polaroid blend to coffee fans direct.
“Our first First Love Coffee location is all about speciality coffee, excellent breakfast and lunch options and the chance to purchase your favourite blend or single origin to enjoy at home. All our sandwiches, bagels, salads and pastries are from Rustica, and our green beans are sourced from all corners of the world then roasted by our team in Port Melbourne. We’re really excited to share the space with the city crowds,” says Director Drew Gibbs.
From the food menu, expect easy grab-and-go takeaway options such as:
• Granola cup with Coyo and seasonal fruit • Brekkie roll – bacon, fried egg, relish, mayo • Seedy sourdough, sautéed mixed mushrooms, goats curd, spinach and truffle oil • Toasted seeded bagel with crunchy peanut butter, banana, coconut and chia seeds • Poached chicken sanger with avocado, mixed leaves and tasty cheese • Smoked mushroom sanger with taleggio, truffle mayo and baby spinach • Poached chicken salad with Vietnamese slaw, mixed Asian herbs, bean sprouts, toasted coconut flakes, cashews and nam jim dressing • Miso cauliflower and quinoa salad with goji berries, golden raisins, broccolini, kale, smoked almonds and mixed leaves
Interiors by long-term Rustica collaborator Fiona Drago Architect use a colour palette inspired by raw coffee beans and natural materials to reflect the brand’s commitment to quality and sustainability.
Peach terracotta terrazzo lines the walls, with coffee beans displayed inside the alcoves, while terrazzo marble sweeps across the floor and up the main wall unifying the space and extending the neighbouring garden. Fixtures include copper cabinets, marble counters, rose gum benches and locally-made terracotta and copper lighting, with a ceiling comprised of sculpted cork providing acoustic comfort.
First Love Coffee is open Monday to Friday from 7am–4pm to fuel Melbourne CBD workers throughout the working week as they filter back into the city.
Say hello to Melbourne’s neighbourhood Eat Street, including a micro-brewery, Japanese izakaya bar, hot pot, cake shop and more!
On Thursday, 18 March 2021, Burwood Brickworks will officially unveil its dining precinct Eat Street, welcoming guests to the neighbourhood food space with a colourful and diverse range of dining and dessert venues, including cult-Asian offerings, a patisserie, micro brewhouse tavern and more, and celebrating with 11 days of festivities and fun.
“Our vision was to curate a complete dining experience in Melbourne’s east, and after almost 10 months in lockdown since opening in December 2019, we’re so excited to officially launch Eat Street now. We can’t wait to celebrate with guests and welcome everyone to eat and enjoy new food experiences at the centre,” says Burwood Brickworks Centre Manager Eric Park.
Cake and Counter
Ben and Jerry’s
Gami Chicken and Beer
Promising something for all appetites, Eat Street at Burwood Brickworks features nine venues, including:
• acre farm cake & counter – new patisserie from the acre farm & eatery team with take-home cakes, pastries, pies and more • Ben & Jerry’s – cult favourite ice-cream scoop shop • Gami Chicken & Beer – Australia’s original Korean fried chicken and beer joint • Hot Hot Pot – authentic Sichuan hot pot with a Melbourne twist • Ichiro Izakaya Bar – traditional Japanese izakaya offering • New Northcote Brewhouse – local tavern serving craft beer, Australian wine and great food • Norwood Café – sustainable-approach café • Rosa Mexicano – fresh and delicious Mexican street food • Taste Hunan – exceptional flavours, spices and taste of Hunan cuisine
Hot Hot Pot
Ichiro Izakaya
Northcote Brewhouse
From 18 March to 28 March 2021, Burwood Brickworks is celebrating the official opening of Eat Street with dining offers, live music performances and kids entertainment too. Available daily for lunch and dinner, the Eat Street retailers will be dishing up a range of delicious meals for just $10 for the adults and $5 for the kids.
Guests can enjoy all-you-can-eat hot pot from Hot Hot Pot, fried chicken burgers and nuggets from Gami, assorted sashimi from Ichiro Izakaya, fajitas from Rosa Mexicano, stir-fried pork from Taste Hunan and pizza from New Northcote Brewhouse. acre farm cake & counter will also be celebrating with its hero honey cake and any coffee for just $10.
Overlooking the precinct’s Urban Plaza and park, Eat Street will be the go-to dining destination with the al fresco space open day and night – perfect for pre- or post-movie feeds, catch-ups with friends or mid-week family dinners.
Rosa Mexicano
Norwood Cafe
Taste Hunan
Eat Street Launch Schedule Dining offers – available daily from 12pm–2pm and 5pm–8pm • acre farm cake & counter – $10 honey cake and coffee • Ben & Jerry’s – $5 regular choc-dipped cone (two flavours) • Gami Chicken & Beer – $10 Gami chicken burger and chips, $5 kids nuggets, chips and pop-top and $5 hotteok • Hot Hot Pot – $10 adult ‘all-you-can-eat’ hot pot and $5 kids ‘all-you- can-eat’ hot pot • Ichiro Izakaya Bar – $10 assorted sashimi, $5 kids favourite set, $5 duo large daifuku • New Northcote Brewhouse – $10 salami or three cheese pizza • Norwood Café – $10 smashed avocado • Rosa Mexicano – $10 fajitas, $5 kids pescado con fries (fish & chips), $5 house-made churros • Taste Hunan – $10 Hunan-style stir-fried pork
Music And Entertainment Schedule • Thursday, 18 March Elise Beattie Music from 5:30pm–8:30pm • Friday, 19 March Jazmin Varlet Voice Artist from 5:30pm–8:30pm • Saturday, 20 March SASH Kids Entertainment (face painting and kids disco) from 11.30am– 2:30pm Disco Divas and Live Music Guitar Duo from 5:30pm–8:30pm • Sunday, 21 March Live Music Guitar Duo from 11.30am–2:30pm • Wednesday, 24 March Roving Entertainment from 5:30pm–7:30pm • Thursday, 25 March Live Music Guitar Duo from 5:30pm–8:30pm • Friday, 26 March Disco Divas from 5:30pm–8:30pm • Saturday, 27 March Tie the Credible, Disco Divas and SASH Kids Entertainment (face painting and kids disco from 11:30am–2:30pm DJ Du Jour and live music from 5:30pm–8:30pm • Saturday, 28 March Student performers, Disco Divas and Live Music Guitar Duo from 11:30am–2:30pm.
Burwood Brickwork’s Eat Street is located at 70 Middleborough Road. For the full schedule of dining offers, music, performances, activities and dining opening hours, please visit the Burwood Brickworks website.
For Good Friday and Easter Monday, enjoy two delicious courses in Stokehouse’s main dining room and two hours of bottomless Champagne Bollinger for $150 per person.
Gather your friends and family over Easter and sip your way through the afternoon with unlimited Bollinger and dishes created by Executive Chef Jason Staudt.
For entrée, choose between seasonal crudo with burnt citrus dressing and fine herbs or Somerset tomatoes with house-made feta, melon and gazpacho dressing. The hardest part will be deciding on the main course – masala-spiced spaghetti squash, steamed blue-eye cod with kombu lemon butter and Yarra Valley caviar, or Altair grass-fed sirloin with bone marrow crème fraîche, roast onion and salsa verde.
Rockpool Dining Group’s casual restaurants have created a series of two-course menus that are exceptional value for money and will give NSW residents extra bang for their buck when they spend their two, hotly anticipated $25 Dine & Discover vouchers.
The Dine & Discover scheme, aimed at helping the hospitality industry recover from the impact of Covid-19, is expected to roll out in March. Each NSW resident is eligible for four $25 vouchers, two of which can be redeemed at hospitality venues.
Rockpool Dining Group customers can spend their vouchers on any food and soft drinks across their menus, including at Rockpool Bar & Grill, Spice Temple and Saké Restaurant & Bar, or take advantage of the following $25 multi-course menus at casual restaurants Fratelli Fresh, El Camino Cantina, The Bavarian and WingHAÜS by Bavarian.
Fratelli Fresh: $25 (Select either an entreé and main meal, or a main meal and dessert)
Entree: choice of Arancini Bruschetta Calamari Zucchini Flowers * Main: choice of Fratelli House Salad Grilled Chicken Salad Rigatoni Lamb Ragù Spinach and Ricotta Tortellini Margherita Pizza Diavola Pizza * Dessert: choice of Hazelnut Tiramisu Banoffee Torta Key Lime and Meringue Tart Two scoops of house-made gelato
El Camino Cantina: $25 (Select three courses)
Entree: Choice of Guacamole and Corn Chips Six Spicy Buffalo Wings * Main: choice of Chicken or Beef burrito or Bowl The TP (any three tacos) Carne Nachos Chicken or Steak Fajita * Dessert: Churros
The Bavarian: $25 (Select either an entreé and main meal, or a main meal and dessert)
Entree: choice of Haüs-Baked Pretzel and Butter Crispy Pork Belly Bao Bun * Main: Choice of Jägerschnitzel – Crumbed chicken breast, fries and mushroom sauce Roasted Pumpkin, Beetroot & Goat’s Cheese Salad – quinoa, baby spinach, radish, almonds Classic Cheeseburger – Angus beef, cheddar, pickles, onion, mustard and secret sauce Magic Mushroom Burger – Crumbed confit mushroom, cheddar, lettuce, onion, pickles, tomato & secret sauce * Dessert: Choice of Cinnamon Pretzel Doughnut, with salted caramel dipping sauce Haüs-Made Apple Strudel, with vanilla ice cream and walnut dust
WingHAÜS by Bavarian: $25 Any burger, six wings and a soft drink
Rockpool Dining Group Food & Beverage Director John Sullivan said the $25 deals provided customers exceptional value for money.
“Diners will receive a big bang for their buck if they spend their vouchers at one of our casual restaurants,” Mr Sullivan said.
“We urge everyone to make the most of their vouchers, which will not only help the industry recover but provide financial support and fabulous dining experiences to NSW residents.”
Fratelli Fresh is currently open at Darling Harbour, Miranda, Manly, Entertainment Quarter, and Westfield Pitt Street. Bookings: fratellifresh.com.au
El Camino Cantina is located at The Rocks, Manly, Miranda, Entertainment Quarter. Bookings: elcaminocantina.com.au
The Bavarian is located at Charlestown, Rouse Hill, Castle Hill, Shellharbour, Tuggerah, Manly, Penrith, Miranda, Macarthur, Green Hills, Entertainment Quarter, York Street, Wetherill Park, Chatswood. Bookings: thebavarians.com
WingHAÜS by Bavarian is located at Gateway dining precinct at Circular Quay, and Barangaroo. Bookings: winghaus.com.au
Kicking off this March, Ria will be hosting some of the country’s best chefs for a series of pizza parties, supported by Breville. It’s the perfect Sunday night treat.
The Pizza Party series will see Ria’s classic Neapolitan-style bases take on flavour combinations inspired by guest chefs’ upbringing and roots, for a series of flavour-packed pizzas available for one night only. Snacks and dessert will be available too, of course.
Momofuku Seiōbo’s Paul Carmichael will be launching the first party in style on Sunday, 28 March, from 5pm, taking guests to the beaches of Barbados with Caribbean-inspired pizzas. Tickets available to purchase here.
Menu | $70pp
~ Pizzas ~ Maybe I’m Just a Jerk (smoked fior di latte, jerk seasoning, egg) Leonardo DiCrabrio (blue swimmer crab, salt cod XO, cream cheese) Is Pineapple on Pizza Illegal in Italy? (cured pork, chilli, pineapple) The “Cal” Jumped Over the Moon (Jamaican beef patty & cheese calzone)
~ Snacks ~ Pikliz and avocado Cos, mojo, parm
~ Dessert ~ Layered strawberry & white chocolate yoghurt cake
Favourite Easter eggs, bunnies and more, reimagined by Koko.
Australian artisan chocolatier Koko Black is set to release its first ever range of ‘vegan-friendly’, plant-based products as part of their 2021 Easter Collection.
With almost 500,000* Australians now adopting plant-based eating habits and the consumption of vegan-friendly products continuing to rise, Koko Black has curated the new range with the same premium standard of taste, texture and quality that their entire Easter offering is renowned for.
The hero in the vegan-friendly range is the Goji Berry and Quinoa 80% Dark Chocolate Egg. Made from all natural ingredients, including Single Origin chocolate from Uganda, dark chocolate lovers will note the higher percentage and stronger earthy flavour of cocoa. Coupled with the crunch of the puffed quinoa and tartness of the goji berry, it really elevates the flavour profile of the chocolate.
“With a limited number of high-quality vegan-friendly and Australian-made chocolate products available, we knew Easter was the perfect time to introduce our vegan-friendly range so that all Australians have the chance to indulge themselves in something special this year,” said Remco Brigou, Head Chocolatier and Product Innovation Manager at Koko Black.
The Koko Black Vegan-Friendly products in the 2021 Easter Collection include:
Quinoa & Goji Berries in 80% Dark Chocolate Egg, $24.90 A superfood duo of crunchy caramelised quinoa and antioxidant-rich goji berries in 80% dark Ugandan chocolate, formed into a perfectly shaped Easter Egg.
Dark Ganache Half Dozen Eggs, $9.90 Velvety ganache made with 80% dark Ugandan chocolate and coconut milk, coated in a 60% dark chocolate shell. Smooth and rich inside and a vegan-friendly Koko surprise.
Caramelised Coconut Flecks in 54% Dark Chocolate, $24.90 Crunchy flecks of caramelised coconut swirled through decadent Belgian dark chocolate.
Dark Little Egg Cube, $7.50 Hang it high, out of sight, for little paws to seek and find. Each cube is filled with solid 54% dark chocolate eggs and is ready to hang up high for the egg hunt. There’s five Australian Koko critters to collect including the bunny, echidna, koala, platypus and wombat.
Dark Little Egg Bag, $15.00 The littlest eggs make for the biggest adventures! Decadent 54% dark chocolate eggs wrapped in foil – perfect for hiding, finding or nibbling.
The Littlest Dark Bunny, $16.00/The Mightiest Dark Bunny, $29.90/The Biggest Dark Bunny, $59.00 Wrap your paws around Koko’s bunny collection in 54% dark chocolate and make all your Easter dreams come true! A hollow bunny made from deeply rich Belgian dark chocolate available in three different sizes.
Double Trouble Dark Bunnies, $30.00 The chocolate twins of the Koko Forest! These 54% dark chocolate bunnies are best when shared. The perfect gift for couples, best friends or someone who loves double of anything delicious. Two small hollow bunnies made from deeply rich Belgian dark chocolate.
Small 54% Dark Chocolate Hollow Egg, $6.00/Medium 54% Dark Chocolate Hollow Egg, $12.00/Large 54% Dark Chocolate Hollow Egg, $15.00 Koko’s range of three different sized hollow egg made from deeply rich Belgian dark chocolate, wrapped in foil and perfect for hiding, finding or nibbling.
Bunny Egg Pop – 54% Dark Chocolate, $3.90 Add the perfect pop of something delicious with this cute dark chocolate pop. Made from deeply rich Belgian dark chocolate.
The first drop of Koko Black Easter Collection is now available to purchase online and in-store, with the full collection available February 25 until the end of Easter (April 4).
This year, the team at Piccolina has created some very special limited-edition gelato Easter Eggs inspired by some of the most loved and traditional Italian desserts.
Your Piccolina Uova di Pasqua has been hand-made by the team of pastry chefs using only the finest ingredients. Each egg is then hand-wrapped and packaged in a limited-edition Piccolina tin.
There are three Uovo di Pasqua to choose from:
• Ferrerolina
Inspired by Ferrerolina Rocher, our best-selling gelato cake. Better than Nutella gelato, puff rice crunch & gianduja ganache centre, covered in dark chocolate with roasted hazelnut. Gluten Free.
• Tiramisù Italian mascarpone gelato with chocolate chip, Kahlua & Marsala-soaked Savoiardi sponge and coffee crema centre, covered in milk chocolate, dusted with cocoa powder.
• Colomba Pistachio gelato with toasted Colomba di Pasqua, soft caramel centre, covered in white chocolate and pistachio.
Numbers are limited.
Product details: – Price: $25 per Easter Egg – Serves: 2–3 people – To secure your Uovo di Pasqua, the Piccolina team strongly advise customers to pre-order via the Piccolina website from 1 March 2021. Alternatively a limited number will be available to purchase in-store at Piccolina Collingwood, Hawthorn, and St Kilda from 10 March 2021.
Charlie Buckett dessert boxes have launched to deliver some sweetness to doors across Melbourne. They are complete with the city’s very best artisan marshmallows, meringues and brownies alongside everyone’s favourite confectionery.
After a soft launch for Valentine’s, Charlie Buckett now has 11 delicious boxes for you to choose from. Founder Ashley Glasic (who appeared on Zumbo’s Just Desserts) is passionate about all things sweet and he has big plans to continue to expand the product line and to continue to discover amazing artisan producers.
Ashley has also been working with a range of regional Victorian businesses, including Four Pillars Gin and Balter Craft Beer, to bring the boxes to life. And with names like ‘GYM? I Heard Gin!’, ‘Fifty Shades of Rosé’ and ‘Unicorn Poop’, Ashley has captured the fun times we should have with desserts and confectionery, just like Willy Wonka, through the themed boxes.
“Charlie Buckett dessert boxes are not just for a special occasion, though they are perfect for entertaining. They are also a great way to say thank you, give someone a reason to smile, or simply treat yourself,” said Ashley.
“Sweet treats make everyone happy, and I think we have learned over the last year to appreciate the smaller things in life and the people around us. I am also delighted that I am able to support small Melbourne businesses by discovering amazing artisan products and including them when I curate the boxes.”
With boxes starting at $39.95 and ranging up to $189.95, there truly is something for everyone. Whether you are a gin and tonic lover who is after an afternoon pick-me-up, a sweet and sour aficionado who loves to add a bit of zing to your entertaining, or you are looking for a sophisticated wine and chocolate box as a gift, Charlie Buckett has got you covered.
Charlie Buckett is also available for corporate orders, offering a customised curated Desert Box that will be guaranteed to leave a sugar-coated impression on clients or staff.
“We don’t take ourselves too seriously and love to create unique, quality boxes which showcase the most scrumdiddlyumptious products on the market. We can’t wait for Melburnians to try them!”
Iconic riverside bar will be slinging only 75 deep-dish rectangular pizzas a day.
Melbourne’s much loved floating bar and restaurant Arbory Afloat will be hosting a Detroit Style Pizza (DSP) pop-up, serving a special menu of signature Detroit deep pan goodness from 12–31 March, with only 75 of the 8 × 10 inch cheesy rectangular pizzas available each day.
The DSPs will be dished up by Arbory Afloat’s resident pizza phenomenon Salim Gafayri (ex-Bar Nacional and Cecconi’s Flinders Lane) and Executive Chef Nick Bennett.
Topped with plenty of cheese from edge to edge before more ingredients are added, the DSP is baked in a hot deck oven resulting in a fluffy pizza with crisp cheesy edges and a slightly chewy centre. Referred to as an upside-down pizza because they are built in reverse, the DSP is topped with sauce post-bake.
“The combination of the cheese, dough, toppings and the cooking pan makes DSP the ultimate pizza. The dough is made from a specific blend of flours, hydration level and fermentation time, which creates a unique crust and flavour like no other,” says Gafayri. “And the smell when you take it out of the over is like something Melburnians have never experienced before,” adds Bennett.
DSPs are cooked in a rectangular pan, with the rumour that the idea originated when the inventors were looking for a new pan to bake pizza in when they discovered an unused automotive oil drip tray (Lloyd pan).
The DSP pop-up at Arbory Afloat will feature the following five pizza varieties at $26 each:
• Detroit Style Margherita – cheese, Arbory’s red sauce & parmesan • Classic Pepperoni – cheese, Arbory’s red sauce, pepperoni & jalapeño • Supreme – cheese, Italian sausage, pancetta, olive, green pepper & Arbory’s red sauce • Detroit Style Funghi – cheese, mixed mushrooms, goat’s feta, caramelised onion, truffle oil & rocket • DSP of the day
The pop-up starts Friday, 12 March and will run daily until Wednesday, 31 March. Only 75 pizzas will be available daily from 11:30am. To make sure you get your hands on one, Arbory Afloat is offering special DSP packages for groups of three to eight people, including snacks to start, DSPs for mains and wine to share around. For more information, bookings or enquiries, head to the website.
Silver sweets and cocktails at Scott Pickett’s venues to celebrate 25 years of Melbourne Fashion Festival.
Fashion and food, together at last. From 11 March to 20 March, renowned restaurateur Scott Pickett will be teaming up with Australia’s longest-running consumer fashion event, Melbourne Fashion Festival, to commemorate its 25th anniversary year.
Supporting local fashion with local food, Pickett has created a series of one-off celebratory desserts and a caffeinated cocktail with help from Nespresso, with each bespoke dish available throughout the duration of the 10-day festival at his participating venues – South Yarra’s Matilda, Thai institute Longrain, and his latest venture, European bistro Chancery Lane. “I wanted to create something unexpected which references the traditional 25th anniversary gift of silver,” says Pickett. “These desserts have been made exclusively for the Melbourne Fashion Festival, and you’ll have to join us to taste what we’ve prepared.”
Set to satisfy every sweet tooth, each of the three desserts are embellished with an edible silver garnish as a nod to the Melbourne Fashion Festival’s remarkable milestone:
• At Chancery Lane, white chocolate mousse is served alongside refreshing cherry sorbet with a preserved silverleaf meringue • Longrain will combine sweet mango with sticky rice, coconut granita and silverleaf for a modern take on a traditional Thai dessert • Matilda’s soft chocolate and cherries with olive oil, Geraldton wax and silverleaf makes for a memorable way to end a meal
At the bar, Longrain is providing the caffeine to keep you going with its MFF Nespresso Martini ($19). Sweet Kahlua complements the intense notes of the Nespresso Diavolitto coffee to create a twist on an old favourite, perfect for a pre-show pick-me-up. “After a tough year for hospo and the arts we’re delighted to be part of Melbourne Fashion Festival’s anniversary year. It’s a wonderful way to start 2021 and we can’t wait to see Victorians out and enjoying themselves in the city again,” says Pickett.
Yin meets Yang, North meets South to open Lona Misa – Shannon Martinez and Ian Curley collaborate to open vegan and vegetarian bar & kitchen.
Opening in April 2021, Lona Misa will be South Yarra’s newest vegan and vegetarian bar & kitchen. Bringing Lona Misa to life are hospitality legends and renowned Melbourne chefs Shannon Martinez (Smith & Daughters, Smith & Daughters Deli) and Ian Curley (French Saloon, Kirk’s Wine Bar).
In the kitchen, yin meets yang, North meets South, oil meets vinegar. With decades of experience in European fine and bistro dining, Curley along with vegan chef and author Martinez will curate a heavily vegan and vegetarian menu offering. Lona Misa will be produce led, paying homage to Martinez’ Latin roots, and will see the duo collaborate as Creative Culinary Partners.
Enter an all-day venue from café to wine bar – a warm space taking you from lunch to dinner. Home to 90 seats and sustainably crafted to be shareable, seasonal and flavourful, Latin fare and bistro dining collide against the norms of the classical medley you know of vegan and vegetarian dining.
Lona Misa on all fronts is artfully combined, rich in history, unchartered in territory and designed by award-winning agency, Luchetti Krelle. Located in the new designer hotel, Ovolo South Yarra, on the famed intersection of Toorak Road and Chapel Street in Melbourne’s cultural hub, guests of Lona Misa will enjoy a rebellious renaissance from root to stem.
“When approached with the opportunity to continue to work with Ovolo on this new concept in Melbourne, the best person in the country for this I thought would be Shannon,” says Ian.
“Shannon is a real pioneer for plant-based dining. For what she brings to the table, taking on some of Australia’s most unconvinced carnivorous chefs, she has set a foundation for vegetarian and plant-based dining to be taken seriously.”
“I’m excited about working with Curley. My style could not be more opposite from his! This restaurant is going to be a different take on my food. My flavours, inspiration paired with his polish – a bit of nip-tuck,” says Shannon on working with Ian.
“It’s funny, I’ve known Curley a long time, and we’ve both always refused to come across the river. Melbourne hospitality will get what I mean when I say he is 100% southside, I’m 100% northside. Finally, the meeting of North and South – it’s going to be something else, a collaboration Melbourne will love.”
Martinez and Curley will oversee the menus across the restaurant and bar, working closely with local farmers and producers to source all fresh ingredients. The drinks programme, will celebrate the liveliness of La Bamba, liberating libations day to night, accompanied by seasonal cocktails, house-made sodas and adventurous wines sourced from some of Australia’s most progressive producers, with a strong focus on natural, organic and carbon neutral wines.- Take what you know of vegan and vegetarian dining and think vibrant, loud, and unapologetic.
Lona Misa is located at 230 Toorak Road, within Ovolo South Yarra, and will launch in April 2021.
Laurent Bakery has come a long way since opening its very first boulangerie on Toorak Road, South Yarra in 1993.
Over the next 27 years, 18 more stores opened across Melbourne and now in 2021, the original South Yarra store has received a breathtaking makeover to align with the classic and modern style that has become synonymous with the Laurent brand.
With the help of Interior Design by GOLDEN and Elite Shop Fitting, the new Como Centre site is an homage to the art of patisserie with refined finishes, custom tessellated floor tiles and a pinched-seam high ceiling – a design inspired by the crimped edges of a piecrust.
The art of patisserie is a key design language that GOLDEN has carried through the Como site, in balance with all Laurent stores.
With surfaces of jade onyx, terrazzo, marble and quartzite, there’s a sense of grandeur from the moment you set foot inside. Yet there’s a warmth and intimacy that customers will recognise as uniquely Laurent.
Being the flagship store, it was important that this site – above all others – showcased the roots of both Laurent himself and the luxuriousness of his brand. Which is why the fit-out is the first and only Laurent venue to feature an open kitchen, where customers can observe the entire baking process and fine art that is pastrymaking, perfected by the Laurent team.
Pastry demonstrations and High Tea events will be regular occurrences, exclusive to the flagship South Yarra store, making the best use of the open kitchen.
With construction finishing this week, Laurent Bakery South Yarra is set to re-open on Thursday, March 11th.
Western Sydney will soon have a new home of family fun, when leading Australian entertainment centre iPlay opens its doors in Frasers Property Australia’s new Ed.Square Town Centre in the coming months.
It’s a major coup for the new Town Centre, which is at the heart of the new Ed.Square community right next door to the Edmondson Park train station.
With Coles and Liquorland already open and serving the community, iPlay will join a host of new stores to open their doors from the first half of this year.
Warwick Dowler, Development Director, Frasers Property Australia says the flagship iPlay store will make a great addition to the growing community.
“At Ed.Square Town Centre, we’re delivering a real community asset where there will be something for everyone, and iPlay will create a real point of difference,” he says.
The 1,600 sqm store will feature 80 to 100 arcade games, including the latest releases and vintage classics, as well as a party room, perfect for birthday parties and corporate events. It will also be the first iPlay centre in Sydney to feature bowling lanes and its very own bar featuring cocktails and seating area, to be known as Jimmy’s Bar.
“When people have great fun together it creates great memories and strong community bonds. iPlay will be a great place for families from Ed.Square and the broader community to come together, socialise and make connections,” says Mr Dowler.
Nikki Elphinstone, National Operations Manager, iPlay says she is thrilled to bring the unparalleled social gaming experience to the Ed.Square community.
“Our arcades are for everyone, regardless of age. Whether you’re a little kid or a very grown-up kid, there’s something for you. iPlay brings out the inner child in all of us.
“If you are looking for indoor entertainment for a fun family day, iPlay Ed.Square is the place to go. I can’t wait to open our doors and bring some nostalgic joy to Ed.Square at a time when we all need it,” says Ms Elphinstone.
iPlay Ed.Square will open from 9am till late, seven days a week.
Stage one of Ed.Square Town Centre will comprise 25,000 sqm of retail space and on completion of stage two, of up to an additional 15,000sqm, the Town Centre will comprise up to 40,000 sqm of retail space.
At Ed.Square, Frasers Property has collaborated with world-class architectural firms HDR, GroupGSA and Hassell to deliver the vision for a 21st-century town centre, integrated with 1,884 homes in a mix of apartments, terraces and ‘mews’-style townhomes.
Contact Frasers Property on 13 38 38 or visit the website for more information on retail opportunities at Ed.Square.
Ed.Square Town Centre 52 Soldiers Parade, Edmondson Park NSW 2174 Website | Facebook | Instagram
Hilton Melbourne Little Queen Street breathes new life into Melbourne’s historic Equity Chambers Building.
Hilton, one of the fastest growing hotel companies in the world, and international hotel owner and developer, M&L Hospitality, unveil the spectacular transformation of Melbourne’s heritage-listed Equity Chambers into Hilton Melbourne Little Queen Street (Hilton Melbourne LQS). Located in the heart of the city, the elegant upscale hotel has been designed by leading Australian architecture studio Bates Smart and will open at midday on Monday, 22 March 2021.
Built in 1931, Melbourne’s Equity Chambers was renowned for its architectural style and Italian Romanesque and Gothic detailing. In its reimagining as Hilton Melbourne LQS, the building’s old world-charm has been respected and original features restored, whilst seamlessly connecting a modern six-level extension with a 16-level tower to the historic site.
Within its historic walls, the old and new have been cleverly combined, with sandstone, European Oak and bronze materials creating a traditional yet modern palette against the backdrop of grand high ceilings, marble stone finishes and upholstery in hues of navy, taupe and royal blue.
Image credit: Paul Gosney
External and internal artworks commissioned by award-winning Melbourne street art collaborative Juddy Roller are curated in reference to the city’s thriving and internationally renowned graffiti-art scene. Significant works have been contributed by local artists Kitt Bennett and David Lee Pereira, including a large and colourful mural by Bennett on the external wall opposite the hotel’s Little Queen Street laneway entrance, which is splendidly reflected in the external bronze panels that frame the hotel’s elegant lobby.
The hotel’s guest rooms feature prints by Melbourne photographer Roger Arnall, specially commissioned to explore Melbourne architecture in his unique minimalist and ambiguous style. The pieces are part of the ‘Impressionist series’ and capture iconic Melbourne landmarks, including the Royal Exhibition Centre, Flinders Street Train Station and Federation Square, in a softer style akin to the hand rendering of paintings and drawings.
Luci and The Douglas Club Entered from the bustling thoroughfare of Bourke Street, Hilton Melbourne LQS’s Luci restaurant and The Douglas Club cocktail bar carry their own entrance independent of the hotel’s laneway lobby, and are anticipated to be welcome new additions to Melbourne’s world-class dining and drinking scene.
At Luci, Executive Chef Sam Moore will take inspiration from the European migrants who travelled to Melbourne in the 1950s, with his classic modern Australian menu accented with hints of Italian and European culinary traditions.
The Douglas Club will celebrate the energy and glamour of the golden age of travel through its contemporary take on a classic cocktail bar. The drinks menu will bring together classic, modern and infamous cocktails, with food, music and art, to make The Douglas Club a new hotspot for Melbourne.
Hotel facilities and amenities To complement the 244 stylish guest rooms and suites and food and beverage outlets, Hilton Melbourne LQS will offer a large balcony event space with city skyline views, featuring a mural by Kitt Bennett; seven meeting and event spaces that range in size from 24 to 143 square meters equipped with high-speed Wi-Fi and the latest audio-visual technology; and a fully equipped gym.
Highlights of local collaborations: • Specialty coffee supplied by Dukes Coffee Roasters • Premium hotel bath amenities by locally created Hunter Lab • Handmade artisan chocolate by Atypic Chocolate
Located on the corner of Bourke Street and Little Queen Street the hotel is in the heart of Melbourne’s vibrant art, theatre and dining precincts, and on the doorstep of the city’s key business districts with easy access to public transport.
“As we put the finishing touches on Hilton Melbourne Little Queen Street in preparation for opening, we are confident it will be a beautiful addition to the city skyline. Both leisure and business guests alike will be able to experience the best of Melbourne’s shopping, dining and cultural experiences when they stay with us,” said Adrian Teh, general manager Hilton Melbourne Little Queen Street and DoubleTree by Hilton Melbourne – Flinders Street.
Best available (BAR) room rates at Hilton Melbourne Little Queen Street will be: • King Guest Room from $300 • King Superior Room from $315 • King Deluxe Room from $330 • King Premier Room from $350 (Executive Rooms and Suites pricing to be announced.)
With international borders closed, and state borders problematical at best due to the fluidity of COVID-19, food and wine lovers are now exploring their own state’s regions more. Tonic, established in 2003, and located in historic Millthorpe – just a short trip from Orange – is a local gem that is a must-stop on any journey. Owners Tony and Nicole Worland have created an exceptional restaurant that has stood the test of time, showcasing local produce and wines whilst maintaining the warmth of regional hospitality.
The culinary pedigree of Chef Tony Worland is obvious to see on the plate, having worked with Gordon Ramsay, Matt Moran, and Michael Manners. The five-course chef’s menu for $80 is incredible value, and I start off with a vibrantly coloured and well-presented beetroot and goats curd salad. It is a triumph of multi-layered textures and reveals that this chef fully understands the importance of acidity to perfectly balance out a dish. This is followed by oxtail minestrone that I must say is slightly awkward to navigate when served in a dainty teacup, however all is forgiven once the depth of flavour and clarity is tasted. It is not long, once the divine pasta with tender oxtail filling is devoured that the teaspoon is abandoned, and the remainder is drunk straight from the cup. It is hard not to appreciate the level of techniques demonstrated, and one immediately senses that you are in very safe hands at Tonic.
The white tablecloths and nicely designed open space lets the lovely natural light, and slow meandering of day trippers passing by, inform the relaxed ambience and measured pace of the meal. Service is very accommodating and professional, and there is no place you would rather be at this point. The first of the major savoury dishes, nicely pan-fried snapper with a nuanced and aerated bouillabaisse sauce, once again emphasises the fundamental foundations of flavour, texture and acidity that underpin the menu. Likewise, the well-seasoned and roasted spatchcock presented two ways with celeriac and figs is technically flawless and wins you over with the aromatics, before consummating the deal with a synergy of flavours.
By the time the more-ish date tart dessert arrives on a matte black slate, you begin to realise that Tonic is simply everything you want from a regional dining experience. It is a poster child for the food and wine bowl in which it resides, and is overseen by a very accomplished chef who expertly showcases the impressive bounty available in Central Western New South Wales. As I sit back and watch the majestic clouds gather in the distance, it is a salient reminder that memorable experiences exist if we are prepared to make those journeys that had been put off for far too long. I would highly recommend Tonic as just one reason to do exactly that, and I for one, will be definitely be returning to celebrate this iconic regional restaurant.
Announcing an exciting new bi-monthly wine series at Monopole, An Evening With… hosted by acclaimed Sommelier Nick Hildebrandt in their new private dining room.
Hildebrandt’s idea behind the intimate format is for guests to “get up close and personal with a winemaker or key industry figure who has an interesting background and is doing something that we respect and admire”. Tickets include snacks, a three-course menu and specially curated pairings for $180pp.
The exciting first instalment will spotlight Harkham Wines, a small, family owned and operated winery from the Hunter Valley wine region in NSW. Guest of honour Richie Harkham, founder and winemaker of Harkham Wines, will showcase a variety of styles, grapes and vintages from his cellar door that are all sustainably farmed, minimal intervention and completely unique.
For a little extra fun, Hildebrandt will host a blind tasting game where the winner will walk away with a brand new Coravin worth $380.
The first of the series is taking place Tuesday, 23 March, exclusively capped at 20 bookings.
Reigniting Melbourne’s bar scene by shouting the city a cocktail.
Building on the success of the inaugural Melbourne Cocktail Festival (MCF) that launched just before the world changed in March 2020, the MCF returns in 2021 with Melbourne’s own Grainshaker vodka as Presenting Partner. The MCF will reinvigorate the city’s world-class bar scene from 12–18 April.
Some of the city’s most notable bars and bartenders will unite to quench the thirst of cocktail enthusiasts for the festival. A curated program of events will occur across the week including their signature Bar Safari, where drinkers can sample bespoke MCF cocktails created in bars across Melbourne.
Bar Safari A meander around some of the city’s best bars. Each participating venue will be offering a bespoke cocktail created especially for the MCF for the duration of the festival. Registration is free and the MCF will shout a drink for the first 1000 people to register. All Bar Safari ticket-holders will be able to access each participating venue’s bespoke $15 cocktails throughout the festival. Also included in the Bar Safari registration is a month-long 10% discount on all purchases from Good Spirits online store as well as a digital cocktail recipe book.
Special Events A selection of individual experiences. Headliners include: • ‘Waste Not Taste Lots’ at Byrdi ($120pp, 17 April): a sneak peek of yet-to- be-opened Sydney bar RE-, a bar by award-winning Sydneysider Matt Whiley, which will focus on sustainability and reducing waste in addition to serving delicious drinks. • ‘The Long Goodbye’ at Gimlet ($45pp, 12–18 April): one drink, three flavours – a progressive journey of the Gimlet. For the full festival week, Gimlet at Cavendish House is offering a flight of half-sized cocktails, including their signature Gimlet and two new cocktails developed especially for the MCF. • ‘Tropical Escapism’ at The Black Pearl ($20pp, 15 April – ticket includes complimentary arrival drink): a tropical party in the attic of the Black Pearl. Enjoy wine-based tropical cocktails by Nick Tesar of Bar Liberty and Felix Woods of Black Pearl plus food by Bar Liberty’s head chef Zackary Furst. • Good Spirits at Home: enjoy the MCF delivered to your door anywhere in Australia. A full selection of bottled cocktails including a limited edition creation from MCF × Good Spirits and do-it-yourself packs will be available to purchase from 1–30 April at goodspiritstore.com.
Free registration for the Bar Safari and individual tickets for initial events will go live 12th March on melbournecocktailfestival.io. Expect weekly updates and ticket availability as more events are added closer to the launch.
The Melbourne Cocktail Festival was established to celebrate and nurture the Melbourne bar community and champion an industry that is so integral to Australia’s culture. Like many, the creators of the Melbourne Cocktail Festival and hospitality hub Worksmith sprung into action in 2020, working on various projects to support their community. Their Covid19 Hospitality Support Facebook group amassed 12,000 members within its first week and became a forum for information sharing and support. Through various projects, including their Tip Jar bottled cocktail, the group raised over $65,000, which was given to groups supporting hospitality workers who needed help.
“At MCF, we seek to celebrate the diversity, talent and nightlife culture of our great city and know that we will rebound with resilience and continue to show the world how incredible this city and its makers are,” says MCF founder Michael Bascetta.
Now that the state borders are opening and the vaccines are being rolled out, there is a new sense of confidence. It’s time to venture out and get back to business.
As more of us choose to work from home, rather than return to the office, suburban cafés are doing well. Regional tourism is booming. We love eating local. But, that means that the CBD diners are faring less well, as we desert the cities in favour of regional and local places to visit.
We need to encourage people to eat out more, and particularly at the city venues. And one significant deterrent is the Fringe Benefits Tax or FBT.
Introduced by the Hawke Government in 1986, FBT was designed to improve the fairness of the taxation system by stopping benefits other than salary and wages being claimed as tax-free income. Restaurant meals were redefined as a fringe benefit for employees, rather than as a legitimate cost of doing business.
Now – let’s be honest, the tax-deductible meal was probably exploited, with long drawn-out business lunches, often taking five or six hours.
But that was then. The economy was then very different to today. The introduction of FBT hit the restaurant industry hard. Since FBT did not apply to in-house dining, boardroom lunches replaced restaurant entertaining for many companies. And the long boozy business lunch was relegated to the annals of business history.
The problem with FBT is that it defines the business lunch as entertainment. I have to disagree. Far from being entertainment, the business lunch is a vital part of business communication. The sharing of food is an important feature of communication; it is also a fundamental political act and a model of social equality. The act of commensality, or eating together, provides the basis for socialisation in all cultures.
Food is more than just fuel. It is a social experience. The sharing of food is an important human interaction and is often symbolic. The sharing of food is often a ritual and a symbol of acceptance. Feasts cement agreements, treaties and alliances. We patch up quarrels with a shared meal. We join together with family and friends to bond with food and drink. We meet new people over dinner. We seek to woo a lover with a special dinner. We have feasts for birthdays, weddings, religious ceremonies, cultural ceremonies and even funerals. And, we used to discuss business over a meal.
The business lunch is important. It brings different groups of people together, in a neutral environment, without other distractions, and defuses any hostilities. There are rituals. The host usually pays. We don’t get down to business straight away. We need to develop a rapport first. We chat about personal interests, sport, the weather and mutual acquaintances. Once the barriers are broken, we can then talk about the business.
Like chatting around the water cooler, the business lunch lets us talk more openly and chat about the unspoken things. The business lunch is about cementing relationships, establishing trust and creating alliances. This simple act of sharing food with others allows for human beings to cross the ‘us’ and ‘them’ divide that separates many social spheres.
It is time to revisit FBT. Right now, the entire hospitality industry needs a stimulus to keep it from collapsing. The next six months are crucial, as we head into winter. And the CBD venues need more help than others. Removing FBT would help the industry get back onto its feet. Even simply revising the conditions to, for example, exempting small business from FBT or permitting meals under $80/head to be tax deductible, would provide a good reason for businesspeople to eat out again. This might also encourage restaurants to offer better value “prix fixe”, table d’hôte and bistro menus.
And since FBT accounts for less than 1% of government revenue, this will be much cheaper for the Government, and longer lasting, than extending JobKeeper or giving everyone dining stimulus vouchers.
So, let’s bring back the business lunch and support the restaurant industry.
Sydney’s newest CBD wine bar, Vini Divini has opened with a huge central bar, al fresco seating, a Mediterranean focused menu and an impressive wine wall stocking more than 1000 bottles from 10 different countries, as curated by Rockpool Dining Group’s former head sommelier.
Meaning “divine wines” in Italian and embodying la dolce vita (the sweet life), Vini Divini centres on the simple enjoyment of wine, food and good company with a warm European flair in a setting reminiscent of a stylish but cosy inner-city residence.
With one of the biggest “by the glass” selections in Sydney, the geographically diverse wine list has been designed to be accessible, showcasing excellent drops from around the Mediterranean, from well-known regions of France, Italy and Spain to often overlooked regions such as Greece, Armenia, Georgia and Turkey.
French-born sommelier Raphael Mulligan collaborates with small, independent winemakers and distributors to regularly update the list, drawing on his experience heading the wine program at Eleven Bridge, as well as working at Rosetta, Rockpool and Tapavino.
Complementing the wines is a menu of delicious Mediterranean dishes and mezzé-style plates led by Seda Güç, former protégé of fellow Turkish chef, Anason’s Somer Sivrioglu. Included are Seda’s signature babaganoush made fresh each morning; pretty pink beetroot-marinated artichokes with toasted almonds; slow-cooked lamb shoulder with fregola salad and caramelised apple; and a selection of salumi and formaggi.
Adding to the Mediterranean vibe is Vini Divini’s striking interiors, featuring wall-length prints of iconic Italian movie stars Sophia Loren and Marcello Mastroianni, the towering wine wall sourced from Italy, a beautiful slab of Iranian rainbow pink onyx on the kitchen island-style bar, blush rose velvet armchairs, plush rugs from Belgium and ample al fresco seating overlooking leafy Wynyard Park.
The wine bar also offers a private dining room tucked away at the back, catering for 14 people for a sit-down lunch or dinner or 20 guests theatre-style making use of the room’s TV screen/projector and wireless technology.
Excited to open his first venue, Belgium-born owner Philippe Gilbert brings his European heritage, family history in restaurants and providores, and his own extensive experience and passion for hospitality to life at Vini Divini.
“Vini Divini is all about bringing people together to laugh, enjoy wine, break bread, and share stories and ideas,” said Philippe.
“Close relationships with friends and family, and the interactions one has in a community, are central to the Mediterranean lifestyle – and we wanted to bring this to life at Vini Divini.”
The newest addition to the Brookfield Place precinct at 60 Carrington Street near Wynyard, Vini Divini is open Monday to Friday for all-day dining from 12pm to late.
Rockpool Bar & Grill Perth is celebrating its 10th anniversary with a Best of Rockpool tasting menu, showcasing the best of West Australian produce, available from Thursday, 1 April to Friday, 30 April, for lunch and dinner.
The menu celebrates the decade-long relationship that Rockpool Bar & Grill has with many of its farmers, fishers, and suppliers who are the backbone of the locally sourced, produce-driven menu at the prestigious Crown Perth-located restaurant.
Local heroes such as White Rocks Veal, Arkady Lamb, Blue Ridge Marron, native West Australian Dhufish and plump Pink Snapper from Ben Pethick’s fishing trips around Geraldton and the Abrolhos Islands, calamari from local fishing legends Kailis Bros and grass-fed Blackwood Valley beef are menu highlights, alongside an abundance of local fresh fruit and vegetables from Morley Growers Market, and premium products from providore Simon Johnson. Legendary Australian farmer and long-term Rockpool partner David Blackmore’s Wagyu also features on the month-long menu.
Fruits from the labour of some of Western Australia’s most iconic winemakers are also showcased, including Leeuwin Estate, Vasse Felix, Glenmore and Galafrey Wines.
Rockpool Bar & Grill Perth Head Chef Ludovic Mulot said: “For this special menu we have hand-picked produce from suppliers with whom we have a deep-rooted partnership, those who are the custodians of sustainable farming and fishing practices, have ethical supply chains in place and are the torchbearers for West Australian produce, which is amongst the world’s finest and most unique.
“Morley Growers Market, for example, has been our fruit and vegetable supplier since day one, always delivering the best produce 363 days a year.”
White Rocks Veal has been on the Rockpool Bar & Grill menu since it opened, supplied by acclaimed Perth butcher Mondo Di Carne. Raised to the highest Australian standards, by the Partridge and Garreffa families, it has won 11 Delicious Produce Awards since 1990 and is one of the only two meat producers in the Delicious Produce Awards Hall of Fame (alongside David Blackmore’s Wagyu). This renowned veal is currently served in only a handful of high-end West Australian restaurants.
Chef Ludovic describes this unique West Australian produce as the “Dom Perignon of veal”, which he treats accordingly and serves modestly: wood-fire grilled using native West Australian Jarrah wood.
Mondo Di Carne Director Robert Garreffa says Rockpool Bar & Grill’s focus on provenance is legendary.
“The lengths that Rockpool chefs go to to establish trust in supply chains, source from sustainable farms, and to develop direct relationships with growers is second to none,” Mr Garreffa says.
Sweet, delicate, freshwater marron, endemic to south-west Western Australia and supplied by Blue Ridge Marron in Manjimup has been a centrepiece of the Rockpool menu since the restaurant opened.
“What sets Rockpool Bar & Grill apart from our other 260-odd customers is that they buy smaller amounts, more frequently,” says Blue Ridge Marron Executive Director Peter McGinty. “There is much to be said for fresh produce, that is very simply prepared, which is how Rockpool handles our hand-raised marron: split, marinated and charcoal roasted.”
A mainstay on the Rockpool Bar & Grill wine list are premium wines from Margaret River family winery, Leeuwin Estate. The group’s Managing Director Simone Furlong said: “Celebrating fine food paired with excellent wine and service, we’ve been delighted to have Leeuwin Estate wines featured throughout the Rockpool journey. A big congratulations on the commitment to excellence and all that has been achieved at Rockpool over the past decade.”
Baker Bleu joins forces with Providoor for a one-off live masterclass to celebrate Easter.
Premium meal delivery service Providoor is kicking off their virtual Easter masterclass series with none other than baker Mike Russell from Baker Bleu. Get messy with your family, housemates or significant other and learn how to make their delicious sour cherry and dark chocolate Easter buns from scratch at home.
Baker Bleu, the popular Caulfield North bakery providing bread and baked goods to the broader community and some of Victoria’s best restaurants (including Cutler & Co, Di Stasio, Napier Quarter and Carlton Wine Room), has quickly become a crowd favourite since their inception in 2016. Owners Mike and Mia Russell started Baker Bleu wanting to create ethical (and delicious) sourdough bread for Melbourne to enjoy.
“We use the ancient techniques of long fermentation sourdough whilst harnessing modern innovation to form the best possible product. We pride ourselves on using high-quality organic and sustainable ingredients sources as local as possible,” says Mike Russell.
Providoor × Baker Bleu sales open this Saturday, 6 March, coinciding with the launch of BB’s anticipated Easter bun season at their store in Caulfield North (so you can get your fix before you create your own). The live class will then be broadcasted on Sunday, 28 March, with kits dropped to your door the day prior. The class will be broken into three stages – two pre-recorded videos teaching you how to prep and prove dough and then a live class on Instagram teaching how to form, glaze and score the buns and how to make a sourdough starter to use in future baking. The class will be co-hosted by Mike and Providoor founder Shane Delia.
The kit features everything you need to bake and enjoy two dozen Baker Bleu sour cherry & dark chocolate Easter buns, including 1kg of Tuerong Farm Winter White flour, Hunted + Gathered Dominican Republic chocolate, organic sour cherries, St David’s Cultured Butter and the tools (dough scraper and the perfect pan) you need to bake like Mike. You’ll bake one batch with Mike and Shane and one batch for your own time after mastering the skills. As an added bonus, Mike will also share his famous focaccia recipe during the live class.
The class and kit is $95 (plus delivery fee) and can be delivered across Victoria, New South Wales, Australian Capital Territory and South Australia. Check your postcode here to see whether Providoor can reach you.
Providoor × Baker Bleu Live Cooking Class https://www.providoor.com.au/ $95 for class & kit that makes 2 dozen Easter buns Sales open Saturday, 6 March 2021
Renowned gelateria Piccolina has joined forces with Victorian distillery Four Pillars to release a range of boozy granitas* for a never-ending summer.
The pairing takes this traditional shaved ice dessert from nostalgic childhood treat to a refreshing adults-only summer indulgence with the addition of Victorian craft gin and some grown-up flavour profiles.
When Piccolina approached the Four Pillars team, they leapt at the concept. “The idea simply sounded delicious! And if you’ve ever had gelato from Piccolina you’ll know it is world class. So, this was always going to be a winner in our mind,” said Cam Mackenzie, co-founder and distiller at Four Pillars.
Piccolina owner and founder Sandra Foti worked with James Irvine, Creative Director, Gin Drinks from Four Pillars to design the menu.
“When it came to designing the menu, we wanted to create something really fun, summery and Four Pillars-y. We’ve gone with some of our favourite cocktails paired with our favourite gins,” said James Irvine.
Once the flavours were decided, the Piccolina team developed the recipes, each based on a classic cocktail and featuring a different Four Pillars gin.
The Southside Granita is a frozen twist on the classic citrus-forward cocktail and embodies summer in a cup. It features Four Pillars Rare Dry Gin, plenty of fresh lime and a bit of sweetness to round out the palate.
Taking the complexity up a notch, but still with some very strong summer vibes, is the Singapore Sling Granita. Along with the classic flavours of pineapple and lime, Piccolina’s version swaps the cherry liqueur for pomegranate juice and a hit of Cointreau to complement the flavours of the Four Pillars Bloody Shiraz Gin.
Finally, you couldn’t create a gin-based menu without the inclusion of a Negroni Granita. Using Four Pillars Spiced Negroni Gin, Campari and sweet vermouth, the Piccolina team use fresh orange juice to take this flavour profile from tipple to refreshing dessert.
Sandra Foti said: “We’re excited to welcome Melburnians to our new Swan Street store with this amazing new collaboration. We’re all about taking nostalgic elements, whether that’s gelato or a classic cocktail, and updating the concept and creating a new experience that above all else, is simply delicious.
“We’re so lucky to be a part of Melbourne’s hospitality community. It’s amazing how open and supportive everyone is – and this collaboration is no exception.”
The Brunswick burger bar by hospitality veteran Frank Scardamaglia.
Meat Frankie is a sizzling retro burger bar located in Brunswick East on Lygon Street, flippin’ classic American-style burgers, hot dogs, fries and shakes.
Meat Frankie offers custom blend melt-in-your-mouth beef patties that you can stack as high as you like on Martin’s Famous Potato Rolls. And when it comes to toppings, diners have the option to customise their burger by adding any of the following: lettuce, tomato, pickles, onions, jalapeños and grilled mushrooms for FREE.
Frankie worked in hospitality for more than a decade (including at neighbouring venue 400 Gradi) before deciding to launch his passion project Meat Frankie. The concept is the result of a two-year burger tour of North America, completed when he lived in Toronto, Canada.
“I’m a burger fanatic, and so this really is the ideal dream start-up. I’ve put together all of the things that I wanted to see in a burger place, and the result is my tribute to the classic American burger joint, with a no-fuss all about the taste approach,’ says Frank Scardamaglia, Founder and Owner of Meat Frankie.
Frankie is now flippin’ burgers from Wednesday to Sunday in his 40-seater venue delivering a no-fuss straightforward menu:
• Hamburger – a beef patty, bun and choice of free toppings. Extra patty $4 • Cheeseburger – beef patty, cheese, bun and choice of free toppings. Extra patty $4 (comes with extra cheese) • Bacon Cheeseburger – beef patty, cheese, bacon, bun and choice of free toppings. • Classic American Hot Dog – simmered and steamed and placed in Martin’s Famous Potato Roll • Chilli Dog – with Frankie’s home-made con carne recipe • Fries – the classic crinkle-cut way • Cheesy Bacon Fries – cheddar, Monterey Jack cheese and four cheese shredded with diced smoked bacon and spring onions • Shakes – classic diner shakes available in chocolate and vanilla
Sauce varieties include ketchup, mustard, mayo and Frankie’s sauce. And as for the drinks, Meat Frankie serves iconic American Beers such as Coors, Pabst Blue Ribbon, and Keg Beer on rotation.
On occasion, Frankie rolls out surprise menu items, including fan favourite the ‘Fried Chicken Friday’ sandwich. Regular visitors can look forward to Meat Frankie unveiling new secret menu items soon.
The retro Americana-style fit-out, designed and built by Frankie himself, features vintage tiled floors, a central counter, luminescent signage for the menu, booth seating, high chair tables and outside seating. Feel free to bunker down or take your meal home. Either way, we think it’s frankly time for you to Meat Frankie!
Bunjil Place is bringing a Global Flavour Feast to the Plaza every Friday night from 5 March to 26 March. This celebration of worldly flavours includes live music, cultural performances and a wide selection of flavoursome foods from across the globe including cuisines from India, Africa, Asia and Europe.
Global Flavour Feast is a free outdoor event featuring two sessions that patrons can register to attend: 5:15pm to 7:15pm or 7:30 pm to 9:30 pm. Each night will showcase a different global culture and bookings are essential to guarantee a spot.
India and Sri Lanka Friday, 5 March Two Fat Indians will be serving up their signature smashed samosa and butter chicken, followed by a kulfi dessert, and Ta-ka Ta-ka Kottu will provide diners with unique Sri Lankan flavours and spices. Entertainment will include Bollywood and Sri Lankan dancing from Bindaas Bollywood and Shashila Dance, an appearance by Esha Elephant who will wander around the Plaza, and music by Dilli Fauj.
Africa, the Caribbean and the Middle East Friday, 12 March Traditional food from Africa, the Caribbean and the Middle East will be presented by the likes of The Real Jerk Food Truck, Gourmet Hummus and Tasty Suya African BBQ. Suya is an African BBQ recipe involving a 24-hour marination process, wood-fire grilling and a smoking process to bring out its unique and authentic flavours. The evening’s entertainment will comprise of belly dancing by Tiya Dance Troupe, and a combination of traditional, Afro-Fusion and experimental music by One Spirit Africa, Sonik Waves and Roving Spiff Daddy.
Asia Friday, 29 March Kimu Korean and Japanese Eatery will be providing feasters with an experience of blended Japanese and Korean food, derived from authentic family-based recipes. Nem N Nem will offer up simple dishes with a contemporary twist and aesthetically pleasing meals. Asian dance sequence performance by Kita Performing Arts will be sure to delight audiences alongside Stilt Divas showcasing China dolls on stilts and a lion dance by Jow Ga Kuen.
Europe Friday, 26 March The final night of Global Flavour Feast will display a variety of European flavours, including traditional Italian pizza from Wildfire Pizzeria, artisan handcrafted crêpes by Crêpes for Change, who will be donating all profits towards eliminating youth homelessness, and authentic eats from Kilted Haggis, a small Melbourne-based Scottish family business from Glasgow. Indie Duo will entertain audiences with their raw tones and slick rhythmic guitar work, and dance performances by French Cabaret Entertainment Melbourne and SENES Flamenco will give audiences a taste of French and Spanish culture.
Because the better they live, the better they taste.
Castle Estate upholds a ‘cool to be kind’ philosophy. A legacy of 100 years of humane farming practices speaks to the Castle family’s unwavering dedication to boutique animal rearing for premium quality meats.
Undeterred by demand, the Castle Estate ethos is guided by nature’s instincts, versus man’s greed, with a century of family-farming heritage upheld by the Victorian-based Castle clan.
A project of love, Castle Estate cultivates exemplary meat in alignment with nature’s course, free from artificial intervention or hormones. This means the animal is forever the focal point of care for the Castle family farmer, with tremendous respect shown in the trajectory undergone from paddock to plate.
“Compassion is paramount to us when it comes to rearing animals for the purpose of food. Ultimately, a stress-free, happy animal results in nutritious and consciously cultivated produce,” says Steven Castle.
The antithesis to feedlot feeding, Castle Estate animals are strictly ‘free range’, translating to a free-to-roam existence, free from the confinements and oppression of feedlot farming. The animal consumes grass naturally in daily paddock grazing, with none of the antibiotics intervention synonymous with the alternative of grain feeding.
The Castle way also omits any long-haul travel, with the paddocks situated on site in close proximity to the abattoir. This results in less stress for the animal, with no need for suffocating trucks piled high with animals together, or imprisonment prior to slaughter.
The overall experience for the animals is a better quality of life, freedom to roam expansive paddocks, shelter under the Castle Estate trees and sheds for winter’s cooler climes.
In stark juxtaposition to the inhumane conventions of factory farming, no lot feeding, free to roam and grass-fed only. Castle Estate celebrates each animal for whatever size and shape they grow to naturally – without fattening for slaughter – resulting in no two steaks looking exactly the same. It’s through this championing of animal diversity that Castle Estate shows its customers that quality and humanity can coexist in modern farming.
The philosophy of the Castle Family has always been, “the better they live, the better they taste”. And so from terrain to table, an enduring respect for the animal is balanced with a dedication to producing the most delicious produce for Australians to indulge in.
Australia’s chefs are invited to take a bold step on ‘The Road to Lyon’ and enter the world’s most prestigious culinary competition, the Bocuse d’Or.
Created by acclaimed French chef Paul Bocuse, the Bocuse d’Or (Gold Bocuse) is held in countries all over the world, with regional semi-finals followed by a Grand Finale every second year in Lyon, France.
Although Australia is unable to compete in the Grand Finale in Lyon this year due to restrictions on travel, the Bocuse d’Or Australia 2021 will be held in Melbourne on Sunday, 27 June.
Four finalists and their commis (assistant) chefs will compete at Foodservice Australia at Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre in front of a live audience. The competition is not for the faint-hearted – finalists have five and half hours to prepare two world-class dishes, one presented to judges on a platter and one on a plate.
Bocuse d’Or Australia’s President Tom Milligan, himself a former competitor, says participating is a once-in-a-lifetime chance for a chef to challenge themselves and represent their country amongst elite chefs on a world stage.
“The past 12 months have been exceedingly difficult for chefs around the world,” he says. “It is my hope that competing in the Bocuse d’Or will remind our chefs why they love cooking and inspire them to take Australia’s culinary reputation to the next level.”
This year, the winner of the Bocuse d’Or Australia will receive a trophy and prizes, as well as the title and a trip to compete in the Bocuse d’Or Asia Pacific 2022. If placed in the top five in this regional event, they will qualify to compete in the Grand Finale in Lyon in 2023.
Milligan confides that his panel of judges, including Scott Pickett and Philippe Mouchel, are looking for a chef whose talent goes beyond cooking.
“He or she must have the tenacity and the drive to succeed, the ability to create masterpieces under immense pressure, and the support of their employer and family to train and compete at events in Asia and Europe,” he says.
Bocuse d’Or Australia 2021 Sunday, 27 June 2021 | 9am–3pm Foodservice Australia, Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre
Pictured above: Michael Cole (right) presents his platter to judges at Bocuse d’Or Australia 2017. Michael and his commis Laura Skvor went on to compete at the Grand Finale in Lyon in January 2019. Photo credit: Sydney Low.
Former hatted, world-class chef Tomislav heads up the kitchen of Summer Hill’s newest café, Soul Tree Café, promising a variety of healthy and hearty dishes made with a whole lot of soul. The café’s open and relaxed interiors create a welcoming atmosphere, making for the perfect addition to Summer Hill’s Flour Mill precinct.
Soul Tree Café is the brainchild of entrepreneur Suz Gursahaney, who set out to create a warm and inviting eatery in the Inner West’s Summer Hill. Together with Tomislav, the team will be serving up a menu that focuses on the Summer Hill community and pays respect to Suz’s Middle Eastern background.
Customers can expect dishes such as baked Turkish eggs with baked organic eggs, braised chickpeas, tomato & oregano harissa paste and sheep’s milk labneh; a breakfast-style plate that focuses on a picnic experience with soft boiled egg, chickpea falafel, smashed avocado, tatashe chilli relish and rye caraway; and, of course, there’s something notable on the menu for the sweet tooth – the French toast with cinnamon sugar, blackberries, black figs, freeze-dried mandarin and Golden Gaytime ice-cream.
Soul Tree will be serving up a Kaffeina ‘UBlend’ coffee blend known as ‘The Soul Tree Blend’ – a nod to Suz’s heritage, combining beans from five different countries including Brazil, Costa Rica, India, Papua New Guinea and Kenya. Soul Tree is the only café in Sydney to stock this specific coffee blend.
Soul Tree Café is located on the grounds of The Flour Mill that arrived in Summer Hill in 1922, and its rich history provides the perfect place to build a strong community where locals can catch up and share stories over coffee and delicious bites.
Designed by owner Suz, the light and bright space features grey stone, natural timbers, mosaic tiles and white walls. The fit-out creates a vibrant mood that showcases the artworks, furnishings and mural.
“We wanted to create a café with an amazing food and beverage offering that is focused on the community. Our goal is to become the epicentre of Summer Hill and be affectionately known as “The Local,” says owner Suz Gursahaney.
Soul Tree Café is a contemporary, homey café hangout for Summer Hill locals, workers, visiting tourists, families, students and the health conscious. Soul Tree Café is open for all-day breakfast and lunch, Monday to Sunday from 7am–3pm.
Check out what’s happening at RDG venues during the month of March.
Rockpool Bar + Rockpool Burger + Resch’s beer = $20 lunch The famous Rockpool burger at Rockpool Bar & Grill Sydney can be partnered with a Resch’s Pilsner, or a glass of wine for $20, until the end of May.
The too-good-to-be-true (but it actually is) deal, is available for weekday lunches in the bar.
So what is the big deal? The famous Rockpool burger features the best Wagyu produced outside of Japan – David Blackmore’s full-blood Wagyu burger – with smoked bacon, nutty Gruyère cheese, zuni pickle, which is named for Judy Rodger’s Zuni Café in San Francisco, and house-made tomato and chilli relish, all of which is packed into a house-made brioche bun.
It’s the best lunch in Sydney – hands down! No bookings. Walk-ins only.
Image credit: Jared Vethaak
Oktoberfest Saturdays at The Bavarian – Saturday, 6 March (then first Saturday every month) The Bavarian restaurants across NSW, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia and the ACT are turning on the Oktoberfest spirit on the first Saturday of every month, commencing Saturday, 6 March.
The Bavarian teams will host their mini-Oktoberfest themed days in full German costume of dirndls and lederhosen, with live oompah band vibes throughout the day and into the evening.
A Best of Bavaria set menu includes haus-baked pretzels warm from the oven, a Bavarian Signature Tasting Platter featuring crackling pork belly, the famous roast pork knuckle, German sausages, chicken schnitzel and all the trimmings, as well as apple strudel for dessert. Partner this hearty feast with a stein of beer for $49 per person (minimum two people).
There will be singing, dancing, feasting and plenty of prosting with beer steins and glasses of schnapps! Oktoberfest Saturdays are filling up fast, so don’t wait to make a booking.
Image credit: Aidan De La Paz (Daily Press)
Cheesy-garlicky schnits at The Bavarian The Bavarian’s legendary Schnitzel of the Month is back in March. Now here’s the rub! This month’s golden-crusted chicken breast comes with a garlic and parmesan coating, delivering a non-traditional, but totally addictive, cheesy-garlicky kick. The Garlic & Parmesan ($24) is served with rocket, semi-dried tomato and parmesan salad, and a cheeky side of fries. Available at all The Bavarian locations for the month of March. Bookings here.
Image credit: Michael Gribbin
The Hottest Ritas come to El Camino Cantina The votes (over 3000 of them) are in from El Camino Cantina’s Hottest 100 Rita competition and the top flavours are coming to an El Camino location near you, soon! Available from Tuesday, 2 March to Sunday, 30 May, the top four flavours are Mango, Watermelon, Passionfruit and Grape Nerd.
These best hits will be available at all locations: The Rocks, Manly, Entertainment Quarter and Miranda in NSW; Fitzroy in Melbourne; Bowen Hills, South Bank and Chermside in Brisbane; the Sunshine Coast and Robina on the Gold Coast. Signature strawberry and classic flavours will also be available at all venues.
Flagship cantinas in The Rocks and South Bank will be supercharged with four more top flavours: lychee, fruit tingle, sour apple and calypso crush. They are all served as Cadillac Margaritas, with a smooth, rich float of Grand Marnier. (15oz $20, 24oz $24). Bookings here.
Take the heat up a Nashville notch at WingHAÜS WingHAÜS by Bavarian’s All-Star Flavour Series is taking inspiration from the traditional fried chicken that is a local specialty of Nashville, Tennessee, in the United States. The Nashville Burger ($20) showcases a whopping fried chicken breast laced with a crisped Nashville wet rub – a regional hot rub of cayenne, chipotle, paprika, other spices and brown sugar – which is scorched with three flames on the WingHAÜS heat index. The fried chicken is layered in a bun between lettuce and pickles and served with crisp fries.
The super-spicy rub is also available to douse on chicken wings, be they classic style, boneless, fried, or vegetarian-friendly cauliflower wings. Wing lovers receive a complimentary sauce or rub for every 10-piece serve of wings ($13). Additional sauces and rubs cost $3 each. WingHAÜS is located at Gateway dining precinct and Barangaroo in Sydney and Edward Street in Brisbane. Bookings here.
CBD hotspot now serving $20 thali lunches Tuesday–Friday.
In celebration of Victorians getting back to business in Melbourne CBD, Chef-restaurateur Jessi Singh has launched a $20 thali-style lunch offering at Mrs Singh.
Mrs Singh’s thali is a signature menu item at the popular restaurant and features iconic aromatic curries – butter chicken, lamb curry, coconut vegetable curry, dhal and Punjabi khadi – served alongside rice, naan and raita, giving diners the opportunity to indulge in an assortment of different dishes.
The dine-in lunch special will be available weekday lunchtimes at Mrs Singh from Tuesday–Friday, with advance bookings recommended to secure your spot!
With the upcoming long weekend in Victoria, find out what’s open (and what isn’t) on Monday, 8 March for the Labour Day public holiday with this round-up of some of Melbourne’s fave spots.
This year, Crown Melbourne is hosting ‘Plating up for Success’ – a gastronomical experience celebrating women’s culinary achievements with a stellar line-up of four renowned chefs, who will each lead a course while sharing their rich industry stories.
Across three days, from 12 to 14 March, guests can indulge in a beautifully curated, Asian-inspired four-course menu, alongside matching wines by Head Winemaker from Sutton Grange Winery, Melanie Chester.
Hosted at Crown’s Evergreen space, the event will see guests enjoy expansive views across Melbourne’s city skyline, all while soaking up the theatre from an expansive open kitchen.
Lisa Van Zanten
Meena Throngkumpola
On Saengyojanr
The suite of chef talent includes: • Sarah Briegel, Culinary Director, Crown Sydney • On Saengyojanr, Head Chef, Ging Thai, Crown Melbourne • Meena Throngkumpola, Chef de Cuisine, 88 Noodle, Crown Sydney • Lisa Van Zanten, Executive Pastry Chef, Atlantic Group
Sarah Briegel
Plating up for Success Evergreen at Crown Melbourne, Crown Melbourne Level 3, Crown Towers Hotel, 8 Whiteman St, Southbank VIC 3006 Date and time: Friday, 12 March, 12.30pm lunch; Saturday, 13 March 12.30pm lunch, 7.00pm dinner; Sunday, 14 March: 12.30pm lunch Price: $195pp, with $10 from each ticket going to support the Alannah and Madeline Foundation. Booking link: here
There are some great activities and offers on for the months of February and March in Sydney.
Happy Hour @ Salt & Palm, Glebe Salt & Palm has launched Happy Hour daily between 5pm–7pm with $10 delicious and Instagram-worthy cocktails on offer. The best part? The list includes the flavourful and colourful Indonesian signatures so we can sip cocktails in a leafy courtyard retreat and reminisce back to our Bali beach days … yes please! The cocktail list changes bi-weekly to keep things interesting but you can expect to find the perfect combo of unique creations and the classics.
When: Wed to Sun, 5pm–7pm Where: 22 Glebe Point Road, Glebe
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Rainbow Wall for Mardi Gras Sydney missed out on Mardi Gras celebrations last year and Marrickville Metro is ready to construct a rainbow compliment wall (main pic). Customers can write a lovely message for a stranger on a colourful sticky note and take one in return. Look out for surprise special offers!
When: From 6 March Where: Marrickville Metro
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International Women’s Day Marrickville Metro is hosting an International Women’s Day Bake Sale with Priceline Pharmacy. All proceeds will go to Priceline’s Sisterhood Foundation, working with a range of charity partners that support women and families facing tough circumstances. Priceline Pharmacy will have Sisterhood discounts applied to certain products.
When: Mon, 8 March Where: Victoria Road entrance, Marrickville Metro
The original concept of Fratelli Fresh largely informed the direction of fine casual dining in Sydney, when after buying quality fresh produce, you could then relax with a well-executed pasta dish and a glass of wine and leave well satisfied without emptying your pockets. Rockpool Dining Group, who now own and oversee the brand, have decided to celebrate by showcasing some of Fratelli’s favourite dishes that have wowed diners throughout the years. With eight locations to choose from, we chose the large and vibrant space in Darling Harbour to sit down and evaluate the current pitch and how it plays out for the diner.
Culinary Director of the Group’s casual brands, Gabor Denes, oversaw the selection of the dishes, which includes an outrageously priced three-course menu for $39, available for lunch or dinner, seven days a week. We start off well with fried zucchini flowers from that menu, generously filled with ricotta, lemon and goat’s cheese. They are more-ish, and set the tone for what is to follow, the eighth wonder of the polenta world – six massive crisscrossed blocks of crispy fried polenta, topped with parsley and parmesan, and served on a base of mushroom cream sauce. An extra pinch of salt would have almost levitated them from their architectural magnificence, but the texture was more than noteworthy. Perfectly timed, a simple bowl featuring delectable prosciutto, refreshing melon and basil cuts across the richness of the previous dish. Likewise, the house salad of punchy cherry tomatoes with buffalo mozzarella and basil rocks and refreshes the palate before our mains arrive.
Perfectly seasoned and impossibly tender beef cheek ragu with pappardelle, snow pea shoots and parmesan is a wow dish that delivers on the promise of simplicity and serious concentration of flavours. The seafood and saffron risotto pulls off an execution test of flawlessly cooked scallops, prawns, mussels and calamari, garnished with tomato and basil. Like the polenta, another pinch of salt elevates it to another level, as the texture of the dish and harmony of the components was something to respect from a technical perspective of timing. The astutely cooked pepperoni pizza that follows from a selection of a dozen, is a triumph of less is more, although I would probably dice the large pepperoncini pepper to make the logistics of scoffing it down just a bit easier. That said, it tasted wonderful, and left me pondering a return to try some of the others, as the quality of the base and cooking in the impressive pizza oven is without question.
We finish off with tiramisu and banoffee pie torte, and some excellent gelato from their extensive selection, with the mango just heavenly. It would be remiss also not to mention the cocktail game, which is particularly strong, and if you were to come down during happy hour and graze on the set menu you would eat and drink like kings at an unmatchable price point. The other thing that really wins me over is the exceptional and intuitive service that underpins the experience, and tonight it’s hard not to notice that Maggie Beer, one of the icons of Aussie food royalty is in the house, and looks just as happy as we are when she leaves. Enough said.
New health and wellbeing campaign for the local community.
• New health and wellbeing campaign kicks off this week at ECQ • Free events, health-focused workshops and prizes to be won
Western Sydney locals are cordially invited to be well, live well and eat well at Eastern Creek Quarter (ECQ) with a new campaign focused on feeling healthy and looking great.
The Be Well initiative involves ECQ’s broad range of health and wellbeing retailers, including Live Well Health Club, Max Care Medical Centre, Choice Pharmacy, SmileCo Dental, Hair & Co, Goodfellas Barber Shop, Blush Nails & Beauty, Lee Massage and Acupuncture, Neo Body Laser Clinic and Indian Beauty Secrets.
It runs from 18 February until 15 March and offers shoppers the chance to join in a range of healthy and fun activities, such as free yoga classes on the lawn, make-up tutorials, pamper nights, sushi making workshops, five-minute dental checks, hearing checks and more.
There will also be special presentations by expert professional organiser Kristina Duke, better known as Decluttering Diva, who will be at ECQ to discuss all things decluttering and provide helpful tips and techniques to live a more organised life, to make the most of the space we have.
Check out the ECQ Facebook and Instagram pages for full details of the offers and events.
ECQ Centre Manager Amanda Whittlesays the Be Well initiative is just what the doctor ordered in 2021.
“I think we can all agree we want to leave 2020 behind us. But now in 2021 at ECQ we believe everyone deserves the chance to recharge their batteries with a focus on healthy living. That’s what Be Well at ECQ is all about – focusing on the things in life that help us feel great,” Ms Whittle says.
“We have some amazing health and wellbeing shops at ECQ that are here to help people in the local community and we encourage everyone to visit and give themselves a healthy boost in the process.”
The retailers at ECQ are on board with Be Well, with special offers and weekly competitions where customers can win Be Well packs complete with gym memberships, hair and beauty vouchers and other fantastic products and offers.
With a full-line Woolworths supermarket, ECQ houses a mix of local concepts, quality brands and the unique ECQ Social precinct, with its covered and alfresco seating, outdoor deck, kids play area and large-format outdoor digital screen.
Reflecting its high-profile Western Sydney Parklands location, ECQ is a global leader in environmental sustainability. Stage 1 has been awarded a 6 Star Green Star Design rating by the Green Building Council of Australia, representing world leadership.
Atta’s kitchen is spearheaded by Harry Dhanjal and his younger brother Sharry. Famous for their ultra-modern approach to Indian cuisine, Atta’s signature dishes are now being recorded in high-definition in a new, virtual cooking series on IGTV.
The Atta Masterclass series launched with the iconic Dirty Samosa and the upcoming episodes will feature Tandoori Prawns and Chicken Biryani.
Not shy in front of the camera, Harry and Sharry featured on SBS’s The Chefs’ Line in 2018. Now filming for Instagram, each episode guides viewers step-by-step through all the technical steps to mastering Indian cuisine.
Kneading and rolling samosa pastry and perfectly balancing spices are humble but important tricks to learn – and master – with the Atta Masterclass series.
Available via @attarestauranton Instagram, episode two premiered on February 16th and episode three will premiere in March.
Embla Rooftop Bar is extending summer with its sky-high service of afternoon bites and beverages atop the Russell Street building neighbouring Embla.
The perfect mid-afternoon CBD escape, Embla Rooftop is open seven days from 3pm weekdays and 5pm weekends, offering a sophisticated yet approachable menu designed to be enjoyed in the sunshine and well into the night.
The rooftop kitchen reflects Embla’s ethos of uncomplicated food done remarkably well. Dishes include:
From the bar, wines by the glass or bottle, beer, spirits and even cocktails are available, with over 50 different wines on offer.
When the sun goes down, the rooftop bar becomes a rooftop cinema, with a varied schedule of films curated by District Agency viewing from shortly after sunset (currently around 8:30pm) Monday to Sunday on a giant five-metre wide screen. Weekly changing themes ensure there is something for everyone, with High School Week (Pretty In Pink, Juno), Music Week (Wayne’s World 2, Whiplash), Driving Week (Baby Driver, Mad Max), and Euro Week (Vicky Christina Barcelona, Amélie), and more screening over the next six weeks.
And because no cinema experience is complete without an oversized bucket of salty popcorn Embla Rooftop has a Candy Bar. In addition to the popcorn smothered in cultured butter and Murray River sea salt, guests can enjoy a variety of cinema snacks, including caramel popcorn with white chocolate, house-made pineapple lumps, Piccolina gelato pops, plus Jaffa’s, M&M’s and even single-packet Tim Tams.
Walk-ins are welcome every day up until 8:00pm, and after that you’ll need to be booked into that night’s movie screening with tickets available to purchase in advance via the website.
● Jelensperger to join Tripadvisor CEO and co-founder, Stephen Kaufer, on a newly created Advisory Board for TheFork, overseeing strategy and growth ● Ambeskovic to assume CEO role starting March 1, 2021, leading Global Strategy Development and Operations for TheFork
Tripadvisor®, the world’s largest travel guidance platform, and TheFork, a leading global platform for booking restaurants, today announced a key management transition at La Fourchette SaS (known commercially as TheFork.com).
The Fork’s co-founder and CEO, Bertrand Jelensperger, has announced his intention to transition into an advisory board role, starting April 1, 2021. In this newly created leadership role, Bertrand will join Tripadvisor CEO and co-founder, Stephen Kaufer, and support oversight of TheFork’s strategy and business.
With this leadership change, Almir Ambeskovic has been appointed to the role of CEO of TheFork. In this role, Almir will be responsible for setting TheFork’s business strategy and leading global operations of the brand, inclusive of TheFork’s operations in 22 countries around the world.
“Bertrand has built TheFork into a truly special business, one that connects diners and travellers with culinary experiences that can be life-changing engagements with different cultures from around the world. I cannot thank Bertrand enough for his partnership over these last several years, and look forward to working with both him and Almir as we chart a course forward for the continued expansion of TheFork,” said Stephen Kaufer, CEO and co-founder of Tripadvisor, Inc. “I know Almir will continue to innovate and expand services like TheFork Pay and gift cards, making it easier for diners to support their favourite restaurants.”
“I look forward to taking on this new challenge and for the continued opportunity to grow TheFork alongside Bertrand and Steve. We have a global leadership position and TheFork is a beloved brand primed for growth as market conditions improve,” said Almir Ambeskovic, newly appointed CEO of TheFork. “I’m honoured by the trust and faith Bertrand and Steve have placed in me, and I look forward to this new challenge and for the continued opportunity to grow TheFork alongside them.”
“Our opportunities coming out of this pandemic are endless as we help the hospitality industry across the globe fill more of their restaurants with a global community of diners looking to once again dine out. We will be alongside restaurateurs to support them as they reopen and navigate this post-pandemic era,” added Ambeskovic.
Prior to being appointed as CEO, Almir was Vice President Sales and Marketing for TheFork, a role in which he was responsible for the growth of the business in all the countries within 22 markets where TheFork operates. Almir has directly led several countries as general manager at TheFork since 2015. He began his career with TheFork in 2014 as Italy Country Manager following the acquisition by Tripadvisor of restOpolis, an online restaurants reservation startup he founded and led since 2011.
Born in Sarajevo in 1977, Almir began his career as a consultant and entrepreneur in the IT sector. First as start-up entrepreneur founding three companies, then as top manager of a digital scale-up at TheFork, Almir has always been active as a mentor for innovation in Italy. In 2012, Almir created and hosted the first Italian television program on start-ups and innovation. He was also vice president of the group of young entrepreneurs of Assolombarda, with responsibilities in marketing and startups, for six years until 2016.
Hip hip hooray! It looks like there is light at the end of the tunnel. The vaccines are being rolled out. State borders are opening. It’s beginning to look like the new normal. Time to get out and enjoy oneself – and support our ailing food industry.
There is nothing wrong with indulging a little. Especially after all the lockdowns. In fact, it can be beneficial. Flavoursome foods that we like cause a greater flow of saliva, gastric and pancreatic juices, than do bland or unpleasant flavours – making our mouths water and our stomachs register as being hungry. Good-tasting food is actually easier to digest due to this reaction and can therefore be more nutritious than poor-tasting food.
Studies have shown that pleasure is an important part of life and eating. Pleasure is essential to good health as it enhances immunity, and immunity is our main defence against disease. When we feel good about ourselves and are enjoying life, we are less likely to get sick. However, when we worry, are stressed and feel constantly tired, our immunity decreases and we tend to catch colds and other infections – including stray viruses – more easily. Immunity is inhibited by stress and enhanced by pleasure. Good health requires indulgence, not denial.
Food should be a pleasure, a luxury we can all afford. Luxury is being able to eat what you want, when you want it, even if your self-imposed diet forbids it. It is also important to realise that good food – sheer luxury food – need not be gourmet or expensive.
You do not have to go to five-star restaurants for great food. You do not have to buy expensive cuts of meat or truffles and caviar. Good food is simple food – fresh, perfectly prepared or cooked, tasty and satisfying.
The perception that some foods are better than others because they are more expensive is also false. What makes fat cut chips cooked in beef fat and served with a high-fat aioli “gourmet”, whilst McDonalds fries are bad fast food???
Luxury food is food that pleases – comfort food that makes us feel good. It may be simply a piece of cheese on some fresh crusty bread; a hot tasty meat pie; a perfectly grilled steak with a simple salad; a freshly shucked oyster or peeled prawn; a ripe peach and a glass of wine or a fresh cup of coffee and a piece of chocolate.
Luxury food – good food – should be the focus of attention, eaten slowly, in good company and enjoyed – not gulped down on the run or in some noisy shopping centre. Poor food can be expensive – and is often hurried, gulped down in a frenzy between other activities and not enjoyed.
As I said, good health requires indulgence. But indulgence is not greed. Indulgence does not mean gluttony. Gluttony leads to obesity and other diet-related diseases and is not much fun. It dulls our senses and reduces pleasure, leading to worry, stress and guilt. However, embracing indulgence, enjoying the foods we like, in small amounts, substituting quality for quantity, can lead to good health.
It is important to isolate those things that give you pleasure and enjoy them – not too much though. Not just because of your health, but because otherwise they become commonplace and lose that sense of luxury and being special – that’s why you should not have hot cross buns every day!
Food should be savoured, relished, enjoyed and eaten at leisure. Take time out to have a meal – even if it is a snack alone. Sit down somewhere comfortable. Turn off the electronics. Eat slowly. Eat mindfully. Savour the moment. See and taste what you are eating! And enjoy.
The early bird gets the worm – but at Dana Patisserie, the early customer gets the pick of the pastry litter.
“The best time to come is as soon as we open the doors,” jokes co-owner Amit Rosenweld.
It’s a small team of bakers who arrive at the crack of dawn. The prep time is much-needed because all the cakes, pastries, bread loaves and cookies are baked from scratch.
When customers set foot in-store at opening time (that’s 8am daily) and see cakes with hand-piped chocolate decorations, flaky pastries filled with homemade jam and intricately woven loaves of sweet bread, it’s not hard to justify the early start.
It’s a mammoth task to hand mix, roll, stretch and bake the extensive product range. So it’s no surprise that small-batch baking is Dana’s specialty. While croissants and cookies tend to sell out daily, Dana’s is also known for their specialty Jewish baked goods.
Freshly baked Challah for Shabbat is exclusively available on Friday and Dana’s is the only bakery in Melbourne baking Wholemeal and Chocolate Challah. Specialty doughnuts make an annual appearance throughout Chanukah and Hamentashen Cookies, with fillings like homemade jam or pecan maple, are available for the Jewish holiday of Purim.
If that wasn’t enough, every annual holiday sees Dana’s shelves lined with themed baked goods. From Valentine’s Day through to Easter, Mother’s Day and of course, Christmas.
The word ‘artisan’ barely scratches the surface with Dana Patisserie. The freshness, quality and love that go into every pre-dawn bake are second to none in Melbourne. Currently a “hidden gem” in the local Balaclava community, it’s time to share the secret with all of Melbourne!
Canberra Good Food Month presented by Citi will safely return to Canberra this March, celebrating the very best of the capital city for the seventh sensational year. Tickets are on sale 9am AEST, Thursday, 25 February at www.goodfoodmonth.com.
This year’s programme celebrates culinary collaborations between homegrown industry talent from different corners of the country as Alanna Sapwell and Analiese Gregory bring Sapwell’s Esmay to life at Bar Rochford; a talented line-up of young chefs unite to put on a fine vegetarian spread at Ovolo Nishi’s Monster Kitchen & Bar; and Rockpool Bar & Grill’s Executive Chef Corey Costelloe joins forces with the teams from Good Weekend and Good Food to bring The Good Weekend Quiz: Live to Canberra for the first time.
Venessa Cowell, Head of Nine Food Events, said: “After an unprecedented year of constant change and upheaval, more than ever before, the importance of supporting the Canberra hospitality and dining industry is at the front and centre of our minds. Over the past seven years since Good Food Month started in Canberra, the industry has blossomed supported by avid Canberrans who value great food, service and dining experiences. This year, not just throughout the month of March, but at every opportunity, in any way you can, together let’s throw our support behind the venues that we love and those we take for granted as being part of the fabric of Canberra, cafés and restaurants, special occasion or Friday night pizzeria/takeaway favourites. Let’s mindfully support the industry that we are so rightfully proud of, this month and every month of 2021.”
Presenting Partner Citi is offering their customers a 20% discount on feature event tickets when customers pay with a Citi card. T&Cs apply.
Samantha Elliott, Head of Digital Sales and Marketing at Citi, said: “Citi customers love to dine out, and with travel being difficult at the moment it’s the perfect excuse to explore the culinary adventures available in your local city. Good Food Month will provide the perfect reason to try that new restaurant or head to one of the excellent events we have on offer, including the Young Chefs Dinner presented by Citi, which spotlights new industry talent.”
The Friends of Good Food Month event series showcases the very best in drink and dine across the ACT region, and comprises bespoke dining experiences as curated by the industry. The full programme of events will be announced Monday, 1 March.
Alanna Sapwell × Analiese Gregory × Bar Rochford Lunch sittings from 12:00pm, dinner sittings from 6:30pm | Sunday, 28 March | Bar Rochford | $160
Hold on to your hats, Canberra! Good Food Month presented by Citi is flying Alanna Sapwell, former head chef of ARC Dining (Brisbane) and Saint Peter (Sydney), and Analiese Gregory (who recently departed Hobart’s two-hatter, Franklin) into town for two delicious events at everyone’s favourite watering hole, Bar Rochford. Tickets include multiple courses with matched wine.
Buy Tickets for Lunch Here Buy Tickets for Dinner Here
Image credit: Zachary Griffith
Young Chefs Dinner presented by Citi Vegetarian Edition 6:30pm | Monday, 29 March | Monster Kitchen & Bar at Ovolo Nishi | $150
Promoting and nurturing young talent is a Good Food Month legacy and we proudly shine a light on the crème-de-la-crème of Canberra’s bright young things. This year the brief is to go green, so what better way than a plant-based takeover of the newly vegetarian kitchen of Monster Kitchen & Bar. Our budding young chefs Kenny Tse (Monster Kitchen & Bar), Ben Waterston (Les Bistronomes) with one more to be announced soon, will curate a stellar set menu under the guidance of acclaimed Michelin-starred Executive Chef, Paul Wilson. Tickets include three courses with premium wine and beer.
The Good Weekend Quiz: Live The Good Food Special Edition, designed to test your knowledge of food, drinks and Australia’s dining history 6:30pm | Tuesday, 23 March | The Boat House | $140
Good Weekend’s The Quiz trivia masters have teamed up with Good Food’s restaurant critics to present The Good Weekend Quiz: Live. Good Food Month is bringing Rockpool Bar & Grill Executive Chef Corey Costelloe to lakeside paradise, The Boat House. You and your team will graze on Corey’s phenomenal snacks before indulging in a main meal that’s so good, even Parliament will have to take recess. To keep things fair, tickets are on sale for teams of eight only, so choose your brains trust wisely. Tickets include snacks, main and dessert with premium wine and beer.
Win a table for you and 7 friends at the Good Weekend Quiz: Live, thanks to Celebrity Cruises! Celebrity Cruises is giving away a table for eight to attend the Good Weekend Quiz: Live, valued at $1,120! Keep an eye out on the Celebrity Cruises Facebook and Instagram for more information. T&Cs apply.
As a proud partner of Canberra Good Food Month this year, Celebrity Cruises will be sharing what sets the luxurious Celebrity experience apart from the rest, making them the most revered culinary offering at sea. From Michelin-star chef menus, inspired by, and locally sourced from, the amazing regions they visit, to the most awarded wine list at sea – served by the largest on board sommelier team in the world – and the values of diversity, inclusion, sustainability, and outstanding service that underpin it all. Get ready to challenge your perceptions of a cruise holiday, as Celebrity Cruises pushes boundaries to a new tantalising level.
Capital Brewing Co. is proud to once again partner with Good Food Month providing the highest quality, locally brewed beer to complement the amazing feature event dining experiences.
Heaps Normal is proud to be served at all Canberra Good Food Month feature events this year. Heaps Normal brews real beer without the hangover. Whether you’re cutting back or sober, cheers to making it heaps normal to enjoy a great tasting beer.
Mr Black will be shaking things up this Canberra Good Food Month, with their signature Espresso Martinis available at all feature events.
After much considered planning, Nine Food Events are unfortunately unable to move forward with the Canberra Night Noodle Markets in 2021, due to the impacts on large-scale events from COVID-19. Nine Food Events hope to be able to deliver the event in a safe and socially responsible way, while maintaining the much-loved event experience, in 2022.
Stokehouse will be breaking the shackles and celebrating Valentine’s Day in style on 24th February.
They will be offering a 4-course Valentine’s Day menu, carefully curated by Executive Chef Jason Staudt. Be sure to indulge in style with the one you love at your favourite beachside escape.
At $165 per person, you can enjoy a glass of sparkling on arrival, snacks, starter, main served with sides and, of course, a stunning dessert. New Group Pastry Chef Ash Smith is premiering his decadent Valentine’s velvet fondant dessert.
Acai, Protein or Kombucha, whatever your preferred wellness go-to, enjoy it in a Gelatissimo gelato for a truly beneficial treat …
Always fresh, always delicious and endlessly innovative, the team at Gelatissimo are proud to introduce their new Gelato with Benefitsrange – a trio of new flavours that promote beneficial ingredients as the hero.
First there is ACAI BOWL, a Brazilian acai berry gelato topped with berries and granola, made with Amazon PowerAcai. The crunchy golden granola by Carman’s is made with a blend of oats, nuts, puffed rice and pepitas, toasted with honey, cinnamon and vanilla. Regarded as the #1 Superfood, acai has more than five times the antioxidant power of blueberries, and is the star ingredient in this delicious flavour. Amazon Power is the first to introduce acai to the Australian market since 2005 and is one of the largest suppliers of acai in the country.
Next is CHOC COCONUT PROTEIN, a creamy vegan-friendly choc coconut gelato, made with Blessed Protein Powder. With a non-dairy base of coconut and soy milk, this is the perfect flavour for plant-based customers. Blessed Proteinis an all-natural, vegan-friendly, gluten-free plant protein powder made from pea protein, produced with 100% sustainable raw ingredients. It’s the perfect post-workout treat!
And lastly, to cleanse the palate is GINGER & LEMON KOMBUCHA.This is a refreshing ginger and lemon tea gelato made with Rok Kombucha, which is handmade and batch brewed locally in Margaret River. The kombucha used for this flavour is an authentic, raw kombucha infused with cold-pressed ginger and lemon, filtered pure Margaret River water, certified organic white and green tea and certified organic kombucha culture. This is then topped with a ginger swirl with real ginger pieces.
Fresh, delicious and packed with wellness benefits, try the new Gelato with Benefits range for the treat that keeps on giving.
End the weekend with bottomless vegan dinners at Horn Please.
Swap your Sunday fasting to feasting with Horn Please vegan buffet, offering 90 minutes of all-you-can-eat plant-based curries in Fitzroy North’s favourite Indian venue for just $25.
Offered every Sunday from 6pm–9.30pm, the feast begins with two generous entrees: vegetable pakora (Indian spiced fritters) and Colonel Tso’s famous cauliflower (crispy florets tossed in a moreish sweet and sour sauce).
For the main event, guests will be offered unlimited portions of six different vegan curries by Chef Amar from the plant-based buffet. Expect all of Horn Please’s classic curries, including chana masala, rajma masala, aloo gobi, dhal tadka, coconut veg curry and pumpkin masala.
With a dedicated G&T menu, a self-serve beer fridge and a new cocktail list also available to keep guests well hydrated, feasting on a Sunday has never looked so appealing. Horn Please : Vegan Thali Night Location:167 St Georges Rd, Fitzroy North VIC 3068 Dates: Every Sunday Time: From 6pm–9.30pm Price: $25 per person includes two entrees, rice, and six all-you-can-eat vegan curries Bookings: are essential, via the Horn Please website
A true lockdown survival story, Golda finally and fully launches.
Having briefly opened in June 2020, Golda (162–164 Commercial Rd, Prahran) had only a few days of trading before having to close again. Now with Melbourne reawakened, Golda has reopened its doors permanently with a new à la carte menu celebrating the vast and exciting culinary influences of chef Rotem Papo’s native Israel.
Restaurateur Adam Faigen’s vision for a restaurant that truly spoke to his own heritage was realised after a serendipitous meeting with Chef Rotem Papo, with whom he shared a similar cultural background.
In Tel Aviv, Rotem worked at Catit, one of the most celebrated restaurants in the country working under internationally acclaimed chef Meir Adoni. It was here that Rotem developed his skilful attention to detail, deep understanding of flavour and a respect for produce and provenance. A drive to explore brought Rotem to Australia a decade ago and he has since worked as head chef of notable restaurants including L’Hôtel Gitan and Bar Lourinhã. A desire to express his own culinary heritage and the timely introduction to Adam Faigen resulted in Golda.
Located opposite Prahran Market, Golda is an embodiment of modern Israeli cooking with its myriad different influences. Similar to Australian cuisine, which combines many cultural influences, Israeli food is an amalgamation of flavours and dishes from North Africa, the Middle East, the Mediterranean and beyond.
Golda’s new menu is designed for sharing. Signature house-made hummus is an elevated take on the staple and served with smoked paprika oil, to be eaten with wood-fired Iraqi laffa bread. Mezze dishes include rockling samboosak, a filled pastry served with fermented chilli and cucumber yoghurt; kashkaval & spinach cigar with olives and black chilli; finely shaved kohlrabi skewer al ha’esh with preserved navel oranges and pine nuts; and Israeli beef carpaccio with black tahini, Lebanese cucumber and date molasses.
Larger dishes include wild barramundi with chickpeas, spinach, amba and coconut sauce; brisket ‘Reuben’ style with house-made sauerkraut, Goldstar beer and pickled chillies; and charcoal grilled savoy cabbage with labneh, ruby grapefruit and toasted almonds. Desserts are full of nostalgic Israeli flavours with chocolate & Bamba referencing the country’s national peanut snack through chocolate mousse and peanut parfait.
Golda’s wine list echoes the multicultural sentiment of the menu, ranging from local drops to bottles from France, Lebanon, Morocco, Hungary, and of course, Israel. Cocktails have been developed with modern Israeli flavours in mind with house-developed options such as Bloody Miri (za’atar-infused vodka, tomato consommé, fermented zhug); Pomegroni (Four Pillars Shiraz Gin, sweet vermouth, Campari, pomegranate liqueur); and Shlomi’s Margarita (Reposado tequila, orange liquor, sumac syrup).
Brunch is also available at Golda, perfect for long lazy weekend mornings. The Israeli breakfast is true to the Tel Avivian style – eggs your way, served typically with a selection of small dishes that include Israeli salad, labneh, marinated olives, tahini, harissa, tuna salad and granola with yoghurt. Also featured is shakshuka (Rotem’s family recipe) with spiced capsicum & tomato sauce served with tahini, Israeli salad and bread; and challah French toast with an orange reduction, cinnamon chantilly and seasonal fruit.
To celebrate 2021 Lunar New Year festivities for Year of the Ox, Cannoleria by That’s Amore will be launching a special Cannoli of the Week on Friday, 19th February. Thinking outside the box and mixing tradition with modernity, the new limited-edition flavour is Brown Sugar Boba Tea Cannoli.
The concept is based around a popular Chinese saying: “May wealth and prosperity roll your way (like bubbles)”, used around Chinese New Year.
With bubble tea still as popular as ever, it has inspired the flavours of the new Cannoli of the Week. Cannoleria has infused their traditional sweet ricotta (made with That’s Amore Cheese ricotta) with a brown sugar and tea syrup to give a very distinctive brown sugar milk tea flavour and brown and white ripple. The ricotta filling is encased in a traditional Cannoleria crunchy cannoli shell. To garnish the cannoli, Cannoleria is using Agar jelly pearls, which have been infused in brown sugar for an extra sweet kick and have a firm jelly texture exactly like everyone’s favourite bubble tea.
The limited-edition Brown Sugar Milk Boba Tea Cannoli launch on Friday, 19th February, the last week of Lunar New Year celebrations, and will be available at all Cannoleria stores until sold out:
• Preston Market • South Melbourne Market • Watergardens Shopping Centre • Highpoint pop-up (Friday, Saturday, Sunday – closed during stage 4 restrictions) • UGO at Cannoleria HQ (69 Sheehan Road, Heidelberg West) • That’s Amore Cheesery (66 Latitude Blvd, Thomastown)
*Note packaging in images for photography only, cannoli will be sold in Cannoleria boxes.
Acclaimed photographer Sam Wong brings the Year of the Ox to life with a powerful portrait series on Crown’s iconic Riverwalk fire towers – showcasing everyday Aussies exemplifying extraordinary strength.
To welcome the new Lunar Year, Crown Melbourne is unveiling a public art series along Crown’s iconic fire towers, Portraits of Strength. A touching two-week tribute, the display champions the stories of six everyday Aussie heroes in a collection of stunning portraits, creating a striking urban gallery along the Crown Riverwalk.
Portraits of Strength is an emotive art series by Hong Kong-born photographer Sam Wong that embraces the sense of community and resilience born from the extraordinary challenges of 2020, and encourages strength for the upcoming year. Pertinent to the characteristics of this year’s zodiac animal, each Australian profiled personifies the key traits of the Ox – strength, diligence, reliability, honesty and commitment.
From the brave Infectious Diseases Nurse who comforted coronavirus patients in their final moments, to the inspiring mother who cooked weekly meals for the homeless, or the SES fire fighter who battled the devastating 2019–20 bushfire disaster, the stories aim to encourage reflection and inspire strength as we move into the New Year.
Chief Executive Officer of Crown Melbourne, Xavier Walsh, says the display aims to invoke contemplation and celebrate the human spirit after what has been an incredibly trying year.
“Our Portraits of Strength exhibition recognises what Australians have suffered and endured over the last 12 months and celebrates our strength and courage as a community as we look forward to a more hopeful 2021,” he says.
“Celebrating Lunar New Year has become a big part of Melbourne’s heritage and is a key cultural event on the calendar. After the year that we’ve all had, we wanted to celebrate the occasion in a manner that inspires confidence, strength and encourages visitors back into the CBD to soak up all that this great city has to offer.”
Local photographer Sam Wong – whose work has been exhibited in New York, Hong Kong and Melbourne – was commissioned for the project and tasked with capturing the essence and emotion of each individual’s story.
“Lunar New Year is a very important holiday in Chinese culture and to me personally. While I was unable to visit my family this year to celebrate, I was really honoured to be part of this project and help bring these inspiring stories to light through the art of photography – the perfect symbolism for the intrinsic nature of the Ox,” he says.
Embodying the Ox characteristics of strength and reliability, one inspiring face featured within the Portraits of Strength series is Infectious Diseases Nurse from The Royal Melbourne Hospital, Laura Keily, who says she’s humbled to be representing the cohort of healthcare workers who worked tirelessly throughout Victoria’s first and second coronavirus wave.
“It was a privilege for me to be there for patients during their most vulnerable moments, a time usually reserved for close friends and family. I’m truly honoured to have featured within the Portraits of Strength exhibition and equally loved learning about the stories of other strong and resilient Australians,” she says.
For more than 20 years, Crown Melbourne has celebrated Lunar New Year with numerous festivities. In line with its COVID-safe celebrations on the Riverwalk, Crown Melbourne will come alive with its signature Zodiac Spectacular within The Atrium at Crown Towers, featuring larger-than-life luminous sculptures. Lion dance teams and other roving performers will also bring the resort to life daily from Friday, 12 February to Sunday, 21 February.
There’s also an array of culinary offerings across Crown Melbourne’s stable of restaurants. Both Koko and Silks launched limited-time Lunar New Year set menus on Monday, 7 February, in addition to a selection of new menu items designed for feasting with friends and family.
Portraits of Strength was unveiled on Thursday, 11 January ahead of Lunar New Year (Friday, 12 February) along the Crown Riverwalk at Southbank and will run for two weeks.
Main image: (l-r) Sallie Jones, David Michalowsky, Laura Keily, Sam Wong & Cecelia Chuah
Celebrate love again this Sunday, 21 February at Chin Chin, Kisumé, Baby Pizza and Hawker Hall.
After a lockdown in Melbourne meant we couldn’t go out for Valentine’s Day, LUCAS RESTAURANTS (LUCAS) is rescheduling to this Sunday, 21 February so you can still celebrate with the one you love.
Welcoming back guests for special feasts for two at Chin Chin Melbourne, Kisumé, Baby Pizza and Hawker Hall, bookings are now open for lunch and dinner. There’s complimentary Champagne at Chin Chin and Kisumé, special lip gloss gifts at Baby Pizza and the choice of fiery menus at Hawker Hall, giving you every reason to celebrate again and treat your special someone to the night out they deserve.
Chin Chin Lock in your love with Chin Chin’s ‘Love Me, Feed Me’ menu. You can devour all the Chin Chin dishes you know and love, including kingfish sashimi, grilled king prawns with Chin Chin papaya hot sauce and more. To finish on a sweet note, lovers can indulge in an exclusive Valentine’s Day heart-shaped chocolate and coconut mousse with chilli caramel and raspberry sorbet. Sit back and relax while you sip on liquid loving cocktails, including the ‘Easy Lover’ with Aperol and elderflower and ‘Two’s Company’ with gin, raspberry and rhubarb flavours.
• Love Me, Feed Me menu available on Sunday, 21 February for $88 per person. • All bookings that commit to the special Valentine’s Day menu will receive a complimentary glass of Piper Heidsieck Champagne. • Bookings available via www.chinchin.melbourne.
Kisumé Show your someone special just how much you love them with the ultimate Kisumé experience. Romance your partner with a five-course chef’s tasting menu featuring an indulgent selection of sashimi, sushi, tempura and more. There’s also a special heart-shaped hazelnut dacquoise to finish off the evening on something sweet. • Chef’s menu available on Sunday, 21 February for $165 per person • All bookings that commit to the Chef’s Menu will receive a complimentary glass of Piper Heidsieck Champagne. • Bookings available via www.kisume.com.au.
Baby Pizza Get a pizza of Baby’s heart to share this Valentine’s Day, with its Banchetto menus featuring all the Italian classics you love. Lovers can get stuck into fresh oysters, porcini mushroom ravioli, gamberi e vongole linguine and more. Those looking for some extra decadence can enjoy the exclusive lobster pizza and lobster salmoriglio. • Banchetto menus available on Sunday, 21 February for $55 or $66 per person • All bookings that commit to a Banchetto menu will receive a complimentary Boss Gloss lip gloss from Mecca Maxima. • Bookings available via www.babypizza.com.au.
Hawker Hall Ignite the fire at Hawker Hall with your choice of three banquets to share. Keep it spicy with the one you love most and dig into a selection of Hawker favourites with Valentine’s Day specials of kolo mee with char siu pork, spicy kung pao chicken, beef rendang and special fried rice. Hawker Hall is also shaking up some liquid love for couples with special cocktails including ‘In The Mood’ with gin, Aperol and strawberry wine and ‘I Got You Babe’ with vodka, ruby red grapefruit, hibiscus and elderflower. • Three Valentine’s Day banquet menus available for $55, $66 and $68 person. • Bookings available via www.hawkerhall.com.au.
So what are you waiting for? Book in a romantic dinner at one of your favourite restaurants now! Main photo by Timothy Dykes on Unsplash
To honour Lunar New Year 2021, the Year of the Ox, Eat Fuh and Kylie Kwong have created two exclusive dishes for the South Eveleigh community. Both dishes reflect the rich cultural heritage of the creators, but also the multicultural flavour of the unique location. Both dishes will be available at Eat Fuh on 6 days over the Lunar New Year Period.
Eat Fuh’s dish is Bánh Xèo, a crispy, savoury crepe and quintessentially Vietnamese. Eat Fuh Director, Hoang Nguyen says, “Lunar New Year for me is about a sense of identity. It encapsulates so much about being Vietnamese; family, tradition, beliefs, a sense of renewal and, of course, a time for food. The Bánh Xèo we have created especially for South Eveleigh includes some of the edible Indigenous plants we are able to grow on-site. The Karkalla, a type of native succulent, is a unique addition to the recipe – it adds a textural layer to the dish, which enhances the flavour and makes it unique to South Eveleigh.”
Kylie’s dish – ‘KK’s Long Life Hokkien Noodles’ – is an Australian–Canto–Vietnamese dish and reflects the collaborative and multicultural spirit of South Eveleigh. The Noodles include a dressing created by Hoang’s amazing mother, Hanny Tang, founder/chef of Eat Fuh; fresh egg noodles made by Kylie’s Uncle Jimmy and complemented by Jiwah’s native bush mint also grown on-site at South Eveleigh. For Kylie, who is third-generation Australian, 29th-generation Kwong, “Lunar New Year is also about food and family, a time in which I pay deepest respects to my ancestors.
“South Eveleigh has a rich First Nations history. Incorporating edible plants grown on-site at our Australian first urban native rooftop garden, into this dish not only enhances its overall deliciousness, but is also a way I can show my respects to Elders both past, present and emerging.”
Both dishes will be available at Eat Fuh on 6 days over the Lunar New Year period: Tuesday, 16 February; Wednesday, 17 February; Thursday, 18 February; Tuesday, 23 February; Wednesday, 24 February; and Thursday, 25 February.
Both Kylie and Hoang will be at Eat Fuh to help serve the dishes and look forward to welcoming you.
This week, TheFork, Australia’s #1 restaurant booking app, launches TheFork Festival – a six-week program of delicious dining experiences. Over the six-week festival, TheFork will inspire Australians to return to the dining scene, encouraging the discovery of new restaurants, as well as reminding its network of diners to support local favourites.
With over 150 participating restaurants across the country, from fine dining favourites, local gems through to neighbourhood cafés, TheFork Festival brings together an exciting mix of special dining offers to encourage eating out, including up to 50% off the bill, specially curated menus and one-off deals.
Now in its third year, the Festival provides diners the perfect opportunity to tick some restaurants off their wish list, without hurting the bank. And, with TheFork Festival’s support, restaurants can use these special deals to help fill quieter seatings throughout the week and attract new customers.
Speaking about the festival, Gary Burrows, TheFork Australia Country Manager, said: “TheFork Festival encourages Australian diners to really explore the amazing array of restaurants in their cities. Our data shows that 97% of customers who book during TheFork Festival are dining at a restaurant for the first time – so we are introducing hundreds of diners to new restaurants each year.”
Restaurants to watch out for during TheFork Festival include deVine, one of Sydney’s leading wine bars; Lezzet, serving up indulgent plates of Turkish favourites in Melbourne; and Pasture of Balmoral, a waterfront café on beautiful Balmoral Beach.
The full list of participating restaurants is available on TheFork’s app and website.
“We know that TheFork Festival is even more important this year, both reminding diners of what’s out there and driving new customers to restaurants when they need them. We hope to help eliminate as many empty seats across Australian restaurants as we can,” says Gary Burrows.
TheFork Festival is available when you book from February 15–28 March via TheFork App or website, https://www.thefork.com.au/. Look out for TheFork Festival offers when making a reservation. All offers are available until booked out, so diners are encouraged to get in quickly.
Like its siblings, sAme sAme and Hôntô, Agnes does not make much noise from the outside. No flashy neon signs. No large portico. No LCD menus. Not that it needs to. To get a table you will need to book about three months in advance.
Located in an old warehouse with exposed bricks and peeling paint, in a quiet unassuming back street, just a small black and white sign tells you where it is. But once inside, it makes its mark. Agnes is the latest venture from Tyron Simon, Bianca Marchi and Frank Li, who have teamed up with Ben Williamson (ex-Gerard’s) to create a restaurant centred around wood-fired cooking, with two charcoal pits and a wood-fired oven.
In the open kitchen, there no conventional ovens, no gas tops – just flame and smoke. Ben’s menu is based around the use of wood fire. Ironbark, applewood, cherry wood and olive wood are used to impart their unique smoky flavours to the snacks, starters, mains, desserts and even the cocktails.
Start with a malted sourdough served with smoked cultured butter. The bread is dark, crisp on the outside but soft and warm inside with a treacle-like, smoky flavour – very more-ish. A blue mackerel sandwich is one of the snacks – a tender piece of freshly smoked mackerel with white ‘nduja and pickled garlic between two disks of soft white bread. Scallop doughnuts are scallops with preserved lemon, encased in a soft doughnut topped with green onion cream and Vietnamese mint – an explosion of flavours. Mouth-watering lamb ribs, with a pink centre and an earthy, smoked, charred crust are served with a soft paste of caramelised sesame whey sprinkled with mountain pepper.
The starters and mains are designed to share. Amongst the starters, don’t go past the wood-fired cabbage, with a piquant lacto koji butter topped with dried cured egg yolk. Simply divine.
The mains include a delicate brined roast chicken with harissa, smoked labne and curry leaf – tender and spicy. The dry-aged long-fed angus sirloin is beautifully cooked, charred on the outside and pink in the middle, with a delicate smoky flavour and served with caramelised onion jam. Team these with a variety of wood-fired vegetables.
There is an extensive wine list with some excellent wines by the glass. We chose to have our desserts upstairs on the terrace bar, savouring an elegant charred mango with sheep’s yoghurt and finger limes and a flavoursome apricot clafoutis with a rich Jersey milk ice-cream.
This is inspired, creative and satisfying food, and a meal experience well worth waiting for. If you want to get in, plan ahead and book early – or be spontaneous and call, as vacancies do pop up. It is worth getting there early and having a drink in the downstairs bar or on the rooftop terrace – with great views of the city. And if you can’t get a reservation, you can sample some of the menu at the bar. Definitely worth a detour.
Leaning on its talented sommeliers and access to the best local and international beverage purveyors – the best wines from Crown Melbourne now delivered to your door.
Crown Melbourne (Crown) has opened the doors to Cellar & Co, a premium beverage store and online experience offering a bespoke, ever-changing collection of world-class wine, champagne and spirits – curated by two of Crown’s leading sommelier experts.
Located within Crown Towers, Cellar & Co is led by renowned sommeliers Chris Crawford and Matt Brooke and will give customers rare access to a variety of local and international pours – many of which are firm favourites on the best wine lists at Crown’s array of restaurants in Melbourne.
Customers can expect to find exclusive ranges, rare vintages and everyday drops at competitive prices, including Josef Chromy, TarraWarra Estate, Ruinart Champagne and Château de Sancerre, as well as a selection of quality gift items. Think specialised premium glassware and decanters by Riedel, wine reference books, as well as carefully curated packs that can also be conveniently purchased from the Cellar & Co store.
“We’ve tried to reflect the extensive and carefully curated drinks offering for which Crown is renowned and included some of the world’s most hard-to-come-by wines, as well as local pours that people have come to know and love,” says Crawford.
“Often guests fall in love with a particular wine at one of our restaurants, but then find it impossible to track down the bottle. Now guests can visit us at Cellar & Co and enjoy some of their favourite wines that they may have experienced across our venues such as Nobu, Bistro Guillaume, Silks and Koko – all from the comfort of their home.”
With myriad accolades and a rich career in the wine industry, Crawford is part of the current chair of judges for the Yarra Valley Show and James Halliday Chardonnay Challenge and is currently Co-President of Sommeliers Australia.
Brooke’s sommelier journey has been equally impressive and is one that has seen his expertise span Melbourne and Brisbane as both a wine educator and winemaker.
Cellar & Co is located on Level B1 of Crown Towers and is open daily from 12pm–8pm. Or to visit the online store, head to https://crowncellarandco.com.au/.
A dazzling program of events to celebrate the 2021 Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras.
Merivale and Absolut Vodka are proud to announce the launch of We Are Stronger Together, a dazzling new campaign to celebrate the 2021 Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras.
Featuring a jam-packed programme of festivities, Stronger Together is inspired by community, love and unique connections and will bring people together in a joyous celebration of pride and diversity. Tickets and bookings now available at www.merivale.com/mardi-gras/.
Over three sensational weeks, revellers can watch show-stopping cabaret performances and Bingay (a much more flamboyant take on bingo) at The Beresford; sip Absolut Banger’s at POOF DOOF’s first ever beachside Drag Brunch at Coogee Pavilion Rooftop; network with queer professionals over a long lunch at iconic poolside restaurant, Uccello; go-go dance at Dollar Bin Darlings parade day extravaganza at Vic on The Park; and party by the pool after the parade at ivy’s rooftop mecca.
As ongoing allies of the LGBTIQA+ community, Merivale and Absolut have also created the ‘Absolut Banger’ cocktail. Available in selected venues from 5 February–7 March, $2 from each cocktail will be donated to longstanding charity partners, Bobby Goldsmith Foundation and ACON. The cocktail is a delicious mix of Absolut Lime, Lillet Blanc, passionfruit and Granny Smith apple.
To launch the campaign, Merivale and Absolut Vodka have invited friends in the community to share their stories of love and triumph and celebrate people in their lives who fill each day with colour. Stronger Together is about the people who are uncompromisingly oneself and the support crew around them who make that possible. Because no matter what – we are all stronger together.
Josef & Maria
The vibrant campaign shot by Georges Antoni features Dimitri Calavrias (Merivale’s Brand Manager) and his brother Jeremy; Trans sisters, Kalypso Finbar Otu and Skye Paez (Merivale customers); friends and ACON Ambassadors, Maria Christodoulou and Josef Garrington (Beresford Bingay hosts and Merivale and Absolut charity partners); co-stars Troy Stone and Minnie Cooper (Absolut Beresford Sunday cabaret performers); Stuart Cogan (ivy Events Operations Manager) and his sausage dog Snitz; friends and colleagues, Silvio Cohilj and Yibo Luo (ivy hosts and restaurant leaders).
Justin Hemmes, Merivale CEO, said: “We are proud to celebrate and champion Sydney’s Queer culture and the LGBTQIA+ community. If 2020 taught us anything it is the importance of looking out, supporting and lifting each other up – exactly what the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras is all about. I can’t wait to see the city alive with pride and experience the big, beautiful energy that Mardi Gras always brings to Sydney”.
Merivale also has a limited number of drink, dine and stay packages still available. Each package booking at The Beresford, Queen Chow Enmore, The Paddington and Bar Totti’s on Saturday, 6 March includes an official Mardi Gras Parade ticket compliments of Absolut (per person), an Absolut Banger cocktail on arrival, live DJs and entertainment, and a $5 donation to Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras. Bookings can be made at https://merivale.com/whatson/mardi-gras-packages/.
While the Mardi Gras festivities might look a little different this year, the spirit of Mardi Gras is still very much alive at Merivale.
STRONGER TOGETHER AT MERIVALE
THE BERESFORD:
Troy & Minnie
Cabaret: ‘Step Back In Time’ – Every Friday and Sunday in February and March from 7pm Dinner and a show and a whole lotta woah! After the success of ‘A Night in Paris’ and ‘Absolut-ly Christmas’, Minnie Cooper, Jacqui St Hyde, Mynx Moscato, Troy Stone and Hayden Baulch are bringing their new brand-new cabaret, ‘Step Back in Time’, to Beresford Upstairs. Everyone loves a bit of nostalgia and this show promises to have something for everyone, making its way through the decades from the 20s through to the 80s with plenty of amusing twists and turns on the way. Tickets are $75pp (plus booking fee) and include an Absolut Banger cocktail on arrival, three-course dinner and a fabulous show. Note: During Mardi Gras week, ‘Step Back In Time’ will take place on Thursday, 4 March and Sunday, 7 March.
Alfie Arcuri Live @ Upstairs Beresford – Friday, 5 March from 7pm Feel the Mardi Gras love live, loud and proud with a night of soulful singing. Listen to the nostalgic sounds of Ms Thandi before an intimate live performance by Alfie Arcuri, including his newly released song “Handsome Man”. Doors open and bar and food service from 7pm, and Ms Thandi live from 7.30pm.
Tickets are $65pp (plus booking fee) and include an Absolut Banger cocktail on arrival and antipasto board to share.
Parade Day Screening Party – Saturday, 6 March from 2pm When it comes to Parade Day, no one parties prouder than The Beresford. From 2pm the doors will open to absolutely everyone, so don’t be tardy for the party. There will be DJs playing all day and well into the night, a photo booth in the front bar to capture the most extra Parade Day poses, and all the parade action from the SCG screening in the Courtyard from 7pm. Order an Absolut Banger cocktail while you’re there with $2 from every drink donated to ACON and the Bobby Goldsmith Foundation charities. Walk-ins only.
The DJ line-up includes: ● Colin Gaff, 2pm–6pm ● Alex Taylor, 6pm–9pm ● Adam Love, 9pm–1am
Bingay Pride – Thursday, 25 February from 6.30pm Legs eleven! Dancing Queen! Bingay is back at The Beresford just in time for Mardi Gras. This bingo party is fit for all queens and the fabulous hosts, Charisma Belle and Naomi Palmer, will serve up deliciously devilish callbacks, sultry stories and raucous repartee with prizes to be won thanks to ACON and Absolut.
Dropping balls since 1999, Bingay is a gay Sydney institution. All funds raised go to helping ACON deliver vital programs and services to improve the health and wellbeing of sexuality-and-gender-diverse people.
POOF DOOF Drag Brunch Coogee Pavilion Rooftop – Saturday, 20 February POOF DOOF Drag Brunch is headed to Coogee for the first ever beach brunch! Look forward to a whole afternoon of fierce drag superstardom hosted by Marilyn Mootrub and starring the iconic Coco Jumbo, Vybe, Vanity and Felicia Foxx, plus the POOF DOOF DJs bringing the heat to the beach including DJ Sveta, DJ Charlie Villas and Victoria Anthony. Tickets include a 1½-hour bottomless mimosa and brunch package, including a welcome drink choice of an Absolut Banger cocktail, Red Bull Club Tropicana or Hahn SuperDry, plus so much more camp fun.
Book a table for you and your best judys and enjoy the runway show around the super glam Coogee Pavilion Rooftop in celebration of the brand new rainbow steps on Coogee Beach being unveiled just in time for Mardi Gras.
Tickets are $89pp. Bookings are essential and a variety of table sizes and configurations are available here.
The Sunday session that Sydneysiders already love – but way more colourful! Kicking off at 2pm and partying on well into the night, there will be an absolutely fabulous lineup of DJs and live entertainment to take the weekend up a notch in the lead-up to the 2021 Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras. Head to the bar for this year’s Sydney Mardi Gras Absolut Banger cocktail – a delicious mix of Absolut Lime, Lillet Blanc, passionfruit and Granny Smith apple, with $2 from every sale donated to ACON and The Bobby Goldsmith Foundation. Book a table here to secure your spot today.
Sunday, 21 February: ● Colin Gaff ● Cassette ● Adam Love ● Robbie Rommers ● Nate ● Stacie Fields
Sunday, 28 February: ● Bannie ● Amanda Louise ● James Alexandr ● Pat Stevenson ● Sveta ● Mo’funk
POOL CLUB
POOF DOOF Drag Brunch – Saturday, 20 and 27 February Treat yourself to a whole afternoon of fierce drag superstardom, a 1½-hour bottomless mimosa and brunch package including a complimentary Absolut Banger cocktail on arrival, plus so much more camp fun. The runway is in and around the ultra-glam ivy pool and the afternoon will be hosted by the one and only Marilyn Mootrub and star the iconic Coco Jumbo, Sia Tequila and Miss Danni Issues in shows all afternoon along with fabulous guest performers each week. • Saturday, 20 February: Maxi Shield • Saturday, 27 February: Faúx Fúr
Tickets are $89pp. Bookings are essential and a variety of table sizes and configurations are available here.
POOF DOOF Long Lunch at uccello – Thursday, 4 March, 12pm–5pm The inaugural POOF DOOF Long Lunch is here, queer and kickstarting Mardi Gras at Merivale’s iconic poolside restaurant, uccello. POOF DOOF have curated the perfect long lunch to network with Sydney’s queer professionals over a three-course extravaganza designed by Head Chef Nigel Ward with a glass of champagne on arrival.
The afternoon will feature guest speakers including a keynote from Albert Kruger, CEO of Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras, and music curated by Australia’s leading queer DJs including Kitty Glitter, Sveta and Kate Monroe. Guests can also look forward to some very special, surprise live performances throughout the afternoon. After lunch, guests can sashay over to ivy Pool Club to take an afternoon dip.
Tickets are $159pp. Tables are limited and bookings can be made here.
Parade After Party at Pool Club – Saturday, 6 March POOF DOOF are hosting yet another epic Mardi Gras parade after party at ivy Pool Club from 9pm until the wee hours of the morning with an all-star lineup of DJs, live acts, drag performers and more. Leading the stacked line-up is Sgt Slick, alongside drag DJ icons Kitty Glitter and drag DJ duo Jawbreakers. POOF DOOF Melbourne residents Argonaut and Jason Conti will go back-to-back while Sydney DJ icons Sveta, Troy Beman and I.O.U. round out the line-up for house music lovers. There will be epic shows from drag brunch divas Coco Jumbo, Danni Issues, and Sia Tequila, and a very special performance from Vanity Faire, Maxi Shield and Lexi Gaga.
Very limited tickets will be on sale soon.
VIC ON THE PARK
Vic on the Pardi Gras – Sunday, 21 and 28 February Vic on The Park have programmed a line-up of DJs and performers in the coming weeks to get you in the mood, culminating in a Dollar Bin Darlings extravaganza on parade day featuring go-go dancers and a live stream straight from the stadium. Head to the bar for this year’s Sydney Mardi Gras Absolut Banger cocktail – a delicious mix of Absolut Lime, Lillet Blanc, passionfruit and Granny Smith apple – with $2 donated from every sale to ACON and The Bobby Goldsmith Foundation.
Dollar Bin Darlings Parade Day Extravaganza – Saturday, 6 March Hosted by Aunty Jonny and the Bottom Dollar Buddies, Vic on The Park will be livestreaming the parade complete with go-go dancers, glitter bombs and more. Arrive in full colour as there’ll be prizes for the best dressed on the day.
Chef Tobie Puttock has always been renowned in the industry for respecting the journey of produce he has used in restaurants from the paddock to the plate, and is a worthy ambassador to champion awareness of supporting better animal welfare as part of that process.
As a Chef Ambassador for RSPCA Australia’s Humane Food initiatives, can you tell us about the program, and what that responsibility means to you? For sure. The RSPCA’s Humane Food initiatives are ultimately all about creating a pathway to better lives for farm animals. For example, RSPCA’s Choose Wisely is an online directory that helps people that love to eat out, choose restaurants and cafés that serve higher welfare food, which in turn creates demand for higher welfare products. And RSPCA’s Approved Farming Scheme focuses on improving the lives of farm animals by ensuring its participants farm to higher welfare standards than are legally required and making higher welfare eggs, meat and fish readily available to all consumers. I think RSPCA’s work in relation to humane food is fantastic and I’m proud to be involved. As an animal lover, these initiatives are great news for animals, allowing businesses and farmers to stand proud next to their products with the knowledge that they are contributing to good animal welfare.
It is very encouraging that our mainstream supermarkets are welcoming the opportunity to become involved with supporting the initiative. What message would you have for consumers on the part they can play? I guess the biggest message is that you have control over the destiny of animal welfare with your dollar. If everyone stops buying eggs, meat, poultry and seafood that doesn’t meet strict welfare requirements then there simply wouldn’t be a market for such products and we would be on the way to making a better life for farm animals and a somewhat more humane society.
Broadly, as a chef who has had global experience in some of the world’s best restaurants, what does better animal welfare mean for you as part of your food philosophy, and the point of difference that better animal welfare delivers on the plate? From a humane point of view, intensive farming where animals are confined and unable to express natural behaviours means those animals exist only to end up as food and for many of us, this isn’t acceptable. As a chef, it’s important to me to know that farm animals have lived a life worth living and this includes freedom to move and express natural behaviours. From a chef ‘s point of view, a pig or a hen that has lived a good life with space to roam freely, forage for food and socialise, is going to be a far better product than one that’s lived an unnatural confined life. Animals that are confined become stressed, scared and miserable.
When did you first start being more involved in supporting higher animal welfare, and start following the food chain from your restaurant back to its source? Definitely when I was working at the River Café in London. That was the first place where chefs sourced their products themselves and didn’t simply ‘order a porterhouse’ from a supplier. I believe this may have come about due to Mad Cow Disease because people wanted to know what they were eating and where it came from. While this wasn’t necessarily about animal welfare, it did pave the way for consumers to be more comfortable to ask questions about the origin of food served in restaurants, including animal welfare, and for chefs to ask questions of their suppliers and alter where they sourced ingredients.
If you had a message for other chefs and consumers who have not been as involved, what would that be in relation to a starting point? Get involved. It’s easy to make good choices. A great place to start is the RSPCA website. Not only does it make you more responsible but it’s a great ethos to teach your staff and will definitely bring a feel-good environment with it as well your food tasting way better. It allows to you to showcase your produce rather than hiding it in any way.
Can you tell us what point your career is at, and what the future holds for Tobie Puttock? That’s a great question! Right now, I am working on food brands for supermarkets. This is an area that is all about spreadsheets, it’s crazy. I’ve been in the space for some years with a little success and a lot of failure but I am learning a lot and believe there is room for a lot of improvement in the space.
Still looking for the perfect venue in Melbourne for a romantic Valentine’s Day meal? Check out what’s on offer at the venues below:
Tipico 242 High St, Windsor VIC 3181 Inspired by the tale of star-crossed lovers, Tipico’s new cocktail ‘Fair Verona’ is romance in a glass. Made with Golden Rum, fresh lime juice and a vibrant raspberry foam; it’s sure to set your heart racing. As for the dinner menu, specials include tempura oysters with stracciatella cheese and homemade tagliolini with fermented chilli, King Mooloolaba prawns, mint pesto. Price: From $20 per person Times: 5:00pm until late Bookings: via Tipico website.
Gradi Mercato Supermarket 314–316 Lygon St, Brunswick East VIC 3057 Express your love in a creative way this Valentine’s Day with Gradi Mercato’s Heart-Shaped Italian Chocolate Mud cake. Handmade fresh to order and ready to collect every day this week, this dessert is available for only $30. Orders: Please phone (03) 9380 2320 to place your order for collection.
Visit any 400 Gradi restaurant this Valentine’s Day to sample the 10-piece patisserie dessert sharing platter handcrafted by Gradi’s experienced patisserie chefs. The plate features bite-size desserts, including a custard cannoncino, lemon curd meringue tart and strawberry cheesecake amongst other treats. Price: From $20 Bookings viaGradi website
Chancery Lane 430 Little Collins St, Melbourne VIC 3000 Melbourne’s new European bistro Chancery Lane invites lovers to celebrate Valentine’s Day with a bespoke four-course menu by Scott Pickett and Head Chef Rob Kabboord. Beginning with an indulgent seafood platter to share, guests will then enjoy heirloom tomato consommé, with a choice of Cape Grim rib of beef or John Dory with caviar beurre blancfor mains, plus sides. With chandeliers adorning the candlelit space, the romantic evening will end on a sweet note with white chocolate mousse. Price: $150 per person Bookings: via the Chancery Lane bookings site
Estelle 243–245 High St, Northcote VIC 3070 Northside favourite Estelleis offering a special Valentine’s Day menu by Scott Pickett. With an option of four or five courses plus four different snacks, dishes include fior de burrata, kingfish, dry-aged duck breast, porterhouse wagyu and a dessert. Price: $130 per person for four courses, $160 per person for five courses Bookings: via the Estelle bookings site
Matilda 159 Domain 159 Domain Rd, South Yarra VIC 3141 Impress with a decadent Valentine’s Day menu at South Yarra’s Matilda, situated across from the picturesque Botanical Gardens. The menu features old favourites and exciting newcomers that celebrate Australian produce across four courses, three snacks, and a selection of petit fours. Guests can expect Merimbula oysters, kangaroo tartare, aged Milawa farm duck, Matilda’s famous dressed Fraser Island spanner crab, and more. Price: $160 per person Bookings: Call 9089 6668 or email info@matilda159.com
Longrain 44 Little Bourke St, Melbourne VIC 3000 For one night only, Melbourne stalwart Longrain is offering a Valentine’s Day set menu featuring nine signature dishes. The Thai-inspired feast will start with a Mango No. 5 cocktail or glass of Rob Dolan ‘Blanc de Blanc’ on arrival before guests work their way through a hand-picked selection of Longrain favourites, including oyster, finger lime ma kweng pepper; filled eggnet, prawn, pomelo, bean shoots; duck, roasted shallot, banana bell; and more. Price: $120 per person Bookings: via the Longrain bookings site
Firebird 223 High St, Windsor VIC 3181 Windsor’s grill-driven restaurant Firebird is turning up the heat with a set menu of classics available for lunch or dinner on February 14. Specials include Firebird’s signature grilled oysters, scotch quail egg, beef carpaccio, crudités, chargrilled squid, roasted duck, wood-fired roasted John Dory, and Chinese broccoli. Guests can expect a fiery finish with a chilli chocolate tart. Price: $90 per person (available for both lunch & dinner) Bookings: via the Firebird website
Tokyo Tina 66A Chapel St, Windsor VIC 3181 Celebrate Valentine’s Day at Windsor’s buzzing modern Japanese restaurant Tokyo Tina with a long lunch or romantic dinner. Guests can depend on Tina to deliver her signature dishes including crab tostada, okonomiyaki, Wagyu beef tataki, umeboshi-glazed duck bao. Finish your session with Tina’s indulgent white chocolate mousse with mango curd and baked meringue. Price: $90 per person (available for both lunch & dinner) Bookings: via the Tokyo Tina website
Pinchy’s Level 1/200 Bourke St, Melbourne VIC 3000 Treat your tastebuds to an unforgettable culinary experience at Pinchy’s with a 9-course degustation menu, priced at $85 per person for Valentine’s Day only, including both seafood and vegan options. So will it be the snapper croquette or vegan leek croquette? Both are delish and are served with jalapeño salsa and wasabi mayo. It’s nearly time to pop the Champagne! Price: $85 per person (available for both lunch only) Times: 12:00pm-4:00pm Bookings: via Pinchy’s website
Daughter In Law 37–41 Little Bourke St, Melbourne VIC 3000 Daughter In Law’s Valentine’s Day menu ticks all the boxes, featuring a cocktail, a selection of street food, dishes from the tandoor, a thali plate, and a sweet treat. To drink, guests will be given a mango and thyme bellini or mocktail on arrival with Daughter In Law’s full drinks menu available throughout the night. To eat, expect oysters, ‘balls of happiness’ (gol gappa), Colonel Tso’s cauliflower, tandoori chicken, unauthentic butter chicken, and much more. Price: $85 per person Bookings: via the Daughter In Law bookings site
Mrs Singh 88 Flinders Ln, Melbourne VIC 3000 With velvet banquette seating, a roaming Champagne trolley, and a six-course set menu, Melbourne CBD’s vibrant wine barMrs Singh is turning on the romance this Valentine’s Day. Guests will start with a glass of sparkling wine to set the tone before moving on to a menu of small plates to share. Exciting new dishes made bespoke for Valentine’s Day will sit confidently alongside some favourites from the small dish offerings. Dessert will provide the sweet finish, with Mrs Singh’s dedicated G+T menu available well into the night and wines from the 300+ list available to takeaway to continue the evening at home. Price: $90 per person Bookings: via the Mrs Singh website
Mr Brownie Rooftop Hotel 343 Clarendon St, South Melbourne VIC 3205 Celebrate V-Day sky-high with Mr Brownie. Offering a five-course feast with matched drinks included on any of the four levels of Jessi Singh’s British Indian curry pub, Mr Brownie, is sure to impress. Starting with oysters and Veuve Clicquot, the second course will see guests enjoy Colonel Tso’s Cauliflower with Moët & Chandon before moving on to a gourmet chicken kebab with Blanc de Blanc. Next, choose either a vegetarian or meat Thali with a glass of red or white, finishing with a frozen kulfi with Chandon Rosé. Price: $149per couple($74.50 per person) Bookings: via the Mr Brownie website
Horn Please 167 St Georges Rd, Fitzroy North VIC 3068 Fitzroy North favourite Horn Please has made Valentine’s Day easy this year, with a $69 set menu featuring three courses and a glass of Champagne. Guests can expect tasty Indian dishes and a whole lot of romance in the colourful dining room, situated across from Edinburgh Gardens. Price: $69 per person Bookings: via the Horn Please website
After a smash debut during last year’s tomato season, ‘Tipico’s ultimate Passata Making Masterclasses’ is set to return to Prahran Market for one day only this Saturday, 20 February.
Visit the team from Windsor’s favourite modern Italian restaurant as they host a series of free 30-minute masterclasses on the art of making passata in the Prahran Market display kitchen between 10:30am–1:00pm.
Sessions will start promptly every 30 minutes hosted by Luis Viota (AKA Gigi), and Tipico Head Chef Daniele Colombo. Learn from the experts how to prepare, mince, season and cook tomatoes in a way that would make any Italian Nonna proud, using fresh ingredients, readily available at Prahran Market.
“While our Masterclasses have taken a new form on Zoom the past year, we are excited to bring our Passata Masterclass back to Prahran Market. We will teach you how to make passata like a real Italian nonna!” says Andrea Da Como, Co-owner of Tipico.
During the demonstrations, there will be bowls of freshly made pasta available to purchase and eat on the spot and bottles of freshly made Italian passata to take home for $10 each.
The perfect fusion of Indonesian-inspired delicacy & Australian seasonal-produce(think of it as your next Bali holiday, only closer).
Existing as an Australian pillar of Indonesian cuisine, Salt & Palmis passionate and authentic in showcasing the intricate and fascinating flavours enjoyed throughout the islands of Indonesia. Experts of street-style satays, Balinese-style pork and mouth-watering desserts such as alcohol-spiked cendol, Salt & Palmutilise taste to encapsulate a brief atmospheric moment of Indonesian serenity that Australians adore and tend to gravitate towards annually. With their detailed tropical decor and breathable spacious courtyards, patrons will experience the feeling of a much-needed getaway, all while indulging in authentic Indonesian cuisine right in the bustling heart of Glebe.
About: • Launched in September 2018, Salt & Palm has established itself as a staple of collective Indonesian culture and cuisine within Sydney’s Inner West. • Adapting to Sydney’s evolving hospitality scene, Salt & Palm boasts a share- style menu, honouring traditional Indonesian recipes with hints of modern creative flair. • Taking central positioning on Glebe Point Road, the venue is unassuming and resembles a quintessential federation home. Visitors are welcomed into a relaxed and leafy retreat with two generous courtyards and a central dining room and bar. • Salt & Palm is the brainchild of Owner and Head Chef Natasya Soetantyo and is a culmination of generations of hospitality leaders spanning across Indonesia, Singapore and Australia. • With her family based in both Indonesia and Singapore and running an impressive portfolio of restaurants and bars under their hospitality group Blue Waves Food Empire, Natasya took all she knew and threw it into Salt & Palm in Australia. • With Natasya at the realm of the business and kitchen, Salt & Palm fosters female leadership in the hospitality industry with a female-dominated workplace, starkly contrasted to the statistics that show 90% of all hospitality leaders and CEOs in Australia are male.
Menu/Food Offering: The food at Salt & Palm is a culinary and cultural exploration of the different regions throughout Indonesia and the varying cooking philosophies between northern and southern islands. The menu is a combination of traditional staples and modern influences capitalising on affordability, variability (including vegan options) and existing staples such as Sate Kambing (lamb skewers). Salt & Palm offers an à la carte menu attracting regulars and new diners with seasonality, affordability and quality. Some of their food offerings include:
○ STARTERS Bakwan Jagung – Crispy corn fritters, seasoned with garlic, shallots & parsley Tempe Mendoan – Crispy battered tempeh served with chilli sweet soy
○ SATAY Sate Cumi – Squid skewers with lime and sweet soy chilli Sate Vegan – Plant-based ‘chicken’ satay with housemade peanut sauce and pickles
○ POULTRY DISHES Ayam Geprek – Indonesian fried battered chicken with your choice of sambal Ayam Betutu – Balinese chicken gently cooked in our house-made spice paste of turmeric, kencur, chilli, garlic, lemongrass, and shrimp paste. Served with peanuts and Balinese Sambal Matah
○ SEAFOOD Udang Bakar Sambal Matah – Grilled butterflied Australian king prawns with Balinese Chilli, lemongrass, and eschallot relish mixed with lime juice, shrimp paste, and coconut oil Seafood Saus Padang – Squid, king prawns, and corn tossed in our homemade spicy, Padang sauce. Our Padang sauce is made with chilli, tomato, onion, garlic, lemongrass, ginger and kaffir lime leaf
○ RICE & NOODLE DISHES Nasi Goreng Babi Spesial – Indonesian fried rice with egg, bacon, vegetables. Served with cucumber carrot pickles, crackers, and a side of confit pork belly and crispy crackling on top
○ VEGAN A LA CARTE Rendang Vegan – Traditional rendang dry curry made with plant-based mushroom/soy meat and potato. Slowly cooked in our own house-made spice paste of chilli, galangal, cinnamon, ginger, lemongrass and coconut milk Gado Gado – Steamed spinach, cabbage, beansprout & green-bean salad infused with their in-house peanut sauce.
○ DESSERTS Seasonal ‘Jajan Pasar’ – Indonesian traditional sweets and cakes. Vegan selections may be available
○ SAMBAL & SAUCES Sambal is Indonesian paste or relish. All Sambal is made in-house using fresh ingredients. Sambal and sauces are available in take-home glass jars (200g)
○ AND MUCH MUCH MORE!
Drinks & Bar Selection: Salt & Palm are Sydney’s experts of Indonesian flavours and this also translates over to their capacious range of cocktails, spirits & beers on offer. Just to name a few…
○ SALT & PALM SIGNATURES Javanese Sunset – Absolut Vodka, banana liqueur, mango, tamarind, lemongrass, egg white & nutmeg
Ubud Iced Tea – Bombay Sapphire gin, Cinzano Bianco, lychee, lemongrass & soda Spiked Cendol – Bacardi, Malibu, Baileys, coconut cream & palm sugar cendol Tolak Angin Café – Inspired by the Indonesian herbal drink and a staple of Indonesian culture
Spontaneous drinks and dining is back. Dropping into a much-loved local or crossing town to explore a new bar has never felt so good. Poodle Upstairs is one to put on the list of Melbourne’s newest places to feel the thrill of being out again.
Zoë Rubino and Emilio Scalzo’s Poodle Bar & Bistro is located in the heart of Fitzroy on Gertrude Street. The new Poodle Upstairs is open Friday and Saturday nights for walk-in drinks with a snacking menu different to the downstairs offering. Poodle Upstairs continues the venue’s distinctive luxe design aesthetic by Wendy Bergman (Bergman & Co) with the additional comfort of an open fire (bring on winter!) and a private dining room for events.
The drinks menu features sixteen classic and signature cocktails, an extensive range of Victorian and European wines, and spirits. Expect classics like the Sidecar, Manhattan and the Wet Poodle (wet martini). Other signature cocktails include the Rosy Cheeks (Vida, Aperol, lime, rosemary syrup), Mosse Martini (Mosse vermouth, Tanqueray, Dolin Dry), Basil Club (basil-infused Tanqueray, raspberries, pepper), and The Masterpiece (Cocchi vermouth Di Torino, Bulleit Rye, Angostura bitters).
Designed by Head Chef Josh Fry (ex-Marion/Cumulus Inc), the food menu shines a light on house-made charcuterie made with Bundarra Berkshire Pigs from Barham (NSW), sustainably raised by free-range farmers Lachlan and Lauren Mathers, then cured in the Poodle wine cellar. Other premium charcuterie from around the world has also been sourced featuring free-range pork, confit garlic and pistachio terrine, Juan Pedro Domecq Ibérico Jamón, hot soppressa, and more.
Keeping with the Poodle theme of nostalgic classics curated with quality ingredients in mind, guests can also expect a light and bright selection of raw seafood dishes designed to share with a cocktail in tow. These include Yarra Valley caviar, Brook trout, Atlantic salmon, paired perfectly with classic tinned or jarred sides for a Eurocentric touch. Tinned and jarred snacks include Cuca anchovies in oil; baby sardines in tomato sauce; mussels in pickle sauce, octopus in oil, Conservas Emilia Garfish, chicken liver parfait with mulled wine jelly, and spiced calamari in ragout.
For a wine and cheese affair, Poodle Upstairs also offers a selection of Australian and French varieties such as Marcel Petite Comté, Vannella Burrata, Crottin Chevrefeuille white mould, Colston Bassett Stilton, and Pont l’Evêque washed rind.
Next to the main space upstairs is an adjoining private dining room hidden away from the hum of the main bar and perfect for smaller events seating up to 20 people. Multi-functional and versatile, the dining room will also open up the wine cellar to private tastings in the future with plans to hold public events in the newly opened upstairs area. The entire upstairs space, including the dining room, is also available for bookings accommodating groups of up to 70 guests.
Whether it’s a tipple next to the fire with a cocktail in hand, or a spontaneous night out at the bar, Poodle Upstairs delivers an intimate departure from the hustle and bustle of the downstairs bistro.
Eight of Victoria’s top chefs have partnered with the renowned Piccolina Gelateria to create The Piccolina Gelato Project: 8 Chefs in 8 Weeks.
The project will see seven of Melbourne’s most exciting chefs, plus one from Geelong, take over the specials board at all six Piccolina locations. Each chef has crafted three gelato flavours that not only showcase the flavours and techniques that have made them famous, but also allows their personalities and creativity to shine through.
Andreas Papadakis
Dave Verheul
Aaron Turner
Zoe Birch
Sam Stafford
Tom Sarafian
Victor Liong
Shannon Martinez
Launching just in time to celebrate the opening of Piccolina’s new Degraves St location, the project will run from Wednesday, 10 February until Tuesday, 6 April. Each week Piccolina’s specials board will include a trio of flavours from Victor Liong (Lee Ho Fook), Tom Sarafian (Little Andorra, ex-Bar Saracen), Dave Verheul (Embla), Zoe Birch (Greasy Zoes), Sam Stafford (MONO-XO), Andreas Papadakis (Tipo 00), Shannon Martinez (Smith & Daughters), and Aaron Turner (Igni, The Hot Chicken Project, Tacos Y Liquor).
Sandra Foti & Shannon Martinez
Having recently completed a collaboration with Scott Pickett (Estelle, Matilda, Longrain, Chancery Lane) and Frank Camora (MoVida), Sandra Foti was keen to explore more culinary collaborations, reaching out to the people behind her favourite venues. What followed was a creative whirlwind, with a fusion of techniques, skills and ideas, resulting in a celebration of gelato that allows you to taste flavours of each restaurant with every scoop.
“The entire experience has been pretty phenomenal,” says Sandra Foti. “Everyone absolutely jumped at the opportunity. I was blown away and felt pretty humbled by how much everyone already knew and loved Piccolina. It made the whole thing even more special.”
The first chef in the series is Victor Liong from Lee Ho Fook who will be taking over the specials board the week of Lunar New Year. Among his three signature flavours will be a jasmine tea custard and burnt caramel gelato that uses high-quality jasmine tea from Tea Craft in Sydney.
“As a chef who owns and works in each of my restaurants, it is harder to learn about new processes. This project has given me a chance to delve into a really cool and exciting area of food that I’ve always been interested in. It’s kinda like going to Willy Wonka’s factory and being able to make your own flavour of sweets. It was great fun!” says Victor.
The gelato will also be served as part of the Chinese New Year banquet at Lee Ho Fook. The second chef to feature on the project will be Tom Sarafian, currently in the midst of a three-month residence in the kitchen at Little Andorra. His flavours include a yoghurt gelato infused with Persian saffron and vanilla bean layered with passionfruit curd, a goat’s feta gelato with crushed mamool and a green fig and toasted sesame jam, as well as a pineapple sorbet with arak and basil oil drops.
One of the project’s most adventurous flavours comes courtesy of Dave Verheul of Embla. Alongside his cultured butter gelato with butter biscuit and salted brown butter caramel and lemon sherbet, lemongrass and lemon verbena gelato Dave’s specials board will also feature a porcini gelato with chocolate, thyme and sour apple.
Dave says: “This whole project is about having a little fun and creating gelato that is completely different from the incredible product that the team at Piccolina deliver on a daily basis. That said, I think there will be a certain amount of trust needed to try the porcini gelato!”
“It’s amazing what can come together through gelato. I really hope people are excited to try the different flavours because they’re delicious,” says Sandra.
Another chef pushing the boundaries of how we perceive gelato flavours is Andreas Papadakis from Tipo 00. His fior di latte and potato gelato with a green olive caramel was a challenge to perfect but ended up being the perfect balance of flavours, and the buffalo ricotta, basil oil and rosemary gelato is the sweet mirror to the focaccia served at the beginning of every meal at Tipo 00. His trio of flavours is rounded out with a fior di latte, caramelised radicchio, balsamic & chocolate.
And while Piccolina is already known for its vegan gelato, Australia’s queen of vegan cuisine, Shannon Martinez (Smith & Daughters), will also feature as part of the Piccolina project. Shannon’s gelato flavours are based on some of Smith & Daughters and Smith & Deli’s best sellers, including the famed cardamom and cinnamon doughnut gelato, Aztec gelato with dark vegan chocolate gelato layered with ancho chilli caramel, and a corn and blueberry gelato with corn-infused oat milk gelato, blueberry swirl & candied corn kernels.
“I’m always excited to work with people that have something to teach me, and I get even more excited that I get to do a collaboration with a fellow female owner/operator, because that is super rare!” says Shannon.
The Piccolina Gelato Project isn’t just for diehard foodies though. By capturing the spirit of each restaurant in a scoop, it allows Melburnians to experience the flavours of hatted and renowned restaurants through the familiar and nostalgic culinary medium that is gelato, and to get to know more about the chefs behind the venues.
Schedule:
Wed 10 Feb–Tues 16 Feb | Victor Liong (Lee Ho Fook) • Lee Ho Fook’s jasmine tea custard, burnt caramel • Mango pudding gelato, passionfruit sorbet and condensed milk • Hong Kong milk tea with brown sugar boba pearls
Wed 17 Feb–Tues 23 Feb | Tom Sarafian (Little Andorra) • Yoghurt gelato infused with Persian saffron & vanilla bean, layered with passionfruit curd • Goat’s feta gelato layered with crushed mamool and green fig & toasted sesame jam • Pineapple sorbet with a shot of Arak & basil oil drops
Wed 24 Feb–Tues 2 March | Dave Verheul (Embla) • Cultured butter gelato with butter biscuit and salted brown butter caramel • Lemon sherbet, lemongrass and lemon verbena gelato • Porcini gelato with chocolate, thyme and sour apple
Wed 3 March–Tues 9 March | Zoe Birch (Greasy Zoes) • Spiced Pumpkin Pie • S’mores • Chocolate Bay Leaf
Wed 10 March–Tues 16 March | Sam Stafford (MONO-XO) • Pine-lime, coconut and smoked vanilla – Smoked vanilla-infused coconut gelato with a Pernod-spiked pine-lime jam layered in • Chamomile milk gelato, raw honeycomb • Strawberry gelato, rhubarb jam, malt crumb
Wed 17 March–Tues 23 March | Andreas Papadakis (Tipo 00) • Fior di latte, caramelised radicchio, balsamic & chocolate • Buffalo ricotta, basil oil & rosemary • Fior di latte, potato & a green olive salted caramel
Wed 31 March–Tues 6 April | Aaron Turner (Igni, The Hot Chicken Project, Tacos Y Liquor) • Council pepper leaf and strawberries • Onion and honeycomb • Charred orchard wood wild berries
The Piccolina Gelato Project : 8 Chefs in 8 Weeks Dates: Wednesday, 10 February until Tuesday, 6 April Website | Facebook | Instagram Hashtag: #PiccolinaGelateria
Piccolina Gelateria locations: FLAGSHIP | Collingwood 296 Smith Street, Collingwood Richmond 85 Swan Street, Richmond Hawthorn 802 Glenferrie Road, Hawthorn St Kilda 137C Acland Street, St Kilda CBD Degraves St 32 Degraves Street, Melbourne CBD Hardware Lane 43 Hardware Lane, Melbourne Opening Hours: Daily from 12pm until late
A new, expanded festival will see the city and regions celebrate Victorian food and drink as never before.
The Melbourne Food & Wine Festival, served up by principal partner Bank of Melbourne and destination partner Visit Victoria, returns with a blockbuster 2021 calendar across the city and regional Victoria. The newly expanded festival year kicks off with a suite of signature and new events in March. This will be followed in winter by the festival’s core programming for the year, a two-week festival all about Melbourne, and then in the spring the food and drink of regional Victoria will for the first time have a festival all its own.
March sees the return of some of the festival’s best-loved signature events, which were postponed in 2020. The Bank of Melbourne World’s Longest Lunch, one of the city’s most anticipated annual events, returns with an all-star line-up of culinary legends, and newcomer the Bank of Melbourne World’s Longest Brunch will celebrate the city’s renowned breakfast culture the next morning. There will be special events across the city, and for the first time, Melbourne’s western suburbs will be the hero of 12 Westside Crawl events.
“Coming hot on the heels of the success of the New Year Street Feasts program, we’re thrilled to join in the roaring recovery of the city with a full calendar of great Melbourne Food & Wine Festival events,” said Anthea Loucas Bosha, CEO of Food + Drink Victoria, the not-for-profit parent company behind MFWF.
“Kicking off with the festival’s blockbuster, the World’s Longest Lunch, along with what we hope is a new Melbourne signature event in the making, the World’s Longest Brunch, it’s the first of three big tentpoles for the festival across 2021. We can’t wait.”
Visit Victoria CEO Brendan McClements said: “Victoria’s renowned restaurants and bars are enthusiastically welcoming visitors in 2021 and launching the iconic Melbourne and Food & Wine Festival is a great milestone for our hospitality industry.
“This year, the festival extends beyond the signature World’s Longest Lunch to include a World’s Longest Brunch as well as a winter festival and regional showcase in spring, so there’s something for every palate.”
The much-loved World’s Longest Lunch returns on Friday, 12 March, bringing together three of Melbourne’s culinary masters – Stephanie Alexander, Philippe Mouchel and Jacques Reymond – to deliver an outdoor feast for more than a thousand guests in Melbourne’s Treasury Gardens set against the backdrop of the city skyline.
Bank of Melbourne Chief Executive Mark Melvin said: “We are proud of our long partnership with Melbourne Food & Wine Festival, now in its 10th year. Food and wine is one of our city’s greatest loves, and it’s an industry Bank of Melbourne supports on many levels.
“The Bank of Melbourne World’s Longest Lunch is always a highlight on the epicurean calendar and we’re excited to see the addition of The Bank of Melbourne World’s Longest Brunch to the Melbourne Food & Wine Festival program.”
World’s Longest Lunch attendees will also be given a hit-list of great Melbourne CBD bars to kick on to following lunch, continuing Melbourne Food & Wine Festival’s commitment to drive business to venues in a part of the state hit hardest by the pandemic. Make it a glass at City Wine Shop or Embla, a pot at the Cricketer’s or Garden State, or something a bit higher up the shelf from the likes of Gimlet or Nick & Nora’s.
In a first for Melbourne Food & Wine Festival, Bank of Melbourne World’s Longest Brunch will take place in Treasury Gardens on Saturday, 13 March. The menu at this new event is designed by Lune Croissanterie’s Kate Reid in collaboration with Melbourne’s café king Nathan Toleman, whose Midas touch at venues such as Apte, Three Bags Full, Two Birds One Stone, Top Paddock, Higher Ground, Kettle Black and Liminal has shaped the way Victoria breakfasts.
The March 2021 program also includes more than 50 events designed in partnership with restaurants, bars and cafés around the city that had been set to run before the pandemic.
Highlights of the 2021 Special Events Program include:
~ Black Star × Rain Room : The world’s most celebrated watermelon cake meets Melbourne’s most atmospheric immersive installation ~ Yum cha at the Flower Drum : Spin the lazy Susan in style at Australia’s most celebrated Cantonese restaurant ~ Dandenong World Fare : A free, family-friendly celebration of food, culture, history and community at one of Melbourne’s largest fresh food markets in Australia’s most culturally diverse municipality ~ Adrian Richardson’s suckling pig feast : The La Luna chef’s wildly popular festival signature expands to Brunswick East ~ Lankan Lourinhã : O Tama Carey of Sydney’s Lankan Filling Station collaborating with Matt McConnell at Bar Lourinhã on a Sri Lankan- Portuguese spectacular
Westside Crawls, a collaboration between Melbourne Food & Wine Festival, Eat Drink Westside and six western Melbourne councils, is another addition to the 2021 March program. The 12 Crawls explore the eats of western Melbourne suburbs, including: West Footscray, Seddon, Moonee Ponds, Ascot Vale, Spotswood, Altona, Caroline Springs, Melton, Sunshine, St Albans, Werribee and Werribee Park.
Highlights of the 2021 Westside Crawl program include: • Sunshine Crawl – An exploration taking in such diverse pleasures as a traditional Ethiopian coffee ritual, northern Vietnamese food and the neighbourhood’s celebrated Persian community eatery, stopping at Xuan Banh Cuon, Gojo Café, SalamaTea and NNB Dessert House • West Footscray Crawl – A delicious introduction to one of the city’s most exciting new eat-streets, paying calls to Zymurgy, Harley and Rose and Chibog
Melbourne Food & Wine Festival is supported by Victoria’s tourism and major events company Visit Victoria and principal partner Bank of Melbourne, which has supported the Festival every year since 2011.
Tickets for the 2021 Melbourne Food & Wine Festival, Bank of Melbourne’s World’s Longest Lunch and Bank of Melbourne World’s Longest Brunch go on sale from 9am on Friday, 12 February 2021. Pre-sale tickets are available for 2020 ticket holders and MFWF subscribers.
Booking Melbourne Food & Wine Festival events in advance is essential to keep the celebrations running smoothly and safely. All Melbourne Food & Wine Festival events have COVID-safe plans in place, which can be accessed at mfwf.com.au, and all partner venues are required to have their own COVID-safe plans to be part of the program.
Melbourne Food & Wine Festival’s March program runs 12–31 March; for full program details and all ticket sales please visit mfwf.com.au; follow MFWF on Instagram at @melbfoodandwine for daily updates.
Looking for some seriously last-minute ideas for Valentine’s Day and Lunar New Year? Check out what’s on offer at Salt & Palm and No.5 Restaurant & Bar.
Salt & Palm is a hidden leafy retreat in the heart of Glebe and does not disappoint in delivering authentic and flavourful Indonesian cuisine.
Valentine’s Day/Galentine’s Day Offering both a vegan and non-vegan set menu option, there is literally something for everyone! Celebrating with the gals this year instead? All cocktails are on point.
Special Vegan Set Menu – $40pp includes a welcome cocktail per person, shared Balinese-themed banquet dishes and an individually served dessert. Always miss out on the traditional satay chicken? Enjoy this traditional dish with plant-based mince instead and topped with garlic, chilli, turmeric, galangal, kaffir lime leaf and kencur. Regular Set Menu – $50pp includes a welcome cocktail per person and a three-course individually served dishes. Signature dish on this menu is a creamy prawn noodle from Palembang city in the island of Sumatra.
Lunar New Year
Prosperity Meal – $40pp includes a free welcome cocktail per person and a shared banquet of Indonesian–Chinese dishes. Minimum 2 people. You’ll find braised pork belly with egg and fried prawns and pork mince rolls on this menu. Abundance Meal – $50pp includes a welcome cocktail per person and a shared banquet of Indonesian–Chinese inspired dishes. Minimum 4 people. In addition to the above menu, fried fresh snapper topped with sweet and sour sauce and pineapple can be enjoyed.
No.5 Restaurant & Baris situated in an old polishing gem factory in Alexandria and is known for its fresh and seasonal Australian produce with hints of umami flavour.
Valentine’s Day Guests will be treated to a bottle of wine (choice of pinot gris, rosé, or pinot noir), a selection of entrees, main meal and dessert. Diners will be able to take home a preserved flower bouquet by local florist. No.5’s menu is $95 per person. If lunch is more your style, there are still spots available for No.5’s two- & three-course Seasonal Lunch menu with soothing sounds by Mary Cowell playing from 12pm.
Highlights include Sri Lankan egg hoppers, dosas, mouth-watering curries and a gin-focused bar.
Transforming the front of the iconic Collins Quarter building in the CBD, well-known Melbourne businessman Ian Hicks and restaurant entrepreneur Dr Sam Prince, founders of the Sam Prince Hospitality Group (SPHG), have launched their newest restaurant INDU Melbourne, a delectable mix of Sri Lankan and Southern Indian village culture, flavours and hospitality.
Serving up an unforgettable feast for the senses, INDU is dark and aromatic, with a menu inspired by the coast and villages, using fresh and seasonal produce to create wholesome and fresh plates with plenty of seafood and vegetarian options on offer.
There’s a selection of dosas and hoppers, fresh local seafood, homey village plates, curries and meats from the grill and more. Menu highlights include Amma’s daal and Thilaka’s potato curry, as well as smoked Yarra Valley goat’s leg dosa, egg hopper, albacore tuna croquette, eggplant moju, Mount Mercer pork belly curry and the signature ‘Great Lamb Raan’.
“INDU is a nod to my heritage and a place that is reminiscent of home and being welcomed into someone’s home especially like in the villages of Sri Lanka. There are dishes on the menu that are my mother’s recipes including the Amma’s daal and potato curry as well as dishes that are inspired by my childhood or I have discovered through my travels. It’s really exciting to finally bring this to Melbourne,” says SPHG founder Dr Sam Prince.
Gin is the hero on the drinks list, with a selection of signature gin and tonics complementing the food, with gin favourites on show in gin and tonic flights where the best tipple of the month shines bright. A small but solid wine list stands tall with aromatic and textural varieties featured from Fiano, Grüner Veltliner to Pinot Noir and spicy Grenache blends.
A place where the music is just as important and the food, INDU sets the tone with a playlist of late 60s and early 70s music inspired by The Beatles’ travels through India and after their time spent in transcendental meditation training, mixed in with other sounds of the era including tunes from Bob Dylan, Janis Joplin, The Doors and more.
The entry lounge bar that greets guests is the perfect destination for drinks or a pre-dinner gin and tonic. There are dining seats featured along the purpose-built window looking directly into the kitchen that wraps around bar and into the main dining room, offering a peek into all the action. Separated by soft linen curtains, five private booths with cushioned banquette seating line the wall parallel to the kitchen bar in the dining room and two exposed circular booths are featured next to the main dining space. Large terracotta pots overflowing with spices and dried chillies are dotted throughout the restaurant, filling the senses with smells of a faraway place.
Some of the best talent has come together to transform the bones of the old Collins Quarter building including designer Gabriella Libertini. Melbourne artist Ash Keating has taken over the walls with his signature fire extinguisher painting-style features throughout the main dining space and private dining room in shades of orange and light forest. Leading the way inside, a large green, gold and black mural by Apparition Media, and reminiscent of India and Sri Lanka, covers the front corridor.
Stripped floorboards pave the way upstairs to INDU’s private dining room with an exposed brick wall featuring the original stained-glass windows, which is a nod to the building’s heritage, and bookended with the same fire extinguisher-style artwork by Ash Keating that has been carried from the downstairs to up. An oversized timber dining table handcrafted by Melbourne-based furniture maker Leslie Jones also sits front and centre.
“Sam and I opened INDU in Sydney in 2015, and we’re so excited to share this new experience with Melburnians. When you step into INDU you forget what’s on the outside and find yourself immersed in a whole new place that’s just magical,” adds SPHG co-founder and Melburnian Ian Hicks.
Seductively aromatic, INDU welcomes guests for lunch and dinner from 12 to late on Monday to Friday and for dinner from 5pm to late on Saturday. INDU is located at 86a Collins Street, Melbourne and bookings are available online via https://indudining.com.au/melbourne or via phone at (03) 9671 4376.
Wetherill Park legend Fat Franks is set to launch its new restaurant in Newtown, bringing with them the Philly Cheesesteak, an American icon, which they make following the original 80-year-old recipe and using authentic ingredients from the US.
For the uninitiated, the cheesesteak is a mouth-watering combination of thinly sliced, sautéed rib eye and melted cheese on a roll, which is then topped with fried onions, sweet peppers or mushrooms. It’s a culinary institution in Philadelphia and you won’t hear about Philly without mention of the cheesesteak – it’s even on their official tourism website!
Also on the menu are their Fat Sandwiches, which you might know by their more popular names, Submarine Sandwich or Hero. Ask any New Yorker and we can guarantee they’ve had a Hero or two on their lunch break. Made with the same Amoroso rolls used for the cheesesteak, the Hero is filled with any combination of meat, cheese and vegetables.
The full menu, including salads, sides and desserts, can be found on their website.
About Fat Franks:In 2017, Fat Franks’ founder Antonio travelled through Philly on a pilgrimage to find the original cheesesteak recipe and while on his journey he landed a job at Pat’s King of Steaks – the Holy Grail – the birthplace of the cheesesteak.
Following this, he spent over 14 months to set up a partnership to fly in the original cheese, pickles and most importantly, the Amoroso bread rolls – a bread synonymous with Philly – to Australia. This made Fat Franks the only place in Australia where you can get bread baked by a 116-year-old Philly icon.
The first Fat Franks opened after this in Wetherill Park as a pop-up store and it just kept growing and growing. In 2020, they moved to a new Wetherill Park location to keep up with the demand – which brings us to 2021, and their new Newtown location. Fat Franks Newtown 172 King Street (next to Newtown Hotel), Newtown NSW 2042 Website | Facebook | Instagram
El Camino Cantina is tapping into its creative Tex-Mex credentials with the launch of Taco Topia – a new range of handheld tortilla snacks that are turbocharged with fabulous flavours.
Taco Topia launches on Tuesday, 9 February at El Camino Cantina venues across Sydney and Melbourne, on Wednesday, 10 February across the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast, and on Thursday, 11 February in Brisbane. Created from fresh house-made tortillas daily, the line-up includes:
~ Fish Tucker ~ Tempura barramundi, corn, jalapeño, red onion & tomato salsa, habanero mango sauce, coriander
~ Button Up ~ Crumbed button mushrooms, jalapeño cream cheese, corn, jalapeño, red onion & tomato salsa, coriander
All tacos are $7, or $4 every Taco Tuesday. The TP (Total Package) includes any three tacos for $19. A range of Standard $2 tacos and Cadillac $4 tacos are also available every Taco Tuesday.
El Camino Cantina Food & Beverage Director Molly Haranis said: “Tex-Mex puts a unique twist on Mexican food, and El Camino Cantina puts its own riff on Tex-Mex, so our Taco Topia menu features flavour combinations that you won’t find anywhere else”.
“With a dozen different Taco Topia combinations and an ever-evolving line-up of our legendary Margaritas, it’s a great way to explore our unique take on Tex-Mex cuisine.”
Diners can also take advantage of a value-packed, bottomless Tacos & Towers deal for $50 per person, enabling them to indulge in an endless supply of tacos, and a bottomless Margarita tower over the course of one hour. Tacos & Towers are available at all locations daily from 12pm to 4pm.
The chance to win Margaritas for one year ends on Monday, 15 February, when voting for El Camino Cantina’s Hottest 100 Rita Countdown closes. Each cantina will randomly select a voter to win Margaritas for a year. The top four flavours will be available in all El Camino Cantina venues, and the top 10 flavours will be available at The Rocks site from Tuesday, 2 March to Sunday, 2 May. Votes can be cast here HERE.
Love is certainly in the air this year at Crown Melbourne – check out the details across each of its premium restaurants.
The Conservatory Indulge in a sophisticated Valentine’s Day lunch and dinner buffet and culinary experience available at The Conservatory only for Valentine’s Day. Sit down and enjoy exceptional flavours with a glass of Champagne for just $175pp or relish your time with flowing Piper-Heidsieck Champagne for just $99pp. Booking link here.
Bistro Guillaume With authentic French flavours and attentive service, Bistro Guillaume is becoming the city’s most coveted culinary destination. Enjoy acclaimed chef Guillaume Brahimi’s contemporary twist on old classics, as well as exclusive Valentine’s Day dishes on Sunday. Booking link here.
Ging Thai Let the traditionally bright colours and delicious scents with a contemporary twist on Thai classics take you away this Valentine’s Day or enjoy the Ging Thai menu classics over a refreshing cocktail whilst you take in the ebullience of the Crown Riverwalk. Booking link here.
Nobu If you’re looking to impress your loved one, look no further! Presenting iconic fusion cuisine, you and your date can feast on the critically acclaimed Chef Nobu Matsuhisa’s award-winning menu as well as the daily menu specials. Booking link here.
Silks Spoil your loved one with an ultimate dining experience this Valentine’s Day with traditional, yet refined authentic Cantonese plates. Indulge in the freshest meat and seafood highlighting this famous cuisine. Booking link here.
Koko The theatrics of teppanyaki never ceases to amaze so why not pamper your loved one this Valentine’s Day with impactable flair and delicious sushi and sashimi whilst sipping on Koko Sake Bar’s impressive sake rich with exclusive aged varietals from both Australia and Japan. Booking link here.
Sydney’s most iconic chicken shop is now open at Sydney’s most iconic beach.
Chargrill Charlie’s, Sydney’s most iconic chicken shop, is set to make waves on Sydney’s most iconic beach with its new flagship store at Bondi Beach now open.
Ready to make the most of the remaining weeks of summer, Chargrill Charlie’s Bondi is located just one block up from the beachfront on bustling Curlewis Street. The new store is the perfect oasis to cool down from the summer sun and enjoy delicious food with family and friends.
Bondi will also introduce a store first, with the launch of the ‘Chargrill Charlie’s Milk Bar’, bringing with it the nostalgia of warm childhood memories during Australian summers. The Milk Bar will be available to access via its own separate ordering window on Gould Street and home to an exclusive variety of offerings. This includes Chargrill Charlie’s signature soft serves, thickshakes and milkshakes, along with limited edition menu items that will be announced throughout the year.
Soft serves will be available for $2 each, with signature thickshakes and milkshakes available in a variety of flavours for $8.90, including chocolate, vanilla, strawberry and Fantale, with rotating specials on offer. Each item will also have optional add-ons, including malt, Nutella and classic Australian confectionary treats.
For the month of February, Chargrill Charlie’s will have a number of surprises in store for Bondi locals to watch out for. This will include limited edition merch drops exclusive to Chargrill Charlie’s Bondi, such as terry towelling bucket hats and t-shirts, free soft serve on scorching hot afternoons, and picnic packs giveaways around North Bondi. To keep the celebrations going each weekend, the store will have an in-house DJ mixing the best beachside tunes from local artists.
Greg Cohen, Bondi Store Partner said: “Opening a store on Sydney’s iconic Bondi Beach has long been a dream of mine since joining the Chargrill Charlie’s family. The anticipation and support from the local community as the store has been built has been extraordinary to watch. We’re so excited to be opening during summer and can’t wait to welcome family and friends as they walk off the beach and into our doors to create lasting memories together over good food”.
The space has been fitted out to reflect the warm and relaxed vibe of Bondi’s seaside location. An eccentric mix of playful colours are combined with a textural palette that layers plaster walls, recycled timbers, polished concrete floors and stone countertops. Mottled glass blocks enable glimpses through to the kitchen as customers can watch the bustling behind-the-scenes activity. The store has been fitted with cane furniture and a beach-style striped banquette seating in the dining area.
Bondi Beach will offer all of Chargrill Charlie’s signature dishes, including their hero chargrilled chicken, chicken schnitzels, seasonal salads, DIY dinner plates, hot chips, wedges, rolls and burgers, as well as classic desserts like their homemade apple pie.
Chargrill Charlie’s Bondi marks the first of two store openings for the beginning of 2021, with Beecroft set to follow in the coming weeks.
Chargrill Charlie’s now operates 17 stores across Sydney and Melbourne (Annandale, Bondi Beach, Camberwell, Coogee, Dee Why, Drummoyne, Frenchs Forest, Lane Cove, Mona Vale, Mosman, Neutral Bay, Randwick, Rose Bay, St Ives, Wahroonga, Willoughby and Woollahra).
There’s plenty happening in Melbourne on Valentine’s Day from lovers menus to special ice cream flavours, Mecca lip gloss gifts, liquid loving cocktails and tasty hampers.
Mejico Melbourne Spice things up this Valentine’s Day at Melbourne’s newest Mexican restaurant and tequila bar, Mejico. Sip on all kinds of margaritas and celebrate with a special set menu including oysters, Mejico’s signature tableside guac, salmon ceviche, Yucatan-style BBQ empanadas, porterhouse steak with chimichurri and a margarita cheesecake to finish.
Mejico’s Valentine’s Day set menu is available for dinner for $75 per person. Bookings online via https://mejico.com.au/melbourne.
Image credit: Arianna Leggiero
Chin Chin Melbourne Lock yourself and the one you love in at Chin Chin with its special ‘Love Me, Feed Me’ menu. The delicious set menu includes all the dishes you know and love from the CBD favourite including kingfish sashimi, grilled king prawns with Chin Chin papaya hot sauce and more. To finish with something sweet, lovers can indulge in a special Valentine’s Day heart-shaped chocolate and coconut mousse with chilli caramel and raspberry sorbet. Couples can sit back and relax while they sip on liquid loving cocktails including the ‘Easy Lover’ with Aperol and elderflower and ‘Two’s Company’ with gin, raspberry and rhubarb flavours.
Bomba Treat your loved one to delicious Spanish fare at Bomba Bar & Rooftop. Couples can start with a drink on the Rooftop overlooking Lonsdale Street and the Melbourne city skyscrapers before enjoying a four-course sharing menu including oysters with caviar, wagyu cecina and a manchego croquetta to start; chicken liver parfait, Abrolhos Island scallops with brown butter and cava, roast striploin with baby carrots and heirloom tomatoes with shanklish and sumac for something more; and baked chocolate ganache to finish.
The Valentine’s Day menu at Bomba is available for dinner for $79 per person. Bookings online via https://bombabar.com.au/.
acre farm & eatery Celebrate this Valentine’s Day at acre farm & eatery, Melbourne’s largest urban rooftop and farm, and be treated to a unique dinner experience in the Glasshouse.
Couples can soak up views across the evening sky and sunset from the rooftop and enjoy a special set menu from Chef PJ with a special Valentine’s Day cocktail to start for just $79 per person. Lovers can indulge in a menu including Sydney rock oysters, snapper with watermelon and chilli, smoked trout with cucumber, chicken liver pâté, flank steak and a triple chocolate trifle to finish.
acre farm & eatery will be open from 5pm for its special Valentine’s Day dinner with bookings available online or by calling (03) 9888 7950.
Baby Pizza Baby is giving lovers a ‘pizza’ of its heart this Valentine’s Day with its Banchetto menus featuring all the Italian classics you love. Lovers can get stuck into fresh oysters, porcini mushroom ravioli, gamberi e vongole linguine and more. Those looking for some extra decadence can enjoy the exclusive lobster pizza and lobster salmoriglio, on the menu just for Valentine’s Day.
Pidapipo Hattie Molloy will be teaming up Pidapipo this year for Valentine’s Day. Keeping on the floral theme, Molloy will be installing custom floral windows in all three storefronts next week in line with three special floral flavours – lavender & meringue, elderflower & caramel and rose & raspberry swirl. It’s on offer from Thursday 11 to Sunday 14 Feb.
Pontoon Single, taken or it’s complicated, Pontoon have you covered this Valentine’s Day.
Spoil yourself or your special someone as Pontoon turns PINK. There’ll be all the makings for a day of love with $2 oysters and half-priced frosé and pink Chandon pouring all day.
Babajan For Valentine’s Day, Turkish and Middle Eastern-inspired cafe Babajan will be bringing you two special hampers to share or gift to your lover. The first ($95 per hamper) includes simit, hummus, eggplant Aleppo, cheddar, salads, 12-hr lamb shoulder, borek, baklava with pistachio & rose, a bottle of Negroni blossom (150ml) and a Babajan tote bag. The other option is for those with a sweet tooth ($55 per hamper), including Hey Tiger chocolate, hazelnut & chocolate baklava, Turkish delight and more. Orders can be made online or instore.
Image credit: Sarah Pannell
Agostino Impress your lover and go all out with Agostino’s set menu for Valentine’s Day. For $95pp, enjoy dishes like yellowfin tuna with white asparagus, WA lobster ravioli, Fremantle octopus with peach and ‘nduja oil and poached rhubarb with strawberry and diplomatica cream.
Kisumé This Valentine’s Day, show your special someone just how much you love them with the ultimate Kisumé experience. Romance the one you love with a five-course chef’s tasting menu featuring an indulgent selection of sashimi, sushi, tempura and more. There’s also a special heart-shaped hazelnut dacquoise to finish off the evening on something sweet.
Hawker Hall Ignite the fire at Hawker Hall with your choice of three banquets to share. Keep it spicy with the one you love most and dig into a selection of Hawker favourites with Valentine’s Day specials of kolo mee with char siu pork, spicy kung pao chicken, beef rendang and special fried rice. Hawker Hall are also shaking up some liquid love for couples with special cocktails including ‘In The Mood’ with gin, Aperol and strawberry wine and ‘I Got You Babe’ with vodka, ruby red grapefruit, hibiscus and elderflower.
If you still have not booked for Valentine’s Day, why not consider the below venues which offer an both an exceptional price point and experience to share with your loved one.
The Winery $95pp – Wine and dine someone special this Valentine’s Day, with The Winery’s four-course tasting menu, including a glass of champagne on arrival. Tasting menu includes Sydney rock oysters, grilled pork belly, chilli crab fettuccine and white chocolate mousse with champagne jelly and red velvet cake for dessert. Available to book Friday, 12 February to Sunday, 14 February. Book here.
Manly Wine $80pp – Spoil your loved one with ocean views at Manly Wine with a three-course set menu and a glass of Chandon on arrival. Menu includes shared entrees (seared scallops, Queensland tiger king prawn cocktail), choice of mains (300g flank steak, hapuka fillet or four cheese ravioli), finished with a delicious pavlova for dessert. Book here.
Kingsleys Woolloomooloo Share the romance with a classic Australian dining experience at Kingsleys Woolloomooloo, whilst taking in the breathtaking harbour and city views from Sydney’s iconic Woolloomooloo Finger Wharf. Kingsleys will offer their à la carte menu along with a special Valentine’s dessert – a hazelnut chocolate love heart with a strawberry tuile, chocolate crumble and caramel mousse. Book here.
Cucina Porto $80pp (Food Only) + $30pp (Valentine’s Duo / 2 Cocktails) – Chef Martino Pulito has designed the perfect night for you to share with your special someone. The set menu provides you with a delicious taste of The Star’s newest Italian restaurant, including Pacific oysters as an aperitivo, fagottini pasta with Australian prawn & ricotta, potato vellutata and parsley oil; John Dory and beef tagliata for mains, and salame al cioccolato for dessert. Diners can also add on a Valentine’s Duo for $30, which includes two cocktails: London Dry Gin, Montepulciano Abruzzo, Black Tea blend, Aquafaba & Citrus and London Dry Gin, Pinot Grigio, Blue Pea Flower Tea, Aquafaba & Citrus. Book here.
Grill’d Grill’d are doubling the love this Valentine’s Day offering 2 for 1 burgers (or salads) to those who choose to dine-in with their date. Customers simply need to sign up to Grill’d’s free Relish loyalty program via the website or app to redeem the offer.
Grill’d burgers are 100% natural, made with ZERO artificial colours, flavours and preservatives and are a great healthy alternative to celebrate Valentine’s Day. *Valid at all Grill’d restaurants. Dine in only; not available for takeaway, via online ordering or for delivery. Offer is for a free burger or salad with the purchase of a burger or salad.
MERIVALE:
Merivale has a range of romantic restaurants to suit everyone’s Valentine’s Day desires. Bookings are still available at Mimi’s, Una Mas, Bert’s, Hotel Centennial, and Fred’s and can be made here.
The below restaurants have put together special Valentine’s Day menus and bookings are still available.
uccello $150pp with a glass of champagne on arrival. View Valentine’s Day menu here. Perfect for a long lunch. Sitting atop ivy, uccello provides the ultimate poolside oasis in the CBD taking its cues from the Italian coastline. Chef Nigel Ward’s menu makes the most of the restaurant’s wood-fired oven and charcoal barbecue and is inspired by the traditional recipes and techniques he picked up on his travels throughout regional Italy. Start with antipasto, like San Daniele prosciutto, charred stone fruit, stracciatella & almonds or Burraduc Valley buffalo mozzarella, heirloom tomato & marjoram, followed by dishes like spanner crab tagliolini, zucchini & Calabrian chilli or 200g Tajima sirloin MS6 with watercress & porcini butter for main. The perfect Valentine’s Day dessert is the Rum Baba with mascarpone, blood plum & pistachio praline, which is lit alight at the table to really set your night on fire.
Bar Totti’s $90pp including a glass of champagne. View Valentine’s Day menu here. Mike Eggert’s menu of simple, delicious food is perfect for a Valentine’s Day date. Kick off with crudo di mare of Sydney rock oysters, honey bugs and wild king fish, followed by shared house-made antipasti, including Totti’s signature wood-fired bread, prosciutto, burrata and tomatoes. Move on to grilled king prawns with chilli and fennel and a 500g Brooklyn Valley sirloin, and top it off with a sweet spot of tiramisu or a Neapolitan ice-cream sandwich to share with the one you love.
Felix $150pp with a glass of champagne on arrival. View Valentine’s Day menu here. Dinner only.
Tucked away in Ash Street in Sydney’s CBD, you’ll feel like you’ve stumbled into the backstreets of Paris with Felix’s intoxicating ambience. Head chef Mike Flood has created a produce-driven menu of honest, simple food; think cold smoked king salmon, dill crème, capers & rye toast and terrine of foie gras, pork, pistachio, seeded mustard & grilled sourdough to start, followed by confit duck leg, pommes sarladaise, radicchio & almonds and grass-fed filet mignon, confit field mushroom & truffle butter. Finish it off with profiteroles with hot chocolate sauce or a vanilla crème brulée to share with your hot date.
Four course Italian dinner to simply heat at home. UGO Cucina Popolare, the new café at Cannoleria HQ in Heidelberg West is releasing a ‘Ti Amo’ Valentine’s Day pack so those who do not want to go out can simply heat up a delicious four-course dinner for two at home.
Each of the four courses has everything prepared – washed, cut, pre-cooked and seasoned – they simply need to be heated and plated up. All the instructions on preparing and serving the meal will be included and to make it even easier, the UGO chefs have shot a tutorial video for each course to assist with every step for those less confident.
UGO – Ti Amo Valentine’s Day Pack
Primi: Burrata served with peaches, beetroot puree, snap peas and rose water Pasta: Potato Gnocchi (from our friends at @Lellopastabar), zucchini puree and dehydrated crispy pancetta
Secondi: UGO’s signature Abruzzese roast porchetta with fennel, pickled pear and mustard dressing Dolce: Sweet Love – Sweet ricotta mousse, raspberry jelly with cannolo shell and pistachio feuilletine and walnut sponge Priced $65 to serve two ($5 delivery in Melbourne)
Pre-orders are available until 5pm Thursday, 11th February via UGO in-store, calling 03 9086 8923, or ordering online.
The Ti Amo packs can be collected from UGO at Cannoleria HQ or delivered across Melbourne on Friday 12th February.
There’s no need for anyone to worry about cooking the perfect Valentine’s meal this year, UGO has done all of the hard work.
Celebrating Siciliano at Mister Bianco. Mister Bianco in Kew will host its first Siciliano
Dinner on 23rd February, with this inaugural event being the Summer Edition. This five-course degustation dinner will celebrate owner/chef Joe Vargetto’s cookbook Siciliano, allowing guests to eat dishes held within the black cover.
Siciliano is a collection of contemporary Sicilian dishes inspired by Joe’s heritage and upbringing and the Summer Edition event will take diners through a journey of flavours as the beautifully photographed courses from the book come to life. Each dish is accompanied by a matched wine from Paul Scorpo.
Displayed will be works by artist Lisa Roet, highlighting the unique labels of Scorpo wines on which her art appears. Their collaborations will be served with the Bestia and Noirien wines during the dinner.
The previous pandemic restrictions meant there was no big event or celebratory dinner for customers upon the release of Siciliano in November, so Joe decided to create a seasonal series of dinners from the book through 2021 for everyone to enjoy.
Siciliano Dinner – Summer Edition Tuesday, 23rd February, 7pm $115 per person / $160 with copy of Siciliano
Potato gnocchi with chives & caviar Scorpo Estate Chardonnay 2018
Crumbed flounder with agrodolce onions Scorpo Eocene Chardonnay 2019
Roasted duck breast with pumpkin puree, olives & liquorice Scorpo Noirien Pinot Noir 2019
Watermelon jelly cake Scorpo Pinsanto Late Harvest Pinot Gris 2018
Tickets are priced at $115 per person, or guests can choose to purchase a ticket along with a reduced price copy of Siciliano to collect at the event for $160. Tickets via https://www.trybooking.com/BOMRM or by calling Mister Bianco on 03 9853 6929.
As summer comes to an end, Stokehouse wants to celebrate in style. For the month of February their $2 oysters return, available in Stokebar every day of the week.
Take a seat in Stokebar or in the sunshine on the beachside terrace, order a drink and enjoy a selection of freshly shucked Australian oysters; the perfect way to bid farewell to the summer with a beachside backdrop and glass of champagne in hand.
LILYMU has created a decadent set menu to ring in the Lunar New Year with family and friends and special entertainment, including a traditional Lion Dance from the Jin Wu Koon Dragon and Lion Dance Association.
LILYMU’S Lunar New Year banquet, alongside a selection of add-on specials, will be available on Friday, 12 February, replacing the à la carte menu for the night. Bookings available via lilymu.com. (Note: The additional specials will be available from 9th–21st February.)
Menu 9-course banquet | $88pp
‘Yee Sang’ king salmon sashimi, wakame, green nahm jim ‘Tom Yum’ prawn dumplings, soy and lime dressing 8 treasure chicken, red dates, supreme sauce Salt & pepper squid, sumac, lemon Steamed fish fillet, pickled mustard greens, organic soy Wagyu beef, black pepper, mushrooms Steamed jasmine rice Thai milk tea tres leches cake Baked dark chocolate mousse, kaya, malted jasmine ice cream
Everyone’s favourite Italian restaurant Fratelli Fresh is bringing back some of the classic dishes that have delighted guests in the past, as well as augmenting its selection of signature-style pizzas, streamlining prices, and supercharging happy hour, all from Thursday, 4 February.
Crispy Fried Polenta – indulgent fat fingers of golden, deep-fried polenta served with a rich gorgonzola and mushroom cream sauce – is one of the first classics to be recalled from retirement. Also reinstated is the traditional and irresistible, sweet and salty Italian appetiser Prosciutto Melon, with creamy buffalo mozzarella, fragrant basil and a drizzle of quality olive oil.
All-time favourite, slow-cooked beef cheek pappardelle is also making a comeback, alongside the simple harmonic flavours of handmade spinach and ricotta tortellini, and seafood fettuccine with a generous catch of scallops, prawns, mussels and calamari in tomato sauce.
“We’ve caved in to pressure from many of our regulars who keep asking for the return of their favourite dishes,” Rockpool Dining Group Culinary Director, Casual Brands, Gabor Denes explains.
“While we refresh our menu seasonally and aim to give our Italian Head Chefs creative license to explore new territory, clearly there are some classics that are sorely missed and life is too short to resist a craving for crisp polenta dressed in a decadent creamy mushroom gorgonzola sauce, right?”
Seven New Pizzas: The Fratelli culinary crew are also celebrating their unique pizza credentials with an augmented selection of seven new toppings on the pizza section of the menu, each loaded onto the signature crisp-chewy, sourdough Neapolitan crust created in-house by Head Pizzaiolo William Baffoni.
New additions take the pizza line-up to 12 in total, and include Pepperoni, tamed with creamy buffalo mozzarella; Verdura named for the broccoli and rocket pesto toppings that are paired with cauliflower and a trio of parmesan, buffalo mozzarella and outrageously creamy stracciatella; and Meatball with mini pork and fennel meatballs sharing the delightful crust with parmesan cream, prosciutto, basil and red chilli.
Dressing Up $10 Desserts: Fratelli’s signature $10 desserts, Tiramisu and Banoffee Torta, Affogato with Frangelico ($15) and house-made gelato ($6) are boosted with two new $10 additions – Hazelnut Tiramisu and Key Lime and Meringue Pie – all created by Italian Pastry Chef Riccardo Falcone.
A lower range of pricing includes salads that are a meal in themselves starting from $18, robust and generous pasta dishes from $24, and pizzas starting from $19. The full new menu can be found HERE.
Budget Friendly Set Menu: An affordable three-course set menu is now available for $35 per person. Guests choose an entree – arancini, bruschetta, calamari, or zucchini flower; a main dish – rigatoni lamb ragù, spinach and ricotta tortellini, linguine prawn (additional $3), margherita pizza, diavola pizza, Fratelli house salad or grilled chicken salad; and a tempting house-made dessert of either hazelnut tiramisu, banoffee torta or gelato. The set menu is available for lunch and dinner daily.
Happy Hour 2.0: Already renowned for one of the best happy hours in town, Fratelli Fresh is supercharging the best time of the day by extending it from two hours to three hours (3pm to 6pm) and delivering happy hour daily – it’s no longer just a week-day indulgence. New dishes and drinks have been added to the happy hour menu. Diavola and margherita pizzas are back, at $10 each; new $20 cocktail jugs are available in Aperol spritz, limoncello spritz, pink gin spritz and white sangria flavours; and $3 house-made gelato is also available.
The new items are in addition to the previously available happy hour antipasti menu of garlic bread, bruschetta, arancini, calamari, olives, zucchini flower, and shoestring fries with aioli – all $6 each, or four for $20. Happy hour drinks also include $7.50 pints of beer, $6 house wine, and $8 glasses of Aperol spritz, limoncello spritz, pink gin spritz, espresso martini and negroni.
Fratelli Fresh Food & Beverage Director Molly Haranis says: “Fratelli Fresh has always been known for its overall affordability, generosity of portion size, and diversity across all sections of the menu.”
“With the current economic climate in mind, we’ve amped up these attributes by bringing in a lower range of pricing, adding a set menu that is exceptional value for money, and supercharging our happy hour to allow guests to linger for longer over a wider selection of great dishes and drinks.”
Butter Sydney (Surry Hills, Parramatta and Chatswood) will be celebrating the Year of the Ox with their specially curated Peking Cluck Menu. The Peking Cluck centres around Butter’s crispy fried chicken, with 10 thigh strips, pancake wrappers, green shallots, fresh cucumber, hoisin, plum sauce and prawn crackers. The menu is available for $45.
There is also a Luxe Peking Cluckoption, which includes a bottle of NV Veuve Clicquot in addition to the Peking Cluck Menu. 10 pieces and 1 bottle NV Veuve Clicquot for $150.
The menu will be available in stores from the 10th–15th February.
Butter will also be running a special Valentine’s Day Peking Cluck Feast on Sunday, 14th February all day and night, for $80 per couple. The menu starts with a glass of Chandon Blanc de Blanc followed by 10 pieces of Butter’s crispy fried chicken thigh strips, pancake wrappers, green shallots, fresh cucumber, hoisin, plum sauce and prawn crackers accompanied by laces and finished off with a hot cinnamon donut and Ben & Jerry’s ice cream scoops of your choice. Bookings are essential.
A definitive destination to discover, connect and buy the very best of Victorian wines, direct from the makers.
Wine Victoria is pleased to announce the launch of Victoria’s first online wine directory, Behind the Vines, dedicated to helping consumers find their perfect local wine based on their taste preferences and shop directly from their chosen producer.
With over 400 listings, the online wine directory, accessible via vicwines.com.au helps consumers discover local wineries, encourages tourism to these destinations, whilst also providing an easy click-to-purchase digital ‘Cellar Door’ experience from wineries across Victoria’s 21 wine regions.
Consumers are invited to provide their wine preferences through a simple questionnaire, which results in a curated list of wineries throughout the state that best suit their palate. Suggestions are generated by evaluating site users’ preferred wine style, alongside their desired flavour profile – be it delicate or bold, sweet or dry, traditional or alternative, fruit-forward or full-bodied.
For those that want to plan a trip, the site offers easy travel time suggestions, and can curate a list based on region, as well as offering simple itineraries and maps to follow.
“Our state has so much to offer but there has never been a simple, one-stop-shop for people to visit and connect with new or favourite producers. We know people want to support Victorian businesses and we needed to make it a whole lot easier for that to happen,” says Angie Bradbury, Chair of Wine Victoria. “Behind the Vines has been created to champion our talented local winemakers and connect wine lovers with producers who are creating wines that resonate with their individual tastes.”
“It’s incredibly important to be drinking local wines now more than ever,” says Bradbury, “many of our fantastic wineries rely heavily on tourism and the hospitality sector, so 2020 was an incredibly difficult year. Behind the Vines will enable people to explore the outstanding premium wines Victoria has to offer.”
Whether you are accustomed to a fruit-forward Gippsland Pinot, a crisp Yarra Valley Chardonnay, or a rich, smooth Heathcote Shiraz, there is a home-grown wine for every occasion and drinker, featuring all that Victoria has to offer across our premium wine regions.
Funded by Global Victoria, the initiative was created to support local producers and drive consumers to purchase from cellar doors and continue to trial the world-class wines available throughout Victoria.
Minister for Agriculture Mary-Anne Thomas welcomed the launch. “Victorian wine is the best in the world – with so much variety and so many makers doing daring and exciting things with their products,” Minister Thomas said. “With Behind the Vines, people can support their favourite wineries and discover new ones – making sure Victorians have every opportunity to buy local.”
The Behind the Vines directory is launching on Thursday, 11 February and is set to become a destination site and a simple means of exploring Victoria’s wineries and cellar doors and navigating directly to purchase from their online stores.
deVine Food and Wine is renowned for having one of the most comprehensive Amaro collections in the Southern Hemisphere, not to mention an award winning wine list, supporting a very accomplished menu that focusses on produce and flavour driven dishes that aim to please. All this is delivered with old school hospitality, leaving the diner planning their next visit to this hidden gem, only a stones throw away from the QVB.
For diners who have not yet discovered deVine Food and Wine, can you tell us about your overall philosophy and what they can expect?
deVine was one of the first wine bars in Sydney. We focus on rustic Italian cuisine with a modern edge. We have a multi-award-winning beverage programme with over 500 different wines with a heavy investment of Italian wines all based on organic and biodynamic and natural wine. Our bar is devoted to all things bitter with an Amaro collection of over 200 and an Amaro-themed cocktail list.
You have the biggest collection of Amaro in Australia, and quite possibly in the Southern Hemisphere. Can you tell us about your passion for this Italian herbal liqueur?
For as long as we’ve had restaurants we always had a broad range of Amaro. It wasn’t until we purchased deVine Food and Wine that we decided to heavily invest into Amaro and turn our venue into a specialist of this product, being the first of its kind in Australia. We travel far and wide for these bottles as there is only a very small portion being imported into the country. 80% of our Amaro Library is exclusive to our venue and we hold the only bottles of these products.
Your kitchen game is also particularly strong. Can you tell us about your chef, and the concept that underpins your menu?
Tim Fisher is Italian trained and has always cooked for the better part of 28 years. He has worked both locally and internationally in hatted and starred restaurants and has trained numerous chefs that have gone on to work in some of the best dining rooms in the country. His food is honest, perfectly executed and has a sense of place from which the dish came. We are extremely lucky to have Tim join our team.
COVID-19 has had considerable impact, especially in the CBD. How have you pivoted your business to adapt?
We have, we anticipated this hit would happen so we were kind of prepared for this and started putting plans in place. We adjusted our menu and our beverage programme to reflect this. It’s been tough, but we are starting to come out the other end.
There is a generosity of spirit at deVine, what defines hospitality for your team?
We’re a small team and we treat everyone like family. We try to look after our staff and our success is a reflection of this. We love to come to work every day and challenge ourselves. We are constantly changing what we do – this keeps our staff interested and our customers coming back.
Can you give us a little-known fact about deVine?
deVine is a family-run business between two brothers Anthony & Julian Izzillo. Between them there’s 50 years’ experience in the hospitality industry.
Mister Bianco in Kew will host an event to celebrate women on Tuesday, 9th March. In addition to a beautiful menu, accompanied by fabulous wines by female winemakers, the event will see a series of speakers from all walks of life.
International Women’s Day is the day prior but, due to it being a public holiday in Victoria, owner/chef Joe Vargetto decided to hold the Celebrating Women Dinner on the Tuesday.
The five-course dinner will celebrate women’s achievements across many different fields and guests will hear inspirational and interesting stories from peers.
Channel 10’s Candice Wyatt will MC the event and speakers include: • Lawyer Amie Frydenberg • Talent Manager Cathy Baker (CMC Talent) • Journalist Melissa Singer (National Fashion Editor The Age & SMH) • Prosecco Queen Melissa Brauer • Artisan Cattle Farmer Sallie Jones (Gippsland Jersey) • Photographer Silvia Zanon (HiSylvia Photography) • Darebin Mayor Lina Messina • Marketing Coordinator Tashi (Natasha) Brenchley (Hungry Hungry)
Celebrating Women Dinner Tuesday, 9th March, 7pm $99 per person
~ Menu ~ Nibbles & Bubbles Tuna & Limoncello
Mushroom Tortellini & Coffee Sughetto
Baked Eggplant & Kataifi
Mimosa Cake
Each course will be matched with a wine from a female winemaker
The national survey asked Aussies to share how they actually wear their active wear.
Australia’s #1 yogurt brand, Chobani, has commissioned the first Actual Wear Survey to find out how Australians actually wear their active wear. As COVID-19 has profoundly impacted the way Aussies live, work and exercise, Chobani sought to understand the active wear habits of Australians over the last 12 months. Commissioning OmniPoll to conduct a national survey, they asked Aussies to tell us how they wear their active wear, how often they wear it, where they wear it and whether they actually exercise when wearing it!
The survey comes off the back of the biggest on-pack promotion the dairy aisle has ever seen, offering shoppers the chance to instantly win 1 of 25,000 pieces of Chobani active wear.
Conducted online among a national sample of 1,237 people aged 18 to 59, the survey by OmniPoll found that:
• 82% of Australians under 60 wear active wear either for exercise, at home or as casual wear • 78% of people reported that they had worn active wear as casual wear when they were out and about • Around 40% of people reported wearing active wear most days, if not every day • Since COVID hit, 38% of respondents report wearing active wear more often than previously • Australians wear their active wear around the house more often than wearing it for exercise or being out and about
Lyn Radford, Managing Director, Chobani Australia said, “Throughout COVID-19, we noticed a shift in purchasing habits as people working and exercising from home was changing the way consumers bought our products. As we began to develop Chobani active wear for our biggest on-pack promotion, we became interested in how COVID had also changed the way Aussies wear their active wear, leading to the first ever Actual Wear Survey”.
Breaking down the results, the frequency of active wear usage is of note as around 30% of people wear active wear at home every day or most days, compared with 20% wearing it for exercise and 14% when they’re out and about.
Looking more specifically at occasions when active wear is worn as casual wear, shopping was the most common with 60% of respondents reporting that they have worn active wear while shopping in the last 12 months.
Along with shopping, many adults have also opted for active wear while grabbing a bite to eat or pulling up to the school gates. Around 30% of respondents say they had worn active wear to a café or restaurant in the last 12 months and almost ⅔ of parents (64%) who do the school run reported wearing active wear while picking up or dropping off their kids at school.
For adults under 40, choosing active wear over jeans and a t-shirt is a decision somewhat guided by aesthetics, with 64% of people under 40 saying one of the reasons they wear active wear when out and about is because ‘I think I look pretty attractive in it’. For women, convenience is also a factor, as nearly half the women surveyed (48%) cited ‘it’s easier to decide what to wear’ as a major reason, compared with 37% of men.
Also, opting for active wear over casual clothes can trigger a desire to eat clean, as around 30% of people reported they are more inclined to eat healthier foods when wearing active wear.
“It was interesting to know that around 30% of people who wear active wear are more likely to eat healthier when wearing it. Chobani yogurt and active wear make the perfect pair!”
The survey shed light on the factors that are most important to men and women when it comes to buying active wear, with 98% of respondents saying comfort was an important factor. Looking good was also highly important among women, with 75% of women under 40 stating looking good in their active wear is an extremely or very important factor when deciding what to buy. Interestingly, around 45% of men believe active wear makes women look more attractive when worn as casual wear.
In the context of the COVID environment over the last 12 months, it is unsurprising that people living in NSW/ACT and VIC (85%) are more likely to wear active wear in comparison to other states (77%).
• 66% of people in NSW/ACT wore their active wear to go shopping in the last 12 months • 44% of people in Victoria have been wearing active wear more often since COVID – higher than the rest of the country • People in Queensland were less likely than other Australians to say that fashionable style is an important factor when buying active wear
Comedian and Actual Wear Survey ambassador Nikki Osborne said, “I was reassured but not surprised that there was a spike in lazy active-wearers when COVID hit. I’ve actually developed an aversion to non-stretch pants – I don’t need that sort of negativity in my life.”
Launching in Australia in 2012, Chobani has since become the country’s #1 yogurt brand. In the last 12 months, close to one in every two households has tried Chobani! Currently running their biggest on-pack promotion ever, Chobani is offering shoppers the chance to instantly win 1 of 25,000 pieces of Chobani activewear.
A copy of the Actual Wear Survey results is available upon request.
For further information about Chobani Australia, please visit www.chobani.com.au
Australian Venue Co and Swinburne University of Technology join forces to re-open the Hawthorn Hotel.
The Hawthorn Hotel will open its doors once again in mid-2021, thanks to an innovative partnership between Australian Venue Co and Swinburne University of Technology. After closing its doors in 2020 due to the impacts of the coronavirus, the 152-year-old venue will undergo a renovation to provide a mix of dining, socialising and event spaces for The Hawthorn Hotel regulars, as well as a dedicated space for Swinburne alumni, industry partners, staff and students.
“Australian Venue Co is thrilled to have formed this partnership with Swinburne University of Technology to bring back The Hawthorn Hotel,” Paul Waterson, Australian Venue Co CEO said.
“We are taking the opportunity to give the venue a facelift and create new areas for guests to enjoy. We know that The Hawthorn Hotel is embraced by local students, so we will be ensuring it delivers everything they are looking for, from great food and drinks to a relaxing alfresco area.”
Swinburne’s Deputy Vice Chancellor (Global & Community Engagement) Interim Dr Andrew J Smith said Swinburne was excited to partner with Australian Venue Co to return The Hawthorn Hotel to its former glory.
“We look forward to seeing the ground level turned into the beautiful pub it once was, as well as transforming the first level to create a flexible space that can be used to host Swinburne’s student, staff, alumni, industry and stakeholder events as we continue to create unique engagement experiences with those that are close to the university.
“We are sure The Hawthorn Hotel will become a hub for both the Swinburne and surrounding local communities,” Dr Smith said.
The ground floor will be operated by The Australian Venue Co, a world-class hospitality group delivering exceptional food, drink and entertainment experiences across more than 150 venues nationally. As part of the transformation, the bar and dining areas will be updated, the all-day dining menu will be refreshed, and a new sports bar and outdoor area will be created.
Swinburne will licence the first floor of the venue, which will be transformed into a dedicated space for its alumni, industry partners, staff and students. The use of the space will be flexible, allowing for events to be held, creating co-working opportunities, as well as the giving the community the opportunity to book for functions on weekends.
Australian Venue Co has engaged architect Burton and Carter for the renovations, a Melbourne company that has worked on renovating and restoring a number of Victorian pubs, including The Local in Port Melbourne, Public House in Richmond, The Windsor Ale House and Public House in Albury.
“Burton and Carter have a good understanding of the Melbourne pub culture and how to embrace this through design, so we are excited to be working with them on The Hawthorn Hotel project,” Mr Waterson said.
“We look forward to inviting the local Hawthorn community back to their new-look pub in mid-2021.”
The Hawthorn Hotel 481 Burwood Road, Hawthorn VIC 3122
Our senses are important to eating. Eating is one of the few activities we do that involves all five of our senses – sight, touch, smell, taste and hearing.
We use our senses to manage the world around us – for safety, security, movement and general living. Our eyes provide sight, our ears process sound. Our skin provides touch. Our noses provide smell and we taste using our mouth and tongue.
Sensory perception is something we take for granted – and is often only noticed when we lose it. Our sense of taste is hardwired. It designed for primeval safety – telling us what is safe to eat and what is not. A young baby will smile when given something sweet but will grimace if given something bitter or sour. We are born with a liking for sweet things as carbohydrates are a good source of energy, and we like salty as we need salt to survive.
Smell preference is, however, largely learned – we experience smells from birth – some are associated with pleasure – others with pain or danger. Throughout life we amass a library of smells we like and those we don’t. We build up an olfactory memory. Indeed, smell and memory are linked. The hippocampus – in the cerebral cortex of the brain, which encompasses the olfactory system – constructs the perception of odours and tastes from the information it has received from the mouth and nose. The hippocampus is also responsible for memory and emotion, which is why smell, tastes and flavour have significant memory effects and can stir up past emotions.
One of the telltale signs of COVID-19 is the loss or distortion of smell and taste. An estimated 86% of cases will display signs of olfactory dysfunction. In many cases, patients cannot perceive smells – known as anosmia. Others describe a warped sense of smell and taste, making previously familiar scents and flavours taste rancid, and being assaulted with the overwhelming stench of rotting fish, faeces or acrid chemicals. Or smells get locked in and you cannot smell anything else.
Losing the ability to smell presents practical dangers as well; for example, we use our sense of smell to tell if something’s burning, or if there’s a gas leak nearby. But there’s also the more mundane question of how to get through each day, each meal, each bite without quite knowing how food will taste or even what we are eating.
For most people, this disturbing loss of the sense of smell and taste lasts only a few weeks. But for some it can last months. It is frightening for anyone to be locked in a sensory desert but devastating for chefs and food professionals. Smell and taste is especially important for chefs and food professionals. Without it we cannot taste the products we are making. We cannot adjust the seasoning or detect off flavours. We cannot differentiate and appreciate quality foods. We cannot taste wine. We lose all perspective.
For the 10% or so who, because of COVID-19, lose their sense of smell and taste for months, particularly those who love to cook and eat, something that once brought joy is now, at best, a flavourless chore, or at worst, a gag-worthy gamble. When things no longer taste like they used to, or like anything at all, how does one recalibrate eating and drinking?
As they say. We don’t know what we’ve got until its gone. I urge everyone, especially food professionals, to get vaccinated, and hopefully the vaccines that are on the way will protect most of us from this disturbing scenario.
The protein-rich meat is now readily available for human consumption, with environmental benefits to rejoice.
Castle Estate is the only abattoir in Victoria cultivating kangaroo meat for human consumption, under a new licence allocated by the Andrews Labor Government, connecting Victorians with the delicious, lean meat.
After almost 120,000 kangaroos were culled in 2020 (for the production of pet food or inhumanely left to rot in paddocks), the Castle Estate family has made a foray into another realm of farming for 2021. With Food Safety as a top priority, the facilities at Castle Estate are perfect to ensure that the highest standards are met to enable the meat fit for human consumption. Castle Estate enforce the guidelines working with professional hunters and licensed field harvesters to enable this to come to market.
Ethical, natural and sustainable farming is in the Castle family’s blood. Unwavering advocates for humane farming practices, Castle Estate is the only abattoir to have been awarded the licence to process kangaroo as part of this program in Victoria.
All harvesters looking to supply kangaroos for human consumption, must be registered and certified under the Victorian Kangaroo Harvesting Program and the relevant PrimeSafe licensing. In a bid to celebrate and humanely harvest the animal, Castle Estate is embracing the kangaroo in a 100% wild, organic, grass-fed way of farming.
“We see kangaroo harvest as an opportunity to utilise the protein source like other parts of the country have done for many years,” says Steven Castle. “Reducing waste and maximising the accessibility and premium quality of meat for consumption per animal is one of our key values, and our approach to kangaroo farming is no exception to this legacy. Rearing animals takes years and is a process that we believe deserves respect as do the animals themselves.”
Castle Estate is now the conduit for healthy, high-quality kangaroo meat to land on Australian families’ tables. The nutritional value of kangaroo meat has less than 2% fat, making it a healthier alternative to other red meat counterparts.
Kangaroo meat is also high in protein and essential B vitamins, as well as minerals such as zinc, iron and omega 3 fats and omega 6 fatty acids. Kangaroo also contains double the amount of iron in beef and triple that of chicken and pork, making it a welcome addition to any modern Australian diet.
Compounding myriad health benefits, kangaroo meat is also an environmentally-friendly protein, boasting low emissions and significantly reducing the animal’s negative impact on the land. This year, the local government will cull 4.8% of the kangaroo population in order to help farmers reduce the animal’s destruction of local crops, with Castle Estate being able to turn waste into a sustainable source of protien.
400 Gradi is bringing back “Bottomless Pizza” on World Pizza Day (9 February) at all its locations, all day!
To celebrate World Pizza Day, world renowned pizzeria 400 Gradi is bringing back its famous “Bottomless Pizza” – offering 90 minutes of uninterrupted slices at all of its restaurants, including Crown.
For one day only, on Tuesday, 9 February fans will be able to feast on infinite slices of 400 Gradi’s award-winning pizzas, including: • Margherita Verace – crowned best in the world at the 2014 Pizza World Championships • 154 Formaggi – made using a World Record-breaking 154 different varieties of cheese • Marinara (San Marzano tomato, garlic and oregano) • Vegan Margherita made with vegan cheese
• And a bespoke pizza created by Melbourne’s champion pizzaiolo Johnny Di Francesco specifically for World Pizza Day
With 11 different pizzas available, including multiple vegetarian and vegan options, there is a slice to suit everyone.
Date: 9 February 2021 Time: 90-minute sittings for bookings and walk-ins from open until close Price: $45 per person – includes 90 minutes of pizza slices from the select pizza menu: Marinara, Margherita Verace, 154 Formaggi, Bufalina, Capricciosa, Toscana, Diavola, Suprema, Arrabiata, Ortolana, plus a specially created pizza by Johnny Di Francesco himself in celebration of World Pizza Day Bookings: via the 400 Gradi website Terms & Conditions: Everyone on the table must participate in the offer ($45 per person), with one pizza per person on the table during the seating. No takeaway, and no additions or changes to pizzas.
Antioxidant-rich superfood Queen Garnet plum now in season!
Perfect growing conditions have delivered fantastic fruit quality and doubled the yield of the Queen Garnet plum, which is now available in stores nationally until the end of March.
More antioxidants than other plums Naturally containing remarkably more antioxidants than other plum varieties, the Queen Garnet plum has gained cult status as ‘The Queen of Antioxidants’ based on scientific research from leading Australian universities and institutions such as CSIRO, Victoria University, the University of Wollongong and the University of Southern Queensland.
As shown in a 2019 human trial, daily consumption of Queen Garnet plum juice decreased biomarkers of inflammation, blood pressure and fat levels in hypertensive and overweight humans. Furthermore, in a separate investigation, consumption of Queen Garnet plums reduced the symptoms of inflammatory bowel disease.
Researchers attributed these effects to the Queen Garnet’s anthocyanins – powerful antioxidants found in red, blue and purple fruits and vegetables. The fruit’s signature dark purple flesh is also an indicator of its high antioxidant content.
Additional health benefits to be discovered The University of Southern Queensland has also included the super-fruit in its Fight Food Waste Scheme, an exciting study measuring additional bioactive compounds that have health benefits (other than antioxidants) during various stages of harvest.
This project will engage several disciplines, including food science, pharmacology, engineering, physiology, chemistry, and drone and sensor technology.
Functional food with a whole-crop solution Consumers can enjoy the health benefits of the opulent Queen Garnet plum year-round in its range of value-added products using minimal waste processing methods, where excess fruit is made into plum nectar, freeze-dried plum powder, probiotic chewables and probiotic and prebiotic powder.
The 100% Queen Garnet nectar can be consumed on its own, mixed with mineral water, in cocktails and healthy treats such as chia seed puddings and sorbets. The probiotic and prebiotic powder and 100% Queen Garnet plum powder adds a vibrant touch of royalty to smoothies, protein balls, cereal breakfast parfaits and pancakes.
These daily boosters promote the building of healthier habits, without compromising the iconic Queen Garnet plum flavour.
300% growth in export market during COVID Luke Couch, CEO of Nutrafruit, the Queensland-based company who own the global licence, said they are projecting a 300% growth this year in export markets, with countries including the United Arab Emirates, China, Canada, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore now accounting for up to 50% of this year’s harvest.
“More people are trying to find natural foods to enhance their health and wellbeing amid the coronavirus pandemic; we’re expecting this year’s harvest to sell out quickly. With this increased international interest, we’ll continue to heavily invest in export markets for premium pricing and sustained growth.”
Now available in-store until March The Queen Garnet – crown jewel of Australian plums – is now available at Woolworths and Coles supermarkets, selected retail outlets and central fresh produce markets nationwide, until the end of March.
NON, the irreverent 0% beverage company based in Melbourne, is expanding its portfolio of flavours with a new offering – NON #6. Joining its five siblings in challenging the status quo of non-alcoholic drinking, NON #6 remains as individual as its predecessors and continues to push the boundaries of expectation.
Fusing flavours from tomato water, roasted red pepper, coriander seed, celery seed, fresh basil and nutritional yeast, this latest addition will appeal to those more adventurous drinkers and is especially suited to pairing with food. With a nose that immediately conjures thoughts of a Bloody Mary, this textural, crisp drop starts off verdant in flavour and finishes with an umami creaminess similar to a heavier skin-contact white.
The savoury, vegetal notes pair perfectly with cuisines that use lots of raw soft herbs and punchy flavours, such as Mexican or Vietnamese cuisine. NON #6 would also suit salty fish like sardines, rich flavoured hard cheeses including parmesan, cheddar or alpine cheeses and anything rich in umami.
NON encourages an individual approach on how to enjoy their beverages, but suggests drinking #6 chilled in an elegant wine glass or long, on ice with a slice of cucumber and herbs like a version of Pimms. It could also stand in as a refined alternative to a Virgin Mary, served with celery and a grind of pepper. In keeping with the subversive and inclusive spirit of NON #6, it would suit a splash of vodka for those inclined.
NON products are available for purchase from the NON website now or from boutique wine stores across the country from 10 February 2020. They are also available in the non-alcoholic section of the wine lists at many of Australia’s best restaurants.
An Australian success story, NON now celebrates a truly global reach. Their bottles can be found in Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia and the USA. 2021 will see them expand into the UK and other markets.
With the highly anticipated 2021 Super Bowl set to take place on Monday next week, all the Super Bowl action will be made available to watch, live from 9am on Monday, February 8 at these Crown Melbourne venues.
The Pub, Crown Melbourne, 8 Whiteman Street, Southbank VIC 3006 Watch the Super Bowl on the mega screen at The Pub – one of Melbourne’s most action-packed sports bars. Settle in and feast on the food and drinks menu in the Beer Garden, and when the game is over, enjoy the range of live entertainment on offer.
Crown Sports Bar, Level 1 at Crown Melbourne, 8 Whiteman Street, Southbank VIC 3006 Identified as the home of sports, Crown Sports Bar offers 20 large screens to view the game while sipping on an impressive selection of Australian and International beers. Relax with a delicious snack – from fan favourite nachos, to the bar’s famous Texas Chilli fries, there’s something for all.
San Antone by Bludso’s BBQ, Crown Melbourne, 8 Whiteman Street, Southbank VIC 3006 The classic American smokehouse, right in the heart of Crown, boasts smoked meats, tasty sides and signature cocktails. San Antone offers a great venue to watch the Super Bowl, while surrounded by mouth-watering sweet and savoury delights.
Drink, dine and stay packages now on sale, with 500 tickets to the sold-out Mardi Gras Parade to give away.
Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras may look a little different this year, but Merivale and Absolut Vodka are giving Sydneysiders the opportunity to celebrate pride and diversity in style with a fabulous line-up of drink, dine and stay packages on Saturday, 6 March. Packages on sale now from https://merivale.com/whatson/mardi-gras-packages/
If that’s not enough, the first 500 people to book will receive a free ticket to the Mardi Gras parade at the Sydney Cricket Ground, compliments of Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras’ major sponsors, Absolut Vodka.
As ongoing allies of the LGBTIQA+ community, Merivale and Absolut have also created an ‘Absolut Banger’ cocktail. Available in selected venues* from 5 February to 7 March, $2 from each cocktail will be donated to longstanding charity partners, Bobby Goldsmith Foundation and ACON. The cocktail is a delicious mix of Absolut Lime, Lillet Blanc, passionfruit and Granny Smith apple.
Celebrating love, connection and good times together, Merivale and Absolut Vodka will soon be announcing their full program of Mardi Gras festivities. Expect DJs, drag shows and live entertainment, as well as parties (seated for now) that will get you into the festivities. Stay tuned for further details.
MERIVALE MARDI GRAS RESTAURANT PACKAGES Each restaurant package booking for Saturday, 6 March includes an official Mardi Gras Parade ticket compliments of Absolut (per person), an Absolut Banger cocktail on arrival, and a donation of $5 to Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras with every ticket.
The Beresford | $95pp There’s nowhere better to have a pre-parade party than The Beresford – Sydney’s iconic destination for the LGBTIQA+ community. Assemble your gang and get into the rhythm of the day with an Absolut Banger cocktail on arrival, before settling in for a three-course brunch and drag show.
Also included: ● Three-course set menu ● Live ‘Spice Girls’ drag show ● Live DJ set from DJ Dan Murphy
The Paddington | $129pp Kick things off with an Absolut Banger cocktail on arrival, before launching into an absolutely bangin’ shared-style banquet from head chef Ben Greeno. Just a stone’s throw from the SCG, it’s the perfect spot to start your Mardi Gras.
Also included: ● Shared banquet dining experience ● Live DJ sets & entertainment
Queens Hotel | $129pp Head to Queens Hotel for a pre-parade smorgasbord of delicious Queen Chow favourites and live entertainment to get you warmed up for the big parade. YAS QUEENS!
Also included: ● Set menu dining experience ● Live DJ sets & entertainment
Bar Totti’s | $139pp With DJs on deck to get the party started, the CBD is the place to be this Mardi Gras. Shift into gear with Mike Eggert’s antipasti menu featuring creamy burrata, cured meats and that famous wood-fired bread. Then, hitch a ride on the light-rail directly to the stadium for the main event.
What’s included: ● Share-style antipasti menu ● Live DJ sets & entertainment
POOF DOOF Drag Brunch at Pool Club | Tickets on sale next week This POOF DOOF drag brunch will be like no other – a super-charged, double-shot of madness, and the best way to get lubricated pre-parade. The line-up will include our local legends plus special interstate guests, limited edition souvenirs and a raft of surprises.
HOTEL PACKAGES Establishment Hotel | $585–$1,810 Stay and play in the CBD this Mardi Gras with these ultra-luxe packages, which include two stadium tickets for the parade, a Merivale gift card, and an Absolut party pack for your very own hotel room. Roll out of bed the next day for an all-inclusive breakfast and late check out. For every booking, Merivale will donate $5 to Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras.
Studio Room | $585: ● 2 × Official Mardi Gras Parade tickets compliments of Absolut Vodka ● Absolut Party Pack including Absolut Rainbow Limited Edition Bottle 700ml ● Merivale gift card valued at $150 ● Saturday night stay with breakfast included ● Late check-out
Establishment Room | $685: ● 2 × Official Mardi Gras Parade tickets compliments of Absolut Vodka ● Absolut Party Pack including Absolut Rainbow Limited Edition Bottle 700ml ● Merivale gift card valued at $200 ● Saturday night stay with breakfast included ● Late check-out
Loft Penthouse | $1,710: ● 2 × Official Mardi Gras Parade tickets compliments of Absolut Vodka ● Absolut Party Pack including Absolut Rainbow Limited Edition Bottle 700ml ● Merivale gift card valued at $500 ● Saturday night stay with breakfast included ● Late check-out
Duplex Penthouse | $1,810: ● 2 × Official Mardi Gras Parade tickets compliments of Absolut Vodka ● Absolut Party Pack including Absolut Rainbow Limited Edition Bottle 700ml ● Merivale gift card valued at $500 ● Saturday night stay with breakfast included ● Late check-out
* The Beresford, Vic On The Park, Coogee Ground Floor, Coogee Rooftop, Queens Hotel, The Paddington, Ms.G’s, Pool Club, El Loco Excelsior, Bar Totti’s, Royal Bondi, Tottis, Jimmy’s Falafel
Chinese New Year is right around the corner and to celebrate the Year of the Ox, David’s and Oriental Teahouse are taking special dinner bookings on Friday, 12 February that will treat patrons to live lion dances, red coin pockets and their famous yum cha to welcome in the new lunar year.
David’s will also be hosting two evening sittings at 6pm and 8.15pm. There will be live lion dance performances at each sitting that will bring the venue to life, and bottomless yum cha also on offer for $60 a head. Ring in the new year with yum cha favourites like David’s pan-fried BBQ pork buns, traditional sticky pork belly bao with Chinese pickle, ginger and scallion crab noodles, and more. Tucked mysteriously off Chapel Street down Cecil Place, celebrating the Lunar New Year at David’s is the perfect time to get together with family in an evening rooted in thousands of years in tradition.
In addition to the rambunctious performance of the lion dance, red pockets filled with gold coins symbolise good fortune, with the idea that for every passing minute the dancing lion spends over you trying to pinch your pocket, the more luck you’ll draw for the new year. Other traditions like the hanging of lettuce leaves above the lions for them to reach will take place, in which the word ‘lettuce’ is very similar to the Chinese word for ‘fortune’. If a piece of lettuce reaches you once thrown from the mouth of the lion, this is deemed as one of the highest forms of fortune. Once fallen on the ground, the lettuce gets picked up by hand – never swept, as this is the same as sweeping away good fortune.
Oriental Teahouse, South Yarra will be holding three dinner sittings – 5pm, 6.30pm and 8pm with their à la carte menu available for order. Patrons who opt for the two later seatings will get to revel in live lion dancing that promises good fortune to diners as the dragon awakens.
Oriental Teahouse is a household name that provides a world-class teahouse experience that is authentically Chinese but with a modern twist. The space encompasses a day-to-night culinary experience that does not sacrifice the essence of a traditional Chinese teahouse.
David’s is a contemporary Shanghainese restaurant inspired by owner David Zhou’s hometown of Zhouzhuang, a water village in which his family’s recipes originated. Loved by locals for over 20 years, it’s no secret that David’s authentic menu showcases some of the finest dumplings in town while treating guests as an extension of Zhou’s own family.
When Giuseppe’s Cooking School at Mister Bianco launched last year, Joe Vargetto only managed to host one class before lockdown 2.0 hit. While some classes were held online, Joe is excited to be able to re-launch Giuseppe’s Cooking School in 2021, starting with Sicilian Pasta Secrets.
Participants will learn about Sicilian pasta classics as they watch chef Joe Vargetto prepare a series of dishes and share his secrets. There will be a tasting dish of each of the courses accompanied with wine. The class will feature local flour from Tuerong Farm and also showcase Mister Bianco’s pasta and home-cooking brand Mattarello.
Image credit: Hi Sylvia
Sicilian Pasta Secrets Wed 17th Feb and 3rd March, 7pm & Sat 20th Feb and 6th Mar, 12pm Giuseppe’s Cooking School at Mister Bianco, 285 High Street, Kew Priced at $129 per person
• Watch Joseph Vargetto prepare a series of dishes • Learn the secrets of pasta making • Enjoy a tasting dish of each course, accompanied with wine
Image credit: Hi Sylvia
From mastering basics like fresh pasta and risotto, through to seafood masterclasses that share Sicily’s history along the Spice Route, Giuseppe’s Cooking School inspires while sharing tips and family secrets.
Mister Bianco restaurant in Kew transformed the back room into a fabulous space to offer these small-group masterclasses and hands-on cooking lesson sessions that spills the secrets of Sicilian kitchens.
Joe is looking forward to, once again, being able to share his skills with others in a dedicated space so they can learn and then try Sicilian cooking for themselves at home.
Leading catering and events company launches four new seasonal dinner party packages to create the ultimate at-home experience.
Melbourne catering company Cookes Food has reimagined its all-inclusive small dinner party packages with four new, themed seasonal menus.
It comes at good timing with 30 people now allowed at private homes, so from backyard birthdays to lavish dinner parties, the Private Dinner Series has you covered with packages incorporating high-quality, local and seasonal ingredients to suit every event, style and taste. Cookes Food will do all the hard work while you celebrate with each of the four, all-inclusive packages including both a personal chef and waiter.
“We wanted to create menus that celebrate the flexibility and fun of having a dinner party at home. The concept lets us curate intimate and personal events by tailoring each menu to suit your vibe. It showcases what we do best: cooking and creating beautiful food for people to share with their family and friends in their home,” says Sophie Storen, founder of Cookes Food.
The new menus highlight a key seasonal dish with complementary ingredients that play beautifully on Cookes Food’s ethos of creating “delicious memories”. The packages are uniquely themed, with highlights including: • Salty as the Sea: Snapper en papillote with caramelised summer fennel, lemon pinwheels and green olive tapenade • Beets, Burrata & Slow-Roasted Lamb: Roasted lamb leg with marinated heirloom tomatoes, horseradish vinaigrette and yellow pepper paste • Summer Feast: Linguini with spanner crab, WA prawns, zucchini crudo, mint, lemon zest and extra virgin olive oil • Rib-eye, herbs and Messy Dessert: Eton mess with hazelnut meringue, lemon curd, double cream and macerated summer berries
The Private Dinner Series is available to book now through cookesfood.com.au, with a minimum of 12 people per package. Prices start from $160 per person including one waiter and one chef.
No matter how you’re choosing to dine, or celebrate your next occasion, there’s no doubt Cookes Food has you covered.
With Lunar New Year just around the corner, the team at Lotus Dining Group are primed and ready to celebrate the Year of the Ox with a range of festive celebrations across their Sydney venues – from banquets and lion dancers through to dumpling and cocktail masterclasses.
Each venue has carefully crafted its own unique Lunar New Year-inspired banquets with everything from prosperity salad at Lotus The Galeries, golden ingot puff pastry at Madame Shanghai or a whole steamed barramundi with ginger, shallot and soy broth at the newly opened Chi by Lotus. For all diners spending over $20 across the Lunar New Year weekend, they’ll be gifted with a traditional lucky red envelope containing a special gift to enjoy at their next visit. Authentic lion dancers will be setting the scene over the weekend, weaving their luck and fortune throughout the different venues across Sydney.
But why celebrate Lunar New Year over one night when you can celebrate over many. To wrap up the weekend, Lotus Dining Group’s executive chef, Steve Wu, will be hosting a cocktail and dumpling masterclass at The Gardens by Lotus, the stunning restaurant found in the tea house of Darling Harbour’s Chinese Gardens of Friendship. Over 2 hours on Saturday, 13 February, guests will learn the secrets to making three of Lotus’s signature dumplings while whipping up a series of Chinese-inspired cocktails like their Garden Spritz or a Szechuan Tommy’s Margarita.
All the individual details and banquet menus can be found at lotusdininggroup.com/whats-on/, but get in quick as reservations are essential.
The Gardens by Lotus | Darling Harbour LNY Banquets: $128pp & $168pp from 10–13 February Lion Dance Performance: 12:00pm on Friday, 12 February
Chi by Lotus | Barangaroo LNY Banquets: $108pp from 9–13 February Lion Dance Performance: 8:30pm on Friday, 12 February
Lotus The Galeries | CBD LNY Banquets: $118pp & $168pp from 9–13 February Lion Dance Performance: 7:30pm on Saturday, 13 February
Lotus Barangaroo | Barangaroo LNY Banquets: $88pp & $108pp from 11–18 February Lion Dance Performance: 9:00pm on Friday, 12 February
Madame Shanghai | Darlinghurst LNY Banquets: $89pp & $120pp from 10–14 February Lion Dance Performance: N/A
Lotus Double Bay | Double Bay LNY Banquets: $78pp from 8–14 February Lion Dance Performance: 8:30pm on Saturday, 13 February
Nutella lovers rejoice! To celebrate World Nutella Day (Friday, 5 February) Zero Gradi is drizzling complimentary Nutella on every gelato purchased from 12pm until late. Meanwhile, all 400 Gradi venues are commemorating the day with a Gradi Nutella Pizza.
Visit Zero Gradi in Brunswick this Friday from 12pm to receive free Nutella on your gelati order. With more than 60 flavours to choose from, there is something for everyone to enjoy, including traditional Neapolitan classics like chocolate, hazelnut, pistachio and stracciatella, and flavours that offer a modern twist on the classic, like peanut Nutella and white chocolate cherry.
Visit any 400 Gradi restaurant this Friday and try the Gradi Nutella Pizza for $17. Think authentic pizza dough drizzled with Nutella and topped with fresh strawberries. There is also a Nutella calzone for $15.
Off the back of last year’s success, Bistro Guillaume’s famed Champagne Sundays has returned, featuring bottomless Moët & Chandon Brut Impérial Champagne NV.
Champagne Sundays allow diners to sit back and relax with a flowing Moët & Chandon Brut Impérial Champagne NV as Chef Guillaume Brahimi’s signature dishes whisk them away to the streets of France. Diners can sip their way through a warm afternoon whilst enjoying delicious meals from the à la carte menu featuring Gnocchi à la Parisienne and 300-Day Grain-Fed Steak Frites.
Bistro Guillaume : Champagne Sundays 8 Riverside, Crown Melbourne, Whiteman St, Southbank VIC 3006 Dates: Every Sunday from 31 January between 12.00pm–3.00pm Price: $188pp, includes two selections from the à la carte menu and two hours of bottomless Moët Bookings: online here or by phoning 03 9292 5777 More details: click here
Seta Sydney brings together a celebration of contemporary Italian cuisine and hospitality.
Nestled within the grand walls of one of Sydney’s most iconic heritage buildings, Seta Sydney has officially opened its doors to offer a sensorial Italian dining experience. Paying homage to the flavours and aromas of Italy, Seta sets out to revive the Sydney CBD dining scene with its culinary innovation, architectural grandeur and warm hospitality.
Two years in the making, Seta is the long-awaited passion project of Wildfire founder Tonči Farac, who developed and strategised the concept of Seta for the Australian market. In collaboration with the talents of Dreamtime Australia Designer Michael McCann (Mr Wong, Felix, Flying Fish) and the culinary mind of Michelin-starred Executive Chef Matteo Vigotti (Peck, Novecento), Tonči’s dream has now become reality.
Tasked with transforming the stunning features of the former Savings Bank dating from 1849, McCann has blended custom hand-cut marble mosaic floors with ageless “old world” timber panelling and bespoke furniture to set the scene for what is anticipated to be an equally timeless dining experience.
The venue fit-out features a refined cocktail and wine bar, ambient private dining room, Australian-first ‘crudo bar’ and stunning theatre kitchen. “We wanted to create a warm and inviting, la dolce vita experience, which honours the culture and elegance of Venice. We wanted Seta to embrace the comfort and traditions of Italy along with contemporary, timeless features to create a place for people to escape, indulge and reminisce” says Farac.
The carefully crafted, contemporary Italian menu marries authentic Venetian culinary traditions with intricate techniques and premium Australian produce. To execute this vision, Seta has enlisted the creative vision of Michelin-starred chef Matteo Vigotti.
Currently in Milan, Vigotti’s prestigious career and expertise centres on the excellence of fresh produce enhanced through exquisite cooking techniques and infused with contemporary creativity. Bringing Vigotti’s vision to life is head chef Giovanni Astolfoni, who also boasts an impressive culinary résumé. Having attended Gualtiero Marchesi’s ALMA Cooking School, he has trained under renowned Italian chef Paolo Lopriore and worked in a number of five-star hotels and Michelin-star restaurants in Italy and around the world.
Standout dishes include the Soqquadro pasta with vongole, sea urchins and pecorino; Parmigiano-Reggiano wafer bruschetta topped with pumpkin, pancetta, giardiniera vegetables, raisins and pine nuts; and a contemporary reinterpretation of a traditional tiramisu that blends three flavours of roasted coffee beans.
To accompany the culinary offering, Seta’s head sommelier Filippo L’Episcopo (Uccello, Mr. Wong) has curated a rich and exciting wine list made up of approximately 500 labels, 80 per cent of which will be dedicated to Italian wines. Filippo has also developed a selection of six wines exclusive to Seta in collaboration with Sergio Carlei, owner of biodynamic Carlei Vineyards in Victoria.
A translation of the word silk, Seta is inspired by high quality and refined elegance. Be immersed in the fabric of genuine Italian hospitality, woven from an attention to detail and a passion for warm, compassionate service.
It is this emphasis on creating a timeless, transportive dining experience pairing indulgence with traditional comfort that Seta believes will breathe new life into the heart of the CBD in anticipation of a wider resurgence.
Seta 11 Barrack Street, Sydney NSW 2000 02 9262 2624 Restaurant trading hours: Lunch: Tuesday to Friday 12pm–3pm; Dinner: Tuesday to Friday 6pm–10.30pm, Saturday 5:30pm–10:30pm Bar trading hours: Tuesday to Friday 12pm–12am; Saturday 5:30pm–12am Website | Facebook | Instagram
WingHAÜS by Bavarian, the wing-packed, sauce-smacked, sports-bar spinoff of Australia’s fun-loving The Bavarian family, is opening a Sydney flagship venue at Barangaroo on Monday, 8 February with the doors opening and 40 taps of beer flowing in time for the Super Bowl championship. Replacing Beerhaüs at Scotch Row, a stone’s throw from the water, WingHAÜS Barangaroo is 250 seats of sports bar fun, with a spectacular, wrap-around outdoor terrace. There are 20 large-screen TVs for live sports games viewing.
Reservations have just opened for the new Barangaroo location. Side note: its sister site – WingHAÜS at Gateway dining precinct, Circular Quay – is already fully booked for the Big Game!
COVID-safe and spaced, and with a convenient contactless payment option in place, the doors of WingHAÜS Barangaroo open at 10am with the Super Bowl commencing at 10.30am. NFL fans who choose WingHAÜS for their annual Big Game pilgrimage can shout themselves two 500ml steins of beer and 10 sauce-doused classic chicken wings for $50.
Or take the squad, commandeer a couple of high-topped tables or a communal table, and dive into classic, boneless, fried, and cauliflower wings, in servings of 10, 20, 50, or 100 pieces. There are nine signature hot sauces to choose from, and seven accompanying dips: blue cheese, ranch dressing, honey and mustard, garlic, haüs sauce, chipotle mayo and gravy. Adventurous wing lovers can try 13 additional limited-edition ‘Wingfest’ sauces and spice rubs until the end of February.
Alternatively, guests can tackle one of seven flavour-packed burgers served with fries, from an affordable $16 each. Side dishes are perfect bar snacks and beer accompaniments: think hot chips, mash and gravy, giant salted warm pretzels, onion rings, potato gems, buffalo ranch chips and Texas BBQ and ranch chips.
Those who are watching Super Bowl in the office can order via Deliveroo, Menulog and UberEats, with office catering packs also available. And whether NFL fans are celebrating or suffering post-Super Bowl blues they can stay on for Wing Hour from 5pm to 7pm. During this two-hour window, which is available every weekday, diners can score 50-cent classic wings, $5 side dishes, $5 wines, $6 pints, $11 steins, $7.50 Margaritas, Aperol Spritz, Negroni and Espresso Martini.
Rockpool Dining Group Chief Executive Officer Thomas Pash said: “We’re thrilled to be launching this Sydney flagship WingHAÜS by Bavarian at Barangaroo just in time for Super Bowl”.
“This is our third WingHAÜS to open in 18 months with the first in Brisbane and Sydney having earned solid reputations as key destinations for sporting events. Their success is very much behind our plan to expand the brand across Australia this year, including at the bustling Barangaroo precinct where we believe a casual, affordable and fun sports bar experience will be well received.”
WingHAÜS Barangaroo boasts a long bar with high stool seating and 40 beers on tap, including German stalwarts Löwenbräu, Paulaner, Franziskaner, Spaten and Hofbräu, American bellwethers Budweiser and Goose Island, prized Belgian brews by Hoegaarden and Stella Artois, and Aussie heroes 4 Pines, Pirate Life and Balter Brewing Company. Cocktails on tap include Margaritas, Aperol Spritz, Negroni and Espresso Martini. Stein Ritas deliver frozen margaritas in a 1-litre glass stein.
Rockpool Dining Group Director of Casual Brands John Sullivan said: “WingHAÜS is the home of sports and the destination for chicken wings, beers and burgers in Sydney and Brisbane”.
“We offer a full day of live sport running into the evening and the option for guests to use Listen Everywhere streaming wireless technology to listen to any sport that is being played in the venue through their phone in case their favourite team isn’t being screened on the main AV system. WingHAÜS really is a unique experience.”
MasterChef winner teams up with Maker & Monger for a limited edition toastie.
MasterChef winner Diana Chan and Anthony Femia from Maker & Monger have teamed up for a delicious (and different) limited edition toastie. Available from Saturday, 30 January, the ‘Sambal Hae Bee’ toastie is packed full of flavour and spice and is a recipe close to Diana’s heart.
The Sambal Hae Bee toastie includes a dry sambal cooked mainly by Peranakans from Penang. Hae Bee in Hoikken means dried shrimp and Sambal in Malay means spicy relish, usually consisting of lots of chillies. The spice paste is made from array of delicious Asian flavours, including shallots, lemongrass, belacan, galangal, chillies and more.
“I remember my mum making this and we would often have it for breakfast on bread slathered with butter. As a fifth-generation Peranakan, it’s one of my most treasured recipes,” says Diana.
To round out the spice, Anthony includes slices of provolone dolce, which cuts through the heat whilst adding a hint of sweetness. Once toasted in a brioche bun in the oven, sliced cucumbers are added inside the toastie for freshness and then the toastie is served with Dillicious pickles on the side for a hit of acid to balance out the umami.
“Diana is a good friend of mine and we have been planning a toastie collab for some time now. I’m so excited she chose something that she has grown up eating and loving as our memories of food we joyfully experienced is what is behind every recipe here at Maker & Monger. I believe our customers will really like the uniqueness of the offering. The visual of the molten provolone paired with the aromas of the chillies definitely ignites all your senses,” says Anthony.
The Sambal Hae Bee toastie will be available until the end of April, so punters have three months to indulge in this delicious creation for only $11 a pop.
Local favourites The Winery, Manly Wine, Beer Deluxe, Untied, Bungalow8 and more are giving Sydneysiders another opportunity to dial up the bang for their buck this summer. Australian Venue Co will double the value of the $25 Dine & Discover Vouchers provided by the NSW State Government, when spent at any of their Sydney bars and pubs.
“First, we cut prices in half every day in January, during Sydney’s Happiest Hour. Now we’re doubling the value of these vouchers, to keep delivering great value for Sydneysiders this summer,” explained Jeremy Ferguson, State Manager of New South Wales at Australian Venue Co.
“We’re grateful to the state government for supporting the hospitality and entertainment industry with this program, and we want to do our part to chip in. We want to bring people back to work and offer more shifts for our team members, and initiatives like this go a long way towards helping businesses recover,” he said.
Customers can redeem this voucher at any time as per the NSW Government rollout of the voucher in late February, however it doesn’t apply to existing discounts. Sydney’s Happiest Hour continues to run from 5–6pm every day in January, and is a 50% discount on total food & beverage bills when customers order via mobile.
AVC venues in NSW where this is available: Beer Deluxe Albury | Beer Deluxe Sydney | Beer Deluxe T2 | Bungalow 8 | Cargo | Kingsleys Woolloomooloo | Manly Wine | The Loft | The Rook | The Winery | Untied
This February, Melbourne’s iconic riverside bar and restaurant Arbory Bar & Eatery is dishing up the ultimate midday feed to welcome Melburnians back into the CBD with a special beer and burger offer.
Available for lunch Monday to Friday, office workers and city-goers alike can score a delicious ‘Burger & Beer’ combo for just $20, featuring a classic Arbory burger of your choice with a side of crinkle-cut chips and a schooner of Stone & Wood Pacific Ale.
There are three tasty burgers on offer including the Double Cheeseburger with bacon, pickles and tomato relish; the Southern Fried Chicken Burger with iceberg lettuce, pickles and chipotle; and the Crumbed Mushroom & Halloumi Burger with pickles and tomato relish.
The Burger & Beer special is available every day during the week from 11:30am to 5pm from Monday, 1 February until Friday, 26 February 2021. Located on Melbourne’s Yarra River and situated next to Flinders Street Station, the venue is best known for its energetic bar with views of the river and Melbourne skyline. So, grab a burger and an ice-cold beer and make the most of Melbourne’s summer sun at Arbory Bar & Eatery.
Arbory Bar & Eatery is primarily a walk-in venue but welcomes bookings online via www.arbory.com.au.
With a crack team led by a fine dining chef and career restaurateur, this South Yarra bistro is a local favourite in the making. Vesper, an intimate bistro & bar, will open at 25 Toorak Rd, South Yarra on Tuesday, 2 February 2021. Inspired by the relaxed elegance and gentle warmth of the Mediterranean islands, Chef Francesco Castellana (formerly of Per Se, NYC and Melbourne’s Vue de monde) has developed a seafood-led menu of classic regional flavours.
Chef Francesco has carefully selected exceptional locally sourced, seasonal ingredients to create flavours that take guests on a journey from the Cote d’Azur, to the Balearic and Greek islands. Diners can expect dishes such as chilled almond gazpacho with olive oil poached mackerel; mussels escabeche served with tarragon and black garlic fougasse; Sardinian fregola with saffron-braised abalone and pecorino cheese; and crispy red mullet with potato & caper puree and preserved lemon salmoriglio.
Originally from Bari, Italy, Chef Francesco’s experience is firmly planted in the world of fine dining, including New York’s Per Se, Vue de monde and Bistro Vue in Melbourne. Now leading the culinary direction and team at Vesper, his dishes combine the authenticity of traditional bistro-style flavours with a focus on purity, balance and precision.
The street-front dining room has been thoughtfully designed combining warm tones, mirrored finishes and a vibrant floral wall canopy that together convey the feel of an elegant Mediterranean bistro. With a warm, welcoming atmosphere and ambient lighting, guests are encouraged to sit back, relax and enjoy a fun evening with family and friends.
“The Green Room” is Vesper’s secret rear bar and dining room, which opens onto a charming outdoor courtyard with a fountain and cascading greenery – a hidden gem for dinner or enjoying delicious crudo from the Raw Bar whilst sipping cocktails, including the ice-cold namesake signature Vesper martini. Alongside a carefully curated wine list of European boutique vintages and Australian favourites, the cocktail list tempts for pre-, mid- and post-dining.
Vesper is the first Melbourne venue for owners Duncan and Marlane Fraser-Smith, who have returned home to Australia after a decade in Dubai. A passionate career restaurateur, Duncan has had over 25 years’ success in creating, developing and operating a multitude of restaurants, bars, cafés and nightclubs. He has achieved recognition and awards for his work on projects throughout the Middle East, Asia and Europe and is founder of The Cutting Edge Hospitality Agency. Likewise, Marlane has over 20 years in leadership roles within the hotel, travel and global hospitality sector. Their love for exploring the regions on their doorstep while in the UAE and travelling throughout the Mediterranean islands seeded the idea for Vesper.
“We always wanted to open a restaurant that we would be excited to go to,” says Duncan, “something that reflected not just our personalities but also our experience. In meeting Chef Francesco, we found a great alignment in thinking and more importantly in creating a bistro that captures the flavours of the Mediterranean islands. We look forward to Vesper becoming part of the exciting South Yarra dining culture and community”.
Vesper will open to the public on Tuesday, 2nd February 2021. Located at 25 Toorak Rd, South Yarra, it will be open for dinner Tuesdays through Saturdays, 5pm to late. Bookings can be made via Vesper’s website or by phone on 03 9038 8088.
Check out what’s on offer at some of Sydney’s favourite restaurants on Valentine’s Day this year.
Aria Aria will have sittings for lunch from 12pm (last sitting at 1:30pm) and dinner from 5:30pm.
Image credit: Steven Woodburn
Dinner includes a 6-course degustation for $275pp, with variations available on this for lunch sittings. These include 4-course degustation for $225pp; 4-course degustation plus two glasses of Ruinart Brut Champagne for $285pp; 6-course degustation for $275pp.
Beverage pairings are available at both sittings, alongside oysters, snacks and champagne offered throughout and a small bouquet of flowers upon departure. The Ruinart Summer Wine Bar will also be open on Sunday, 14 February, for snacks and Ruinart Champagne available before and after lunch or dinner in Aria’s Wharf Room overlooking Circular Quay.
Bentley Restaurant + Bar Bentley Restaurant + Bar is offering up a Valentine’s Day special menu of 5-courses in addition to snacks for $200pp. Optional wine ($100pp standard/$200pp premium) or non-alcoholic ($75pp) pairings can also be enjoyed.
Chiswick Woollahra Chiswick will have extended trading hours on Valentine’s Day, offering an exclusive set menu at both lunch and dinner sittings for $110pp. Both include a limited edition raspberry and chocolate macaron for the occasion.
To help with the ultimate romantic V-Day picnic, Chiswick will also have Valentine’s Day picnic packages on offer. The luxury hampers ($150) are made to feed two and include wood-fired focaccia, Toolunka Creek olives, Chiswick crudités with white bean hummus, house-made ricotta, barra-massalata and crispy bits, stone fruit with nasturtium and snow peas, heirloom tomato with Berkshire prosciutto, rose Turkish delight and a rose from Hermetica. Moët & Chandon Rosé available for an additional cost.
Cirrus Cirrus will be offering a share-style menu priced at $180pp and matching wines for an additional $80pp. The exclusive menu features raw yellowfin tuna with preserved lemon, nectarine and kombu.
Image credit: Kitti Gould
Monopole CBD dining at its finest, Monopole has a Valentine’s Day shared menu for $120pp, with the option to add matching wines for $80pp.
North Bondi Fish Whether it be a sun-soaked lunch or candlelit dinner overlooking the beach, North Bondi Fish is a great spot to wine and dine your significant other. It’s also perfect for those wanting a few cocktails with the gals for Galentine’s, with DJ Dolso spinning beats from 2–5pm.
NOMAD NOMAD will be open for lunch with their regular à la carte menu then commencing dinner with an exclusive Valentine’s Day menu from 5:30pm. The Valentine’s Day set menu comes at $165pp, featuring fried okra with baharat spice; cannellini bean hommus and wood-oven flatbread; wagyu bresaola; Vannella burrata with fennel jam; Clarence River baby octopus with harissa and lime. Guests will have an additional option to extend their menu with oysters, caviar and baklava petit fours.
Ria Pizza + Wine Bar Sydney’s hottest new pizzeria is celebrating Valentine’s Day with their full à la carte menu, available for lunch or dinner from 12pm. Ria have also just introduced takeaway, should you wish to grab a pizza and take it to your favourite spot for sunset.
Yellow The crème de la crème of vegetarian dining, Yellow has prepared a 5-course Valentine’s Day special with snacks to accompany for $140pp and the option to add matching wines for $80pp. The menu features two new dishes: purple daikon with green apple and wild fennel & sweet corn with chilli and tomatillo.
Italian cooking classes for beginners followed by sit-down lunch.
UGO Cucina Popolare, the new café at Cannoleria HQ in Heidelberg West has announced its Cooking Academy, with the first class being held on Saturday, 20th February.
The UGO Cooking Academy will offer a series of small, intimate cooking classes for beginners with a different topic for each class. Chef Dario Di Clerico will guide participants though the cooking processes and history of Italian recipes, just like he was taught by his Nonna.
The first class will teach The Art of Pasta & Sauces for Beginners and will include a sit-down Italian lunch with drinks to enjoy the food produced.
UGO Cooking Academy – The Art of Pasta & Sauces for Beginners Saturday, 20th February, 9am–1pm Learn all the skills to make fresh pasta using a domestic pasta machine. From making the dough, to kneading and rolling, participants will master pappardelle, cavatelli & farfalle. Then there’s the authentic pasta sauces and hearing about traditional Italian home cooking. On completion of the three-hour class there is a sit-down lunch with drinks. Tickets priced at $120
UGO has already gained a reputation for authentic and delicious Italian food, in particular its porchetta roll, so the UGO team were keen to pass on their expertise and teach beginners classic recipes. And so, UGO Cooking Academy was developed.
Since opening in December 2019, MrT Burgers & Fried Chicken has become the place to visit for any burger or fried chicken fanatic in Melbourne. Located in Croydon, in Melbourne’s Eastern Suburbs, the restaurant has built a name for itself by making a range of mouth-watering burgers and crispy fried chicken.
While the pandemic was impossibly challenging for the entire hospitality industry, it was particularly tough for MrT, which had only been open a short time before lockdown began. In this time MrT still operated as a takeaway service and continued putting a smile on customer faces during a challenging time, where comfort food was a must.
MrT prides itself on providing a stellar menu with mostly house-made ingredients, using quality Australian meats. The menu boasts unique dishes to Melbourne, such as their whole fried chicken and crispy duck burger. Using predominantly Cape Grim Tasmanian beef, MrT produces some of Melbourne’s best beef patties all ground in-house and pressed on the grill to perfection. With a “Keep it simple stupid” approach, MrT burgers are kept simple using ingredients that work perfectly together.
The MrT Bacon is starting to get its own cult following, and it’s easy to see why, with layers of syrupy bacon jam, streaky bacon, MrT secret Sauce and a generous beef patty, cooked to perfection.
MrT likes it hot, and his popular Nashville chicken burger will definitely spice things up. Chicken thighs are buttermilk marinated, coated in MrT flour blend, fried, dipped in our seasoned oil and then smothered in secret MrT spices, which infuse into the chicken, making it extra flavoursome and juicy. The crispy chicken nashy is stacked with pickles, sweet vinegar slaw and smoked garlic mayo that will have burger lovers salivating and maybe crying from the heat!
The most unique dish on the menu has to be the whole fried chicken. The chicken is brined for 24 hours in a mixture including black tea, to give the chicken added sweetness and moisture. The chicken is then marinated in buttermilk, which adds another layer of juiciness while tenderising the meat. Afterwards, the chook is then given a double-crusted coating, which steams the meat from within, and ultimately gives the best crunchy fried chicken experience in the world – according to MrT.
This summer enjoy drinks, dinner and a movie with Embla in Melbourne’s CBD.
Embla is going up! Discovering the ideal rooftop space atop its Russell Street neighbour – the Melbourne Theosophical Society – owners Christian McCabe and Dave Verheul are launching a drink, dine and viewing concept and have given the space a sun-loving fit-out.
An extended summer season at Embla Rooftop will commence Saturday, 30 January with an evening screening of True Romance, to be followed by weekly movie themes such as:
• Food and wine week • 80s week • Music week • Nicolas Cage week • And more great themes to be announced
Dotted with sun lounges, yellow-striped deck chairs in vintage fabric, picnic tables, brightly painted walls with murals of nature, and a giant 5-metre wide (= around 220 inches) screen, the space lends itself to Italian Mediterranean cuisine, delivered in an Embla style of fresh, summery and shareable smaller plates, including:
• Crab, fennel and lemon toasts • Raw kingfish, pumpkin seed miso, cucumber and cumquat • Stracciatella, cimi di rapa, golden beetroot and walnut
Open for drinks and bites from 3pm, the rooftop will transform into an open-air movie theatre after sunset where film fans will be delivered al fresco-appropriate drinks and served classic cinema food, including gelato pops from Piccolina Gelateria, cultured butter and sea salt popcorn and some Embla-inspired ice-cream sundaes.
Events company, District Agency (Gourmet Cinema), have curated the films and themes, with viewing to include Chef, Hunt for the Wilderpeople, Sideways, Dirty Dancing, The Lost Boys, The Gentlemen and Pulp Fiction, among others – ensuring there is something for everyone.
The relaxed spirit will be encouraged in the delivery of something familiar in a new environment with the Embla team, some nostalgia through the films and optimism and hope. “We feel this is what people need in these uncertain times,” said Christian McCabe.
“It’s really cool to have an old building to be able to do this with. It’s also a product of the times, in that we are permitted to create this activation on this temporary site. It’s a fun bottle of wine, a good movie and some Embla snacks, on a Melbourne rooftop – the ideal recipe for summer.”
The activation is an opportunity to celebrate the building and its assets one last time before it is developed into a boutique hotel.
Embla Rooftopwill be open from 3pm Wednesday to Sunday, with Embla lunch seatings available on weekends. Movie tickets will need to be purchased in advance via the website: www.emblarooftop.com.au
For Aria’s Chinese New Year celebrations, Executive Chef Joel Bickford has created a special six-course tasting menu and premium eight-course degustation to celebrate the Lunar New Year, available from 17–24 February.
Menu highlights include fatty pork jowl paired with Chinese broccoli, classic XO sauce and fermented black garlic; raw pearl meat from pristine coastal waters with white kimchi, soy and burnt citrus dashi; and grilled WA black marron with sea urchin, kombu and caviar.
As Joel describes, “this year’s bespoke Chinese New Year menu celebrates new beginnings and showcases the best Australia has to offer in produce, and the flavour combinations that exemplify Chinese cuisine”.
Aria’s Chinese New Year menu will be available from 17–24 February, replacing the summer tasting menu throughout this period. Bookings are available via ariasydney.com.au
Menu 6-course tasting menu | $220 – Paspaley pearl meat with plum, white radish, soy and burnt citrus dashi – pork cheek with gai lan, XO and king oyster mushroom – roasted monkfish with morels, cauliflower, miso and black truffle – glazed Maremma duck with caramelised fig, burnt onion and salsify – kalamansi with white chocolate and sesame – lapsang souchong with fermented blueberry, honey and almond
8-course premium tasting menu | $290 – Paspaley pearl meat with plum, white radish, soy and burnt citrus dashi – pork cheek with gai lan, XO and king oyster mushroom – grilled black marron with sea urchin butter, black caviar and rock samphire – roasted monkfish with morels, cauliflower, miso and black truffle – dry-aged wagyu short rib MS5+ with cuttlefish, snake beans and smoked eel – glazed Maremma duck with caramelised fig, burnt onion and salsify – kalamansi with white chocolate and sesame – lapsang souchong with fermented blueberry, honey and almond
Cannoleria by That’s Amore has collaborated with Melbourne chocolatier Kep Whitley to create a limited edition chocolate box for Valentine’s Day.
Each box of the Cannoleria × Kep Whitley chocolates contains 12 handmade, bright and shiny bonbons, made with fine French couverture that is both sustainable and traceable.
Every chocolate bonbon is inspired by Cannoleria’s most popular flavours and contains cannoli shell crumbs for extra crunch! They are lovingly created and painted by hand using fair trade ingredients, giving producers the respect that they deserve.
This collaboration creates edible pieces of art that are perfect for loved ones, friends or simply yourself!
Cannoleria × Kep Whitley Valentine’s Day Chocolate Box Box of 12 handmade chocolate bonbons in six flavours: • Ricotta in dark chocolate • Pistachio in milk chocolate • Salted caramel with marsala in dark chocolate • Blood orange, caramel ganache in milk chocolate • Gianduja in dark chocolate • Coffee and Hazelnut in caramelised white chocolate
Priced at $30 per box, the Cannoleria × Kep Whitley Valentine’s Day Chocolate Box is a limited edition so customers should get their order in quick.
Available at all Cannoleria stores and online from Friday, 29th January until sold out. Delivery available for online orders to most of Melbourne for $5.
In the first of a new series featuring recipes from talented home foodies, we start with a contribution from David Taylor, the Vice-Conseiller Gastronomique for the NSW Local Bailliage of La Chaîne des Rôtisseurs Australia, an organisation that celebrates both the art of cuisine and culture of the table. When David’s head is not buried in a cookbook, or brewing his own home beer, he is taking that inspiration and conjuring up dishes like the one he is sharing with us. Similarly, if you have a recipe that you feel deserves a wider audience, drop us a line for consideration at info@newsforthefoodlover.com
Breakfast Soba / Hiyashi soba by David Taylor
This is one of our favourite breakfasts in Japan and one we enjoy on summer mornings here in Sydney. It’s a Tokyo favourite – savoury, but at the same time refreshing. It always reminds me of very traditional Japanese restaurants in Tokyo with a rustic feel and a very welcoming atmosphere.
Using a soft boiled egg is a slight variation from tradition, which usually consists of tempura vegetables, fish or prawns, though personally making tempura before I’ve had coffee or breakfast is a bit much for me!
All of the ingredients below should be available from most bigger supermarkets in Australia, though if you can find a local Japanese grocery store near you, you’ll have a lot more options and often better quality.
INGREDIENTS: Soba and accompaniments 1 large egg ½ medium spring onion ½ tsp wasabi paste 1 tbsp shredded nori sheet 1 bundle of dry soba noodles Dipping Sauce 150ml light Japanese soy sauce 30ml Mirin 10g sugar 10g dashi powder and 150ml of water or 150ml dashi stock
METHOD: Prep: Finely slice the spring onion at an angle, using only the white and light green parts, throw the top half away or use for Asian stocks.
Take a sheet of nori, cut in half lengthwise. Then use a sharp knife to shred it into thin strips.
To make the sauce simply mix all ingredients together in a small bowl until well combined.
Soft Boiled Egg: Soft boil the egg by placing it in water at a rolling boil for 6½ minutes, then remove and place in iced water for about 5 minutes before peeling. Remember to put a small hole in the larger end before boiling or the egg may crack.
Cold Soba Noodles: Most dry soba noodles come in little bundles that are a single serve. Use a saucepan large enough to easily accommodate the amount of soba you want to make, fill it with a generous amount of water and bring to a rolling boil.
Remove anything used to tie the bundles of soba and place the noodles in the saucepan for about 5 minutes. Make sure they are completely submerged as soon as possible.
When they have softened and increased in thickness, remove the noodles with tongs and place in a sieve. Don’t waste the water we will use that in a moment. Now rinse the noodles with cold water to remove any starch and to chill them slightly. Once that is done, leave them in the sieve for a couple of minutes to drain.
Serving and Eating: To serve you will need a medium-sized plate or low bowl, a small soup bowl and a jug if you prefer not to use the saucepan for keeping the soba water (Soba yu).
On the plate or low bowl, put one serve of the soba noodles and top with a soft-boiled egg cut in half and then garnish with a little shredded nori.
Next place 2–3 tablespoons of the sauce into the small soup bowl and add the same amount of water. Then add a little shredded spring onion and wasabi paste to taste, then mix with chopsticks.
Now eat the noodles with the dipping sauce. When done, add some soba water and more spring onions to the bowl and drink as a light soup.
Go bottomless for Super Bowl – Monday, 8 February The biggest game day of the year just got even better with El Camino Cantina at The Rocks and Manly offering bottomless wings and tacos during Super Bowl, which will broadcast on Monday, 8 February across multiple large screens in-venue. The two-hour bottomless deal includes El Camino Cantina’s signature margaritas, beer, wine, and soft drinks for $79 per person. Guests can order five tacos at a time per person and a basket of wings to share. Their plates will be replenished when empty. Minimum of two people. Doors open at 10am; Super Bowl commences at 10.30am. Bookings here.
Get bowled over at The Bavarian – Monday, 8 February Raise a stein! Super Bowl fans can score a bowl of 10 classic wings and two 500ml beers of choice for a $50 entry fee at The Bavarian on York Street in Sydney’s CBD, which will screen the game live from 10.30am. Bookings here.
Mask up for The Argyle’s Masquerade Ball – Friday, 12 February Iconic Sydney night spot The Argyle is putting the glamour back into face masks, with an epic Valentine’s Day Masquerade Ball on Friday, 12 February. The multi-storey venue will be transformed into a magical space, brimful with costumes, confetti and cocktail specials – including the signature strawberry frozen G&T ($15). Entry is free to this fully seated, COVID-safe event and bookings are essential. Bookings here.
Spice Temple Chinese New Year – 10th February–20th February If you’re looking for good health (aren’t we all?!), wealth, love, or simply happiness this year, Spice Temple’s Chinese New Year menus aim to put diners on the path to such good fortune. To celebrate the Year of the Ox, Executive Chef of Spice Temple in Sydney and Melbourne Andy Evans, and Melbourne Head Chef Joshua Kerr have curated elaborate banquet menus of nine auspicious dishes, which are available from Wednesday, 10 February to Saturday, 20 February for lunch and dinner sittings for $129 per person, with an optional wine matching for $85 per person. The Sydney menu can be viewed HERE, and the Melbourne menu HERE. Gong Xi Fa Cai!
Hot dang! One month of WingFest left – throughout February Wing lovers have one month left to indulge in WingFest at WingHAÜSby Bavarian, where 13 limited-edition, house-made sauces and rubs have been added to the menu. The homage to the humble chicken wing runs until Sunday, 28 February at both wing-packed, sauce-smacked, sports-bar dining destinations, which are located in Sydney (Gateway dining precinct) and Brisbane (44 Edward Street). Spoiler alert: they’re all deliciously addictive, and range from flavour-packed, such as Salt & Vinegar and Nacho Cheese; to the mildly hot Mango Habanero, and Thai Red; the hot Caribbean Jerk; and turbocharged Nashville and Vindaloo. Bookings HERE.
Loaded Texan Schnitzel – throughout February The Bavarian’s new Schnitzel of the Month takes a delicious American twist throughout February, with the Loaded Texan Schnitzel ($26) turbocharging the restaurant’s already stellar schnitzel line-up. The golden-crumbed chicken breast is fried to crunch-perfect delightfulness and topped withsmoked bacon pieces and sliced spring onion, drizzled with a splendid combination of Texas BBQ sauce and creamy ranch dressing, and served with fluffy–crisp flat fries. Find The Bavarian locations HERE. Bookings HERE.
Big, fat porkies at The Bavarian – throughout February It’s a case of big, fat porkies at The Bavarian throughout February with the Ultimate Pork Platter loaded with crackling pork belly, crispy pork knuckle, Nurnberger bratwurst, pork schnitzel, crispy pork belly bao buns, red cabbage, creamy mash, apple compote and bier jus for just $20 per person – no word of a lie! (Minimum four diners). Find The Bavarian locations HERE. Bookings HERE.
Win Margaritas for a year – throughout February Margarita mecca El Camino Cantina’s Hottest 100 Rita Countdown is in full swing, enabling participants to vote for their top ten flavours from a list of 100. The top 20 flavours will be announced on Monday, 1 February, giving margarita lovers another chance to vote for their favourite flavours HERE. Each El Camino Cantina will randomly select a participant in the Hottest 100 Rita Countdown, who will win margaritas for one year. Find El Camino Cantina locations HERE. More information HERE.
Tableside service is being taken to a new level at Icebergs Dining Room and Bar as Tanqueray Nº TEN celebrates the martini with an immersive new experience inspired by traditional European techniques.
Not shaken, not stirred, the Tanqueray Nº TEN Martini Trolley offers the signature cocktail swirled by hand this summer.
Inspired by a traditional gallone, each martini is prepared in a hand-blown glass vessel uniquely designed by artist Brian Hirst. Using a combination of casting and blowing techniques before heavily working over the surfaces, the bespoke shape of the glass vessel has been crafted with a special pinch hold fit to each bartender’s individual hand size, resulting in a seamless pour.
Swirling by hand at the table is a ceremonial ritual throughout Europe, the technique allowing you to control the effect the ice cubes have on the temperature and balance of the martini to create the perfect serve. The pinch hold of the glassware created exclusively for the Tanqueray Nº TEN Martini Trolley removes another variable – the temperature of the bartender’s hand.
Wheeled directly to the table, the completely customised Martini Trolley has been elegantly handcrafted using stainless steel with bronze and timber finishes. Equipped with everything Icebergs’ world renowned bar team requires to create the perfect martini, the Tanqueray Nº TEN Martini Trolley will bring theatre to any drinking or dining experience at the iconic destination.
For martini loyalists, a Tanqueray Nº TEN martini is the only option for an unforgettable serve.
Unlike many gins that are distilled with only dried juniper berries and spices, Tanqueray Nº TEN also uses whole, perfectly ripe grapefruits, quartered fresh oranges, zesty limes, and whole fresh chamomile flowers. All of these combine with Tanqueray’s classic four botanicals to create a uniquely balanced gin with a fresh taste and smooth finish.
For guests with a preference for vodka, Ketel One will also feature on the Martini Trolley. Using carefully selected European wheat and a combination of modern and traditional distilling techniques, Ketel One produces a gentle citrus scent, crisp taste and a signature silky soft feel on the palate.
Both Tanqueray Nº TEN and Ketel One Martini Trolley experiences can now be enjoyed at Icebergs Dining Room and Bar. Book at www.idrb.com.
Tanqueray Nº TEN Martini Trolley experience, from $38pp Ketel One Martini Trolley experience, from $24pp
Lochiel House, a much-loved and respected restaurant in regional NSW, changed hands in December 2020, with the passionate and talented duo of Graham and Gina Neilson taking up the helm. Our first look at the restaurant refreshingly confirmed it had fallen into the right hands, and we talk to the new custodians of this charming historic restaurant in Kurrajong.
Firstly, a very warm welcome to you both. Can you tell us about your background in South African hospitality, and how you found your way to taking over the helm at this charming regional restaurant in Kurrajong, NSW? Thank you, we are very grateful to be here. We moved to Australia in October 2020 and officially took over Lochiel House restaurant and guest cottage mid-December after some much-needed upgrades to the kitchen, with our business partner, Charlene Pretorius.
We have been working in the industry for the last 20 years. In our 20’s we worked and travelled through the UK, the States, Bermuda and South America. Travelling and working in different kitchens really influenced Graham. His food is a unique combination of those experiences.
In 2010 we ended up buying the bistro we met at, when the previous owner moved to Perth. A few years ago, we visited Graham’s sister & family in Sydney and fell in love with Australia and decided to apply for a PR visa. We waited for the right opportunity to move and when Charlene found the restaurant for sale and asked if we would like to partner with her, we jumped at the chance. The restaurant is very special, the Hawkesbury is really picturesque, everything about the move just felt right.
You have expressed a commitment to supporting and showcasing local seasonal produce, and wines from within NSW. Can you expand further on the importance of that philosophy? There are so many good reasons to support local, seasonal produce. Firstly, there is some amazing produce right on our doorstep, it would make no sense not to use it. It is also vital to support local businesses as that drives the local micro economy and that, in turn, brings income back into your business. As well as that, it’s good marketing for the region, bringing more emphasis on how wonderful the Hawkesbury is. We’ve found our local suppliers very supportive and pretty much all of them have been to eat at the restaurant since we took over. It’s also important to reduce your carbon footprint, if you can buy produce locally rather than it coming via long-haul transport. Lastly, restriction of ingredients creates uniqueness. You have to be more creative when you have fewer ingredients to work with – this builds your own style and signature.
I took a tour of your impressive kitchen garden. Can you tell us about your passion for that, and what you have planted that are you particularly excited about? This is the first time we’ve had our own restaurant garden to grow produce, and while it is not enough to sustain us it’s wonderful to draw inspiration from it. It is also fantastic for guests staying in our cottage to wander through and pick their own herbs, veggies and fruit. There is just something about your own produce that makes it so much more tasty and full of flavour. We are currently using some wonderful squashes – they are gigantic. Graham has been pickling our cherries, rhubarb with shiso and Lebanese cucumber. He’s been infusing gin with currants and has just made some delicious passionfruit sorbet, which is currently being served with our Baked Chocolate and Wattleseed Mousse.
COVID-19 has had considerable impact on the industry in Australia, but former high-profile chef Liam Tomlin, who helped define Sydney cuisine, and who moved to South Africa, has been at the forefront of calling out the lack of supportive Government policy in relation to the industry in your former country. As you still run a restaurant in Durban and a bone broth business, can you tell us about some of the challenges you have faced in that respect? Liam has had such an amazing impact on the Cape Town & South African dining scene, growing business and nurturing young chefs and doing his best to shed light on the difficulties the industry currently faces. COVID-19 has been devastating for the restaurant industry in South Africa. There is very little in terms of support; the country has rolling electricity blackouts (load shedding), as well as often having water shortages. This makes just daily operations very difficult. Adding to that pressure now with COVID, the government has banned the sale of alcohol and enforced a curfew – currently it’s 9pm. That means all guests need to leave by 8pm to get home, effectively ending your dinner service, and with no alcohol sales, revenue is down by 50 per cent. The alcohol and hospitality industry is now on its knees with many places closing and hundreds of thousands of people losing their jobs. Obviously with no overseas tourism, cities such as Cape Town have battled even further. At 9th Avenue Waterside we have fantastic staff, an excellent business partner and a very loyal local following, so our game plan is to ride it out and plan as things happen. Sadly, there is talk the government might impose further taxations onto restaurants, which would result in more closures. It’s a very dark time in South Africa for the hospitality industry.
You also have accommodation available adjacent to the restaurant. Can you tell us about what is on offer? We have a quaint old barn that has been converted into a luxury garden cottage. It’s the perfect little spot to come for a weekend in the countryside. It is especially great for foodies who can just wander up and enjoy dinner and not have to worry about driving far. There are also some great food and drink options in the area, so it’s worth a visit if you are a foodie.
Looking forward, what do you have planned for Lochiel House?
As a team we have some fantastic plans. Charlene will be running some cooking classes and partnering as well with some local gardeners and artists. Graham loves cooking on fire, so we are planning to start running evenings where guests can come for a Braai or Potjie (South African BBQ and one pot cooked on the fire). We will also be opening for breakfasts in the future and start a little store to sell homemade preserves, produce and hopefully some bone broth! On a positive note, a few years ago we started a bone broth business, Dr Broth. It resulted from me being unhealthy with all the stresses of running my own business. Now, with COVID, it has really highlighted the importance of nutrition and eating healthily. So, our broth business has gone from strength to strength.
Jeremy Ryland talks all things cheese with the passionate and respected owner of this much-loved boutique food institution in Potts Point, who supports and showcases local producers, whilst also featuring award-winning cheeses from around the world. Penny’s Cheese Shop is also home to what is claimed by many to be Australia’s best cheese toastie!
Deemed one of the most exclusive coffees in the world, you can find Geisha Coffee right here at The Wood Roaster in the heart of Marrickville. Originally sourced from Ethiopia, the blend is now most prominently sourced in Panama as the region has accurately perfected the cherry bean’s germination process. After 18 days of stable fermentation, cherries are pulped and dried on Raised African beds for a further 8 days; bringing out truly unique and punchy flavours. Immense fruity flavours, including mango, cherry, blueberry and pineapple, and a high price point are what’s usually associated with Geisha Coffee, and with good reason as cafés are bidding large dollars to get their hands on this very limited single origin.
Basically, this one is for those who are serious about coffee and are seeking that extra kick. With a 1kg bag setting you back $450, the Panama Geisha can pack a punch with flavour. For those that want to test it out before committing, then a 62g tin is available for $37.50.
It could be argued that good food – and an exceptional dining experience – make Melbourne’s heart beat. So how have pandemic-induced changes to the restaurant industry affected the rhythm of our city’s dining culture?
Join three of Melbourne’s most beloved restaurateurs, Hana Assafiri of Moroccan Soup Bar, Khanh Nguyen of SUNDA _ and Ben Shewry of Attica, for a very special panel discussion that will illuminate the trials and triumphs experienced by restaurateurs throughout lockdown.
While reflecting on the ways that COVID-19 has affected their own iconic businesses – both professionally and personally – Hana, Khanh and Ben will also offer their insights into the pandemic’s effect on the restaurant industry, their thoughts around lockdown approaches taken by other restaurants, their guesses at the impact of COVID-19 on dining in the future, and their feelings about the role that food plays in our lives.
The conversation is followed by a DJ set by DJ Martin Frawley.
MPavilion presents Eating Out, Eating In: A conversation with Hana Assafiri, Khanh Nguyen and Ben Shewry Where: MPAVILION at Parkade, 34 Little Collins Street, Melbourne VIC 3000 When: Friday, 29 January 2021 Time: 6.15pm–7.30pm For more information click here.
Parkade car park on 34 Little Collins Street (top end of Collins) is set to be transformed into a new cultural destination designed to stimulate, entertain, and engage with the public with free events launching 8 January 2021. MPavilion is taking over the top level of the car park in January–April 2021 as part of an initiative with the City of Melbourne. The residency is also in partnership with Dexus and Wilson Parking and represents a tremendous contribution to the city’s recovery strategy in the surrounding streets.
Owned and operated by the team behind Milpa Collective (who are responsible for popular Mexican restaurants across Sydney’s Bondi Beach and Potts Point – Calita, Taqiza, Carbón and Sonora), La Palma‘s ‘Tropical Tuesdays’ is Milpa Collective’s Caribbean spin on their crowd favourite ‘Taco Tuesdays’.
La Palma’s ‘Tropical Tuesdays’ series will kick off on the public holiday next Tuesday, 26 January with live reggae music, a selection of classic Caribbean-style snacks, such as $1 jerk chicken wings, $5 taco of the day, $13 jerk chicken or veggie quesadillas alongside flowing $12 mojitos, piña coladas and margaritas, and fresh rum-spiked juices available for $8.
The Westin Melbourne is bringing a taste of coastal summer to the CBD thanks to a delicious riff on their classic High Tea – High Seas. In partnership with Four Pillars Gin, the indulgent experience will be a match made in heaven for any seafood lover.
The Westin Melbourne’s Executive Chef Michael Greenlaw has teamed up once again with Matt Wilkinson for a delicious High Seas menu. As the Creative Director of Made From Gin at Four Pillars Gin, Matt takes the by-products of making a batch of gin (think steamed oranges and gin-soaked botanicals) and turns them into delicious edible creations. The dishes on the High Seas menu will use some of these creations, including gin-steamed oranges and gin-soaked botanicals ensuring that nothing goes to waste.
“It’s been a lot of fun working alongside Matt again to create seafood creations centred around sustainability and more importantly, deliciousness. We think this summer twist on High Tea is perfectly paired with warmer nights,” says Michael.
On arrival, guests will be treated to a Four Pillars cocktail of their choice, including a ‘50/50’ complete with Rare Dry Gin, Lillet Blanc and orange bitters, or a ‘Changing Season Highball’, including Changing Seasons Gin, StrangeLove Yuzu soda, mint and lime. If classics are more your thing, you can’t go past the ‘Our Favourite G&T’ complete with Fever-Tree Mediterranean Tonic and orange or the ‘GinTonic’, which includes their new Olive Leaf gin, tonic, lemon and rosemary.
The Made From Gin menu includes delicious savoury bites such as nori scones with whipped yuzu butter; gin-salt and vinegar potato crisps served with crème fraîche and Bloody Shiraz Gin caviar; and native oysters with finger lime and Rare Dry Gin.
Also on offer is cured gin-smoked salmon rillettes, Four Pillars curry botanical scallop pot pies, kingfish scotch egg with Four Pillars gin-steamed orange marmalade and Port Phillip Bay snapper ceviche with pepper berry.
To finish, guests will be treated to a black forest ice-cream sandwich infused with Bloody Shiraz Gin and spent botanicals, summer cherry and Rare Dry Gin Chocolate produced by Hunted + Gathered.
For those looking to indulge at home, High Seas will also be available through premium food delivery service Providoor here. Your order comes complete with a specially designed stand you can self-assemble your treats on from $98 per person.
High Seas launches at the Westin Melbourne on Friday, 5 February and runs until Sunday, 4 April. High Seas is $89 per person and can be enjoyed every day in the Lobby Lounge from 11am. Bookings must be made at least 24 hours in advance by calling The Westin Melbourne on 03 9635 2222, via email to hightea@westin.com or by visiting http://west.tn/6180HZPXn.
The Brisbane brewery has announced an exclusive, limited-edition six pack for its Aussie investors, and gifted ownership of the Brisbane brewery to Mashd N Kutcher if they chart in triple j’s Hottest 100.
Ahead of Mashd N Kutcher’s “Get On The Beers ft Victorian Premier Dan Andrews” charting in the triple j Hottest 100 this weekend, Brisbane-based craft brewery BrewDog has announced a limited-edition ‘Get On The Beers’ six pack.
Celebrating the nation’s COVID-catchcry (thanks to Dan), the six pack of lager will be gifted exclusively to those who invest in BrewDog’s Equity for Punks crowdfunding offer, as a celebration of their investment in the future of ‘getting on the beers’. Anyone who buys shares in BrewDog from the OnMarket offer page before 11th February will automatically receive a six pack as an extra-special perk, as the brewer looks forward to a future full of beer.
Image credit: Pandora Photographer
The pioneering crowdfunding initiative invites Aussie beer lovers to invest in BrewDog’s expansion Down Under and a better and more sustainable future for beer in Australia. Investors have the opportunity to shape the future of the company in Australia, with plans to open new flagship BrewDog bars in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth by the end of 2021.
BrewDog is also pledging ownership of their Aussie brewery to Brisbane-grown Mashd N Kutcher if they earn a place in the top 20 of Australia’s favourite countdown. Yes, that’s right. The DJs will receive shares in the Brisbane brewery, thanks to their outstanding contribution to Aussie music and culture.
BrewDog wants everyone to be able to get on the beers – now and in the future, so for the anticipation of ‘Getting On The Beers’, join Equity for Punks today and invest in the beer-drinking future of tomorrow. For once, you can not only drink the beer, you can own the brewery.
Yarra Kitchen & Bar from Australian Venue Co will launch in the Southbank Precinct, on the water’s edge, on Friday, 22nd January.The unique outdoor dining space has been designed to showcase Melbourne in an ambient outdoor terrace atmosphere to offer an unforgettable summer experience. Yarra Kitchen & Bar will be open 7 days a week and will be ideal for everyone to enjoy casual dining and drinks on the river, from date nights to catch-ups with friends, family outings to group dining. Being dog friendly, guests can even bring their pooch.
Perched on the edge of the Yarra on Sandridge Wharf (adjacent to Hopscotch), in the heart of the Southbank precinct, the pop-up venue will have a capacity of 165 people.Guests will be able to enjoy views of the river and Melbourne’s CBD while relaxing at the garden tables and chairs and wicker armchair pods. The Yarra Kitchen & Bar team are excited to launch this brand-new space that will be enjoyed in these warmer months.
Contactless ordering will be available – the menu can be viewed, ordered and paid for directly via the guests’ phones by simply scanning a QR code. No sign-up required! The food and drinks will then be brought to the table.
The menu by Executive Chef Telina Menzies showcases native Australian ingredients – in dishes such as native pink pepper squidwith beer mayo, crumbed Spring Creek barramundi baowith paw paw slaw, fermented chilli mayo and pickles, and loaded Aussie prawn rollwith spicy mayo, cucumber, pickles and crisps. Raw Bar highlights include the Aussie oysters with native mignonette and kingfish flatbread with smoked chilli & passionfruit dressing, avocado, fennel, finger lime, lemon myrtle mayo.
Grazers can snack on a hearty meat board, the Aussie cheese board or flatbread with dips such as Greek-style tarama with Yarra Valley salmon pearls or smoked red pepper hummus with za’atar.
A dedicated spritz menu is designed for sun-drenched socialising, with six spritzes by the glass and two available by the carafe.Spritzes include elderflower spritz, pink gin spritz, ink gin spritz, lemon and jasmine Sicilian spritz, and by the glass or by the carafe, Aperol spritz and blood orange spritz. The drinks list also includes other refreshing summer sips from local wines to hard seltzers, tinnies and classic cocktails.
Yarra Kitchen & Bar follows a number of other successful Australian Venue Co pop-ups in Melbourne, including the annual Exchange Beach Club in Port Melbourne, the annual Grand Prix Street Party at Middle Park Hotel and The Winter Village in Federation Square, held for the first time in 2019.
“A major activation like Yarra Kitchen & Bar is the perfect way for us to celebrate iconic Melbourne locations, tailored to the type of experience Melburnians are looking for throughout the year. Yarra Kitchen & Bar is all about spending as much time as possible with your mates in the sunshine, by the water – exactly what we need after a challenging year spent mostly indoors!” explains Kylie Moncur, AVC’s Chief Marketing Officer.
While bookings are recommended, walk-in space will be available.
Next month is World Pizza Day (Tuesday, 9 February) and Ria and Glorietta will be celebrating in style.
Ria has just recently opened in the revamped space of their sibling restaurant, Monopole. It’s a really funky little venue and they’re doing all kinds of great things with pizza, particularly with options to ‘pimp your pizza’ with white truffle, Ortiz anchovies, Black Pearl Beluga caviar or bottarga. They have also created little side dips (pepita pesto, harissa, whipped mullet roe or parmesan custard) for your leftover pizza crusts – it’s the best part, so why waste it!
Glorietta is a groovy Italian restaurant and bar in North Sydney – it’s got a great open dining room that has recently won a few design awards. Wood-fire pizza heroes the menu, using 72-hour fermented pizza bases that are just the right amount of chewy and charred. Of course, there’s classics like margherita and capricciosa but the real star is the carbonara pizza with mozzarella, smoked pancetta, egg yolk, black pepper and chilli oil.
Image credit: Nikki To
Glorietta has also just kicked off its Producer Pizza Series – a rotating pizza special on their menu each month that heroes local Aussie producers, and their produce, of course. For the month of February they will be re-creating an Aussie favourite, the Hawaiian pizza with a confit Pomodoro base with mozzarella, ham, Nice Pickles, chargrilled pickled pineapple and oregano. They’re collaborating with the likes of Ciao Fabbrica and Sift Produce in the following months.
That’s Amore Cheese is releasing two limited-edition hampers for Valentine’s Day that are guaranteed to make that someone special smile.
Available for pre-order online and free delivery* on Valentine’s Day, the hampers are packaged in a limited-edition Valentine’s gift box with wild hay and personalised card.
Loved ones will love this cheesy gift!
I Love You Hamper, $50 The ultimate cheese lover’s hamper – filled with everything you need for a delicious cheese platter to enjoy at home this Valentine’s Day.
Included: • Diavoletti Twin Pack (That’s Amore’s most awarded cheese – smoked provolina filled with olive and chilli) • That’s Amore Cheese – Cacio (semi-matured cow’s milk cheese) • That’s Amore Cheesery Lavosh • Beechworth honey (locally produced in Victoria) • Cuvée Chocolate Mini Collection 21g (a selection of 3 artisan chocolates, locally made) Option to add a bottle of Rosé, Prosecco or Chianti to make it extra special for an additional $25.
Valentine’s Cheese & Flowers Hamper, $90
The perfect gift that says “I love you” in a million ways. Loved ones will be spoiled with cheese, chocolate, honey and a stunning flower bouquet.
Included: • Diavoletti Twin Pack (That’s Amore’s most awarded cheese – smoked provolina filled with olive and chilli) • That’s Amore Cheese – Cacio (semi-matured cow’s milk cheese) • That’s Amore Cheesery Lavosh • Beechworth honey (locally produced in Victoria) • Cuvée Chocolate Mini Collection (a selection of 3 artisan chocolates, locally made) • North St Botanical Flower Bouquet (local floral studio in Northcote) Option to add a bottle of Rosé, Prosecco or Chianti to make it extra special for an additional $25.
The That’s Amore Cheese Valentine’s Day Hampers can be pre-ordered between 28th January and 11th February (unless sold out prior).
Those looking for the perfect Valentine’s Day gift need look no further.
* Free delivery for orders over $40 up to 15km from That’s Amore Cheese in Thomastown; and delivery is free for orders over $120 for the rest of Melbourne (up to 25km from Thomastown), otherwise delivery is from $10.
The wonderful suburb of Marrickville was recently deemed one of the coolest neighbourhoods in the world according to a survey including thousands of respondents, and with good reason. Marrickville is home to a plethora of creatives who relish in pushing the boundaries, artistically, politically, and socially. It’s also home to an assortment of hidden gems, including coffee roasteries, organic food markets, pottery classes, theatres, and pork rolls that’ll leave you constantly longing for the day you return to the unpredictably promising neighbourhood that is Marrickville.
First stop, let’s visit the markets! – Marrickville Organic Food & Farmers Market A staple of the Marrickville area, these markets are a shopper’s dream and encompass everything you’d find along a walk down Church Street – coffee, organic fruit, sourdough stalls, shoes, and much more. Locals of the Inner West highly recommend you attend with an open mind – you just may find what you’re looking for. A highlight of the end of the week, the Marrickville Organic Food & Farmers Market runs from 9am to 3pm every Sunday along Addison Road. Bring yourself and a few companions and shop till you drop!
Image credit: G-Fonne Photography
Second stop, shopping time! – Marrickville Metro Marrickville’s very own one-stop-shop, Marrickville Metro, is an absolute must for anyone coming through this Inner West suburb. A collection of businesses, the centre is witnessing large-scale developments over this coming year with the introduction of a dining-precinct and over forty new retail outlets. Come and visit the Metro while it’s still in its toddler years.
Next-up, let’s grab some coffee beans – The Wood Roaster Located on Shepard Street, The Wood Roaster is a collective of coffee-roasting artisans who are passionate about the flavours they produce. They time and carefully monitor each roast, each bean is roasted for its individual needs and temperature, and eventually post-mixed to ensure the best quality. Although this process takes much more time, the results are unparalleled. Come experience The Wood Roaster in its entirety either through walk-ins or attending one of their show-stopping events, such as FIRED-UP, where attendees are walked through the roasting process in an intimate experience. It’s time to Chai New Things!
Time to make some pottery! – Clay Sydney Hidden on Renwick Street are pottery enthusiasts Clay Sydney, where ideas are moulded into reality at the touch of a spinning wheel. Here you’ll learn how to model a clay ball into your very own masterpiece and even better, for a couple of select days of the month, there’s a delicious selection of cheese and crackers available, and insist on BYO wine – it’s a win, win.
Hungry? Pork Roll time! – Alex ‘N’ Rolls By now, the thought of bánh mì has your mouth-watering. Why not pop into Marrickville’s very own Alex ‘N’ Rolls and grab yourself a flavour explosion packed into a Vietnamese bread roll. Filled with a plethora of fresh produce – including carrot, radish, cucumber, mayo and many more goodies – and meat, you’re definitely missing on pure heaven if you don’t treat yourself to the legendary goodness that is a Pork Roll.
End the night with an underground gig – Factory Theatre Considered a second home to a collection of music and performance artists and groups, you’ll experience performances as you’ve never experienced them before. The sheer atmosphere of the theatre invites excitement within the crowd for performances both seasoned and new.
It’s welcoming, edgy and classy, the wines are interesting and different, and many are drops probably not heard of. And the food just happens to be quite good as well!
It’s time to meet Little Red Robin, the small, chic wine bar & restaurant located on a back laneway in Lane Cove, with a wine list that takes the beginner, as well as the most accomplished wine aficionados, into new and exciting wine territory. And it’s a welcome addition to the ever-growing food and drinks hub in Lane Cove and the North Shore.
Little Red Robin recently received a two-glass rating from the Australian Wine List of the Year Award and Gourmet Traveller Wine Magazine, a highly encouraging award for the first-year entrant. The judges commented that: “the weird and wonderful of the wine world is well represented here. A serious effort has been made to find top examples of skin contact wines, alternative varieties, emerging stars and more. Perhaps for the more serious wine geek than the beginner, but everyone will find wines to love”*.
Sommelier and Owner, Alessandro Nelli, who grew up on a Tuscan vineyard, searches high and low for the most unusual and interesting wines, mostly European, but also Australian as well. He seeks out winemakers with unique stories and winemaking techniques and likes to select wines that demonstrate honesty and purity in the glass.
A keen wine lover can discover wines with characteristics such as low intervention, skin contact, amber wines, alternative varietals and wines fermented in amphora from regions including Greece, Turkey, Canary Islands, Portugal, Italy, France, Austria, Germany and, more recently, Australia. And there is more to come, as the list is ever evolving and growing.
And while you’re working your way through the wine list you won’t be able to resist the delicious choices from the à la carte menu, designed by head chef Alberto Ranalli, such as duck and pork terrine with peach chutney, smoked heirloom tomatoes, anchovies on toast, cured meats with house pickles, hand-made fresh tagliatelle with radicchio kimchi and more. Or for a more serious culinary journey, patrons can choose to embark on the 7-course degustation ($95pp), with matching wines for $70pp.
Little Red Robin offers over 140 wine choices, with over 30 by the glass starting from $10 per glass, including a range of sakes, non-alcoholic wines and craft beers, and a range of quality cocktails and spirits.
Catch the tennis action and enjoy aperitivo on the Pelican Lawn at Albert Park.
The place to be this summer, Lakeside at Carousel will say hello to the House of Peroni – a pop-up on the Pelican Lawn – open daily from Friday, 22 January for guests to enjoy aperitivo, ice-cold beers and will also bring with it the 2021 Australian Open with a big screen for Melburnians to catch the world’s best tennis stars in action.
Open for walk-ins throughout January, February and March, the House of Peroni will feature lounges, bar tables and umbrellas, and food and beer specials, making it the ultimate summer drinks spot to enjoy with friends, workmates and family.
Image credit: Lucas Worcester
Bringing the 2021 Australian Open to Lakeside at Carousel, Melburnians will be able to watch the tennis on a big screen from 8 February. Spectators can set themselves on the lush lawns and enjoy all the matches while taking in the views across Albert Park Lake and the Melbourne city skyline.
Tennis fans, friends, families and even groups celebrating a special occasion have the option to bring their own picnic blanket or hire furniture on-site to make their viewing experience even more comfortable or can secure the best spot in the house by pre-booking a furniture package online that will be set-up and ready to go when you arrive.
Lakeside at Carousel will be serving up delicious, freshly prepared food and drinks with a little something for everyone, available to order on the spot from the windows overlooking the lawns at Carousel or pre-order online via the Lakeside at Carousel website. From 4pm to 6pm, the House of Peroni will have an aperitivo offering available for just $15 per person, which includes a Peroni or Peroni Leggera and your choice of snack from the menu including prawn rolls, mac and cheese croquettes, Chicago-style hot dog, hot smoked salmon taco, wagyu beef slider, southern crispy chicken slider, BBQ chicken salad bowl or beetroot relish salad bowl.
Hosting the best that our summer has to offer, Lakeside at Carousel is open daily (weather permitting) from 9am until sunset with picnic spots, furniture hire, delicious food, drinks and live entertainment. House of Peroni is open daily from 4pm to 6pm at Lakeside at Carousel from 22 January until March 31 and the Australian Open Super-Site screen will be live and broadcasting all the tennis action from 10am daily from 8 February until 21 February.
In a super fun alignment between Potts Point legends Cho Cho San and FISHBOWL, the famous matcha soft serve – “A Matcha Made in Heaven” – is now being made on-site by the team at FISHBOWL Bondi for a limited time.
• This will be thefirst time in Sydney, the matcha soft serve has been available outside of Potts Point • A Matcha Made in Heaven will only be available from FISHBOWL Bondi Beach • The alignment will be for a limited time till the end of summer • RRP $6 or half price with any FISHBOWL • To celebrate FISHBOWL and Cho Cho San have released a limited run of T’s, hats and totes that can be purchased in-store at Bondi
On aligning with FISHBOWL, Cho Cho San’s Co-Founder and Chef, Jonathan Barthelmess states: “With both Cho Cho San and FISHBOWL drawing inspiration from Japan and the spirit of Sydney, there was more than enough in common for us to pursue a summer fling with “a matcha made in heaven”.
“At Cho Cho San we combine the best of Japanese dining with an injection of the unexpected, creating an energising experience, so trusting FISHBOWL with our Matcha Soft Serve takes that message even further… to Bondi. This is the first time Cho Cho San’s signature soft serve has been made available outside of our beloved Potts Point restaurant but we know it’s in safe hands.”
FISHBOWL is also offering free delivery all this week on the Deliveroo app.
For the first time ever, the must-have pink gin of the summer will be available for purchase to enjoy in your own home.
Melbourne’s largest outdoor floating bar and restaurant Arbory Afloat, and two-time awarded International Gin Producer of the Year, Yarra Valley distillery Four Pillars, have come together again to craft an exclusive pink gin to be enjoyed at Afloat, and (for the first time) in your own home as limited release bottles will be available for purchase from 9 February.
As going overseas is not on the radar for most of us this summer, Arbory Afloat and Four Pillars are celebrating the mellow vibes and old-school good times of the great Australian beach house with their new and exclusive pink gin dubbed ‘Arbory Afloat × Four Pillars Beach House Gin’. The gin is packed full of citrus tones, utilising lemon myrtle as well as grapefruit, orange and lemon peel, which is balanced to the luscious flavours of sweet strawberry gum, pineapple sage and plump Davidson plums to create a pink gin that’s as delicious and colourful as a summer’s day at a beach house.
In 2019, Arbory Afloat and Four Pillars created a limited-edition ‘Miami Pink Gin’, exclusively available to taste in venue. This season, the pink ‘Beach House Gin’ is available to taste at Afloat on tap and in cocktails. And soon you will be able to get your hands on a bottle of the pink gin to make your very own cocktails at home.
Arbory Afloat × Four Pillars Beach House Gin bottles will be available for purchase from 8am on Tuesday, 9 February until sold out. Bottles can be purchased in venue at Arbory Afloat or online via www.arboryafloat.com.au for $90 per bottle.
The pink ‘Beach House Gin’ will also be available to purchase in a gin & tonic bundle, paired with a bespoke Arbory Afloat × StrangeLove Beach House Tonic four-pack for $100.
This year’s label design was a collaboration between Melbourne-based design studio 21-19 and Finnish artist and illustrator Antti Kalevi. The design captures the laid-back Australian beachside feel we’re all familiar with. Antti’s effortless mix of shape and textile form an abstract landscape that captures that spirit.
To celebrate its arrival, Arbory Afloat and Four Pillars have teamed up to host a special Beach House Gin beach party right in the heart of the CBD. On Thursday, 4 February, guests can party all night long on Arbory Afloat’s Pool Deck with oysters, canapés and different tastes of the gin with three cocktails on offer and entertainment from Harvey Miller Mobile Beach Club DJ of the popular Melbourne duo Client Liaison. Bottles of the new gin will be exclusively available to guests attending the launch for purchase on the night. Tickets go on sale in January via www.arboryafloat.com.au.
Spice Temple rings in Year of the Ox with a feast of auspicious dishes.
Spice Temple is ushering in the Chinese New Year with an elaborate banquet of nine delicious, auspicious dishes, which signify good luck for the year ahead.
Executive Chef of Spice Temple in Sydney and Melbourne Andy Evans, and Melbourne Head Chef Joshua Kerr have curated share-style menus to celebrate the Year of the Ox, which are available from Wednesday, 10 February to Saturday, 20 February for lunch and dinner sittings at both restaurants.
Chef Andy explains that the symbolism of traditional Chinese New Year foods is embraced and lucky food consumed during the annual celebrations as individuals seek good fortune for the coming year.
“We have drawn on our most special dishes that we save for celebratory occasions and designed menus that promote prosperity, happiness, peace, love and other aspects of good fortune,” he says.
“We have chosen red ingredients like roma cherry tomatoes and beetroot, as red is the colour of prosperity and happiness; purse-shaped pippies that represent fortune; as well as classic dishes eaten during Chinese New Year celebrations, such as Nian Gao – or Chinese New Year cakes, and Lo Han Jai, or Buddha’s Delight, which is an extremely popular vegetarian dish that is believed to bring good luck.”
The menus cost $129 per person, with an optional wine matching for $85 per person. Dishes may vary depending on the availability of produce.
Spice Temple Sydney Cocktail on arrival ~ Wealth ~ Pickled roma cherry tomatoes with dark soy Sichuan-style pickled cucumbers and shiitake ~ Prosperity ~ Raw tuna ‘Yu Sheng’ with spicy orange oil and iceberg ~ Happiness ~ Hunan-style soy beef and beetroot salad ~ Fortune ~ ‘The most delicious dish under heaven’ – pippies with pork and Shaoxing wine ~ Longevity ~ Stir-fried spanner crab with leeks and mung bean noodles ~ Money ~ Stir-fried Wagyu brisket with lucky money dumplings and baby eggplant ~ Peace ~ Roast pork belly with hot, sweet and sour sauce ~ Rejuvenation ~ Stir-fried baby vegetables with ginger ~ Love ~ Raspberry sorbet with praline
Spice Temple Melbourne’s Josh Kerr is preparing for his first Chinese New Year as the restaurant’s Head Chef.
“Chinese New Year is the time to honour many things, including family, heavenly deities and ancestors. At Spice Temple we also like to honour our guests, suppliers and producers by creating a very special menu that showcases beautiful ingredients and culturally significant dishes,” says Josh.
“I’ve played with ingredients to give classic dishes a contemporary Spice Temple spin and have incorporated food symbolism that is significant at this time of year, for example my interpretation of a traditional Yu Sheng is predominantly green in colour, which is the lucky colour of the Ox zodiac.”
Spice Temple Melbourne Cocktail on arrival ~ Wealth ~ Pickled roma cherry tomatoes with dark soy Sichuan-style pickled cucumber and shiitake ~ Prosperity ~ Raw Hiramasa Kingfish ‘Yu Sheng’ with preserved olive, pickled celery and shallot oil ~ Happiness ~ Hunan-style Cape Grim fillet tartare with salted chilli and yacai and served with sesame bread ~ Fortune ~ Stir-fried pippies with lap cheong and mushroom soy ~ Longevity ~ Stir-fried spanner crab, leeks and mung bean noodles ~ Money ~ Braised duck with dried mushroom and Nian Gao (Chinese New Year cake) ~ Peace ~ Charcoal-roasted char siu, honey and Shaoxing glaze with burnt garlic chive sauce ~ Rejuvenation ~ Buddha’s Delight – braised baby vegetables and tofu ~ Love ~ Caramel ice cream with praline
Celebrating Ricotta on Sunday, 28th February. That’s Amore Cheese has announced Australia’s first ever Ricotta Festival, to be held at That’s Amore Cheese in Thomastown on Sunday, 28th February.
What is better than fresh ricotta? To start the event right, a ricotta vat from the factory will be at the entrance to the event producing freshly made, hot Ricotta Calda served up to each guest.
The café will be offering a selection of ricotta dishes, Cannoleria’s cannoli cart will be serving freshly filled cannoli, while Vino Bambino’s Lambretta wine station will take care of the refreshments. Guests will enjoy the cheese, drinks and atmosphere while being entertained by live music.
An Italian-style Sunday fiesta, the That’s Amore Cheese Ricotta Festival will be a fun and casual event, celebrating this popular and delicious cheese. It will be a must for cheese lovers!
The event will be ticketed, with two types of ticket available: • General admin, $10 – includes admission and a serve of hot ricotta (Ricotta Calda) on arrival • Ricotta Lover Ticket, $40 – includes admission, hot ricotta (Ricotta Calda) on arrival, serve of Gnocchi Sorrentina, Polpette di Ricotta, drink and cannolo That’s Amore Cheese Ricotta Festival – Australia’s first ricotta festival When: Sunday, 28th February, 10am–3pm Where: That’s Amore Cheese, 66 Latitude Blvd, Thomastown VIC 3074 Why: To celebrate ricotta! Tickets available via https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/ricotta-festival-tickets-136523462351?aff=ebdssbeac
2020 was certainly a year no-one will forget! A wild, erratic and precarious rollercoaster ride. I think enough has already been said about the past pandemic year – “an unprecedented time” – sad, difficult, emotional, uncertain, crazy. Thankfully in Australia, we have been spared the worst. Whilst we must not be complacent, we can go on living – so here’s to a happy and safe 2021.
I started writing this whilst sitting in lockdown in Brisbane, thankfully now lifted although I still think it odd to walk through a shopping centre with everyone wearing masks. Hopefully, we will all do the right thing, stay at home and get on top of this. We must all learn to adapt and accept the “new normal”, so the hospitality and tourism industry can get back to doing what it does best. Hospitality people have always been a resilient bunch. And we all like to go out and socialise. So I’m sure the future is positive.
In 2020, like everyone else, I spent a lot more time at home – which, of course, Charlie the beagle (pictured) enjoyed – more company, more walks, more snacks. And for most of us stuck at home, we learned how to use Zoom and Teams.
The pandemic has brought in a radical shift in our relationship to food and cooking. Many people have turned back to time-consuming home-cooking projects to pass the time at home.
• We have learned how to cook, preserve, pickle, bake, make sourdough and ferment – or not • We have discovered some local suburban diners and amazing little cafés – all within walking distance – and dog friendly • We have all rediscovered the benefits of premium takeout
This means that we have a better understanding of food – and we have higher expectations. We have had time to learn to discriminate between good and average.
There are some key trends that will affect consumers in Australia in 2021.
We are making mindful choices and relying less on habit and convenience. We are re-evaluating what we purchase and how we spend our money. We are seeking authenticity and comfort. This will affect dining, as we expect more from our meal experience and we will not compromise on service and quality. We are seeking traditional, high-value comfort foods. Cheaper prices and “great value” will become more important.
We are cocooning – staying in our local areas. Whilst in lockdown we have re-evaluated our lives. We are seeking a simpler, less hectic life. Many people will continue to work from home. Infrastructure Australia recently conducted a study of the impacts of the pandemic, which suggests that about 1.3 million Australians, who were forced to abandon the office for home during the pandemic, do not want to return. This will have major impacts on CBD properties, restaurants and cafés.
We are also re-assessing where we want to live. People are moving from the cities to coastal and regional locations that give us more space, fresher air and are closer to nature.
We are buying local. Many of us like “working from home” (WFH), and this trend affects everything we do – what we buy, what we eat, where we meet others – even where we holiday. Small local communities will grow in importance. And we are reaffirming relationships with friends and trusted suppliers.
We are all anxious. We have lost control over our lives. Whilst there is optimism about vaccines and the “new normal”, we are still concerned. There has been too much disruption. Many people are relying on government support. Some people continue to flout the rules. The virus continues to pop up. The future is uncertain. So, we are being careful, considered and frugal. But at the same time, small indulgences are important – they help us get through our anxiety.
We are concerned about social media, which has been responsible for magnifying panic and anxiety. We are concerned about the influence and privacy of social media sites. Many people are turning away from Twitter/Facebook/Instagram etc.
Driven by the anxiety and concerns, mental health issues have snowballed. Mental health is now a common problem affecting us all.
However, these issues can be an opportunity for Hospitality, since humans crave togetherness and social interaction. We are seeing a gradual return to the local pub, café and gathering place – and more in-home dining.
COVID has reshaped our eating out industry. It has forced out the weak and unprofitable, reducing the over-supply of venues, whilst unfortunately also seeing better operators caught out by the economic environment.
It has forced us to look at alternatives, like premium takeout. Dark or ghost kitchens have taken off. No seating. No fancy overheads. Just a simple commercial kitchen for delivery-only or a waiting area where customers can pick up food to-go.
COVID has encouraged pre-paid bookings. It has renewed our love of al fresco dining.
And as we have been told many times, we will all have to adapt to the “new normal”. Things can change quickly, as seen in Brisbane in the past two weeks; even with the vaccines, we will have to remain vigilant. The vaccines are simply another line of defence. Like the regular flu, they will not eliminate the COVID-19 virus.
Social distancing will stay – we need to accept and adjust to this – and modify venue layouts to accommodate more space – with flexible dining spaces. The desire to eat outside will see more outdoor and rooftop dining.
Conspicuous hygiene – hand washing, sanitising tables and strengthened cleaning and food safety protocols etc. – will also become normal.
Facemasks will become designer fashion accessories.
Pre-bookings – with prepayment – and guest registration will stay for a while.
Costs will inevitably rise – with a rise in simpler, fixed price, “table d’hôte” menus. Flexitarian, vegetarian and vegan menus will become more commonplace. Non-alcoholic beers, mocktails and quality soft drinks will also grow in demand as we seek healthier, good-for-you lifestyles.
International travel will remain restricted for a year or more, so international visitors will be rare, whilst the world seeks to manage the virus. Interstate travel may continue to be disrupted – so local and regional tourism will continue to grow. We must be prepared to cater for more locals and more repeat business. This will place an emphasis on good – no, great – value. Fancy, fiddly, fine dining will give way to simpler, more traditional, satisfying, comfort foods. Italian, Mexican and the new Aussie Cuisine will flourish.
Take care with discounts. Discounting generally resets the base pricing expectations. Instead of discounting your core business (room rates, meal costs etc.) you should consider value adding. Add “free extras” to make the offer better value. Hotels can include meals; restaurants can include dessert and a glass of wine etc. They will cost you less, make your product better value and not impact your core pricing.
We will continue to experience challenging times. We will have to learn to live with the COVID-19 virus – just as we have with other diseases like the flu and HIV. We must be adaptable and innovative. But the future is good. The “new normal” will be different. But it will also be fun, novel and exciting. The evolution of dining continues, as it always has, and together we can all stay safe and dine another day.
Philip Thompson has always kept a low profile in the hospitality industry, instead concentrating on running the highly successful Sydney Cove Oyster Bar in its prime position at East Circular Quay. His vision and commitment saw the humble venue transformed into one of the most popular harbourside restaurants wowing both local, interstate and international guests with both the view and well-executed seafood menu. Unfortunately, that is shortly coming to an end, after a decision not to renew the lease by the authority that oversees the premises.
Firstly, congratulations on your award at the recent Restaurant & Catering Awards. Can you tell us what that meant to the team at Sydney Cove Oyster Bar? As often stated, hospitality is one of the industries most affected by COVID-19. Considering the challenges of the year 2020 and the ever-changing health regulations, doing even the simple things proved difficult. Many businesses closed and all struggled as we in the industry attempted to pivot to survive.
Despite all the difficulties, we didn’t compromise the Oyster Bar standards and we kept doing our best with a small team to provide Sydney’s finest seafood. Some days creating daily specials almost for no customers, we felt like the musicians playing when Titanic was going down. In such a year, being awarded the People’s Choice Restaurant has truly meant the world to all of us at Team Oyster Bar. Having won the Best Seafood Restaurant Award for Excellence in 2012 and 2017 by judge’s votes was certainly special, but this year receiving the only award that is voted on by diners showed the team that the great effort they put in serving the best seafood was appreciated by all of our customers.
With the countdown on until you are forced to vacate your current premises, when you look back at what you have achieved over the years, what are you most proud of? I’m really proud of the fact that we successfully stayed with our original concept and have become the “go to” venue for oysters in this city. To this point, Sydney Cove Oyster Bar is often referred to as an “Iconic Sydney Institution” by countless people, magazines, newspapers and television. I am justifiably proud of creating a “brand” from a small family business.
I don’t want to miss the opportunity to mention that I am also so proud of having 50% local and regular customers in an area that can be described as a tourist trap. We have worked extremely hard to create credibility and have continuously pushed to maintain a high level of food and service in this tourism precinct. The simple message I brought up at most staff meeting was “be a better restaurant tomorrow, than you are today”.
The strong team and service culture at Sydney Cove Oyster Bar has been very highly valued by your loyal dining public, can you tell us how you fostered that? To begin with staff must be valued and they must be treated with respect because without them you have nothing. It’s a tough industry with a lot of large egos happy to tell you how things should be done. But building a successful business requires a happy and cohesive team working towards a common goal. So, if everyone from the dish hands to the General Manager feels valued for the work they do, they will do the best they can for the business and that only comes about if you create the right culture.
Recently, your social media has been providing fascinating insights into the backbone of that team, sketching a layered narrative of what underpins your operation. What was the concept behind that?
I wanted to celebrate the wonderful people I have working for me and I wanted to thank them for staying with me until the very last day in a very public way before we close our doors. These little superstars are hospitality professionals making the Oyster Bar the best it can be. Most have been with us for a number of years and are well known to our diners so I thought it would be nice to get them out for a casual photoshoot and put their name up in lights on our social media platforms for all to read and connect with their story.
There was an incredible outpouring of support when diners became aware of the circumstances behind having to leave your premises. What touched you the most from the thousands of comments that were posted? To put it briefly, for those who haven’t heard about it yet, the Oyster Bar is closing its doors at the end of March 2021 since our lease wasn’t renewed by Property NSW.
It was the way everyone got behind us and said you must fight this decision and not to give in. For most, including us, replacing a long established and much-loved small business with a large pub group operator was unfathomable.
The most heartwarming moment was when we found out about a petition that was started on our behalf at change.org to save our business. The petition went on to get nearly 15.000 signatures from all over the world. We had many customers writing to ministers demanding the decision be overturned and we even had an ex-prime minister making public comment at the tender outcome.
Can you tell us what the future holds for both you and your team? Unfortunately, it is most likely the end of the road for the Sydney Cove Oyster Bar. I’ve had 33 wonderful years running this company, and as sad as I feel, I can step out comfortably knowing I gave it my all and succeeded.
Because of the strength of our brand and our longevity in the industry we have been offered a number of other sites that has been both flattering and tempting but none of them can replace Oyster Bar.
All that said, there is a little project I’m starting to consider later this year/early next year that could see a few of the team back together again.
Set back from the bustling vantage of Darling Harbour, a bridge stroll from Sydney’s CBD, you will find a wine bar of another kind, Mister Percy. A wholly vegetarian, produce-led neighbourhood nook, identifiable only by a lone lamp lit bronze plaque donning its namesake, where Head Chef Courtney Blyde and Venue Manager Antonio Di Munno are ready to serve. The duo will lead a fresh chapter of heartfelt hospitality within the walls of this centuries-old wool store.
Bringing the talents of a young, globally inspired chef under the same roof as an industry veteran with old school hospitality at their core, Mister Percy will see old world charm flourish alongside new age sensibilities, to become a place where conscious cuisine and local produce are served with warmth and welcome from within the historic heart of Pyrmont.
Image credit: Jiwon Kae
Mister Percy’s new Head Chef, Courtney Blyde (ex-Mary’s Pizzeria, The Apollo and Cho Cho San) draws influence from fresh and local produce, inspired by the marriage of classic and innovative techniques. Courtney will see Mister Percy’s carefully handpicked wine list paired perfectly with a produce-led, vegetarian bistro-style menu designed to share with a selection of small and big plates, sides and sweets.
Sharpening his knives, Courtney will bring produce to life, locally sourced through family owned and operated Farmer and Son, using global flavours and techniques to hero the humble veg – best served with a wine in hand, beneath the low-lit lounge setting of Mister Percy. Signature dishes include the vinegar glazed onions, sour cream and nut loaf ($14), inspired by the classic flavour combination of sour cream and onion, served with a side of his mother’s very own more-ish nut loaf, in addition to a comforting squashed lasagne, parmesan cream ($26).
Antonio Di Munno (ex-Jet Bar Caffe, Parlour Lane Roasters Café and Wine Bar, and La Locanda) joins the Mister Percy team as Venue Manager, with over 10 years’ experience in prestigious hospitality environments. A well-respected man about town, Antonio’s personability, authentic positivity and skilful food and beverage recommendations make for an unforgettable experience that is filled with warmth and welcome, creating a family away from home for guests.
Housed in a former heritage wool store, Mister Percy stands as an ode to the wool-classer who etched his name into one of the building’s historic sandstone bricks. A gentleman who was not averse to a glass (or few) of wine. Designed by award-winning interior design firm Luchetti Krelle, contemporary accents achieve an intimate lounge-style aesthetic within a cavernous antique space dotted with original wool store fittings of exposed wooden beams and metal bearings. Vintage decor and modern materials meld together to create a warm candle-lit space for you to settle into your seat, vino in hand.
Mister Percy’s refreshed offering is as palate pleasing and thoughtful as their collection of pours from local and boutique progressive producers, available by the glass, quartino or bottle, handpicked for their profound quality and character. With a shared passion for quality and care, Courtney and Antonio will see Mister Percy’s journey into the new year be a produce-led affair delivered with an unforgettable dose of warmth and welcome.
Courtney’s new menu has been guided by Ovolo’s commitment to going vegetarian for 365 days with all restaurants and bars across Australia and Hong Kong. Known as ‘Year of the Veg’, Mister Percy’s food will celebrate fresh and locally sourced produce, ethical eating and conscious cuisine.
The team at Koko Black has put together some wonderful gift boxes and gift ideas, perfect for celebrating Valentine’s Day and Lunar New Year.
Valentine’s Day Treat your sweetheart this Valentine’s Day to a collection of Koko handcrafted Chocolate Truffles and Pralines to make their heart pop!
GIFT BOXES
9 Piece Gift Box Nine of the best white, milk and 54% dark chocolate pralines, handpicked for your Valentine. RRP: $24.90
16 Piece Gift Box Koko Black’s most-loved white, milk and 54% dark chocolate pralines, specially crafted for your most-loved. RRP: $39.90
25 Piece Gift Box 25 ways to say I love you, a collection of white, milk and 54% dark chocolate pralines for your Valentine. RRP: $59.00
HAMPERS
Champagne & Truffles Hamper A selection of the very best Koko and bubbles, including the Truffle Collection (eight of the best milk and dark chocolate truffles, handpicked for your Valentine) Contents: Veuve Clicquot Brut Yellow Label Champagne, 750ml The Truffle Collection, 90g Cranberry, Macadamia & Cherry, Milk Chocolate 100g Rocky Rogue, Milk Chocolate, 130g Raspberry Macadamias, 54% Dark Chocolate, 165g Passionfruit Marbles, 54% Dark Chocolate, 54g RRP: $199.00
HEART POPS
White Heart Pop Dreamy white chocolate to make their heart pop! RRP: $3.90
Milk Heart Pop Creamy milk chocolate to make their heart pop! RRP: $3.90
Dark Heart Pop Decadent 54% dark chocolate to make their heart pop! RRP: $3.90
Lunar New Year
Welcoming the Year of the Ox. Strength, loyalty, and good fortune in 2021.
Just as the Ox is a symbol of balance, strength and dependability, Koko Black’s Lunar New Year gift range depicts these traits through a series of gold symbols, messages and wishes for the year ahead.
Wish friends and family a joyful and peaceful New Year with a special collection of pralines – every bite brings excitement for the year ahead.
GIFT BOXES
16 Piece Gift Box 16 little parcels of good fortune. A collection of Koko’s most abundant flavours, white, milk and 54% dark chocolate pralines. RRP: $39.90
64 Piece Gift Box Give a gift of abundance. 64 white, milk and 54% dark chocolate pralines featuring the finest flavours and alchemies. RRP: $125.00
The Lucky Lunar Collection A special limited-release collection of pralines for luck and prosperity. Contents: 2 × Mandarin & Yuzu 2 × Matcha, Chilli & Mango 2 × Passion 2 × Mango & Vanilla RRP: $22.90
Red Envelope Lunar New Year Gift Box purchases will include a ‘Red Envelope’ as a gift with purchase.
Cannoleria by That’s Amore is releasing a limited-edition cannoli for Australia Day 2021. Called the Millennial Cannoli, it does not get much more Aussie – smashed avo!
A twist on the popular smashed avo on toast, the Millennial Cannoli has the signature Cannoleria crunchy shell filled with smashed avo, ricotta and garnished with toast croutons. Perfect to accompany a morning coffee or as an afternoon treat, the cannoli are a little sweet but not as sweet as the other Cannoleria cannoli flavours – so everyone will love it.
The Australia Day Millennial Cannoli will be available in all stores – Preston Market, Highpoint Shopping Centre, South Melbourne Market, Watergardens Shopping Centre, That’s Amore Cheesery in Thomastown and Cannoleria’s UGO café in Heidelberg from 22–26 January while stocks last each day. Pre-orders are also available for those who do not want to miss out!
This Sunday, 17 January, the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana (AVPN) is hosting the world’s first pizza marathon on ‘Vera Pizza Day’, streaming 24 hours of mixing, tossing and baking by 15 of the best pizza slingers from around the globe.
To celebrate the first edition of Vera Pizza Day, pizza fans all over the world are invited to join the online global marathon and learn the fine art of making Neapolitan pizza – a thin, authentic Italian dough made with only four ingredients.
After the traditional lighting of the Sant’Antuono ‘fire’ at the AVPN offices in Naples, Australia will be kicking things off at 10:30am AEST with 400 Gradi and Gradi Group Director Johnny Di Francesco, a respected chef, restaurateur and pizza professional whose famous margherita pizza was crowned the very best in the world at the 2014 World Pizza Championships.
Di Francesco will then pass the virtual baton to a leading pizza maker in Japan, before it is passed to Korea, Thailand, Russia, Egypt, Turkey, Poland, Italy, France, Spain, Brazil, finishing in the USA.
To watch the marathon unfold and pick up some pizza skills along the way, viewers can tune in via the AVPN Facebook page.
Companies participating in the Foodservice Australia and Food & Hospitality Queensland tradeshows will be pleased to hear these events have been recognised by the Australian government as eligible for grants to cover up to half the cost.
The Business Events Grants Scheme was established late last year to help Australian suppliers participate in major business-to-business events running in 2021. It recognises the impact of the lockdown and the power of tradeshows to generate new business connections.
Costs that can be claimed include exhibition space, stand building, equipment hire, promotional materials, networking functions, travel and accommodation. Grants will cover up to half those costs and will range from $10,000 to $250,000. This amount will be paid directly to the exhibitor.
Event Director Tim Collett says it is a great opportunity for local companies to reconnect with trade customers and rebuild sales. He says “these two events will bring buyers and sellers together at exactly the right time. These grants will make it easier for regular exhibitors and allow many more suppliers to get involved”.
Foodservice Australia is running from 27–29 June at the Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre and will have over 400 exhibitors and 10,000 trade visitors. Food & Hospitality Queensland is a regional event running at the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre from 1–2 August. Both events are now open for exhibitor and visitor bookings.
Collett says bookings for both shows are strong despite recent outbreaks. He says “business events are already running with practical safety plans and full traceability in place. Our events are focused on the local market and not dependent on internationals. We are confident these will be our biggest and most important shows ever”.
The window for applying for grants is 4 January to 30 March or when funding has been exhausted. Exhibitors should apply directly to government as early as possible to ensure consideration. Full details including eligibility and applications can be found at http://www.business.gov.au/grants-and-programs/business-events-grants
For information on Foodservice Australia and Food & Hospitality Queensland contact the food team on 03 9999 5460 or food@specialisedevents.com.au
Bellboy Cafe is celebrating World Bagel Day with free bagels!
The first 100 bagels ordered this Friday, 15 Jan are free – a choice of House-Smoked Salmon Bagel, Muffuletta Bagel (pictured), Vegan Salad Bagel, Cream Cheese Schmear Bagel or PBJ Bagel (Crunchy Peanut Butter + Raspberry Jam).
For those that miss out on the free bagels, there will be a complimentary coffee (roasted on site) with every bagel purchased for the rest of the day.
Newtown legends Young Henrys are kicking off 2021 with a bang, dropping a new collab beer ‘Bowlo Bitter’ with local favourites, alt-country/folk band Caitlin Harnett & The Pony Boys. Available in kegs only at select venues, Young Henrys are sending the band on an East Coast tour to celebrate, hitting some of their favourite bowling clubs in NSW.
Check out their hilarious Tarantino-esque video featuring head brewer Jesse Searls getting into a banjo duel with Caitlin Harnett, shot by Yeah Rad, HERE.
‘Bowlo Bitter’ is a thirst-quenching beauty, deep gold in colour with subtle grassy overtones from some good old Aussie Cascade hops. Inspired by the band and brewery’s joint love of the local bowlo – a place where you can enjoy a frosty schooey of amber nectar in your hand, grass between your toes and the dulcet country tones of the breeze.
It was a huge year for Caitlin Harnett & the Pony Boys in 2020. After landing “Best Live Act in NSW” at the Nation Live Music Awards, and selling out multiple Sydney shows, the alt-country local darlings released their debut studio album, “Late Night Essentials” to critical acclaim. The album is a whisky-drenched, emotionally rich album, which has been blaring through the brewery speakers since its release back in November.
Young Henrys is a brewery born from a simple idea: brew beer their local community would enjoy and be proud to call their own. As the brewery grew, so did their community, working with like-minded folk who have led the voices of authority on music, art, culture and community. This collaboration is no exception, creating a delicious and unique beer, while supporting local musicians and some of the state’s finest Bowlos.
Kicking off in Newcastle on Thursday, January 21st, the ‘Bowlo Bitter’ tour will head to Adamstown Bowlo, where Caitlin Harnett & The Pony Boys will be joined by James Thomson on support. Next, the band will head north to Bangalow Bowlo in Byron Bay playing tunes up north with Brisbane band Jollee on Friday, January 22nd.
Heading south to Wombarra Bowlo in Wombarra next with good mate Lady Lyon. Picture an arvo of live music and beers overlooking Sydney’s glorious south coast, before heading home to Petersham Bowlo on Saturday, January 30th for one last hurrah, supported by Papa Pilko and The Binrats.
Whether you’re watching the band from the shade of your Akubra, chucking flippers on the rink or just spectating from the sideline, ‘Bowlo Bitter’ is a beer to be enjoyed by all.
Young Henrys ‘Bowlo Bitter’ will be available from mid-January in select venues and Bowling Clubs.
Tex-Mex rebel El Camino Cantina is taking a trip down memory lane with a Retro Rita series that gives its legendary Margaritas nostalgic, flavoursome twists. Die-hard fans also have the chance to win Margaritas for a year.
Cruisey Guava
The limited-edition Retro Rita series is inspired by flavours of iconic Aussie lollies, ice creams and other delicious treats. All El Camino Cantina locations across Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane (excluding South Bank) have four flavours available: Cruisey Guava, Fruit Tingle, The Cottee and The Vovo.
Caramello
The flagship El Camino Cantina in The Rocks, Sydney has an additional six flavours available: Caramello, The Good Time, Frosty Rita, Red Frog, Flying Jelly and Icey Lemonade.
Icey Lemonade
All Retro Ritas are served Cadillac-style, with a smooth, rich float of Grand Marnier (15oz $20, 24oz $24). Tasting paddles of any four, 220ml flavours are also available ($30).
The Margarita mecca has also launched a Hottest 100 Rita Countdown, enabling participants to vote for their top ten flavours from a list of 100. Voting closes on Wednesday, 20 January, with the top four flavours available from Saturday, 23 January until Sunday, 28 February. El Camino Cantina in The Rocks will have the top ten flavours available for this duration. Margarita lovers can cast their votes HERE.
Each El Camino Cantina location will randomly select a participant in the Hottest 100 Rita Countdown, who will win Margaritas for one year.
El Camino Cantina Food & Beverage Director Molly Haranis said: “We’re kicking off 2021 the way we intend to continue, with fun activations around our legendary Margaritas and an ever-evolving dining experience so guests can enjoy something a little different every time they visit.”
The newest El Camino Cantina at South Bank in Brisbane is dialling up the party action at its dedicated DJ space Hotel Diablo, located on the upper floor. Local DJs play from 6pm, with headline DJs hitting the stage from 10pm to 11pm on weekends.
The headline acts for January 2021 include:
Ritapop Friday, 15 January Will Chusap Saturday, 16 January Rojdar
Where to find bottomless meat and cheese platters and indulgent Sunday sessions.
Revered for its delicious schnitzel credentials, The Bavarian is throwing caution to the wind throughout January 2021 with the launch of a new Naked Chicken Parma that is served, somewhat unconventionally, without the classic golden crumb.
The traditional method of dipping chicken or pork in egg, coating in flour, dropping in hot oil and basting until an ultra-crisp crust forms has been replaced with a good intention-inspired, New Year’s resolution-charged, grilled chicken breast with parmigiana toppings, served with healthy side dishes.
The breadcrumb-less grilled bird is far from bare, draped instead in double-smoked ham, drizzled with Napolitana sauce, daubed with mozzarella and served with a healthy green salad and crisp, sweet potato fries.
It is a gorgeous thing that will indulge a schnitzel craving, while keeping healthy intentions on track.
The Naked Chicken Parma (AU$27, NZ$30) is available at all The Bavarian locations until Sunday, 31 January.
On the other hand, if there are no limits to indulgence, lovers of charcuterie and gluttons of cheese have the opportunity to feast upon an all-you-can-eat Meat & Cheese Board throughout January (AU/NZ$25 per person, minimum two diners). A delightful collection of German cheeses, Prager ham, Schinkenspeck, Lyoner, Berliner, Liverwurst, pretzels, gherkins, Kühne mustard and remoulade will be replenished, when fully consumed, during each 90-minute sitting.
In drinks news, everyone loves a Sunday session and The Bavarian is stocking the bar with cocktail essentials ready for outrageously affordable AU/NZ$20 jugs of its favourite summertime tipples: Strawberry Margarita, Lychee Paradise, Apple-Tini and Elderflower Garden, which are available every Sunday in January. Kick back al fresco and ease into afternoon vibes with a chilled cocktail jug, paired with nibbles, dishes and desserts from The Bavarian’s menu. Find a full list of venues here.
Over the January Long Weekend, this 5-day event will feature guests chefs, including George Calombaris, Sarah Tiong, Khanh Ong, Gary Mehigan and Diana Chan.
After a highly successful summer season of weekend barbecues at Ocean Eight winery on the Mornington Peninsula, chef Jerry Mai is gathering her friends for a finale of epic proportions from Friday, 22nd to Tuesday, 26th January, 11am–3pm.
With the focus squarely on the smoky charcoal grills, Jerry will join mates Sarah Tiong*, Khanh Ong, Diana Chan and George Calombaris as they each take up the tongs for a day (details on each day in notes below). *NSW border restrictions pending.
Friday, 22nd & Saturday, 23rd January – Marks the last weekend of solo cooking for Jerry Mai as her summer residency at Ocean Eight comes to an end.
Sunday, 24th January – The guest chef series will kick off with a ‘Greece vs Vietnam’ battle for spit superiority between Jerry and George Calombaris. Banh mi will be pitted against souva as the chefs go head to head on the charcoal grills. Guests will have the opportunity to vote for their favourite and the winner will be granted bragging rights for 2021. The day will be MC’d by cookbook author Alice Zaslavsky.
Monday, 25th January –Masterchef alumnus and celebrated chef Sarah Tiong will step up to the coals next, with a South-East Asian cook-off. The two chefs will bring the heat and fragrance for a spectacular South-East Asian feast. Food writer Sofia Levin will MC the day.
Tuesday, 26th January – Real-life housemates and TV chefs Diana Chan and Khanh Ong will face off in what is sure to be a hilarious afternoon. Known not only for their delicious food but their cheeky humour, the housemates will be serving up dishes and witty quips in abundance. Judge for the day will be none other than Gary Mehigan.
Set in the idyllic and verdant Ocean Eight winery, guests are invited to pack a picnic rug and relax on the grassy knoll overlooking the vines, whilst sipping some of the region’s best drops to match each chef’s creations.
Ocean Eight’s wines provide the perfect match for Jerry Mai’s take on South-East Asian cuisine. The wines are elegant, lean, bright and tight with a punchy acidic finish, complementing those summery, smoky barbecue flavours.
Jerry’s Bia Hoi residency at Ocean Eight has been running every weekend since 6 November, attracting locals and visitors alike and often selling out. The residency was supposed to end in December, but by popular demand, Jerry and Ocean Eight winemaker Mike Aylward decided to continue the Vietnamese barbecue feasts over the summer holidays. This final barbecue fest with friends over the January long weekend will wrap up the residency with a bang.
“We have had such a great time throughout our residency at Ocean Eight,” says Jerry Mai. “I’ve spent every weekend since November up there cooking in the sunshine and overlooking the most incredible view across the vines. I figured since we can’t holiday overseas this year, I’d bring some of the best flavours of an overseas holiday down to the coast. I can’t wait to share this special spot with my mates and taste their food – it’ll be lots of fun and, of course, delicious. We are also incredibly grateful to Hiramasa Kingfish and Porkstar for their help in pulling this together”.
Mike Aylward says, “It’s been a blast to have chef Jerry Mai, head chef Dougie and the Bia Hoi team at the Ocean Eight cellar door. It’s given visitors a true taste of how well our cool climate wines pair with South East Asian flavours. We can’t wait to welcome such talented chefs and cooks to our beautiful corner in the Mornington Peninsula. We encourage everyone to come ready for a great feed, great wines, and, knowing Chef Jerry Mai, some great laughs too.”
Dates & takeover details: 11am–3pm each day
~ Friday, 22nd Jan & Saturday 23rd Jan: Jerry Mai solo ~ Sunday, 24th Jan: George Calombaris vs Jerry Mai (MC’d by Alice Zaslavsky) ~ Monday, 25th Jan: Sarah Tiong vs Jerry Mai (MC’d by Sofia Levin) ~ Tuesday, 26th Jan: Khanh Ong vs Diana Chan (Judged by Gary Mehigan)
A laid-back beachside haven inspired by Freshwater’s surf culture and young spirit.
Harbord Hotel, Freshwater’s original shrine by the sea, is now open. Located a short stroll from the shoreline, Harbord Hotel celebrates Freshwater’s surf culture and young spirit, with an expansive main bar, sun-soaked terrace, and new restaurant and cocktail bar, Balsa.
Undoubtedly one of Sydney’s greatest pubs, Harbord Hotel (formerly Harbord Beach Hotel) has stood proudly as a community landmark for nearly a century. Under the custodianship of new owners Glenn Piper and Lachlan Cottee, Harbord Hotel’s exciting evolution has been designed with everyone in mind but locals at the heart, and great care has gone into understanding the area’s history to help shape the venue’s future.
The result is a true beachside haven; a local icon informed by the surf culture that has long been embedded in its name; a place where morning brunch stretches out to the afternoon, and daytime turns seamlessly into sundown.
Glenn Piper said: “We are so excited to swing open the doors to this special venue, especially after what has been a tough few weeks for the Northern Beaches. Harbord Hotel has always been so much more than a pub, it is an extension of the area and a second home to many, so it is truly incredible to see our community enjoying it again”.
He continues: “Everyone knows that undeniable Freshwater current – it’s magic, and something that has guided us throughout this process. Life doesn’t need to be complicated when you’ve got the fundamentals down to a fine art. Good mates, great food, cold beer, cracking tunes, and, of course, the ocean”.
Designed in collaboration with design studio, Alexander & Co, Harbord Hotel takes its cues from Freshwater’s history and unique claim as the birthplace of surfboard riding in Australia. Greeted by a mural by local Northern Beaches artist Ash Holmes, guests will be able to stroll up straight from the sea, throw their boards on the surfboard rack out front, and head onto the sun-soaked terrace to refresh and relax.
The exterior of the building has a new sun-bleached identity and portions of the venue that were covered up for decades have been exposed, revealing a heritage staircase and arches, and memories of bygone coastal flair. The expanded terrace now features an outdoor bar, with more room for guests to sit outside and enjoy the nor’easterly breeze. Inside, the expansive bar area is a true locals hangout and perfect spot to watch sport, with walls adorned with surfing nostalgia and vintage images.
Head Chef and Freshwater local Adam Rust (ex-12 Micron) celebrates the influence of American surf culture on Australia and Freshwater’s influence on the world by delivering classic pub fare with a coastal twist. Think raw tuna tostada, avocado, pickled melon and corn tortilla; prawn cocktail featuring North Queensland tiger prawns, Marie Rose sauce, cos and lemon; potato scallops, wakame-vinegar, salt, aioli; steak and chips, with 250g grain-fed rump and fried egg; and green bowl with broccolini, avocado, kale, quinoa, green goddess dressing, with the option to add wood-fired salmon or rotisserie chicken, and a range of wood-fired flatbreads, including heirloom tomato, zucchini flower and ricotta, spiced prawn, and prosciutto.
For the early risers, there is a coffee cart and breakfast menu starting from 7am each day, where locals can grab wholesome bites like a chia bowl with roasted peach and coconut yoghurt, and charred sourdough with avocado, blistered cherry tomatoes, feta and basil.
Balsa, which will officially open in the coming weeks, pays homage to the single element we owe the freedom of surfing to – the lightweight wood that transformed chasing sets into a national pastime. Here, Rust has designed a menu that captures the spirit and flavours of the ocean, harnessing the simple and natural flavours of salt, wood and smoke to cook up the best and most-ethical local produce he can find. Further details on the launch of Balsa will be announced soon.
Drinks take the smoke and salt philosophy to the next level, hero-ing riffs on margaritas with chilli salt smoked in the wood-fire, coastal and volcanic wines and crisp Aussie beers, alongside a selection of quaffable non-alcoholic drops.
Harbord Hotel is enjoying an action-packed first summer of free entertainment, with a strong focus on live music and championing local Northern Beaches talent, including Shag Rock, Aodhan and Great Gable, with more to come.
The team is taking a gradual approach to the venue’s refurbishment, and the second phase is set to include a further evolution of the current offering, adding a boutique accommodation building and café. The vision is that Harbord Hotel will continue to be intrinsically linked to its Freshwater roots with a strong community-focus and connection to surf culture, helping to support local businesses and reinvigorate the area. Further details will be announced in due course.
COVID-19: The health and safety of guests and staff remains paramount. The venue will be adhering to all government advice and requirements around COVID-19, and taking every measure to keep the community safe.
Want to get your hands on the elusive Cadbury Caramilk Hokey Pokey bar (which isn’t even currently available in Australia)? Craving that luscious caramel flavour? Gelatissimo is coming to the rescue this January, proudly bringing you a fresh gelato version inspired by the cult favourite treat.
That’s right, Gelatissimo’s January flavour is Caramel Milk With Nutty Hokey Pokey – a smooth caramelised white chocolate gelato topped with golden nutty toffee pieces, consisting of hazelnut and peanut.
A perfect foil to the hot weather (and a comfortingly cool reprieve from those summer storms), Caramel Milk with Nutty Hokey Pokey is rich, decadent, and the perfect holiday treat.
With the Cadbury version enjoying cult status throughout Australia thanks to its unique caramelised white chocolate recipe, the Gelatissimo gelato flavour is sure to follow suit. Race to your closest store to be among the first to try it.
About Gelatissimo: Australia’s favourite gelato, Gelatissimo has been bringing people together to create and celebrate moments of pure happiness since opening the first store in Sydney in 2002. Gelatissimo is constantly evolving its range of great-tasting flavours, made fresh in-store with no artificial colours or flavours. Made using traditional Italian methods, its gelato is available across 44 stores throughout Australia and in 26 overseas locations including Singapore and China.
The limited-edition flavour has arrived in Australia.
Luxury vodka brand Cîroc is bringing fun and flair to Australian summer celebrations with the recent release of limited-edition flavour, Cîroc Summer Watermelon, available exclusively at Dan Murphy’s nationwide.
Bursting with the taste of fresh watermelon and a touch of sweetness and zest, Cîroc Summer Watermelon will bring vibrancy to long lunches, sunset soirees and dinner parties, its highly versatile flavour perfect for creating cocktails to impress guests at any occasion.
Hailing from the South of France, Cîroc vodka is five times distilled from fine French grapes and finished in a tailor-made copper pot still. For this limited-edition release, Cîroc vodka has been masterfully infused with a distinctive blend of Summer Watermelon and other natural flavours, resulting in a taste experience that is both lusciously different and elegantly smooth.
Celebrate life and create memorable moments with Cîroc Summer Watermelon this summer.
Cîroc Watermelon Le Twist 40ml Cîroc Summer Watermelon 20ml lemonade 40ml soda 10ml splash of cranberry Garnish with a lime wheel, fresh watermelon wheel & sprig of fresh mint. (1.2 standard drinks)
Cîroc Summer Watermelon Sparkle 25ml Cîroc Summer Watermelon 10ml cranberry juice Topped with champagne (+ 5ml elderflower if desired) Garnish with a watermelon skin twist. (1.2 standard drinks)
Cîroc Watermelon Frosé (serves 4) 200ml Cîroc Summer Watermelon 3 cups ice cubes ½ bottle pink moscato 1½ tablespoons lime juice 625g watermelon flesh, seeds removed Mint garnish Prep: 10min Extra time: 4hr freezing Purée watermelon flesh & freeze into cubes. Blend frozen watermelon cubes, lime juice, vodka & pink moscato. Serve in empty watermelon & garnish with mint. (2.5 standard drinks based on 12.5% wine)
Cîroc Summer Watermelon Product Information: ABV: 37.5% Available exclusively at Dan Murphy’s from December 21, 2020.
Publisher Dane Richards talks to Chef RJ Lines at One Penny Red about the exciting versatility and various aspects of using seasonal California pomegranates on his menu.
Christmas Day is fast approaching, and many of us are looking forward to the joys of gift giving, seeing loved ones and the almighty Christmas dinner. But while what’s on our plates is a given, what will we be drinking to accompany our meal?
Every person’s preferences are different, which is why online cake shop Jackandbeyond.com has teamed up with PsychicWorld to reveal which Christmas drink each zodiac sign should enjoy with their meals this year!
Image credit: Shutterstock / Oksana Mizina
ARIES (March 21–April 19): CRANBERRY MIMOSA Jackandbeyond.com recommends that Aries get stuck in with cranberry mimosas this Christmas. Aries are bold and ambitious zodiacs, so the kick of champagne and cranberry juice will be sure to satisfy them. Not to mention the red colouring to match their fiery tempers!
Image credit: Shutterstock / Oksana Mizina
TAURUS (April 20–May 20): BAILEYS Taureans are calmer and more collected, preferring comfort and smoothness over a kick of flavour. A Taurus therefore can’t go wrong with some Baileys on ice to maintain serenity on Christmas Day.
Image credit: Shutterstock / Monkey Business Images
GEMINI (May 21–June 20): BUCK’S FIZZ With frolics of festivities everywhere, Geminis won’t be able to focus on one thing for more than five minutes. To match your flitting and sociable personalities, treat yourselves to a buck’s fizz, which will pack a punch and keep you entertained!
Image credit: Shutterstock / zi3000
CANCER (June 21–July 22): MULLED WINE As the ‘mothers’ of the zodiac signs, a Cancer will appreciate their drink being homey and comforting. A perfect addition to Cancers’ Christmas dinners is a heartwarming mulled wine to evoke happiness and merriment.
Image credit: Shutterstock / Life morning
LEO (July 23–August 22): LIMONCELLO Leos, treat yourselves to a pop of lemon with Limoncello as you take your rightful place at the centre of the table! Try it neat with ice or as part of a lemon-inspired cocktail and let the tartness spur on your vivacious spirit.
Image credit: Shutterstock / Wollertz
VIRGO (August 23–September 22): WHITE RUSSIAN Logical, practical and a bit of a perfectionist, Virgos care more about the flavour combinations in their Christmas drinks than whether it gets them drunk. That’s why the white Russian is perfect, with the mix of bitter vodka, strong coffee and sweet cream being worthy of their appreciation.
Image credit: Shutterstock / Africa Studio
LIBRA (September 23–October 22): SAUVIGNON BLANC As connoisseurs in everything they do, a Libra will know that white wine matches turkey perfectly. They value matching their palate well, so JackandBeyond.com recommends a good sauvignon blanc to mark the day!
Image credit: Shutterstock / New Africa
SCORPIO (October 23–November 21): ESPRESSO MARTINI Scorpios are passionate and calculated in everything they do. With a bit of sensual mystery hiding on Christmas day, the intense flavour of an espresso martini will satisfy their cravings.
Image credit: Shutterstock / stockcreations
SAGITTARIUS (November 22–December 21): SHERRY A Sagittarius is adventurous, hilarious and full of stories. What better drink to accompany their Christmas dinners than a big glass of sherry? A strong swig every now and then will kick start another festive story to keep the Christmas spirit going all day long.
Image credit: Shutterstock / Vania Zhukevych
CAPRICORN (December 22–January 19): BRANDY With unwavering focus to conquer the feast in front of them, a Capricorn will appreciate something that won’t distract from or ruin their meal. Strong enough to keep them concentrated, balanced enough not to overshadow those pigs in blankets, a brandy is perfect.
Image credit: Shutterstock / DeymosHR
AQUARIUS (January 20–February 18): TIA MARIA This Christmas and especially with the year we’ve had, Aquarians will be looking for something a bit different to drink. Despising conventionality, they should embrace their uniqueness this Christmas and opt for a tasty Tia Maria – perfect neat or as a base for an experimental cocktail.
Image credit: Shutterstock / Rimma Bondarenko
PISCES (February 19–March 20): SNOWBALL COCKTAIL Christmas is the time to dream and get lost in our imagination, which is what a Pisces loves to do. A Pisces should embrace their kind and creative nature by enjoying a snowball cocktail on Christmas day – gentle in flavour and ethereal in appearance.
After a year like no other, it’s time to get festive! To celebrate the upcoming Christmas and New Year period, Crown Melbourne has upped its Christmas game this season, with offers available for all Christmas occasions across Crown’s extensive list of restaurants. Then, begin the year with a celebratory lunch or dinner on 1 January at one of Crown Melbourne’s dining venues. A great way to kick off 2021! CHRISTMAS DAY
Chiswick Woollahra has partnered with social enterprise Two Good Co. in the lead-up to Christmas on a ‘buy one, give one’ initiative. An ‘empty plate’ has been added to the Chiswick menu, giving all guests an opportunity to add this on to their order. Every time an ’empty plate’ (just $7.50 each) is purchased, a meal will be donated to a domestic violence survivor living in a women’s shelter across Sydney and Melbourne this Christmas. The meals will be provided via Two Good.
A billfold insert will be provided to each guest at the end of their meal, with details on the initiative and an invitation to pay it forward. The $7.50 ’empty plate’ will then be added to their final bill, with a meal donated to a woman in need.
About Two Good Co. Social enterprise Two Good Co. provides food, support and training to women with lived experience of domestic violence and homelessness.
Two Good began life as an organic soup kitchen established by former engineer Rob Caslick at St Canice’s church in Kings Cross. It has expanded to sell restaurant-quality salads and soups, in distinctive glass jars, which have been designed by some of Australia’s leading chefs, including Kylie Kwong, Maggie Beer, Peter Gilmore, Darren Robertson, Ben Shewry and Matt Moran. It also sells its ‘Good Things’ range of liquid soaps and beauty products.
The meals are made in Two Good’s Eveleigh HQ and delivered directly to offices and businesses by delivery partner Deliveroo. With every one sold, another is donated to a domestic violence shelter. Two Good has delivered more than 157,000 meals to refuges and shelters since business began in late 2016.
Through its Work Work program Two Good also trains and employs women in its production kitchen acting as a stepping stone for further future jobs in hospitality.
Australian Venue Co. announces 50% off bills. Thirty Melbourne pubs & bars are celebrating a fresh start in 2021 by launching ‘Melbourne’s Happiest Hour’ – 50% off all food & beverage bills from 5pm–6pm, every day in January.
Australian Venue Co. is making everyday celebrations easier for Melburnians, by cutting the cost of catching up with friends and family.
“After a challenging year, we wanted to make it easier for our locals to catch up with their mates. We’re raising a glass to a fresh start!” said Andy O’Brien, Venue Manager of The Duke of Wellington.
Eight of the participating venues are in the Melbourne CBD, which Australian Venue Co. CEO Paul Waterson hopes will support the CBD’s recovery over the summer. Melbourne’s Happiest Hour at Australian Venue Co. is valid from 5pm–6pm between 1st–31st January. That’s 50% off the total bill, every day for a whole month!
So where can locals find Melbourne’s Happiest Hour this January? All their favourite venues including The Duke of Wellington, O’Connell’s, State of Grace, Beer DeLuxe Federation Square, Imperial Bourke St, The Auburn Hotel, The Station Hotel in Footscray, and more! Melbourne’s Happiest Hour also applies to The Smith’s pop-up Lake Club at Albert Park Lake.
There’s no limit to how many times guests can claim the discount so there’s no excuse for them not to arrange plenty of catch-ups with family, friend and colleagues.
Melbourne’s Happiest Hour at Australian Venue Co. What: Melbourne’s Happiest Hour at Australian Venue Co. – 50% off the total bill Why: To kick off 2021 with good times, great food and refreshing drinks at half the price! When: From 5pm–6pm, between 1st–31st January Where: At Australian Venue Co. establishments in Melbourne* How: Dine and drink at Australian Venue Co. Melbourne establishments from 5pm–6pm and pay via mobile. Guests can use the Australian Venue Co. app, or order at table by scanning a QR code – no sign up required. For venue details visit https://www.ausvenueco.com.au/melbourne
Australian Venue Co promotes responsible service of alcohol. T&Cs will apply and will be available on the AVC website prior to the promotion commencing. * Melbourne’s Happiest Hour is not applicable at The Park, Rivers Edge or The Exchange Beach Club. The discount does not apply to private event bookings.
With December 31st fast approaching, here’s a round-up of Crown Melbourne’s festivities across New Year’s Eve to ring in the 2021.
From a three-course meal at Merrywell Bar & Dining overlooking the city skyline, an authentic Thai feast and buzzing DJ tunes at GING THAI along the Yarra, to the return of Conservatory‘s premium seafood buffet alongside live entertainment, it’s the ultimate destination to wave goodbye to the year that was, and welcome 2021 in style.
GING THAI 8 Whiteman St, Southbank VIC 3006 In prime position on the Yarra River, ring in the New Year with friends and family over cocktails and authentic Thai cuisine. Guests can enjoy the vibrant atmosphere from afternoon through to the evening, with a DJ joining the party at 10pm to take celebrations all the way into the early hours of 2021. Timings: Open from 4pm–late; DJ playing from 10pm Bookings via: 03 9292 5777 or here.
Merrywell Bar and Dining Crown Riverwalk, Crown Melbourne, 8 Whiteman St, Southbank VIC 3006 Welcome 2021 in true Merrywell style, with terrace views overlooking the city skyline. Kick your celebrations off right with a three-course meal by chef Jordan Monkhouse, plus a cocktail per person. From there, soak up the stunning views and relax with friends to the sounds of the DJ on the rooftop terrace Price: $60 per adult, $40 per child (inc. soft drink) Sittings: ● First sitting: 4.00pm–6.00pm ● Second sitting: 6.15pm– 8.15pm ● Third sitting: 8.30pm–10.30pm ● Fourth sitting: 10.45pm–late Bookings via: 03 9292 5777 or here.
Mr. Hive Kitchen & Bar 8 Whiteman St, Southbank VIC 3006 Celebrate New Years’ Eve with friends and loved ones at Mr. Hive. The three-course menu is set to impress with flamed tuna, cured oysters, wagyu and a glass of Piper-Heidsieck Champagne per person, Mr. Hive is the ultimate place to celebrate 2021. Price: $120 per person Sittings: ● First sitting: 4.00pm–6.00pm ● Second sitting: 6.15pm–8.15pm ● Third sitting: 8.30pm–10.30pm Bookings via: 03 9292 5777 or here.
Conservatory Level 1, Crown Towers, 8 Whiteman Street, Southbank VIC 3006 Ring in the New Year with Conservatory’s signature international seafood buffet, featuring some of Australia’s finest produce. Including a glass of Piper-Heidsieck Champagne and live entertainment, soak up the buzz of Southbank below with stunning views of the Yarra from floor-to-ceiling windows. Lunch buffet: 12.00pm–3.00pm ● $99 per adult ● $45 per child Dinner buffet: First sitting: 5.30pm–8.00pm Second sitting: 8.30pm–11.00pm ● $285 per adult* ● $125 per child Bookings via: 03 9292 5777 or here.
Nobu Crown Riverwalk, Crown Melbourne, 8 Whiteman Street, Southbank VIC 3006 Experience Chef Nobu Matsuhisa’s famed Japanese fusion this NYE, with a feast encompassing the best of his critically acclaimed menu. Reconnect with loved ones over a world-class culinary experience to ring in the New Year in style. Timings: Open 12pm–late Bookings via: 03 9292 5777 or here.
Koko Level 3, Crown Towers, 8 Whiteman St Southbank VIC 3006 Experience the excitement of teppanyaki with loved ones this NYE at Koko. As Crown’s signature teppanyaki restaurant, there’s fun to be had for all ages. Timings: Open 5.30pm–late Bookings via: 03 9292 5777 or here.
Silks Level 1, Crown Towers, Crown Melbourne, 8 Whiteman St, Southbank VIC 3006 Blending Eastern and Western cooking techniques, Silks celebrates the art of refined Cantonese cuisine in a sophisticated setting. Feast on exquisite dishes including kingfish, Southern rock lobster, Alaskan king crab and Mayura beef. Or, opt for a vegetarian menu featuring matsutake mushroom and black truffle. Timings: Open 5.30pm–late Bookings via: 03 9292 5777 or here.
Bistro Guillaume Crown Complex, 8 Whiteman Street, Southbank VIC 3006 Be transported to the neighbourhood bistros of Paris this NYE with Guillaume Brahimi’s classic French menu. Catch up with friends this NYE on the terrace over Brahimi’s in-house cold smoked salmon with horseradish, bottarga and chives over a cold glass of Chablis. Timings: Open 5.30pm–late Bookings via: 03 9292 5777 or here.
More than 70 Australian Venue Co pubs and bars across Queensland are celebrating a fresh start in 2021 by launching Happy Days – 50% off all bistro bills from 5:00pm–6:00pm, every day in January 2021.
The venues are making everyday celebrations easier for locals in QLD, by cutting the cost of catching up with friends and family.
We want to make it easier for the whole family to enjoy a night out together this summer. School holidays are the perfect time to skip the cooking – and the dishes!” said Scott Brydson, State Manager of Australian Venue Co.
QLD’s Happy Days at Australian Venue Co is valid from 5:00pm–6:00pm between 1st–31st January – that’s 50% off the total bistro bill, every day for a whole month!
So where can locals find QLD’s Happy Days this January? All their favourite venues across the state, including Regatta Hotel, Cleveland Sands Hotel, The Local Tavern, Currimundi Hotel, Tom’s Tavern and Palm Cove Tavern.
There’s no limit to how many times guests can claim the discount during the promotion period, so there’s no excuse for them not to arrange plenty of catch-ups with family, friends and colleagues.
AVC’s Happy Days Qld What: QLD’s Happy Days at Australian Venue Co – 50% off the total bistro bill Why: To kick off 2021 with good times, great food and refreshing drinks at half the price! When: From 5:00pm–6:00pm, between 1st–31st January Where: At Australian Venue Co establishments in QLD* How: Dine at Australian Venue Co. QLD establishments from 5:00pm–6:00pm and pay via mobile. Guests can use the AVC app, or order at table by scanning a QR code – no sign up required. Details: For full venue details visit https://www.ausvenueco.com.au/queensland/
Australian Venue Co promotes responsible service of alcohol. T&C’s apply and will be available on the AVC website prior to the promotion commencing.
* The discount does not apply to private event bookings.
Restaurant group Three Blue Ducks has switched up its Byron Bay nightclub, Locura, relaunching this month as an intimate wine bar, Oma. The 60-seat bar showcases a decidedly more refined approach to the simple real food that the Ducks are known for.
Located on bustling Lawson St, Oma is an ode to the energy and passion of the boys behind Three Blue Ducks. The group was inspired by the category 3 Tropical Cyclone Oma that swept through Byron Bay in 2019, leaving no damage, however 11 days of perfect swell and surf in its wake.
Leading the kitchen, chef and co-owner, Darren Robertson has curated a menu showcasing the best of the region’s sustainable produce and ingredients. Menu highlights include ramen eggs (pasture-raised egg, marinated in soy, farm ginger and locally grown cinnamon myrtle), pippies with Oomite XO served on sourdough crumpet; as well as a ‘deli’ section of smaller snack-style dishes, such as house-made venison prosciutto with beetroot umeboshi, and blue cheese with spent bread and honeycomb.
“Where Locura was created with a younger crowd in mind, Oma is like the big sister to some of our other venues,” says Darren. “The menu retains a lot of the comfort food that our customers have grown to love, while also incorporating smaller snacks for those who want to stop by for a glass of wine and something light. We’re working with some amazing local producers on the menu, so we’ve tried to strip things back and let the produce shine through.”
Group Beverage Manager Mem Hemmings has curated a straightforward and approachable 50-strong wine list of exclusively organically grown, minimal intervention wines from around the world. There will be 10 wines minimum in each category across red, orange, rosé, white and ‘fizzy’, encouraging customers to try multiple different drops and experiment with some more innovative blends. The drinks menu purposefully champions women in wine, as an ode to both the incredible women in the wider industry and those within the Ducks team itself.
“Natural wine is here to stay,” says Mem. “It’s time to shake off the shackles and broaden your wine drinking horizons. We want to offer this in a totally accessible way! We want to see our customers sloshing around orange wines, sipping down chilled reds in the open air and celebrating the summer with a shit hot pet nat. Throw down the tools and get stuck in.”
The group has taken a hands-on approach to the design, collaborating with local artists and designers to bring the venue to life. The walls feature a striking mural and prints by local Byron Bay artist Karlee Mackie (MLAK), with soft lighting and earthy floral arrangements by well-known local florist Nikau completing the venue.
Jeremy Ryland discusses what’s new on the diverse and exciting mezze menu at Gerard’s Bar with talented Executive Chef Adam Wolfers. Just a short distance from Gerard’s Bistro, the food vibe at Gerard’s Bar is all about sharing dishes and enjoying vibrant cocktails from the eclectic list. Impressively, the theme here is all about reducing food wastage, and promoting sustainability.
JW Marriott Gold Coast Resort & Spa is excited to unveil an exceptional line-up of food and beverage concepts, which will open along with the highly anticipated resort on Sunday, 20 December 2020. Under the direction of Head of Culinary, Paul Smart, the property will introduce six new venues, including two feature restaurants, Misono and Citrique; a Japanese whisky bar, within Misono; lobby lounge and bar, Chapter & Verse; JW Market and the Pool Pavilion. Food and beverage experiences will also include Savour by JW in-room dining and a JW Garden.
True to the JW Marriott brand’s philosophy, each venue is designed to nourish the soul, incorporating mindfully selected cuisines, local and seasonal produce, sustainably sourced ingredients; all combined with design-led interiors and superior service.
Paul Smart joins the JW Marriott Gold Coast Resort & Spa following two decades working for well-established and respected restaurants across the globe. Most recently, Paul was Executive Chef at the Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi, where he led the kitchen teams across ten prestigious venues. Previous roles have also seen him work in the kitchens of SO Sofitel Bangkok and The Ritz in London. Paul returned to the Gold Coast in July 2020 to join JW Marriott’s pre-opening team, and now provides his creativity and expertise across all food and beverage venues to deliver on the high brand standards, whilst also championing their local environment.
Paul said, “I’m thrilled to be working on such an exciting project and opening, which will not only debut the JW Marriott brand in the market but also bring a new level of luxury and dining experience to the Gold Coast. Sourcing and working with local producers from across the Sunshine State to create natural and nourishing yet sophisticated menu options has been a highlight. I’m extremely passionate about sourcing sustainably and locally so this role was an obvious fit for me and I look forward to sharing what we’re extremely proud to have created with our future guests.”
JW Marriott Gold Coast Resort & Spa’s General Manager, Ravinder Dhesi said, “We’re so pleased to have Paul’s culinary expertise, creativity and connections in the team to help bring our vision in the kitchen and food and beverage venues to life. His international reputation working in luxury venues, together with his experience in sourcing local, will ensure we deliver something truly exceptional and like nothing else available along this stretch of the Gold Coast.”
JAPANESE ARTISTRY + WHISKY BAR AT MISONO Inspired by the playful, youthful language of the streets of Harajuku, Misono presents a laneway of experiences, transitioning from an intimate izakaya and live sushi bar, to a sophisticated whisky bar with outdoor terrace and spirited teppan dining experience.
From the sushi bar’s variety of freshly prepared sushi maki, sashimi, nigiri and tempura options, and the teppan chef’s flying rice, to savouring sips of rare Nikka Whisky in the bar, each venue presents a distinct offering that can be enjoyed independently or in a progressive dining experience tailored to the guest.
The restaurant’s famous teppan experience is a highlight and presents an inescapable display from the highly skilled teppan chefs, lead by Head Chef Henry Bongay, showcasing intricate knife work and interactive theatrics perfect for the whole family. Diners can also now enjoy an elevated teppan dining experience just for adults in a private room, showcasing matching sake, sophisticated flavours and performance.
Driving guest interaction and discovery, Misono will offer lessons in seafood preparation, including the skilled artform of sashimi. Delivered by trained chefs, classes will be available for the whole family, even the option to use your own freshly caught fish.
Misono is a place to experience something surprising and different, yet remains connected to the local environment through quality produce and presentation. It’s this combination of specific Japanese cultural elements and local interpretation that makes Misono so unique and a firm local favourite.
Misono is open Tuesday through to Sunday for dinner from 5:30pm.
FRESH + CHIC ALL-DAY DINING AT CITRIQUE Citrique is built on the reputation of delivering consistently chic all-day dining experiences. Famous for its breakfast, brunch and seafood market experience, the venue attracts both locals and hotel guests with its fresh and locally sourced, contemporary cuisine. Dynamic and immersive, the restaurant’s rich atmosphere is elevated through active, open kitchens; interactive live stations, including wok station and pizza oven; and signature at-table preparations.
Re-imagining seafood, Citrique successfully turns expected staples into elevated surprises, sourcing a selection of the best freshly caught seafood and local produce daily for the ultimate sea-to-table experience. Dining is enriched with matching wines and food stories from the local producers, layering place, education and interactive provenance.
Cocktails with purpose are also on the menu, and have been designed using locally sourced beverages and featuring ingredients from the resort’s own JW Garden. The implementation of a wine ambassador program, which has been expertly crafted to invigorate, renew and calm the mind, offers the ultimate indulgence.
Citrique is open daily for breakfast from 6:30am to 10:30am and dinner Monday through to Saturday from 6pm.
HANDMADE PRODUCTS + LOCAL PRODUCE AT JW MARKET Citrique’s elevation under the JW Marriott brand includes the addition of a signature JW Market – a café and marketplace that fosters authentic connections to locally crafted products and produce.
Championing local farmers and producers, JW Market boasts an array of fresh produce from cold cut meats from the Scenic Rim, to aged cheeses and flavoured fudge from Tamborine Mountain and everything in between. In addition, JW Market sells thoughtfully curated products homegrown in the JW Garden for guests and locals to enjoy or purchase as keepsakes, including jars of the resort’s lavender honey, rosemary salt, thyme and garlic-infused olive oil and homemade chilli oil.
A breakfast-style menu will also be available at JW Market, including freshly made pastries, fruits and yoghurts and a homemade JW granola.
JW Market is open daily 6:30am to 5pm.
CRAFTED COCKTAILS + SHARING PLATES AT CHAPTER & VERSE Chapter & Verse raises the bar by bringing together interest and energy with experience, drawing people into its welcoming open-plan space featured at the heart of the lobby but also expanding into the outdoor pool area. Accommodating a variety of modes and customers through the day and night, the all-day bar serving share plates and an exquisite drinks menu is designed as an intimate experience for guests to enjoy time together. Here, guests can sip on uniquely crafted cocktails that support local initiatives, integrating purpose and experience. In-house infusions will also be available, with unique flavours on offer created using local, native flowers and herbs. Personalised infusions for guests will be available on request.
The high tea in Chapter & Verse is a tradition that has been elevated using local ingredients sourced from the base of the Hinterland up to Mount Tamborine. The echoes of birds and tranquillity in the naturally calm environment have been used as inspiration to create each homemade product. Starting from $59pp with House Chandon or $69pp with French Premium Champagne, the high tea menu features a Hinterland wild mix berry tart, Bowen mango and passionfruit mousse, Tamborine Mountain grilled vegetables with JW Garden basil pesto and a signature Chocolate Griffin to represent JW Marriott. The menu also includes Bubble Tea (Jasmine tea, dark or with a splash of milk) served with tapioca pearls and ice.
Chapter & Verse is open daily from 11am.
RELAX POOLSIDE WITH SERVICE FROM THE PAVILION JW Marriott Gold Coast Resort & Spa is home to a striking aquatic area, which includes a tropical lagoon pool lined with white sand beaches, cascading waterfall and a fresh water pool with a spa.
Serving guests poolside, is the Pool Pavilion along with its eye-catching, retro food van. Vibrant street food created using local produce will be on the menu here, bringing a touch of dynamic Asia to the outdoor pool environment.
Light healthy meals, drinks, and divine cocktails and mocktails featuring a variety of local suppliers will also be offered on the menu. Items include a mouth-watering pulled chicken taco (Scenic Rim, QLD), grilled prawn salad (Mooloolaba, QLD) and a pork banh mi (Bangalow, NSW).
For a day on the water with a side of relaxation, guests can also enjoy poolside cabanas that line the lagoon edge, with an exclusive poolside bar and cocktail menu delivery.
The Pool Pavilion is open daily 8am–5pm.
SAVOUR BY JW IN-ROOM DINING Savour By JW In-Room Dining is available to all hotel guests throughout the day, featuring a breakfast, day-long dining and kids menu. Heroing local fresh produce, the in-room dining offerings are based on the Citrique and Chapter & Verse menus.
The nourishing breakfast menu includes a balanced offering to start the day. Guests can choose from a wide selection of tasty options including seasonal, fresh fruit; Green Power Bowl with green leaves, JW Garden herbs, green beans, avocado, tomatoes, almond and native honey soy dressing; or an Applewood smoked salmon with herb cream cheese, red onion, capers, seeded bagel, along with a classic selection of eggs, meats and pastries.
The day-long dining menu includes a variety of healthy and fresh options, including a JW Salad, Bay bug dumplings, and chilled spanner crab, along with classic favourites such as burgers, pizza and pasta.
A dedicated children’s menu offers a wide variety of pizza, pasta, tacos and artful desserts, including a banoffee pie and chocolate gold bar.
JW GARDEN INTEGRATES A FARM-TO-TABLE CONCEPT The resort’s signature JW Garden enables a farm-to-table concept for the food and beverage venues, allowing chefs to elevate their menus sustainably with seasonal herbs, edible flowers, fruits, and vegetables. Featuring fruit trees, herbs, a native bee house, and worm farm, the JW Garden will offer daily experiences and activities for guests at the resort, who are able to walk through the gardens and see the fresh produce used in the resort’s menus firsthand. Head of Culinary, Paul Smart will host regular garden tours and onsite cooking classes demonstrating creative ways in which the seasonal produce can be used.
JW Marriott Gold Coast Resort & Spa marks the debut of the JW Marriott brand in Australia. The resort is set to open on 20 December 2020, following the $35 million renovation and rebrand of Queensland’s iconic Surfers Paradise Marriott Resort & Spa. For more information visit www.jwmarriottgoldcoast.com.
It’s a tradition for many so why not get in on the party? ST. ALi celebrates Christmas Day with a breakfast and lunch menu that defies any reason to cook at home. Just bring an appetite and the presents.
The historic town of Milton has made a name for itself in recent years, located less than three hours drive from Sydney, and just under two from Canberra. However, the beautiful drive down the winding coastal roads into the lush, green countryside instantly transports you a decade away from the bustle of the city, making this quiet country village the perfect choice for those seeking respite from the city’s daily rush.
Aside from the idyllic pace of life Milton sets, the village holds another secret lure: its food. A rare destination where farm-to-table really means farm-to-table, stroll between the country pubs for a drink and hearty lunch before stopping in at the local winery, and finishing your day at one of Milton’s abundant restaurants, each one serving up fresh, delicious produce from the local land and sea.
Getting around Milton and its surroundings can be a bit tricky if you don’t have a car, but car share services, like Popcar, make it easy to get where you want to go. With vehicles in both Sydney and Canberra, Popcar allows for a quick and stress-free trip to the South Coast, opening up opportunities to explore everything it has to offer.
South Coast Experiences (SCx)is perfect for exploring and mapping out the journey ahead of your trip, with curated experiences for you to explore, stay and discover. Here’s how we would spend a weekend in Milton:
FROM SYDNEY TO MILTON 1. Pick up a Popcar from your nearest hub and head out early from Sydney on the Princes Highway. Before you reach Gerringong, you’ll zip past the lovely Woolshed Kitchen – a great breakfast spot with delicious treats, including warm-baked croissants, eggs Benedict and chargrilled sourdough. The restaurant is right off the highway, with chic, contemporary interiors that signal you’re well on your way to the South Coast. 2. Continue down the highway until you get to the Gerringong turnoff. From here, it’s the scenic route all the way to Milton. Turn off towards Gerringong and continue on towards Gerroa, then all the way down past Shoalhaven Heads and into Nowra. This is a very pretty coastal drive – the ocean twinkling to your left and coastal bush land to your right. TIP: Factor in time for photo stops. 3. As you continue into Nowra, you’ll cross over the Shoalhaven River. Stop and pick up some local supplies in town and stretch your legs. The Nowra fresh fish and meat market has lots of local treats, including meats, cheese, vegetables, fruits and snacks, but there are also major supermarkets and other large retailers for all the essentials. From here, it’s about 45 minutes to Milton. Tip:A Popcar SUV will ensure you have plenty of space for those snacks!
ARRIVING IN MILTON Get Your Bearings Milton is more of a village than a town. Full of country charm, it boasts beautiful 19th-century heritage streets and picturesque pastoral landscapes in every direction. Exuding creativity from local artisans, producers and craftsmen, all who call Milton home, it is a great place to window shop, with arts and crafts shops scattered across the village. But the best thing to do is eat, whether from the local farm shop or at one of the chic, cool restaurants in town. South Coast Experiences is perfect for exploring your options before you arrive, giving you direct access to book with the local providers as well as curating your own bespoke experiences whilst visiting.
TIME FOR LUNCH Where To Eat 1. Get lunch at Milk Haus Milton Located in a converted cheese factory just outside Milton, Milk Haus is a wholefoods café specialising in honest, simple food using local produce. While the key message here may be simplicity, the menu is exciting and showcases some of the South Coast’s best suppliers. The founders farm as nature intended. What they can’t grow enough of in the garden, they source locally using a network of farmers, growers and fishermen. They aim to minimise wastage, feeding both the compost and the chooks in the process. OR 2. Pack a picnic from the local farm shop Milton Farm Shop is a lovely little shop in the heart of town, selling in-season, organically grown, and locally sourced produce from within a 100km radius of Milton. SCx especially recommend you pick up some delicious Milton Mushrooms, which have all kinds of medicinal health benefits. Both Mick Ryan Park and Milton Memorial Park are small but pretty places to find a bench or patch of grass to eat your picnic.
AFTERNOON ACTIVITIES What To Do 1. Explore the local beaches After a long and lazy lunch, there’s nothing better than a walk on the beach. Jump in your Popcar and head south – exploring the inlets and shores that most tourists will never see, including Pebbly Beach (home to a local population of kangaroos) and the golden Merry Beach, just past Kioloa. If you’d prefer to stay closer to town, Mollymook and Narrawallee beaches are both great for surfing, while swimming the tidal rock pool at Bogey Hole is a safe option for families. Tip 1: For surf lessons or wetsuit and board hire, check out Mollymook Beach Surf School. Group lessons start from $50 per person, while boards are $20 for two hours or $50 for the day. TIP 2: South Coast Experiences can organise a lesson to suit your needs and experience. 2. Get crafty Take part in beautiful floristry workshops at Gypsy Carmen, mastering the art of flower arrangement or creating a luxe boho feature for your home. Clare is the passionate owner and creative director, who creates floral arrangements for all kinds of events. She’s an excellent teacher and will have you walking away with beautiful, memorable creations that represent your time on the South Coast. 3. Embrace your wellbeing Although you’re only a few hours from Sydney, spending even just a weekend in the rolling countryside of New South Wales does wonders for your mental wellbeing. For the full ‘wellness’ experience, grab some time with Tracey Gunn, who runs healing food workshops and yoga classes in Milton. She can assist with one-on-one health sessions, private yoga classes, and cooking classes in fermentation and raw food. Tracey is also the founder of Delicious Vibrant Beauty, a natural organic skincare company that makes products perfect for refreshing the skin after a little too long at the beach. 4. Stop for a drink The drinks are as good as the food here. Head for a tasting at local estate Cupitt’s Winery, offering one of the best cellar doors in the Shoalhaven region. The wine is delicious, only matched by their hearty cheeseboards, which feature cheese made on site. You could also head to the newly refurbished Milton Hotel, a great place for a cold afternoon beer sat on the outside deck. Check out the seasonal beers from their microbrewery before tucking into some locally cured meats on their charcuterie platter. Or, for something a little stronger, try the cocktails at Harvest Bar Milton. Tip: Enjoy a Dark & Stormy overlooking the dark (and sometimes stormy) countryside of the South Coast – a great way to end a day in Milton.
TIME FOR DINNER Where To Eat In Milton and the surrounding towns, there is an abundance of restaurants for dinner. From the super casual (a mobile wood-fired pizza café in town called Italian Guild) to the super fancy (Rick Stein at Bannisters; the eponymous seafood master’s first restaurant outside of the UK, which helped put Mollymook on the map) you’re spoilt for choice when it comes to dining options. Here are a couple of South Coast Experiences favourites… 1. Small Town in Milton Small Town is a pared-back, neighbourhood bistro from the owners of the much-heralded (and sadly missed, if you ask many of Milton’s inhabitants) St Isidore – a coastal restaurant that closed in 2019. The owners wanted to switch their focus to delicious wine and simple food, although their menu is no less adventurous – you’ll find dishes like grilled octopus, ‘nduja and lemon, and roast half chook, eggplant, bois boudran and flatbread. There’s also a fantastic list of aperitifs to start the meal, and a great wine list. 2. The Ruse in Ulladulla If you want to head out of town, we recommend The Ruse in the coastal town of Ulladulla, a 15-minute drive away. This casual bar and restaurant overlooks the twinkling Ulladulla Harbour, with a menu inspired by Central America. They’re always busy, so it’s best to book ahead if possible, though they do try and save space for walk-ins. Ordering a few of their creative cocktails is a great way to end an evening on the South Coast. 3. … Or bring the restaurant to you Milton is not just great for eating out – eating in is just as fun. Citrus Catering can organise dinner party menus at your accommodation, with a delicious four-course meal prepared, cooked and served to you by their professional team – ideal for gatherings of up to 20 guests. For something a little more casual, Dinner Pal is a takeaway service serving the Milton area, delivering cold-packed meal kits for you to prepare in your accommodation’s kitchen. They can also organise beautiful weekend hampers that can be waiting for you on arrival.
TIME FOR BED Where To Stay If you’re staying in Milton, it’s only right you choose accommodation that matches the town – something rustic and charming, surrounded by beautiful countryside and fresh coastal air. South Coast Experiences has a wonderful selection of accommodation to explore on the platform. Here are a few of our favourites: 1. The Old Schoolhouse The Old Schoolhouseis set on 2.5 acres of tranquil lawn and orchard, just outside Milton. It offers sweeping with views in all directions – perfect to soak up the region’s country charm. While the schoolhouse itself is long gone, the historic schoolmaster’s residence remains. The main homestead is the heart of this rambling property, with two separate accommodation choices beyond the house. It has all the trappings of a rural property, with a productive vegetable garden and orchard, and chooks that wander throughout the grounds. It even has a full-sized cricket pitch. While the property retains the charm of a colonial homestead, the interiors have been updated to incorporate the best of modern style. Tip: Guests are free to wander the gardens and orchard, picking fruit straight from the tree and collecting fresh-laid eggs for their breakfast. 2. Danesbank Danesbank is a romantic 1860s stone cottage, nestled on 70 acres of original farm country. This dairy cottage sits perched on a hilltop vista, upon acres of prime dairy farming land. The cottage is crafted from hand-cut local stone and timbers, enveloped by a homey garden that blooms in spring and summer. The veranda plays host as the perfect spot from your morning coffee, surrounded by the laughter of kookaburras, the twitter of lorikeets and the raspy chatter of magpies.
South Coast Experiences can help you plan your next getaway At South Coast Experiences, they’re here to help you plan the perfect trip to the NSW South Coast – free of charge – so reach out if there’s anything they can do to make your planning easier. See SCx’s full range of Milton Experiences here. SCx also help organise accommodation for groups of any size, so talk to them about what you need. See their South Coast accommodation here.
About Popcar Popcar is a car-sharing service that is changing the convention of owning a car with a focus on making car sharing better than owning a car by providing Australians with access to premium cars when they need them to provide a more sustainable way to get around. Popcar is on a mission to get more Australians to make the switch to sustainable transport. For further information about Popcar and find out how to sign up, access the share cars and pricing, please visit www.popcar.com.au.
Main image: Narrawallee Beach, NSW. Photo by Thomas Yohei on Unsplash
A sustainable drinking experience by Matt Whiley and Maurice Terzini. To open February 2021. Waste nothing. Taste everything.
RE-, the world’s first permanent no-waste bar, is set to open in the newly restored South Eveleigh precinct in February. An inspiring collaboration between hospitality heavyweights Matt Whiley (Scout) and Maurice Terzini (Icebergs Dining Room & Bar; CicciaBella), RE- is a bar built from the ground up to be one of the world’s best, with the kind of drinks program Whiley has made a global name on, supported by Terzini’s signature tone and style.
Whiley’s pioneering ethos, first brought to life at Scout, brought a sharp focus to local ingredients and sustainability, leading the way with drinks that preference innovation and taste while minimising waste. At RE-, Whiley is pushing that to its limits, interrogating everything from the materials and glassware, to the light fittings, ingredients and garnishes, through to what goes in the bin.
The result is an approach to waste that is world leading, with every facet of the bar considered from the lens of sustainability. Whiley’s ultimate ambition is for RE- to be the driver of a global movement that reframes how bars talk about, and act on, sustainability and waste. More than anything, he wants to demonstrate how sustainability, flavour and enjoyment can, and should, go together.
“RE- is a cocktail bar, first and foremost – a place for people to hang out, have fun, and leave knowing they’ve enjoyed excellent service, good food and great drinks with their mates,” says Whiley. “But if you strip back the layers, you realise there is so much more at play here. We care about our environment, we care about people and we care about our future.”
Whiley continues: “Ultimately, the conversation in the industry can’t just be about shifting how you run a service, it’s completely changing how you dictate what comes through your door in the first place, and that extends to the furniture you use, how you build a menu, what produce you’re getting in, even what packaging it comes in. This is not about preaching what should be done, it’s about creating the platform to take the vital conversation around waste in hospitality forward”.
At RE-, Whiley will oversee a list of 8–10 changing signature cocktails. Built on diverted waste and leaning more twist than traditional, there will be a section of highballs and spritzes, as well as classics to get you started. All the drinks will showcase the kinds of innovative techniques he’s known for.
The bar will serve a range of toasties, flatbread and other bar snacks made with sustainable ingredients and reclaimed produce. “Just because it’s made from offcuts or seconds doesn’t mean it needs to be virtuous,” says Terzini.
The groundbreaking approach extends to the look and feel of the venue; an inspiring collaboration with independent creative production company, Alfred, that pushes the boundaries for sustainable design. Housed in a raw-brick heritage site at South Eveleigh, RE-’s arched windows will cast light on materials chosen for aesthetics as much as impact. A central bar and tables resembling terrazzo are made from Re-Plas recycled bottles and Tupperware. Stairs – leading to a mezzanine for groups and masterclasses – and structural features are made from recycled plastic bags. Wood is sustainable, banquettes are clothed in pineapple-leaf fibre and elegant light fittings and wine coolers are made from mycelium. Philippe Starck and Odger stools and chairs, meanwhile, are built from recycled and reclaimed materials.
Whiley says: “Never has this subject been more important. Food waste costs our economy $20 billion a year – more than five million tonnes of food ends up in landfill; one in five bags of groceries winds up in the bin. We have a responsibility to look hard at what we’re not using and find ways to make it desirable. At RE-, we’ll showcase this through our bar program, but also build a platform geared towards change on a global level. The time is now”.
Further details about the launch of RE- will be announced in due course.
After a difficult year, Melbourne’s premier restaurant food delivery platform Providoor is making Christmas easy with a range of bespoke celebration menus available for Christmas Eve delivery.
Chef-prepared in restaurant kitchens such as Maha, Supernormal, MoVida, Longrain, Gingerboy, Tokyo Tina, Hanoi Hannah, Di Stasio, Sunda and more, the dishes are then delivered cold, ready to be heated, assembled and plated. With this method, the dishes retain their integrity and quality, ensuring customers have a stress-free and delicious Christmas feast.
Those in the Melbourne Metro area and Mornington Peninsula must place their orders by 4pm Wednesday, 23 December for delivery on Christmas Eve – plenty of time for those who haven’t quite sorted their Christmas catering.
Mr Yum has announced the launch of mobile ordering Tabs – a new technology that enables customers to set up a digital tab at restaurants, bars and pubs across the country. An Australian first, the new feature launches just in time for silly season events and will make dining out both easier and safer for guests and venues.
Customers can start a tab for themselves via the Mr Yum QR code menu, placing multiple food and beverage orders throughout their visit and close out the bill when they leave. If patrons are in a group, the Tabs owner can share the unique QR code and website link, enabling friends and colleagues to order from their own devices and charge it back to the original card attached to the tab.
“Mr Yum’s goal has always been to help the hospitality and entertainment industries grow and become more profitable,” says co-founder and CEO of Mr Yum, Kim Teo. “A tab feature has been one of the most requested functions from both guests and venues since we started Mr Yum in late 2018. We’re thrilled to launch this feature, and confident that Tabs will make ordering and paying more efficient and less stressful for both guests and staff. The industry relies on a profitable silly season, and this year, Tabs will mean guests can spend less time lining up at the bar or squabbling over a bill at the end of the night, and more time enjoying food and drinks with friends.
Leading a digital revolution for the hospitality industry, Mr Yum has proven to be one of Australia’s best solutions for venues. Mr Yum’s digital menus and contactless ordering removes the “admin” side of service, freeing up hospitality staff for more quality interaction with guests. By scanning a Mr Yum QR code or tapping an NFC chip, the web-based platform allows customers to register for contact tracing, then order food and drinks and pay via their smartphones, which then arrives directly to their table. The addition of the Tabs function makes it easier than ever to support the hospitality industry and enjoy dining out safely.
“Technology isn’t here to replace interaction, it’s here to be an enabler of more quality interaction. Taking an order and taking payment can be some of the most administrative and time-consuming parts of a wait staff member’s job, so if they didn’t have to do any of the admin their job would be just to be hospitable and create a meaningful experience for guests,” says Teo.
Orders from a Mr Yum tab are received as normal for venues, ensuring there is no change to the operations. All cards are pre-authorised, ensuring no risk to venues not being paid or having to chase up payments at the end of the night.
Mr Yum’s Tab function is available in venues now. New venues can apply for a Mr Yum menu to set up a tabs at mryum.com
Nothing says Christmas more than indulging in delicious fresh cherries, locally sourced from CherryHill Orchards in the Yarra Valley. Open every day (excluding Christmas Day), visitors can head to the Farm Gate Store to buy the most juicy, plump cherries to brighten up the Christmas table.
The Coldstream Farm Gate Store is new this year, conveniently located on Maroondah Highway so visitors can swing buy and pick up cherries fresh from the orchard. The Wandin Farm Gate Store also sells cherry boxes fresh from the orchards, but also offers a fun Pick Your Own cherry experience for those who want to make a day out of it.
After a tough year for everyone, visitors can support a Victorian business this Christmas by indulging in fresh cherries, and those choosing to pick their own can enjoy a fun school holiday day out this festive season. For the ultimate Christmas gift, grab a 2kg box of fresh CherryHill Orchards cherries.
While the delicious plump cherries can always be devoured fresh, there’s always the option to whip up decadent Christmas treats with CherryHill Orchards recipe collection, available online. Try out the likes of the gorgeous chocolate and cherry trifle, a mouth-watering combination of chocolate, cherry and rosé, made to create stunning layers of spongy creamy goodness, or the tempting cherry and ricotta crumble cake served with cherry syrup.
The pioneering crowdfunding initiative where Aussie beer lovers can invest in BrewDog’s expansion Down Under and a more sustainable future for beer and the planet. The perfect planet-loving Christmas gift for beer geeks.
Craft beer trailblazer BrewDog has launched its pioneering crowdfunding initiative, Equity for Punks Tomorrow, in Australia for the first time. BrewDog was born with the aim to revolutionise the beer industry and redefine beer-drinking culture. The first carbon-negative beer business in the world, BrewDog is expanding its crew of craft beer punks Down Under.
Equity for Punks Tomorrow is a radically different type of share offering that sets a new precedent for planet-friendly business and gives Aussie beer lovers the opportunity to shape the future of the company in Australia, with plans to open new flagship BrewDog bars in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth by the end of 2021.
With an initial target of $300,000 and a maximum raise of $10 million, every single dollar raised will be used to sustainably fuel BrewDog’s growth in Australia and New Zealand and fund investment in groundbreaking, high-impact green infrastructure that will help build a more sustainable future for us all. After all, there is no point making beer, if we don’t have a planet to drink it on. Investments start from $100 and can be made through the OnMarket platform at www.brewdog.com/efpoz until 11 February 2021. Full details can be found in the Offer Information Statement.
Furthermore, Equity Punks can refer their friends to invest and rack up points that unlock prizes, as well as choosing to gift shares to fellow beer geeks for the perfect planet-loving present in the lead up to Christmas.
BrewDog’s Co-Founder, James Watt, said: “We believe carbon is our problem – the time to act is now, and it has never been more urgent. Equity For Punks Tomorrow is a critical part of the next evolution of BrewDog, which will allow us to fund our sustainability plans by uniting investors across the globe to make a change today to ensure we have a planet to brew beer on tomorrow. We believe that the most sustainable businesses are going to be the ones who will prosper long term, so by investing heavily in sustainability, we believe we can grow strongly and add significant value to people’s investments too. All whilst doing great things for the planet and achieving some of our most ambitious projects to date”.
BrewDog’s pioneering crowdfunding initiative, Equity for Punks, was born in 2010. Turning the traditional business model on its head, the programme gave thousands of people a front-row seat to the craft beer revolution. It has since amassed a community of over 150,000 Equity Punk investors who are at the heart and soul of the business.
BrewDog opened the doors to its first Australian brewery and taproom, DogTap, in Brisbane last November, and has been firmly planting its roots in the vibrant Brisbane beer scene ever since. The brewery started brewing its first headliner beers on Australian soil in August and has been purpose built for rapid growth with plenty of space available on the site ready for expansion. Aussie-brewed BrewDog beer is currently available nationwide on the recently launched online shop and BrewDog fans across the country can enjoy freshly brewed BrewDog beer dispatched the next working day.
Due to the success seen in Brisbane so far and high demand from thirsty BrewDog fans around the country, the craft brewer is on the prowl for new sites and is set to expand its presence Down Under, opening new flagship BrewDog bars in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane by end of 2021. More details on this to follow in the New Year.
EQUITY FOR PUNKS TOMORROW Equity for Punks Tomorrow will accelerate the implementation of green infrastructure and technology across BrewDog’s Australian operations including: ● BrewDog Tomorrow Bars: BrewDog wants to create a template for the future and open the world’s most sustainable bars. Zero waste, carbon neutral, and a depot for closed-loop delivery solutions and plan to launch a series of these craft beer venues across Brisbane. ● Future-proof products: Investing in sustainable ways to brew and package beers and new products. ● Build a refrigerated distribution programme: Investing in electric, refrigerated distribution across Australia to get our beer to you in the most sustainable, fresh way possible. ● Build a beer hotel in Brisbane: Following on from the success of The DogHouse in Columbus Ohio, build a new eco-hotel in Brisbane that also caters for dogs. ● Powering a sustainable brewing business: Installation of solar panels on the roof of the Brisbane brewery to make the most of the 130+ sunny days Brisbane sees every year and reduce the need for less-sustainable energy. ● Investment in infrastructure and people: The ability to fast-track progress and reach all of Australia fast is totally reliant on the stability of the infrastructure, and the ability of BrewDog’s people.
CORE SHAREHOLDER BENEFITS: When buying shares in Equity for Punks, investors will get their own tree dedicated to them in the BrewDog forest, where the brewer plans to plant one million trees by 2022. They will also get access to a whole raft of sustainable benefits from free beers on your birthday, to sustainably sourced T-shirts and accessories, through to exclusive events that celebrate BrewDog’s environmental efforts. Benefits include: ● AGM invite with +1 to the first ever Australian AGM – an annual beer, food and music festival ● A free beer on your birthday ● 5% discount in all BrewDog bars ● Invites to brew with BrewDog on Beatnik brew days ● Exclusive access to new beers ● A copy of BrewDog’s book, Craft Beer for the People ● Free brewery tours around the Brisbane facility
With the festive season just around the corner, check out these silly season deals, available exclusively via 7-Eleven’s My 7-Eleven app (which is free to download!).
Available only for a limited time, until 1 February 2021, deals on offer via the My 7-Eleven app include: · Buy a $2 Super Slurpee and get one FREE · Buy a $3 Super Coffee and get one FREE · $2 Reg Coffee & 7-Eleven Banana Bread 80–90g · $3 Iced Coffee or Coffee Melt & Cake Slice 105g · $5 7-Eleven 2pk Sushi & Pump Water 750mL · $5 Traveller Pie & Barista Iced Coffee 500mL · $4 Traveller Pizza & Coca-Cola Can 375mL · $2 Oak Blue Heaven 600mL · $3 Monster Ultra Rosa 500mL · $3 Pump Water & Flavour varieties 750mL · $3 Suntory BOSS Coffee varieties 237mL
Spanning beyond the above deals, the My 7-Eleven app offers a slate of great features inclusive of a rewards program where upon your seventh visit, you’ll be granted a free reward. Customers can also take advantage of the app’s Fuel Price Lock feature where low fuel costs can be locked in for a week to redeem once at any 7-Eleven across the country.
The team behind Melbourne Greek institution Stalactites opens its second Hella Good store just in time for Christmas shopping.
Christmas shoppers descending into the city this Friday should come hungry as Greek quick-service restaurant Hella Good will be slinging out one hell of a good offer for the opening of its new store in Emporium Melbourne, giving away 100 free souvlakis to lucky customers from 10am.
From the team behind Melbourne’s longest-running and best-known Greek institution Stalactites, Hella Good offers an abbreviated version of the Stalactites famous menu and cooks all of its lamb and chicken on-site using the freshest ingredients. The new Emporium store will offer five traditional sized souvlakis on the menu: the Kotter (chicken), Arnie (lamb),) Harvey (lamb & chicken), Terry (vegetarian) and Vegan along with various snack packs, homemade dips and sweets.
The new store will be the second outpost of Hella Good, with the first opening in Elizabeth Street in 2017, and with a third on its way in Fitzroy in early 2021. The Emporium and Fitzroy sites were formerly Jimmy Grants, part of the MAdE Establishment Group that went into administration earlier this year.
“We are delighted to be finally opening our flagship Hella Good store after such a difficult year for the hospitality industry. We believe that the Melbourne city will once again thrive in the coming months and we are excited to be part of the resurgence of hospitality in the CBD,” says Managing Director Nicole Papasavas.
The Hella Good store concept designed by Bergman & Co, has always been about creating a clean and contemporary space that reflects the freshness of the food, and the Emporium store stays true to these origins. Over 1,200 timber dowels cascading from the roof pays homage to the famous Stalactites in its sister Lonsdale Street restaurant.
To celebrate the opening of the Emporium store, the Hella Good Elizabeth St store will also be offering all customers free chips with every purchase made on opening Friday.
With delicious marinated meat sliced straight from the spit, accompanied with homemade dips, fresh veggies and chips, this will be one Hella Good addition to Emporium Melbourne.
Free souvlakis for the first 100 customers at Hella Good Emporium on Friday, 18 December from 10am until sold out.
Talented Mixologist Shivajee (Shiva) Bhandari at Vernon’s Bar in One Penny Red takes us through the steps in making a fabulous Pomegranate Margarita to enjoy over this long, hot summer.
Ingredients:
50mls of Tequila Blanco 40mls of Pomegranate juice 20mls of Lime juice 10mls of Crawley’s Grenadine 10mls of Crawley’s Agave
Method: Pour all ingredients into a shaker, fill it up with ice, shake and strain
Glass: Old Fashioned glass filled with ice
Garnish: Dehydrated or fresh lime wheel & Pomegranate arils
ST. ALi has always sought to marry convenience and flavour. Collaborating with Riverina Fresh, ST. ALi presents a 300ml carton, making it the first specialty iced coffee with an Australian premium milk brand, in a carton, on the Australian market.
This new ready-to-drink range is proudly made using local milk suppliers and ethically sourced fully traceable beans from ST. ALi’s growers in the Orthodox blend.
“I grew up with Big M and I have so many fond memories of that time. Big M brings me back to beaches and surf. The ST. ALi iced coffee cartons are like a specialty coffee take on it. Flavour bomb. It’s a tradition we’re honoured to continue,” says ST. ALi founder, Salvatore Malatesta.
Iced coffee cartons retail for $5.00 for 300ml and are available now at ST. ALi’s General Store, on https://stali.com.au/ and across Australia in specialty stores from March 2021.
Pinchy’s Champagne and Lobster Bar is back with an extensive chablis collection and premium new seafood offering from a stellar new kitchen team led by Head Chef Jack Tsai (Benu, Attica, Fera at Claridge’s) and Sous Chef Cameron Tay-Yap (Attica, Omnia Bistro), enabling the perfect setting for long, luxuriant summer lunches and dinners.
The seafood oasis in the centre of Melbourne’s CBD boasts one of the city’s best balconies, and the new 300-plus champagne and chablis menu sourced from owner Jeremy Schinck’s own cellar is designed to enhance the Pinchy’s experience.
Front of house, the team has spent time in training during lockdown to deliver a relaxed but highly knowledgeable service led by Malcolm Singh (Pei Modern, Press Club), guiding beverage selections and encouraging diners to experience the menu as a degustation and return to favourite dishes as they linger over wine and champagne.
Inspired by coastal settings from around the world, Pinchy’s menu showcases the fruits of the sea, comprising an array of sustainable and wild-caught seafood from premium local and international suppliers.
Sydney Rock oysters from Moonlight Flat, Pacific oysters from Blackman Bay, and Angasi oysters from Yorke Peninsula with a green chilli and spearmint dressing are available to be enjoyed all day and late into the night on the new supper menu.
Other menu items include: ● Smoked salmon cappuccino topped with Bloody Mary foam and grated bottarga ● Kingfish ceviche with smoked coconut sorbet and squid ink tuile ● Crystal bay scallops on top of truffled cauliflower, sea herbs and miso foam ● King George whiting on a baguette with tartar sauce, sweet and sour pickled fennel and seaweed salad on top ● Vegan roll with lion’s mane, charred grilled mushroom and fennel pollen
“We used the time in lockdown to really ferment the offering for our flagship restaurant. A lot of hard work and hours went into sourcing the right team, the menu development and training the team. I’m really excited to be delivering this offering for Pinchy’s and reward our customers with some premium picks from my personal cellar!” said Jeremy Schinck.
And as for what’s next … Pinchy’s is also in the process of designing a new Oyster and Chablis bar next door. Stay tuned for more details in the coming year.
Kazzi Beach Greek Manly is now open. This is the second location, with Kazzi Beach Greek Balmoral Beach already being a popular café/restaurant on the Northern Beaches.
With international travel not on the cards this year, let Kazzi Beach Greek bring Greece to you! Kazzi Beach Greek is Australia’s most authentic Greek island taverna experience in two of Sydney’s most iconic beachside locations, Manly Beach and Balmoral Beach.
Kazzi Beach Greek draws its inspiration from the Greek island of Kastellorizo (“Kazzi”). Kazzi’s Australian story is rich, with many among our first Greek immigrants hailing from this secluded Hellenic hideaway.
Kazzi Beach Greek showcases the very kind of Mediterranean-style offerings found along the blue shores of the Aegean. Check out the menus here.
Brunswick East’s newest café addition Bellboy officially opened its doors on Monday, 7th December after a soft opening the weekend prior. The neighbourhood venue will bring to life the East Brunswick Village development and will offer a brunch-style menu with dedicated bagel section and coffee roasted on site.
The menu will focus on taste, with brunch items created from quality produce, including house-made sourdough crumpets and flatbread. The bagel section provides a tasty break from the Instagram café dish norm with delicious fillings ideal for breakfast, brunch, lunch or a mid-afternoon feed. Supplied by Savion and available in plain or sesame, the bagels will be great for both eat-in and take-away.
Menu highlights include Muffuletta Bagel $15 (with ham, salami, mortadella, provolone, red pepper, olive salad and mustard), Eggs Cacio e Pepe $17 (soft scrambled eggs, pecorino, guanciale and zucchini pickle on seeded sourdough) and Chop Chop Salad $17 (wild rice, seasonal greens, avocado, tomato, beetroot, sweet corn, house pickles, soft boiled egg, everything bagel seasoning and buttermilk ranch dressing, with the option to add chicken, haloumi or salmon). Contactless ordering and payment is available.
Kids are well catered for with a menu including Chia Pudding & Berries, Scrambled Egg & Toast, Ham & Cheese Melt and Waffle Soldiers & Maple, priced at $6–$8.
Of course, coffee is everything in Melbourne and Bellboy will offer coffee roasted on site by former Golden Bean winner Mark Leo. The café’s ‘Penthouse’ blend is called Ding Ding and the filter blend is called Wake Up Call.
Alternative drinks available include tea, milkshakes, smoothies, non-alcoholic spritzers and free-flowing sparkling water, as well as a selection of cocktails (alcoholic), wines and beers.
In addition to a beautiful interior, Bellboy is perfectly set up for al fresco dining with an expansive covered and heated area that locals and visitors can enjoy all year round. Being pet friendly and with plenty of bike parking, the area is ideal for cyclists and dog owners. The Bellboy kennel is sure to be a favourite with the pups!
The small retail section of Bellboy will offer items such as ‘Everything Seasoning’ for bagels and more, coffee-scented candles, Cold Brew home kit and coffee beans.
The café was designed by ODO (One Design Office), who are behind many of Melbourne’s hospitality venues, including JAMU in Richmond.
Bellboy is looking forward to serving the local community and will be a welcome addition to the Brunswick East café scene.
That’s Amore Cheese has launched its new summer menu at The Cheesery in Thomastown, with dishes that provide plenty of choice across breakfast, brunch, lunch and afternoon eats.
That’s Amore Cheese is renowned for its fresh, handmade Italian-style cheeses, made in Melbourne using local Victorian milk. Therefore, The Cheesery showcases the different cheeses across the menu and guests can enjoy their meal knowing the cheese was made only metres away.
The all-day breakfast menu is served until 3pm and features dishes such as ricotta calda with fruit (hot ricotta served with Beechworth honey and waffles) – $13; That’s Amore fried eggs (served with bacon, mushroom, avocado, shaved ricotta salata & toast) – $21; and house-cured salmon (served with lavato croquette, spring pea salad, tomato and basil vinaigrette) – $19.50.
Paninis have always been a favourite at The Cheesery and the menu offers 12 options! From Campano (porchetta, eggplant & buffalo mozzarella) –$18, to Australiano (grandmother ham & caciocavallo) – $16.
Mains will satisfy a hungry appetite with dishes including lasagne (pork and veal ragu lasagne) – $18; chicken schnitzel (served with roast potatoes) – $21; and Giorgio’s cotoletta (served with sliced tomato, buffalo mozzarella & avocado) – $32. Plus, there are daily pasta and gnocchi specials. Healthy options include grilled chicken breast (served with sliced tomato and mozzarella) – $25, and a selection of salads ($8–16) that make for great summer eats and shared sides.
Then, of course, there are the famous cheeseboards and antipasti. Whether dining alone with the small cheeseboard or antipasto ($25) to a group of six with Giorgio’s Selection (the best cheeses served with nuts and crackers) – $60, this part of the menu should not be missed!
For those with a sweet tooth, the selection of Cannoleria by That’s Amore cannoli is perfect with Sicilian, Chocolate and a Flavour of the Week available every day in small ($2) and large ($4).
A wide selection of coffees, teas, soft drinks and juices are offered alongside an alcoholic beverages list that includes Victorian and Italian wines, beers and digestivi.
Best of all, after dining, customers can buy That’s Amore Cheese products, along with an array of deli produce and Italian pantry items to take home.
That’s Amore! Cheesery in Thomastown is a lesser-known gem for foodies and worth the trip out of the city.
Aria and North Bondi Fish have Sydneysiders covered when it comes to both beachside and harbourside celebrations this year.
Image credit: Steven Woodburn
Aria will be offering up two exciting packages this NYE. Guests can enjoy an early evening seating from 5pm for $300, or go all out for Aria’s lavish New Year’s Eve main event celebration for $1,450, including a 6-course menu curated by Executive Chef Joel Bickford, champagne on arrival, premium wines throughout the evening and a take-home gift pack. Main event celebrations kick off from 7.30pm until midnight.
North Bondi Fish will serve up a four-course beachside dinner menu curated by Head Chef James Green this New Year’s Eve. For $149, guests will be treated to a selection of the best in fresh, locally and sustainably sourced seafood, including Sydney rock oysters with sunrise lime mignonette, scallop ceviche and roasted bug with XO butter, served with a glass of bubbles of arrival.
Ring in the New Year at a new restaurant. Inspired by the vibrant night markets found on Beijing’s Ghost Street, Barangaroo’s newest venue, Chi by Lotus, will be putting on a New Year’s Eve banquet to welcome 2021 in style. Complete with two hours of free-flowing drinks and an indulgent ten-course shared menu, guests will enjoy a long list of wine and beer options as well as standout dishes, including steamed half-shell scallops with garlic, chilli and seablite, Chi focaccia with Asian spices, olive oil & crispy shallot, and a steamed daily fish with soy broth (just to name a few).
Overlooking the water, surrounded by lanterns and waving lucky cats, the entire experience will cost only $148 per person for the feast and 2 hours of non-stop drinks. Head in early for the 5:00pm or 7:30pm sittings or settle in from 9:30pm with the venue kicking on until 1:00am.
Not letting his Daughter In Law have all the fun, internationally acclaimed Chef-Restaurateur Jessi Singh (co-owner of Daughter In Law, Horn Please, Don’t Tell Aunty, Babu Ji NYC, Bibi Ji) is introducing Melburnians to another fabulous lady in his life: Mrs Singh. Mrs Singh is a vibrant wine bar and store sitting confidently among serious players on iconic Flinders Lane, ready for both a good time and a long time.
“Come have a bite, a meal or just a drink. Bring the party or spectate. Mrs Singh is playful and curious, eager to explore what will become of this day, in this space, with the particular group that will end up here,” says Singh.
Image credit: Peter Tarasiuk
Marbled blue floors, monochrome speckled terrazzo, gold accents and luminescent sherbet orange panelling comprise the palette of the 65-seater dining room, with velvet banquette, bar and table seating in a spectrum of brilliant hues. A Singh-gnature, ‘70s Bollywood classics are projected on the walls with party tunes forming a feel-good soundtrack.
Ready to service every indulgence, a roaming champagne trolley will satiate the ever-present desire to sip, along with vivacious, produce-inspired cocktails and a 300-strong wine list by award-winning Sommelier Dheeraj Bhatia (ex-est. restaurant). Beer and wine are also available for takeaway, and those picking up one for the road can make expert pour selections using the clever, colour-coded system.
Image credit: Peter Tarasiuk
From the kitchen, guests can anticipate a concise menu of small plates, with punchy Asian flavours and Indian flair. A novel concept for Singh, the wine bar format will show the evolution of his new Indian cuisine while offering tasting menu options for extended sittings.
If you are reading this, you are no doubt a food lover!
And good food brings people together. Food is social and we all love to socialise. Good hospitality and commensality go hand in hand. Shout a drink. Put a shrimp on the barbie. Share a sausage sandwich at Bunnings. It’s all part of the Australian way.
Australians are known for their camaraderie. We are known for our sense of fair play and community spirit. We look after one another in times of trouble … the floods, the bushfires, the storms. We help out when we can. And whilst the iconic strong sense of mateship may have eased a little in recent times, it is when things get tough that we all come together, and the Australian spirit shines through.
The past few months have been tough on everyone, especially the hospitality and tourism industries. Most places have had to close, at least for a period of time. Now that many have reopened, the “new normal” has more space, less guests and increased restrictions. It is still tough. But we get up and keep going.
So, with the relaxing of restrictions, it is time to come together, to help one another and to work to rebuild our local businesses and communities. Whilst the pandemic is far from over, we have come through, so far, relatively unscathed. Australia has done well. But now we all need to pitch in to rebuild the economy. It is easy to sit back and expect the government to do it – but without us, there is no hospitality industry. And once the government support – JobSeeker, JobKeeper, etc. – goes, it will be very much up to Australians to support one another.
Hospitality is about sharing, generosity, giving, sensing, nurturing and includes respect, kindness and tolerance. To be hospitable is to treat people as if they are family or long-lost friends. And this is what we Aussies are good at.
Get out. Go to the cafés and restaurants. Buy local. Go on day trips. See your own backyard. Australia is blessed with some of the most spectacular scenery in the world together with the most unique and wonderful experiences.
Tourism Australia is urging us to travel. It is easy to be cynical of advertising, but now is the time to overcome any differences we have and come together as one. We need to encourage everyone to experience as much of this wonderful country as we can.
Instead of socks and undies this Christmas, give your family and friends the gift of travel and experiences. Give restaurant vouchers. Give holiday credits. Give a meal experience. Invite them to come and stay. Bring back the road trip. Go on holidays – locally. Organise events. Be hospitable.
Still a word of caution – as I have said many times before: we must not allow ourselves to become complacent. The virus could still come back to bite us. We must still social distance. We must still be conscious of good hygiene. And we must still register for tracing.
But that does not mean we cannot still have fun. So, get out and enjoy. Explore your local regions. Go see Australia. Now is the time to support our fabulous hospitality industry. Australia is worth a detour.
On Monday, 7 December, Carolina Group’s Joe Mammone, Marco Tenuta and David Dellai (Bar Carolina, Marameo, Tetto di Carolina) reopened the doors to their iconic Melbourne Italian dining room Il Bacaro, revealing a refresh that sees the beloved CBD institution venture back to its Venetian roots.
“It’s Il Bacaro’s 25-year anniversary in December, meaning it’s time to look back at what we’ve achieved and look to the future. It’s out with the yellow and in with the blue,” says Mammone.
The venue will continue to place equal emphasis on its drinking and dining offering, seeing the Il Bacaro experience as a marriage of the two.
From the pass, diners can anticipate a simple yet refined approach to Venetian cuisine using Victorian produce from Co-Owner and Carolina Group Executive Chef Dellai, with highlights to include:
● Crudo di mare – Red prawn, kingfish, tuna, oysters, scallops, condiments ● Ricotta and lemon curd cappellacci, braised rabbit, pine nuts ● Poached cod, watermelon consommé, pickled cucumber, fennel, dill, elderflower ● Limoncello baba, white chocolate and mascarpone semifreddo, lemon myrtle, meringue
Il Bacaro loyalists need not fear, signatures like the Moreton Bay bug spaghettini and agave nectar cheesecake will stay on the menu, receiving a contemporary refresh while retaining their exquisitely balanced flavours.
Afternoons between services are dedicated to Venice’s second most celebrated cocktail, the bellini, which Mammone taps to soon win favour over the spritz. Patrons can keep it classic with peach or try botanical flavours concocted with summer in mind, like lavender or cucumber and lemon thyme.
A 400-reference wine list by Sommeliers Thomas Maiden (Jackalope) and Marco Abbarchi (Grossi Florentino, Tipo 00) shows a strong presence of Italian wines with a Venetian focus – expect to see back vintages from Tedeschi and Giuseppe Quintarelli – along with elegant Australian pours.
A longtime collaborator of Mammone’s, Chris Connell (Chris Connell Design) – whose original design for the iconic space was inducted into the Eat Drink Design Awards Hall of Fame in 2016 – is behind the refresh, which features a palette of walnut timber, polished concrete render, white Carrara marble, dark chocolate leather and light sky blue. Italian string lighting by Viabizzuno will set the intimate, moody ambience in the dining room, where staff in crisp white Venetian-style waiters’ jackets by Fitzroy label B.O.Y.D. will deliver polished service at tables cloaked in classic white linen.
“The simple elegance and romance that Il Bacaro is known for will remain, but with a realigned regional focus. Seeing as people can’t travel overseas right now, we hope to bring them Little Venice on Little Collins,” says Mammone.
Rustica founder breathes new life into a 100-year-old Williamstown pub with a new hospitality team and fresh look.
Brenton Lang (with partners Drew Gibbs & Matt Cook) has opened the doors to his first venture outside the Rustica sourdough empire, with Hobsons Bay Hotel – a three-level neighbourhood pub in Williamstown, including a rooftop deck with views of Melbourne’s skyline across the water.
Delivering refined pub classics, Brenton explains he wanted to create a hospitality venue fitting for the waterfront suburb: “We want to bring the building back to the neighbourhood pub and execute a high-quality venue with a dining and service experience to match. We knew the expertise of the chef we needed for the venue and we couldn’t be more excited to have teamed up with Ben,” says Lang.
Hobsons Bay Hotel welcomes Ben Pigott as head chef, who previously worked at Andrew McConnell’s Supernormal and Cumulus Inc. and most recently as group kitchen manager at Van Haandel Group’s Stokehouse and Fatto.
Pigott’s new menu is predominantly produce-driven, revealing his formative training and experience with local farmers, including his favourite market garden, Ramarro Farm.
From small plates to sharing plates, guests can expect a refined menu of classic Australian pub grub with dishes such as: • Rotisserie chicken and chips with salsa verde and rocket salad • Beer-battered fish and chips with chunky tartar • Cape grim rib-eye to share • Dry-aged striploin on the bone • Rotisserie porchetta with sweet and sour radicchio, hazelnuts, brown butter jus • Dukkah-roasted cauliflower steak with smoked hummus, fried capers and chopped herb dressing
Designer Fiona Drago, a regular collaborator of Rustica, was called upon to celebrate the building’s heritage and long history as a pub. The light-filled interior is furnished in dark bronze trims, deep green panels, grey marble, smoked timber, tan leather and soft lighting, providing a warm comfortable welcome.
On the ground level, patrons step into a brasserie-style dining room on a tartan carpet custom-made in Glasgow. The open kitchen, wood fire grill and rotisserie provide much theatre and action for diners in the room that will eventually fit 60 guests.
One level up on the first floor, there is a private dining room that seats up to 24 guests, as well as an open-air balcony that wraps around the building. Those seeking more fresh air and long leisurely summer days can walk up one more flight of stairs to embrace the expansive rooftop deck that promises to hold up to 100 people when the regulations allow for it.
There will be tap wines and cocktails available on the rooftop. The wine list is also extensive, and there are 11 beers on tap, mainly occupied by Balter and Cricketers Arms.
Hobsons Bay Hotel will eventually seat 240 diners across three levels. Together Lang and Pigott bring a new pub dining experience to the West, contributing another chapter to the history of Williamstown.
Want to keep the tradition of a beautiful Christmas pudding but need to change it up this year to suit our Australian summer? Why not pair it with an incredible gelato packed with decadent flavour?
Vanilla – Let’s start the list off with an absolute creamy classic. Gelatissimo vanilla gelato is a French-style vanilla that contains egg for a richer taste and smoother consistency. The perfect complement to balance out the spice, you can never go wrong with this traditional crowd-pleaser.
Chocolate Wagon with Davidson Plum – Taking it one step further from the NEW Aussie Classics with a Twist range, this gelato features an incredible mix of flavours and textures. It’s a biscuit gelato rippled with chocolate, topped with marshmallow pieces and swirled with a Davidson Plum jam. It helps to highlight the warm biscuity notes and delicious tart jam often found in your Aunt’s best chocolate pudding recipe! Not to mention it looks festive with the bright red from the Davidson Plum.
Deluxe Range Frosted Cinnamon Scroll – This gelato is from the decadent Deluxe Range. It’s a Madagascar cinnamon and cream cheese gelato, loaded with chunks of soft cinnamon scrolls and dollops of delicious cream cheese icing, made with award-winning Heilala Vanilla. This gelato accompaniment connects the festive flavours of warming cinnamon spice!
Rum & Raisin – Often referred to as one of Italy’s finest flavours, this unique gelato provides a sweet burst of alcohol in every bite. Always dedicated to the highest quality ingredients, Gelatissimo uses raisins that have been soaked in alcohol to add another layer to this delicious option. Pairing this with a traditional Christmas pudding to amplify the flavours is a combination not to be missed!
About Gelatissimo Australia’s favourite gelato, Gelatissimo has been bringing people together to create and celebrate moments of pure happiness since opening the first store in Sydney in 2002. Gelatissimo is constantly evolving its range of great-tasting flavours, made fresh in-store with no artificial colours or flavours. Made using traditional Italian methods, its gelato is available across 44 stores throughout Australia and in 26 overseas locations, including Singapore and China.
The young founders behind the Sydney salad empire FISHBOWL have announced their next venture, a brand new-concept set to open in Bondi this December – FISH SHOP. The dine in and takeaway venue will be their take on a modern fish shop, a counter-service restaurant focusing on sustainably sourced seafood paired with vibrant salads and contemporary vegetable dishes.
FISH SHOP hopes to create a new fine-casual dining experience, with the founders seeking to land on a bliss point between a restaurant and bar, and a good old-fashioned fish shop.
On offer will be a seasonal selection of sustainable and normally hard-to-access seafood from Sydney’s best suppliers, with the menu encouraging diners to pair their fish with their choice of condiments, vegetables, sides and salads. For those wanting to take-away or cook at home, customers will also be available to pick up as well as pre-order seafood online.
The menu has been designed with both dine-in and takeaway in mind, featuring a selection of ‘BOXES TO GO’ – giving choice, flexibility and a clear direction for those looking to picnic in the park, at the beach or take home. A ‘FISH BOX’ will set you back $25 and includes a choice of fish main and condiment, with any salad or side. For those after a lighter lunch option, a ‘LUNCH BOX’ ($19) includes a choice of FISH SHOP’s own hot smoked trout, salmon gravlax or tuna confit with any salad, crostini, pickles and house-made labneh.
Founder Nathan Dalah said the concept of FISH SHOP came about due to a desire to find a place to eat healthy and fresh seafood with a nice vibe and without breaking the bank: “We figured – people love food when it’s simple, clean, healthy and feels great. Could we create a new restaurant experience whereby instead of a traditional menu we simply feature market-fresh seafood paired with chef-driven condiments, salads and vegetables? It’s simple, clean, healthy and delivers insane value”.
Dining in, consumers can enjoy the north-facing venue and all-day sun, pairing their meals with an all-Australian natural wine list and a short and sharp cocktail menu. For snacks there will be freshly shucked Appellation rock oysters, anchovy toast and cured fish plates.
Leading the FISH SHOP kitchen will be Head Chef Joel Bennetts (PIER, Bistrode CBD, Three Blue Ducks, Peppe’s). With over 14 years’ experience and learning from some of Sydney’s best chefs, Bennetts has collaborated with Dalah, Pestalozzi and Ettelson to design a dynamic and health-driven experience for consumers. Bennetts’ direction for the menu is approachable and offers seasonal food inspired by the Mediterranean and coastal Middle East – the perfect summer food for a meal after a day at the beach or a long day at work.
When deciding where to open the first FISH SHOP the team couldn’t look further than Bondi, a suburb that welcomed their first FISHBOWL with open arms back in 2016. The new venue will be located on Glenayr Avenue’s Sevenways precinct, with FISH SHOP fronting directly onto the new park. With the option of the takeaway, FISH SHOP encourages customers to dine in or embrace the beautiful sunshine outside – even providing the picnic blankets to do so.
Dalah further comments: “It is all about the vibe! People make the place and there’s no better place for a concept like ours to cut its teeth than Bondi. The locals are discerning, knowledgeable and recognise value, quality and passion when it’s served up to them. That’s exactly what we’re going to deliver and we’re doing it in a beautiful setting with sun all day and a tight selection of natural wine and cocktails”.
With their immensely successful FISHBOWL becoming Australia’s fastest-growing quick-service restaurant, Founders Nathan Dalah, Nic Pestalozzi and Casper Ettelson hope they can replicate the success and find a new restaurant lane with FISH SHOP.
FISH SHOP is set to open week commencing 21 December 2020.
Celebrate the end of 2020 with an indulgent yum cha feast at David’s Prahran with their famous unlimited yum cha and sparkling dinner event returning for two nights only across Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve. There will be two sittings – 6.00pm and 8.00pm for $110 per person and bookings are essential via https://bit.ly/33PPIdt.
The menu will showcase a flavourful menu curated for the festive season and free-flowing Domaine De La Grande Côte, NV Burgundy, France to wash down each bite. Guests will be treated with a selection of one-off dishes to share with loved ones that will add a special taste to the indulgent spread.
Restaurateur David Zhou says: “We want to give our lovely customers an enjoyable experience to ring in the New Year after a very challenging year for everyone.
“By coming together over yum cha, our team want to give comfort to those who decide to dine with us during the festive season. We know that Melburnians have shown resilience this year, so we want people to really enjoy themselves over good food and a glass of sparkling.”
The yum cha feast will feature the likes of homemade rice crackers with a Shanghainese dip, pan-fried BBQ pork buns, handmade pork dumplings steamed in a Chinese ham broth, authentic prawn dumplings, black truffle prawn and pork shu mai, and Domain De La Grande Côte, NV Burgundy, France – all available for top-ups served straight to your table upon request. One-off dishes to grace the menu includes DIY Peking duck leg, pan-fried Patagonian toothfish in a ginger–soy glaze with asparagus, Chinese broccoli, Shanghainese spring onion noodles, and mango pudding with mango popping pearls to end the feast on a sweet note.
Offering one of the best yum cha experiences in Melbourne, David’s unlimited yum cha and sparkling event offers up over ten varieties of authentic Shanghainese dishes matched with the perfect drop of sparkling.
David’s is a contemporary Shanghainese restaurant inspired by Zhou’s hometown Zhouzhang, a water village in which his family’s recipes originated. Loved by locals for over 20 years, it’s no secret that David’s authentic menu showcases some of the finest dumplings in town while treating guests as an extension of Zhou’s own family.
Unlimited yum-cha and sparkling @ David’s Prahran 4 Cecil Place, Prahran VIC 3181 Christmas Eve and New Year’s dinner bookings only 6.00pm and 8.00pm sittings $110pp (all inclusive) Bookings only: https://bit.ly/33PPIdt
Chin Chin is making festive dining at home easy with its festive celebration season packs for Christmas and New Year’s.
Designed to feed large groups, Chin Chin has done all the prep for you so you can spend more time on hosting and less time roasting, and celebrate the season in style with friends and family. Think a feast including lobster dumplings, prawn & crab net spring rolls, coconut poached chicken, whole twice-cooked duck, king salmon in banana leaf, wagyu beef brisket, heirloom tomatoes, roast pumpkin and much more. You can’t forget the jelly mess with strawberry and champagne jelly, meringue and custard for dessert.
Starting at $138 per person, each pack feeds either 6 or 12 people and there is also the option to add extra special à la carte items including half leg ham with a coconut and fennel glaze, Goolwa pipis, twice-cooked beef short rib and more!
They’ve even taken care of the cocktails with bottles of Peach Spritz available to add on as well as your choice of two mixed cocktails packs.
More details and pre-orders are available via https://makemefeedme.com/collections/pre-order-xmas-nye and delivery is available to almost every corner of Victoria, Metro Sydney, Wollongong, Newcastle, Metro Adelaide and Canberra for a flat fee of $16.50 to Victoria and $22.50 for all other locations.
Pre-orders for delivery on Thursday, 24 December cut off on Saturday, 19 December and pre-orders for delivery on Wednesday, 30 December cut off on Thursday, 24 December.
After a very dreary few months, Chapati is launching next week and is here to inject some colour, excitement and energy into Melbourne!
The bright purple building is easy to spot on Rathdowne Street, Carlton. Unlike any other Indian restaurant in Melbourne, Chapati delivers more than just good Indian food, it’s an entire cultural trip as soon as you set foot inside.
India is more than just a country. It is a feeling, an experience of its own and a place that treats food as holy. Inspired by the rich culture of India, Chapati, too, welcomes everyone with open arms.
Launching on Monday, 14 December, Chapati is Indian culture like Melbourne has never seen before. Not just serving Indian food, but the culture and idea of India itself.
Vibrant and energetic food, most dishes are recipes passed down from owner Arjun Dewan’s Mum, including 10-hour, slow-cooked Dal Bukhara, aromatic fish moilee and naan that simply demands attention.
Chapati is bold, beautiful and playful. It’s the warmth of tradition, the colours of Bollywood and the diversity of one of the world’s most eclectic countries.
Anthia Koullouros, one of Australia’s renowned natural clinicians and the founder of the original Ovvio teas, has created a new tea and tisane brand – Apotheca by Anthia.
The small bespoke batches of teas and tisanes are designed for health and wellness, using Anthia’s years of experience as a naturopath and herbalist.
The teas and tisanes are handmade in Australia using certified organic ingredients, in beautiful sustainable packaging that is compostable, re-usable, or biodegradable.
The teas and tisanes are available from December 11.
Anthia says, “I am so proud of my new tea range. I feel these teas really reflect what I do as a practitioner – they help provide a personal path to wellness, a special ritual for the self. They are designed to elevate people physically and mentally. Each tea has been so lovingly made, they are small batch and have healing and health at their core.
I have taken all my learnings of tea-making and naturopathy of the last couple of decades and distilled them into the most evolved and elevated version of what I do.”
Apothecary originates from the ancient Greek word Apothēca [ἀποθήκη], a dispensary of botanical remedies. It was the place where women could be healers.
Apotheca by Anthia will launch with a range of 11 loose leaf and seven tea bag teas that are a mix of special, small batch everyday drinking teas.
The black teas in the range include English (organic English breakfast), Earl (organic Earl Grey), Paris (organic French Grey), and Chai Tsái (organic black chai). The tisanes include Verdant (Australian Green Tea Shincha), Zephyr (organic mint), Meadow (organic chamomile), Paddington (organic lemon), Shine (organic lemon and ginger), Ruby (organic berry) and Lion (organic dandelion chai, caffeine free).
The range will expand in coming months to feature specific ailment teas and tisanes for common conditions that Anthia sees regularly through her practice. The expanded range will include naturopathic & botanical remedies, and elixirs and herbal tonics.
Other holistic lifestyle products are also available on the Apotheca by Anthia website including medicinal grade Greek olive oil, MV Skintherapy & Kinto Teawares.
Anthia can also provide bespoke botanical tea blending workshops and masterclasses for brands or individuals, where participants learn about the art of tea blending and the healing properties of the ingredients.
Apotheca by Anthia is available for purchase online at www.apothecabyanthia.com or at Anthia’s store and clinic in Paddington.
The range is also available at all Sonoma cafés and stores.
The teas and tisanes range from RRP $14.95 to $35 as tea bags, loose leaf in cardboard or loose leaf in glass amber jars.
CHRISTMAS DAY – FRIDAY, 25 DECEMBER Arbory Afloat × Four Pillar Christmas Gin Feast Teaming up with all-time favourite Four Pillars Gin, Arbory Afloat is bringing guests a Christmas on the Yarra River like no other. With sittings from 11:30am to 9pm on Christmas Day, Arbory Afloat is dishing up the ultimate four-course Beach House feast with matched Four Pillars cocktails and flowing beer, cider, wine and even Champagne.
The popular Daybeds and Cabanas are also available to book, with packages available for 4–10 guests. Timings: From 11:30am for lunch and dinner. 3-hour sitting times apply. Price: $250 per adult, $105 for teens (13–17 years) and $45 for kids (12 and under) Bookings: Via https://arboryafloat.com.au/
Arbory Bar & Eatery Gin Feast Arbory is bringing the ultimate Christmas Gin Feast to Melbourne with a three-course banquet to celebrate the festive season. There will be Four Pillars cocktails, flowing beer, cider, wine and champagne available for lunch and dinner. Timings: From 11:30am for lunch and dinner. 3-hour sitting times apply. Price: $196 per adult, $105 for teens (13–17 years) and $45 for kids (12 and under) Bookings: Via https://arbory.com.au/
The Westin Melbourne The Westin Melbourne is serving up a decadent à la carte lunch and dinner in its Allegro Restaurant with all the trimmings. Feast on a delicious selection of dishes designed to share with your loved ones, including kingfish ceviche with summer flowers, baked Murray cod in a salt crust and, of course, a traditional Christmas pudding with cognac crème anglaise just to name a few. Timings: Lunch is available from 12:30pm to 3pm and dinner from 5:30pm to 8:30pm Price: $199 per adult and $89 per child (4–12 years) Bookings: Via lobby.melbourne@westin.com or call 03 9635 2222
Chin Chin Melbourne Christmas Lunch For the first time ever, CBD favourite Chin Chin is hosting an extra special Chin-mas Feed Me lunch feast to delight all the senses.
Unbuckle your belt and devour a delicious set menu, including dishes such as kingfish sashimi, coconut and fennel-glazed ham, roasted Hervey Bay scallops, green curry of king prawn, heirloom tomato salad and not one, but three sweet treats to finish with – a jelly mess, Christmas pudding and chocolate and coconut rumballs. Timings: Lunch sittings at 11am and 2pm Price: $175 per person Bookings: Via https://www.chinchin.melbourne/whats-on/christmas-day/
A Kisumé Christmas An unmissable experience for the festive season, Kisumé is opening the doors for the first time on Christmas Day to celebrate with an exclusive lunch seating. Enjoy an exceptional five-course chef’s menu from the masters at Kisumé with fresh seasonal dishes, including Stockyard Kiwami Wagyu Scotch Fillet; Duck with plum, beetroot, charred negi and buckwheat; and the Deluxe Feature Box with an assortment of sashimi and sushi and more. Timings: Lunch from 12pm Price: $245 per person Bookings: Via https://kisume.com.au/whats-on/christmas-day/
NEW YEAR’S EVE AND NEW YEAR’S DAY
Arbory Afloat Beach House Party Say goodbye to 2020 and hello to 2021 on Melbourne’s largest floating bar & restaurant Arbory Afloat with its New Year’s Eve Beach House Party. Kicking off at 8pm, celebrate with unlimited drinks, tunes by Melbourne’s best DJs and entertainment until 12:30pm. The all-inclusive party package includes canapés and endless beer, cider, wine, Champagne and spirits.
The popular Daybeds and Cabanas are also available to book, with packages available for 4–10 guests featuring a personal waitress and special packages available for groups. Timings: 8:00pm to 12:30am Price: $250 per person for the main deck and $300 for the upper pool deck. Daybed and Cabana bookings are separate. Bookings: Via https://arboryafloat.com.au/event/new-years-eve-party-2021/
Arbory Bar & Eatery New Year’s Eve Party Raise a glass to 2021 with dinner, flowing drinks, feel-good tunes and live entertainment at Arbory Bar & Eatery. With two sittings starting from 5pm–6pm and from 8:30pm–9:30pm, the all-inclusive package includes canapés, flowing beer, cider, wine, Champagne and house spirits. Timings: First sitting starts from 5pm–6pm, second sitting starts at 8:30pm–9:30pm. 2½-hour sitting times apply. Second sitting strictly 18+. Price: $195 per adult, $105 for teens (13–17 years) and $45 for kids (12 and under) Bookings: Via https://arbory.com.au/event/new-years-eve-2020/
Johnny’s Green Room Celebrate the New Year with unmatched views of Melbourne’s CBD on Carlton’s favourite rooftop bar, Johnny’s Green Room. With two dinner sittings, guests can enjoy a delicious four-course menu with an Aperol spritz on arrival to say cheers to 2021. There’ll be DJ’s all night and live entertainment too. Timings: Two sittings starting from 5pm–6pm (2½-hour sitting time) and from 8pm–9:30pm (sitting until close) Price: $130 per person Bookings: Via https://johnnysgreenroom.com/
New Year’s Eve at Agostino Ring in the New Year at Carlton’s Agostino with a four-course Italian feast and glass of Champagne on arrival. Say farewell to 2020 in the best of company with two sittings and delicious bites all night long. Timings: First sitting bookings prior to 6:30pm are strictly 2½ hours. Second sitting bookings after 6:30pm are welcome until after midnight. Price: $110 per person Bookings: Via http://www.agostinowine.com/
New Year’s Eve at Bomba Bomba is throwing the ultimate fiesta to say adios to 2020 with a Spanish feast and matched drinks to show off the best that Victoria and Spain have to offer and live music for the late sitting too. Enjoy a four-course celebratory menu with a selection of cocktails, beer and wine too. Bookings are available for both indoor and outdoor dining. Timings: From 5pm Price: $190 per person including food and drinks for 2½ hours. $110 for food only. Bookings: Via https://bombabar.com.au/
Chin Chin New Year’s Eve Street Feast on AC/DC Lane Get ready to get down at Chin Chin on New Year’s Eve in AC/DC Lane. Count on the Chin Chin crew to deliver a flavour-packed feast with refreshing cocktails to match. Let them feed you so you can focus on having fun with the signature banquets to celebrate the New Year in true Melbourne fashion with an outdoor street party. Timings: From 4:30pm Price: $88 or $120 per person banquet menu (food only) Bookings: Via https://www.chinchin.melbourne/whats-on/nye-at-chin-chin-2/
New Year’s Day Yum Cha at Chin Chin Partying into the New Year? Chin Chin is bringing its Weekend Yum Cha back to Melbourne for one day only – New Year’s Day! Spend the first day of 2021 devouring Chin Chin’s delicious Yum Cha feast complete with dumplings and disco tunes on rotation from 11am to 4pm. Whether it’s a cure for a sore head or to kick-start the year in style, you can’t go wrong at Chin Chin. Timings: From 11am–4pm Price: $69.50 per person Bookings: Via https://www.chinchin.melbourne/whats-on/yum-cha-at-chin-chin/
New Year’s Eve at Kisumé Celebrate the end of the year in decadence at Kisumé with a heavenly five-course chef’s menu dinner to delight in the restaurant or for an extra special event around The Chef’s Table for an exceptional dining experience like no other to ring in the New Year. The team will also be serving Dom Perignon 2009 by the glass for $75 to make the occasion extra special. Timings: Dinner from 5pm. The Chef’s Table sittings at 6pm and 9pm. Price: $165 per person for five-course dinner menu. The Chef’s Table 6pm sitting is $275 per person (food only) and 9pm sitting is $380 per person (food and drinks). Bookings: Via https://kisume.com.au/book-now/
New Year’s Eve Extravaganza at Stokehouse Stokehouse is hosting the ultimate New Year’s Eve experience with a luxurious and relaxed evening to celebrate the New Year. Guests can enjoy pre-dinner drinks, canapés and caviar, fresh oysters and more followed by a four-course set-menu dinner, accompanied by live entertainment throughout the night. Timings: 7:30pm Price: $350 per person including food, pre-dinner drinks and canapés Bookings: Email nye2020@stokehouse.com.au
Australia’s favourite wing slingers, WingHAÜS by Bavarian, have done their culinary homework and created 13 new, limited-edition, house-made sauces and rubs to add to the menu.
The three-month-long WingFest runs from Tuesday, 1 December to Sunday, 28 February at both wing-packed, sauce-smacked, sports-bar dining destinations, which are located in Sydney (Gateway dining precinct) and Brisbane (44 Edward Street). That’s three pleasure-filled months to try the new flavours that join nine signature sauces already on the menu.
Spoiler alert: they’re all deliciously addictive, and range from flavour-packed, to mildly hot, and turbocharged on the WingHAÜS heat index.
Diners pick a sauce or rub to dunk their classic, boneless, or cauliflower wings into. There is one complimentary sauce or rub for every 10-piece serve of wings. Additional sauces and rubs cost $3 each. The WingFest line-up includes:
• Salt & Vinegar – consider this your quintessential salt & vinegar chicks • Lemon Pepper – a zesty dry rub with a peppery kick • Nacho Cheese – nacho average fried chicken wing rub, that’s for sure • Garlic & Parmesan – brings an Italian riff to the American chicken wing • Chicken Salt – as Australian as Vegemite, this rub serves up a tasty bout of nostalgia • Sweet & Sour – a much-loved Cantonese classic sauce, famed for its balance of opposing flavours • Honey BBQ – universally loved, the sweet-hot combo promises to be a crowd- pleaser • Honey Mustard – combines Dijon and American mustards with other finger lickin’ ingredients
On the WingHAÜS heat index the next two sauces are accompanied by a single flame symbol, which means they have a mild spice kick:
• Mango Habanero – spicy and not too sweet with mellow tropical notes
• Thai Red – Asian-American fusion at its absolute best
Two flames indicates that a sauce is hot, but not excessively so: • Caribbean Jerk – gets its kick from a blend of 10 spices, herbs and a hit of dark rum
From merely hot to incendiary, the last two flavours are scorched with three flames: • Nashville – a regional hot rub of cayenne, chipotle, paprika, other spices and brown sugar • Vindaloo – an Indian-inspired, intensely spicy combination of a seven-spice mix and pungent chilli paste, with acidic and vinegar-tinged notes
The 13 new additions join nine signature sauces already on the menu: teriyaki, Jack Daniel’s BBQ, Texas BBQ, traditional, Korean, habanero, chipotle, afterburner, and face-melting.
WingHAÜS by Bavarian Food & Beverage Director John Sullivan said: “Our chicken wing credentials are already well-cemented in two Australian cities, but we want to dial up the flavour experience and give our sports-watching, beer-loving, casual-dining fans an even bigger selection of sauces and rubs to choose from.”
“The three-month duration of WingFest gives WingHAÜS fans ample time to try all the new flavours and clock up numerous repeat visits to indulge in their top picks.”
Classic, boneless and cauliflower wings come in 10-piece ($12), 20-piece ($22), $50-piece ($49) and 100-piece ($94) serves. They’re best enjoyed with one of 40 beers on tap, cocktails on tap, and margaritas served frozen and on the rocks, and as a frozen, 1-litre, shareable Stein Rita.
Visit the world’s most beloved cities and dream destinations without leaving Melbourne.
Avid travellers can now walk the streets of Paris, marvel at Big Ben and snap up an authentic New York hot dog as the city’s newest interactive travel experience, Wanderlust Melbourne, has opened its doors! Open 7 days a week, the pop-up attraction invites visitors to traverse imaginary borders and be transported to five beloved cities and dream destinations; the bustling streets of London and New York, the Paris cityscape, a relaxing Tropical Beach and a Christmassy Winter Wonderland.
Located in Fitzroy and spread over five vibrant rooms, visitors enter via the departure gate and arrive on the other side of the world where they can experience the sights, smells, touches and tastes of different destinations – all without ever leaving Melbourne.
Tickets to Wanderlust Melbourne from $19.50 per person and are on sale now at wanderlustmelbourne.com.au
Wanderlust Melbourne can be booked for events of up to 100 people with a range of packages available. After the year that has been 2020, what better way to celebrate Christmas, a birthday or anything in between, in some of the world’s greatest locations.
Wanderlust will comply with COVID-19 health and safety guidelines and will have a COVID-19 safe plan in place.
Wanderlust Melbourne Dates: From 5 December 2020–31 January 2021 Address: 379 Smith St, Fitzroy VIC 3065 Opening Hours: 12:00pm–7:00pm Tickets: From $19.50
Flexi tickets: We know travel plans change so our tickets are fully flexible for total peace of mind *subject to availability of preferred time slot. Time slots are in place to allow for safe social distancing. Duration: 1 hour Events can be booked 7 days a week from 7.30pm–11.30pm with up to 100 people.
One traveller will win the chance to get on the road themselves in an all-electric Tesla Model 3.
Tripadvisor®, the world’s largest travel platform, has announced a new campaign in partnership with Destination NSW (DNSW) that calls on travellers to Love NSW by taking a road trip and coming back to travel in a safe and sustainable way.
From hotels to highlands, culture to charging stations, the campaign features a curated series of trip itineraries and articles full of recommendations, safety tips and guidance from travellers who have been to these must-visit NSW destinations before. This campaign has been designed to raise awareness of various multi-destination road trips and undiscovered gems across the state, encouraging holidaymakers to book their next great NSW escape.
With summer right around the corner and travellers itching to get away, road trips are a no-brainer. A recent Tripadvisor COVID-19 sentiment study found that 48% of Australians were excited to plan their next road trip. This new initiative will encourage and inspire local travellers to make plans for the holidays, booking road trips across the state, to discover all the wonders New South Wales has to offer.
“COVID-19 has indeed brought many disruptions to travel this year and our focus remains on keeping travellers around the world inspired and excited to return to travel safely,” said Sarah Mathews, Group Head of Destination Marketing for APAC, Tripadvisor. “Our data shows that sustainable travel is a key travel interest area for the season ahead and we want to show our travellers how to do so in a meaningful way.”
As part of the campaign that aims to celebrate sustainable road-trip journeys, Tripadvisor and DNSW are launching an epic traveller contest worth over $9,000 that will provide one lucky winner with the opportunity to road trip through NSW in a Tesla Model 3. Travellers will be asked to choose their dream NSW road trip from the series and explain their preference in 25 words or less. In addition to the car, the costs of accommodation and experiences expenses will be covered by Tripadvisor, and meals will be sponsored by contest partner, TheFork.
NSW Minister for Jobs, Investment, Tourism and Western Sydney Stuart Ayres said the partnership with Tripadvisor would amplify the work of the NSW Government to support the recovery of the state’s visitor economy.
“There are so many incredible towns to visit across NSW, and a road trip is the perfect way to fully immerse yourself in our regions and support businesses by staying and spending locally,” Minister Ayres said.
“The NSW Government is committed to helping communities that rely on tourism get back on their feet through strategic, high-impact activities such as this Tripadvisor partnership that inspire domestic travellers to take a COVID-safe holiday in NSW.”
Based on their Trip Barometer 2019 insights, Tripadvisor travellers consider sustainability as a key factor choice for their trips, with 77% of travellers saying that eco-choices make them feel more positive about their trip. Tesla was a perfect choice for this initiative. Tesla’s all-electric vehicles provide Australians with the ability to sustainably travel across the country with the use of their extensive Destination Charging and Supercharging network.
Model 3 is Tesla’s smaller, simpler, more affordable car. Designed and built as the world’s first mass-market electric vehicle, it is a critical step in Tesla’s mission to accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy. Like every Tesla vehicle, Model 3 combines range, performance, safety and technology.
For more information, and to enter to win a Tripadvisor × DNSW road trip please visit: https://www.tesla.com/en_au/campaign/nswroadtrips. The competition is open November 30 to December 23 with the competition winner announced in January 2021.
The data cited in this release was gathered and analysed from two key sources: ● A Tripadvisor Consumer Sentiment Survey, based on data drawn from an online survey of up to 2,400 consumers per survey, in partnership with Qualtrics, conducted approximately every two weeks from 3/27 through 10/21 across six countries – USA, UK, Australia, Italy, Singapore and Japan ● Site behavioural data sourced from first party traffic data on the Tripadvisor platform.
Three hampers, Christmas porchettas and giant mozzarella range!
Christmas is nearly here, and That’s Amore Cheese is helping Victorians celebrate with an amazing range of Christmas hampers, porchettas and special mozzarellas. And for a unique gift, Teste Di Moro Ceramics are available.
Ideal for presents, small family gatherings or festive catch-ups with friends, the Christmas food products are ideal to enjoy at the end of what can only be described as a challenging year! The hampers and porchettas are available for delivery, making it easier than ever to send to a loved one or direct to home.
THAT’S AMORE CHEESE CHRISTMAS HAMPERS That’s Amore Christmas Hampers are packaged in a limited edition gift box with a gorgeous Sicilian Pattern. Inside, the products lay on wild hay and customers can opt for a card with personalised message. Delivery date can be selected at checkout so pre-orders are welcome*.
COLOURS OF XMAS HAMPER – $100Filled with exquisite gourmet treats and That’s Amore favourites, this luxury hamper is the perfect gift to say Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
MERRY CHEESEMAS HAMPER – $120It’s not Christmas without an abundance of cheese, and this hamper has cheese lovers sorted! The delicious flavour combinations of the That’s Amore Caciotta range have been matched with five different types of Beechworth Honey, all to be enjoyed with a glass of Vinea Marson Rosé.
• 5 × That’s Amore Caciotta (Chilli, Pepper, Plain, Smoked, Buffalo) • 5 Beechworth Honey Mini (assorted flavours) 45g each • Mini Romanini Traditional Biscuits 300g • Vinea Marson Rosé 750mL
BUON NATALE HAMPER – $160 Say thank you and Merry Christmas with cheese! This premium hamper is filled with traditional Italian Christmas treats including a D&G Panettone, That’s Amore favourites and a bottle of Salatin Prosecco to toast the end of 2020!
• D&G Panettone agli Agrumi e Zafferano di Sicilia 100g • That’s Amore Cacio Pepper approx 200g • That’s Amore Buffalotto approx 180g • That’s Amore Drunken Buffalo approx 180g • Cantucci Tin 200g • Chocolate Covered Torrone Bar 140g • Ceramic Burrata • Salatin Prosecco DOC 750mL
THAT’S AMORE PORCHETTA – COOKED & RAW (RAW EXCLUSIVE FOR CHRISTMAS) That’s Amore is not just known for it’s cheeses! Many people love the That’s Amore porchetta – succulent Abruzzese-style roast pork, made by the chefs in the traditional way. At Christmas, the porchetta is available raw, as well as the usual pre-cooked and ready to heat at home. There is a half at around 1.5kg and the whole at approximately 3kg. Having the raw option for Christmas means customers can create their own family feast from scratch if they wish.
This is the first year that porchetta is available for home delivery. Deliveries and pick-ups will run until Christmas Eve. Around 200 porchettas are usually collected from That’s Amore on Christmas Eve!
THAT’S AMORE MOZZARELLA CHRISTMAS RANGE There’s nothing better than cheese for a celebration or catch-up and That’s Amore Cheese has some amazing mozzarellas especially for Christmas, all handmade to order with local buffalo milk. The three varieties, from 1kg–3kg, are perfect for sharing.
Aversana, 1kg, $40.90/kg – a beautiful sphere of mozzarella Zizzona, 3kg, $41.90/kg – a giant mozzarella ball! Treccia, 1kg or 2kg, $42.90/kg – plaited mozzarella that makes the perfect cheeseboard centrepiece
The mozzarella Christmas range is available for pick-up only from The Cheesery in Thomastown. Pre-orders close on 20th December with collection until Christmas Eve. Orders via The Cheesery on 03 9463 4222.
TESTE DI MORO CERAMICS That’s Amore Cheese is stocking beautiful Sicilian Ceramic Heads – Teste di Moro – and they make ideal gifts. They are handmade and hand-painted and have been crafted in Santo Stefano di Camastra, Sicily, by local artisan ceramists Peppino and Benny.
Sicily is famous for its brightly coloured Maiolica-style ceramics, in particular the Moorish head designs. Known as Teste di Moro, these ceramics are colourful vases, originally used as plant pots. The legend behind the stunning ceramics, which decorate houses all over Sicily, dates back to the 11th century.
The story tells of a beautiful girl who was living in the Arabic district of Palermo. While she was tending to the plants on her balcony, a Moor merchant passed by and fell in love with her at first sight. The girl returned his love, but shortly after discovered that the man had a wife and children waiting for him in his native land. Driven by jealousy, the girl decided to keep the man forever, by cutting off his head and using it as a vase to grow basil in. Grieving her loss, her tears caused the basil to flourish. Passers-by noticed her thriving plants and were inspired to create their own colourful head-shaped vases.
The ceramics are available in different sizes and in plain white or full colour, priced $66.50 to $799. Pick-up only at The Cheesery.
*Minimum order $40. Free delivery for up to 15km from That’s Amore Cheese in Thomastown; and delivery is free for orders over $120 for the rest of Melbourne (up to 25km from Thomastown), otherwise delivery is from $10.
The signature Stokehouse Seafood Platter is now available for you to enjoy at home this Christmas and New Year’s Eve. Featuring exceptional and sustainable Australian seafood, the seafood platter is now available to order, starting at $110 for two to share with additional serves at $60.
Enjoy effortless luxury at home this festive season with minimal preparation required to create a stunning shared experience. The Stokehouse × Clamms seafood platter features:
Pacific oysters with cucumber mignonette Half marron with tarragon mayo Prawn cocktail with all the fixings – smoky tomato and Iceberg Cured ocean trout tartare crumpets Smoked local mussels with vermouth dressing
Signature Stokehouse cocktails are also available
Delivered to your front door by the Clamms team across Melbourne and beyond for $15. Select from the 23rd or 24th of December for your Christmas celebrations or the 30th or 31st December for New Year’s Eve.
The perfect way to bring Stokehouse home this December.
ST. ALi pop-up at Jacoby’s Tiki Bar – Thursday, December 10 to Saturday, December 12, from 9am to 2pm.
ST. ALi is bringing the party to Sydney for a three-day pop-up and everyone is invited come down, have a chat and share a brew on the house.
ST. ALi General Manager Lachlan Ward will be on site to share with Sydneysiders the magic of ST. ALi with the complete range of cold brew cans and showcasing a range of coffee blends and single origin roasts.
In addition, guests can experience the brand-new Iced Coffee (300ml carton) – the first specialty iced coffee with an Australian premium milk brand, in a carton, on the Australian market. ST. ALi has always sought to marry convenience and flavour. Collaborating with Riverina Fresh, this new ready-to-drink range is proudly made using local milk suppliers and ethically sourced fully traceable beans from ST. ALi’s growers in the Orthodox blend.
After hours, Jacoby’s Tiki Bar will have on their menu two special ST. ALi cocktails, including a frozen Irish coffee (whisky, ST. ALi iced latte, Mr Black cold brew coffee liqueur, vanilla ice cream) and the Mr Bali Hai (rum, pineapple, lime, ST. ALi cold brew).
Jacoby’s tropical cocktail vibes make it an oasis on Enmore Road, featuring martinis, coffee cocktails and the complete range of cold brew cans, as well as American-style pies from Mrs Underwood, including pecan, lemon meringue and pumpkin pie.
Iced coffee cartons retail for $5.00 for 300ml and will be available across Australia in specialty stores from March 2021.
ST. ALi Sydney Pop-Up When: Thursday, December 10 to Saturday, December 12, 9am to 2pm Where: Jacoby’s Tiki Bar, 154 Enmore Rd, Enmore NSW 2042 Time: 9am–2pm
There’s no doubt 2020 has been a tough year, and with our busy lives forced to slow down, one thing that has continued to grow is consumer interest in food provenance. We know Australian grocery buyers want to support Australian farmers, and animal welfare is also a box that many would like to tick.
So, the good news to end the year that was is that this Christmas it will be easier than ever to choose a turkey farmed to higher welfare standards.
This is because for the first time, RSPCA Approved turkey will be available in both Coles and Woolworths supermarkets – where the majority of Australians shop.
Looking for the RSPCA Approved logo is an easy way for Australians to choose a product that has been farmed to higher welfare standards.
Being farmed to the RSPCA Approved Farming Scheme standards means turkeys have access to perches to help build stronger legs and interesting objects to peck at (such as plastic chains, straw bales, shiny discs and sometimes magazines). The RSPCA’s standards also have specifications for the provision of quality litter covering the floor, allowing birds to dustbathe to clean and maintain their feathers.
The Scheme’s mission is to improve the lives of as many farm animals as possible, and RSPCA Australia works closely with hundreds of dedicated farmers who want to make a positive impact on the lives of the animals they rear.
Since the release of its first animal welfare standards for turkeys in 2010, more than 2.4 million turkeys have benefitted from better conditions on farm.
RSPCA Approved farms raise animals to the RSPCA’s detailed animal welfare standards and are assessed regularly to ensure the standards are met. Brands sourcing from RSPCA Approved farms must have traceability systems in place to trace product from point of sale right back through to the farm.
This holiday season, Australians will also be able to support higher welfare standards for pigs with an Australian free-range RSPCA Approved ham on offer in Coles.
Pigs on RSPCA Approved farms have the space to move, forage, socialise and explore. They have a comfortable, dry area to rest and don’t endure painful procedures such as tail docking or teeth clipping.
While sow stall free is a good first step, it doesn’t always mean pigs are free to explore, build nests for their piglets or rest comfortably in straw bedding. Consumers can make a big difference by choosing pork from higher welfare farming systems.
Hope Bertram, Humane Food Manager at RSPCA Australia says: “We know Australians care about farm animals and want greater assurance about how the food on their plate was farmed. And the RSPCA Approved logo does this.”
“We are pleased that this year both major supermarkets have made the commitment to improving the welfare of farmed turkeys. It’s encouraging that with the majority of Australians shopping at Coles and Woolworths, if consumers want turkey farmed to higher welfare standards they’ll have an opportunity to buy it.
“At the end of the day, by choosing higher welfare options, such as RSPCA Approved, Australians are supporting farmers that prioritise animal welfare. This in turn leads to more farm animals benefitting from better conditions, today.”
RSPCA Approved products are now widely available in supermarkets, convenience stores and are on the menus at many restaurants. Find out what brands are RSPCA Approved here.
Sydneysiders and visitors enjoying the Harbour City over the festive season can choose from a series of decadent menus at Rockpool Dining Group premium restaurants.
Image credit: Tom Ferguson
Saké Restaurant & Bar in Manly will share its rooftop vista and sweeping ocean views with guests who choose to enjoy a Christmas Day lunch with a delightful Japanese riff. An à la carte menu is available, alongside a collection of luxe dishes that have been created for the occasion, including prosciutto sushi with avocado, beetroot, mustard and cured rockmelon; Saikou salmon tartare with yuzu chilli miso, salmon caviar and crispy salmon crackling; pork belly chasu with crackling chips, pickled takana, and benishoga; and Murray Cod with shiso butter, cherry tomato and beetroot potato mash.
All three Saké restaurants will get their jingle on for New Year’s Eve, with group bookings of eight or more guests receiving a complimentary Magnum of Moet & Chandon NV. Each restaurant will also offer a separate set menu that bears Saké’s signature, super-fusion stamp. Reservations.
• Saké The Rocks: Set menu: $179, per person • Saké Manly: Seafood platter and bottle of Veuve Clicquot Rosé: $229, per person • Saké Double Bay: Set menu with paired drinks: $229, per person
Add a kick to New Year’s Eve with Spice Temple’s premium banquet menu. The exquisite, regional Chinese gastronomic tour begins with pickles of daikon, cabbage and radish; raw yellowfin tuna with spicy orange oil; steamed scallops with ginger and shallot, or black bean and salted olive; stir-fried spanner crab omelette; steamed Bass Grouper with ginger and shallot; tea-smoked duck with aged black vinegar and spicy pickled cucumbers; Wagyu beef in Kampot pepper and curry leaves; stir-fried greens with garlic; and chocolate and caramelised peanut parfait. The menu costs $119 per person, plus optional wine pairing for $85 each. Group bookings of eight or more guests receive a complimentary Magnum of Moet & Chandon NV. An à la carte menu is also available. Reservations.
Food & Beverage Director Saké and Spice Temple Celine Tran said the New Year’s Eve menus would help guests end 2020 on a high note. “We will indulge guests in our beautiful Asian dishes, divine drinks, and caring service as we embark on a new year with optimism and fresh energy,” she said.
Sydney institution Rockpool Bar & Grill Sydney is offering guests a three-course menu on New Year’s Eve, including a glass of Ruinart NV on arrival ($150 per person). A feast from the ocean and land, the menu includes a choice of nine entrées, nine main dishes, and five desserts, as well as salads and side dishes to share. A la carte dining is also available.
Rockpool’s famed wood-fired grill and charcoal oven will have a workout with wood-fire grilled baby octopus with taramasalata, chilli and red peppers; and charcoal-roast whole prawns, peeled and marinated, featured alongside other signature entrees, including freshly shucked Sydney Rock oysters; charcoal-roast squid and pork belly; and wagyu Bolognese and hand-cut fettucine.
A choice of main dishes includes charcoal-roast market fish with herb and garlic butter; Australian wild greens spanakopita; Milly Hill lamb cutlet, chop and shoulder with traditional mint jelly; and a selection of beautiful dry-aged steaks. End the meal, and 2020, with a choice of Catherine’s passionfruit pavlova, chocolate mille-feuille, crème caramel, blood orange sorbet with Campari granita, or a selection of beautiful cheese. Reservations.
Rockpool Bar & Grill brand General Manager Oliver Atkins said: “We welcome guests to join us for a sophisticated end-of-year soiree that bears the Rockpool signature stamp of superb produce, gorgeous dishes and flawless service.”
Melbourne’s newest Mexican restaurant serves up tableside guac, late-night margaritas and over 260 varieties of tequila and mezcal.
Melbourne’s CBD’s newest resident, Mejico, is bringing some colour, flavour and fun back to the city with delicious market-to-table dining and Melbourne’s largest selection of tequila and mezcal. Mejico unites regional flavours and techniques from Mexico City with influences from the coastal towns to create a food and drink experience like no other.
Taking over the courtyard and glasshouse bar space of the existing Collins Quarter Building, guests enter via the new laneway off Little Collins Street and step inside to discover a place inspired by a love of life, flavour and festivity from the streets of modern Mexico to Melbourne. As you enter, you are hit with an explosion of colour, aroma, music and, of course, margaritas.
“In 2013, we opened Mejico in Sydney as a fun and exciting place for people to celebrate delicious food with friends and family. As a Melburnian, I’m so excited to be able to bring the venue to my hometown and open Mejico in an iconic part of the CBD,” says Mejico owner and Hicks Hospitality Group Director Ian Hicks.
The two-storey restaurant includes a downstairs dining space in a stunning courtyard and glasshouse setting, which is fully weatherproof to protect you from Melbourne’s fickle weather. Upstairs you’ll find a tequila bar and margarita lounge – the perfect place to nestle in for late-night drinks.
Mejico serves lunch and dinner daily, showcasing the best of Victorian produce with a seasonal and evolving menu of fresh dishes from street snacks to tacos, larger share plates, late-night snacks and more. Highlights include Daylesford beef brisket empanadas with raisins, olives and chimichurri; sweet corn ribs with chilli and lime miso and queso fresco; pasilla chilli-spiced roasted chicken with molé negro and kale slaw; Cochinita Pibil with citrus and Yucatan-spiced pulled pork, smoked eggplant and hot sauce; Mount Macedon fried chicken with plantain and hibiscus hot sauce; and tacos with hand-pressed tortillas including confit Yarra Valley carrot, Gippsland lamb barbacoa and fire-glazed salmon.
Promising plenty of fun and theatre, the ‘tableside guac’ at Mejico is not to be missed. A must-have every visit, guests can enjoy a show and customise their guacamole as they watch it be prepared fresh at their table, served with plantain chips.
Open until 3am every Thursday, Friday and Saturday, there’s a selection of late-night drinking snacks, available from 11pm, which pair perfectly with all varieties of tequila. You’ll find chicharrones (Mexican pork crackling), roasted pineapple and habanero salsa with blue corn chips, tequila and herb-marinated olives and more.
There’s breakfast too, with takeaway coffee and pastries available from 7:30am before a full fresh offering for dine-in and takeaway is available. Think crunchy almond granola, mescal-cured salmon and Méjico Benedict, a take on the classic eggs Benedict, as well as smoothies and fresh juices.
Where there’s Mejico, there’s tequila and mezcal – two things that are just as important as the food – and there’s no shortage with over 260 varieties available, making it the largest selection in Melbourne. And of course, there’s the margaritas with six variations, including the ‘Classic’ to the ‘Signature Margarita’ with lemon, agave and egg whites.
Victoria is proudly represented on the rest of the drinks list with local wine favourites, craft beers and ciders from the likes of Two Birds Brewing, Mountain Goat and Coldstream.
A line-up of Melbourne talent has come together to transform the old Collins Quarter space with architect Annie Lai and designer Gabriella Libertini at the forefront. Artist Ash Keating and art studio Apparition Media have taken to the walls to transport guests into a whole new world, with a striped neon pink and black mural paving the way to a large calavera (sugar skull) before moving into the undercover courtyard with a lush vertical garden on the far wall and birdcages suspended from the roof. You won’t miss the colourful Mexican iconography, roses and devil’s ivy, and hand-painted Mexican mandalas and bold floor murals that also run throughout.
Turning any night out into a celebration, head to Mejico where the music never stops and the tequila keeps flowing.
Mejico is located at 1 Pink Alley (accessible via Little Collins Street) and open for takeaway breakfast from 7:30am on Monday to Friday, lunch and dinner daily from 11:30am to 11pm and supper on Thursday, Friday and Saturday until 3am. Bookings are available online via www.mejico.com.au/melbourne.
Take a traditionally leavened sourdough, ensure it has the perfect chewy crumb and crisp crust – but make it a bright, bold purple colour. Such is the fabulous ethos of new patisserie on the block, Lamin8.
With a dedication to baking everything from scratch using time-honoured methods – but adding a unique twist – Lamin8 is quickly gaining traction both in-store and online.
Specialising in viennoiserie (think flaky pastries including croissant, danish and palmiers), Lamin8 Viennoiserie and Patisserie, has a focus on innovative and unique products – from the raspberry-rippled croissant to the matcha-flavoured palmiers and, of course, the purple sourdough, coloured with natural pea flower.
Says Founder Jian Yao, “Having spent over 35 years supplying directly to the wholesale market, my team and I are so excited to be able to now connect with our consumers directly and share in their experiences of our quality yet innovative products”.
Prior to Lamin8, Jian focused entirely on his wholesale business, Continental Patisserie, which has bakeries in Silverwater and Shanghai and supplies products to some of the largest names in hotels, café chains and holiday destinations around the world, including The Star, Disneyland, Godiva and soon, Universal Studios.
All this global expertise can now be seen in Lamin8’s stunning range of over 60 products available, including full occasion cakes, petit fours, macarons, pies, toasted sandwiches and coffee.
“We can’t wait to welcome customers from all over Sydney who are looking for quality products made with skill, fine ingredients and love,” says Jian.
Lamin8’s Lane Cove store is the first destination in a planned rollout throughout 2021 and beyond.
KING AND GODFREE Australia’s oldest licensed grocer King and Godfree is pulling out all the stops with four specially curated gift boxes. Priced between $100–$240, there’s something for everyone including for the pasta lover, sweet lover and everything in between.
K&G also has one of the biggest ranges of panettone and pandoro available, with 17 different varieties to choose from.
THE WESTIN – FESTIVE HIGH TEA Get into the Christmas spirit and indulge in a limited edition festive high tea served in their elegant Lobby Lounge daily. Enjoy a selection of irresistible sweet and savoury festive delights paired with Jing Tea herbal infusions, Vittoria coffee blends, sparkling wine or champagne.
And for those not wanting to venture out, the Festive High Tea is also available through premium online delivery service Providoor.
SICILIANO is a contemporary Sicilian cookbook by acclaimed chef and restaurateur, Joe Vargetto. Known for his expertly prepared Sicilian cuisine in popular restaurants, Mister Bianco and Massi in Melbourne, Joe has put together a collection of recipes that everyone can enjoy preparing in their own homes.
While the recipes are inspired by Joe’s Sicilian heritage, SICILIANO is contemporary and sophisticated in design – taking fine dining restaurant dishes and making them easy for everyone to try in their own home.
Joe expresses his authentic take on Sicilian cuisine every day in his own restaurants, where locals and visitors alike come to experience his fine dining cuisine in convivial settings. And now, Joe brings the food to life through delicious, modern interpretations of the recipes in SICILIANO.
The contemporary black ‘leather’ cover of SICILIANO opens to contrasting, bright Sicilian tiles before taking readers on a culinary journey of Joe’s life and a full menu of ideas. From much loved Italian ‘lunchbox’ recipes inspired by Joe’s mother to antipastini, primi to pasta e riso, pesce to carne, and finally dolce.
Each with their own story, the mouth-watering recipes in the book feature the fresh seasonal produce, vibrant colour and distinctive flavours of Sicily. Discover dishes such as Jerusalem Artichoke Soup with Pan-Fried Scallops & Fried Grissini; Blood Orange Risotto with Tuna Carpaccio and Poached Quince in Chinotto with Zanzibar Rum Gelato. There is also a pictorial glossary of Sicilian ingredients to help with identifying the produce when shopping.
With more than two decades of experience in the industry, this book has been a labour of love for Joe. His passion for food led him to an apprenticeship in one of Melbourne’s finest restaurants and further training within famed kitchens in Italy before returning to his hometown of Melbourne. Cemented in the city’s restaurant scene, Joe is now passing on his expertise to the public so they can enjoy the beautiful dishes at home.
Beautifully photographed by HiSylvia Photography, the easy-to-follow recipes, from everyday to entertaining, will ensure that SICILIANO becomes a much-used cookbook in kitchens across Australia.
SICILIANO (published by Melbourne Books, RRP $49.95) is now available at all good book stores, online, in Mister Bianco and online direct order from the restaurant at https://www.trybooking.com/BJXQT.
They’re your Summertime classics, but not as you know them …
Gelatissimo is keeping things imaginatively fun and fresh with their latest flavour release thanks to the creative genius of one of Australia’s most celebrated pâtissiers, The Sweet Assassin himself, Adriano Zumbo.
Adriano’s signature playful energy can be found throughout the three new flavours, with each offering a whole new take on an Aussie classic.
“When Gelatissimo asked me to create some new flavours, I wanted to pair fresh local ingredients with classic Australian treats that are loved by generations,” says Adriano.
Gelatissimo CEO Filipe Barbosa adds, “For us, working with Adriano was a natural fit. His thinking aligns seamlessly with our ethos of creating innovative flavours alongside our dedication to fresh, local ingredients”.
The new flavours are:
Chocolate Wagon with Davidson Plum, which combines a biscuit gelato rippled with chocolate, topped with marshmallow pieces and swirled with a Davidson Plum jam. Inspired by the classic wheel-shaped biscuit, the tartness of the Australian Native bushfood (Davidson Plum from The Australian Superfood Co), perfectly complements the gourmet handcrafted vanilla bean marshmallows from The Marshmallow Co. in NSW’s Central Coast.
The Iced Man-GoGo meanwhile, sees a mango and biscuit gelato with a mango ripple, topped with a shortbread biscuit crumble and sprinkled with desiccated coconut. Inspired by another classic biscuit treat, Gelatissimo has added a tropical twist featuring Australian sun-ripened mangoes.
Finally, the Salted Caramel Lamington unites a Dulce de Leche caramel and lamington gelato with a salted caramel lamington swirl and a sprinkling of coconut. The pairing of the salted caramel swirl with real lamingtons blitzed into both the gelato itself and swirl delivers a sweet and salty sensation.
“Each new flavour perfectly balances all of the components that go into making a delicious gelato flavour. You’ve got salty and sweet, an array of crunchy, chunky, chewy textures and bursts of fresh, beautiful flavours,” says Adriano.
Available for a limited time only across all Australian stores from Friday, 27th November, get in quick to enjoy all three of these limited-edition flavours!
Freshly made in store daily, Gelatissimo uses only the best ingredients with no artificial colours or flavourings. Available in a cup or cone, the Aussie Classics with a Twist range can also be purchased as a take-home pack, made into a delicious shake or gelato cake.
New half Margarita–half Paloma slushies launch at new Mexican paradise.
This summer, Don Julio Tequila and Watsons Bay Boutique Hotel are transforming Sydney’s most popular waterside spot into a Mexican paradise, with the launch of Don Julio Sunset Slushies.
From now until 1 January, the pop-up cocktail cantina is serving up specially created Don Julio Tequila slushies that will transport guests to a Mexican beachside fiesta.
And there’s three options on the menu! The classic Margarita: Don Julio Blanco tequila, orange liqueur and lime juice (0.92 standard drinks); the crisp and citrusy Paloma: Don Julio Blanco tequila, grapefruit soda and lime juice (0.94 standard drinks); or for those who simply can’t decide, the mix of both, with the Margaloma (0.93 standard drinks). All slushies are priced at $14 each.
Don Julio uses only the highest quality, fully matured and ripened blue agave, hand-selected from the rich clay soils of the Los Altos region in Jalisco, Mexico. The entire process is handcrafted and creates a consistent and distinctive rich taste, making Don Julio a perfect base for the ultimate sundowner this summer.
Check out the Christmas festivities at Eastern Creek Quarter (ECQ) – with major prizes to be won every day. ~ Augmented reality Santa on his way for COVID-safe photo opportunities ~ A cavalcade of all-age Christmas events and entertainment in store ~ ECQ is the COVID-safe fun-filled place for locals to embrace the festive spirit
‘Tis the season to be jolly at Eastern Creek Quarter (ECQ), with a host of Christmas festivities coming to western Sydney’s new shopping, dining and entertainment destination. Festive season at ECQ is headlined by a Magical Christmas Cave featuring an augmented reality Santa and a ‘12 Days of Christmas’ competition, which runs from 10–21 December.
There’ll be plenty of Instagrammable moments in ECQ’s Magical Christmas Cave attraction and entry is free. It opened on 26 November and Santa arrived in augmented reality on December 1, with a bounty that’s anything but imaginary. A host of little helpers will delight the young and young at heart, ensuring the festive spirit is alive and well at ECQ.
Then, during the ‘12 Days of Christmas’, for local shoppers with the ECQ Rewards App, there’s something to win every time they visit. Plus, each day there’ll be a special golden ticket winner with major prizes such as TVs, smartphones, 12-month gym memberships, dinner vouchers and more on offer.
Throughout December, visitors will enjoy live festive entertainment each weekend, with performances by local artists and schools. They can immerse themselves in all-ages workshop events such as children’s Christmas decorations and house making, plus gingerbread decorating classes which are custom-designed to create Christmas magic at home – and it’s all happening in COVID-safe way.
ECQ Centre Manager Amanda Whittle says that, given the importance of social-distancing, Santa’s agreement to appear in augmented reality brings a novelty factor to festive photo opportunities.
“This is the first time that augmented reality Santa has made an appearance at ECQ, but his hyperreal appeal is certain to create long-lasting visual memories to share with family and friends,” Ms Whittle says.
“The festive season brings even more buzz and extra fun to ECQ so we encourage everyone in the community to come down and get into the Christmas spirit with your local retailers.”
Activities at ECQ:
KIDS WORKSHOPS Thursday, 10 December: start every hour from 4:00pm–7:00pm $5 per child, all proceeds will be donated to The Smith Family Christmas Appeal
GINGERBREAD DECORATING Thursday, 17 December: start every hour from 4:00pm–7:00pm $5 per child, all proceeds will be donated to The Smith Family Christmas Appeal
12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS COMPETITION Thursday, 10 December to Monday, 21 December Free to enter
Download the ECQ Rewards App to tap into all the fun and prizes. The ECQ Rewards App helps shoppers accumulate points to be redeemed for vouchers and special offers, and to participate in competitions. Keep an eye on the Facebook and Instagram pages for all the latest news, competitions and promotions at ECQ.
With a full-line Woolworths supermarket, ECQ houses a mix of local concepts, quality brands and the unique ECQ Social precinct, with its covered and al fresco seating, outdoor deck, kids play area and large format outdoor digital screen.
Reflecting its high-profile Western Sydney Parklands location, ECQ is a global leader in environmental sustainability. Stage 1 has been awarded a 6 Star Green Star Design rating by the Green Building Council of Australia, representing world leadership.
Australian Venue Co providing worldwide escapes without leaving the city.
Japan, Mexico, Italy, Bali, Palm Springs … destinations we can only dream of visiting right now. But with Australian Venue Co’s Staycations launching across seven venues in Melbourne, guests can escape for a while through internationally inspired food, drinks and experiences – no passport required.
A calendar of events and unique activations at some of Melbourne’s favourite bars, restaurants and pubs, Staycation is inspired by favourite holiday destinations. Staycation pop-ups are rolling out and will be live until late February 2021 at The Smith, The Duke of Wellington, Newmarket Hotel, The Provincial, Prince Alfred Hotel, Imperial South Yarra and Fargo & Co.
AVC’s Staycation Guide – Melbourne
Destination: Japan – Spring in Tokyo Where: The Smith, Prahran and The Duke of Wellington, CBD Dates: The Smith now, The Duke 1st Dec to March 2021 What’s on offer: Celebrating cherry blossom season in Japan – an Instagrammers dream! There’s a cherry blossom garden with lush florals and lanterns, Japanese-fusion bites and limited-edition sips with Roku Craft Gin cocktails.
The Smith featuring: • Gospel Brunch, Sakura Spring Edition – a taste of Tokyo at this pop-up boozy brunch series set in the lush cherry blossom garden, with roaming soul singers. A menu of brunch bites with a delicious Japanese twist and bottomless Roku Gin spritz, $60 per person. Every Saturday, 11am–1pm and 2pm–4pm, from 5th December. • Bottomless Karaage Chicken – choice of karaage chicken or mixed vegetable tempura served with a suite of Japanese inspired sides and a limited-edition Roku Craft Gin cocktail, $35 per person. Every Wednesday evening. • Sakura Sunday, Feed Me – a ‘feed me’ menu of fusion dishes inspired by the flavours of Japan. From karaage fried chicken to sashimi and gyozas, $59pp. From 12noon every Sunday from 6th December. • The Smith Staycation details here
The Duke of Wellington featuring: • Pub Cha – a taste of Tokyo with a yum cha-style menu of fusion dishes, inspired by the flavours of Japan. Six items from the express menu for $35pp or eight items for $50pp. For those who want to go all out there is the Bottomless Drinks Package (selected wine, beer and Bellinis), two hours for $35pp. Available Saturdays and Sundays from 5th December. • Roku Gin cocktails – available only during Staycation, the pop-up menu of Roku Craft Gin cocktails is perfect to enjoy beneath the lanterns and cherry blossoms. Available from 12noon every day. • The Duke Staycation details here Websites:thesmithprahran.com.au and dukeofwellington.com.au
Destination: Mexico – Summer Fiesta Where: Imperial South Yarra Dates: 1st Dec to March 2021 What’s on offer: A slice of Mexico in the heart of a Mexican Summer Fiesta. Décor inspired by the bright streets of Mexico City, giant cactus, bottomless tacos, Mexican street food and a margarita menu. Featuring:
• Bottomless Taco Tuesday – 90 minutes of bottomless tacos, Mexican street-style corn, tortilla chips & guac and fries, $35pp. Margarita jugs available for $20. Available every Tuesday from 4pm. • Frida’s Friday Fix – $5 tacos, $8 select stubbies and $10 margs every Friday, 12–4pm. • Bottomless Mexi-Brunch – brunch item of choice plus two hours of Mexican mimosas, margarita spritz, sangria and house wine & beer, $55pp. Available Saturdays and Sundays, 11am or 2pm. Website: https://imperialsouthyarra.com/
Destination: Italy – Amalfi Coast Where: The Provincial, Fitzroy and Prince Alfred Hotel, Richmond Dates: 1st December to March 2021 What’s on offer: An Italian dream as The Provincial’s rooftop and Prince Alfred’s courtyard are transformed with citrus garden decor, festoon lighting and florals. A classic, fresh Italian menu, Aperitivo hour, share boards and gelato.
The Provincial featuring: • Antipasto Board with 2 Quincy Seltzers – perfect for two sharing, $50. Available every day. • Aperitivo Hour – happy hour featuring Furphy, Spritz and Quincy Seltzers and there’s free bar snacks for those who order one of the hero beverages. Monday to Friday, 4.30pm–5.30pm. • Bottomless Gelato Spritz & Grazing Item – the perfect mid-week summer session, $60 per person. Wednesdays and Thursdays, 6pm–8pm. • The Provincial details here
Prince Alfred Hotel featuring: • Bottomless Seltzers & Pizza – the weekend is sorted with this bottomless package of Seltzers and pizzas in the beer garden, $59pp. Every Saturday and Sunday, 12–2pm. • Aperitivo Hour – free bar snacks when one of the hero beverages is ordered. • Graze Away – ideal for relaxing catch-ups, there are two packages: Antipasto platter & 3 Quincy Seltzers, $60pp or Antipasto platter and 3 Aperol Spritz, $50pp. Available every day. • Prince Alfred details here
Destination: Bali – Beach Club Where: Newmarket Hotel, St Kilda Dates: 1st December to March 2021 What’s on offer:Holiday dreaming? Guests can step into a tranquil oasis that will take them back to those fond memories they have of Australia’s favourite holiday destination. With bottomless satay and Bintangs aplenty, Newmarket will be the one-stop Bali shop. Featuring:
• $15 Bali Dish & Bintang – Mi Goreng or Nasi Goreng plus a Bintang for $15. Available Mondays and Tuesdays • Bottomless Satay – two hours of bottomless satays, need we say more? $20pp, available Thursdays at 6pm and 8pm • Bintang Buckets – Sunday sessions with $25 buckets of Bintang Website: https://newmarketstkilda.com.au/
Destination: Palm Springs – Coachella Where: Fargo & Co, Richmond Dates: 4th December to 28th February 2021 What’s on offer: Fargo-chella is coming for those who missed out on their music festival fix this year, transporting guests to this Palm Springs meets Coachella activation. Entry via a giant teepee will take guests onto the Coachella meets Palm Springs inspired rooftop. Festival tunes will set the mood while guests dine on festival finger food and fresh, fruity cocktails in the pink palm decor. Featuring:
• Bottomless Brunch – cocktail on arrival, two hours of bottomless prosecco, mimosas and schooners of house beer, plus a brunch item of choice from the ‘chella-themed menu, $65 per person. Available Saturdays and Sundays from 11am. • Fargo-Chella Feed Me – ideal for a hang-out with friends, there’s a cocktail on arrival plus six snacks from the Fargo-chella snacking menu, $35pp. Available Wednesdays and Thursdays from 4pm. • Details here Website: fargoandco.com.au
“With many Australians missing out on overseas holidays this year, and Melburnians undeniably having it tougher than anyone, we’re bringing the summer holiday vibes to some of our venues in the city,” says Kylie Moncur, AVC Chief Marketing Officer.
“Our specially curated series of pop-up events will transport those in Melbourne to dream destinations Japan, Italy, Mexico, Bali and Palm Springs, without worrying about restrictions or the expensive airfare.”
Keeping it local never looked so good with Australian Venue Co’s Staycations.
Chris Lucas and Martin Benn have announced further developments in their creative partnership with the launch of SOCIETY, a landmark establishment of diverse dining and drinking experiences. Located at the prestigious and historic 80 Collins Street building in Melbourne, this long-awaited project is scheduled to open in late March 2021.
Conversations began over three years ago between Chris, Martin and Vicki Wild. The relationship is a rare and formidable collaboration between restaurateur and chef, united by a vision for a new dynamic restaurant with local sensibilities and international confidence.
Image credit: Vicki Wild
80 Collins Street is situated at the centre of a globally recognised destination for fashion, the arts and commerce, combining international appeal with a distinctly Melbourne identity. This once-in-a-generation development in the luxury end of the CBD inspired Chris Lucas and this new project reflects his love and passion for Melbourne. Chris’ lifelong contribution to the city’s food and cultural landscape, coupled with Martin’s desire to expand his culinary repertoire and Vicki’s dedication to the art of hospitality, resulted in SOCIETY.
Dramatic in scale but intimate in style, the restaurant has 180-degree views over Collins and Exhibition streets. A contemporary reimagining of mid-century attitude, SOCIETY will encompass distinctly different experiences – the SOCIETY dining room, customised private dining, the Lillian Terrace (indoor and outdoor dining) and a luxurious lounge bar.
The series of connected spaces remain independent in menu offerings. The lounge bar seamlessly interconnects both restaurants while maintaining its own identity, its small menu will be the perfect accompaniment after sipping a martini or two, or for those seeking a pre-dinner taste of what’s to come. The main SOCIETY dining room boasts vast ceilings, while the Lillian Terrace is a more verdant affair with an open-air terrace for outdoor dining. The eponymous Lillian Terrace is named for the legendary Collins Street denizen, Lillian Wightman, and overlooks her former couture salon, Le Louvre.
The avant-garde cooking that has earned Martin Benn global recognition will continue to evolve and broaden. The menus in all three environments will be entirely unique to each setting and will be à la carte throughout.
Image credit: Ryan Pierse/Getty Images for Social Diary
“SOCIETY captures the energy of this great city, celebrating one of the country’s most significant chefs and the many talented Melbournians that have come together and created SOCIETY,” explains Chris Lucas. “I am proud of the design collaboration realised by Melbourne designers Russell & George whose unique approach married so beautifully with our thoughts of what a modern restaurant should be. Our society, our city has been through so much this year. It is with great pride that we can finally look to opening our exciting new dining destination and add another dimension to Melbourne’s already incredible restaurant scene, that has been such a big part of my life. With so much talent and passion, our Melbourne will rebuild in 2021 and the city will re-emerge stronger and more unified. This year we have been challenged like never before but we have proven our resilience and in 2021 we will celebrate our achievements. SOCIETY is a restaurant for Melbourne and Australia, it will signal a rebirth of our great city and I hope it will be a restaurant that places us comfortably on a global stage, welcoming everyone as we reopen to the world.”
To enquire about reservations and receive up-to-date information on SOCIETY please refer to https://societyrestaurant.com
Melbourne’s newest lakeside social, Lake Club by The Smith Prahran × Power House, is the summer destination Melburnians didn’t know they were missing!Launching on the 9th December at the Power House Deck, Lake Club is perched above Albert Park Lake.
Open seven days a week, Lake Club is the perfect destination for casual cocktails and delicious snacks – whether it is drinks with friends while enjoying the sun-drenched deck, or grabbing some favourite dishes to-go for the ultimate lakeside picnic.
The menu is full of fresh, summer inspired food from local calamari to Red Coral lobster and prawn rolls, Cape Grim Wagyu katsu sanga to plant-based burger and charcuterie to salads.
Kids will be satisfied with beef sliders, mini beer-battered rockling & fries and chicken nuggets & fries.
For those with a sweet tooth, there’s Bistro Morgan ice-cream doughnut and double-dipped chocolate strawberries.
There’s plenty of refreshments on offer with a range of international beer and wine, cocktails and a selection of The Smith’s signature Spritz. In partnership with Lord Somers Power House, $1 from each of the Lord Somers Spritz sold over summer will be donated to the organisation with Tap & Donate also available.
Contactless ordering will be available via Mr Yum to encourage safe social distancing.
Lake Club events: • Bottomless Spritz – Unlimited spritz plus a Red Coral lobster & prawn roll, $35. Available Monday to Friday 5.30pm–6.30pm. • The Smith’s famous ‘Brunch with Soul’ Lakeside Edition – Gospel Brunch at The Smith has quickly become a Melbourne favourite, so it’s coming to Lake Club. Live soul from the resident Gospel Choir, a brunch item and two hours of bottomless spritz, house wine and select tap beer, $65pp. Sundays at 11am and 2pm.
Lake Club from The Smith Prahran and Power House is the ideal summer destination.
Chancery Lane, a European bistro by Scott Pickett, is opening in Melbourne on December 16, welcoming diners within the historic Normanby Chambers building at 430 Little Collins Street. The bistro is suited for any occasion, from a glass and a bite at the bar to a private dinner party.
The charming venue embodies Pickett’s career evolution with his signature sense of generosity. “It is an amazing opportunity to continue the legacy of Normanby Chambers that has been home to some of Melbourne’s most iconic restaurants,” says Pickett.
Pickett has built a team of exceptional talent to bring Chancery Lane to life, from Creative Director Stuart Neil (Ezard, Estelle by Scott Pickett), Head Chef Rob Kabboord (Lekker, Quay), and Venue Manager Alex Mouzos (Vue Group).
Pickett explains: “The menu at Chancery Lane is classic European dishes with a twist, and is both generous and approachable, offering everything from a simple dry-aged duck burger to an indulgent seafood platter and caviar bumps”.
Other menu items include: • House dry-aged meats • Hervey Bay scallop, fennel, finger lime • Heirloom tomato consommé • Jellied egg, smoked eel consommé • King George whiting, ratatouille • Poulet au cidre • Cape Grim porterhouse on the bone • Pickett’s favourite – a raspberry and gin baba • Chocolate and cherry mouse
Engaged for the interiors was leading design firm Bergman & Co who, in collaboration with Raft Studio and Stuart Neil, have conceived a dining space of bespoke fittings and finishes sourced from local artisans and antique dealers. Internal walls have been removed with great care to allow for a collection of generous dining spaces and end-to-end sightlines. Arched black steel framed windows and Scanlan & Makers’ gold-textured bathrooms complete the timeless aesthetic.
A feature floor-to-ceiling wine cellar showcases a wine list by Beverage Manager Clint Fox and Sommelier and Beverage Manager, rising talent Hannah Day. It features a curated collection from Grand Cru Burgundies through to a strong local representation. A small cavity in the wall, which once was a safe, now houses a selection of top-end bottles.
The 100-seater bistro is ensconced in a rich palette of dark green, checkerboard tiling and dark timber, emulating old-world charm and opulence of La Belle Epoque. Antique brass and textured gold details are featured throughout.
“One of the most exciting parts of the project was to be able to engage iconic local artisans to give the space that ‘hand-made’ touch and support our community,” Stuart Neil said.
Scott Pickett states: “I realise it’s a bold move in the current climate, but I truly believe that Melbourne is a hospitality city that will continue to flourish and thrive”.
Chancery Lane 430 Little Collins Street Melbourne 3000 (03) 9089 7598 Open: Monday to Friday 12:00pm to late; Saturday 6:00pm to late. Christmas closure dates will be from 25th December and reopening 29 December. Closed 1 January. Website | Facebook | Instagram
Cobram Estate has been awarded one of the best oils in the world by the International Olive Council at the Mario Solinas 2020 awards.
Mario Solinas is undoubtedly the most stringent and highly regarded of all olive oil competitions in the world – the “Oscars” of the olive oil industry.
Almost 160 samples of Extra Virgin Olive Oil from 13 countries from around the world took part in the competition.
The International Olive Council announced Cobram Estate’s Black Label Hojiblanca Extra Virgin Olive Oil as the best oil in the Southern Hemisphere.
In accepting the award, Chief Oil Maker Leandro Ravetti said:“We have proven that it was possible to build the number one brand of extra virgin olive oil in Australia without compromising on quality, and that allows farmers like us to sustainably continue growing olives and producing extra virgin olive oil for the generations to come”.
ABOUT COBRAM ESTATE
Cobram Estate is owned by the Boundary Bend group, an Australian-owned and Australian-grown company founded by Rob McGavin and Paul Riordan. Founded along the banks of the Murray River in Boundary Bend, Victoria, Cobram Estate is Australia’s most trusted and awarded Extra Virgin Olive Oil since 1998.
Cobram Estate is passionate about every single olive, and this inspires everything they do. From tree to table, Cobram Estate nurtures its fruit to create fresh, healthy, antioxidant rich, award-winning Extra Virgin Olive Oil. They look after every stage of production and have full traceability, from planting and picking to ensure freshness, to pressing and bottling to guarantee a quality product.
ABOUT THE IOC
The International Olive Council is the world’s only international intergovernmental organisation in the field of olive oil and table olive producers and stakeholders. It was set up in Madrid, Spain in 1959 with the support of the United Nations.
Can you tell us what a typical day looks like as CEO of the Rockpool Dining Group?
I’m always up early to work out and organise my thoughts for the day; it’s a regimen that leads to a more productive day. I find I’m at my best for the first half of the day, so I try to schedule more intense analytical work, or harder projects and decisions for early in the day when I am fresh and at my sharpest.
Every morning I look at the performance of each restaurant the previous day and check reservations for the day ahead, and touch base with our Food & Beverage Directors if there are unexplained peaks or red flags. With over 80 restaurants in our portfolio, I keep a close eye on each post-COVID re-opening, to ensure the team is on track and we come out of the gates in a strong position.
Lunch is either at, or from, one of our restaurants; perhaps a couple of tacos at El Camino Cantina, wings or a burger from WingHAÜSby Bavarian, or a big salad at The Bavarian. More recently I’ve been trying the new bowls of noodles on the bar menu at Spice Temple, which are an excellent, convenient and affordable option in the heart of the city. It’s also a good opportunity to walk across the city from our head office in The Rocks and gauge what city foot traffic is like, and how busy other venues are. Competitive analysis is on my daily to-do list. I’m an avid mystery shopper of our competitors’ brands, so I may grab a bite to eat at a venue outside of our group, if not for lunch, then for dinner.
The second part of my day I try to reward myself and focus on the fun, lighter parts of my job like strategy, spending time with the team and in team meetings, visiting venues, and R&D across the brands.
COVID-19 brought a series of significant challenges to the hospitality industry. Can you tell us how you pivoted your business to cope, and what have you learnt from that?
During the hospitality industry shutdown, we pivoted several of our restaurant brands to better service customers who were isolating at home. Fratelli Fresh morphed into Fratelli Fresh Grocer home delivery service, with groceries, ready-made meals, and cook-at-home meal kits. Saké Double Bay launched its Saké @ Home pick-up service. Both businesses were so successful that we were inspired to re-open most of our restaurants with expanded delivery and pick-up services, so customers have more convenience to dine at home if they choose to.
We learnt that we needed to monitor and quickly adapt to changing dining trends. Through our delivery and pick-up services, we have seen particularly strong uplift in suburban and regional areas, as individuals travel less frequently to the city for work, or to dine out.
We have also learnt that as workers are heading back to the city they are looking for smart, safe and affordable dining options, without compromising on quality. This led to the revival of Spice Temple Sydney’s bar menu and $15 bowls of noodles. They’re a quick, cost-effective and COVID-safe dining option that are also conveniently available ‘to go’.
I’d say that throughout the COVID-19 crisis, Rockpool Dining Group took on the change, embraced and owned it, and now we are better and stronger as a Group. As Ben Franklin said: “When you’re finished changing, you’re finished”. I think that says it all.
There is a strong focus on the beverage aspect of your portfolio. What experience are you looking to provide for your customers, at different levels?
At the casual end of our portfolio, we are looking to provide a fun, unique and innovative beverage experience for guests. Our famous frozen margaritas at El Camino Cantina are a good example of this. We recently launched Ritapalooza, which is a festival to celebrate our margaritas, with 15 creative and slightly whacky flavours to choose from. It was such a hit at El Camino Cantina in The Rocks in Sydney that we have since launched it at our latest El Camino Cantina, which opened at South Bank in Brisbane at the end of November. We also recently launched margarita tasting paddles of four, 220ml serves, which is a fun way for guests to explore the unusual range of flavours.
Similarly, at Fratelli Fresh we launched our 25 Flavours of Spritzmas program, which heroes the Italian spritz while putting a Fratelli riff on the flavours offered. And The Bavarian recently launched a range of refreshing summertime shandies. It’s all about giving our casual dining guests heaps of choice, and a reason to return again and again to try different flavours and experiences.
At the premium end of our portfolio, we aim to provide a complete, sophisticated and immersive beverage experience. We have just taken out three prestigious awards in Australia’s Wine List of the Year Awards 2020: best Champagne List at Rockpool Bar & Grill Sydney; best Digestif list, also at Rockpool Bar & Grill Sydney; and the best Medium List for Spice Temple Sydney. These awards are symbolic of what we aim to achieve from a beverage point of view at our premium restaurants and which are a fantastic acknowledgement of our sommeliers’ achievements.
Using Fratelli Fresh at Darling Harbour as an example, your venues have a lot of versatility in what they offer diners. Is that an overall blueprint for the future, and what does the future hold for your more high-end offerings?
Versatility, agility, diversity: they are the key words – and focus – for the whole hospitality sector currently. All three have been part of the Rockpool Dining Group blueprint for a long time, and we will continue to pursue that strategy into the future.
Excellent service is synonymous with the Rockpool Dining Group experience, regardless of the entry point for your patrons. What directions do you offer to your team in that respect?
I often remind my team members that it is always a gift when a customer walks into one of our venues, therefore we need to go above and beyond to make sure their time with us is special and memorable.
We need to take great care of every single customer who comes through our doors and deliver amazing hospitality to our guests every single day.
We should always challenge ourselves to be great and do that extra something to make the dining experience special.
Can you tell us what excites you about what the future holds for the Rockpool Dining Group?
In many ways we used this challenging year to slow down and reset our strategic goals and identify what is and isn’t important to us as we embarked on our Group’s fresh start. We also made a point to turn off the unnecessary noise, deal with facts and data, and not with drama.
With that, I truly believe we are coming out of the COVID pandemic better as a team and tighter as an organisation. The battles, challenges and obstacles we faced together this year have strengthened our core business and team more than I can have ever imagined. As we move forward into 2021, our core team is more experienced, resourceful, cohesive, and accountable to each other; our venues and dining brands are truly better in terms of service, food and beverage programming, innovation, atmosphere and experience; and our operational foundation is more efficient and effective. So, while 2020 was highly challenging, I believe it has set the table for an amazing 2021 and beyond and this Group’s next chapter will be even sweeter and more rewarding after the brutal year we survived together.
TheFork, a leading global online restaurant reservation platform, launches 2020 Dished Up – an inaugural wrap-up of the most sought-after restaurants for 2020, according to Australian diners.
Taking into consideration the opinion and dining behaviour of thousands of Australian diners who have booked restaurants through TheFork this year, the curated list showcases the top 100 most booked and highly rated restaurants in the country.
2020 Dished Up recognises the hard work and resilience of restaurants in what has been one of the toughest years for the hospitality industry. Throughout this challenging year, diners have continued to frequent restaurants with gusto once they’ve been able to, showing their support in line with restrictions and social distancing laws across the country.
The 2020 Dished Up list aims to shine a light on Australia’s vibrant dining industry, and encourage Australians to continue to get out and support restaurants as we come into the Christmas season – typically one of the busiest times for Australian dining.
“In the months following restrictions lifting, we saw 94% of our restaurant partners turn their booking availability back on and 23% of Australians dined out within the first month of restrictions easing,” said Gary Burrows, Country Manager, TheFork Australia. “We hope that 2020 Dished Up shows restaurants what an important part of Australian culture they are, and encourages diners to continue to make a booking, show up and celebrate over the summer.”
TheFork drills down further into how we’re eating and searching for restaurants, dishing up diners’ favourite restaurants from the top searched cuisines, such as Italian, Japanese and Indian. The list also includes the most popular fine dining, best cheap eats, ones to watch, TheFork’s top INSIDER restaurants for each state, and a “hall of fame” award to honour a long-standing Australian restaurant.
This year has seen TheFork continually evolve, finding alternative solutions to support the hospitality industry and encourage diners to support restaurants. Since March, TheFork has created several new search functions, offered relief packages and used restaurant and diner data to help the industry during such an unstable time.
Being inducted into the Hall of Fame is Ripples Chowder Bay, which has amassed more than 2,500 reservations on TheFork this year.
An idyllic outdoor oasis, botanical-infused drinks and views of Australia’s most iconic beach.
Sydney’s most idyllic summertime destination, Icebergs Terrace, has joined forces again with Ketel One Botanical, to bring the Icebergs × Ketel One Botanical Terrace back to Bondi Beach.
Once more transforming the iconic outdoor space into a lush, oceanside oasis, the Terrace brings to life Ketel One Botanical, a spirit-based drink, made with vodka distilled with botanicals and infused with natural fruit essences.
Located at the crest of Sydney’s famed Bondi to Bronte walk, Icebergs Terrace x Ketel One Botanical overlooks Bondi’s spectacular coastline and the endless horizon of the Pacific Ocean, and will be serving each Ketel One Botanical varietal, topped with Santa Vittoria soda, alongside Ketel One mixed drink, like the No. 11 (Ketel One Grapefruit & Rose, Campari, Grapefruit & Orange) and No. 171 (Ketel One Peach & Orange Blossom, Peach & Prosecco).
The menu comes from the Icebergs Dining Room and Bar kitchen, and includes South Australian razorfish crudo, blackcurrant, saltbush and lovage pane fritti; gamberetti, lightly dusted local shrimp, lemon, aioli; Koshihikari risotto, scarlet prawn and XO; and The Iceburger, grilled beef, sauce, lettuce, onion, tomato & cheese, and many more.
Designed in collaboration with Sydney’s leading landscape architects and horticulturalists, Secret Gardens, the Terrace is framed by native Australian flora that has flourished since the bar launched in summer last year, creating a cool, coastal sanctuary.
Ketel One Botanical has a lower ABV of 30%, with no artificial flavours, and contains 50 calories per serve. The ideal drink for those enjoying a balanced lifestyle, it is available in three varietals: Peach & Orange Blossom, a combination of sweet white peaches and bold notes from orange blossoms; Cucumber & Mint, a crisp and fresh flavour profile; and Grapefruit & Rose, zesty grapefruit accompanied by fragrant rose.
Fire up the barbecues. Decorate the Christmas tree. Deck the halls with holly – for ‘tis the season to be jolly.
The Christmas Grinch has apologised.
And the borders are now open … for the time being.
We can all look forward to a merry Christmas with family and friends – but with only 50 guests permitted at a time (30 in Victoria), COVID is a great excuse not to invite the relatives you don’t like!
Social distancing is still encouraged. The two elbow embrace beats kissing old Uncle Bert with his bad breath. And COVID safety suggests that we should not clink glasses – but maybe tap your butter knife gently on your glass to keep the spirits merry.
Going out is, of course, now back on the agenda. Most restaurants can reopen with 2 square metres of space per person, although there are still total limits.* But the Christmas smorgasbord is probably no more – which may be a positive thing for our waistlines.
Overall, Australia has done well. We have a very low COVID infection rate and a correspondingly low death rate – unlike many other parts of the world, which are looking at a long, bleak winter.
Many people complained about the border closures and restrictions, but we are now reaping the benefits and we will be able to enjoy a relatively normal holiday period.
Local tourism is booming, with lots of regional venues booked out for some time to come. Many restaurants are also experiencing long term bookings. Things are definitely looking up. There is a sense of energy back in the market. There may be no fireworks, but our lives have certainly lightened up.
As I wrote last week, there have been some casualties, including some high-profile venues like the d’Arenburg Cube in McLaren Vale, ARC Dining in Brisbane, The Boathouse on Blackwattle Bay in Sydney, Restaurant Orana in Adelaide, Shark Fin in Melbourne and, of course, Sizzler. They will be missed, although others will no doubt take their space.
We have all rediscovered the benefits of takeout. We have learned how to cook, bake and ferment – or not. We have discovered local suburban diners and amazing little cafés. And we have embraced the best of Australian cuisine – a fusion of everything good. We have mastered the Zoom meeting, re-evaluated family life and enjoyed working from home. Our dogs have lapped up lots of attention and have been well walked. And our cars have not needed servicing for some time.
So now we can get together and share our stories and journeys of discovery – just so long as we stay 1.5m apart! We can return to some form of normality with a renewed sense of life and community spirit. Some of us may continue to work a few days a week from home. Many will continue to enjoy cooking and being with family. And everyone is looking forward to getting out and about again.
But it is not over. COVID is still dangerous and virulent. It has changed our lives. Yet in some ways it has opened our eyes to a better, more community spirited and less hectic life.
A word of caution: we must not be complacent. The virus could still come back to bite us. There are some who want the one person per 2m2 rule relaxed. No – we must still social distance. We must still be conscious of good hygiene. And we must still register.
But that does not mean we cannot still have fun. So, get out and enjoy. Explore your local regions. Go see Australia. Now is the time to support our fabulous hospitality industry.
*This information is based on online Health Department guidelines and may vary from state to state. Please check with your local health authorities.
This week the organisers of the Foodservice Australia trade show have launched the Virtual Food Expo. This unique website gives professional buyers and sellers the chance to reconnect and rebuild while everyone waits for live events to return.
The Virtual Food Expo features over 300 suppliers of food, drink and equipment all based right here in Australia. You can search for them by name or product and many have put up videos to help explain their product range. There is also a virtual seminar theatre and education centre – providing helpful tips and tricks for the kitchen, front of house and shopfront. Presenters include John McFadden, John Casey, Venessa Barnes and Liz Shaw. New material is being added every month.
The Virtual Food Expo was created in response to the shutdown of travel, business and live events. Event Director Tim Collett, says: “an online show will never come close to the excitement of a live event, but it does give everyone a chance to stay connected. Being online means it is available anywhere and anytime. In future I am sure we will see live events get stronger as people crave face-to-face contact and practical demonstrations, but virtual events will help to fill the space in-between”.
Lotus Dining Group has introduced its latest concept, Chi by Lotus, a new casual eatery and bar in Barangaroo. Located on the ground level of International Tower One with sweeping views across Sydney Harbour, the vibrant new venue is a fresh concept for newly appointed general manager, Hamish Ingham, who also launched Lotus Double Bay earlier this month.
Inspired by the vibrant night markets found on Beijing’s Ghost Street, Chi has been designed to bring to life the buzzing atmosphere and experience of the popular Chinese food street.
An extensive drinks list of wine, beer and Chinese-inspired cocktails are there to be enjoyed with a quick bite or over a long, leisurely afternoon while popular pop tunes play overhead to create a fun and lively ambience.
“We’re hoping Chi will live up to its name and bring a fresh new flow of energy to the Barangaroo area,” says Ingham. “We wanted to switch it up and offer something a little bit more casual and festive. It’s not necessarily about sitting down to a heavy meal, it’s about catching up with friends in a bustling location and washing down some great food with an ice-cold beer.”
The vibrant, new space has been designed by award-winning architecture and interior design firm, Luchetti Krelle, and channels the famous night markets with its sea of red and white lanterns, tassels and a palette of warm golden tones. Rows and rows of lucky Maneki Neko cats wave hello from above the open kitchen while two large golden skylights cast a warm glow across the dining area. The space has been transformed to make room for a much larger bar area, complete with high bar stools for a quick drink and a snack, while an expansive outdoor area aims to make the most of the stunning Barangaroo sunsets and summer evenings. Features including charred timber, mirrors and a wrap-around plush velvet lounge have been introduced to bring an element of sophistication to balance out the many festive lights and embellishments.
Head Chef Chris Cheng has created a flavour-packed menu that heroes Chinese street food and share plates with a growing focus on native Australian ingredients. Standout dishes include a deep-fried native saltbush with spicy mayo; steamed half-shell scallops with garlic, chilli and seablite; and a more substantial lamb shoulder with Chinese tabouli to share. The Chi focaccia with Asian-spiced olive oil is perfect for soaking up the alcohol from a long-neck Tsingtao beer or from Chi’s range of mini cocktails, which features a Chinese-inspired Negroni and an aptly named, ‘Sunset Ferry’.
Chi will be open Tuesday to Sunday for lunch and Wednesday to Saturday for dinner, with long lunches and walk-ins encouraged.
Annette Lacey, Solotel Group Beverage Manager, has joined the prestigious international Masters of Wine (MW) community after completing the globally renowned exam at the Institute of Masters of Wine.
Joining the acclaimed global group, Annette is one of only two Australians in the latest group of MW and one of 143 women in the institute’s 65-year history.
“The process of becoming an MW has been a challenging and also exciting personal and professional journey,” she said. “It still feels surreal. This has been a 10-year process so to see that all of that hard work and perseverance finally pay off is incredibly rewarding.
“It’s contributed greatly to the development of new skills throughout my hospitality career. I regard it as one of the highest academic achievements in the wine industry, and it is an absolute honour to represent the Institute of Masters of Wine, its history, global recognition and expertise.”
As the Group Beverage Manager for Solotel since October last year, Ms Lacey has been working while she completed the MW. “This has been a long process and I am incredibly grateful for the support I have received from Solotel, my colleagues, my fellow MW peers and alumni who were fantastic mentors. And of course, my family, who are as thrilled as I am.”
Justine Baker, Solotel CEO, says, “We’re incredibly proud of Annette’s achievement. The MW is renowned in our industry for its prestige but also for the commitment, dedication and rigour required to complete it.”
“We pride ourselves on providing world-class experiences for our guests. Having Annette as part of our team means that all of our guests get to enjoy her globally recognised experience and expertise. Her knowledge, passion and drive for excellence are strongly aligned with our values at Solotel and enhance the expertise and quality of service we have built the business on.”
When Annette isn’t busy curating wines for the group’s restaurants, bars and pubs you can find her thinking up new ways for guests to enjoy great beverages through Solotel’s own range of wine and take-away bottled cocktails.
The Master of Wine exam is in three parts – theory, practical and a final research paper on a wine-related topic.
ABOUT SOLOTEL GROUP
Solotel operates a portfolio of diverse businesses across Sydney and Brisbane. Solotel has taken the hospitality industry to new levels by nurturing and creating world-class venues and experiences. From the varied styles of venues to the eclectic mix of individuals who make up their teams, diversity is at the heart of this business. Founded in 1986, Solotel continues to embrace the company values it has held since opening its doors: belonging, authenticity and diversity.
Buon Natale from Piccolina! To celebrate Piccolina has launched 3 new products:
BUDINO DI NATALE – CHRISTMAS PUDDING WITH A GELATO TWIST Budino di Natale is Italian for Christmas Pudding and this year Piccolina has released a twist on everyone’s favourite centrepiece!
The gelato pudding is set in an iconic Bendigo Pottery stoneware bowl and all wrapped up in a limited edition Piccolina canvas bag.
Established in 1858, Bendigo Pottery is Australian owned and operates the oldest working pottery in the country. It has the most significant collection of ceramic wood-fired kilns left in the world, all of which are listed on the Victorian Heritage Register. The pudding bowl is a classic piece for you to treasure and keep.
The Gelato Pudding Better than Nutella gelato, Torrone gelato, 70% dark chocolate layer, caramel cream centre, crisp hazelnut layer, chocolate sponge, caramel sauce topping. Gluten Free. Limited numbers are available. Pre-order is essential.
Product details: • Price: $90 • Serves: 12–14 people • To secure your Budino di Natale we strongly advise customers to pre-order via the Piccolina website from 1 December 2020. Alternatively, a limited number will be available to purchase in-store at Piccolina Collingwood, Hawthorn, Richmond and St Kilda.
PICCOLINA CHRISTMAS HAMPER Buon Natale is Italian for Merry Christmas! This year we have released a custom-designed Christmas Hamper full of Piccolina goodies and the handy thing about giving this as a gift is that it has already been wrapped for you in a special Piccolina Christmas Sack making it an excellent gift that is ready to go!
The Christmas Hamper 1L of gelato (bring the empty wrapped container in and have it filled at one of our stores at any time!) 1 Bottle of Original Ice Magic 1 Bottle of Better than Nutella Ice Magic 1 Bag of Salted Caramel Popcorn 1 Limited Edition Piccolina Tea Towel
Product details: • Price: $65 • To secure your Christmas Hamper we strongly advise customers to pre-order via the Piccolina website from 1 December 2020. Alternatively, a limited number will be available to purchase in-store at Piccolina Collingwood, Hawthorn, Richmond, Degraves Street CBD, Hardware Lane CBD and St Kilda.
PICCOLINA ICE MAGIC GIFT SET Piccolina has released an Ice Magic gift set and the handy thing about giving it as a gift is that it has already been wrapped for you. Piccolina’s Ice Magic Gift Set contains the original dark chocolate Ice Magic and the new release Nutella Ice Magic. Both toppings are handmade in Melbourne, making it a gift that is ready to go on its own or as an excellent stocking stuffer!
Product details: • Price: $25 • Available to order via the Piccolina website, or to purchase in-store at Piccolina Collingwood, Hawthorn, Richmond, Degraves Street CBD, Hardware Lane CBD and St Kilda.
Piccolina LOCATIONS FLAGSHIP | Collingwood, 296 Smith Street, Collingwood VIC 3066 03 8456 0071 Opening Hours: Daily from 12pm until late
Richmond 85 Swan Street, Richmond VIC 3121 Opening Hours: Daily from 12pm until late
Hawthorn 802 Glenferrie Road, Hawthorn VIC 3122 03 9815 2815 Opening Hours: Daily from 12pm until late
St Kilda
137C Acland Street, St Kilda VIC 3182 03 9055 5863 Opening Hours: Daily from 12pm until late
CBD Degraves St 32 Degraves Street, Melbourne VIC 3000 Opening Hours: Daily from 12pm until late
CBD Hardware Lane 43 Hardware Lane, Melbourne VIC 3000 03 9815 2815 Opening Hours: Daily from 12pm until late
Ostēr: Host. To Host. Noun/Verb. The ones who host.
Ostēr Eatery was named for the Italian word “to host”. For owners Osvaldo Tognella and Nicola Romano, it has been a long time waiting to return to what they do best.
On November 4, after months of forced hiatus, the Bridge Road restaurant welcomed back diners with a slew of newly imagined dishes, ample outdoor seating, a fresh cocktail list designed by the 2018 World’s Best Bartender, and a socially distanced air kiss.
“We pride ourselves on a restaurant that feels like home,” says Manager and Co-Owner Osvaldo Tognella. “Our restaurant is named “Ostēr” after our love of hosting good food, great local produce, and most importantly, our guests. To the Melburnians who have been patiently waiting: welcome home!”
In little over a year of operation, Ostēr has been praised by respected reviewers and formed a loyal network of dedicated diners. Months of lockdown in 2020 were spent fruitfully by Head Chef and Co-Owner Nicola Romano, who finessed an all-new menu inspired by his Northern Italian roots.
Small plate standouts include warm smoked parmigiana terrine, brassica flowers & eggplant jus, and swordfish crudo, capsicum Marie Rose sauce & mustard leaf oil. More substantial dishes sing, with the addition of O’Connor Black Angus Sirloin Selected Pasture-Fed Marbling Score 2–4 and pan-fried hapuka, Jersey Gippsland buttermilk sauce, beans & asparagus casserole.
For diners unsure of where to begin, the Chef’s Selection is an affordable and appealing option: a three-course menu for $70, plus $10 for dessert, and matched wines for $40.
Ostēr alumni will be pleased to see the venue’s signature dish of casoncelli – silky plump pillows of pasta from Lombardy – remains, with a twist. Romano pipes the pasta with brown butter, grated breadcrumbs, vegetable stock and Heidi Tilsit – a rich, dense cheese with a nutty overtone. A light Heidi Tilsit foam covers the dish, which is then topped with crispy pork sausage meat and fried sage.
Romano also used the lockdown period to create his own line of in-house spirits: gin, bitter vermouth (both are used in Ostēr’s Bitter Citrus Negroni), limoncello, rhubarb and cardamom rosé, fermented ginger tonic, and dry apple cider.
To hero his new handmade spirits, Romano enlisted friend, former Lûmé Bar Manager, and 2018 Diageo World’s Best Bartender, Orlando Marzo, to write the cocktail list. Must-order tipples include the Red Berries Spritz – homemade cordial with fresh raspberries and strawberries finished with Prosecco; the Highball – Starward whisky with orange and a hint of Earl Grey, carbonated in-house; and the Collins – a refreshing hit of yuzu and sencha tea, from the yet-to-be-launched Mordialloc distillery Saint Felix.
The all-Australian wine list continues to hold its own. Drops from across the nation are all sourced from either organic, sustainable or biodynamic wineries. With over half the list by the glass, there is no excuse not to try something new.
Back in the kitchen, Romano’s latest project has a festive twist: panettone. The classic, cake-like Italian Christmas dessert is jewelled with candied citrus, vanilla and sultanas, and finished with a crunchy almond and pearl sugar glaze.
For the complete pairing, Ostēr is selling panettone boxes with a bottle of 2019 Bertrand Bespoke ‘L’Écume du Jour’ Ancestrale – a sparkling Pet-Nat from Gilles Lapalus, the famous winemaker and co-founder of Melbourne’s Maidenii Vermouth.
In light of new restrictions, the eatery has increased its outdoor footprint (thanks to day-time florist neighbour Hampstead Flowers) to allow 22 diners per seating.
Brent Savage and Nick Hildebrandt have opened Monopole in Sydney’s CBD, after relocating their award-winning and trailblazing wine bar from Potts Point.
Co-owner and sommelier Hildebrandt said: “We’re excited to finally open the doors to Monopole in the CBD. It’s the perfect evolution of Monopole. When we first opened, we loved that locals would drop in regularly for a glass of wine and snacks. This is a big part of Monopole’s identity, which we look forward to introducing to the CBD”.
Monopole’s new CBD location sits at 20 Curtin Place, overlooking Australia Square. The 70-seat venue will have a bistro feel during the day, catering to the CBD’s corporate audience, and a more classic wine bar feel at night.
Co-owner and chef Brent Savage said: “We’ve given a lot of thought to Monopole’s menu evolution, and this new menu has given me the opportunity to put the Monopole twist on some classic dishes, such as salad niçoise, steak frites and snacks like parmesan and caramelised onion gougères.”
Dishes on the Monopole menu include: crisp potato with smoked sour cream and salmon roe; tuna salad with green bean, tomato, egg yolk and olive; pappardelle with peas, green garlic and pangrattato; steamed snapper with leek, capers, butter and chervil; Merguez sausage with roasted fennel and harissa; and scotch fillet steak with fries and pepper sauce. There are also two sandwiches on the lunch menu: Moreton Bay bug, cucumber & yuzu mayonnaise, and smoked brisket, carrot & pickled padrón pepper.
The new wine list will feature French and Australian wines, including back vintages of rare estates and domains, a deep selection of Burgundy and Jura. True to Hildebrandt’s signature approach, expect to see some breakthrough producers.
Monopole will be open for happy hour Wednesday to Friday, featuring half price bar snacks, $88 bottles of NV Louis Roederer Champagne, $12 cocktails and $20 carafes of wine.
Long-time collaborator Pascale Gomes-McNabb has designed the space, making use of the floor-to-ceiling glass bi-fold doors to create a colourful, light-filled space that brings the outdoors in. The venue features a copper bar, American-oak tables and a stunning open kitchen. Christopher Boots mobiles hang from the ceiling, while Bride & Wolfe rainbow mirrors adorn the granite columns. A 20-seat dining room is available for events.
Monopole is open for lunch Wednesday to Friday, dinner Tuesday to Saturday, and the bar is open for drinks and snacks between lunch and dinner service.
Savage and Hildebrandt will open Ria, a pizza- and wine-focused venue, in the original Monopole site towards the end of 2020.
Celebrate New Year’s Eve at China Diner Bondi and Double Bay on 31 December 2020 to revel in the start of a brand new year.
China Diner will be offering a bespoke NYE menu across both an early evening and main sitting. Guests can reserve their table between 5:00pm and 6:30pm to enjoy the banquet for $70pp ($30 kids’ menu), or dine from 8:00pm for $90pp ($45 kids’ menu).
There will be a custom playlist created by Mustard Music, with new music and old-school hits.
The menu for the evening will be as follows:
New Years Eve Menu Sparkling Cocktail on Arrival
Entrees Green Mango Pickles gf Mixed Dumplings: Prawn & Crab and Heavenly Jade Dumplings gf Chicken & Sesame ‘Chiko’ Spring Rolls Prawn San Choi Bao, Green Beans, Almonds gf* Five Spice Duck Pancakes, Cucumber, Hoisin, Shallot
Mains Stir-Fried King Prawns, White Asparagus, Spinach gf* Crispy Peking Duck Maryland, Blood Plum gf Hanger Steak, Stir-Fried with Black Pepper gf* Seasonal Asian Greens gf Steamed Jasmine Rice gf
Dessert Coconut Sago, Cherries
gf gluten free, gf* gluten free option
Early Evening Seating Reservations from 5pm–6:30pm $70pp, $30 Kids Menu Available
Main Seating Reservations from 8:00pm $90pp, $45 Kids Menu Available
China Diner currently has restaurants in both Bondi and Double Bay that offer a vivid dining experience reminiscent of turn-of-the-century Shanghai. Vibrant and aromatic ingredients create a feast for the senses via a diverse menu of contemporary Cantonese fare that both honours its heritage and transcends into the new-age Australian food scene.
China Diner specialises in dumplings, along with a selection of seafood and meat dishes and a dedicated vegan menu that all pair perfectly with an extensive wine, sake and cocktail list. The restaurants signature dishes include five spice duck pancakes with hoisin, shallot and cucumber, and a succulent chilli caramel pork belly.
Australia’s First Families of Wine (AFFW), a collective of Australia’s leading and most loved family-owned, multi-generational wine businesses, is delighted to announce their new Chair, Jeff Burch, CEO and Winemaker, Howard Park Wines (1986) from Western Australia’s Margaret River. Jeff assumed the chair from Henschke’s (1868) Stephen Henschke at yesterday’s virtual board meeting, becoming the seventh chair of this esteemed wine group.
Clearly 2020 has been a year like no other for all Australian businesses and this leading, internationally interfacing wine collaborative is no exception. With no international engagement this year, Jeff is looking forward to leading the group into the future as the world awakes to a very different post-COVID landscape.
“I come to this role at an interesting time for wine businesses at large, and now more than ever I see AFFW’s vital role as continuing to champion fine Australian wine on the global stage at the first opportunity,” Jeff said.
Knowledge, friendship and collaboration have been at the core of AFFW since inception in 2009. Travelling globally to promote the quality, provenance, history and tradition of the premium Australian wines each family makes has created a close-knit group who share ideas, innovations and vision. As some of Australia’s oldest family-owned wine businesses, they share over 1180 years of collective experience.
Outgoing Chair Stephen Henschke welcomed Jeff to the Chair saying, “It is with great pleasure that I hand over the reins to Jeff Burch, the seventh Chair of AFFW. And whilst 2020 hasn’t been quite the year we all envisaged, I have enjoyed my time at the helm, taking the group far and wide in 2019 particularly and continuing to share our vision for Australian wine whilst telling the stories behind every bottle we craft. It’s been an honour and I look forward to my role as Jeff’s Deputy for the next couple of years. Go forth and continue the crusade, Jeff!”
Jeff’s personal vision for AFFW is one layered with his own experience; a successful handover to the next generation so that AFFW, and each family’s businesses, can move forward with confidence and clarity.
“We have a wonderful, talented group of young winemakers, vintners, executives and viticulturists coming up behind us. They have energy and new ideas underpinned by the friendship, familiarity and support of the larger AFFW group. I look forward to my role, continuing to bridge the gap and set up the group for its next chapter,” Jeff said. “In a rapidly changing world, our family businesses have achieved longevity by constantly evolving and adapting to change. Our next change – the handover to our Next Gen – is most definitely on my horizon.”
Australia’s First Families of Wine are: Brown Brothers, Campbells, d’Arenberg, Henschke, Howard Park, Jim Barry Wines, Tahbilk, Taylors, Tyrrell’s Wines and Yalumba
A unique and exciting cafe/bar has finally arrived in the heart of Melbourne’s heritage city fringe suburb, Kensington.
Opening its doors on Wednesday, 22nd September 2020, The Fresh Prince is a unique and vibrant setting that will take you back to the favourite memories of your childhood.
The Fresh Prince, located on Bellair St, pays homage to Will Smith’s famous sitcom, promising to bring joy and happiness to all. From the proud staff who have now been given employment opportunities, to the amazed locals who have a new place for their go-to caffeine rush or their late-night cocktail dates.
The opening was scheduled in early March, however, was unable to happen as a result of the current COVID-19 climate. The decision to finally open was made as the owners felt the locals deserved to have something new to look forward to.
From the fresh ground beans sourced at Roasting Warehouse to the South East Asian, Mediterranean and Modern Australian cuisine, The Fresh Prince will surely delight all who step through its doors.
The lovely cafe manager Desiree can’t wait to meet the locals and show them what The Fresh Prince has to offer.
Give them a follow on Instagram @thefreshprince.au
Footscray-born hard seltzer brand ‘Ray is joining forces with their mates at Coffee Supreme for their second flavour collab, just in time for the silly season. This partnership is like no other seltzer out there, using Coffee Supreme cold drip and pomelo to create a refreshing and unique combination.
‘Ray, which officially hit the shelves in August, is from the team behind Hop Nation, the popular craft brewery in Footscray, which is run by friends and brewers Sam Hambour and Duncan Gibson. The first four flavours from the range are lemon & lime, watermelon & mint, peach and grapefruit with Blackhearts & Sparrows. Now Coffee Supreme and Citrus will join the expanding ‘Ray family.
Coffee Supreme is an independent coffee roaster supplying cafés, homes and offices across Australia. They roast premium coffee locally in Melbourne and Brisbane.
“We’re really excited about this partnership, as it’s unlike any other seltzer out there. It’s naturally brewed as part of a small batch with real coffee and citrus flavour,” says co-owner of Hop Nation, Sam Hambour. Just like ‘Ray’s other flavours, this one clocks in at only 88 calories and has no added sugar.
The eye-catching sleek can incorporates design elements from Coffee Supreme’s recognisable red and cream colourway and will launch on 27 November. The seltzer will be available until sold out, so get in quick. You can pick it up from bottle shops across VIC, NSW and QLD, at the Hop Nation brewery and keep an eye out for restaurants offering it on tap. To make an order online, hop to rayhardseltzer.com.au.
Brunswick East’s urban winery Noisy Ritual has expanded its outdoor area and is excited to have guests back, enjoying quality wine and grazing boards while catching up with friends. They have also released a selection of new wines available on their online store as well as at the bar.
The venue is open Friday to Sunday for two-hour sittings. The food menu is made up of seasonal and local produce, including mussels with white wine, chilli, fennel and tarragon dressing; roast eggplant with farro, sour cherries, tahini dressing, sesame seeds; crispy tofu with chilli, coconut and lime; and other grazing boards and delicious dishes.
Noisy Ritual is also looking forward to being able to get Winemaker Members back to finish off what they started six months ago, with a bottling party to get the wine in the bottles and to celebrate the end of the process that began all those months ago. 2021 memberships are on sale now.
In 2020, Noisy Ritual went from being largely hospitality focused (including hosting a wedding each week) to quickly pivoting during the first lockdown to running an online wine delivery service with 25% off and free local delivery, gaining amazing support from the local community.
Prior to the second lockdown, it reopened for a few weeks, but then reverted back to delivery and added a successful virtual tasting pack experience (which will now be added as a bonus for Wine Drinker Members). Now open again, the venue has accommodated for more outdoor dining space, from supportive neighbours allowing usage of the back laneway. Now the team is looking forward to a summer of fun in the sunshine, hoping everybody stays safe and enjoys being out with loved ones again.
Noisy Ritual’s Cam Nicol said: “We’ve been overwhelmed by the fantastic community support during what has been such a challenging year, so we’re excited to welcome back our guests and provide a safe, fun and welcoming haven to enjoy some well-deserved time out. A lot of love has gone into our new wines and we can’t wait to share them with our visitors as well as our online shoppers”.
Cheesemonger Anthony Femia curates three cheesy delights for all budgets.
As we gear up for a semi-normal Christmas with our friends and family, acclaimed cheesemonger Anthony Femia from Maker & Monger has made sure no one will be left hungry with his festive and cheesy delights to suit everyone.
First cab off the rank is the perfect gift for someone who is the life of the party, and, of course, loves all things cheese. The Entertainer’s Christmas Hamper at $100 is great for 2–4 people, featuring That’s Amore burrata, L’Amuse Signature Gouda, Stone & Crow’s Amiel goat’s milk cheese, air-freighted Gorgonzola dolce with new season honeycomb, Délice de Bourgogne triple cream brie, Anthony’s mum’s special pesto recipe using Giorgio Cravero’s Parmigiano Reggiano and Sardinian Pecorino and the cherry on the top; premium extra-large cherries from his neighbour Damian Pike.
“This is a great gift to give a cheese lover combined with some delicious seasonal cherries. The flavour combinations and the theatrics of oozing the burrata over the pesto is always a fun spectacle. The only decision left to be made is what champagne to serve it with,” says Anthony.
And for those looking to spoil their special someone or impress their in-laws, then the Crème de la Crème Cheese Hamper at $150 is the one for them. It includes the three best French cheeses available in Australia; the exclusive Marcel Petite Comté Réservation, Carles Roquefort and Brillat-Savarin triple cream brie. To accompany, the hamper comes with a jar of Attica’s indigenous pine plum jam, charcoal crackers, and an M&M-branded American Walnut wooden board from Arteveneta.
If all the Christmas shopping leaves you hungry, make sure to swing by the Maker & Monger counter in the week leading up to the big celebrations for a special limited-edition Christmas Ham Toastie.
In collaboration with premier butcher and friend of Maker & Monger, Gary’s Meats, the toastie will feature maple syrup and sour cherry-glazed free-range Berkshire ham off the bone, and a crispy Gouda crust finished with a sour cherry glazing. The Christmas Toastie will be available from 19 December until Christmas Eve for $16.50.
To make things a little sweeter this festive season, Maker & Monger will also be offering 10% discount on all retail pre-orders placed before 17 December. They will also be doing special deliveries the week before Christmas to the Mornington and Bellarine peninsulas for a flat fee of $20, including biodegradable ice packs to keep the cheese in perfect condition. The Chapel of Cheese will definitely be the one-stop-shop for all the food lovers this Christmas.
This week, following on from The Bay signature cocktail, Matt Stewart, who oversees the impressive cocktail program at Lotus Double Bay, shares their delicious and vibrant Pandan Potion cocktail recipe with us. Enjoy!
METHOD Add the ingredients to a cocktail shaker to make our house sour. Dry shake the cocktail first, then a hard shake over ice. Double strain into a coupe glass. Garnish with a pandan leaf.
Melbourne’s award-winning kaiseki restaurant Ishizuka is ending 2020 with a new summer kaiseki menu by Creative Director Masahiko Yomoda, as well as a range of Christmas gift offerings available this festive season.
Additionally, Ishizuka has partnered with wedding planners The Small Things to create beautiful wedding event experiences, taking bookings from now and through 2021.
Image credit: Parker Blain
SUMMER MENU LAUNCH BY CHEF YOMO Recently appointed Creative Director and Michelin Star chef Masahiko Yomoda has unveiled Ishizuka’s new seasonal kaiseki menu ($235), featuring refreshing ingredients and a spectrum of vibrant hues to reflect the upcoming summer months.
His first menu in the new role after being appointed during lockdown, Chef Yomo combines his Japanese heritage with classic French training (Alain Chapel, Restaurant L’Osier), resulting in nine courses – sakizuke, zensai, sakisui, otsukuri, yakimono, daimono, oshinogi, shokuji and kanmi – celebrating the finest available summer produce.
With beverage pairing by sommeliers Sarah and David Lawler ($120 per person for alcoholic matches, $60 for non-alcoholic), Ishizuka’s new summer offering is an unrivalled Kaiseki menu in Melbourne’s fine dining scene.
Image credit: Parker Blain
CHRISTMAS OFFERINGS
To celebrate the festive season, Ishizuka is offering a variety of edible gift options to be enjoyed this Christmas.
Ishizuka’s organic whole chicken with black truffle ($98) provides a luxurious table centrepiece and main course on Christmas Day. Cooked sous vide with teriyaki sauce, rosemary and garlic, the teriyaki chicken is served alongside roast and confit seasonal vegetables and Ishizuka’s own barbeque sauce.
A traditional Christmas cake with a Japanese influence, the matcha stollen ($55) is made with dried fig, currants, raisin, orange peel, yuzu peel and Japanese whisky. For the indecisive, the dessert pack ($40) includes a variety of Japanese-inspired sweet treats, featuring sake castella, marron pie, and three different types of cookies.
Each offering comes beautifully presented, with the option to add a bunch of fresh flowers onto any order at an additional cost.
Image credit: Lei Lei Clavey
ISHIZUKA WEDDINGS WITH THE SMALL THINGS Ishizuka has partnered with Melbourne’s premium event stylists and luxury wedding planners The Small Things, offering intimate celebrations and micro weddings of up to 40 guests in the subterranean restaurant space.
Designed by esteemed architecture and design practice Russell & George, Ishizuka’s award-winning dining room features exquisite raw concrete columns, a blond-timber dining counter, and velvet seating. The focal point – a floor-to-ceiling white cloth shell resembling a Japanese lantern – provides romantic ambience in the intimate venue.
Wedding photographer Lei Lei Clavey Photography has captured an example of what a celebration at Ishizuka may look like, with blooms by Wild Flos, table hire by Harry the Hirer, napkins by Table Threads, and stationary by Rebel Reflect. The wedding menu can be conceived with the Ishizuka team, with both kaiseki and stand-up canapés and cocktails available for a unique and memorable reception.
Back by popular demand, Fitzroy North favourite Horn Please is set to offer patrons its vegan thalis once again, featuring unlimited servings of plant-based Indian curries on Sunday evenings.
Available from 5:30pm until late, guests will begin the experience with three Indian entrees – spinach pakora, papadam and Colonel Tso’s famous cauliflower – before starting on unlimited portions of five different vegan curries by Chef Amar, served alongside rice and naan. Curries include plant-based signatures at Horn Please, such as dhal, chana masala, red kidney beans, coconut curry, and aloo gobi.
Complete the experience by ordering a drink from the new cocktail list, a signature gin and tonic from the dedicated G&T menu, or grabbing a stubby from the famous Horn Please beer fridge.
Horn Please – Vegan Thali Night: Location: Horn Please, 167 St Georges Rd, Fitzroy North VIC 3068 Dates: Every Sunday Time: From 5:30pm until late Price: $45 per person includes three entrees, rice, naan, and five all-you-can-eat vegan curries Bookings: Via the Horn Please website
New Italian eatery, Cucina Porto, is now open at The Star Sydney, marking the first of several new dining destinations opening within the entertainment precinct over the next year.
Cucina Porto is a home-away-from-home for Italian Executive Chef Martino Pulito (ex-Pasta Emilia), serving honest Italian cuisine with an unpretentious spirit. Drawing on his heritage, Cucina Porto is a culmination of Pulito’s childhood memories; recreating his family table for guests to enjoy as they discover his favourite recipes, inspired by his home region of Puglia.
“It gives me great pleasure to present a menu inspired by my upbringing in Puglia. Much like at home, my dishes at Cucina Porto use just a handful of ingredients, most of which are sourced locally, to create honest, authentic and uncomplicated food that celebrates Italian culture. There are dishes my mother and nonna would make for Sunday lunch spent around the family table,” says Pulito. “At Cucina Porto I want families and friends to come together to experience a version of my Italian traditions and culture,” he adds.
With an authentic menu cooked in their partially open kitchen, each dish highlights exceptional local produce. Guests can expect classic Italian snacks, pizza, pasta – each plate delivered with care and passion synonymous with Italian cuisine. Familiar favourites feature alongside more adventurous options including a mussel and prawn saor with chardonnay sauce, spaghetti paired with slow-cooked octopus and gremolata, and Sottobosco Pizza made in their wood-fired pizza oven that heroes the humble brussels sprout (all under $30).
Located opposite the Sydney Lyric Theatre, the opening of Cucina Porto coincides with the arrival of Broadway musical, Pippin, signalling a return of theatre and entertainment to Sydney’s cultural scene after a devastating year. For theatre-goers, the bar menu is available until late and offers simple snack-style dishes, including Pizzetta Cacio e Pepe, Octopus Confit with salsa verde and ‘nduja crumb and Crisp Parmesan Chips amongst others.
At Cucina Porto, The Star’s award-winning bar manager Behzad Nvaziri has created a drinks list of fresh Italian classics, complete with a special Negroni progression menu – which will display the range of variations of Italy’s most popular cocktail, and how it evolved from the 1860s from two basic ingredients of Campari and Vermouth to the modern gin-heavy bitter beverage, known as a Negroni. The menu will feature six different takes of the Negroni throughout time, including the Bicicleta made up of dry white wine, Campari and soda.
House wines, curated by sommelier Addy Lam, showcase a selection of Italian and Australian produced Italian wines, traditionally served in a decanter.
The relaxed charm of Chef Pulito’s cooking echoes throughout the contemporary dining area, designed by award-winning interior architecture firm, Tom Mark Henry. Seating 170 patrons at full capacity, the interiors bring an old-world charm with a modern Italian sophistication. Featuring a mix of patterns and textures in pastel pinks, warm yellows, dark greens, deep maroons and brass gold finishings, the interiors create an element of eclecticism to the dining experience. The walls are layered with art and ceramics, along with open shelves, bringing a casual elegance to the restaurant. Cucina Porto also offers a Private Dining Room seating up to 12 guests, allowing for a more intimate and personal dining experience.
Cucina Porto Open for lunch Friday to Sunday from 11am–3pm; dinner Tuesday to Sunday from 5pm–10pm. Website | Instagram
Christmas is nearly here and we can all look forward to catching up with friends and family. Cannoli is the perfect treat to enjoy together, and what is better than when you have made it yourself? To get you ready, Cannoleria will be hosting a virtual Christmas Cannoli Class for all Victorians on 5th December at 11am via Zoom.
This Christmas you can show off by learning how to make the delicate tubes of crunchy golden pastry filled with the Cannoleria signature sweet ricotta for the true Sicilian taste.
You will also learn how to construct a cannoli Christmas tree that you can enjoy on Christmas day or gift to someone special!
Booking is made simply by purchasing a Cannoleria School Bag online, priced at $67.50 (including delivery). The bag contains all the ingredients, cannoli tubes and information required to become a Cannoli Master.
Delivery is available Victoria-wide with bookings closing Thursday, 3rd December for metro Melbourne and Tuesday, 1st December for the rest of the state.
So, put your very own special touch on Christmas this year by joining Cannoleria in this Christmas Cannoli class.
Three Blue Ducks, the group of chefs and avid surfers who own and operate restaurants across Sydney, Brisbane and Byron Bay, will open their Melbourne venue on November 30 at Australia’s first surf park – URBNSURF Melbourne.
Located 16 kilometres from Melbourne CBD and just minutes from Melbourne’s Tullamarine Airport, Three Blue Ducks’ first Melbourne venue will perfectly complement this world-class surfing destination, which is pioneering a new, safe and inclusive way to surf. Featuring a two-hectare surfing lagoon, URBNSURF Melbourne opened in January this year, delivering high-quality waves and authentic experiences to surfers of all abilities.
Originally scheduled to launch in March, the Three Blue Ducks Melbourne outpost was delayed due to COVID-19 restrictions and border closures. In time for summer and with restrictions easing, Three Blue Ducks can now deliver the group’s ethos of simple, real food, showcasing the best of Victoria’s farms, wineries, craft breweries and artisan producers. The 350-seat venue, which overlooks a 2ha lagoon with indoor and outdoor seating, also features a kitchen growing herbs and Australian natives such as lemon myrtle and saltbush. “When we had first planned to launch in March, we could have never anticipated what a challenging year it was going to become, particularly for Melbourne,” said Mark LaBrooy. “The hospitality industry has been hit hard this year, and we just feel really lucky that we’re able to finally launch a partnership that we’ve been excited about for so long. We’re honoured to be working with some incredible people and suppliers on our first Melbourne venue, and we can’t wait to get down there and bring it to life. This one’s really close to our hearts – at the end of the day, we’re just a bunch of guys who love good food and surfing.”
Image credit: Kitti Gould
The kitchen features a pizza oven, rotisserie and charcoal pit, rolling out classic Ducks-style dishes such as the spanner crab scramble for breakfast, mussels for lunch and a range of pizzas available all day. As with all The Ducks venues, there’ll be a strong focus on minimising waste, with on-site composting.
The drinks menu will feature a strong list of wines, beers and spirits, locally sourced from across Victoria, as well as coffee from long-standing Ducks partner Single O. Serving water, kombucha, wine and beer on tap will help keep bottle waste down.
URBNSURF’s CEO Damon Tudor said the Three Blue Ducks’ ethos aligns perfectly with the company’s aim to inspire the progression of modern surfing in a way that is authentically Australian, respectful of surfing’s origins, and protective of the environment.
“We’re stoked to finally welcome Three Blue Ducks to URBNSURF Melbourne,” said Damon. “The Ducks’ passion for surfing, food, sustainability and community is what brought them together, and has driven their success – and this closely aligns with our mission to create the world’s best urban surfing locations, including here in Tullamarine. Our members and guests have been craving healthy, delicious food and beverages post-surf, and we’re thrilled to have the Ducks opening in time for Summer to truly complete the URBNSURF experience.”
Image credit: URBNSURF
An idea born from the surf and anchored in food culture, the Three Blue Ducks is made up of Mark LaBrooy, Darren Robertson, Andy Allen, Chris Sorrell, Sam Reid-Boquist and Jeff Bennett, who all share the same desire to offer a more sustainable and ethical approach to Australian dining.Despite the growing number of owners and venues over the years, their ethos remains the same: encouraging their community to “grow what you can, buy food mindfully, buy it locally, cook it thoughtfully and waste nothing where you can”.
Three Blue Ducks at URBNSURF Melbourne will open on 30 November. Bookings will be available via the Three Blue Ducks website. Launch capacity will be reduced in line with COVID restrictions. The Three Blue Ducks are now recruiting, with all enquiries to go via threeblueducks.com.
Three Blue Ducks is open seven days a week, for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and takeaway.
Sizzler is an important icon. As I wrote, it was more than just a restaurant. It was an institution. It taught many people to eat out. It was popular. It had queues.
Sizzler did not become unpopular. To some extent, it was a victim of its own success. It trained several generations of people how to eat out … how to enjoy commensality – which they did. And, it trained thousands of young people in the art of hospitality, many of whom went on to open cafés and restaurants of their own – including a couple of well-known celebrity chefs.
Despite its success, Sizzler slowly got overtaken by other offerings. Like an aging maiden aunt, it became less important in our lives and we had other places to be. We promised we’d call back soon. But time got away from us. And the avocado on toast at the local café seemed better value. Moreover, you didn’t have to queue.
Gastronomy is constantly evolving. It is moulded by changing consumer tastes. By changing economics. And by external factors like the environment and pandemics.
Sizzler was struggling before COVID-19 came along. COVID simply finished it off. The buffet cannot survive in a pandemic world. And Sizzler is just one of many restaurants that will close due to COVID. But COVID did not cause their death. It just accelerated it.
The hospitality industry has always been tough. Costs are high and profit margins are very slim. There are few barriers to entry and many operators lack basic business skills. Pre-COVID, the average life of a restaurant was just 18 months and 50 per cent of venues failed to see their third birthday. Two years ago, a thousand venues were reviewed for the 2018 Gault&Millau Restaurant Guide. Within 12 months, 32 per cent of those restaurants either closed, re-named or underwent a major transformation in branding.
COVID has reshaped our eating-out industry. It has forced out the weak and unprofitable. It has reduced the over-supply of venues. It has forced us to look at alternatives like premium takeout. It has encouraged pre-paid bookings. It has renewed our love of al fresco dining. It has inspired new flexible dining spaces. It has strengthened cleaning and food safety protocols. And it has given us time to sit back and reflect on the future.
Many chefs have had time to pause and re-evaluate their lives. They have discovered what a normal life can look like. Many have moved to quieter, more sociable locations or have left the service industry, focusing on other food businesses.
And diners have had time to re-evaluate what they want from a meal experience. Most people want to get out and socialise. But we are still wary. When someone sneezes, we pause – there is still an element of fear and a lack of control. We are anxious. We need security. We gravitate to the safe and comfortable. We actually like the social distancing rules – there is more space in restaurants and cafés. We still want the little indulgences – but we are economising. We don’t see the value in expensive fine dining any more. We like the better quality takeaways and pub meals. Consumers want simple, social, convivial meal experiences.
The industry is changing. Fine dining is on the decline, the low end is moving upmarket and the high end is moving down. The growth is in the middle, in the highly competitive “fast casual” dining.
Consumers are seeking comfort and safety. They are seeking quality. But they also want good value. Fine dining will survive – but it is the more casual places that will thrive.
Consumers are seeking casual, light, fresh exciting dishes. The “fusion” style of cooking is particularly popular in contemporary Australia, inspired by a melting pot of cultures, particularly those of the Pacific Rim and South East Asia. The emphasis is on simplicity and balance, resulting in food that is fresh, light and vibrant, and full of contrasting flavours and textures, often incorporating bush tucker, intertwined with Asian techniques – a new Aussie Cuisine.
We no longer seek the old-fashioned meat and three vegetables or steak and salad that Sizzler and other traditional restaurants pioneered. We have moved on to light, fresh, vibrant flavours – with smaller portions – and lower prices.
Healthy food, vegetarian and vegan are all growing. But so is indulgence. We are still filling up on fatty fast food, full of flavour and comfort. Small indulgences are important – they make us feel good. Sales of chocolate biscuits are up.
Food – like a lot of fashion – is cyclic. Back in the late 1700s, on the back of the French Revolution, chefs started their own restaurants. The old “bill of fare” and “table d’hôte” menus found in taverns, pubs and public eateries gave way to “à la carte”. “Service à la française” gave way to the more practical “Service à la russe” – which is the basis of the service style we see in most restaurants today.
But the cycle is turning. “Table d’hôte” and “Prix Fixe” are returning. Simple, short menus with one price. Restaurants like Gerard’s in Brisbane, now offer a daily fixed price menu – a “table d’hôte”.
Gastronomy is not static. The hospitality industry has always been dynamic and innovative, changing rapidly with trends and tastes. Tastes will continue to change and evolve. And COVID has helped to accelerate this change …
Endless summer vibes at Port Melbourne’s sandy shores.
The Exchange Hotel’s Beach Club is returning to the sandy shores of Port Melbourne on 4th December – perfect timing for Melburnians to meet up with family and friends over great food and drinks while soaking up the sunshine in style.
The Exchange Beach Club will be open 7 days a week and is free to enter. Located at the end of Bay Street, the activation includes a container bar and full kitchen.
Guests will be able to enjoy the deck chairs, beachside cabanas, day beds, picnic tables and lounges that are available to book. Plus, there will be live music every Sunday 1pm–5pm.
The cabanas and day beds are the perfect way to chill out with the ultimate VIP beachside experience. They can be pre-booked, while walk-ins are welcome subject to availability. Each has a minimum spend to use on the food and drink offerings. Cabana bookings are available for groups of 2–4 (min. spend Mon–Thurs $50pp and Fri–Sun $125pp). Day Beds can suit groups of 1–16 people (min spend Mon–Thurs $30pp and Fri–Sun $60pp). Picnic tables and lounges can also be booked for groups of 4–10. There are multiple sessions, so whether it is for lunch, afternoon catch-ups or a sunset session, guests can relax, kick back, sip and snack whilst taking in the views.
The activation will be paperless and cash-free, with innovative contactless ordering through Mr Yum with all items taken directly to guests so the relaxing never has to stop. To keep everyone protected, there will be plenty of Bondi Sands SPF protection available.
The menu will feature fresh seafood, fish & chips, BBQ skewers, summer salads and ice-cream cart. Selections include Ora King Salmon Bun, Cape Grim Wagyu Katsu Sanga, Red Coral Lobster & Prawn Roll with Four Pillars Bloody Shiraz Gin caviar and the Bistro Morgan Ice-cream Doughnut Sandwich.For oyster lovers, Tuesdays will be the day to head to the Beach Club with a$2 Oyster Happy Hour.
The container bar will have a thirst-quenching drinks list, such as delicious cocktails on tap, beer, wine and seltzers.Aperitivo Hour will be enjoyed from 3pm–5pm on Mondays to Wednesdays with $6 selected drinks, such as Passionfruit Caprioska, Aperol Spritz, Furphy and Prosecco.
Pooches will be welcome at The Exchange Beach Club and there are free dog snacks available! Ideal to pop in for refreshments after a dog walk along the beach.
Beachside Bottomless Brunch will become a summer favourite, running every Saturday and Sunday 10.30am–12noon.For $49 per person, guests can enjoy 90 minutes of bottomless drinks (choosing from Passionfruit Caprioska, Prosecco, Aperol Spritz, Furphy and Apple Cider), as well as choose an item from the brunch menu.The brunch menu will include dishes such as Lobster Roll (red coral lobster and prawn roll, kewpie, chives and dill), Avocado Bowl (kale, broccolini, spinach and pepitas) and Smoked Kaiserfleisch (bacon) Bun (with smoked tomato chutney, pickled onion and milk bun).
“After the challenging year that Melbourne has had, we are excited to bring back The Exchange Beach Club for everyone to enjoy refreshing drinks and summer eats in the perfect beachside setting,” said Ben Anderson, AVC VIC State Manager.
“The Exchange Beach Club can be enjoyed by everyone – groups of friends, couples, singles and families. Whether it’s enjoying the Beachside Bottomless Brunch on deck chairs, Aperitivo Hour in a cabana, or sunset sips, we know both our locals and visitors to the area are going to love it.”
The Exchange Pop-up Beach Club 4th December 2020–21st March 2021 Port Melbourne Dog Beach (corner of Beach St and Bay St) Trading Hours: Monday to Thursday 12noon–10pm Friday and Saturday 10am–10.30pm Sunday 10am–10pm Website | Facebook | Instagram
Festive schnitzel, Christmas Fest and Feed the Family menu available.
It’s beginning to taste a lot like summer at The Bavarian, with preparations for effervescent shandies, an Aussie summertime inspired schnitzel of the month, and value-packed Christmas Fest and Feed the Family menus being wrapped up for a December launch.
Revered for their strong German beer credentials and 20 taps, The Bavarian restaurants across NSW, Queensland, Victoria, South Australia and the ACT have put their own spin on the traditional shandy, adding nine refreshing variations to the menu from Tuesday, 1 December until Sunday, 28 February.
The shandy series ($10-$15), each served in a 500ml stein and built over ice, includes Summer Mango that mixes Franziskaner Hefe Weissbier with mango juice, and Michelada, which adds a spice kick to 4 Pines Kolsch with the addition of Bloody Mary spiced juice, lime juice and a chilli-salt rim.
The summer shandy’s celebratory ‘spirit’ is dialled up with the addition of liqueurs, whiskeys and tequila, including:
• Nightcap: Hofbräu Dunkel, coffee liqueur • Butterscotch: Franziskaner Hefe Weissbier, butterscotch schnapps • Big Red: Brookvale Union Ginger Beer, Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Fire Whiskey, cranberry juice • Apple Rye Spice: Brookvale Union Ginger Beer, Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Straight Rye Whiskey, apple juice • Tennessee Ginger Brew: 4 Pines Kolsch, Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey, Orgeat, ginger beer • Largarita: 4 Pines Kolsch, Herradura Original Plata Tequila, agave nectar, squash • Snake Bite: Bulmers apple cider, 4 Pines Kolsch, Chambord
Throughout December, a Christmas Fest menu ($69pp) is available daily for lunch and dinner at all locations. The three-course, share-style menu includes fresh-baked pretzels, golden-crumbed chicken schnitzels with mushroom sauce and fries, and roast pumpkin and beetroot salad. A two-hour drinks package is also included, spanning select beers, ciders, wines and four different types of cocktails: strawberry margarita, lychee paradise, apple-tini and elderflower garden. The Christmas Fest wraps up with a round of schnapps for the table.
The traditional German schnitzel takes a delightful Aussie twist during December. Available for the full month, the Aussie BBQ Christmas Schnitzel ($29) is a crumbed chicken breast topped with butterflied, grilled king prawns in garlic and herb butter and served with green salad and fries.
The Bavarian restaurants at Manly in Sydney, and Eagle Street Pier in Brisbane are open for lunch and dinner on Christmas Day with à la carte and Christmas Fest menus available.
A Feed The Family share-style menu – designed for two adults and two children – is available throughout December and comprises pretzels, chicken schnitzels and mushroom sauce, fries, salad and ice cream in a choice of strawberry, chocolate and vanilla flavours ($49). The Bavarian restaurants are open at Castle Hill, Charlestown, Entertainment Quarter, Green Hills, Macarthur, Manly, Miranda, Penrith, Rouse Hill, Shellharbour, Tuggerah, Wetherill Park and York Street in NSW; Broadbeach, Chermside, Coomera, Eagle Street Pier, Mackay, Robina, Rockhampton, Sunshine Coast and Toowoomba in Queensland; Belconnen and Woden in the ACT; and Tea Tree Plaza in South Australia. The Bavarian at Westfield Knox in Victoria reopens on Wednesday, 2 December. The Bavarian at Chatswood in Sydney also reopens on this date.
Sydney nightlife icons The Argyle and El Camino Cantina are firing up for a fun-packed festive season of cocktails, parties, open-air movies and feasts.
The Argyle kick-starts the celebrations with a Johnnie Walker Courtyard Takeover that runs for the remainder of November until Sunday, 10 January, showcasing Sydney band and DJ performances on the Johnnie Walker outdoor stage. A series of signature highballs ($12 each) have been designed for the duration.
The Johnnie & Blood Orange Highball partners Johnnie Walker Black Label with Pimm’s No.1 and is lengthened with blood orange; the Johnnie & Ginger Highball mixes Black Label with spicy ginger ale and fresh lemon; the Johnnie & Lemon Highball enhances Black Label with lemon barley and soda; and the Johnnie & Crisp Apple Highball mixes Black Label with apple kombucha and apple juice.
Revellers can grab a complimentary Santa hat and get ready for a ‘Not So Silent Night’ at The Argyle’s annual Christmas bash on Friday, 18 December across its two floors, six bars and outdoor courtyard. There will be DJs and dancers, and a limited-edition, bitter-sweet Spritz-Mas cocktail ($15), featuring Aperol, prosecco, cranberry and soda, will hit the drinks menu for the festive season.
Sydneysiders and visitors can unleash their inner child on Christmas Eve at The Argyle’s open-air cinema. Guests can pull up a deck chair, help themselves to free popcorn and nestle in for a night of classic, kidult, Christmas movies, with Home Alone and Love Actually to be screened. Refreshments are close at hand, including free popcorn, two-for-one wood-fired pizzas ($30), and happy hour $5 drinks from 5pm to 7pm. Screenings commence at 5pm. Entry is free but bookings are essential.
Bid farewell to the year from hell at The Argyle’s New Year’s Eve celebrations, spotlighting an all-star line-up of DJs, including Australia’s favourite DJ diva, Tigerlily. Performances will be supported by full light and sound productions, and the harbourside midnight fireworks will be displayed across the venue’s large-screen TVs. The ticketed event has two, two-hour packages available: $99 per person, which includes beer, wine, sparking wine and soft drinks, and $149 per person, which includes frozen cocktails, signature Long Island Ice Teas, Aperol Spritzes and Espresso Martinis.
The Argyle will host a White Party on New Year’s Day, from 2pm until late, featuring an exclusive live performance by Timomatic. A two-hour food & drinks package includes wood-fired pizzas for the table, as well as frozen cocktails, house beer, wine, sparkling wine and soft drinks. The Argyle bookings.
Neighbouring Tex-Mex wild child El Camino Cantina The Rocks will celebrate the countdown to Christmas from Tuesday, 1 December to Sunday, 3 January with its Rockin Around The Rita Tree showcase of 12 frozen margarita flavours: Christmas Punch, Peach, Raspberry, Grape, Pimm’s, Pomegranate, Cherry, Mojito, Watermelon & Mint, Rosé, Grapefruit, and Orange & Basil. They are all are served Cadillac-style, with a smooth, rich float of Grand Marnier ($20, 15oz or $24, 24oz). Mango, Strawberry and Classic margaritas are also available, and served frozen and on the rocks. Can’t choose a flavour? Try four × 220ml serves on a tasting paddle ($30).
Image credit: Michael Gribbin
El Camino Cantina at the Entertainment Quarter, Manly and Miranda will have four new frozen Cadillac-style margarita flavours available, over the same time period: Christmas Punch, Peach, Raspberry, Grape, in addition to Classic, Mango and Strawberry.
El Camino Cantina at Manly will be open for Christmas Day, with bookings from 12pm to 5pm. Guests can dine à la carte, or on the Deluxe Tex-Mex fiesta package ($89pp), which includes spicy buffalo wings with blue-cheese mayo, sizzling adobo chicken fajitas with all the Tex-Mex trimmings, and crisp churros served deliciously warm with chocolate and caramel sauce for dipping. Two hours of Cadillac margaritas are available in all seven flavours.
Guests can celebrate New Year’s Eve at all El Camino Cantina venues, with a DJ playing at El Camino Cantina The Rocks from 8pm. El Camino Cantina bookings.
Bringing thousands of new seats to Melbourne, on sale now.
New Year Street Feasts, presented by the City of Melbourne, the Victorian Government and Melbourne Food & Wine Festival, is a New Year celebration that will bring the city’s streets to life with open-air dining unlike anything Australia has seen before, with tickets on sale now.
Eleven outdoor dining precincts created by the City of Melbourne and Melbourne Food & Wine Festival will set the stage for thousands of people to ring in the New Year at their favourite restaurants with friends and family across two days.
From the Paris end of Little Collins Street right through to Hardware Lane and beyond, each precinct will bring together restaurants and bars from the surrounding streets and lanes, offering diners more than 50 premium venues to enjoy on 31 December and 1 January. The precincts are:
• Little Bourke Street • Little Collins Street • AC/DC Lane • Hardware Lane • Russell Street • Spring Street • Flinders Lane • Lonsdale Street • Market Lane • Domain Road • Docklands
Some of Melbourne’s best-loved venues are involved, including Bar Margaux, Bar Saracen, Flower Drum, Hazel, Izakaya Den, Lee Ho Fook and Tipo 00. The program has something for everyone: Japanese hot dogs, beers and cocktails at Hihou; a family-friendly menu of lasagne and tiramisu at Pellegrini’s; a suckling pig bo ssäm at Supernormal; and a $1,000 all-inclusive menu with premium wine and flowers to take home at Cecconi’s.
The New Year Street Feasts initiative takes some of its cues from the piazzas and squares of Europe, opening up precincts all over the City of Melbourne, including some of the city’s most popular eat streets, such as Flinders Lane and Little Bourke Street.
“Melburnians eat and drink like nowhere else in the world,” said Anthea Loucas Bosha, CEO of Food + Wine Victoria, the not-for-profit organisation behind Melbourne Food & Wine Festival.
“We’re encouraging revellers to book a table and come into the city to visit a favourite restaurant or try somewhere new. We have a long history of working with the city’s talented operators, and we’ve loved every minute of putting this extraordinary program together. With the City of Melbourne, we’ve been able to add thousands of extra restaurant seats across the city for the two-day event.”
“This has been an incredibly tough year and it’s important that we can say goodbye to 2020 and look forward to a more positive 2021,” the Lord Mayor said.
“We are encouraging everyone to support Melbourne’s wonderful cafés, bars and restaurants by taking part in the Street Feasts program, which will help keep cash registers ringing and Melburnians in jobs.
“Bring your friends and family and book into your favourite city venue to celebrate New Year’s Eve in a COVID-safe way that supports local businesses.”
New Year Street Feasts is being delivered by the Victorian Government and the City of Melbourne through the $100 million Melbourne City Recovery Fund.
Bookings for restaurants are now open, with seats available via mfwf.com.au. Booking New Year Street Feasts in advance is essential to keep the celebrations running smoothly and safely. More details on travel to and from the city will be released in the coming weeks.
The full program is available at mfwf.com.au; follow MFWF on Instagram at @melbfoodandwine for daily updates.
After a year like no other, it’s time to get festive! To celebrate the upcoming Christmas and New Year period, Crown Melbourne has upped its Christmas game this season, with offers available for all Christmas occasions across Crown’s extensive list of restaurants.
Festive offerings include an array of lunch and dinner specials, such as Christmas Eve and Christmas Day lunch at Nobu, Conservatory and Bistro Guillaume, a celebratory Boxing Day special at Ging Thai and New Year’s Eve and Day festivities at Merrywell Rooftop – to name a few.
With offers ranging from $99 through to $220 per person, Crown’s festive dining offering has options to meet any type of Christmas occasion, with a huge variety of delicious options and price points guaranteed to delight the tastebuds of all Melburnians.
Bookings are essential to ensure guests can secure a spectacular à la carte dining experience. Each weekend throughout December, Santa Claus will also be visiting various restaurants across Crown Melbourne, alongside his team of special helpers, baubles, roller skaters, musical Christmas characters, acrobats and stilt walkers – bringing some Christmas cheer to festive diners.
“Crown has always been a big part of Melbourne’s Christmas and New Year’s festive season – and after what we have been through as a city and a state, we have been very focused on how we adapt to enable people to make the most of this special time of year in a safe environment,” said Crown Melbourne’s Executive General Manager of Food & Beverage, Enda Cunningham.
“Guests can expect a bit of escapism at Crown – a place that is festive, welcoming, and gives you a comfortable sense of space where you can celebrate Christmas and the end of a tough year over a drink, great food, and plenty of atmosphere in a unique and iconic Melbourne setting,” added Cunningham.
For those wanting to enjoy the best of Crown’s culinary Christmas offering from the comfort of home, Crown is also offering a range of at-home festive packages that will satisfy Melbourne’s appetite for great food and wine this Christmas.
For more information and opening hours across Crown Melbourne’s entire festive hospitality offering, visit crownmelbourne.com.au
Crown Towers and Luxury Retail re-opens just in time for Christmas shopping Retail at Crown has re-opened just in time for Christmas shopping; including luxury retailers such as Prada, Louis Vuitton, Rolex, Paspaley and Bvlgari. In addition, Crown Gifts has a selection of special offers available to ensure this year’s Christmas is a celebration to remember.
With travel off the cards for the foreseeable future and Melburnians favouring reconnection and special experiences, guests can treat their loved ones to a decadent hotel staycation and enjoy a holiday at home. For further information about the Christmas promotions available at Crown Gifts, visit crowngifts.com.au
CherryHill Orchards is once again celebrating its popular cherry season by welcoming visitors to pick their own cherries while enjoying a fabulous day out in the Yarra Valley from 27 November to early January.
New for 2020 is a collaboration with Popstic, where visitors can indulge in a delicious heart-shaped Cherish Spritzer popsicle, as well as an alcoholic Cherry Rosé Cider Popsicle. Also new is a collaboration with Yarra Valley Chocolaterie, where three gourmet desserts have been created. Visitors can cool off with a cherry sorbet, cherry milk chocolate ice-cream and a cherry choc chip swirl ice-cream.
The beautiful orchard will come alive with live music and entertainment for the perfect picnic. Live performances will include Melbourne country singer songwriter James Mark, and pop rock musician Ellery Cohen with his signature electronic industrial beats, as well as other local Melbourne bands and musicians.
For those who want to grab a bite on site, visit one of the many food trucks serving up the likes of Vietnamese street food and delicious pizzas.
2020 marks the 80th anniversary of CherryHill Orchards and while this year’s season is a little different due to limited capacity, there’s still plenty of cherries to go around and endless entertainment for a stunning day out. While visiting CherryHill Orchards guests can eat as many cherries off the trees as they like, while taking in the surrounds.
Cherry picking slots are available in slots of 2½ hours, allowing for plenty of time to wander around the orchard, pick cherries, set up a picnic and indulge in treats available on site.
For those wanting a fully catered event, High Tea in the Orchards includes a three-hour sitting with a cherry-inspired menu in a private row of green foliage.
PICK YOUR OWN: Family (2 adults and 2 children) – $45 Adult (14+) – $19.50 Child (4–13) – $10.50 3 and below – Free Takeaway cherries are charged per kilogram upon leaving. Or select a Grab and Go Box with a ticket, pick straight into the box, with no need to pay at the end.
HIGH TEA IN THE ORCHARDS: $195 for two people Includes three-hour private high tea sitting with a cherry-inspired menu and sparkling wine.
Like birds of a feather, we flock together … Three beers spiritually the same, yet wonderfully unique.
Brick Lane Brewing is excited to announce an extremely limited-edition release of sour beers called Birds of a Feather. Brick Lane has rediscovered and reimaged the sour style’s thirst-quenching potential with a new range of flavours, including Passionfruit & Guava, Mango & Lychee, and Lime & Pineapple.
The artistic can designed by CIP Studio very much captures the experience of these immersive, balanced, and seductive beers that will leave you wanting more.
The Birds of a Feather range of sour beers offer the ideal kick of fruity tartness to greet the summer months and the brightness is the perfect refreshment for lunch outside or an afternoon by the pool.
What makes them so perfect for the dog days of summer? Just like the artwork, they’re bright, refreshing – and full of flavour and natural fruit.
“With summer knocking on the door, we’ve managed to cram our limited edition Birds of a Feather beers full of bright tropical flavours that announce the long hot days have arrived. Passionfruit and guava, mango and lychee, pineapple and lime… combined with the paradox of a soft mouthfeel and a precise and zippy sourness allows these beers to deliver an abundance of flavour yet also delicately dance across your palate. The beers share a common approach in their creation, but just like the art on the can, when you peer behind the mask there’s a hidden uniqueness bursting to get out,” said founder Paul Bowker on the release of the beers.
Carlton North café favourite releases three hampers for the silly season.
Carlton North hotspot Babajan has curated three special hampers to celebrate the silly season this year. To suit all types, the Christmas hampers range from $55–$145 and are the perfect gift for friends, family, colleagues and everyone in between.
Since opening in 2016, Babajan has become a cult classic café to locals, tourists and foodies alike, slinging delicious Turkish and Middle Eastern dishes to the masses. During the COVID crisis, owner Kirsty Chiaplias made the leap to transforming the space into a takeaway haven, filled with bread, pastries, Turkish cheese, fresh produce and even a bottle shop section.
The first hamper, ‘Festive Feast’ at $145 is the perfect addition to a work Christmas break-up or get-together. The Babajan branded items include za’atar-spiced simit crumb, house-made dukkah, air-dried pastirma and house-made pickled vegetables. It also features Barossa triple cream brie, Olympus fetta, Pepus sardines, Mount Zero olives and the all-important bottle of Payten & Jones Chardonnay.
“The Festive Feast hamper is my Middle Eastern take of everyone’s ideal cheese and wine night, filled to the brim of the house-made products my customers have been taking away and loving throughout this year,” says owner Kirsty.
The second hamper, ‘Afternoon Delight’ at $135 is a well-suited gift for a grandparent, teacher or tea lover, filled to the brim with delicious treats. There’s Hey Tiger chocolate, Proud Mary coffee, Calmer Sutra chai, Tea Drop honeydew green tea, and a Babajan branded keep cup, house-made rose & rhubarb jam and Turkish delight.
The final hamper, ‘Tis the Season’, is great for a Kris Kringle gift or addition to a picnic get-together with friends. At only $55, the hamper includes a bottle of Indented Head rosé, white chocolate-covered raspberries, Milawa blue cheese, house-made simit crumbs and a bag of 10 mini Babajan rose and pistachio meringue kisses.
Babajan will also be your best port of call for the last-minute Christmas rush, offering up their delicious salads for catering, with pick-up available on Christmas Eve – meaning you won’t need to lift a finger on the day. Simply place an order on (03) 9388 9814 or online at www.babajan.com.au.
Located within the Shoalhaven region on the NSW South Coast, The Growers, a new 450-seat indoor-outdoor casual eatery and bar opened its doors on Friday 20 November 2020.
Celebrating the best of the area and its surroundings, the venue showcases the region’s diverse agricultural producers, wineries, fromageries and breweries.
American-born chef Patrick Haney (Sydney’s Opera Bar and Pok Pok in Portland, Oregon) will spearhead the kitchen at The Growers. Patrick has created a menu that comprises a selection of shared dishes including oysters from Greenwell Point and Batemans Bay; squid and whitebait fritto; and wood-fired pizzas. More substantial items include house pasta made with local vegetables, and roast chicken with kale polenta and mushrooms. Patrick will also work closely with local producers The Pines, Eden Smokehouse and Milton Beef, among many others.
Highlighting the regional beverage producers, the drinks list will include Jervis Bay Brewing Co., BentSpoke Canberra, spirits hailing from Distillery Botanica in Erina NSW, and a curated wine list that showcases boutique and local wineries.
Created by Tully Heard Consulting (the team behind the acre Eateries, The Greens, The Fernery, Taffy’s and Alala’s), The Growers will feature multiple dining areas and enclosed events spaces. There is an expansive outdoor garden area that includes seating under planted pergolas, a fire pit, kids play areas, and kiosk, which will offer a limited weekend menu that focuses on barbeque-style dishes, such as slow-cooked pulled pork seasoned with The Growers spice rub made from ingredients from the venue’s kitchen garden.
The expansive space by Pony Design Co is inviting and warm, using a combination of natural timber finishings, greenery, eclectic furniture and textured stones, with plenty of space for social distancing.
Patrick said: “We’re thrilled to be opening The Growers this November. The NSW South Coast is a region rich with produce and history and The Growers will continue to tell these stories, cementing its place as a leading food, beverage and event destination.
“As we head into the school and Christmas holidays, The Growers is the perfect pit stop for lunch if you are passing through, or an ideal location for those in the Shoalhaven region over summer.”
The Growers is 2½ hours from Sydney and Canberra and offers both the local community and holidaymakers a place to gather, celebrate and re-discover the beauty of the NSW South Coast.
Melbourne-based chocolate makers release three new spreads and cooking chocolate in time for the holidays.
Melbourne-based chocolate brand Hunted + Gathered has expanded their inventory just in time for the holidays, with the launch of their Chocolate Spread range and a retail release of their hospo-staple Cooking Chocolate.
Hunted + Gathered started in 2012 when brothers Harry and Charlie Nissen couldn’t find a chocolate they were looking for: something made with minimal, organic and ethically sourced ingredients, that was also delicious. Hunted + Gathered can now be found in the country’s best restaurants, cafés and bakeries.
The new Chocolate Spread is made from Hunted + Gathered’s most popular chocolate – 70% single origin beans from the Dominican Republic – which is blended with nuts to form a smooth paste. There are three Chocolate Spreads in the range – almond, hazelnut and peanut – with each jar containing more than 50% nuts (staggeringly higher than industry standards). All the nuts are biodynamically grown and/or organic, some of them being grown in Victoria. The new spreads are delicious on toast, however Harry and Charlie both agree they’re just as good eaten straight out of the jar.
The Chocolate Spread range is now stocked at top Melbourne bakeries, including Q le Baker, Bread Club, Baker Bleu and Wild Life Bakery.
The retail release of the previously hospitality-wholesale-only Cooking Chocolate now means that any home cook (novice or master) can experiment in the kitchen with the best quality chocolate found at restaurants like Attica and Brae.
The Cooking Chocolate range showcases three single origin chocolates: from the Dominican Republic, Ecuador and Belize. Each uses the same 70% cacao recipe, with the particularities of the bean imparting distinct tasting notes in the end product – fruity, chocolatey and nutty flavours. The Cooking Chocolate is sold in 500g bags and retails for $35.
Local chefs, from Lauren Eldridge (Stokehouse), Alex Prichard (Icebergs) to Ben Shewry (Attica), rely on H+G’s Cooking Chocolate. Hunted + Gathered have partnered with international chefs – like Frederik Bille Brahe (Apollo Kantine, Copenhagen) and Margot Henderson (Rochelle Canteen, London) – to create recipes that feature the single origin chocolate,
“We pride ourselves on making a product that has the least amount of ingredients as possible – cocoa beans, cocoa butter and sugar. We try to find the best produce in the world, and not mess with it too much,” says Charlie Nissen, co-owner of Hunted + Gathered.
Whether for the dedicated home baker, enthusiastic novice or perhaps a gift for someone special (or you just love lathering the Chocolate Spread on toast) Hunted + Gathered has something for everyone this holiday season.
Chargrill Charlie’s returns home to where it all began over 30 years ago having first opened on Sydney’s famous Coogee Beach.
The chicken hero goes back in time with 1989 prices, 80s merchandise and DJ.
Chargrill Charlie’s, Sydney’s family-run chicken institution, is returning home, to where it all began, with the launch of its new Coogee store on Saturday, 28 November. Having first opened on Coogee Beach 31 years ago, Chargrill Charlie’s is turning back the clock to 1989, with a series of fun and nostalgic launch initiatives to celebrate the year that started it all.
Over opening weekend – Saturday, 28 November and Sunday, 29th November – customers won’t have to spend big to get their chicken fix in Coogee. Charlie’s will be hitting rewind on the remote and turning back time for 48 hours only with their famous chicken menu returning to the store’s original prices from 1989. The throwback menu will include Chargrill Charlie’s Famous Extra Large Seasoned Chicken ($10.90), Half Seasoned Chicken ($5.90), Quarter Seasoned Chicken ($3.90) and delicious packs including a Half Chicken and Chips ($9.90) a Quarter Chicken and Chips ($5.90).
Dialling up the 80s vibes further, the store will also have its own DJ, mixing the best classic tunes from the decade, and will be giving away a host of 80s-inspired merch, including fluoro-printed tees, water bottles and signature Charlie’s caps.
Co-Owner Ryan Sher said: “I still remember the day my parents opened the doors to our first shop all those years ago, so it feels really special to open our new store in Coogee – it’s like we are coming home! We really wanted to tap into all those magical memories to launch the store, and celebrate the era that helped build Chargrill Charlie’s into what it is today”.
The new store is located on the bustling Coogee Bay Road, only a moment’s stroll from the beach – making it the perfect spot for a bite after a hot summer’s day. The space is fitted out in Chargrill Charlie’s trademark modern industrial decor – with a colour palette of burnt reds, yellows and oranges. At full capacity the store will be able to seat over 45 diners with banquet-style booths, however, this has currently been reduced in line with COVID safety restrictions.
In a first for Chargrill Charlie’s, the Coogee store will also introduce ‘The Salad Cube’ – a cubed transparent window allowing customers to watch staff prepare the daily fresh salads in a bespoke kitchen, lined with fresh produce from local farmers and markets.
Coogee will offer all of Chargrill Charlie’s signature dishes, including their hero chargrilled chicken, chicken schnitzels, seasonal salads, DIY dinner plates, crunchy hot chips, wedges, rolls and burgers, as well as classic desserts like their homemade apple pie.
Chargrill Charlie’s Coogee is the second of the three new stores opening in Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs this year. Randwick opened in August and Bondi is set to open in December.
Chargrill Charlie’s now operates 16 stores across Sydney and Melbourne (Annandale, Camberwell, Coogee, Dee Why, Drummoyne, Frenchs Forest, Lane Cove, Mona Vale, Mosman, Neutral Bay, Randwick, Rose Bay, St Ives, Wahroonga, Willoughby and Woollahra).
Chargrill Charlie’s Coogee Opens Saturday, 28 November 194–196 Coogee Bay Road, Coogee NSW 2034 Open: 9:00am–9:00pm
Feravina, Australia’s first health-driven online wine business, is now open. Sold in 6 and 12 packs of red, white and mixed wines, all their wines are:
Organically or biodynamically farmed without harmful chemicals
Keto-friendly (less than 0.5g net carbs per glass)
Low in sulphites
Capped in alcohol (less than 13.5%)
Vegan-friendly
Wild fermented, with no added commercial yeast
Unadulterated, with no industrial additives
Feravina was inspired by a conversation between founder and sommelier Mike Rapajic (formerly of Firedoor, NOMAD, and Icebergs in Sydney, and Semilla in Paris) and his partner (and nutritional therapist) Melissa Smith. They pondered “If there were criteria for healthier ‘better for you’ wines that tasted amazing, what would they be?”. From there, Mike researched what health-conscious wine drinkers wanted and, combined with his wine knowledge, developed the criteria above.
As wines don’t have ingredient labels like food products, the public is unaware that wines can have more than 80 additives used in them. These include colour and flavour enhancers, acid control agents, and tannins to mask lower quality grapes, as well as packet yeasts and yeast nutrients, stabilisers, antiseptics, and fining agents. Many contain high levels of added sulphites as a preservative, which can dull the life and flavour in wine, and is often the cause of sensitivities and headaches.
The same problem exists for knowing the sugar content of wines, making it difficult for those who follow low-carb diets like the ketogenic diet. Feravina makes sure each wine in our portfolio is keto-friendly and essentially sugar-free, with less than 0.5g net carbs per glass. Feravina also selects wines that are vegan-friendly, unlike many commercial brands that can use animal products in the winemaking process.
In recent years, there has been growing interest in health and fitness, eating clean and organic, as well as ketogenic and other low-carb diets. This health-conscious demographic has been looking for healthier options when it comes to beverages as well. Despite this interest, there has been little available for them besides vodka-soda and non-alcoholic beer, wine and spirits, often unfortunately high in sugar and additives. Feravina offer these health-conscious drinkers the opportunity to enjoy wine as it’s meant to be while minimising its deleterious effects on their health.
If you want to enjoy your wine, knowing what’s in the bottle (and what isn’t), visit www.feravina.com.au
Hamish Ingham’s contribution to the Sydney dining landscape has been significant, beginning with being awarded the prestigious 2004 Josephine Pignolet Young Chef of the Year Award, having worked under Kylie Kwong, before opening the cutting edge BAR H in 2010, consulting to the Four Seasons Hotel from 2012 to 2013, and opening Banksii Vermouth Bar and Bistro in 2016. Hamish also worked overseas with the legendary Alice Waters at the iconic Chez Panisse in San Francisco. He now brings his considerable skill set to the Lotus Dining Group as General Manager.
Can you tell us about your vision as General Manager for the Lotus Dining Group? My vision for the Lotus Dining Group is to continue providing the best authentic Chinese cuisine in Sydney. Whether you’re sitting down to a banquet with your family, or dropping in for a delicious cocktail and dumplings with friends, our food and drinks menus are approachable, creative, and combine traditional Chinese recipes and cooking methods with Australian ingredients.
Prior to joining the Lotus Dining Group, your own restaurants have been renowned, not only for the exceptional food, but also for quality service delivery. What attributes are you looking for in your front of house staff in your new role? We’re really setting the bar high for the future of Lotus Dining Group’s front of house staff. I’m looking for staff with plenty of personality, enthusiasm, fun, but also being professional and knowledgeable. They are trained to be able to recommend dishes and suggest drink matches while creating a great atmosphere. Lotus Double Bay and Chi by Lotus will be the perfect examples of what I’m expecting across the group.
How would you best describe the food philosophy at Lotus Double Bay? Lotus Double Bay’s Head Chef Chris Yan has designed a menu that celebrates the joy of great Australian produce along with his humble roots growing up in a rural village outside of Shanghai. His food is clean, honest, creative, and designed to share.
There is a noticeably strong cocktail game at play at Lotus Double Bay, and that has always been a feature of restaurants you have been involved with, how important is that to the overall experience you look to provide? It’s very important that we create that well-rounded experience for our guests. Lotus Double Bay and Chi by Lotus are the great examples of balanced food and beverage programs and we’re rolling this approach out across the group.
The essence of the word hospitality has always been a core part of who you are. Can you elaborate on what it means to you? To me, hospitality is all about looking after people and giving them an experience as though they’re visiting you in your own home. When you have friends or family over you want them to enjoy fantastic food, great music, comfortable surroundings and a memorable overall experience.
Can you tell us what excites you about what the future holds for the Lotus Dining Group? Lotus Dining Group is an exciting group to work for – there are plenty of opportunities for trying new things and experimenting. I’m looking forward to helping the group reach its full potential and elevating the overall experience of every venue.
Krispy Kreme fans rejoice! For one day only on Friday, 20 November, 7-Eleven is shouting Aussies to a FREE six-pack of Krispy Kreme Original Glazed® Bites to kickstart the weekend on a sweet note.
The perfect size to satisfy cravings one bite at a time, customers need to simply download the My 7-Eleven app to redeem the easy win before heading into their local 7-Eleven store.
But with strictly limited stock available, it’s recommended to get in quick to savour the iconic doughnut flavour as the offer will disappear from the app once the allocation is exhausted.
Proudly independent Newtown brewery and distillery, Young Henrys has announced their next Brewers B-side release, “From Where You’d Guava Be”. The session Passionfruit and Guava sour, released on Monday, 16 November, is available in venues, bottle-os, their online store and Newtown Tasting Bar.
Young Henrys Head Brewer, Jesse Searls and Brewer, Andre Keller created the limited summer release, which will become the biggest run of B-sides for the brewery to date. This full-flavoured session sour is the best way to welcome the return of summer, striking the perfect balance between the punch and tartness of tropical fruits and the sweetness of premium German Pilsner and wheat malts.
To achieve this unique light-coloured festive beer, Jesse Searls notes the complexities that went into it, “Whilst a super sessionable beer to drink, it was a pretty complex brewing process, with multiple fruit injections and intricacies in order to achieve the flavour and aroma we wanted”.
The Brewers B-Sides series are the “alternative tracks to our hit singles”, providing the brewers the chance to get weird and experimental with recipes, while shedding light on the legends who make them. For “From Where You’d Guava Be” Brewer, Andre Keller played with flavours inspired by classic summer fruits:
“The idea of making a sour started when a mate gave to me some interesting fruit purées samples and sours are the best kind of beer style to play with fruits, adding the fact that they are super refreshing beers and summer is knocking on the door.”
“From Where You’d Guava Be” will be Young Henrys second B-Side release in tinnies, following their Blueberry Sour “Dark Sour of the Moon” released earlier this year. The brewery made the switch to tinnies for the majority of their core range products back in 2016, with the aluminium cans being infinitely recyclable, chill faster and protect beer from faults far better than glass bottles.
With summer fast approaching, the release of “From Where You’d Guava Be” has come at the perfect time. Take it from Head Brewer, Jesse Searls, “I’m most looking forward to drinking an ice cold tinnie of this in my shorts and sunnies on a hot summer’s day at the beach or park”.
Young Henrys “From Where You’d Guava Be” Brewers B-Side is available in venues, bottle-os, the Young Henrys online store and on tap at their Newtown Tasting Bar.
It’s the festival you’ve been dreaming of all year – and one of the stages could be your own backyard.
Dust off the fairy lights and crack out the esky! This summer’s must-have drink Smirnoff Seltzer and Australia’s hottest duo Lime Cordiale are joining forces to kick-start vacay season and bring the festival feeling to backyards across the country, with Smirnoff Seltzer Party Yard on Saturday, 19 December.
Fresh off the success of their ARIAs nomination landslide and the announcement of their deluxe album featuring six new tracks, 14 Steps To A Better You (Relapse), Lime Cordiale are not just headlining summer’s hottest festival, they have worked with Smirnoff to curate it.
Beaming straight from Lime Cordiale’s house to yours, Smirnoff Seltzer Party Yard will be hosted by Aussie DJ Anna Lunoe, who’ll be joined by pals Touch Sensitive, Jaguar Jonze and ILUKA for an epic afternoon of home-grown music that everyone can enjoy, no matter where they are across the nation. And in between sets, Anna will welcome music-loversinto Lime Cordiale’s humble abode and keep the good vibes flowing with exclusive behind-the-scenes content.
Smirnoff Seltzer is calling all music and festival lovers to join in for the hottest afternoon of the summer and get involved in theParty Yard challenge by transforming your backyard, bedroom, garage or sofa fort into your own version of the iconic Smirnoff festival tent – bringing the festival vibes to thousands of homes around the country for a never-before-seen festival of the future. So grab your crew, deck out your house and tune in as Smirnoff Seltzer Party Yard brings the festival to you.
If that’s not enough, Smirnoff Seltzer is giving one lucky Aussie household the opportunity to host one of the Party Yard festival stages at their place, with Touch Sensitive performing his set from their backyard or living room! To be in with a chance to party with the synth superstar, music lovers simply need to register at www.smirnoffseltzerpartyyard.com and tell us your three must-have things you would bring to your Party Yard set-up.
One half of Lime Cordiale, Oli Leimbach said, “We’ll be streaming a mini-festival from our own backyard on December 19. Our own annual festival, The Squeeze, wasn’t able to happen this year. It was a bummer because we love highlighting Australian artists that we think our audience will love. But thankfully we still get the chance to play alongside Iluka & Jaguar Jonze for Party Yardand we can’t wait! Shove it in your calendars!”
Also buzzing about getting involved, Touch Sensitive said, “I haven’t played a show in over 7 months, so I’m thrilled that Smirnoff invited me to play some epic tunes in someone’s backyard”.
Fruity in flavour and refreshing in taste, Smirnoff Seltzer is the latest innovation from the world’s number one vodka 1* and is set to be this year’s Aussie summer staple. Boasting no sugar, low calorie (70 calories or less per serve) and gluten-free credentials, Smirnoff Seltzer is perfect for sizzling days and long afternoons with friends. The ready-to-drink mix of Smirnoff No.21 Premium Vodka, sparkling water, and a hint of natural fruit flavours is a clean, crisp, and fresh tasting serve that is best served chilled from the fridge, or over ice in a glass.
Celebrating its arrival onto Australian shores, Smirnoff Seltzer is now calling all festival lovers to join in for the hottest afternoon of the summer. Smirnoff Seltzer Party Yard goes live4pm on Saturday, 19 December, streamed from Smirnoff Australia Facebook Channel and you can also catch it on Lime Cordiale, Touch Sensitive and Urban List’s Facebook channels. Don’t forget to listen to Lime Cordiale’s deluxe album featuring 6 new tracks 14 STEPS TO A BETTER YOU (RELAPSE) https://ffm.to/14stabyrelapse out now!
Smirnoff Seltzer and Lime Cordiale Present: Smirnoff Seltzer Party Yard Saturday 19th December 4pm Smirnoff Australia Facebook and Smirnoff Australia Instagram @smirnoffaustralia #SmirnoffSeltzer #PartyYard #DrinkResponsibly
* 2019 IWSR global data volume and value – Smirnoff: The Worlds No.1 Vodka
Projucer partners with Palisa Anderson to capture the tastebuds of Aussies with their new series, Water Heart Food – Palisa Anderson’s TV debut – 29 November, 7.05pm on SBS.
If you’ve got your finger on the foodie pulse, you will have probably heard of Palisa Anderson, the Thai-born, Australian-raised regenerative farmer, writer and family member of one of Australia’s most beloved Thai restaurant chains, Chat Thai. Her Boon Luck Farm provides seasonal produce to some of the best chefs and restaurants in New South Wales.
So, at a time when it might be needed more than ever, Projucer, the Sydney-based production company who brought Andy Allen back onto TV with Eat Australia and who also took the son of Rick Stein around the world in Jack Stein: Inside the Box, is thrilled to announce the release of their new inspiring and heart-warming food and travel series, Water Heart Food.
Scheduled to screen on SBS Food on November 29 and on SBS On Demand, Palisa is set to take Australians on a journey to not just some of the best restaurants of Sydney and the Byron Bay region, but to also delve into where the food inspiration of some of the most highly awarded and recognised chefs first came from, including her own. Together they explore the common threads that connect both cultures and food across borders but which ultimately are united on a plate.
Palisa Anderson says: “Water Heart Food is a passion project; in so many ways it reflects my daily life as somebody in the food world who gets to wake up and do exactly what I enjoy daily – and that is to connect with people through food, with the understanding that this connection truly starts by looking after Country”.
Food has been central to Palisa’s life from her childhood and she’s carried this love with her to her own family now.
“Whether we’re on my farm in Byron Bay, or exploring the streets of Sydney, my kids and I just love food. It makes us happy. And I love how food can bring the Thai culture, any culture for that matter, to life,” Palisa says.
The five-part series has been produced by Projucer, who has proven to have an eye for the food and culture that will inspire Australians. Josh Capelin, co-Founder of Projucer, says: “Palisa is a walking encyclopedia on food. Just 5 minutes in her presence can not only taste good, but can also have you feeling enriched by her wisdom. She believes that real, good food has the power to connect us to each other. Our entire philosophy for the people we work with and the shows we make is set around connecting – to each other, to our audience and even to ourselves. And that’s just what Water Heart Food does”.
Palisa says, “This show almost didn’t happen. There were so many obstacles in our way with COVID and timelines etc., but as is often the case in the food industry, people give. And it’s my hope I’m able to give them back something too”.
Water Heart Food will be released on 29 November and show at 7.05pm on Sundays on SBS Food and re-shown on SBS On Demand.
Enjoy a summer holiday in St Kilda with pizzas, White Claw seltzer, cocktails and good tunes.
New kid on the block Pontoon Park has popped up on the St Kilda foreshore just in time for a balmy summer. The team at Stokehouse Precinct have worked with the City of Port Phillip to get exclusive access to the adjacent Catani Archway garden area where Pontoon Park will be set up for the entirety of summer, offering a casual walk-in vibe with icy cold hard seltzers, beers and cocktails paired with wood-fired pizzas fresh from the Pontoon pizza oven.
Sponsored by White Claw, Pontoon Park is set up with picnic tables and umbrellas for a casual and laidback vibe, with surprise live music pop-ups planned for the summer. Walk-ins are welcome all day long and ordering is made seamless and COVID-safe through QR codes.
Enjoy a cocktail jug with friends, like a lychee lemonade complete with Soho, Malibu and lemon or a classic Frankie’s Margarita with tequila, lime and agave. Or, try the much-anticipated US hard seltzer brand White Claw in mango, natural lime or ruby grapefruit. There’s also a range of beers on offer, including Furphy lager and Little Creatures Dog Days ale, as well as jugs of sparkling, red and white wine.
The Park has kept it simple and delicious with the food offering, slinging five different pizzas on disposable sustainable packaging, including the Mr Anderson with pepper salami, roast flat mushrooms and tomato; a vegan Green Goddess pizza with roast broccoli, chilli, kale and an olive pesto base; and a Surf & Turf with grilled garlic prawn, prosciutto and a classic tomato base. For those still feeling peckish, there’s also crinkle-cut chips with tomato sauce to snack on.
Pontoon Park is now open from 4pm–11pm Thursday–Friday, weekends from midday–11pm, and extended days and hours are expected in early December. Bring a friend or five and come and experience Pontoon’s cooler younger cousin this summer.
Pontoon Park Catani Archway adjacent to the Stokehouse Precinct, 30 Jacka Blvd, St Kilda VIC 3182 https://pontoonstkildabeach.com.au @pontoonstkildabeach @whiteclawau #pontoonpark
Mr Brownie is firing up the barbeque for his weekly Bottomless Brunch, welcoming the bright and sunny days ahead with sessions of unlimited drinks and curry snags on the South Melbourne rooftop.
Available each Saturday and Sunday from midday, the bottomless brunch includes 90-minutes of free-flowing house wine, tap beers, and rotating house cocktails alongside a curry sausage sizzle. Unparalleled views of the city skyline from the rooftop of the four-storey British-Indian curry pub also feature on the menu.
Guests can expect a DJ spinning tunes on the rooftop every weekend and a weekly changing drinks menu of classic cocktails, such as negronis, Aperol spritzes, frozen margaritas and espresso martinis. When it’s wine time, there’ll be infinite rosé, sauvignon blanc and chardonnay on pour.
The full food menu is also available to order if the unlimited supply of curry snags doesn’t hit the spot, with $15 lobster rolls, butter chicken pies, and ‘nachos of the motherland’ guaranteed to satisfy.
Mr Brownie’s Bottomless Brunch details Time: 90-minute sittings from 12:00pm–4:00pm each Saturday and Sunday Price:$49 per person inclusive of curry sausage sizzle and unlimited drinks for 90 minutes Bookings: via the Mr Brownie website with limited walk-ins also available
Fratelli Fresh is adding a spray of festivity to the classic Italian spritz, unveiling 25 flavours of Spritzmas from Wednesday, 2 December to launch the Christmas countdown.
Fratelli Fresh at Crows Nest, Darling Harbour, Entertainment Quarter, Manly, Miranda and Westfield Sydney will offer 25 refreshingly fizzy flavours by the glass ($14) or cocktail jug ($29) until New Year’s Eve.
Perfect for summery al fresco dining, the festive spritz mix includes delicate notes of mandarin and thyme, the aromatic fusion of peach and rosemary, the subtle tartness of green apple, and refreshingly tropical lychee.
Fratelli Fresh fans can send the gift of la dolce vita with two bespoke Christmas hampers full of hand-picked gourmet treats and available for purchase from Wednesday, 18 November at fratellifresh.com.au.
Standard Hamper – $100 One bottle of Fratelli Fresh Wine Venturino pesto Antico Pastificio Umbro pasta La Superiore Biscotti Fratelli Fresh extra virgin olive oil Fratelli Fresh balsamic vinegar Mount Zero organic mixed olives Lucia’s pasta sauce $25 Fratelli Fresh voucher
Deluxe Hamper – $200 One bottle Fratelli Fresh Wine One bottle Fratelli Fresh Prosecco Venturino pesto Antico Pastificio Umbro pasta La Superiore Biscotti Amarelli liquorice Solefrutta jams Fratelli Fresh extra virgin olive oil Fratelli Fresh balsamic vinegar Mount Zero organic mixed olives Lucia’s pasta sauce $50 Fratelli Fresh voucher
A generous Fratelli Fresh Fiesta three-course menu, including a two-hour drinks package, is available every day for groups to celebrate the festive season with an Italian feast ($79 per person). The menu includes Fratelli’s signature antipasti board, chef’s selection of pizza, a choice of two pastas, salad, and two scoops of house-made gelato. Free-flowing drinks include Aperol spritz, espresso martini, house wine and craft beers.
Families and friends can enjoy Christmas Day the true Italian way with a festive shared lunch menu available from 12pm to 3pm at Fratelli Fresh Crows Nest, Darling Harbour, the Entertainment Quarter and Manly for $89 per adult and $29 per child (under the age of 12). An optional, two-hour drinks package is also available, including Aperol spritz, espresso martini, Fratelli Fresh wine, prosecco and craft beer ($39pp).
Christmas Lunch Menu Limoncello on arrival ~ Antipasti ~ Signature antipasti board Warm bread rolls with whipped butter Fresh prawn bucket ~ Secondi ~ Carved maple syrup and honey-glazed ham 12-hour, slow-cooked lamb shoulder ~ Contorni ~ Green beans and honey-roasted Dutch carrots with cumin yoghurt Potato salad Rocket and parmesan salad ~ Dolce ~ Mixed fruit platter with whipped cream and meringue shards
Fratelli Fresh Food & Beverage Director Molly Haranis said: “Whether it’s a sparkle of spritz, a full Christmas lunch, or a gourmet gift, we invite our guests to indulge in a Buon Natale with Fratelli Fresh”. Fratelli Fresh at Crows Nest, Darling Harbour, Entertainment Quarter, Manly, Miranda and Westfield Sydney are open on New Year’s Eve, each offering à la carte dining as well as a $89, four-course menu. Bookings: fratellifresh.com.au.
Sunday, 15 November 2020 was the last day of trading for Sizzler Australia. After 35 years of operation, Sizzler closed its doors. No more cheese toast. No more salad bar. No more kids’ parties. No more stuffing lollies into mum’s bag to take home. No more steak, seafood, salad.
Many people will say “about time”. Sizzler was not a gourmet restaurant. It was just a notch above fast food. It was past its use-by date. It was outdated and tired.
But Sizzler is an important icon. It was more than just a restaurant. It was an institution. It taught many people to eat out. It was safe – no one cared if you used the wrong fork. It was popular – it had queues. Its mantra was: not a lot of time, not a lot of money, not fast food. And it appealed to multiple generations.
Now – I have to declare a conflict of interest – of sorts. I was the Director of Marketing for Sizzler Australia from 1997 to 2013. Sixteen years of the best time in my life. Part of the Collins Foods Group, it was like a family. It was an enjoyable and fun place to work, with many dedicated employees. Many were long-serving permanent employees. And many more were young people, working whilst studying for a degree in something else. But everyone was committed, and many stayed on, part-time, after they got careers elsewhere.
Sizzler was a place for everyone. And it welcomed everyone. Young and old. For birthdays, graduations, school functions, club gatherings and even weddings. It was a place where kids could be adults – serving themselves, making their own decisions, their own choices. And adults could be kids – soft serve with 100’s & 1000’s. It had something for everyone – the kids could help themselves, Mum could have a salad, Dad a steak and Nanna a glass of wine.
Sizzler was famous for pumpkin soup, potato skins and for its dessert bar. And, of course, for its iconic cheese toast.
Whenever you mentioned Sizzler to someone, even to people who had not been for many years, they always remembered two things – the famous Salad Bar and Sizzler’s special Cheese Toast.
The basic recipe for Sizzler Cheese Toast did not change since it originated in the USA more than 60 years ago. Thick sliced white bread, spread with a generous mix of parmesan and pecorino romano cheese with margarine, then toasted on a flat grill until golden brown on one side.
Cheese toast is a delicious blend of textures and flavours, with soft chewy bread on one side complemented by crisp toast on the other and, the subtle yeasted bread flavours contrasting with the sharp umami flavour of aged cheese. It was a special and unique flavour of Sizzler. It was served free with every meal and there are even websites devoted to Sizzler Cheese Toast with tens of thousands of fans around the world.
Sizzler was inter-generational. People came to Sizzler as kids – enjoying the freedoms it provided. And then when grown up, they brought their kids. It is full of memories and joyous times.
Sizzler enjoyed cult status. Even when the salad bars were temporarily shut down in 2006 due to a contamination scare, people brought their own salads to share with the steaks and seafood. They were not going to let their favourite place suffer.
Yet, slowly it got overtaken by other offerings. Sizzler did not become unpopular – but, like an aging maiden aunt, it became less important and we had other places to be. We promised we’d call back soon. But time got away from us. And the avocado on toast at the local café seemed better value. And you didn’t have to queue.
And then the COVID pandemic limited our promised visits even more. Buffets are no longer acceptable. And the assisted salad bar is not the same.
People say you don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone. Truth is, you knew what you had, you just never thought you’d lose it.
So, Sizzler has gone. But its legacy lives on in the cafés and small family restaurants we have all come to enjoy. Sadly, generations of kids will no longer be able to run wild and make their own sticky sundae concoctions. But for the past 35 years, Sizzler educated and entertained several generations. It was a rite of passage. The place for your first date without a parent. And it has trained thousands of young people in the art of hospitality, many of whom went on to open cafés and restaurants of their own – or used their people skills working with others in their future careers.
Last Friday I reminisced on ABC Radio with many past customers and staff telephoning in with their stories and fond memories. So many stories. So many fond memories. Memories of family outings. Childhood memories. One even, a final dinner request, for a dying relative.
Matt Moran launches his new series, Kitchen Tales, dishing up surprise menus and great conversation with some of Australia’s most interesting personalities, from his home kitchen.
Across seven episodes broadcast on YouTube and IGTV, Moran invites friends and guests who inspire him into his home, and recreates some of their favourite food memories. The dishes revealed take guests back, and sometimes catch them by surprise. Moran has done his research, delving into the meals that have stayed with each guest – from what they ate for dinner growing up, to their desert island meal, their worst baking fails, food they’ve travelled the world for and meals they’ve fought over. In each episode, Matt reveals more about each guest, sharing some personal stories along the way, and then revisits their food memories while he takes guests through how to prepare the dishes he’s cooking for them.
“COVID threw us all a curveball, but there have been some big learnings in the past few months. For me, it reminded me that there is nothing like getting in the kitchen and catching up with friends while cooking,” says Moran. “It’s no secret that the kitchen’s where all the best stories get told. So, with Kitchen Tales, I’ve invited a few friends into my home to have a chat about their lives, and I’ve done some digging into their favourite food memories to decide what to cook for them, and hopefully cook something that takes them back to that place. I’ve thrown in a few surprises too.”
Great Australian produce is at the heart of everything Moran does and Kitchen Tales showcases some of Australia’s best produce from West Australian scampi, Section28 cheese and Westholme wagyu.
Guests for the first series span many walks of life, with one of Moran’s oldest friends, model and media personality Deb Hutton, making the first appearance, followed by actor and 2020 Archibald Packing Room winner Meyne Wyatt; entertainment reporter Brooke Boney; regenerative farmer Charlie Arnott; cheese experts Sam and Ellie Studd; model, reporter and fellow motorbike enthusiast Kate Peck; and fashion designer turned seaweed farmer Sam Elsom.
The first episode of Kitchen Tales will be live on November 18 via Moran’s YouTube channel, with episodes released every few days until December 2. To watch Kitchen Tales, subscribe to Moran’s YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/user/chefmattmoran.
This week, Matt Stewart, who oversees the impressive cocktail program at Lotus Double Bay, shares their signature cocktail recipe with us. Try Matt’s generous twist on the mojito – The Bay. Enjoy!
The Bay
INGREDIENTS: 45ml Havana Club 3yo 15ml Aperol 90ml watermelon coconut water 20ml rice syrup 30ml fresh lime juice Ice Watermelon and seasonal flowers, to serve
METHOD: Build over ice in a large coupe glass. Stir to combine. Garnish with watermelon and seasonal flowers.
Born out of lockdown, Oriental Teahouse’s cook-at-home range takes the guesswork out of creating homemade dumplings by providing chef-quality ingredients packaged up with fun, easy-to-follow instructions. The packs are perfect for those who fancy themselves a bit of a dumpling aficionado.
The Dumpling Lover Pack for $80 includes a mix of Oriental Teahouse’s most popular DIY and frozen dumplings, including prawn and mushroom, veggie, pan-fried pork and chive, lemongrass and chicken, authentic prawn dumplings, BBQ pork buns, and house-made chilli oil.
The Plant-based Pack for $80 includes a vegan selection of DIY veggie dumpling pack, mushroom dumplings, pan-fried veggie dumplings, veggie spring rolls, Buddha buns, and house-made chilli oil.
The packs showcase dumpling classics from the Oriental Teahouse menu and offer add-ons such as a steamer basket or the restaurant’s hand-blended teas for a complete Shanghai tea experience at home – available via Mr Yum.
After being a hit for World Dumpling Day back in September, the Dumpling Masterclass with David Zhou cook-along returns just in time for Christmas for $105. Up your pantry game with restaurant-quality condiments and ingredients while streaming the masterclass to your TV, or playing the video off another device using the supplied QR code. Each hamper includes a selection of DIY packs, chef-made options, and everything else needed to create the ultimate dumpling feast, available for delivery 40km around Melbourne via Colab Pantry every fortnight.
For a special dining option at home, the Oriental Teahouse Feast for $90 is the best way to experience the restaurant in your own space. The feast is good for two or more people, and perfect for those playing host for an end-of-year get-together, or as a gift for someone to wake up to on Christmas day.
Available for pre-order via Providoor, gift loved ones with food from the heart featuring a mixed dumplings basket, chilli wagyu beef dumplings, prawn and chive rolls, sweet shredded steak, Chinese broccoli, special fried rice and mango puddings.
Hospitality supply services might not immediately make you think ‘sexy’. But when a barkeep in a moodily lit bar holds up the perfectly formed juniper gin balloon or catches the light in the edges of a cut-glass whiskey tumbler as she tosses in a smooth American bourbon, there’s no other word to describe it. Sexy.
And what’s even more sexy? In a world that’s still struggling to open up post-COVID, sexy is companies supporting other companies to make that happen.
Nisbets, with its collaboration with The Lobby, is one of those sexy companies.
As the number one supplier of commercial kitchen and catering supplies in Australia, Nisbets is on the leading edge of a new wave of hospitality companies whose goal is to support the next generation of restaurateurs and hoteliers.
‘Working with The Lobby is really exciting for us,’ says Michael Micallef, Managing Director, Nisbets Australia and New Zealand. ‘The Lobby is the last privately owned hotel bar in Melbourne. And Arielle has a vision of bringing that old school lounge experience back to South Yarra. We want to help bring that vision to life.’
Arielle is Arielle Thomas, the daughter of Peter and Rowina Thomas, the owners of the five-star, boutique Lyall Hotel and Spa. In June, Arielle opened up The Lobby as a pop-up bar on street level. It was a smash-up success.
Arielle says, ‘We only had a small window of time before more lockdowns were announced, but during that window The Lobby was full every night. We even started pulling in regulars,’ she says. ‘I think people really responded to our cosy, speakeasy vibe.’
Bringing the old speakeasy look to life means having the right ambiance. This comes down to lighting, furnishings, the bar itself and, of course, the glassware and other service items. Every item is carefully selected to add to the look.
‘Collaborating with The Lobby means we get to showcase some of our exceptional hospitality products, while supporting an up-and-coming Melbourne establishment,’ says Michael. ‘This includes beautiful glassware and crystal, of course, but also back-of-house industry equipment, like state-of-the-art glass washers.’
For Arielle, working with Nisbets has meant having support during a difficult time.
‘COVID has been a crazy time for the Melbourne hospitality industry in general. We took some unique approaches to staying in business, like delivering our bespoke range of cocktails to our locked-down customers via UberEATS. But it’s not the same as having the bar doors thrown open and happy people popping in for a Toorak Hold Up or our Watermelon Tommy,’ Arielle says.
‘Nisbets has been generous in offering collaborative support during a weird and really difficult time, and we’re so excited that we’ve been able to open again from November 5th.’
Nisbets range of hospitality supplies is available online worldwide, or in stores throughout Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland and the ACT. The Lobby at the Lyall Hotel is open every Thursday to Sunday from 5pm to late, including Christmas and New Year.
Yum cha at David’s is a Prahran mainstay, and while bookings might be filling up quickly this side of the new year, let David’s come to you with the ultimate Yum Cha Favourites box available through Providoor for $65 per person.
Each yum cha feast comes with a soybean bok choi and chilli salad, prawn crackers and dip, xiao long bao, prawn dumplings, pan-fried beef dumplings, prawn toast with sweet and sour sauce, Peking duck, Chinese broccoli, white chocolate dumplings, house-made iced-tea, as well as a yum cha Spotify playlist to re-create the ambience at home.
Spent lockdown dreaming of yum cha? David’s is also excited to introduce gift vouchers for those looking to wrap up a restaurant experience to a yum cha lover this Christmas. Vouchers for two start at $100 and apply to David’s famous unlimited yum cha weekends, or a Thursday evening vegan yum cha sitting.
David’s is a contemporary Shanghainese restaurant inspired by Zhou’s hometown Zhouzhuang, a water village in which his family’s recipes originated. Loved by locals for over 20 years, it’s no secret that David’s authentic menu showcases some of the finest Shanghai comfort food in town while treating guests as an extension of Zhou’s own family.
Cannoleria has launched their 2020 Limited Edition Cannoleria GIY Panettones (Garnish It Yourself) in three delicious flavours, giving us a delicious way to celebrate a well-earned Christmas this year.
Panettone originated in the early 1900s in Milan, Italy, originally made by the poor with leftover bread dough and dried fruit as a Christmas tradition. It wasn’t until after World War I that confectionery companies Motta and Alemagna adapted the recipe, giving it its tall domed shape, that the cake achieved worldwide popularity.
In recent times, the team at Cannoleria have pushed the Panettone boundaries, revolutionising the traditional Panettone with their signature ricotta fillings –bringing the best of two desserts together with their Cannoleria GIY Panettone.
This year’s limited-edition versions are no exception. The 2020 Limited Edition Cannoleria GIY Panettones are layered and filled with one of three Christmas Cannoleria ricotta fillings, each mixed with a complimentary crunchy element to add flavour and texture. To top off each panettone, a piping bag of their bespoke drizzling sauce and garnish is included in the pack, allowing you to add your own magic at home!
Available in 3 mouth-watering Christmas-themed flavours:
1 × small bag of accompanying garnish to top your own creation
Not only are the 2020 Limited Edition Cannoleria GIY Panettones the perfect gift to give your foodie friend or family member, but they also make the perfect dessert to share over Christmas catch-ups or the big day itself!
The 2020 Limited Edition Cannoleria GIY Panettones are available through pre-order only (available from 23rd Nov).
Delivery pre-orders can be placed:
Via the Cannoleria online store for delivery within a 15km radius of their stores (which covers most of metro Melbourne)
Through Cannoleria’s partner Co-Lab Pantry for local and interstate delivery.
Pick-up pre-orders can be made at selected stores including:
Cannoleria HQ in Heidelberg West
Cannoleria Watergardens store in Taylors Lakes
That’s Amore Cheese retail outlet in Thomastown
Delivery and pick up are available from Monday, 23rd November to Thursday, 24th December. Make sure you get your pre-orders in before Friday, 18th December.
For the first time ever, 7-Eleven is introducing four epic frozen Slurpee + Guarana flavours in stores throughout the country. Never before has Australia seen Guarana featured in a frozen drink, with the limited-edition flavour set to be a hit Down Under.
Available for spring and summer slurping until the end of the year (or until stocks run out!), the Slurpee + Guarana range includes Guarana Green, Guarana Aqua, Low Sugar Guarana Tropical and Low Sugar Guarana Berry. And better yet, Aussies can enjoy the highly anticipated flavours for just $1.
On Monday night, the Wineslinger Awards, the wine guru’s guide to the best haunts in Australia right now, crowned the 2020 Wineslinger trophy winners – as voted on by over 100 of the country’s leading sommeliers, winemakers, hospitality tastemakers and journalists – in a virtual awards presentation.
The four trophies presented include top spot ‘Wineslinger’, ‘Best New Haunt’ for the best newcomer, the ‘Maverick’ recognising a venue pushing the boundaries of possibility, and the publicly voted ‘People’s Choice’.
In 2020, the trophy winners are: • Wineslinger: Carlton Wine Room (Carlton, Victoria) • Best New Haunt: Leigh Street Wine Room (Adelaide, South Australia) • Maverick: Snack Man (Fortitude Valley, Queensland) • People’s Choice: Union Street Wine (Geelong, Victoria)
“2020 has been the toughest year ever for Wineslingers in this country, and that’s made it equally tough on cutting-edge winemakers who rely on the passionate individuals and their brilliant venues to capture the imaginations of wine lovers. We’re so excited to celebrate the places and hospitality professionals serving up the best wine experiences in the country, and after months of lockdown and restrictions, getting back to supporting them in person,” says Wineslinger Founder Rory Kent.
In much needed good news for Melbourne, Carlton Wine Room was named the 2020 Wineslinger. After being closed for almost seven months, it was a welcome win for the trio of Andrew Joy (front of house), Travis Howe (sommelier) and John Paul Twomey (chef), who opened the venue in early 2018 and are blurring the lines between wine bar and restaurant to serve up Australia’s best wine experience in a cool, unpretentious environment.
“Andy and I love the Wineslinger awards because it’s people voting for the places that they actually love and want to go to. To be named with City Wine Shop and 10 William Street (2018 and 2019 Wineslinger trophy winners) is such a fast progression for us and so far ahead of where we thought we were, and the fact that we’ve been voted in by our peers in the industry is incredibly humbling,” says Carlton Wine Room Owner and Sommelier Travis Howe.
Best New Haunt was awarded to Adelaide’s Leigh Street Wine Room. A temple of natural wine, Leigh Street Wine Room has made an immediate impression on the national Wineslinger panel of industry experts and announced itself as one of Australia’s best wine venues within just over a year of opening, with a 400-plus strong wine list and some of Adelaide’s best food.
“We’re absolutely ecstatic to have been awarded Best New Haunt. You don’t open a venue to receive an accolade, you open a venue to make people happy and have an enjoyable and memorable experience, and it just makes it better when people in the industry tap you on the back and say they want to recognise you for doing what you love,” says Leigh Street Wine Room Owner and Chef Nathan Sasi.
Brisbane’s Snack Man took home the Maverick trophy as the venue pushing the boundaries of possibility for 2020. Snack Man serves up tricky-to-match Chinese snacks with European wine gems, and they debunk wine and food pairing conventions. There’s a cellar of around 300 ‘unlisted’ wines at Snack Man, which guests have got to chat to the bar staff about in order to order – so patrons have to engage. This gambit could backfire but here it turns into an adventure. The Snack Man wine bar goes hand-in-hand with their Happy Boy restaurant next door, which has a dedication to showcasing emerging Australian producers, with winemaker ‘takeover’ nights, and perhaps the most exciting line-up of house wines in Australia. The Snack Man and Happy Boy experience is a knockout one-two combination, full of thrills and discovery.
“We were really excited just to be named in the Top 50 and now, even more, to have won the Maverick award. In a way, the Brisbane wine scene is still up and coming and there’s been a few guys that have really pushed the wine bar flag here and we’re coming in behind them. Our intent for Snack Man was to create something uniquely Brisbane, for Brisbane – we’re tucked away off James Street and just off the Valley and the word maverick is very fitting as it is about what we want to create, not necessarily what has come before,” says Snack Man Owner Cameron Votan.
The People’s Choice, as decided by the public via online voting was awarded to Geelong’s Union Street Wine. Opened in early 2014 by duo Andy Leigh and Lewis Phiddian, Union Street Wine serves up a selection that pays homage to local winemakers as well as an eclectic mix of international makers, with their wine bar and adjacent store.
“It’s been such a tough year for everyone and hospitality in particular, and to be named in the Top 50 with venues of such high calibre was enough for us. It’s so great for Geelong too – we love being here, we love the people and we’re so stoked to have won this award,” says Union Street Wine Owner Andy Leigh.
Acknowledging the hardships that the hospitality industry has faced in 2020, Wineslinger partnered with hospitality relief fund TipJar this year, with Young Gun of Wine donating over $2,500, as well as encouraging others to support TipJar – helping raise over $25,000 – to support those in the industry who need it most.
For the first time, each Wineslinger trophy winner received two immersive wine experiences, one hosted by Mike Aylward at Ocean Eight in Victoria* and one hosted by Prue, Stephen and Justine Henschke with Henschke Wines in South Australia** to give back to each venue team.
The 2020 Wineslinger Awards are brought together with thanks to partners Cullen Wines, Henschke, Liebherr, Ocean Eight, Studio Round, Tahbilk and Young Gun of Wine.
About Wineslinger Wineslinger is an annual awards to help lead people to places around Australia where they can enjoy a glass of wine, whilst at the same time encouraging creativity and excellence in the industry. For the first time, Wineslinger hosted its 2020 trophy presentation virtually and with the help of some of Australia’s top names names in wine, including the team at Henschke, Liebherr and Ocean Eight, and sommelier Penny Grant who were able to deliver the trophies live to each winner in their home state.
*After restrictions in Victoria have eased and borders reopen for travel. Prize includes a two-day wine experience on the Mornington Peninsula hosted by Mike Aylward at Ocean Eight, to gain local insights and ideas from some of the best makers, vineyards and dining experiences that the Peninsula has to offer, including a stay at the luxurious Jackalope Hotel.
**After borders reopen for travel. Prize includes an overnight stay in South Australia hosted by Prue, Stephen and Justine Henschke, visiting the Henschke vineyards including Lenswood, Eden Valley, Mount Edelstone and Hill of Grace and the Henschke winery in the Eden Valley, as well as private cellar tastings and dining experiences with the Henschke family.
To celebrate the end of Melbourne’s lockdown and the start of summer, Co-Lab Pantry has introduced two new offerings:
● Co-Lab Sessions – limited edition dine-in experiences at their favourite Melbourne restaurants ● Co-Lab Regional VIC Packs – new Co-Lab gift packs that showcase the best of regional restaurants, producers and makers from across Victoria
CO-LAB SESSIONS
Can’t get a spot at your favourite restaurant? Unlock new seats with Co-Lab Sessions, which sees Co-Lab Pantry partner up with their favourite venues, to offer dine-in experiences.
Fans can book in for exclusive eating experiences hosted by the Co-Lab team and its restaurant partners, with unique offerings such as chef’s table dining, off-menu items, and drinks pairings by the experts. With limited tickets available for each session you’re encouraged to book in fast!
With more in the works, confirmed sessions include: ● Lunch at Gingerboy ($150 pp) on Saturday, 14 November ● Dinner at Bar Lourinha ($85 pp) on Wednesday, 18 November ● Lunch at Capitano ($45 pp) on Friday, 20 November ● Lunch at Fancy Hanks ($54 pp) on Sunday, 29 November ● Lunch at Tipico ($90 pp) Saturday, 5 December ● Lunch at Rice Paper Scissors ($100 pp) Sunday, 6 December
CO-LAB REGIONAL VIC PACKS To champion regional Victoria and its exceptional producers, makers and creators, Co-Lab Pantry has created five Regional VIC Packs. Delivered straight from the farmhouse kitchen to you by Co-Lab Pantry, they are the perfect way to experience regional Victoria at home and also make fabulous gifts.
● Ballarat box: includes Preserved Lemon Harissa by Josh & Sue, Spiced Apple Chutney by Josh & Sue, Vegan Kimchi by The Fermentary, 250gm Espresso Coffee – Blend by Martin St Coffee, Goats Cheese by Meredith Dairy and Coconut & Dark Choc Slice Bites by Spring Hill Farm. RRP $88
● Bellarine box: includes Organic Tea by Love Tea, Granola by Curious Cabinet, Spicy Rhubarb Chutney by Curious Cabinet, Smoked Garlic Cultured Butter by Lardass, 200ml Gin by The Whiskery Gin, Sticky Balsamic Original by Sticky Balsamic, Smoked Eggs by The Smoked Egg Company, Smoked Salmon Pâté by Bellarine Smokehouse and Extra Virgin Olive Oil by Manzanillo Olive Oil. RRP $145
● Bendigo box: includes Nuggetty Creek Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Bendigo Brittle, Biscuits by Edward’s Providore, Shiraz by Passing Clouds, Fruit & Nut Chocolates by Chocolate Mill and Pear & Fig Paste by Lakehouse’s Wolf in the Kitchen. RRP $115
● Mornington box: includes Soleo 42% Milk Chocolate by Cuvée Chocolate, Olive Oil by Green Olive, Pinot Noir by Ten Minutes by Tractor, Carrot Jam by Batchmade, White Flour by Turong Flour and White Wine by Rare Hare. RRP $100
● Yarra Valley box: includes Atlantic Salmon Caviar by Yarra Valley Caviar, Cabernet Sauvignon by Zonzo, Hazelnut Florentines by Crumbs Biscuits, Tomato Relish by Yarra Valley Gourmet Foods, Marinated Fresh Cows Cheese with Chilli by Yarra Valley Dairy, English Breakfast Tea by Olinda Teahouse, Heavenly Milk Chocolate Honeycomb by Yarra Valley Chocolaterie and Orange Marmalade by Four Pillars. RRP $135.00
Restrictions have eased once again for Melburnians, who can finally get back to visiting regional Victoria! This is perfect timing as cherry season is just beginning, so Melburnians can now visit the orchards on the Cherry Trail.
The Victorian Cherry Trail has nine cherry orchards across four cherry-growing regions in the state.
Visiting a cherry farm is the ideal way to have a great day out, buy farm fresh cherries and even pick your own at some of the orchards.
The Victorian cherry season has just begun and will continue through to early February. Peak season is the weeks leading up to Christmas, just in time for festive feasting.
Victorian Cherry Trail
YARRA VALLEY & RANGES Big Fella Cherries, 38 Boundary Road, Coldstream VIC 3770 Pick Your Own & Buy Farm Fresh 10am–5pm Thurs to Sat (mid Nov to early Jan)
Blue Hills Berries & Cherries, 27 Parker Road, Silvan VIC 3795 Pick Your Own and Buy Farm Fresh 9am–5pm Mon to Sun (Nov to end of Jan) www.upickberries.com.au
Chappies, 21 Parker Road, Silvan VIC 3795 Pick Your Own and Buy Farm Fresh 8.30am–5pm Mon to Sun (mid Nov to end Jan) www.chappies.com.au
CherryHill Orchards, 474 Queens Road, Wandin East VIC 3139 Pick Your Own and Buy Farm Fresh 9am–5pm Mon to Sun (mid Nov to early Jan) www.cherryhill.com.au
Wandin Valley Farms, 47 Hunter Road, Wandin North 3139 Buy Farm Fresh 9am–5pm Mon to Sun (early Nov to mid Jan) www.wandinvalleyfarms.com.au
Yarra Valley Cherries, 585 Victoria Road, Seville VIC 3139 Buy Farm Fresh 8.30am–5.30pm Mon to Sun (mid Nov to 24 Dec) www.yarravalleycherries.com.au
UPPER GOULBURN VALLEY Koala Cherries, 6547 Maroondah Hwy, Yarck VIC 3719 Buy Farm Fresh 9am–5pm Mon to Sun (Nov to Jan) www.koalacherries.com.au
MACEDON RANGES Naturipe Fruits, 638 Bacchus Marsh Road, Bacchus Marsh VIC 3340 Pick Your Own and Buy Farm Fresh 9am–5pm Mon to Sun (Nov to early Feb) www.naturipe.com.au
MORNINGTON PENINSULA Red Hill Cherry Farm, 69 Prossors Lane, Red Hill VIC 3937 Pick Your Own and Buy Farm Fresh Open late Nov to early Jan (check website) www.redhill-cherryfarm.com.au
The Victorian Cherry Trail brochure is available to download on the Victorian Cherry Association website here
It is always worth checking the websites or contacting the orchard before visiting to check availability and opening times as weather etc. can affect the crop.
Given that cherries are fairly low calorie, contain 40% of recommended daily vitamin C and are packed full of antioxidants, they are a healthy choice as a snack on their own and are the perfect summer recipe ingredient.
The main Cherry varieties in Victoria are the Merchant, Bing, Stella, Regina, Lapin, Sweet Georgia, Sweetheart and Van cherries. With many different cherry varieties that span the cherry season, the cherry you eat in November won’t be the same as the one you eat in January – all the more reason to visit orchards on the Cherry Trail and support local businesses throughout the season!
Single O has created its best Christmas blend yet, the Sugarplum “Brew You 2020! Edition”, and invites its community to stick it to this crazy year via coffee flights and defiant messages written up on the “Brew You 2020” wall in their Surry Hills café.
Like editions past, Sugarplum is crafted to taste like ‘liquid Christmas’. This year’s edition is brimming with notes of plum, nutmeg, sugar, spice and rum, and can be enjoyed any way you like your coffee – hot or cold, black or white. The foil packaging gives you a little Christmas cheer, while also sporting a Black Sabbath-inspired horn hand symbol to ward off evil and have you rocking into ‘21.
Sugarplum is also known for its origin selection, comprised of standouts from the year. Making the 2020 cut are beans from Honduras, Guatemala, and a Ugandan carbonic maceration (where whole coffee cherries are fermented then crushed – appropriate for 2020).
In Single O’s Surry Hills café, you can enjoy Sugarplum as part of a tasting flight (milk, espresso & cold filter) and as a single cup via the filter taps or as espresso.
And finally, to make it an extra worthwhile visit, you can unleash a message, a drawing, any old vent, on the “Brew You 2020” wall, which is fast filling up with emotional views and blues about the year. As Single O’s founder Dion Cohen says, “Life’s a bitch and then you meet Covid”.
Sugarplum is available for $19.50 for 250g, whole beans or ground to order for every method, from Friday, 13th November at Single O’s Surry Hills and York St CBD cafes, Carriageworks Farmers Markets every Saturday and online – shop.singleo.com.au
Taste Sugarplum on tap, pouring hot and cold filter at Single O’s Surry Hills café from Monday, 16th and at Carriageworks Farmers Markets from Saturday, 21st November.
For travellers, gift-seekers & black coffee lovers, Sugarplum Parachutes – single-serve drip coffee bags – are a go-to, 5 pack for $12.50
To join Single O’s community for more coffees like Sugarplum and spirited initiatives like Brew You 2020, sign up to their newsletter at singleo.com.au
Got 2020 views and blues to share but can’t make it to the café? Share them with Single O on Instagram via the hashtag #brewyou2020.
The Prince Hotel introduces rooftop Beer Garden in partnership with Brick Lane.
Melburnians will be shouting “freedom” from the rooftops when the Prince Hotel launches a new open-air beer garden on the top floor of its multi-level carpark from Saturday, 7 November.
Presented in partnership with Brick Lane Brewing and Nagambie Brewery & Distillery, the Prince Rooftop Beer Garden is the newest addition to The Prince Hotel’s growing list of venues following a two-year, multi-million dollar refurbishment that was completed in the middle of Victoria’s second Stage 4 lock-down.
The huge outdoor space was developed in response to the city’s new COVID-safe guidelines, which require venues to offer the majority of seating for patrons outdoors. Pre-COVID, the Prince Hotel was licensed to accommodate almost 2,000 people across its five venues: Prince Public Bar, Prince Dining Room, Prince Bandroom, Prince Deck and the newly opened Little Prince Wine.
Under current guidelines the business will be able to accommodate a maximum of 70 diners for each of its venues, with just 20 of those indoors. Diners are limited to just a two-hour window, and must remain seated throughout their drinking and dining experience. Prince Hotel Managing Director Andrew Ryan said it was great to be reopening the St Kilda icon despite the challenging environment.
“We’re pretty bloody excited to be getting back to the business of hospitality and the rooftop beer garden is an exciting addition to our offering. Like many operators, we’ve had to adapt our business in line with the changing circumstances.
“From activating car parks, to our partnership with home-delivery platform Providoor, we’ve tried to remain nimble and relevant to consumers throughout the past eight months. But ultimately The Prince Hotel exists to create memorable experiences for guests across every one of our venues and we can’t wait to get back to doing what we love.”
The Rooftop Beer Garden will be open for an initial period of just four weeks, beginning Saturday, 7 November. Serving cold Brick Lane Brews and Nagambie 3608 Gin cocktails alongside views of the city skyline, with a backing track from some of Bayside’s favourite DJs, it promises to be an instant hit with those seeking a relaxed return to life as we once knew it.
The food menu will be equally breezy – think Roman-style deep-pan pizzas by the slice and European-inspired picnic packs – designed to eat with a drink in hand.
The Prince Rooftop Beer Garden is a child-friendly and dog-friendly venue. No bookings required.
Prince Rooftop Beer Garden opening hours: From Saturday, 7 November: Thursday 4pm–9pm; Friday & Saturday 12–9pm; Sunday 12–6pm For further information visit www.theprince.com.au/rooftop-beergarden
Surry Hills’ favourite cellar door and restaurant, NOMAD is back open, in its original Foster St home.
The new-look restaurant seats 200, features a larger kitchen, twice as much seating around the open kitchen, and the new addition of a stand-alone deli.
Next week, the NOMAD Deli will open, showcasing a range of take-home products, which will change weekly. Choose from a selection of house-cured meats, dips, marinated preserves, as well as chocolate fudge brownies and cookie dough, which you can make at home. The wine list is available to take home or for delivery, with a focus on small producers from Australia and beyond.
Executive Chef Jacqui Challinor has her fire back and has created a brand new menu, as well as keeping classics from the original menu. The hiramasa kingfish and truffle honey zucchini flowers return to the menu, accompanied by a range of new dishes, including Murray cod, artichokes, peas, anchovy and za’atar; wood-roasted eggplant, toasted olive seeds with burnt butter; and Magra lamb neck, brik pastry, saffron and olive oil-braised broad beans. For dessert, there’s the banana tarte Tatin, wood-roast banana & pine nut brittle ice cream; as well as strawberry, sumac and macadamia pavlova, with house-made crème fraîche.
NOMAD is open for dinner seven nights a week, and lunch Friday to Sunday.
Reservations are available via nomadwine.com.au or on 02 9280 3395.
Introducing Calita – a beachfront Mexican restaurant, on Australia’s most famous beach.
Milpa Collective, who own and operate authentic Mexican eateries across Sydney’s Bondi Beach and Potts Point (Carbón, Taqiza and Sonora), and Caribbean-inspired venue La Palma, will welcome another Bondi venue, Calita, in mid-November.
The group’s fifth venue, Calita (‘tiny beach’ in Spanish), is a 26-seat marisqueria (seafood restaurant) that will sit between renowned Bondi Beach venues Sean’s Panaroma and Porch & Parlour. Calita will work with local suppliers to showcase a rotating selection of fresh, locally and sustainably sourced seafood, based on the catch of the day.
Milpa Collective was created by owners and chefs, Liber Osorio and Pablo Galindo Vargas in 2017. The Mexican and Chilean born and raised duo bring traditional and contemporary Mexican and Latin American cuisines to life across their venues. Each venue is inspired by a different region of Mexico, showcasing their distinct cooking methods and flavours.
“Mexico has an incredibly rich and vibrant history, and we want to respect and celebrate our home country’s flavours and food through our venues, while using the most sustainable produce to support our local community,” says Chef and Co-Owner, Pablo. “Calita will allow us to showcase our incredible locally sourced seafood through Baja Peninsula-inspired dishes, right on the beach in Bondi.”
Calita’s menu draws inspiration from the Baja Peninsula, with a small menu focused on house-made tacos and botanas (snacks/share plates). Menu highlights include the blue swimmer crab tostadas, smoked trout taco with green mango, salsa macha, coriander and peanut salad; and Vuelve a la Vida bloody maria shellfish cocktail.
Calita’s drinks will be primarily mescal- and tequila-based, serving small batch and boutique brands imported from Mexico. A range of classic, jalapeño and Tommy’s margaritas will be central to the drinks menu, alongside a rotating selection of frozen margaritas made with premium Arette tequila and fresh, seasonal fruits.
“Mezcal and tequila is at the heart of all of our venues. We have a great respect for the indigenous producers of Oaxaca and want to ensure we are representing the authentic taste and spirit of Mexico through our drinks,” says Liber Osorio. “We are committed to representing fair trade, sustainable and organically sourced products throughout all of our venues, and our beverage offering is a big part of that”.
The wine menu will be curated by respected drinks writer and co-founder of P&V Merchants, Mike Bennie.
Operating seven days a week for dinner, Calita will open on 11 November. Lunch will be Friday to Sunday from 11am, with dinner daily from 5pm. The venue will also offer takeaway on weekends, to enjoy on the beach or the ‘grassy knoll’ across the road.
Bookings will be available via the Calita website.
Tex-Mex wild child El Camino Cantina has released details of its six-week Ritapalooza festival and local DJ line-up as it prepares to flick on the neon at its first two-storey, 510-seat margarita mecca, located at South Bank in Brisbane, on Friday, 20 November.
Brisbane’s first-of-its-kind Ritapalooza is a celebration of El Camino Cantina’s famous rockstar-style ritas, which have a cult following across three states, including a growing footprint in Queensland. The colourful festival will run from opening day until Sunday, 3 January, with 15 frozen flavours available alongside a value-packed menu.
The South Bank site is the only El Camino Cantina in Queensland to offer 15 flavours of its legendary margaritas: Classic, Calypso Crush, Coconut, Passionfruit, Watermelon, Grapefruit, Lychee, Hubba Bubba, Skittle, Mango, Strawberry, Raspberry, Sour Apple, Marshmallow and Grape. They are all served Cadillac-style, with a smooth, rich float of Grand Marnier on top. Classic, Mango and Strawberry flavours are also served on the rocks, and tasting paddles of four, 220ml frozen flavours are available.
The sassy South Bank site is also home to El Camino Cantina’s inaugural Hotel Diablo, located on the upper floor of the venue, which launches on Friday, 27 November. Hotel Diablo boasts a cool club vibe every Friday and Saturday from 9pm, with DJs playing until at least midnight. A dance floor is available for when social restrictions ease further, with later DJ performances also likely to kick in at this time. Early evening dining reservations are available at Hotel Diablo.
Headline performers include Brisbane band and DJ duo Mashd N Kutcher on Friday, 27 November, then it’s Club MTV and resident DJ Brooklyn on Saturday, 28 November.
El Camino Cantina South Bank has three distinct zones: a colourful, umbrella-ed outdoor dining area for 140 guests, a ground floor diner that caters to 120 guests, and the 250-seat Hotel Diablo, which has a dedicated bar and is split across two interlinked rooms that are perfect for private functions throughout the festive season.
The price-friendly menu includes tacos with eight flavour combinations, sizzling chargrilled fajitas with a choice of four fillings, buffalo wings with three spicy sauces, nachos, burritos and burrito bowls. Tortillas are house-made daily, and bottomless baskets of complimentary chips and salsas are available all day.
Guests can dine on the Palooza Party Package ($89 each), which includes spicy buffalo wings with blue-cheese mayo, sizzling adobo chicken fajitas with all the Tex-Mex trimmings, and crisp churros served deliciously warm with chocolate and caramel sauce for dipping. Two hours of Cadillac margaritas, available in all 15 flavours, are also included in the package.
Throughout Ritapalooza, every week celebrates Taco Tuesday when three limited-edition tacos are available for $4 each, on every Wing Wednesday traditional buffalo wings are 10-cents each (with a drink purchase) and guests can attempt Wing Roulette when a basket of buffalo wings includes one that is laced in ‘Facemelter’ hot sauce. Habanero and Teriyaki sauces are also available. Every Thursday it is all about Fajitas & Ritas, when small fajitas are $20 with the purchase of a Cadillac margarita.
El Camino Cantina Food and Beverage Director Molly Haranis said there will be no shortage of killer music across the two-storey destination.
“We are thrilled to be launching our first two-storey El Camino Cantina and Hotel Diablo, where we will spotlight top DJs every week and have the biggest line-up of our cult margaritas in Queensland,” she said.
“The venue boasts a number of great zones, spaces and rooms that are ideal for group functions this festive season. With a large alfresco area and upper level entertainment it’s the perfect party spot this summer.”
The South Bank site is the tenth El Camino Cantina in Australia, including those located at Bowen Hills and Westfield Chermside in Brisbane, Robina on the Gold Coast, and Sunshine Plaza on the Sunshine Coast.
Yeah baby, yeah! With Melbourne allowed to reopen for indoor and outdoor dining, Baby Pizza is thrilled to welcome back guests for good times and is celebrating with the return of its ever-popular Aperitivo, serving up endless $6.50 Aperol spritz, beer and rosé daily.
Back for its third season, make your dreams of a trip to the Amalfi Coast come true and call on your best amici to join you for a spritz to make up for lost time.
With Aperitivo from 12pm to 5pm daily, Baby is pouring a special summer line-up of Aperol spritz, Nastro Azzuro beer, Stefani Estate Rosé for $6.50 and delicious cocktails including Sgroppino with lemon sorbet, limoncello, vodka and prosecco, and Frosé Lambone with Rosé and Chambord for just $10 each.
Where there are drinks, there is delicious food, and Baby knows the way to your heart, serving up all your favourites including arancini e crocchette, rigatoni al ragù, gnocchi di patate alla zucca, polpette e polenta and, of course, a selection of pizzas.
With live DJs on the weekend bringing sweet tunes, five hours of Aperitivo daily and plenty of fun to be had, Baby is the perfect place to welcome in the summertime with endless spritzes, delicious food and good vibes all day long.
Accommodating guests in line with government restrictions for indoor and outdoor dining, Baby Pizza will be open daily from 12pm to late. Bookings are now open with availability from October 28 via www.babypizza.com.au for indoor dining tables. Al fresco dining available for walk-ins only. All reservations are for 90-minute seating times and require a minimum spend of $45 per person for lunch and $66 per person for dinner from 5pm at time of booking.
Italy, Japan, Mexico and Spain … destinations we can only dream of visiting right now. But with Australian Venue Co’s Staycations launching across five venues in Brisbane, guests can escape for a while through internationally inspired food, drinks and experiences – no passport required.
A calendar of events and unique activations at some of Brisbane’s favourite bars, restaurants and pubs, Staycation is inspired by favourite holiday destinations. Staycation pop-ups are rolling out now and will be live until late January/February 2021 at Kingsleys, Fridays, Riverland, Cleveland Sands and Regatta Hotel.
AVC’s Staycation Guide – Brisbane
Destination: Italy – Amalfi Coast Where: Kingsleys Brisbane Dates: Live now until 21st Feb, 2021What’s on offer: A coastal Italian-inspired haven, perfect for relaxing afternoons. Think antipasto, spritz menu and Amalfi-influenced cocktails. Featuring:
Antipasto Platters – a delicious platter for two including generous offerings of Italian cured meat and cheese, marinated vegetables, mixed olives and house-made grissini paired with two refreshing Quincy Seltzers, $50 for two people. Available every day.
Three-course set menu – a celebration of Italy, the menu features the antipasto platter, Moreton Bay bug and vongole risotto and Kingsleys ‘Lemon Meringue’ (limoncello curd, violet meringue, mustazzoli and torched lemon meringue gelato), $95 per person.
Destination: Japan – Spring in Tokyo Where: Fridays Dates: Live now until late Feb 2021 What’s on offer: Celebrating cherry blossom season in Japan – an Instagrammer’s dream! There’s cherry blossoms, lanterns, water views, Japanese-fusion bites and limited-edition sips. Featuring:
Bottomless Karaage Fried Chicken – bottomless karaage and matching sides will make guests feel like they have just touched down in Tokyo, $30 per person. Bottomless wine and tap beer package available for $25pp. Wednesdays from 5pm.
Cherry Blossom Sunset Sessions – there’s nothing like riverside sunsets and now they can be enjoyed surrounded by cherry blossoms and lanterns. Guests can choose from the Japanese-inspired menu and enjoy 90 minutes of bottomless cherry blossom slushies, house wine and select tap beers, $49 per person. Tuesday to Thursday, 4pm–7pm.
Destination: Mexico – Summer Fiesta Where: Riverland Dates: 6th Nov 2020–21st Feb 2021 What’s on offer: A slice of Mexico in the heart of a Mexican Summer Fiesta, complete with colourful skulls, bottomless sessions, tacos and a margarita menu (spicy and fruity). Featuring:
Tacos and Bottomless Frozen Margaritas – Three tacos with choice of pulled pork, spicy chicken and fish plus two hours of bottomless frozen margaritas, $49 per person. Available every Saturday & Sunday at 12noon and 2.30pm.
Live Mariachi Band – viva la fiesta with a live Mariachi band every Friday from 6pm–8pm, kicking off from 6th November.
What’s on offer: A taste of Mexico as the courtyard at Cleveland Sands is transformed into the ultimate Mexican pop-up with cacti, frozen margs, bottomless Mexi-brunch, tacos and more. Featuring:
Bottomless Tacos – did someone say unlimited tacos? One hour of bottomless tacos with choice of four fillings – chicken, Mex beef, pulled pork and vegetarian, $25 per person. Every Tuesday at 5.30pm and 7.30pm.
Bottomless Frozen Margs and Mexi-Brunch – guests will feel like they just took a trip to Mexico with their choice of brunch dish, such as chorizo baked eggs, smashed avo (with eggs and tomato salsa), chilli chocolate churros waffles, brekky beef burrito and Mexican salad. Accompanied by bottomless frozen margaritas with flavours on rotation. Every Saturday 10.30am–12pm.
Bottomless Sunset Sessions – an epic Mexican-inspired spread and flowing margaritas. Two hours of bottomless margaritas and a shared Mexican platter including mixed tacos, jalapeño peppers, salsa, warmed corn chips and more. Bookings essential. Every Sunday, 5pm–7pm.
Destination: Spain – Basque Country Coast Where: Regatta Hotel Dates: Live now–31st Jan, 2021What’s on offer:The open-air courtyard has been transformed into a beautiful San Sebastian-inspired pop-up for the summer months. Bougainvillea foliage winds in the ceiling canopy and into the booths, creating a sea of bright pink and orange that culminates in the grand tree in the centre of the courtyard. Featuring:
Sunday Fiesta – the ultimate Sunday Fiesta on Sunday, 15 November from 2pm–6pm! Indulge in traditional Spanish paella cooked to perfection, or enjoy a range of tapas, frozen sangria and cocktails, along with live Spanish music from 3pm to bring all those Mediterranean feels. Gather your amigas and amigos, this is going to be FUN! No reservations required.
European holiday feels every day with frozen sangria, pintxos share boards, jamon serrano flatbread, tortilla de morcilla and navajas grande.
“With many Australians missing out on overseas holidays this year, we’re bringing the summer holiday vibes to some of our venues in Brisbane,” says Kylie Moncur, AVC Chief Marketing Officer.
“Our specially curated series of pop-up events will transport those in Brisbane to dream destinations Italy, Japan, Mexico and Spain, without the expensive airfare.”
Keeping it local never looked so good with Australian Venue Co’s Staycations.
Already turning heads and making headlines as Australia’s first high-rise hotel to be ‘built out of the sky’*, the Bates Smart-designed Adina Apartment Hotel Melbourne Southbank – owned and developed by independent investment house Hume Partners and operated by TFE Hotels – promises peace of mind for eco-savvy travellers seeking a city escape in the heart of Melbourne’s ‘other side’, aka Southbank.
The hotel, which opened on 9 November, is ideally located in a buzzing entertainment and lifestyle precinct, and within walking distance of everything Melbourne is famous for: art, culture, coffee, shopping, food, festivals and sport.
Not forgetting 555ha of green space, including the city’s historic Royal Botanic Gardens, home to lakes, lush lawns and 8,500 plant species, a short stroll from Adina Melbourne Southbank’s door. Incredibly, all of which the hotel helps keep blooming, thanks to its ground-breaking ‘clean and green’ construction technology.
According to Bates Smart Director Julian Anderson, the 220-room property’s green cross-laminated timber (CLT) tower punches well above its weight when it comes to boosting the city’s lungs.
A fifth of the weight of concrete, the structure is believed to be the world’s tallest engineered timber extension, cleverly built on top of an existing office building.
As Julian explains, the 5,300 tonnes of CLT used to build the 10-storey, 32m-tall extension tower act as a carbon sink, off-setting about 4,200 tonnes of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
“The environmental benefit of using CLT, wherever possible, in place of carbon-emitting materials like concrete and steel, represents best practice green design,” he said. “What’s really exciting is people will make a decision to stay at Adina Melbourne Southbank because it ticks all the boxes on location and experience, but also because of its commitment to sustainability.”
Situated at the intersection of Southbank Boulevard and City Road, the ultra-modern apartment hotel capitalises on its position via a striking, curved ‘glass curtain’ façade, punctuated by floor-to-ceiling windows in every room. Crowning a total building height of 71.56m, it further enhances Melbourne’s chart-topping skyline, ranked Australia’s #1 and teetering high on the world’s Top 100 list, ahead of Sydney and London (according to the internationally recognised Emporis ‘Skyline Ranking’).
Looking forward to welcoming the hotel’s first guests, Adina Melbourne Southbank Hotel General Manager Nigel Maxey knows they’re in for quite a few surprises, not least being choice of rooms with striking views. Either north-facing city views across the Yarra River or, southwards, to Port Philip Bay, home to about 100 bottle-nosed dolphins known to venture into Melbourne’s rivers for a CBD getaway about six times a year.
“The other WOW-factor is the spaciousness of rooms, particularly the 10 two-bedroom apartments, which hug the curve of the building on every level, covering 75 to 80 square metres,” Nigel said of the hotel that also offers 70 studio apartments and 140 one-bedroom apartments, all with fully equipped kitchen and laundry facilities and lounge/dining areas.
“Guests will definitely enjoy being able to spread out and live like locals, with the benefit of full hotel services including 24-hour reception, meeting facilities and really impressive on-site leisure facilities. Ideal to entertain families or people staying on business.”
Overlooking the Yarra River, the upscale apartment hotel’s north-facing leisure facilities include a 20m indoor lap pool and gym, blessed with natural light and direct sunlight. Plus, access to a curved terrace, constructed as part of a steel transfer podium between 55 Southbank Boulevard’s original office building and its new CLT extension. A space designed for the perfect wind down – or workout – any time of year, after a day exploring Southbank’s many attractions.
In a neighbourhood catering to every passion or pastime, Adina Melbourne Southbank rubs shoulders with the Southern Hemisphere’s highest public viewing platform (Eureka Skydeck) and biggest casino (Crown Melbourne); some of the city’s finest restaurants; and the coveted Melbourne Arts Precinct, hailed for supporting one of the highest concentrations of arts, cultural and creative organisations anywhere on the planet.
The hotel is also just a 15-minute tram ride from St Kilda Beach or a few minutes’ walk into Melbourne’s CBD, across Southgate Footbridge (Evan Walker Bridge), which links Southbank to Flinders Street Station. Tip: for something different, pull up a seat at Ponyfish Island, a floating café/bar beneath the footbridge, or head off the main strip, to Victoria’s largest independent gin distillery (Patient Wolf Distilling Co) housed in a red brick industrial warehouse on Market Street, where Southbank melds with South Melbourne.
In keeping with Adina Melbourne Southbank’s ‘green core’, Nigel is busy overseeing final touches to the fit-out of a fresh food and beverage hub in the Lobby. Modelled on TFE Hotels’ St Marks Road Co. dining concept, the F&B hub will retain the same neighbourhood buzz, only in a café/bar format as opposed to full-service restaurant.
Australian indie-pop duo Client Liaison has teamed up with 7-Eleven, all in the name of redeeming something back from what’s been a tough year for all Aussies.
A two-man eccentric band known for sparking joy and escapism through its signature synth pop tracks, the partnership encourages all of us to break free of 2020’s challenges and relish in the easy wins.
The collaboration marks both the launch of 7-Eleven’s Redeem 2020 campaign that will see people across the country scoring easy wins and free products via the new My 7-Eleven app, as well as the timely release of Client Liaison’s new single ‘Intervention’, with lyrics that function as something of a rallying cry to keep spirits up during tough times. Created in lockdown, the song is all about escapism, breaking free and sparking joy.
From 7 November, every customer who downloads and registers with My 7-Eleven will randomly receive a free reward – from slurpees and coffee, to chocolate bars, sausage rolls and muffins, new members will be welcomed in true 7-Eleven style.
In addition to receiving free rewards for joining, the My 7-Eleven app has an abundance of exclusive Redeem 2020 offers for both new and existing members.
“We’ve loaded the My 7-Eleven app with easy wins for everyone. Whether you’re a loyal user of the My 7-Eleven app, or new to it entirely, this summer is all about sparking joy through life’s small pleasures,” said Julie Laycock, 7-Eleven’s General Manager Customer Experience.
“But it doesn’t stop there. From locking in great fuel prices, to providing customers the opportunity to track each 7-Eleven visit to reap rewards, we’re excited to give a little back to our loyal members.
“Renowned for their feel-good tracks and infectious positive energy, we’ve enlisted the help of Client Liaison to encourage Aussies across the country to join the My 7-Eleven app and redeem their exclusive offers.”
When asked why they’ve partnered with 7-Eleven, Client Liaison’s Monte Morgan and Harvey Miller said, “We have joined forces with 7-Eleven to intervene in 2020 and give everyone a chance to celebrate the little wins”.
And while customers have until 7 December to take advantage of the Redeem 2020 offers, the My 7-Eleven app houses an array of ongoing benefits for savvy shoppers, including access to the ‘Fuel Price Lock’ function whereby customers can search and lock in the best local fuel prices from their five closest 7-Eleven stores and then redeem at any 7-Eleven fuel store in Australia.
There’s also a brand new loyalty offer that lets customers track their in-store purchases, and on the 7th visit, will be presented with a range of offers to instantly redeem.
Cannoleria is about to expand its operation, opening UGO at the Cannoleria HQ building in Heidelberg West on Monday, 16th November.
UGO will offer local customers Italian panini, coffee and Cannoleria signature cannoli.
The menu will focus on panini, made fresh daily, with different offerings every week using seasonal, locally sourced ingredients. UGO will also have a selection of seasonal fresh salads, daily homemade on-the-go hot and cold options and, of course, Cannoleria cannoli.
Coffee will be by Symmetry Coffee Roasters (former winner of ‘Best Boutique Roaster of the Year’ by The Age Good Cafe Guide).
“Being located where we are in Heidelberg West, there are not as many café options for local workers and residents as in other areas of Melbourne,” said co-owner Dario Di Clerico.
“We have spent the last couple of years really expanding the Cannoleria brand and we felt that our new factory and headquarters were perfect to create a neighbourhood café with Italian panini, great coffee and, of course, our signature cannoli.”
Bringing cucina popolare to Heidelberg West, UGO is sure to be a welcome addition to the area.
The organisers of the Foodservice Australia trade show have released a souvenir edition show guide to help connect buyers and sellers at a time when ‘business as usual’ is simply not possible.
This popular industry event was scheduled to run in Sydney this week but was postponed due to COVID restrictions. The show will now be held from 27–29 June 2021 at the Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre.
Event Director Tim Collett says the support from industry has been extraordinary, and the event will be even bigger and better when it returns next year. “Almost every exhibitor has transferred to the new dates and we are now signing up new exhibitors.”
The show guide contains information on all the exhibitors you would have met at the show this year, information on regular show features and special messages from partners. Most importantly you can find new products to help pivot and grow your business during these difficult times.
To take a look at the guide from the show that never ran, click here. To meet all the exhibitors in person make sure you register for the 2021 show at www.foodserviceaustralia.com.au
The best of Australia’s spirits and cocktails, enjoyed at home.
From the creators of the Melbourne Cocktail Festival comes Good Spirits – an online bottled cocktail and Australian spirits store, stocking Australia’s best cocktails and launching nationally on 10th November. Good Spirits will provide access for a national audience to some of Australia’s finest cocktail bars and spirit brands, just in time for the gifting season.
After the resounding success of the inaugural Melbourne Cocktail Festival in March, founder Michael Bascetta has teamed up with drinks experts Fancy Free to curate a selection of outstanding craft Australian spirits and pre-mixed cocktails made by some of the best bartenders and distillers across the country, all available at the click of a button (see full list of participating bars and featured brands below).
With bottled cocktails from a large range of venues on offer, cocktail lovers can partake in the ultimate bar crawl at home, in the park or wherever they may choose. Good Spirits will allow drinkers to experience the different styles and signatures from various renowned bars at the same time, including the seasonally influenced highball selection from Byrdi and The Everleigh’s new range of spritzed cocktails.
For ease of gifting, Good Spirits has also curated a variety of tasting packs including:
The 12 Good Spirits of Christmas (counting down to Christmas with a curated pack of spirits and a ‘choose your own adventure’ map of cocktail recipes)
Native Australia Pack (a selection of cocktails using native Australian ingredients)
G&T Pack (with monthly rotating Australian gins & tonics)
Monthly Boilermaker Pack by Whisky & Alement (monthly rotating whisky and beer matches by some of the best in the biz)
Australia has one of the most innovative food and beverage cultures in the world and while travel restrictions may remain, those craving a taste of their favourite bar can gain access to beautifully crafted cocktails, wherever they may find themselves. Although Good Spirits was created in response to the times, Michael has grand plans for the platform and envisions it becoming a new staple of home drinking as well as a go-to option for small- and large-scale entertaining.
“The challenge of the last few months has created an opportunity for new change across all businesses but especially in food and beverage,” says Michael Bascetta. “Of course, there is nothing like the atmosphere of a great venue, but to be able to bring a part of that experience into the home, the park, beach or anywhere else – and at the click of a button – is an incredible thought. We can’t wait to show off all that amazing talent and hope that Good Spirits will allow them to reach an even wider audience.”
PARTICIPATING BARS (more bars are anticipated to join Good Spirits as the platform builds)
VIC: Above Board | Black Pearl | Byrdi | Capitano | The Cloakroom | The Everleigh | Mjølner | Romeo Lane | Whisky & Alement
SA: Maybe Mae
QLD: Cobbler
PARTICIPATING BRANDS Applewood | Archie Rose | Brookie’s | Four Pillars | Gospel | Grainshaker | Maidenii | Marionette | Mr Black | Never Never | Patient Wolf | Poor Toms | Starward
Combining the zesty retro refreshment of Gelatissimo’s Pine Lime Sorbet with the heady excess of a Milky Lane creation – meet summer’s new must-try cocktail.
Gelatissimo is reimagining the flavour of summer thanks to their latest collaboration with Milky Lane – the burger bar famed for their over-the-top desserts, amazing cocktails and love of hip hop.
For November, fresh and fruity Pine Lime Sorbet will be Gelatissimo’s flavour of the month, with the vegan-friendly sorbet made from real sun-ripened pineapples with a lime ripple generously drizzled through.
It will also star in Milky Lane’s November specials menu, resulting in the ‘Gelatissimo Pine Lime Splice Cocktail’, which sees Pine Lime Sorbet blended with 42 Below vodka, pineapple juice, lime juice and ice.
The fun beverage also comes topped with a pineapple foam and to complete the retro flashback, the glass is rimmed with lime green sauce.
The boozy beverage du jour can be found at all eight Milky Lane stores located in Bondi, Canberra, Cronulla, Crows Nest, Newcastle, Newstead, Parramatta and Surfers Paradise.
“This is such a delicious and fun take on a retro summer-time favourite. The vegan-friendly sorbet is bursting with fresh, zesty flavour, while the collaboration with Milky Lane really elevates our offering to a whole new, indulgent level,” says Gelatissimo CEO, Filipe Barbosa.
For those happy to skip the alcohol but still want the flavour hit, Pine Lime Sorbet is available across all 44 Gelatissimo stores in Australia, while the Pine Lime Splice Cocktail will be available at Milky Lane stores throughout November.
Freshly made in-store daily, Gelatissimo uses only the best ingredients with no artificial colours or flavourings. Available in a cup or cone, the very refreshing Pine Lime sorbet can also be purchased as a take-home pack, made into a delicious shake or gelato cake.
Swan Street venue marks cult health food brand’s 25th store.
Japanese-inspired salad bar FISHBOWL is opening their fourth Melbourne outpost on Swan Street, Richmond next week and is celebrating by offering all customers half-priced bowls for their first week of trade (Monday 9–Sunday 15 November). The new store takes over the former Laneway Greens site at 89 Swan Street, Richmond.
Born in Bondi by three young founders in 2016, FISHBOWL has rapidly earned its reputation as one of the best QSRs in the country. Their first foray into the Melbourne scene was their Docklands store, which opened in 2019, feeding busy corporates and office workers. In 2020, they opened two ghost kitchens that operate on a delivery-only basis in Collingwood and Windsor.
For those new to the concept, FISHBOWL specialises in made-to-order salads with a Japanese twist. The salads and warm bowls involve a combination of thoughtfully sourced proteins (think wild-caught tuna, Rangers Valley beef, miso-roasted eggplant and hand-pressed tofu), delicious dressings made in-house and fresh local produce.
Customers can choose from a menu of made up salads and bowls, like their most popular ‘OG’ featuring salmon sashimi, shallots, kale, beets, red onion & edamame with roasted sesame dressing, seaweed, tobiko and crispy shallots. Or, choose your own adventure and customise the bases, protein, vegetables, dressings and crunches to your liking.
“We are really excited to be opening in such an iconic strip in Melbourne, especially given the year the city has had. We want to see our sister city thrive again and we’re committed to investing into its amazing hospitality scene by continuing to open new stores over the next 12 months. Richmond has come at the perfect time now that locals can venture out and the city is becoming alive again for summer,” says Nic Pestalozzi, co-owner of FISHBOWL.
The three co-founders – Nathan Dalah, Nic Pestalozzi and Casper Ettelson – go beyond their passion for healthy, delicious and sustainable food at FISHBOWL by supporting many local community initiatives. Whether that be through their own free run-clubs, surfing sponsorships, music, charity and social events, the team recognise the importance of investing back in the community in positive, inclusive ways with their motto “Change Fast Food/Change the Culture” at the forefront of everything they do.
The Richmond store will officially open on Monday, 9 November with the half-price offer lasting all week, so make sure to grab a friend and catch a great deal.
New multi-sensory attraction Wanderlust Melbourne opens this December.
Walking the streets of Paris, marvelling at Big Ben and snapping up an authentic New York hot dog will soon become a reality as Melbourne welcomes its very first interactive travel experience, Wanderlust Melbourne. Set to open on Saturday, 5th December, the pop-up attraction invites visitors to traverse imaginary borders and be transported to five beloved cities and dream destinations; the bustling streets of London and New York, the beautiful Paris cityscape, an idyllic Tropical Beach and a snow-filled Winter Wonderland.
Located in Fitzroy and spread over five vibrant rooms, visitors enter via the departure gate and arrive into a world of sensory wonderment, immersing them in the sights, smells, touches and tastes of five different destinations – all without ever leaving Melbourne.
“As borders remain closed and the prospect of international travel still in the distant future, we wanted to help realise the travel dreams of Victorians and allow them to experience the excitement, joy and curiosity that comes with visiting somewhere new. Let us open the world to you and satisfy your wanderlust,” said Rachel Moore COO.
First stop on the journey is New York, a number one bucket list destination. Recreating the city’s iconic landmarks, Wanderlust Melbourne will bring to life the bright lights of Times Square, the heart of buzzing Broadway and the majesty of the Empire State Building. Finish off a saunter through the city that never sleeps with a tourist snap on Fifth Avenue and an authentic New York hot dog!
Cross international waters and step into the streets of London, home to Big Ben, all things Union Jack and, of course, the red telephone box – a British cultural icon perfect for a picture moment.
Next on the itinerary is Paris, the city of love and a cultural haven of art, fashion and food. In this room, share a romantic moment under the Eiffel Tower, take a snap in front of the Mona Lisa or simply admire the 19th-century cityscape and watch the world go by from outside the French Patisserie.
From a metropolis to tropical paradise, the beach room will be a place to relax, where visitors can pull up a deck chair, feel the sand beneath their toes and stroll along the boardwalk while sipping on a mocktail from the Bamboo Beach Bar. For those who favour a cooler climate, the Winter Wonderland awaits with a magical wintery scene, a snowman to selfie with and the real snow-stopper, a 4-metre snow dome! You never know, it might even snow!
Wanderlust Melbourne can be booked for events of up to 100 people with a range of packages available. After the year that has been 2020, what better way to celebrate Christmas, a birthday or anything in between, in some of the world’s greatest locations.
Wanderlust will comply with COVID-19 health and safety guidelines and will have a COVID-safe plan in place.
Wanderlust Melbourne dates: From 5 December 2020–31 January 2021 Address: 379 Smith St, Fitzroy VIC 3065 Opening Hours: 12:00pm–7:00pm General Admission: $29.50
Flexi tickets: We know travel plans change so our tickets are fully flexible for total peace of mind *subject to availability of preferred time slot. Time slots are in place to allow for safe social distancing. Duration: 1 hour. Events can be booked 7 days a week from 7.30pm–11.30pm with up to 100 people.
Yarra Valley’s TarraWarra Estate had reopened for lunch in the restaurant with a new menu, as well as a new picnic offering to be enjoyed on the picturesque lawn overlooking the vines and TarraWarra Museum of Art’s outdoor sculptures.
Chef Mark Ebbels spent lockdown in his home garden, becoming more passionate in his commitment to sustainability and the natural environment. The restaurant’s tasting menu and picnic baskets reflect this, along with the importance of connecting to the local community and using Estate-grown produce.
TarraWarra restaurant’s tasting menu includes: ● Buxton trout with chardonnay and mustard ● Kangaroo with radicchio and garlic ● White bean with tomato and asparagus ● Warm custard with onion and wild garlic
TarraWarra grazing picnic hampers are available for $65 per person with a minimum order of two, and a kids hamper for $15 per child. The hampers include a mix of sweet and savoury items such as:
● Fresh breads with crackers, lavosh and cheese ● Hummus with Mt Zero olives and fermented vegetable slaw ● Chicken with beetroot, feta and pickled onion ● Charcuterie with pickles ● Sausage roll with spiced tomato sauce ● 69 per cent single origin chocolate slice
Guests are encouraged to dress according to the weather and to arrive equipped with their own rugs for a picnic on the lawn, while the Estate will supply glassware, cutlery and crockery.
Diners can pair a selection of the Estate wines with their meal. Perfect for the warmer weather, a few of the premium choices include 2019 Rosé, 2018 South Block Chardonnay, 2018 Estate Chardonnay and 2018 Reserve Chardonnay.
Limited seating will be available for indoor dining at the restaurant and outdoor picnics due to the current restrictions. Patrons are encouraged to secure their booking in advance by visiting tarrawarra.com.au/book-now/.
Due to current Victorian Government restrictions, TarraWarra Museum of Art remains closed. It is expected to reopen in summer with Looking Glass: Judy Watson and Yhonnie Scarce.
The countdown is on for The Bavarian Rockhampton’s grand opening on Monday, 9 November when around 40 locals will start work for the region’s newest employer and customers will have their first taste of the popular family-friendly menu.
Located at Rockhampton Stockland shopping centre, at the former Sizzler site, The Bavarian will get straight down to the business of serving its first lunch when it opens at midday, with the menu spanning everything from classic Bavarian dishes, such as pork knuckles, schnitzels and sausages to Aussie pub favourites, including burgers, chicken wings and sticky pork ribs, and healthy salads – all accompanied by 20 beers on tap, and jugs of summery house-made cocktails.
Several key team members are relocating to Rockhampton, lured by the quintessential regional Australian lifestyle, and the career progression opportunities offered by one of Australia’s largest hospitality providers, Rockpool Dining Group, which has a presence in six Australian states and territories; Auckland, New Zealand; and five regions of Queensland. Around five front of house casual positions remain, as well as one chef position. Applicants can apply here.
The 480-seat restaurant, including a 230-seat beer garden around the restaurant’s façade, will launch with a community partnership program to support local groups and charities. The Rural Fire Brigade Association Queensland (RFBAQ) will be The Bavarian’s inaugural partner. A fundraising event will be held on Saturday, 5 December, to support RFBAQ’s Rockhampton division, with an exciting line-up of fundraising activities to be announced in the lead-up to the event.
Rockpool Dining Group Chief Executive Officer Thomas Pash said he is proud to be bringing jobs back to an industry that was hard hit by COVID-19, and to be supporting a local community via jobs creation, fundraising projects and the launch of a fabulous dining destination for families and groups of friends.
“Our regional restaurants, including The Bavarian at Mackay and Toowoomba, have proven to be much-loved by their local communities and we hope to replicate that in Rockhampton with a stunning new venue that we encourage our guests to make their own,” Mr Pash said.
“As a thank you to the local community, which has flooded our inboxes with messages of enthusiasm, well wishes and support, we aim to give back via our community program, which we hope to extend to include sporting team sponsorships.”
“We encourage sporting teams to reach out to our venue team, if they would like to make The Bavarian their post-game destination to refuel and celebrate a good game.”
Stockland Rockhampton Centre Manager Elysia Billingham said: “We’re thrilled to welcome the well-known and respected family-friendly restaurant The Bavarian to our dining precinct at Stockland Rockhampton. We know customers will enjoy the fun and comfortable atmosphere, range of iconic dishes and distinct experience on offer.
“We want our retail town centre to be more than just a place to shop, but a destination where people can come to connect, socialise, and choose from a diversity of retailers in the convenience of one place.”
The Bavarian Rockhampton celebrates an easy-going, pop-in-any-time ambience, complemented by an all-day, family-friendly menu, and a cellar full of fabulous beers. Guests can enjoy Bavarian-inspired elements, from cultural hints in the interior decor, to quintessential dishes and a large range of traditional, imported brews, which mix with casual Aussie elements including a pub-friendly atmosphere and 30 large-screen televisions for live sports viewing.
December will bring an exciting line-up of summer drinks, Christmas feasting menus and family-friendly school holiday dining.
Sydney’s Lotus Dining is venturing east, opening a new venue within the InterContinental Sydney Double Bay on Wednesday, 11 November.
Head Chef Chris Yan, and Matt Stewart of Lotus Dining Group have come together to create a collaborative food and beverage offering for Lotus Double Bay. This will be the first venture under the group’s newly appointed general manager Hamish Ingham, who joined the group in September 2020.
The venue includes a private dining space and will channel the American bars found in Shanghai throughout the 1930s. With notes of Colonial and Chinoiserie decor, guests will enter through vibrant red doors into a space featuring deep red booths, dark timbers and Chinese lanterns. A sophisticated bar at the entryway will allow guests to graze on a reduced menu, including a range of Lotus’ signature dumplings.
The menu will hero a selection of authentic Shanghainese dishes with a twist, with Yan designing a menu that celebrates the joy of great Australian produce along with his humble roots growing up in a rural village outside of Shanghai. Honest, clean flavours will take the stage at the Eastern Suburbs restaurant, combining Yan’s nostalgia and creative expression.
The menu has been designed to share and will feature a collection of Lotus’ signature dishes as well as an array of unique new creations, including crispy pig-ear salad, house-made smoked lamb and fennel sausage, and pan-fried Spanish mackerel with chilli, garlic and fermented sticky rice sauce. The dessert list will complement the richness and vibrancy of the menu, featuring a delicate jasmine tea and lime cheesecake and a decadent dark chocolate mousse with macerated strawberries and Sichuan pepper caramel.
The accompanying beverage list will focus on a balanced selection of award-winning Australian wines and seasonal cocktails. Much like the food offering, Stewart’s cocktail program will showcase Australian native produce whilst incorporating Shanghainese flavours, including a ‘Pandan Potion’ and ‘The Bay’, an aptly named twist on the mojito. The non-alcoholic menu will also feature Lotus’ take on the nostalgic favourite, Pink Lemonade.
“We’re excited to be bringing traditional Shanghainese flavours to the Double Bay community,” says Yan. “Lotus Double Bay will be a more traditional menu inspired by my childhood, but we’re elevating both the food and drink with native Australian ingredients and twists on some old Lotus favourites.”
Launching alongside the newly opened venue will be Lotus Double Bay’s ‘Gin Cha’ – a five-course banquet with three perfectly paired gin cocktails that will be available every Wednesday from 5pm as a hump day treat and a 2-hour never-ending sparkling weekend special that includes a share-style tasting menu curated to match perfectly with bottomless service of 2019 Unico Zelo Harvest Blanc de Blancs.
Lotus Double Bay will be open seven days for dinner from 5:00pm–9:30pm (last seating) and Friday to Sunday for lunch from 12:00–2:30pm (last seating).
Industry Beans offers five coffee lovers in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane the chance to win a coffee a day for a year.
With 2020 coming to a close the team at Industry Beans have brewed up a competition to give five lucky winners across Australia FREE COFFEE FOR A YEAR. Conceived to reward and thank customers for their support this year, the competition also celebrates the reopening of the Sydney and Melbourne café scenes, and a new Industry Beans café opening on Adelaide St in Brisbane.
To be in it to win it, coffee fans simply need to download the Industry Beans App and make a purchase during November at one of the five Industry Beans cafes:
● Industry Beans Fitzroy, 3/62 Rose Street, Fitzroy VIC 3065 ● Industry Beans Lt. Collins, 345 Little Collins Street, Melbourne VIC 3000 ● Industry Beans York St, 2/40 York Street, Sydney NSW 2000 ● Industry Beans Newstead, 18 Proe Street, Newstead QLD 4006 ● Industry Beans Adelaide St*, 6/243 Edward Street (enter via Adelaide St), Brisbane QLD 4000
The competition will run from 6am AEST on Sunday, 1 November until 6pm AEST on Monday, 30 November 2020, with every order made using the Industry Beans App counting as an entry. With unlimited entries on offer across takeaway and dine-in orders, avid coffee drinkers and brunch lovers have an added incentive to make every purchase count.
If it’s your first time downloading and using the Industry Beans App the first coffee will be on Industry Beans, with all new users receiving a $5 credit as a ‘Welcome Gift’.
Five winners (two in Melbourne, one in Sydney, and two in Brisbane) will be drawn in a random lottery on Tuesday, 1 December with their free daily coffees pouring for a total of 366 days from Wednesday, 2 December (2020) until Sunday, 5 December 2021**.
How does the prize work? Each winner will receive one cup of regular coffee (plus a milk option) per day for a year from 2 December 2020–5 December 2021. The total prize value (per winner) is $1,647, and their daily coffee will be gifted via the Industry Beans App and redeemable at any Industry Beans cafe.
*Adelaide St is Industry Beans newest location and will open on Thursday, 5 November 2020.
**Days exclude Industry Beans close dates on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Years Day.
Australian Venue Co providing worldwide escapes without leaving the city.
Italy, Japan, Bali, Palm Springs … destinations we can only dream of visiting right now. But with Australian Venue Co’s Staycations across five venues in Sydney, guests can escape for a while through internationally inspired food, drinks and experiences – no passport required.
Staycation pop-ups are rolling out from 31st October–7th November and will be live until late February 2021 at The Rook, Manly Wine, The Winery, Bungalow 8 and Cargo.
Dreaming of Europe? An Italian coastal-inspired haven, with its fresh food and Aperitivo Hour, will be setting up home at The Rook to transport guests right to the heart of the Amalfi Coast. There’ll be a daily Aperitivo Hour from 4.30–5.30pm and Bottomless Brunch on Saturdays and Sundays with 90 minutes of Quincy Seltzers, spritz and delicious antipasto spread for $69pp.
Or guests can venture to Italian wine country and soak up the Tuscan vibes at The Winery, where both the wine garden and terrace have been transformed into the go-to spot for Italian-inspired al fresco dining in collaboration with Tempus Two. Aperitivo Hour is where guests can enjoy cold carafes of freshly poured prosecco with an antipasti board for $55, or purchase by the glass with complementary Prosecco Gelato made by local artisan Mapo. Bookings can be made in advance on the floral terrace or garden gazebos for a long lunch for $59pp, with the option to add two hours of free-flowing prosecco and rosé for $39pp.
Beachside Tokyo is where Manly Wine will take guests. Think Instagram moments with stunning installations of lush Sakura Blossom florals, unbeatable ocean views, a delicious menu of Japanese fusion bites and limited-edition sips. Guests can enjoy bottomless Sakura Spring Brunch every Saturday with bottomless Roku Gin Spritz and brunch bites with a Japanese twist for $79pp. Then on Wednesdays there’ll be Bottomless Dumplings from 5pm with pork & mushroom, Peking duck and vegetable gyoza with sauces and sides for $30pp and a $29pp upgrade gets guests bottomless beer, wine and cider.
The sands of Seminyak are calling at Bungalow 8 –the perfect spot to soak up the sun, relaxing on daybeds sipping coconuts and Bintangs with epic views of the water. The Day Bed Package will provide two hours of prosecco and Bintangs from a personal esky with delicious shared dishes for $79pp. Saturdays are sorted thanks to a bottomless brunch of bottomless Bintangs & prosecco fountain and Bali beach club-inspired menu ($65pp), while Sunday Sessions feature spit-roasted suckling pig and live music.
For those who missed their festival fix this year, a taste of Coachella is coming to Cargo Bar! It may not be Palm Springs, but a giant teepee entrance, festival snack favourites and DJ line-up will play homage to the ultimate music experience. The Cargo-Chella Brunch will take place each Saturday with Bloody Marys, rosé sangria jugs and brunch item, $59pp. The Booth Packages will be great for small groups, the GA package includes cocktail jugs on arrival, pizza to share and exclusive booth space at $35pp, while the VIP package has bottomless cocktails, wine and beer, bottomless snacking and exclusive booth space, perfect for groups of 10 at $80pp.
“With many Australians missing out on overseas holidays this year, we’re bringing the summer holiday vibes to some of our venues in Sydney,” says Kylie Moncur, AVC Chief Marketing Officer.
“Our specially curated series of pop-up events will transport Sydneysiders to dream destinations Italy, Japan, Bali and Palm Springs, without worrying about restrictions or the expensive airfare.”
Keeping it local never looked so good with Australian Venue Co’s Staycations.
CHEESE boards are set to be spiced up with the launch of Conjurup Food Company’s aromatic lemon jam, Confiture de Citron.
They say ‘when life gives you lemons, make lemonade’, but Anna-Jane “AJ” Dalton – an award-winning product developer, caterer and food consultant – doesn’t do the expected, preferring to think outside the square. The ‘lemon challenge’ led to her creation of a fabulous new zesty condiment that is destined to be a must-have for entertaining and cooking, and an ideal Christmas gift for any foodie.
As versatile as it is delicious, the spreadable condiment’s fragrant, intense lemon flavour is balanced with the sweetness of sugar and just the right amount of spice.
Confiture de Citron is the perfect pairing for cheese and grazing plates, although the options are limitless. Try it as a glaze on fish, chicken, pork or vegetables, or add a zesty burst of flavour to sandwiches, toasties and pizza. Mix with mayonnaise to create a dipping sauce, fold through mascarpone and freeze to make delicious ice cream, or spice up your cocktails to create a wicked martini.
“It is new and it is different. I love it with gorgonzola. It goes really well with a good cheddar, and also great with a really ripe brie,” AJ said. “It is intense, with no additives, and it has spicing that gives it a point of difference and balance that I am told is perfect. It just elevates food.
“Everything I do has an extraordinarily long palate, so you get lots of layers of flavour.”
Produced in Newcastle, Confiture de Citron is AJ’s original recipe using single-sourced, unwaxed lemons from the Central Coast, with the jam hand-poured and set in the pot.
After moving from Sydney to Newcastle in late 2019, AJ’s creativity in the kitchen was reignited after soaking up the Hunter region’s flourishing food and wine scene, and abundance of quality, locally grown produce. She developed the recipe earlier this year during the COVID-19 lockdown period after looking for ways to use leftover lemon slices and create a product unlike any other in the marketplace.
“I’m a country girl and I cannot bear waste. There were lemon slices not perfect enough to use in another lemon product I’m working on and I thought, ‘I bet I can do something interesting with these’. I didn’t want to just make a jam. I wanted to make something that was really interesting. I thought ‘You know what? I’m going to spice it and I’m going to get the balance right, and I think it will be beautiful with cheese’.”
Food critic Dane Richards said of Confiture de Citron: “With my background as a head reviewer and food critic, it’s very rare on any first evaluation, where you find total harmony – whether that be with all the elements in a dish, or in this case, with a new niche product. This exquisitely balanced and brilliantly conceived condiment is an exception, with the key being its versatility to accompany whatever takes your fancy – my personal favourite being used to accompany, and elevate, any quality cheese and charcuterie”.
About Conjurup Food Company
Anna-Jane “AJ” Dalton founded Conjurup Food Company in 2011. After a career working in advertising, sales and marketing, AJ’s passion for food and wine led her into the food industry with the launch of a range of specialty spice mixes.
She featured as a contestant on the first season of MasterChef, where her spicing skills won over judges, including Matt Preston who requested a copy of her recipe. “I was astonished and delighted that a renowned critic was asking for my recipe. I thought ‘If he likes it and he wants the recipe, then others would too. Since then I have created, tried and tested various recipe mixes on many and varied people. To date, everyone has loved them and that is what I want everyone to share.”
Conjurup Food Company launched Confiture de Citron in October 2020.
Conjurup Food Company Buy online at www.conjurupfood.com.au or in-store from the following stockists: Milford Espresso, Islington; Hunter Valley Chocolate Company, Pokolbin; Wollombi Road Providore, Cessnock; and Hungerford Meat Co, Branxton.
We can’t get to Italy at the moment, so Amalfi is coming to South Melbourne with ST. ALi’s summer outdoor dining festival, including ST. ALi NIGHTS.
To celebrate the brand new ST. ALi NIGHTS, owner Salvatore Malatesta will introduce the Italian Artisans in Residence program, featuring a classic menu of Italian favourites from Tony Nicolini (DOC), pasta chef Andrea Vignali, who will be serving up a selection of his homemade classics, as well as pasta from local heroes EAT Pasta, and smashing cocktails by Orlando Marzo, winner of the World’s Best Bartender Award 2018.
A sneak peek at the ST. ALi NIGHTS menu shows a selection of traditional wood-fire pizza plus classic Italian favourites including Vignali’s world-famous homemade tortellini cacio e pepe.
Outdoor dining will be open for breakfast and lunch with two sittings and a separate menu at dinner, the last sitting will present recent films from the Italian Film Festival in celebration of ST. ALi’s partnership with the Italian Film Festival.
Founder and owner Salvatore Malatesta says, “Everything has evolved so organically that it’s felt like it was always meant to be. This is the beginning of a new chapter for ST. ALi and we can’t wait to share it with you”.
In addition, Grainshaker Vodka will have their first activation in a pop-up cocktail bar at ST. ALi’s private dining room (formerly Smalls). Expect Sebastian Reaburn and team to share their newest creations, three individual vodkas from three grains: rye, wheat, and corn. Partners for ST. ALi Summer also include Peroni, Four Pillars Gin, CAPI, Campari, Gin Mayo and Genobile Saba.
Ensuring safety for all patrons, numbers for indoor and outdoor dining will be capped at 20 inside and 50 outside. Bookings are recommended, but walk-ups are always welcome. NIGHTS roll out from Thursday, November 5.
Soak up the sunshine and bay views whilst enjoying delicious snacks and cocktails.
Following the easing of restrictions, Stokehouse Precinct’s Pontoon Deck returns on Monday, 2 November bringing all the good vibes of St Kilda Beach. The perfect spot to dine outdoors with fresh sea air, soak up the sunshine whilst watching the incredible sunsets and take in all the energy of those passing by on the beach boardwalk.
Stokehouse Precinct’s Executive Chef Jason Staudt is back with a menu inspired by Australian beach barbeques. Start with oysters or a bucket of prawns, sample a skewer, swordfish burger or hanger steak straight from the grill or gravitate to the classics like the salt and pepper chicken, fried calamari or potato salad.
Group Pastry Chef Lauren Eldridge has created a dessert menu of classic summer sunshine flavours. Try her take on a favourite childhood ice-cream the ‘Splice’ with a pine-lime granita and fresh pineapple or a coconut panna cotta with watermelon jelly, rum and mint.
The drinks list has also had a makeover, ready for your staycation. Cocktails include a coconut margarita and a fruity tiki-inspired number called Feeling Nautical, alongside the classic Aperol spritz, icy cold beers and wines.
The Pontoon Deck spaciously seats 50 guests with a new table layout in place and will be open all day long from 12pm through until sunset Monday to Sunday kicking off from Monday, 2 November. A minimum spend of $40 per person will be in place along with a Melbourne Cup public holiday surcharge. Bookings are recommended and will be available online via the Pontoon website through until the end of November.
Indoor bookings will be reserved for groups looking to celebrate – whether birthdays, engagements, anniversaries or just being free! Email ahoy@pontoonstkildabeach.com.au to grab your spot indoors. Further details regarding December bookings to come once updates regarding restrictions are available.
Stokehouse is available at home via Providoor with bookings also opening shortly, and the fish and chip kiosk Paper Fish is now open Thursday to Sunday for those looking for a quick bite to take away.
Follow @pontoonstkildabeach or sign up to the Stokehouse Precinct newsletter online via the Pontoon website www.pontoonstkildabeach.com.au to keep updated.
Pontoon is now recruiting for chefs, bar and floor team members to work by the beach this summer. Email hr@vanhaandelgroup.com.au.
Lakeside at Carousel is serving up premium picnics on the lawn, cocktails with friends and live music like never before.
From the team behind South Melbourne’s iconic Half Acre and caterer’s food&desire, Lakeside at Carousel is a new outdoor pop-up taking over the iconic Carousel building at Albert Park Lake and the Pelican Lawn directly adjacent spanning 2000 square metres.
In conjunction with Parks Victoria, Lakeside at Carousel will be the place to be this summer where Melburnians can grab a COVID-19 safe picnic spot on the grass with the option to hire furniture to make it even more comfortable and enjoy delicious and freshly prepared food and drinks at their fingertips.
Throughout the length of the pop-up there will be live entertainment and more, making it the perfect spot for after-work drinks, mid-week family dinners, weekend celebrations or to simply to kick off your shoes and unwind in one place, all summer long.
“Lakeside at Carousel has been created for Melburnians to have their much-loved Melbourne back, and to enjoy this iconic location throughout summer, taking in the views of the Melbourne city skyline and Albert Park Lake while catching up with friends and loved ones in a COVID-safe environment,” said Half Acre Owner and Founder Adam Wright-Smith.
Dotted across the Pelican Lawn (the grassed area adjacent to Carousel) will be striped umbrellas standing tall to host groups of up to ten guests at any time. Available for walk-ups, guests bring their own rug or dress to impress by ‘pimping their park’ with add-on furniture hire from Place Settings available on-site.
“We wanted to create a new space at Albert Lake Park that was unlike anything Melburnians have ever experienced from pimped-up picnics and a pop-up bottle shop with wine and cocktails to live entertainment and more,” says Adam Wright-Smith.
Available to order from the windows overlooking the lawns at Carousel, the menu features fresh seasonal produce with a little something for everyone.
There are meals and classic favourites from meze platters with falafel, BBQ shawarma chicken, hummus, labneh and salad bowls, cheese and charcuterie boards to Southern crispy chicken burgers, fish and chips, Chicago hot dogs and more.
Satisfying the sweet tooths, a selection of desserts is available, including summer pavlova ice cream with homemade meringue pavlova, berries and passionfruit curd and the chocolate ice cream cookie monster for the adults only, which is finished with a shot of espresso martini. Also, on the dessert menu are hot jam doughnuts and chocolate doughnuts.
Breakfast will also be available daily with a selection of acai bowls, fruit salad, and bacon and egg rolls to take away.
Those looking for a more unique experience and front row seats to the lakeside activities and views over the lake, the deck at Carousel will also host a first-ever dining experience with à la carte dining available for lunch and dinner for up to 50 guests outdoors from Saturday, 7 November.
“Carousel is renowned for hosting the best events in Melbourne and because of restrictions we haven’t been able to have anything here for so long and we’re excited to utilise this space again. It’s the first time in 16 years that we’re opening up the deck at Carousel for guests to enjoy a new dining experience,” says food&desire director Asaf Smoli.
Lakeside at Carousel is open daily from Saturday, 31 October for takeaway coffee, breakfast, lunch and dinner from 9am to sunset (weather permitting). The deck at Carousel is open from Saturday, 7 November for lunch and dinner. The summer pop-up will also be open for key events on the calendar including Melbourne Cup, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day and will also host screenings of the Australian Open.
Lakeside at Carousel is located at 22 Aughtie Drive in Albert Park. Parking is available on-site and trams 96 and 112 are located nearby.
A community haven that encapsulates Freshwater’s rich history and young spirit.
A Freshwater icon is set to reopen this December when Harbord Hotel unveils the first phase of its spectacular and highly anticipated refurbishment. Located just moments away from the beach, Harbord Hotel will encapsulate Freshwater’s rich history and young spirit, offering a laidback haven for Freshie locals just as summer hits.
Undoubtedly one of Sydney’s greatest pubs, Harbord Hotel (formerly Harbord Beach Hotel) has stood proudly as a community landmark for nearly a century, and is now in the dedicated hands of Freshwater locals and new owners Glenn Piper and Lachlan Cottee. Its evolution has been designed with everyone in mind, but locals at the heart, and great time and care has gone into understanding the fabric and stories of the area to help shape the venue’s future. The result is a true beachside haven; a local icon informed by the surf culture that has long been embedded within the venue’s name.
Glenn Piper said: “We are honoured to be the new custodians of a venue that is so entrenched in the Freshwater community. Everyone knows that undeniable Freshwater current – it’s magic, and something that has guided us throughout this process. Life doesn’t need to be complicated when you’ve got the fundamentals down to a fine art. Good mates, great food, cold beer and cracking tunes. And, of course, the ocean”.
Piper continued: “We’re so grateful for everyone’s support and patience this year, and can’t wait to swing open doors and see everyone back enjoying this special venue again”.
The first phase of the venue’s historic redevelopment will see the refurbishment of the ground floor including the expansive main bar and courtyard, and the launch of Balsa, a new casual, coastal dining experience that is set to become the heart and soul of Freshwater.
Designed in collaboration with architects Alexander & Co, Harbord Hotel has taken cues from Freshwater’s history and unique claim as the birthplace of surfboard riding in Australia. Greeted by a mural by local artist Ash Holmes, locals will be able to stroll up straight from the sea, throw their boards down the side and head into the sun-soaked courtyard to refresh and relax. The exterior of the building will have a new sun-bleached identity and portions of the venue that have been covered up for decades will be exposed, revealing memories of bygone coastal flair.
“We want Harbord Hotel to be more than just a pub for our guests. It’s a home, a hangout, a place where you can pop in after a surf and grab a bite to eat, and be on a first name basis with staff, where morning brunch stretches out to the afternoon and daytime turns seamlessly into sundown,” says Piper.
Harbord Hotel’s food is rooted in a reverence for nature, using ethical and sustainable produce to create effortless food with punchy flavours. Head Chef Adam Rust (ex-12-Micron) who grew up and still lives in Freshwater, will harness the simple and natural flavours of salt, wood, and smoke to cook the best ingredients that he can find, sourcing the freshest, finest seafood and foraging along the coastline for herbs. The drinks menu will take the smoke and salt philosophy to the next level, heroing riffs on margaritas, coastal wines and crisp Aussie beers, with a strong representation of non-alcoholic drops.
Embracing its oceanside location, Harbord Hotel’s new restaurant, Balsa, is a nod to the single element we owe the freedom of surfing to – the lightweight wood that transformed chasing sets into a national pastime. Here, Rust, has designed a menu that captures the spirit and flavours of the ocean. Inspired by surf trips barrelling up and down Australia’s East Coast and the US West Coast, Balsa celebrates the mutual influence of American surf culture on Australia and Freshwater’s influence on the world.
Harbord Hotel is gearing for up an incredible action-packed first summer of free events and entertainment. Every set will be a reset, with a strong focus on live music and championing local Northern Beaches talent. People can sign up at www.harbordhotel.com.au to be the first to hear more.
Due to the significance and history of the venue, the team are taking a gradual approach to the venue’s refurbishment. The second phase is set to include a further evolution of the current offering, adding a boutique accommodation building and café. The vision is that Harbord Hotel will continue to be intrinsically linked to its Freshwater roots with a strong community focus and connection to surf culture, helping to support local businesses and reinvigorate the area. Further details will be announced in due course.
New St Tropez-inspired bar and outdoor dining venue, and al fresco dining areas set to launch at Crown Melbourne.
Crown Melbourne (Crown) has today announced an exciting new outdoor dining precinct for Melbourne, featuring all ten of the highly sought-after riverfront restaurants that line the Crown Riverwalk, as well as a brand-new venue – a European beach club-inspired outdoor bar and dining offering – Pétanque Social.
Amongst those reopening will be some of Crown’s most famous riverfront restaurants, offering a mix of indoor and outdoor dining in line with the easing of Victorian government restrictions, scheduled to open November 2nd.
Bistro Guillaume, Rosetta, The Atlantic, Ging Thai, Merrywell Burger Bar, Gradi, Lucky Chan, Baci and Cervo will be amongst the first to open their doors, with Rockpool Bar & Grill to follow shortly after. Eight of those venues will extend their terrace dining offering out onto the iconic Melbourne Riverwalk at Southbank.
The new precinct has been created in response to the Victoria Government and City of Melbourne’s recent outdoor dining permit system, encouraging hospitality businesses to safely cater to diners outdoors.
Pétanque Social is a unique outdoor bar and dining space inspired by the beach clubs of St Tropez and will provide Melburnians with an experience that celebrates summer on the banks of the Yarra, overlooking the city that Melburnians love.
According to Crown Melbourne’s Executive General Manager of Food and Beverage, Enda Cunningham, the Riverwalk and Pétanque Social will undeniably become Melbourne’s go-to place for summer with its unique mix of dining options backed up by an incredible new bar.
Pétanque Social will offer an expansive open space adorned with day beds, lounge chairs and striped pastel blue umbrellas reminiscent of Fontelina Beach Club on the island of Capri. A full-service bar will be complemented by fresh summer dishes from Crown’s award-winning restaurant line-up. Entertainment will be in no short supply, with a huge screen for those who don’t want to miss the summer of sport, terrain for a game of pétanque, live DJs, and “Jazz Sundays” with freshly shucked oysters.
“We have a wonderful location right here on the Yarra, with some of Melbourne’s best restaurants. Melbourne has always been the most European of Australia’s cities – so launching a south of France-style bar on the river makes complete sense. We know Melburnians have had a hard year – and we’re looking forward to being part of a COVID-safe summer for the city,” said Cunningham.
“We are a big part of Melbourne’s dining scene and whilst it has been a challenging year, our team is looking forward to doing what they do best in this new outdoors environment – creating many more memorable dining experiences for the people of Melbourne to enjoy,” added Cunningham.
Alibi Bar is serving 100% plant-based Dirty Greens menu specials throughout November.
Vegan Month at Alibi Bar & Kitchen returns this World Vegan Day (1 November 2020) in celebration of the flourishing plant-based industry. For the entire month of November, crowd favourites from Alibi Bar’s Dirty Greens menu will be available at special prices each week. In addition to these Dirty Greens specials to keep you coming back weekly, enjoy $10 spritzes and $6 beers all month long.
Since opening, Alibi Bar & Kitchen, alongside acclaimed plant-based pioneer, chef and restaurateur Matthew Kenney, has championed plant-based dining and contributed to the rise of plant-based eating as consumer demand grows, as do the offerings of restaurants and bars across the country. A ‘darker side to plant-based dining’, Alibi Bar’s Dirty Greens menu continues to challenge the traditional green and raw perception of plant-based dining. Delicious and guilty, 100% plant-based ‘meaty’ treats are made using fresh plant-based and protein packed ‘meat’ and other innovative alternatives from the Alibi team.
Vegan Month menu:
Week 1 $10 Cheeseburger with plant-based patty, cheese, pickles, onion, mustard and ketchup Sunday 1 to Sunday 8 November 2020
Week 2 $1 Mac n Cheese Balls with maple–chilli hot sauce Monday 9 to Sunday 15 November 2020
Week 3 $10 Cheesy Dog with American mustard, ketchup and crispy onions Monday 16 to Sunday 22 November 2020
Week 4 $5 Cauliflower Bites bowl with chipotle aioli Monday 23 to Monday 30 November 2020
Weeks 1–4 $10 spritzes and $6 beers Sunday 1 to Monday 30 November
Vegan Month at Alibi Bar comes just one month after Ovolo Hotels announced that all their restaurants and bars across Australia and Hong Kong would be going vegetarian for 365 days. ‘Year of the Veg’ launched on World Vegetarian Day (1 October 2020), demonstrating how when the world changes, Ovolo evolves. A continuation of Ovolo’s philosophy of connecting with its customers’ want as plant-based and vegetarian cuisine remain on the rise.
As leaders in the plant-based industry, this enticing offer is a celebration of Alibi Bar & Kitchen’s commitment to offering a curious, contemporary, and innovative 100% plant-based menu.
To celebrate Halloween this year, Stokehouse’s fish and chip kiosk Paper Fish is going all out for the kids with free treats for any children visiting the kiosk in their best spooky gear. There’s also a special pumpkin-spiced gelato cone. Think less trick and more treats.
Stokehouse Precinct’s Group Pastry Chef Lauren Eldridge was inspired by the pumpkin spice craze in the US and thought the perfect Aussie twist would be a gelato flavour in a waffle cone to enjoy by the beach. This special gelato will be available for one day only (Saturday, 31 October), so get in quick.
Paper Fish is also currently running an after-school special every Thursday for primary school kids. They will receive a free all-natural ‘Pure Pop’ with any purchase from the kiosk between 4pm and 6pm on Thursdays. ‘Pure Pop’ flavours include pineapple, lime coconut, watermelon berry mint, choc malt shake and more.
And, to celebrate the warmer weather, Paper Fish has extended their opening hours to Thursday & Friday 4pm–8pm and Saturday, Sunday & Public Holidays 12pm–8pm. Check out their IG @_paperfish for more.
If you’re saddling up for a DIY Melbourne Cup celebration this year, Saké Restaurant & Bar and Spice Temple in Sydney are offering easy and elegant lunches for pick-up, to enjoy at home, work, or picnic-style.
Nothing screams spring racing soirée more than Saké’s stylish blend of luxe and laid back. Each Saké restaurant is offering a different menu, with Sake The Rocks having two options available.
Saké Double Bay – $209 Edamame Sashimi moriawase Tuna ceviche Nigiri, 10 pieces Shumai steamed prawn dumplings Lobster tempura Wagyu skewers, 4 pieces House salad $279 with six Asahi beers and a Miss Wednesday cocktail (250ml); $309 with bottle of Veuve Clicquot; $349 with magnum of Veuve.
Saké Manly – $129 Edamame Tuna ceviche Sashimi, 6 pieces Shumai steamed prawn dumplings Chicken karaage Popcorn shrimp Red samurai sushi roll Spider maki sushi roll $199 with six Asahi beers and a Miss Wednesday cocktail (250ml); $229 with bottle of Veuve Clicquot; $275 with magnum of Veuve.
Saké The Rocks: First Out of the Gate – $155 Edamame Sashimi, 8 pieces Nigiri, 8 pieces Shumai steamed prawn dumplings Spicy pork gyoza Spicy tuna sushi roll Spider maki sushi roll $225 with six Asahi beers and a Miss Wednesday cocktail (250ml); $255 with bottle of Veuve Clicquot, $299 with magnum of Veuve.
Saké The Rocks: The Winner’s Pick – $209 Edamame Sashimi, 12 pieces Tuna ceviche Shumai steamed prawn dumplings Toothfish tempura Popcorn shrimp Nigiri, 12 pieces Spicy tuna sushi roll Kingfish crunch sushi roll $279 with six Asahi beers and a Miss Wednesday cocktail (250ml); $305 with bottle of Veuve Clicquot; $349 with magnum of Veuve.
Pre-order by 5pm on Saturday, 31 October and pick up from Saké Double Bay, The Rocks or Manly between 11.30am and 2.30pm on Tuesday, 3 November. Order for Saké Double Bay HERE, Saké Manly HERE and Saké The Rocks HERE.
Sister restaurant Spice Temple is also offering a no-fuss, pick-up menu for those who are glamming up for a self-catered Melbourne Cup.
A Head Start – $109 Pickled daikon with ginger and black sesame Pickled cabbage and radish White-cut chicken with ginger and shallot dressing Prawn wontons with black ginger and chilli Har gao steamed prawn dumplings Crystal vegetable dumplings Prawn and scallop spring rolls Stir-fried rice noodles House-style fried rice $179 with bottle of Moët Chandon, or six Tsingtao beers and a Rooster cocktail (250ml); $239 with magnum of Moët.
Quinella – $199 Pickled daikon with ginger and black sesame Pickled cabbage and radish Raw yellowfin tuna with spicy orange oil and lettuce Tea-smoked duck with aged black vinegar and spicy pickled cucumbers Har gao steamed prawn dumplings Crystal vegetable dumplings Prawn and scallop spring rolls Stir-fried wagyu brisket with baby eggplant and chilli paste Kung pao chicken House-style fried rice Steamed Chinese broccoli with oyster sauce $269 with a bottle of Moët Chandon, or six Tsingtao beers and a Rooster cocktail (250ml); $329 with magnum of Moët.
Pre-order by 5pm on Saturday, 31 October and pick up from Saké Double Bay, or Spice Temple in the CBD between 11.30am and 2.30pm on Tuesday, 3 November. Order for pick-up at Saké Double Bay HERE, and for pick-up from Spice Temple in the city HERE.
Food and Beverage Director for Saké Restaurant & Bar and Spice Temple, Celine Tran, said: “Our Melbourne Cup @ Home menus enable diners to enjoy the sophistication of two of Sydney’s favourite Asian restaurants in the comfort of their own home, workplace, or wherever else they choose to celebrate Melbourne Cup this year.
“Our premium Champagne, house-made bottled cocktails and Asian beer add-ons and upgrades are incredible value for money and a fantastic way to toast The Cup.”
Jack Daniel’s Southern Schnitzel – from Tuesday, 3 November The Bavarian is giving its traditional schnitzel an iconic southern-style makeover for the month of November, and it’s a crispy-southern-spiced dream. The latest Schnitzel of the Month is named the Jack Daniel’s Southern Schnitzel ($26) for its southern US and Tennessee whiskey inspiration. This crisp beauty comprises lightly spiced buttermilk-and-yoghurt-brined chicken breast doused in a thick flour crumb that is laced with a blend of 10 spices.
Deep fried until insanely crunchy and gloriously golden, it is accessorised with potato gems that are lightly dusted in chipotle chilli seasoning, creamy cabbage slaw, and generous dollops of Frank’s hot sauce & Jack Daniel’s BBQ sauce. The Bavarian is open at Charlestown, Rouse Hill, Castle Hill, Shellharbour, Tuggerah, Manly, Macarthur, Miranda, Penrith, Green Hills, Entertainment Quarter and York Street. Bookings HERE.
Spice it up with mango habanero hot sauce – throughout November WingHAÜSby Bavarian, the wing-packed, sauce-smacked, sports-bar spinoff of The Bavarian family, is launching the latest addition to its Allstar Flavour Series. A mango habanero hot sauce will be added to the menu throughout November. Spoiler alert: it’s deliciously addictive – spicy and not too sweet with mellow tropical notes. On the WingHAÜS heat index it’s two flames, which means it’s hot, but not excessively so. It joins the eight signature sauces already on the menu, so diners can choose it to dunk their classic, boneless, or cauliflower wings into. (Guests choose one sauce to accompany their wings, at no extra cost.) Or for $3 they can buy it to dip their hots chips or potato gems into. Mango habanero doused menu items are best enjoyed with a frozen mango margarita ($15), or dial it up to a Stein Rita ($24), which is a one-litre stein filled with frozen mango margarita. WingHAÜSis located at Level 1, Gateway dining precinct, Circular Quay. Bookings HERE.
Movies under the stars at The Argyle – every Wednesday in November Nothing screams ‘summer is coming’ like a bit of outdoor cinema action. The Argyle’s Open-Air Cinema has some cracking movies coming up in November.
Relax in a deckchair in the cobblestone courtyard at this iconic cinema under the stars and enjoy cult classics every Wednesday, from 7pm. Refreshments are close at hand, including two-for-one wood-fired pizza ($30), 10-cent buffalo wings, and happy hour $5 drinks from 5pm to 7pm. We’ve also given everyone’s favourite movie treat an upgrade, with $15 Salted Caramel Popcorn Espresso Martinis on the menu. Here is the November line-up:
4th November: 50 First Dates
11th November: Crazy Stupid Love
18th November: Deadpool
18th November: Deadpool
Screenings commence at 7pm. Entry is free but bookings are essential.The Argyle is located in The Rocks, Sydney. Bookings HERE.
Image credit: Michael Gribbin
Burritos are back at El Camino Cantina – from week commencing Monday, 23 November Tex-Mex diner El Camino Cantina is bringing back its big-hitting burritos ($19.50). They’re plump with Mexican rice, black beans, shredded iceberg, sautéed onion, capsicum, cheese, chipotle mayo, and pico de gallo. Diners have the option of adding grilled chicken or ground beef. Guests can ditch the tortilla wrap and go for a burrito bowl ($21), which is a combination of Mexican rice, black beans, shredded iceberg, cheese, pico de gallo, coriander, jalapeño and sour cream. Grilled chicken or ground beef can be added for $5 each, and guacamole for $3. El Camino Cantina is located at The Rocks, Manly, Miranda and The Entertainment Quarter. Bookings HERE.
Consumers can now choose Huon RSPCA Approved Salmon in Coles supermarkets.
Huon Aquaculture’s General Manager of Sales and Marketing, Callan Paske, said the introduction of Huon Salmon products featuring the RSPCA Approved logo will give consumers peace of mind.
“Our fish have met health and welfare standards second to none in the industry,” Callan said.
Since joining in 2018, Huon remains the first and only seafood producer in Australia to be included in RSPCA’s Approved Farming Scheme.
“All farmers, land or sea-based, are responsible for raising animals with consideration of their needs as living, feeling beings and Huon is proud to meet the high standards of the RSPCA Approved Farming Scheme,” Callan said.
In addition to high welfare standards, Huon Salmon is harvested at night, reducing the time it takes to get fresh salmon products into Coles supermarkets.
“Harvesting at night ensures we are leaving our fish in the water for as long as possible, offering consumers the freshest premium salmon products available in the market,” Callan said.
“Huon is proud to offer these new products to Coles shoppers as they represent our values of exceptional quality, freshness and high-welfare standards.”
Comprised of four products, Huon’s new RSPCA Approved range also includes flavoured options, including salmon portions coated in a zesty Lemon & Herb crumb, and a marinade option featuring Chilli, Garlic & Lime.
“Our new range offers conveniently portioned, versatile meal options that are quick and easy to cook,” Callan said.
“Salmon is a super food protein, rich in Omega-3 and adaptable to many different flavour profiles and cuisines, so why not give chicken the night off and instead give salmon a go?”
Available in two-portion packs, the new Huon RSPCA Approved Salmon range is now available in Coles supermarkets across NSW.
For more information on Huon’s products and farming methods, visit: www.huonaqua.com.au.
Spring Racing Carnival is almost here and even though we can’t party at Flemington Racecourse this year there are still some consolation prizes for celebrating a little closer to home.
Estelle’s Scott Pickett & Piccolina Gelateria owner Sandra Foti have come together to create the ultimate Picnic Pack for an easy-to-share-with-friends spread complete with; Mooloolaba fresh prawns; Estelle pork sausage rolls; charcuterie of pickled vegetables, stracciatella & peperonata; smoked Atlantic salmon, cultured cream, walnut bread; roast chicken, green goddess, puffed corn salad; grain salad; rare roast beef, horseradish yoghurt, crispy shallots, fried capers; crispy pita… and to finish, a trio of bespoke Piccolina gelato flavours, including a fresh and boozy strawberry, prosecco & basil sorbet; mascarpone & lemon cheesecake gelato; and apple Tarte Tatin gelato – a take on Pickett’s signature dessert.
All you need to do is lay out a blanket and we’ll bring the picnic!
Piccolina Gelateria owner Sandra Foti says, “Spring Racing Carnival is one of the highlights of the year for Melbournians. This year we can’t head to the racecourse, but we can celebrate with friends with a killer picnic!”
Estelle owner Scott Pickett says, “It’s time to giddy up, pull up a picnic blanket, pour the prosecco and enjoy the Estelle & Piccolina collab with your mates”.
Available for pick-up from Piccolina Hawthorn, Collingwood, St Kilda and Estelle Northcote. Delivery is also available!
You can choose either a Picnic Pack for 2 ($120) or a Picnic Pack for 4 ($240), which are available for pre-order only via the Estelle website www.theestelle.com.au and can be collected from Piccolina Hawthorn, Collingwood or St Kilda and Estelle Northcote or delivered to your door on Saturday for a small fee.
Product Details: Picnic Pack for 2 Price: $120 Serves: 2 people and includes a 1L tub of gelato
Picnic Pack for 4 Price: $240 Serves: 4 people and includes a 1L tub of gelato
Delivery: Friday, 30 October–Saturday, 7 November 2020 between 10am–6pm Pick-up: Friday, 30 October–Saturday, 7 November 2020 between 10am–3pm Order cut-off 4pm the day prior or until sold out
Yarra Valley’s picturesque CherryHill Orchards is celebrating its 80th anniversary in 2020 and will welcome cherry lovers to bask in the sunshine and enjoy the surrounds of the 85-acre orchard. Taste fresh cherries straight from the trees and even take some home to enjoy — the annual Pick Your Own season will run from 27 November to early January, with tickets going on sale 1 November. Visitors are encouraged to purchase quickly as time slots have limited capacity to ensure cherry pickers can be safely distanced while enjoying a fabulous day out.
In addition to the Pick Your Own experience, and new for 2020, is a High Tea in the Orchards offering where visitors can enjoy their own exclusive picnic nestled among the avenues of cherry trees. Set within a private row of green foliage, visitors will enjoy a picnic basket full of goodies in a setting with vintage furniture to ensure style and comfort, while enjoying a lazy afternoon of indulgence within the picturesque orchard. Each sitting is three hours and will include an indulgent cherry-inspired menu and sparkling wine.
Cherry season is one of the few times a year this beautiful orchard opens to the public for a unique and memorable day out in the country – opening every day throughout the season, 9am–5pm (excluding Christmas Day) with live music and food trucks. With Melburnians itching to get out and about again and support Victorian businesses, CherryHill Orchards is excited to welcome guests and remind everyone that Victoria is home to a stunning destination for the perfect day out. Cherry-picking timeslots will be for two hours, and then guests are welcome to visit the onsite café, try the coveted cherry ice-cream, enjoy a free beverage tasting, including CherryHill Rosé Cider and the signature Cherish Spritzer, while soaking up the live music and scenic surrounds.
Guests can relax and unwind among the rows of cherry trees by setting up their own picnic in the orchard or enjoy food from rotating food trucks on site. CherryHill Orchards is the perfect place to catch-up or take a trip out of town and enjoy the best of Australian cherries. All tickets prices are as follows:
• Pick Your Own: Family (2 adults and 2 children) – $45 Adult (14+) – $19.50 Child (4–13) – $10.50 3 and below – Free Takeaway cherries are charged per kilogram upon leaving. Or select a Grab and Go Box with a ticket, pick straight into the box, with no need to pay at the end.
• High Tea in the Orchards: $195 for two people – includes three-hour private high tea sitting with a cherry-inspired menu and sparkling wine.
CherryHill Orchards began in 1940 when George Riseborough planted his first cherry trees in Victoria. Today the family still carries on the cherry-growing tradition and produces Australia’s finest cherries. The CherryHill team travels the world to find the best innovations and techniques to ensure the cherries are world-class quality.
Official re-opening this Friday, 30th October, followed by a week of celebrations.
The Wallaby Hotel will officially re-open on Friday, 30th October after a $2.3 million renovation to restore the venue to its former glory. While the celebrations will kick off on that date, there is a whole week of events for locals and guests to join.
Established in 1883, the Wallaby Hotel has always been a favourite amongst locals and is known for supporting local music acts, but it was time for a refresh. The focus of the renovations was maintaining and lovingly restoring the beautiful heritage features of the historic pub and to re-establish the original XXXX sign on the roof – which is almost as well loved by the locals as the beer itself.
Celebrations will begin on Friday, 30th October at 3pm with a ribbon cutting. Locals can enjoy a free sausage sizzle and beverages from 5–7pm and listen to live music from Revolution from 8pm.
Melbourne Cup Day and State of Origin will be played with food specials and party pies for guests.
Saturday, 7th November will see the Grand Opening Party with free rissole sangas. There’ll be the inaugural Wallaby Hotel Bloke or Sheila of the Year Awards from 3–5pm with true-blue Aussie battles from air guitar competition to thong toss battle and meat pie eating championship. Live music will play from 5pm by Angels, Oils and Divinyls Tribute Band.
Re-opening festivities will conclude with an amazing Family Funday on Sunday, 8th November. Families can gather in the new play area to enjoy a magic show, face painting and free popcorn and fairy floss. There’s the $7 kids’ meals to keep them fed and live music will be on stage from 2pm.
The public bar, bistro, outdoor deck, kids play area and gaming room have all had a complete re-vamp during the renovations. The new outdoor deck is the perfect spot to settle in for the afternoon, order a bottle of wine, enjoy some share items from the menu and relax in the Queensland warmth.
Families are sure to make the Wallaby Hotel their favourite destination. Kids will love the new play area that will keep them entertained while parents enjoy their meal and drink.
Sports lovers will enjoy the new surrounds and catch all the live action of their favourite game across eight big screens.
Of course, music is still a focus of the Wallaby – the venue is famous for live music on the Gold Coast, and the renovation has refreshed the stage area and allowed for more space for live touring acts.
The ideal location for lunch and dinner, the Wallaby Hotel menu has all the local favourites as well as some new dishes. Starters such cheeseburger spring rolls and southern fried chicken wings are ideal for sharing while the mains hero schnitzels, grilled beef and pub classics. Favourites are sure to be the Wallaby schnitzel topped with pulled pork, Bundy BBQ sauce, cheese and fried chicken wings and The Wallaby Bob Burger (a nod to the previous owner, the late Wallaby Bob) – beef patty, beetroot, pineapple, cheese, tomato, onion, pickles and aioli on a soft bun. The first meals will be served at the venue on Friday, 30th October.
The local community has always been the heart and soul of the Wallaby Hotel and the transformation will now bring more to the Mudgeeraba locals and create a casual space for everyone from families to young couples, local sporting teams to music lovers to enjoy. The team looks forward to everyone joining the re-opening celebrations.
This Sunday, 1 November, Melburnites can celebrate World Vegan Day with these plant-based food offerings:
Tokyo Tina For those that missed out on getting into a restaurant this weekend, Tokyo Tina invites you to enjoy a plant-based feast at home with its vegan banquet, available via Providoor. Featuring a selection of vegan dishes, the menu includes togarashi spiced edamame; pickled vegetables; miso soup; spring asparagus with soy milk emulsion and green chilli dressing; crispy avocado bao with cabbage, gochujang and avocado kewpie; shredded wombok, fennel, and radish salad; miso-baked cauliflower; and kimchi fried rice. Price: $104 for two ($52pp) Ordering: via Providoor
Hanoi Hannah Windsor’s Hanoi Hannah has cooked up an innovative banquet menu of vegan-friendly modern Vietnamese dishes to be enjoyed at home via Providoor. The plant-based menu features pickled vegetables; mushroom XO, betel leaf, crispy shallot & green apple; Hanoi-style spring rolls, butter lettuce, vermicelli net, pickles, vegan nuoc mam; aromatic vegetable yellow curry & coconut; wood-grilled eggplant w/ hot & sour soy & wood ear fungus; Chinese broccoli w/ lemongrass sate paste; and rice. Price: $100 for two ($50pp) Ordering: via Providoor
Co-Lab Pantry Stock your pantry with Victoria’s finest vegan produce from Co-Lab Pantry on World Vegan Day. You’ll find a range of heat-and-eat meals, as well as an assortment of pantry staples from Victoria’s most-loved hospitality partners. Highlights include: · The Fermentary Vegan Kimchi RRP $12.95 · A25 Vegan Lasagna RRP $30.00 · Neko Neko Vegan Sauce Tasting Box $50.00 · Neko Neko Vegan Ramen Noodles RRP $24.00 · Elyros Restaurant Vegan Moussaka RRP $22.00 · Prana Chai Vegan Blend (250g) RRP $21.00 · Chotto Motto Crispy Chilli Oil RRP $18.50
TheFork will offer AHA Victoria members zero subscription fees to use the platform, helping them to attract customers and manage guest reservations and data seamlessly on TheFork Lite Plan.
Restaurants who take up the plan will get access to TheFork Manager, an essential tool for all hotels and pubs to make managing reservations even easier. The system allows them to centralise all bookings; manage availability; accurately record guest information; and keep customers up to date with COVID-19 safety measures.
TheFork will help boost the restaurant’s online presence to millions of Australians and get diners back into venues. A free booking widget can be embedded on to restaurants’ websites to help drive bookings too.
Speaking to the partnership, TheFork Australia’s Country Manager Gary Burrows says: “It’s been an extremely hard year for the hospitality industry, and particularly in Victoria where the lockdown has continued. We of course want to help them to be able to reopen safely and smartly, with a suite of tools that will help attract guests, and manage reservations from start to finish seamlessly. We’re thrilled to be able to partner with AHA Victoria and extend this offer out to all its members. We feel this will be a great ongoing partnership, and just the start of what we can do to help the industry get back on track”.
TheFork Lite Plan has no contracts, no sign-up fees, no subscription fees. Restaurateurs will only pay for the customers who book via TheFork app or website.
A European-inspired wine bar, bottle shop and gourmet deli boasting an underground dine-in cellar.
When The Prince Hotel returns from forced hibernation on Friday, 30 October at 4pm, there’ll be plenty to shout about. The four-year, multi-million dollar refurbishment of the St Kilda icon is finally complete, with a stylish new wine bar Little Prince Wine adding to the venue’s already impressive hospitality offer which includes boutique accommodation, the Prince Dining Room, Prince Public Bar, live music venue Prince Bandroom and events and function space the Prince Deck.
Little Prince Wine opened quietly onto Melbourne’s hospitality scene on the first day of Lockdown 2.0, and has been moonlighting as a neighbourhood coffee haunt, bottle shop and gourmet grocer ever since. But now it will operate as it was always intended; a chic European-inspired wine bar.
The Prince Hotel’s Managing Director Andrew Ryan said he is thrilled to open up the venue and start welcoming guests.
“We’ve been overwhelmed by the level of support we’ve seen from our local community these past few months and we can’t wait to see them interact with the space in its new iteration. We’re also looking forward to welcoming visitors from outside our five-kilometre radius,” he said.
“We want Little Prince Wine to become the kind of place you pop into for a quick drink, but then find yourself cosily ensconced in the corner till the wee hours, caught up in conversation with your date or new-found friend.”
Both the gourmet grocer and wine store will remain as part of the Little Prince Wine core offering. There are more than 4,000 bottles in the collection which has been meticulously curated over the past decade by The Prince Hotel’s Sommelier Laurent Rospars.
The impressive underground cellar, which includes a large communal table for casual drinks and dining, is also available for private dinners and VIP events.
The space includes custom-made zinc and timber communal tables dotted with bar stools, as well as dining tables for small groups. It’s framed by wine cellar walls for guests to select a bottle to enjoy in-house or at home, and showcases an abundance of produce within its deli-style cabinet.
Little Prince Wine can be accessed via Acland Street or through Prince Public Bar and will be open daily from 11am until late. Visit www.theprince.com.au/little-prince-wine/. Prince Deck will be available by appointment only, while Prince Bandroom remains closed.
Ararat Rural City Council, in collaboration with the Grampians Winemakers Inc. and Grampians Tourism, has launched a new online platform profiling an array of emerging and established winemakers from throughout the Grampians region. The new portal, Made the Grampians Way, will offer consumers a selection of mixed cases, carefully curated to showcase the versatility of the region and suit different tastes.
The platform will profile a wide range of locally produced wine, providing critical exposure for small producers whilst also supporting some of the region’s best and most established wineries who are struggling in the face of COVID-19. For those unable to visit, it will act as a window into the Grampians’ unique spirit and abundance of local creators who make up the heart of the region.
The initiative has been funded through a grant from the Victorian Government and the Stronger Regional Communities Program, which supports regional initiatives aimed at attracting families and young people to the region to live and work.
Speaking on the launch of Made the Grampians Way, Dr Tim Harrison, CEO, Ararat Rural City Council said: “Ararat Rural City Council is passionate about the wine in our area and bringing it to the wider audience. It will come as no surprise that our wineries have been severely affected by COVID-19 and through this portal we hope that we can not only raise awareness of the Grampians as a wine region but build lasting connections with consumers to help promote future visitation to our wonderful area”.
Wine lovers will be able to choose from a variety of curated mixed packs based on their preferred flavour profile. Those keen to familiarise themselves with the region’s renowned peppery shiraz can opt for the Seriously Shiraz Dozen, which includes signature bottles from some of the most established wineries, such as Seppelt, Pomonal Estate and Mount Langi Ghiran.
Other packs will showcase the full breadth of the region’s flavours, with wineries such as Grampians Estate and Montara Wines putting their best bottles forward for the Award-Winning Mixed Dozen. The likes of Fallen Giants, SubRosa Wine and Clarnette & Ludvigsen each offer a lighter, fruitier option in the Spring Special Mixed Dozen, perfect for a warm afternoon in the spring sun.
Damien Sheehan, Chairman, Grampians Winemakers Inc. said: “The winemakers and local producers in the Grampians are an integral part of the region’s DNA and revenue has been hit hard due to COVID-19. This project is a collaborative effort to support our producers big and small and give them a platform to adapt and diversify their business so they can come out the other side. We are so excited to shine a light on the premium produce coming out of the Grampians and hope wine lovers near and far are just as excited to taste it”.
Home to some of the most promising new boutique wineries, consumers will be able to support the Grampians’ smaller producers and sample true hidden treasures with the Off the Beaten Track Mixed Half Dozen. Alternatively, wine connoisseurs who want to try it all can make up their own pack from a selection of almost 20 different wines.
Going beyond just an online store, the platform will also delve into the region’s rich history of winemaking, providing in-depth background details on each winery and profiling the unique flavour of every bottle sold.
Prices start at $164 for Off the Beaten Track mixed half dozen.
The first of several exciting new dining establishments set to launch in the next year.
The Star Sydney is set to open a casual Italian eatery, Cucina Porto, on 25 November. Celebrating the conviviality and relaxed charm of Italian hospitality, Cucina Porto will serve simple and honest Italian food with an unpretentious spirit. It is the first of several new dining establishments due to open in the complex in the coming year, as The Star Sydney continues to expand its diverse food precinct and reinvigorate Pyrmont as Sydney’s most vibrant dining and entertainment destination.
Located opposite the Sydney Lyric Theatre, Cucina Porto will be an Italian home away from home; a laidback and fuss-free cucina where the food is generous, and the good times are plenty. Executive Chef Martino Pulito (ex Morrison Bar & Oyster Room) has drawn on his heritage, including inspiration from his family recipes and his hometown of Puglia, to deliver a simple, pared-back menu that heroes exceptional local produce. Guests can expect classic Italian snacks, pizzas and generous bowls of pasta (all under $30) – each dish delivered with care and passion synonymous with Italian cuisine.
The Star’s award-winning bar manager Behzad Nvaziri has created a drinks list of fresh Italian classics, complete with a special Negroni progression menu. House wines, curated by sommelier Addy Lam, will showcase a selection of Italian and Australian-produced Italian wines.
The familiar charm of Chef Pulito’s cooking echoes throughout the modern dining area and semi-open kitchen. Framed artscapes represent the regions the menu has been inspired by, while open shelves hero fresh tomatoes, olive oils and lemons. The end result is a restaurant that is fun, fuss-free and familiar – one that celebrates an inherent Italian desire to open the home and share the table.
Cucina Porto, which is set to deliver an additional 30 hospitality jobs when fully operational, is the first of several dining establishments set to open over the next 12 months, joining recently opened Middle Eastern concept Bar Tikram. The Star Sydney is transforming former retail outlets into inspiring food and drink destinations as part of its $500 million capital works investment program, with more concepts to be announced soon.
Notably, the launch of Cucina Porto coincides with the arrival of the long-awaited Broadway musical, Pippin, at the Lyric Theatre, helping to usher in the return of theatre and entertainment to Sydney’s cultural scene after a devastating year.
George Hughes, Chief Marketing Officer The Star Entertainment Group, said: “We are excited that we can end the year with the launch of a new restaurant following the hardships the hospitality industry has faced in 2020. Cucina Porto will celebrate the importance of sharing special moments around the dining table with friends and family. With further concepts set to open in the near future, The Star Sydney is proud to deliver an inspiring and ever-growing food precinct that reflects the cultural diversity of our community and creates continued opportunities for local hospitality talent”.
Further details on the launch of Cucina Porto will be announced soon.
Top chefs join forces to raise money for the hospitality industry.
Restaurants, bars and cafés across Byron Bay and the Northern Rivers are joining forces with an initiative that spans over various venues from Friday, 6 November to raise awareness and support for Melbourne’s hospitality industry.
Organisers are inviting everyone to spread the word and get involved. So far, the stellar chef and restaurant line-up includes David Moyle (Harvest Newrybar, Barrio Eatery & Bar), Jason Saxby (Raes at Wategos), Darren Robertson (Three Blue Ducks), Josh Lewis (Fleet), Ben Devlin (Pipit), David Lovett, Jason Barratt (Paper Daisy), Giorgio Ravelli (Cadeau) and Wal Foster-Eyles (Natural Ice-cream Australia).
The latest COVID-19 restrictions relating to hospitality venues are having a profound effect on business and, if they continue, will lead to the demise of thousands of restaurants, bars, clubs and other related businesses, leaving a large proportion of Melbourne’s hospitality workforce out of a job.
Byron for Melbourne is for anyone who works in, or is connected to hospitality, including: chefs, restaurateurs, operators, owners, GMs, sommeliers, waiting staff, bartenders, managers, KPs, publicans, caterers, producers, suppliers, PRs, buyers, hoteliers, baristas, marketing teams, events teams, cleaning staff, writers, publishers … the list goes on.
Tristan Grier, co-owner of Harvest Newrybar says: “We hope that by joining forces as a region we can help those affected by the COVID restrictions in Melbourne and provide much needed donations via Tip Jar charity. By spreading the news quickly, we can encourage more restaurants and chefs to get involved – from Byron to the Northern Rivers, and beyond.”
Anthea Loucas Bosha, CEO Melbourne Food and Wine says: “If nothing else, 2020 has shown that Australian hospitality takes its duty of looking after people well beyond the table, the kitchen and the bar. Right from the start of the year, hospitality people were among the first to swing into action raising money and feeding people affected by the bushfires and now, in the thick of a global health crisis, even as hospitality faces its biggest challenges in living memory, the first instinct from people in the trade is to ask how they can help out others who are doing it tough”.
Michael Bascetta, founder of Tip Jar hospitality relief charity, says: “It’s great to feel the support from the hospitality industry outside Melbourne. The funds will go directly towards saving our great Australian hospitality industry and the people in it. If even just a fraction of Australia donates just a $10 tip, we’ll be able to immediately begin helping those individuals who need it most right now. If there was ever a time to give a tip, it’s now. Restrictions are lifting but we are still at limited capacity, with a huge number of people at risk of not receiving their previous standard working hours”.
Melbourne’s favourite Brick Lane Brewery will sponsor the Byron for Melbourne initiative. They have also teamed up with Carwyn Cellars to create a special brew called All Together with proceeds from every sale (in venues, stores and online) donated to Covid-19 Employee Assistance Directive. Founder Paul Bowker says: “Brick Lane has always had community at the heart of everything we do. We simply couldn’t exist without good people supporting us, till now, in social gatherings over a beer. This is our way to help our communities, help each other, while enjoying a beer … just not face to face (for now).”
Made in the Shade group will be also be sponsoring the initiative with their new release bottled spritz cocktails. There are many ways that people nationwide can support Melbourne hospitality, including donating direct to Tip Jar charity, purchasing All Together beer online at Brick Lane Brewery, and Melbourne MixTape from the Everleigh Bottling Co. – a mixed pack of single-serve cocktails from 8 of Melbourne’s best bars.
HOW TO GET INVOLVED There are no rules, this is a community event to raise awareness and funds for the hospitality industry in Melbourne, just do what you can to get involved. Suggestions below:
• Prepare a special set menu for the night • Encourage guests to book your private dining room • Pour Victorian wines and beer • Create a special cocktail using Victorian spirits • Raffle prizes, silent auction • Share flyers with guests in the lead-up to the event • Create a Tip Jar at checkout for customers to donate direct • Add a link to Tip Jar to your website and socials and encourage customers to donate • Tag us in your Instagram posts and stories and we will help promote what you are offering
Let’s work together to raise awareness via #ByronForMelbourne and donate to Tip Jar Charity www.tipjarfund.org
SPREAD THE WORD Tell as many people within your workplace/network about the fundraiser and urge them to join. Share a post on your social media channels using #BYRONFORMELBOURNE #GIVEATIP
WHAT IS TIP JAR? Tip Jar is a relief fund dedicated to supporting and helping those in need in the hospitality industry. They raise funds and distribute the money across multiple charities – all focused on feeding, housing, employing, upskilling and supporting the food and beverage industry.
The team behind Nour and Henrietta will open contemporary Asian-inspired restaurant LILYMU in the new Parramatta Square precinct later this month.
Brendan Fong (ex-Mr Wong) will be at the helm of the kitchen, bringing an unrestricted approach to the food, with influences from China and South East Asia. The menu at LILYMU will feature a selection of snacks and larger shared dishes including tom yum prawn dumplings with soy and lime dressing; pipis with XO sauce and kaffir lime; red curry of scampi with betel leaves, and desserts including a milk tea Tres Leches cake.
The full service bar showcases a comprehensive wine list and cocktails, including a Dragon Sour of gin, Lillet rosé, dragon fruit syrup, Thai basil leaves, fresh lime and egg whites, and a Fiery Passion – a spin on the classic margarita, including Thai chilli-infused tequila blanco, yuzushu sake, Aperol, lemon, passionfruit and agave.
Co-owner Ibby Moubadder said: “We’ve had such success with our restaurants, Nour and Henrietta and we wanted to continue that success as we move to our newest location in the Parramatta Square precinct.
“We believe that a restaurant is as much about the ambience, good conversation and laughter, as is the quality of food and wine and so we’re thrilled to be expanding our portfolio to include LILYMU, a contemporary Asian restaurant.”
With seating for up to 160, the space features multiple dining areas, including communal tables, a private dining room and outdoor dining. A pared back palette, the space features concrete, dark timbers and aged bronze accents, with softer furnishings injecting colour to the space.
LILYMU will be open for dinner Tuesday to Saturday and for lunch and dinner Fridays and Saturdays.
King and Godfree Precinct reopens its doors November 2 & 3
Carlton’s King and Godfree precinct, which houses some of Melbourne’s favourite venues including Johnny’s Green Room and the K&G deli and bar will reopen again with exciting new updates as Melbourne starts to come alive again.
Johnny’s Green Room will resume its position as Melbourne’s favourite place for classic drinks, unrivalled city views, awesome tunes and a menu of bar food’s greatest hits – this time as a 50-seater restaurant/rooftop bar with table service.
The Johnny’s of today will take bookings for Tuesday, November 3 for Melbourne Cup Day, and then resume ongoing trading from Thursday to Monday and move to seven days within weeks.
The menu this time around will include more fun, playful dishes where classics take centre stage, including delicious Neapolitan thin crust pizzas like the ‘Nonno Carlo’ with prosciutto, San Marzano pomodoro, buffalo mozzarella and basil, and the ‘Mortadella Bella’ with mortadella, buffalo mozzarella, potato and rosemary.
Other favourites will include a local collaboration between local butcher Donati’s Meats × Johnny’s for the ultimate Wagyu burger, an eggplant parma burger, lamb arrosticini cooked over charcoal, and panzerotti – a fried calzone complete with Napoli dipping sauce.
Image credit: Sarah Pannell
As for the drinks, the Pidapipó × Johnny’s Sgroppino (an Italian cocktail with lemon sorbetto, gin and prosecco) made and served tableside will be sure to add to the theatre. For something more traditional, the JGR Negroni is making a comeback, alongside a long list of delicious Italian and local whites, reds and beers on tap.
Returning to the decks are the Hope St Radio DJs from every Thursday to Sunday, creating the perfect atmosphere to enjoy everything that’s best about this amazing city. Kicking off the festivities on Cup Day are Colette, C.FRIM and Mirasia, followed by Animals Dancing’s Otologic on Friday, 6 November.
Bookings will be taken all day from 12pm–9pm for 1.5-hour (tables under six) and 2-hour sittings (tables for six or more) with largest bookings capped at 10 people (for now).
Image credit: Kate Shanasy
Downstairs at the deli, which opens Monday, 2 November, the focus moves outside as the brand-new wraparound seating is unveiled on Faraday and Lygon streets. This new format will create a bustling street atmosphere that’s sure to bring back some much-anticipated action to the neighbourhood.
The deli will reflect more of an all-day diner feel and operate at full capacity with ten inside and 50 outdoors. The espresso bar will be operating as normal, serving coffee, snacks and drinks throughout the day.
The deli menu will see old favourites, including porchetta rolls, salads and pastas as well as new deli-to-table items, such as K&G mortadella, stuffed Sirena tuna peppers, burrata with pickled green tomatoes, and fresh-baked focaccia. There will be a large emphasis on wines, beer and spritzes on tap, as well as the shiny new Johnny’s bottled cocktail range. Wine lovers can enjoy the selection on offer at the wine store with $20 corkage on retail wines below $100.
Deli opening hours will be 9am until late, with bookings being taken from 11am onwards, seven days a week.
As for next door’s intimate enoteca and wine bar Agostino, stay tuned for opening dates soon.
Get your crew together to celebrate King and Godfree becoming the neighbourhood destination where locals and visitors come together to experience the best in Italian food and wine and good times once again.
Good Food Month presented by Citi returns to Brisbane this November, bringing together some of Australia’s biggest names for a celebration of the senses. Shining a light on home-grown talent, exceptional produce and the power of culinary collaborations for the seventh year running, Good Food Month goes on sale 9am AEST Thursday, 22 October at goodfoodmonth.com.
Brisbane Good Food Month will see chef Alanna Sapwell bring her Noosa pop-up, Esmay, to Brisbane’s Baja Restaurant across two dates in November. Adam Wolfers of Gerard’s Bistro, Alex Munoz of Labart and Louis Tikaram are set to reunite for one night at Tikaram’s Stanley Restaurant to reminisce on their time together at Sydney’s Bentley whilst putting on a delightfully nostalgic dinner party. Culinary talents will collide as the skilful team at Donna Chang combine forces with the gelato gods of Gelato Messina for a yum cha high tea like no other. The Young Chefs Lunch presented by Citi will transform into a vegetarian affair for the first time in Brisbane Good Food Month history at ZA ZA TA Bar & Kitchen at Ovolo The Valley.
The Friends of Good Food Month event series also returns with a programme of inspiring dining experiences. Leading Brisbane restaurants and bars, including Montrachet, The Golden Pig and Three Blue Ducks, are set to host unique events to best showcase their culinary excellence.
Venessa Cowell, Head of Nine Food Events said: “We’re thrilled to return to Brisbane for our seventh sensational year in the River City. This year’s programme celebrates the homegrown talent that Queenslanders are so fortunate to have on their doorstep. Brisbane’s ever-growing dining scene has never tasted so good and we’re proud to be able to shine a light on the rising young talent of the industry, as well as bring together some of the most awarded chefs for a flavour-packed month of dining experiences”.
Presenting Partner Citi is offering their customers a 20% discount on tickets to the feature events, when customers pay with a Citi card. Tickets for each event are limited.
“It’s more important than ever to support the hospitality industry, and what better way than to get involved in one of the exciting events that form part of the Good Food Month calendar for 2020. Brisbane punches above its weight when it comes to delivering an exceptional culinary experience, and its restaurants deserve applause for their resilience and innovation in a challenging year,” said Samantha Elliott, Head of Digital Sales and Marketing at Citi Australia.
Events this year will look a little different as Good Food Month implements the highest standards of COVID-19 safety measures as recommended by Queensland Health. Initiatives include reduced venue capacities, restrictions on group bookings, no shared tables between mixed parties, minimum 1.5m distance between tables, and staggered arrival times for guests, plus the team are working together with restaurant partners to ensure the highest levels of hygiene and cleaning are implemented to make sure guests feel comfortable and enjoy the experience safely.
STARWARD SHAKES UP THE GOOD FOOD DINING TABLE As the official whisky of Good Food Month, Melbourne’s own Starward is pleased to be serving up their liquid gold to guests at the feature events in Brisbane. Shaken, stirred or served tall, all to match Good Food Month dining events. Whisky with dinner is no longer off the table.
Esmay Pop-Up | Baja Restaurant | $120 Arrivals between 12:30pm–1.30pm, Sunday 22 November & Arrivals between 6:30pm–7:30pm, Monday 23 November Chef Alanna Sapwell, previously the head chef of Arc and Saint Peter, has been delighting Queenslanders with her three month pop-up – Esmay in Noosa. Esmay embraces the ethos of Alanna’s cooking and celebrates Queensland’s produce with a nostalgic twist. Together with Alanna, we didn’t quite want Esmay to be over yet so we have teamed up to bring an Esmay pop-up to Brisbane for 2 days only. Tickets include multiple courses with matched wines.
The Reunion at Stanley | Stanley Restaurant | $180 7:00pm, Wednesday 25 November They all worked together early on in their respective careers under Brent Savage at Sydney’s Bentley Restaurant. Now they head up some of Queensland’s best restaurants and are reuniting for one night. Join Adam Wolfers from Gerard’s Bistro and Alex Munoz at Labart together with Louis Tikaram at his restaurant, Stanley, where they will create a fun and delicious menu from their roots! Tickets include multiple courses with wine and beer.
Young Chefs Lunch presented by Citi at ZA ZA TA Bar & Kitchen | $130 12:30pm, Saturday 28 November Following the success of Sydney’s plant-based Young Chefs Lunch, with tickets selling out in record time, we will be celebrating all things vegetarian with talented Young Chefs from around Brisbane. Get an insight into Brisbane’s up-and-coming chef talent and support our young chefs whilst feasting on inspired creations. Tickets include three courses, wine and beer.
Yum Cha High Tea | Donna Chang | $100 12:00pm, Sunday 29 November Combining the talents of one of Brisbane’s most popular restaurants at Donna Chang with Australia’s favourite gelato geniuses at Gelato Messina, join us for a one-off Yum Cha High Tea hybrid! You can expect all the delicious dumplings along with custom creations from Gelato Messina. Tickets include dumplings, gelato and a whisky cocktail by Starward.
Pay with a Citi card and receive 20% off the ticket price. Terms and conditions are as follows: 20% discount valid for Citi cardholders only. Offer valid only for tickets purchased online from 9am AEST Thursday, 22 October, 2020 until 9am AEST Thursday, 5 November , 2020 or Citi allocation is sold out. Limit of 6 tickets per transaction. Tickets must be purchased using a Citi card. Offer only applicable to Citi branded cards and the linked Diners card, Citi issued partner cards are not included and will not be accepted at checkout. Offer is subject to availability, see full terms and conditions for all details.
Brisbane Good Food Month | Friends of Good Food Month Events
The Golden Pig Restaurant | Banquet Lunch 12:00pm–4:00pm, Fridays and Saturdays throughout November | $45 Every Friday and Saturday throughout October, you can treat yourself to a lunch banquet at The Golden Pig Restaurant for just $45. Expect silky soft house-made bao buns filled with crispy king prawns and green chilli mayo, tender red duck curry, crisp fish salad with green mango and top it all off with a complimentary glass of beer or wine.
Montrachet | Montrachet Dinner 6:30pm–10:30pm, Thursday 19 November | $499 Celebrate Good Food Month the French way at Montrachet with a specially curated four-course menu with matched premium wines in the Montrachet private dining room on Thursday 19 November.
The North Room | Spring by the Pacific 12:30pm–4:00pm, Sunday 8 November | $110 Enjoy the perfect long Sunday lunch at The North Room this Good Food Month as chef Tim Stewart puts on an exciting spread showcasing local, seasonal seafood and native ingredients.
Patina at Customs House | Bugs & Bubbles Brunch 10:00am–12:00pm, Sunday 22 November | $90 Sit back on the terrace overlooking the Brisbane River this Good Food Month as the team from Patina at Customs House put on their Bugs & Bubbles three-course brunch that will hero local Moreton Bay bugs. Wash down the delectable menu with two hours of free-flowing Prosecco and Bloody Mary cocktails.
Motorwagen | Motorwagen North & South Wine Dinner 6:00pm–10:00pm, Friday 20 November | $140 Celebrate local suppliers and show your support for our friends in Victoria from Soumah of Yarra Valley at the Motorwagen North & South Wine dinner this November. Enjoy a five-course menu with matched wines and hear from some of Motorwagen’s produce suppliers at this special one-off dinner event.
Red Hook | Red Hook × Fenn Foods 12–3pm, Saturday 7 November | $45 for 2 people Red Hook has joined forces with award-winning chef Alejandro Cancino to present a lunch menu featuring products from his vegan food company – Fenn Foods, done Red Hook-style.
Three Blue Ducks | Cook Like a Duck 2:00pm–6:00pm, Sunday 29 November | $165 Spend your Sunday afternoon with Three Blue Ducks Brisbane Head Chef Jensen Brouwer, as he takes you through a hands-on culinary journey of his favourite Three Blue Ducks recipes before you sit down together and enjoy an early dinner overlooking the iconic Brisbane River with the backdrop of a stunning Queensland sunset.
Walter’s Steakhouse | Tribute: 3 Martini Lunch 12:00pm–3:00pm, Wednesdays throughout November | $149 Enjoy a three course banquet created by head chef Gert Pretorius this Good Food Month at Walter’s Steakhouse with three matched martinis that pay homage to the botanical legacy of the restaurant’s namesake – Sir Walter Hill (the original curator of Brisbane City Botanical Gardens).
The Gresham Bar | Brined Thursdays 12:00pm–8:00pm, Thursdays throughout November | From $18 Every Thursday throughout November, get briny with The Gresham. Think freshly shucked oysters and martinis.
Popolo | Popolo Picnics From 6:00pm, Fridays and Saturdays throughout November | $135 Let Popolo set up a romantic picnic for you and your loved one on the River Quay Green, overlooking the Brisbane River and the city skyline. With cushions and rugs provided, enjoy a lavish menu including a half dozen oysters, antipasti platter and cheese board.
Mamasan | Chandon in Bloom 12:00pm–3:00pm, daily from 6 November | $89 This November, Mamasan presents their Chandon tasting menu experience as part of Friends of Good Food Month. Daily from midday to 3.00pm you can indulge in a special five-course lunch tasting menu paired with Chandon sparkling wine.
Mamasan | Chandon Apéro Hour 3:00pm–5:00pm daily from 6 November | From $16 Sip rosé cocktails and sparkling wine from Mamasan’s Chandon in Bloom Aperitif Menu and savour perfectly paired small bites at sunset – daily throughout November.
PourBoy | Live Love Local Lunch 10:00am–1:30pm daily throughout November | $30 Celebrate local farmers, fisherman, suppliers and producers who have been working tirelessly behind the scenes throughout 2020 to keep the hospitality industry alive. Daily for the entire month of November, PourBoy are showcasing Queensland’s vibrant produce at its best with a $30 lunch special including a glass of Symphony Hill wine or Newstead Brewery beer.
Motorwagen | Good Food Month Lunch 12:00pm–2:00pm daily throughout November | $45 Sit back, relax and for just $45 per person, enjoy a main and a glass of wine and finish with a coffee at Motorwagen daily throughout November for their special Good Food Month lunch offering.
Three Blue Ducks | Good Food Month Cocktail 5:30pm–9:00pm daily throughout November Celebrate Good Food Month with a complimentary cocktail on arrival when you dine at Three Blue Ducks throughout November.
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IMPORTANT CHANGES TO PURCHASING GOOD FOOD MONTH FEATURE EVENT TICKETS Good Food Month has implemented a number of initiatives including reduced venue capacities, restrictions on group bookings, no shared tables between mixed parties, minimum distances between tables and staggered arrival times for guests.
In order to adhere to social distancing regulations in line with venue capacity limits, tickets for Good Food Month feature events are available to purchase in groups of 2, 4, 6, 8 or 10 varying between events with no shared tables between mixed parties. Table configurations are limited so all tickets must be purchased together at the time of booking to ensure you are seated together with your friends and family. Visit goodfoodmonth.com for specific booking requirements for each feature event.
The safety and well-being of guests, staff, partners, suppliers and the community is of utmost importance. Good Food Month will continue to closely monitor recommendations from State and Federal Governments and have implemented appropriate COVID-19 Safety and Business Plans with a view to mitigate the risk of COVID transmission.
If you have been unwell, recently returned from overseas or unsure if you have recently visited a COVID-19 hotspot, please email us at foodandwineevents@publishing.nine.com.au prior to purchasing event tickets.
“Dogs make me happy. Beer makes me happy. A beer that saves dogs makes me VERY happy” ~ Ricky Gervais
Scottish craft brewer BrewDog has teamed up with the Animal Welfare League Queensland to help dogs find their forever home. The space on the Aussie-brewed Punk IPA beer cans will be used to showcase profiles of dogs, helping to increase their chances of adoption in the lead up to Christmas. Street Dog will be available in 8 and 16 packs of 375ml cans from Thursday, 22 October from www.brewdog.com/au/streetdogau.
The collaboration, inspired by Ricky Gervais, a long-term advocate for homeless canines, follows his ‘shout out to BrewDog’ on Twitter in July. In the video, posted by Gervais, he urged businesses to donate to charity rather than paying for celebrity endorsements. BrewDog were quick to respond to this, launching Street Dog in the UK in support of British dog charities Dogs on the Streets and All Dogs Matter. All dogs on the cans during the campaign have now been rehomed.
The brewer’s commitment to support charities close to the comedian’s heart sees the campaign launch in Australia, with the iconic Punk IPA – now brewed at BrewDog’s Brisbane brewery – transformed and renamed from 22 October until sold out. 100% of all the profits generated from the sales of Street Dog will go to the Animal Welfare League Queensland, and Street Dog will be available on BrewDog’s newly launched e-commerce website where the freshly brewed beer is dispatched the next working day to anywhere in Australia.
Ricky Gervais said: “Dogs make me happy. Beer makes me happy. A beer that saves dogs makes me VERY happy.”
James Watt, Co-founder of BrewDog, said: “At BrewDog we are always looking for ways to use our business to do good. When Ricky tweeted us with a genuine endorsement for Punk IPA, we wanted to use our platform to donate to causes he’s passionate about, donating the profits from the Street Dog cans to All Dogs Matter and Dogs on the Streets. Now we want to take it one step further and bring StreetDog Down Under to support our pawsome four-legged friends over at Animal Welfare League Queensland by giving up the space on our cans to help them find forever homes”.
Founded in 1959, Animal Welfare League Queensland has become one of Australia’s leading animal welfare organisations, working with councils and the community to improve the outcomes for abandoned and homeless pets. During this time, Animal Welfare League Queensland has rehomed more than 168,000 and saved thousands more through their community support programs.
Craig Montgomery, Spokesperson for Animal Welfare League Queensland, said: “Hundreds of thousands of healthy and treatable cats and dogs are being abandoned and killed in pounds, shelters and vet clinics each year in Australia. Animal Welfare League Queensland is committed to changing this and it is our promise to never euthanise a healthy, social or treatable animal in our care. BrewDog’s incredible support is helping to draw awareness to the thousands of animals that need rehoming”.
It has been an exciting few months for the craft brewer having recently announced that it is now the first carbon negative international beer brand in the world, removing twice as much carbon from the air than it emits every single year and double offsetting the footprints of all its employees and their dogs. BrewDog Australia has also just confirmed plans to expand its presence Down Under and is looking to open new flagship BrewDog bars in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane by the end of 2021.
For more news and information on BrewDog, head to @brewdogau on Instagram or @brewdog on Twitter. More information on Animal Welfare League Queensland here.
Street Dog Punk IPA 8 pack – $40 – Available here Street Dog Punk IPA 16 pack – $70 – Available here
This World Sourest Day (yes, it’s a thing!) on October 25, it’s time for Aussies to pucker up as 7-Eleven releases some of its sourest Slurpees yet.
The Slurpee Sours range has been keeping our tastebuds tantalised with a variety of epic flavours, and now 7-Eleven is releasing new Sours flavours across the country in celebration of the honorary day.
While Sour Orange will be available to 7-Eleven stores Australia-wide, Queensland and Western Australia will welcome the Sour Lime and Low Sugar Sour Watermelon flavours. And for those in Victoria and New South Wales, the delicious Low Sugar Sour Pink Grapefruitis sure to get people’s lips pursed.
These spring flavours are joining a delectable list of Sours flavours, which can be viewed here.
Embracing the warmer weather and Melbourne’s easing picnic restrictions, Urban Foodies now have a range of great value Picnic Boxes available for home delivery.
Available in two sizes – enough for a group of five ($79) or a group of ten ($150) – the Picnic Boxes include all the decadent charcuterie you need for a perfect afternoon in the park, with cured meats, Australian cheeses, artisan crackers, bread, fresh fruit, olives, house-made dip and antipasto.
The boxes can be delivered to be enjoyed on the same day as delivery or packaged to eat over the weekend, and wines, beers and soft drinks also available to be added to the order.
Sydney-based hospitality group Universal Hotels (1821, Civic Hotel, Kinselas) eagerly anticipated, Bondi Junction food and entertainment offering is set to open its doors this week.
Harris, Steven and Jim Kospetas have teamed up with TWT Property Group to transform Sydney’s former Mill Hill Hotel into The Mill – an upmarket yet family-orientated local venue.
Enlisting the talents of former Marvan Hotel Group chef Vaughan Chapman, they have crafted a sustainable and locally sourced modern Australian menu with both Asian and Italian influences.
Chapman has partnered with the Enrich360 program, which helps to convert food scraps into fertiliser for our producer farmers. The Mill believes in reducing its carbon footprint – being so close to Eastern Suburb beaches, it wants to be a part of the solution so that, “when you bite into your delicious food the moral satisfaction makes the food experience better!”
Standout dishes include the ‘KFC’, a Korean fried cauliflower with yuzu pepper glaze and togarashi; a Huon seared salmon fish bowl with furikake, pickled red onion, edamame and tare; and a signature iron cast, slow-braised duck ragu pie with thyme and porcini, creamy mash potato and jus.
Keeping in line with the history of the original venue, which dates back to the early 1900s, the team behind The Mill embarked on the challenge of salvaging and restoring the rich heritage of the original Mill Hill Hotel whilst implementing their refreshed and innovative vision for the future of the Bondi Junction community.
Working with a carefully selected team of architects and interior designers, the Kospetas family have worked extensively on the attention to detail and high-end finishes throughout The Mill’s decor. Each cornice and every handle has been personally selected by the team to create the ultimate upmarket local venue.
Bondi Junction’s exciting new venue, The Mill, will be open seven days a week for lunch and dinner and promises to reinvigorate the local social and dining scene.
That’s Amore Cheese has partnered with Marameo restaurant and Vino Bambino wines to create a fun and delicious dinner experience that will take guests from all over Victoria on a virtual trip to Puglia on Friday, 30th October.
The three-course meal highlights That’s Amore Cheese’s Burrata and Cacio Pepper through Marameo’s dishes, accompanied by Negroamaro and Primitivo wines. It is a great way to celebrate at home as Melbourne exits lockdown.
The virtual element of the event is free to join, and participants will visit the sun-drenched coast of Puglia and visit the Pugliese winery Menhir Salento to explore the wines. The enchanting seaside region of Puglia has remained one of Italy’s best-kept secrets and while we can only dream of IRL holidays to Europe, this virtual dinner in Puglia is a way to escape our lounge rooms for a short while.
Virtual Dinner in Puglia Friday 30th October, 6pm
Starter Burrata cheese, braised radicchio, apple puree & chestnut crumble
Main Slow-braised beef cheek served on a delicate creamy cacio e pepe mash
Dessert Raspberry Tart
Wines Negroamaro & Primitivo
The virtual event is free to but for those wanting to join the dinner experience while watching, the three-course menu is $95 for one or $185 for two, with delivery VICTORIA WIDE for $10.Orders can be placed until midday Wednesday, 28th October.
After much anticipation, Melbourne dining institution, Longrain, will be opening its doors for the first time since March.
When the COVID-19 outbreak that devastated Melbourne forced Lisa and John van Haandel to close the modern Thai restaurant after thriving for 15 years on Little Bourke Street, restaurateur Scott Pickett of Pickett & Co. stepped in to continue the Longrain legacy.
From Wednesday, 4 November, Pickett, with Head Chef of six years Arté Assavakavinvong and Operations Manager Natasha Firman – who has been part of the Longrain team since it opened in 2005 – will unveil refreshed interiors and additional dishes whilst continuing the quality hospitality that made Longrain great and so loved.
Longrain’s menu, executed by Arté and his team, will comprise two banquet offerings, the Signature Banquet ($75), including the hits of the venue: betel leaf, seared scallop, galangal, finger lime and salmon roe; green papaya salad, snake beans, peanuts and dried shrimp; caramelised pork hock, five spice and chilli vinegar. The Royal Banquet ($95), including some newly conceived dishes: Moreton Bay bug cake wrapped in crispy bean curd; spanner crab lon, lemongrass and sea blite, fried bun; stir-fried dry red curry of kangaroo, wild ginger, Thai basil.
Upstairs, popular bar and restaurant Longsong has also seen a transformation. Previously a separate restaurant operating as a separate entity, Longsong will now be a natural and effortless extension of the Longrain space. The Loft will have more of a drinks focus, with street-food snacks inspired by the flavours from downstairs. Resident DJs, projections, multiple event spaces that can be reserved and late-night opening hours make Longsong Melbourne’s new go-to bar.
The Longrain dining room has evolved through an assemblage of local artists and designers, introducing contemporary bespoke elements while sentimentally honouring its history.
The paint finishes by Scanlan and Makers feature lush green tones in the dining room to complement the existing green tiled wall and Adnate’s iconic tiger mural, with a softer palette upstairs in Longsong evoking an ethereal feel.
Sought-after designer Oliver Wilcox of Lost Profile Studio has created alluring feature lights to brighten the dining room, with esteemed light designer Alex Earl lighting the stairway with a captivating, floating piece tempting diners and drinkers up to Longsong.
Street-side, the external signage has been designed by Studio Tops, creating two elegant, illuminated plaques out of brass with a patina that will offer warmth as it ages. Inside, Pickett’s long-term collaborator and ceramic artist Andrei Davidoff of Adceramics has created custom tableware specifically coloured to brilliantly contrast to the dishes.
For the last week of October, FISHBOWL will be covering the delivery fee at all of their 24 locations across Sydney and Melbourne, including their kitchens in Alexandria (NSW), Collingwood and Windsor (VIC).
To show their appreciation for everyone’s support throughout recent lockdowns (especially for those in Melbourne) and to roll into November on a high, customers can enter the code ‘fitwithfishbowl’ at the checkout on Uber Eats to receive free delivery.
Running for one week only, from Monday, 26 October until Sunday, 1 November, customers can order as many times as they like for delivery, even if they are on the outskirts copping the regular $7.99 fee.
Next week Halloween comes to Eastern Creek Quarter (ECQ), western Sydney’s new shopping, entertainment and dining destination, and it means getting up close and personal with some friendly monsters with the help of cutting-edge augmented reality technology.
The Haunted Hunt: Monster Madness at ECQ, at 159 Rooty Hill Road South in Eastern Creek, runs from Monday, 26 October to Sunday, 1 November.
Kids and grown-ups who are brave enough can encounter some friendly monsters in a COVID-safe augmented reality monster hunt simply by downloading the ECQ Rewards App.
Monster hunters aim their phone at the stickers on the centre floor and once all the stickers are found, they head to the Halloween Hut opposite Juice Spot and collect their surprise. The Halloween Hut will feature cool decorations and great photo opportunities for the family.
Then, on Saturday, 31 October, from 3pm–7pm, the Monster Madness continues at the Halloween Hut with fun and scary characters roaming around to take pics with shoppers and handing out some Halloween treats for the kids.
To get involved in Monster Madness at ECQ, simply download the ECQ Rewards App. For terms and conditions and to download the App, click here.
Amanda Whittle, ECQ Centre Manager, says: “Monster Madness will be great fun for the kids and offer a unique and engaging experience for adults too, all in a COVID-safe environment.
“ECQ is a convenient and exciting place for the local community to visit and next week’s Halloween fun is another reason for people to come down to their local centre, support the great local businesses here, and enjoy a different, fun experience.”
With a full-line Woolworths supermarket, ECQ houses a mix of local concepts, quality brands and the unique ECQ Social precinct, with its covered and al fresco seating, outdoor deck, kids play area and large format outdoor digital screen.
The ECQ Rewards App helps shoppers accumulate points to be redeemed for vouchers and special offers, and to participate in competitions. Keep an eye on the Facebook and Instagram pages for all the latest news, competitions and promotions at ECQ.
Reflecting its high-profile Western Sydney Parklands location, ECQ is a global leader in environmental sustainability. Stage 1 has been awarded a 6 Star Green Star Design rating by the Green Building Council of Australia, representing world leadership.
Check out these three festive offerings from Urban Foodies for Christmas this year.
1. Christmas Grazing Box An ideal gift to send to any sweet tooth, Urban Foodies’ Christmas Grazing Box ($45) can be delivered Victoria wide. With house-made mince tarts, decorative Gingerbread, nougat and fruit cake, the Christmas Grazing Box is the perfect sweet treat for employees, long-distance friends, or to take to family catch-ups in the park.
2. Virtual Team Cooking Having previously held regular cooking classes out of their purpose-built North Melbourne kitchen studio, Urban Foodies is now offering a fun and interactive way to bring colleagues together safely this Christmas with Virtual Team Cooking.
Intended for teams that have been working remotely and looking for a way to get together to celebrate the festive season, participants will be sent a shopping list of all required ingredients several days prior (or Urban Foodies can deliver) before jumping online for a step-by-step cooking class hosted by one of Urban Foodies’ professional chefs.
The classes go for 1.5 hours, and cuisine options include Middle Eastern, Persian, French, Italian, Vietnamese, Argentinian, Mexican. Unique and educational, the stress-free online classes cater for all cooking abilities and dietary requirements, allowing teams to upskill, bond, and have fun whilst still practising social distancing.
3. Urban Foodies Hampers Urban Foodies Hampers can be delivered nationally for as little as $20 per hamper. Featuring a decadent range of favourites, the Urban Foodies Hamper includes Code Black Coffee, Monista Tea, Farmer Jo granola, Noya ABC butter, Handsome Devils hot sauce, Pangkarra roasted chickpeas, Pangkarra linguine, Pangkarra lavosh, Pana Organic choc, Pimp My Salad superseed sprinkles, and Tanwood Wine.
Given that this year Melburnians can’t enjoy a pie at The G or at their local pub, to ensure people can still snack in style while watching the clash – be it at home or by streaming at a picnic – 7-Eleven has an abundance of footy favourites available at any time of the day. And they’re just as budget-friendly as they are convenient.
Think sandwiches and wraps for 5 bucks, hot pies and pastries from just $2, along with icy-cold Slurpees for $1 – not to mention an abundance of confectionery and savoury delights!
7-Eleven is the go-to destination for all those last-minute screening snacks or picnic essentials to celebrate Grand Final Day.
For the past six months, I have been commenting on the situation facing our hospitality industry. Restaurants have had a tough time over the past 6 months and the hospitality sector has been decimated by COVID-19. The “new normal” will be very different.
Other industries are facing similar predicaments, especially retail. Another industry that has had to adapt to the new normal is the film industry. Typically using large numbers of people in close contact, the movie industry has been all but shut down. Hollywood is still closed. But filming has resumed in parts of Australia – under very strict COVID safety rules.
I have just spent two weeks “on set” as an extra, on a major movie. The experience would make a good movie in itself – very “Orwellian”.
Making movies is always a surreal experience. Huge budgets. Lots of waiting around. Long days. Tonnes of equipment. Lots and lots of crew. Catering trucks. Did I mention lots of waiting around? But, filming during COVID is somewhat weird. Before I was allowed on set, I had to undergo a COVID test – these are then repeated every three days, and “punched” onto your ID card.
Arriving at the studios for my 5am start – filmmakers always like early starts – the first thing you notice is that you have to use a pub-like QR Code and fill in a health questionnaire. As I enter, my temperature is taken and then I am handed a blue face mask – which you have to wear at all times, except when eating/drinking and when the director calls “Action”.
And then there are the X’s. Lots of them. Painted onto the concrete floors, forecourts and roads, 1.5m apart. Stand on an X and wait in line. There are X’s everywhere. And there is alcohol sanitiser at every door … with security guards to ensure you use it. Sanitise on the way in – sanitise on the way out. Walkways are one-way only.
After negotiating the cavernous spaces between the huge multi-storey sound stages, we first go to wardrobe and makeup – another surreal experience, with makeup artists wearing face masks and clear plastic shields. Again, I stand on an X and wait my turn. One at a time. Then to a holding area in a large marquee, with small black chairs arranged in long rows – 1.5m apart in all directions, and reminiscent of old-fashioned school exam rooms. The “teachers desk” at the front is covered in bottled spring water, as we are not allowed “reusable” bottles.
Until you are called for filming, you stay in the marquee. Each person 1.5m apart. Masks on. There is tea/coffee and food available – but unlike the past buffets, it is now in individual portions. Packaged in biodegradable boxes with biodegradable cutlery and biodegradable cups. Woe betide anyone who does not put their waste in the compost bins.
The food is actually quite good. But it suffers from being pre-packaged and sent from a central kitchen truck. The hot meals are lukewarm. The salads a little warm too. The coffee – Nescafe 43 instant – is hot. Individually wrapped Arnott’s cookies add a bit of texture.
A hundred extras, all sitting in a large space – all alone – together but apart – no commensality – no contact or physical interaction. But very noisy, as everyone has to shout at one another. Shouting to communicate from a distance. Louder than normal conversation. A cacophony of interaction.
A hundred extras. All dressed to the nines in elegant evening wear. Gorgeous colours and fabrics. Amazing hairdos. Beautiful women. Impossibly high heels. Lots of feathers and wigs. Handsome young men. Lots of bling. Waiting for the Ball. All wearing blue face masks … and red tea towels to protect the costumes when eating.
The “stars”, of course, are somewhere else. In their own trailers – their own bubbles. Probably with more space and better food. Together but still apart. And wearing blue face masks.
The blue masks soon become normal. After a while I feel naked without one! And they have the strange effect of concentrating the aromas and flavours of the food – as well as the aromas of the set.
Eventually after lots more waiting, we are all asked to go on set. We are herded by wranglers with two-way radios – in single file, 1.5m apart. We sanitise our hands at the huge set doors and walk to our spaces. Someone comes around to give us a fresh face mask.
I am sitting at a cabaret table. In front of me are “cocktails” made of apple juice, cranberry juice and guava juice. A realistic plastic prawn cocktail with salad sits in front of me. The attention to detail is exquisite, with wine bottle dates, champagne labels and menus, all printed to match the past decade, with authentic prices.
It’s all surreal and make believe. Classic storytelling on a grand scale. The atmosphere is electric. Huge cameras on equally huge cranes are above us. A cinematographic bluescreen over three storeys high is behind us. Bright spotlights hang from the ceilings. Makeup artists, still clad in face masks and plastic shields, run around making final touches to wigs and moustaches. Here we are reliving the 1970s. It is real and believable – even with blue masks. For a while we all travel back in time. Everyone is excited and waiting in anticipation. The “stars” shuffle in, to great applause. We sit and wait (again) – a kaleidoscope of colours and elegance … offset with blue masks.
Once everything is in place and the cameras are ready, the clapperboards are shut and the director calls out “Lights … Camera … Masks off … Action”.
Sydney steakhouse, Chophouse, has announced it will reopen on 28 October, with Matt Moran at the helm of an all-new menu. Under Moran’s guidance, the menu has been stripped back, with locally sourced produce and premium Australian meat taking centre stage, most of which come from the Moran family farm in NSW Central Tablelands.
A fourth-generation farmer himself and a pioneer of paddock-to-plate dining, Moran has diversified his family farm’s offering over the last few years, now rearing ethically farmed hormone-free beef, lamb and pigs. Moran family charcuterie, sirloin, T-bone and rib-eye will star on the launch menu, alongside a further array of Australian produce including bread from Sonoma, Westholme wagyu, Alto olive oil and local fruit and vegetables. The menu will be largely Australian focused with only Spanish anchovies, King Ora salmon from New Zealand, Reggiano parmesan DOP, raclette cheese and Valrhona chocolate imported for the opening menu.
“When we first took over Chophouse in 2016, we really just swung the doors open and stuck with what was already working. During the closure, we were able to stand back and visualise what we wanted to achieve with the venue, and what we wanted it to say about Australian produce, and we’re really proud of where we’ve landed. People love Chophouse for its big, bold flavours, and for its commitment to the best quality and tasting steak. That’s not going to change,” says Moran. “We just want to cut some of the fat, so to speak, and really bring it back to basics to let the produce shine through. Our family farm is something I am incredibly proud of, and I can’t wait to be able to have a place to share that at Chophouse. We’re also lucky enough to be working with some incredible local suppliers, such as Vannella, Alto, Havericks, Great Meats, Pinos for charcuterie and Sonoma, which is a real priority for me.”
Taking inspiration from classic steakhouses around the world, Chophouse will continue to serve the bold flavours its customers have come to know and love, but with a focus on what’s currently inspiring Moran too. Moran has designed the menu with Chophouse head chef Scott Kim. Menu entrees include: burrata with heirloom tomatoes and Alto olive oil and lemon; crab on toast with celery and soft herbs; anchovies with cured lardo on sourdough; and a Chophouse steak tartare.
At the heart of the menu are some of the best dry-aged cuts in Sydney – eye and scotch fillets, wagyu rump cap and sirloin, T-bone, or OP rib eye cut to order and served with a choice of anchovy butter, béarnaise, bordelaise or peppercorn sauce. Sides such as potato and rosemary galette, a baby cos salad and steak-cut chips with thyme salt, round out the menu.
Chophouse will also debut a refreshed dining room, with new furniture and styling. In addition to the main menu available in the dining room, guests are welcome to stop by for drinks or snacks in the bar and spacious, open-air terrace. The wine list features a 300-strong list with a bias towards big, bold reds featuring the classics, the contemporaries, and the cults. Classic cocktails take centre stage, as well as a twist on the Wagyu Old Fashioned, and a whisky cart with a wide variety of local and international blends.
Chophouse will reopen on 28 October, for lunch and dinner Tuesday to Friday, as well as dinner on Saturday. Bookings available via chophousesydney.com.au from 20 October.
Exceptional food, champagne and long lunching with great company.
In a season where celebration is needed more than ever, Merivale has Melbourne Cup covered, with a host of long lunches planned across their exceptional portfolio of restaurants, bars and pubs.
Whether it’s dressing to the nines for an elegant banquet or al fresco dining for lunch in the sun, Merivale has a package to suit. All venues will be offering table service in line with COVID safety guidelines. Spaces are limited, tickets on sale now.
CBD
● Mr.Wong, $250pp – This inner-city icon is serving up Melbourne Cup lunch, Cantonese style. Rock your race day best and head to the hatted Cantonese restaurant for a Melbourne Cup lunch your taste buds won’t soon forget. Receive a glass of 2012 Veuve Clicquot or Kirin on arrival, followed by an elaborate shared banquet created by star chef, Dan Hong.
● ivy Pool Club, $2.5k min spend – Escape the outside world and celebrate Cup Day in style at ivy’s iconic rooftop pool, with a new menu curated by Uccello chef, Nigel Ward. Indulge in a Mediterranean-style spread, including stunning antipasti, salads and pizzas, alongside a beautifully crafted drinks menu. Full table service means full relaxation, so guests can sit back and relax in style. $2,500 minimum spend (up to 10 guests) applies.
Northern Beaches
● Bert’s, $250pp – Spend an extra special Melbourne Cup with champagne in hand on Sydney’s Northern Beaches. You’ll be greeted with a glass of 2010 Dom Pérignon or Kirin on arrival, followed by an exclusive Cup Day menu curated by executive chef, Jordan Toft. Arrive hungry, settle in, and take in the view. ● The Newport Outside Courtyard, $160pp – Soak up the sunshine in the outside courtyard for an unforgettable Melbourne Cup Day long lunch and drinks. There’s a big screen to catch all the race day action, as you spend a perfect afternoon looking out over Pittwater. The drinks package includes NV Chandon, Furphy and a selection of wine. Plus, drinks will be available from the bar when the package ends.
● Queen Chow Manly, $195pp – Make your way to Manly Wharf for a Cantonese feast with a side of sea breeze. Settle in for a Cantonese-style lavish day of feasting with a cocktail on arrival followed by a tasty banquet featuring all your favourites and a matching drinks package. Tuck into delicious dim sum, sit back, relax, and raise a glass with friends as you take in the water views.
Eastern Suburbs
● Fred’s, $250pp – Looking for a farm-to-table feast in elegant surrounds? Fred’s two-hatted kitchen in Paddington ticks all the right boxes. Diners will receive a glass of 2010 Dom Pérignon or Kirin on arrival, followed by a seasonal Melbourne Cup lunch designed by head chef, Danielle Alvarez. With a warm and welcoming vibe, Fred’s is a sophisticated spot, perfect for a long, leisurely lunch with friends.
● The Paddington, $180pp – Make your way to Paddington on Melbourne Cup day to enjoy a long lunch with friends in one of the suburb’s most beloved establishments. Guests can enjoy a delicious banquet-style menu, plus drinks from arrival to the race. The Paddington’s relaxed atmosphere is ideal for people looking to enjoy Melbourne Cup day in a sophisticated environment with the drinks package including NV Chandon, Furphy plus a selection of wines. ● Ms.G’s, $170pp – Melbourne Cup and Ms.G’s go together like cheeseburgers and spring rolls (if you haven’t tried one of these, now’s your chance). This is the perfect place for fun food and a vibrant atmosphere. Guests can enjoy a shared banquet menu created by Dan Hong and a top-notch beverage package from arrival to finish. ● The Beresford Bistro, $120pp – This Surry Hills favourite is a sure bet for good times, good food and al fresco vibes. Guests can enjoy a glass of NV Veuve Clicquot or Furphy on arrival, followed by a three-course, sit-down banquet in the sunny, light-filled bistro.
● The Beresford Courtyard, $120pp – This iconic Surry Hills beer garden is the perfect spot to enjoy a sunny Melbourne Cup Day afternoon, al fresco style. Guests can enjoy a three-course banquet and a glass of NV Veuve Clicquot or Furphy on arrival while catching the race on the big screen as they unwind with friends.
Inner West ● Queen Chow Enmore, $140pp – Escape the city and head on over to Enmore for an unforgettable Melbourne Cup lunch at Queen Chow. Enjoy a delicious Cantonese banquet, along with a glass of NV Veuve Clicquot or Furphy on arrival.
For those looking to place a bet, Merivale encourages patrons to download the TAB app to stay ahead of the game.
COVID Safety Merivale has also put into place a number of measures to ensure all venues are COVID safe including: A maximum of 10 people per group, hand sanitiser provided, masks are discretionary, guests must download the Service NSW app for entry, Merivale operates in line with all NSW government restrictions, all guests are required to remain seated at all times, bar packages are seated, beverage packages start at midday and cease at the start of the race. For more information visit Merivale’s COVID-safe page.
A utopian world of Australian bubbles, beer and cider from the Champagne Dame, Kyla Kirkpatrick
The Champagne Dame is moving into a new utopia of fizz with the launch of Fizztopia – a curated online store offering a ‘best in class’ range of craft beers and ciders, seltzers, sparkling wines and non-alcoholic drinks, available for delivery nationwide from Thursday, 15 October 2020.
Already established as one of Australia’s leading authorities on all things champagne, along with being the founder of online Champagne retailer Emperor Champagne, the Champagne Dame Kyla Kirkpatrick had the idea for Fizztopia during COVID lockdown. After experiencing exceptional growth at Emperor, and looking for a way to keep her team focused and inspired, she struck on the idea of bringing their passion and expertise to a new online drink sales platform.
“We started the year with such energy, passion and enthusiasm, but then 2020 was not a normal year by any circumstance. The quiet that came from COVID provided the perfect opportunity to diversify and launch Fizztopia, utilising the skills of our team, to keep everyone employed and motivated and to give us a reason to keep going at full steam during seven months of arduous lock down,” says Kyla.
Sourced from small business owners, craft brewers, family producers and innovators in fizz, each beverage has been hand-picked by the Fizztopia team, who have tried and tested each drop to ensure only the best make it onto the virtual shelves. Favourites include:
• Adam’s Evening Hifi Cider • Tallboy & Moose Beer Un Poco Loco IPA • Terrazze dell’Etna Rosato Brut • Domaine Rolet Pere & Fils Crémant du Jura • Delvi Desert Lime Hard Seltzer
“Fizztopia is about curation of the selection. Our team have tasted every product on our site, if we don’t like it and if it doesn’t meet our quality seal – we don’t list it! We store it in our climate-controlled warehouse, we pack it beautifully, ship it rapidly then look after our customers for their loyalty with great customer service, awesome events and gifts for repeat purchasers. We may be an online site but we’re still all about the human touch.”
There will be limited-edition products available, all at accessible price points with the Fizztopia promise of being best-in-class, because, as per Kyla’s mantra, “life is too short to drink fizz that falls flat”.
Continuously sourcing the latest and greatest in the beverage industry, Fizztopia is one of the first retail spaces to stock White Claw Hard Seltzer downunder. With a cult following in the US earning its place in pop culture, White Claw is a low-sugar, fruit-flavoured, lightly sparkling alcoholic beverage significantly lower in calories than its alcopop counterpart. Available in flavours Ruby Grapefruit and Natural Lime, hard seltzer is destined to be the sip of summer.
Melbourne & Sydney’s Chin Chin and Melbourne sister venue Hawker Hall will be delivering special Grand Final Footy Packs to Victoria, Sydney, Canberra (for the first time) and Adelaide, bringing the ultimate feast to enjoy with the big game!
Chin Chin and Hawker Hall Grand Final Footy Packs
The Chin Chin and Hawker Hall teams have been busy packing your favourite flavours into two ultimate Grand Final Footy Pack feeds! Both venues have done all the hard work so you can enjoy the best dishes while watching the big game. All you have to do it whip out your oven mitts, warm up the mouth-watering meals and you’ll be kicking goals in the kitchen.
The packs include saucy dishes from either Chin Chin or Hawker Hall for two people, a free beer each, chopsticks, cooking instructions and menus too.
Pre-orders are available until Wednesday, 21 October until 12pm. Delivery details: Delivery to Victoria (delivering to most of the state) on Friday, 23 October for a flat fee of $16.50 Delivery to Metro Sydney on Saturday, 24 October for a flat fee of $22 Delivery to Canberra for the first time ever on Saturday, 24 October for a flat fee of $22 Delivery to Metro Adelaide on Saturday, 24 October for a flat fee of $22
There is no better way to enjoy the sunshine than with a selection of Melbourne’s favourite foodie offerings! This summer, take your picnic game to the next level with these five packs from Co-Lab Pantry, Horn Please, Tipico, Tokyo Tina and Hanoi Hannah.
Co-Lab Pantry – Take your favourite Victorian produce to the park with a picnic box from Co-Lab Pantry. Inside you’ll find Rare Hare Rosé, Mount Zero Mixed Organic Olives, Artisan Olive Oil Lavosh, Via Porta Hummus Dip, Four Pillars Orange Marmalade, D’Affinois Cheese, Borgo Sausage and Cornichons. Alternatively, Melburnians can also create their own picnic boxes, with a selection of antipasti offerings from Victoria’s finest makers, producers, bars and restaurants. Price: $99.00 Order: https://colabpantry.com.au/products/picnic-box Delivery: Melbourne only*
Horn Please – The Picnic Pack for five includes three curries served alongside samosa, rice, raita and pickle, complete with a six-pack of Kingfisher beer for $90. Customers can choose from five of Horn Please’s most popular curries — butter chicken, lamb curry, beef madras, Punjabi kadhi, dhal makhani and chana masala. Solo picnickers can opt for the Takeaway Thali ($15), including any two curries with rice, raita and papadam. Those looking to graze on the grass can while the time away over a menu of signature street food favourites, such as papadi chaat, okra fries, samosas and Colonel Tso’s cauliflower. Price: $90.00 Pick up details: 167 St Georges Rd, Fitzroy North VIC 3068 Bookings: via the Horn Please website or by calling 03 9497 8101
Tipico– Fasten your picnic baskets and welcome our newest pack! The price for the picnic pack is $55 and serves two people. The picnic pack includes a next-level cotoletta sandwich, juicy Sicilian olives & focaccia, a selection of silky cured meats, insalata verde and cheesy caprese. Price: $55.00 Pick up details: 242 High St, Windsor VIC 3181 Bookings: via https://tipico.melbourne/
Tokyo Tina– Head to the gardens with Tokyo Tina’s entertainer’s ‘The Long Weekender’ picnic pack. The menu serves four and includes prawn katsu sliders, pork belly bao, karaage fried chicken, edamame, kingfish sashimi, Wagyu beef tataki, kimchi fried rice, eight chicken yakitori skewers and eight mushroom yakitori skewers. For dessert, there are yuzu curd doughnuts. Each pack comes with mini bamboo plates, bowls and forks, making The Long Weekend perfect for the park. Price: $260 ($65 per person) Bookings: via Providoor
Hanoi Hannah– Hanoi Hannah ‘The Long Weekender’ entertainer’s pack has everything you need for a Vietnamese feast in the park. Featuring a range of Hanoi Hannah favourites to feed four people, dishes include banh mi, spring rolls, grilled chicken ribs, kingfish betel leaf, papaya salad and much more. The packs conveniently come with bamboo plates, bowls and forks, ideal for an outdoor sesh. Price: $232 ($58 per person) Bookings: via Providoor
Here’s the brand new Christmas Collection from Koko Black. All products will be available to purchase online via Koko Black’s website and in store starting the first week of November.
Wish Upon A Star Build your own milk, 54% dark and gold chocolate constellation RRP: $69.00
All Star Advent Calendar 25 of Koko’s greatest pralines behind every door RRP: $69.00
Twelve Starry Nights Koko’s galaxy of chocolate is full of stars and surprises found in 12 keepsake drawers, including Four Pillars Shiraz Gin, Koko Black Marbles, Blocks, All Rounds small Inbetweens RRP: $249.00
Classic Christmas Collection Hamper A merry assortment of Koko Black’s mixed Christmas chocolate favourites including A Jar of Stars, Koko’s Edible Ornaments, Chocolate Blocks and more. RRP: $99.00
Deluxe Christmas Collection Hamper A merry assortment of Koko Black’s mixed Christmas chocolate favourites including A Fantastical Feast Praline Box, A Jar of Stars, Koko’s Edible Ornaments, Chocolate Blocks and more RRP: $119.00
A Jar Of Stars Milk chocolate stars RRP: $17.50
Mulled Wine Marbles Milk ganache with shiraz and Christmas spices encased in 54% chocolate RRP: $9.90
Koko Black Bites Ginger Bread Bites – Crunchy gingerbread pieces coated in creamy milk chocolate Magic Pudding Bites – Spiced pudding bites in decadent white chocolate Pavlova Bites– Crispy meringue pieces coated in passionfruit-infused white chocolate RRP: $17.50 each
Festive Pralines Gift Box (16 Piece) 16 Festive Pralines crafted with the flavours of Christmas RRP: $39.00
A Fantastical Feast (25 Piece) A Fantastical Feast of 25 Handcrafted Pralines RRP: $59.00
Koko Black Chocolate Blocks A Spectacle Of Speculoos – Cinnamon spice and all things nice. Crispy spiced Belgian biscuit pieces in deep, dark chocolate All Over Pavlova – Koko’s rendition of an Australian treat. Tangy passionfruit, blueberry and crispy meringue in creamy white chocolate Classic Christmas Pudding – A symphony of pudding spices in creamy milk chocolate, crowned in Christmas fruits Coconut Cherry Delight – Koko’s take on an Australian classic—a cherry ripe, super delight! Caramelised coconut and freeze-dried sour cherries in 54% dark chocolate RRP: $9.90 each
Koko Black Dotties Very merry bites to nibble, or a bauble for your tree Caramelised Coconut Dotties – Milk Chocolate Decadent Dark Dotties – 54% Dark Chocolate Golden White Dotties – Caramelised White Chocolate Midnight Dark Dotties – 80% Dark Chocolate Dreamy White Dotties – White Chocolate RRP: $7.50 each
Koko’s Edible Ornaments (Gift Box) Five cubes of Christmas Dotties to hang upon your tree RRP: $39.90
Silly Snowmen & Topsy Trees A collectable tin of merry things. 54% Dark Chocolate Silly Snowmen and Milk Chocolate Topsy Trees OR Milk Chocolate Silly Snowmen and White Chocolate Topsy Trees. RRP: $19.90
Merry Marcher/Dolly Dancer Milk Chocolate RRP: $3.90 each
One of television’s favourite chefs, Manu Feildel, will be joined by his wife Clarissa Feildel for a virtual cooking demonstration on Saturday, 7th November.
Join Manu and Clarissa as they show how to cook their Asian-Style Mussels and Claypot Chicken Rice. During the demonstration, the pair will share their tips and tricks in the kitchen and answer questions along the way while guests get to know the couple and their passion for good food. There will also be time for a dedicated Q&A after the cooking.
For those who want to cook along, the recipe will be shared prior to the event so all the ingredients can be measured, equipment ready to go and ovens on.
This is a great opportunity to go on a culinary journey and learn hints and tips from one of the best in the business!
The class is $53.06, including booking fee. Tickets are available via Eventbrite.
Hospitality – Creating an initiative to support our Australian artists. Created and supported by Vizio Caffe e Cucina.
Join the Vizio crew on Tuesday, 20 October, for this exclusive, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to get up close and personal with Australian artist, budding filmmaker, and acclaimed author of Milk Blood – Adrian Simon.
Imagine growing up the son of the notorious Warren Fellows, who created one of the biggest media frenzies in Australian history! A story of global proportions. Shaped by events from the ‘70s colourful Sydney underground, creating extraordinary family consequences, all depicted intimately and entertainingly in one of Australia’s most compelling books.
Enjoy a cocktail on arrival, an elegant 4-course special chef’s menu degustation, speak with Adrian, ask questions about the book, and films in the making.
This unique night is all the best food and company, with a special surprise reading and personalised signed books available.
Menu
~ Entrée ~ PORCHETTA CARPACCIO | SALSA TONNATA
~ Pasta ~ RISOTTO ALLA MILANESE | SAFFRON | BEEF | PARMIGIANO
From this week, Urban Foodies is delivering Tricks and Treats for Halloween.
Ghouls just want to have fun! Get spooky with Urban Foodies this Halloween and select one of two DIY kits.
DIY Halloween cupcake kit – Get the kids in the kitchen and decorate a batch of 12 Halloween cupcakes, complete with your own ‘dirt’ toppings. Urban Foodies will send everything you need, including pre-made cupcakes as well as miniature mummy and tombstone cookies to decorate and stick on top. Kit includes 12 vanilla cupcakes, chocolate icing, decorations for 6 Mummy cupcakes and 6 Graveyard cupcakes. Price: $48 per kit
DIY Pumpkin carving kit – Urban Foodies is also delivering ‘carve your own pumpkin kits’. Kits include a large carving pumpkin, stencils and lolly bags to keep your little trick or treaters happy. Kit includes Large carving pumpkin, 3 stencils, tealight candles, and treats for the kids! Price: $35 per kit
Favourite St Kilda beachfront restaurant also now available on Providoor.
To celebrate the warmer weather and Spring celebrations, Stokehouse have created three premium extravaganza boxes. Celebrate AFL Grand Final Day, Cox Plate, Caulfield Cup and all four Flemington race days in style with Stokehouse. Escape the everyday, with these boxes delivering luxury at home or in the park effortlessly.
Perfect for those looking for maximum impact with little cooking required and designed to provide choice for both the seafood and meat lover. The three boxes feed four to six people comfortably and are delivered straight to your door thanks to Clamms Seafood, a partner of Stokehouse for over 30 years.
The seafood box is $425 and includes an epic tray of crayfish, spanner crab, king prawns, tuna and kingfish crudo and oysters with cucumber mignonette, whilst the BBQ box for $325 includes premium Wagyu beef, slow-cooked pork, calamari and lardo skewers and octopus skewers. And for those wanting to really impress, a special seafood box in collaboration with Stokehouse House Champagne, Bollinger, is also available for $600. Accompaniments include a house-made burnt citrus peel salt, chilli–lime butter and embered citrus dressing.
“We think it’s the perfect time to show what Stokehouse is best known for – the highest quality produce that’s available, which is thanks to Clamms who bring decades of knowledge to the seafood they provide,” says Jason Staudt, Executive Chef of the Stokehouse Precinct.
Clamms are currently delivering to all of metro Melbourne, Geelong and Bellarine Peninsula, Mornington Peninsula, Daylesford and Yarra Valley for a flat rate of $25. Free pick-up can also be arranged from Stokehouse on the day. Orders for the boxes can be placed at https://order.hungryhungry.com/stokehouse/menu with a limited number available, so get in quick.
And for those missing the dine-in experience, Stokehouse is now available through Providoor, a premium delivery service that delivers state-wide Wednesday to Sunday. Signature Stokehouse items, including cocktails and wines, are available to order individually, or for those looking for the full experience, Executive Chef Jason Staudt has curated three menus to choose from – the Chef’s Menu, Seafood Chef’s Menu and Vegan Chef’s Menu.
“We’ve made sure that the Providoor menu is using the best of what’s available right now – including the first of the asparagus paired with a smoked trout rillettes; local gurnard and prawn in a light broth of tomatoes, sliced fennel and saffron; and slow-cooked Cape Grim short rib with celeriac remoulade and puree,” says Jason.
If seafood and meat isn’t your thing, the Vegan Chef’s Menu will definitely impress, with blistered eggplant pâté, embered cauliflower and vegan sticky date pudding. “The vegan menu is all about seasonality and I’m lucky to be able to play with a big coal fire, which brings such great flavours out of the humble vegetable,” adds Jason.
To celebrate Stokehouse joining Providoor, Oyster October returns with $2 oysters available for all Stokehouse × Providoor deliveries until the end of the month.
Providoor orders can be placed here. Stokehouse will soon be taking bookings for dine in – stay tuned.
The newSmirnoff Seltzer range has hit Australian shores just in time for summer. Fruity in flavour and refreshing in taste, Smirnoff Seltzer is the latest innovation from the world’s number one vodka and is set to be this year’s Aussie summer staple.
Boasting zero sugar, low calorie (70 calories per serve) and gluten-free credentials, Smirnoff Seltzer is perfect for sizzling summer days and balmy nights – from backyard hangs to garden picnics and post-beach catch-ups with friends.
The ready-to-drink mix of Smirnoff No. 21 Premium Vodka, sparkling water, and a hint of natural fruit flavours is a clean, crisp, and fresh tasting serve that is best served chilled from the fridge, or over ice in a glass. Now available nationwide in three flavours – Natural Lime, Raspberry Rosé and Passionfruit – Smirnoff Seltzer provides a great alternative for those looking for the lighter option to wine or beer. A 250ml serving of Smirnoff Seltzer contains 36% less calories than a standard 150ml glass of wine and 53% less calories than a 375ml can of beer*.
Following the meteoric rise of alcoholic seltzers in the US and UK, Smirnoff is set to take charge of the seltzer trend down under. In the coming months, Aussies can expect Smirnoff Seltzer experiences, activations and partnerships that will innovate the way we socialise and experience culture.
Smirnoff Seltzer is the drink that everyone has been waiting for! With low calories, crisp flavours and a refreshing taste, everyone will have a Smirnoff Seltzer in hand this summer.
The 250ml Slim Can four-pack retails for $19.99. Natural Lime and Raspberry Rosé are now available in liquor stores nationwide. Passionfruit is available exclusively at Dan Murphy’s and BWS nationwide. For more information visit @smirnoffaustralia on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.
In collaboration with Melbourne Fringe’s Fringe Furniture program, the Naomi Milgrom Foundation has released the design for the MPavilion 2020 stool, by local interior designer and architect Holly Board in partnership with Peter Grove, both of BoardGrove Architects. The commission – titled STOOL DOLLY – is part of MPavilion’s response to a pandemic year with greater investment in local artists and designers, while also being an extension of the Fringe Gender Equality Initiative, supported by the Naomi Milgrom Foundation. From December until the end of the MPavilion 2020 season, the stool will be used across multiple physical locations in and around Melbourne.
Responding to the necessity of ‘physical distancing’ in this time of pandemic, Stool Dolly considers how individuals can informally create separation through spatial means. Reminiscent of children’s paper dolls – where folded paper is cut into a simple human form, before becoming a train of people connected by their stretched-out arms – each plywood Stool Dolly chair can be positioned in two states: at ‘arm’s length’ (1.5m), or interlocked. When used at MPavilion events, the resulting configuration allows its users to be safely apart, together.
In the bid to secure the brief for MPavilion 2020’s stool commission, other highly regarded submissions included designs by Apple Huang, Caroline Scales, Keiran Meegan and Rickie-Lee Robbie of Idle Hands, Jordan Fleming, Kathleen Prentice, and Phoebe Richardson.
Naomi Milgrom AC, founder of the Naomi Milgrom Foundation, said: “MPavilion is delighted to work with such an impressive, emerging furniture design couple Holly Board and Peter Grove. Chosen from a remarkable collection of applications from young creatives, the Stool Dolly design blends form with a heightened sensitivity to the practical demands of this unique time in history. For MPavilion and the Naomi Milgrom Foundation, supporting local design and manufacturing now is more important than ever before.”
Simon Abrahams, creative director and CEO of Melbourne’s Fringe, said: “Melbourne Fringe is so proud of Holly Board and Peter Grove’s innovative design, and we’re thrilled to see our Gender Equality Initiative in real action. When we are allowed to gather again, there’s nowhere I’d rather be doing it than at MPavilion, sitting on a new commissioned piece from an exciting Melbourne Fringe designer.”
Established as an experimental playground, Fringe Furniture is a standout exhibition of emerging and market-ready design that provides a continuing platform for artists and designers to showcase their work. The MPavilion 2020 stool commission comes as part of an extension of the Fringe’s Gender Equality Initiative and part of the Naomi Milgrom Foundation’s three-year funding, addressing gender inequity in the design industry. Since 2018, this funding has supported a subsidy in Fringe Furniture registration fees for female and non-binary designers, equal to the gender pay gap.
The MPavilion 2020 stool designed by Holly Board and Peter Grove joins the ongoing furniture series commissioned by the Naomi Milgrom Foundation each year for MPavilion. Previous furniture pieces include designs by Chris Connell of Chris Connell Design (2019), Carme Pinós of Estudio Carme Pinós (2018), OMA (2017), local artisans in India in collaboration with Studio Mumbai (2016), and Sean Godsell of Sean Godsell Architects (2014).
In 2020, MPavilion aims to stimulate artistic engagement with a greater investment in artists, designers and performers. Its amplified new program – launching Thursday, 12 November 2020, and running until Monday, 5 April 2021 – will occur entirely online in November, and then both online and in multiple physical locations from December onwards. Australia’s leading architecture and design event, the season comprises over 400 free events – including talks, workshops, performances, kid-friendly activities, and community projects and installations.
MPavilion is supported by principal partners City of Melbourne, the State Government of Victoria through Creative Victoria, and RACV.
Key dates and useful links: • MPavilion will open free to the public from 12 November 2020 to 6 April 2021. • MPavilion’s COVID-19 Safe Plan please visit www.mpavilion.org • For further information including program times, please visit www.mpavilion.org
At French fine dining restaurant Metisse in Potts Point, chef patron/owner Opel Khan has just appointed his 21-year-old daughter Lucinda to the head chef position. Together they have created new menus showcasing their passion around sustainability, through a luxurious French fine dining offering and also catering to vegetarians and vegans.
Opel and his wife Julie opened Métisse in early 2019. Lucinda was Métisse’s sous chef when the restaurant opened in 2019, and in the short time since then, her skills and knowledge have impressed her restaurateur father.
The fine dining restaurant’s name stems from the Khan family’s mixed-race heritage, with Opel being born in Bangladesh and raised in the UK, and Julie, an Australian. The name is a tribute to his daughters, Jasmine and Lucinda. Métisse is a true family venture, where Julie and Jasmine work the floor, with Opel and Lucinda in the kitchen.
The new menus – ‘The Journey’ and ‘The Earth’ (vegetarian and vegan) – have been developed by Opel and Lucinda, putting their twist on classic French dishes. No produce or ingredients are wasted, with the pair using every part of the produce, including peel and pulp.
Picnic packs, street food favourites and more for an al fresco afternoon in the park.
A new Indian picnic is now available from Fitzroy North favourite Horn Please, adapting their popular curries and Indian street food for our parks and gardens with a selection of picnic packs and street food options.
The Picnic Pack for five includes three curries served alongside samosa, rice, raita and pickle, complete with a six-pack of Kingfisher beer for $90. Customers can choose from five of Horn Please’s most popular curries – butter chicken, lamb curry, beef madras, Punjabi kadhi, dhal makhani and chana masala.
Those looking to graze on the grass can while the time away over a menu of signature street food favourites, such as papadi chaat, okra fries, samosas and Colonel Tso’s cauliflower. Light and scrumptious, the dishes make for the ideal outdoor snack, best shared with chilled drinks.
For solo picnickers, the Takeaway Thali ($15) includes any two curries with rice, raita and papadam. As with the Picnic Pack, the curry options include butter chicken, lamb curry, beef madras, Punjabi kadhi, dhal makhani and chana masala.
Conveniently located across the street from Edinburgh Gardens, the new takeaway offerings by Horn Please are available for pickup from the Fitzroy North venue from midday until late each Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
As always, Horn Please is offering a 30% discount on curries and rice for pick-up orders made through its online menu.
El Camino Cantina is bringing a two-storey, mega-grand version of its legendary Tex-Mex cocina and cantina and margarita mecca to Brisbane’s South Bank, ready for the summer holiday and festive season.
Opening in late November, El Camino Cantina South Bank will replace the tourist-centric Munich Brauhaus, which closed following COVID-19 restrictions and the tourism drought, and brings a unique, live entertainment version of the cult-classic Tex-Mex dining and entertainment experience to the popular South Bank precinct.
In close proximity to the iconic Streets Beach, the 510-seat diner has three distinct zones: a colourful, umbrella-ed outdoor dining area for 140 guests, a ground floor diner that caters to 120 guests, and a bar-centric 250-seat upper floor.
While the edgy club vibe and DJ line-up is unique to the South Bank location, the venue takes its tried and tested Tex-Mex cues, in terms of menu, legendary margaritas, decor and trademark cool tunes, from its nine El Camino Cantina siblings in Brisbane, the Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Sydney and Melbourne. Colourful sombreros are free for all diners and obligatory fun attire for group selfies.
El Camino Cantina will open with Brisbane’s inaugural Ritapalooza festival – a celebration of its legendary margaritas, which have a cult following across three states and a growing footprint across Queensland. These rockstar-style ritas will be available in 15 frozen flavours during the six-week-long Ritapalooza festival, which will launch the Tex-Mex wild child into South Bank with a bang – ready for Christmas parties and summer soirees.
Price-friendly classic Tex-Mex dishes span tacos with eight flavour combinations, sizzling chargrilled fajitas with a choice of four fillings, spicy buffalo wings with three spicy sauces, and nachos loaded with all the Tex-Mex trimmings. A share-style Tex-Mex fiesta menu and drinks package is perfect for group events and celebrations. Tortillas are house-made daily, and bottomless baskets of complimentary chips and salsas are available all day. Unmissable weekly deals include $2 and $4 taco Tuesdays and 10-cent buffalo wings every Wednesday.
El Camino’s famous margaritas are served frozen, on the rocks, and Cadillac-style with a smooth, rich float of Grand Marnier. Margarita tasting paddles of four, 220ml flavours are also available. Beer lovers can explore an imported range of bottled brews, including Dos Equis XX, Corona, Pacifico and Negra Modelo, which join cans of Cerveza Tecate and local draught brews. Sangria, cocktails, wine, and dozens of tequilas and mezcals are also on offer.
Rockpool Dining Group Chief Executive Officer Thomas Pash said El Camino Cantina is a growth brand for the business and has come out of the COVID-19 pandemic even stronger, which underscored the decision to bring it to South Bank.
“The El Camino customer demographic is a younger, more carefree age group and the price point is pleasantly affordable, which are important contributors to a restaurant’s success in the current dining landscape and at this time of economic uncertainty and falling discretionary spend,” Mr Pash said.
“We opened El Camino Cantina at Robina in July – a time when many restaurants had not reopened after the initial COVID-19 shutdown – and the venue has proved to be big hit, which underscores our confidence in El Camino Cantina as a brand to further invest in and expand.”
Mr Pash said El Camino Cantina South Bank will employ around 50 full-time and casual staff and bring a number of stood-down team members back to work: “providing job security for those in an industry decimated by the COVID-19 pandemic”. Positions to be filled include assistant restaurant managers, chefs, cooks and casual front of house roles.
El Camino Cantina South Bank boasts a bright umbrella-ed, festively lit, al fresco area around the building’s façade. On the ground floor, seating is a mix of colourful, group-sized, high-topped tables with glittered retro stools, as well as lower communal dining tables and smaller seating arrangements – perfect for pairs of diners, small groups and larger parties. Window-side drinking ledges overlook the al fresco dining space.
Upstairs, the spacious live entertainment and extended dining area comprises of two interlinked rooms, which feature booth-style leather seating and tables around the edges, leaving dance-floor space at their centres. The larger of the two rooms features a dedicated bar and DJ booth. A DJ line-up will be announced closer to the launch.
Melburnites may not be able to celebrate at the MCG or the local on this year’s Grand Final long weekend, but there’s a range of offerings to keep punters well-fed from the first bounce to the final siren and beyond.
Tokyo Tina Improve your Grand Final long weekend with Tokyo Tina’s entertainers pack ‘The Long Weekender’. The menu serves four and includes prawn katsu sliders, pork belly bao, karaage fried chicken, edamame, kingfish sashimi, wagyu beef tataki, kimchi fried rice, eight chicken yakitori skewers and eight mushroom yakitori skewers. For dessert, there are yuzu curd doughnuts. Each pack comes with mini bamboo plates, bowls and forks to serve, so clean-up is a breeze. Price: $260 ($65 per person) Bookings: via Providoor
Hanoi Hannah Hanoi Hannah has prepared a Vietnamese feast on your behalf with ‘The Long Weekender’ entertainers pack. Featuring a range of Hanoi Hannah favourites to feed four people, dishes include banh mi, spring rolls, grilled chicken ribs, kingfish betel leaf, papaya salad and much more. The packs come with bamboo plates, bowls and forks, meaning more time to feast and less cleaning up. Price: $232 ($58 per person) Bookings: via Providoor
Urban Foodies Footy Fever Packs Those who are missing having a pie and a pint at the MCG can recreate the experience at home with Urban Foodies. Offering classic pies, wagyu beef sliders, and karaage fried chicken alongside cold beers from Colonial Brewing Co., Urban Foodies have three Footy Fever Packs available:
The Torpedo — 12 DIY Wagyu beef sliders, nine mini beef pies, nine mini sausage rolls
The Checkside Punt — 12 DIY Wagyu beef sliders, Japanese crispy karaage chicken
The Drop Punt — 20 DIY beef bao, Japanese crispy karaage chicken
Each pack comes with a 6-pack of either Draught, Pale Ale or Cider from Colonial Brewing Co. to help celebrate a victory or drown your sorrows. Price: $110 for each pack, including a 6-pack of Colonial Draught, Pale Ale or Cider Ordering: via the Urban Foodies website
Gitan’s Grand Final Grazing Menu Footy fans are invited to spend the night in with Gitan’s Grand Final Grazing Menu. Providing enough food for the whole night, the menu includes flatbreads and dips (hummus, smoked chilli, capsicum and walnut), salmon gravlax with avocado and citrus, house-made pork and fennel sausages with caramelised onions and house-made tomato chutney, potato salad, ending with a citrus trifle. Price: $55 per person Ordering: Available via Providoor
AFL Grand Final with Co-Lab Pantry AFL fans can celebrate the 2020 Premiership with all their favourite Victorian produce from Co-Lab Pantry. You will find some delicious treats to enjoy on the night, including:
– 6-pack lager from Stomping Ground – Fancy Hanks BBQ sauce – Snags from Saluministi – Kettle chips from Chappy’s Chips – King & Godfree mixed nuts – King & Godfree d’Affinois cheese – King & Godfree wafers
Price: Build-your-own Ordering: via the Co-Lab website Purchase: Placed by Tuesday, 20 October. Melbourne Metro only.
It’s happening. As the spookiest day of the year creeps closer, 7-Eleven is making all our Halloween dreams come true with the release of the Slurpee flavour Australia has been waiting for.
For a limited time only from October 15, select 7-Eleven stores across the country will welcome the new Slurpee flavour – Pumpkin Spice Latte.
Gaining a devout cult following abroad that’s seen the humble Pumpkin Spice Latte evolve into one of the world’s most popular drink trends, the flavour has made its way down under and is set to send Aussies into a frozen frenzy.
And while it’s typically a seasonal flavour Americans cosy up to at the start of fall, we’ll be sipping the icy-cold version to beat the heat this spring. Think spiced pumpkin with a refreshingly creamy twist.
“We’ve witnessed the hype that is all-things Pumpkin Spice in the US and have listened to the cry of Aussies in true 7-Eleven style. Our new Pumpkin Spice Latte Slurpee is set to be a highly sought-after flavour this Halloween, but it won’t be around for long,” says a 7-Eleven spokesperson.
It’s recommended Pumpkin Spice Latte fans get in quick before stocks run out. For more information on 7-Eleven’s Slurpee flavour range, head to 7eleven.com.au.
Restaurants have certainly had a tough time over the past six months. The hospitality sector has been decimated by COVID-19. Most restaurants and cafés are struggling. Many will not survive … and those that do will be very different.
It’s been just over six months since the first lockdowns and the closure of many restaurants. Six months of change. Six months of little or no income. Six months of stress and uncertainty. Six months of closures, openings and re-closures. Six months of takeout. Six months of innovation. Six months to reflect and re-think.
The hospitality industry was always tough. Costs are high and profit margins very slim. Pre-COVID, the average life of a restaurant was just 18 months and 50 per cent of venues failed to see their third birthday. Two years ago, a thousand venues were reviewed for the 2018 G&M Restaurant Guide. Within 12 months, 32 per cent of those restaurants either closed, re-named or underwent a major transformation in branding.
No doubt, that figure will be higher today.
Another consequence of the restaurant shutdown is that restaurant reviewers have also had to find other things to do. Without restaurants, there can be no restaurant reviews. And even when some of the restrictions were relaxed and we could venture out, albeit with new rules, most of the review organisations took the decision to pause formal reviews to support the struggling industry. The Good Food Guide states that “the practice of scoring reviews has been paused”, whilst Gault&Millau, The World’s 50 Best Restaurants and other food awards have all been postponed until at least 2021.
However, in true Gallic defiance, Michelin have ignored the pandemic (which is particularly bad in France) maintaining that forging ahead with its dining guides will help support cities’ restaurants during this difficult time. Undeterred by the fact that most restaurants are locked down and it’s hard for their inspectors to get out and about, and that their printed guides have been delayed, their “digital first” inspectors are simply “reviewing on-line”.
Obviously, one cannot judge restaurants that are closed.
So, restaurant reviewers have had to find other things to do to amuse themselves! Some have focused on recipes and books. Others have taken to social media to talk about gardening, sourdough, home food production and their mother’s recipes. A few have chosen to do informal reviews – looking at cafés, bakeries and novel start-ups, and even reviewing home delivery. Others have gone back to their real jobs. And the bloggers are going hungry with a scarcity of invites in the current environment.
So, with hospitality irretrievably changed by COVID-19, what does the future hold for restaurant reviews??
Well, people will still want to go out to eat. And chefs will still want hats, stars and toques. So there is still a place for the review.
But the hospitality stage has changed. Apart from the obvious changes due to social distancing and sanitisation – which I have been harping on about for the past few months – there are still limitations on travel. International travel and high-end “destination dining” is likely to take a long while to recover. Many believe that the celebrity chef restaurant business model is dead, as diners ditch overpriced fancy meals. Jamie Oliver has closed his restaurants and is working from home. René Redzepi is making burgers. Gordon Ramsay is teaching online and serving fish & chips. Dinner by Heston Blumenthal has closed and Heston is making podcasts.
Many chefs have had time to pause and re-evaluate their lives, moving to quieter locations, scaling down, opening up pop-ups, concentrating on catering and take out, and so on. They have had time to discover what a normal life can look like – relaxing, exercising, spending time with family, eating well. Many have left the service industry, focusing instead on producing quality products like sourdough, pasta, vegan dishes, wines and others.
The hospitality industry has always been dynamic and innovative, changing rapidly with trends and tastes. This has only accelerated in recent months with COVID-scarred chefs trying different things and moving around. But this means that many reviews would be out of date almost as soon as they are published!
I think the traditional food guides and reviews are likely to struggle post-COVID. There will be less fine diners to review. Most city centres will remain quiet for some time to come. And many of those top eateries that do exist will be short-term pop-ups like Alanna Sapwell’s Esmay – making it hard to visit and then rate, score and publish a premium guide with any longevity.
Destination dining will be about the regions – about small creative venues, connected with food artisans and specialist producers within the local community. The dining consumer, stressed by the lockdowns and their own changed situations, is seeking quality comfort food. Many consumers have had time to reacquaint themselves with wholesome family meals and are seeking creative but sustaining food that makes them feel good. Good presentation, friendly convivial service in pleasant safe surroundings. And no surprises – except perhaps good ones! It’s all about the experience and the community.
To contain costs, which will inevitably rise, chefs will seek to minimise the range of expensive ingredients – so no doubt, we will see smaller but higher quality menus and a return of the fixed price “table d’hôte”. A return to high-quality traditional cuisines, as well as new, innovative comfort foods.
There will, of course, always be top-end fine diners. But the economic model for these will necessitate them to operate from subsidised destination locations, like hotels. And, especially in Australia, the limited number of international visitors and diners prepared to travel will restrict patronage. With this in mind, many top chefs are opening less expensive casual places, often in suburban or rural locations and even in pubs and clubs. The celebrity chef is not dead, but is now very different. A quiet achiever. And quality takeout, together with travelling pop-ups, are here to stay.
These short life cycles will make it difficult to rate and score restaurants in a traditional printed formal guide. Tim Hayward, food critic at the London business newspaper the Financial Times, said: “We can’t go back to what we had, whether we want to or not”. So, restaurant reviewers, and the guides themselves, will need to evolve. They will be online. More nimble. More concise. More experiential.
In many respects, the guides will go back to the future! Henri Gault and Christian Millau started out with a simple newsletter to tell their friends and readers the places they liked. Michelin was encouraging people to go on local drives and explore places worth a detour (and wear out their tyres in the process).
So, watch this space. Like the restaurants we review, we are re-evaluating, re-modelling, re-grouping and looking at new, simpler ways of promoting this wonderful, creative, dynamic and vital industry of ours.
To quote Anton Ego, the restaurant critic from the movie Ratatouille (Walt Disney Pictures, 2007) …
In many ways, the work of a critic is easy. We risk very little, yet enjoy a position over those who offer up their work and their selves to our judgment. We thrive on negative criticism, which is fun to write and to read. But the bitter truth we critics must face is that, in the grand scheme of things, the average piece of junk is probably more meaningful than our criticism designating it so. But there are times when a critic truly risks something, and that is in the discovery and defence of the new. The world is often unkind to new talent, new creations. The new needs friends. (emphasis added)
From Monday, 12 October, Oriental Teahouse will launch a selection of dumpling picnic boxes served hot, and available for pick-up from their South Yarra restaurant and Brunswick takeaway locations.
Whether it’s a family picnic in the park, a romantic lunch date with a view, or a vegan dumpling feast, each picnic option comes complete with all the dumpling fixings, as well as foiled packaging to retain heat from pick-up to picnic.
Pre-orders from Monday, 12 October are online via Mr Yum for pick-up only, or call up the restaurant to secure a dumpling picnic box in advance. All picnics come with mini bamboo plates, bowls and forks, making the clean up a breeze in the park. Dumpling picnics include:
Dumpling Picnic for 2 — $80
Pan-fried pork and chive dumplings (15pc)
Mixed golden fry box including veggie spring rolls (4pc), a serving of salt and pepper calamari, fried chicken ribs (6pc), football dumplings (4pc)
Dumpling Picnic for 4 — $150
Pan-fried pork and chive dumplings (15pc)
Chilli wagyu beef dumplings (15pc)
Mixed golden fry box including veggie spring rolls (4pc), a serving of salt and pepper calamari, fried chicken ribs (6pc), football dumplings (4pc)
Mixed bun pack including BBQ pork buns (2pc), Buddha buns (2pc), shiitake mushroom and mini bok choy buns (3pc)
Dumpling Picnic for 6 — $190
Pan-fried pork and chive dumplings (15pc)
Chilli wagyu beef dumplings (15pc)
Satay chicken dumplings (15pc)
Mixed golden fry box including veggie spring rolls (4pc), a serving of salt and pepper calamari, fried chicken ribs (6pc), football dumplings (4pc)
Mixed bun pack including BBQ pork buns (2pc), Buddha buns (2pc), shiitake mushroom and mini bok choy buns (3pc)
Vegan Dumpling Picnic for 2 — $80
Mixed vegan golden fry box including veggie spring rolls (4pc), pan-fried veggie dumplings (4pc), spring onion pancakes (2pc), a serving of salt and pepper tofu
Mixed vegan dumplings and bun pack including mushroom dumplings (3pc), Buddha buns (3pc), shiitake mushroom and mini bok choy buns (3pc)
For South Yarra pick-ups, drink add-ons are available to add some spritz to your step. The drinks menu includes homemade raspberry lime iced tea ($6), a bottled Pink Panther cocktail for two ($32) or a bottle of Domaine de La Grande Côte ($40) for picnics of a special kind.
The ‘Taste of Japan’ Festival is a two-day offering at No.5 Restaurant and Bar that is bringing the much loved tastes and smells of Japan to the heart of Alexandria.
Head Chef Emrys Jones is transporting his guests to a destination that holds a special place in his heart. Regularly travelling to Japan and meeting his wife there, Emrys has curated a five-course dining degustation showcasing Japan’s finest flavours. With international travel off the cards for a while, and Sydneysiders feeling the cabin fever, he wanted to bring an authentic international experience to the heart of Alexandria.
There will be a combination of traditional favourite dishes, including chawanmushi, tataki and yakitori. The No.5 mixologist will be shaking up delicious bottomless sakura cocktails alongside a selection of other Japanese whisky, gin, sake and yuzushu offerings.
Guests are encouraged to enjoy the relaxed atmosphere in the converted warehouse or in the outdoor courtyard area. Diners also have the opportunity to give back to the community or those who are doing it tough, by leaving a tip that will go towards a complimentary meal for two at the restaurant as part of their ‘Pay it Forward’ campaign.
For many hospitality venues across Australia, the past 6 months or so have been the hardest they’ve ever experienced. For those in fire-affected areas, it’s been almost 12 solid months of hell – lost profits, lockdowns, closures, curfews, takeaway pivots and a load of new rules and regulations to abide by.
Nisbets has been supplying the Australian hospitality industry with catering and hospitality supplies for the past ten years and has seen the industry move from one of the global backbenchers to a world-class dining destination in the space of a decade. But they’ve never seen challenges like the ones 2020 has delivered.
“Whilst we’ve seen the industry go through ups and downs over the past ten years, we’ve not seen anything like those from the impact of COVID-19. From pivoting menus, introducing takeaway and even new cleaning regulations, we’ve had to work hard to help our customers adapt to these tricky times,” says Michael Micallef, Managing Director of Nisbets ANZ.
In their attempt to help hospitality venues make up for lost time and boost those crumbling bottom lines, the NSW Government has now given a green light to bars and restaurants across Sydney to expand their seating areas to include outdoor areas on footpaths and garden spaces.
This new regulation has been dubbed the ‘al fresco revolution’ and means that the State Government can work through applications to change licence boundaries in a week, rather than the usual timeline, which takes up to three months.
“The new regulations for outdoor dining are a huge win for an industry that has suffered more than any other during 2020. Outdoor dining helps to maximise a venue’s profits by increasing the amount of space available to customers,” says Michael Micallef, Managing Director of Nisbets ANZ.
Whilst the initial roll out on 16 October only includes 16 venues in The Rocks, Rob Stokes, Minister for Planning and Public Spaces, has advised that remaining Sydney venues can apply to expand their spaces from 1 November.
Melbourne has also just announced that they will follow suit once stage 4 restrictions lift with free, fast-tracked outdoor dining permits to provide hospitality venues with more options to trade safely.
Whilst this is great news for a lot of venue owners, there are still many venue owners that are concerned about the additional expense that will be required in order for them to expand outside and to provide suitable al fresco seating options for their customers.
“We’ve had many customers get in touch as they want to expand outdoors, but don’t have the necessary equipment such as waterproof tables, chairs and even shade umbrellas,”explains Michael. “We’re working hard to address each venue’s needsindividually and suggesting the best, cost-effective options to help them navigate this next step in the coronavirus recovery.”
For venues considering an expansion to their service area, Nisbets are offering some basic advice that can be used to help select not only the right items for your location, but to choose items that are cost effective, and will stand the test of time.
Outdoor Furniture
Having good quality tables and chairs for your al fresco dining area is essential. The right outdoor dining furniture should be lightweight and easy to move and put away, as well as durable so that it can withstand all kinds of weather. Featuring brands such as Bolero and Werzalit, Nisbet’s range of al fresco dining furniture offers a variety of materials to suit any outdoor setting. Check out their range of tables and chairs.
Hot tip: For a lightweight and reliable option that is easy to move and keep clean, aluminium outdoor furniture is hard to beat. Steel and wooden designs are also available, while faux wicker looks great in bistro dining areas. In Australia, Nisbets also reminds venue owners to consider umbrellas to provide shade and protection from the weather.
Umbrellas
An outdoor umbrella can really transform an al fresco dining area. It provides diners with shade during hot summer days and guarantees maximum use of a venue’s outdoor seating by offering all-year-round protection from the weather. Nisbets has a wide range of canopy colours and styles available, guaranteed to enhance the appearance of any outdoor setting. Check out the range here.
Hot tip: A garden parasol umbrella must be quick and easy to open or close (to avoid awkward customers encounters!), so a user-friendly pulley system is essential. Bolero outdoor umbrellas are particularly popular for their simple operation and effectiveness in providing shade for outdoor tables and outdoor chairs on patios, deckings and terraces. They are equally reliable as a pub garden umbrella, particularly when paired with a compatible base stand.
Barrier Systems
As many venues will be expanding their spaces further into pedestrian zones such as footpaths, it is essential to have measures in place to stop pedestrians walking through. This not only ensures your diners feel comfortable, but also works to lower the risk of COVID transmission from external sources, if cases were to rise. Nisbets offer effective rope barriers that are incredibly easy to set up and remove by your staff, and which can be packed away easily when your venue is closed.
The Finishing Touches – making your outdoors area shine
Whilst expanding outdoors is a fantastic step to increasing your patronage, it’s essential to ensure your outdoor area doesn’t look like it was a ‘second thought’. Ensure you’ve got menu or special boards, table numbers and high quality presented menus and bill holders to bring the space together and to ensure it matches the standard you offer inside your venue.
Nisbets have a huge selection of venue accessories to choose from.
Invest in quality cleaning products
All venues are now required to use a lot more cleaning supplies than they did pre-COVID, in order to ensure hygiene and safety is routinely managed. Nisbets’ range of cleaning equipment includes leading brands such as Jantex and Rubbermaid, ensuring that your cleaning efforts are effective.
For health and safety reasons, the majority of Nisbets cleaning equipment is colour coded, reducing the risk of cross contamination.
By choosing a colour to use in one designated area, not only will you be addressing health and safety but you will be keeping the products identifiable for team members too. From disinfectant wipes to buckets, dustpan and brush sets to cloths, these products are available in blue, red, green and yellow to comply with industry standards. It’s also essential to make sure that the relevant health and safety notices are displayed clearly in your kitchen and communal areas prior, and during, cleaning with Nisbets’ selection of safety signs.
Melbourne favourites MoVida and Piccolina Gelateria have joined forces to bring you an iconic Spanish banquet of tapas and sharing plates for you to heat and enjoy at home, followed by three bespoke Spanish-inspired gelato flavours conceived of by chef Frank Camorra.
MoVida’s owner Frank Camorra says, “If anything in the world brings as much joy as gelato I’d like to know what it is! Especially in these difficult times it’s a joy to continue doing what we love doing, bringing people enjoyment through what MoVida and Piccolina both do best”.
The banquet will centre on MoVida’s philosophy to use the best possible seasonal Australian produce to showcase and celebrate Spanish food culture and flavours.
The dishes include traditional TAPAS: Huevas – whipped cod roe served with Spanish picos; Guindillas – pickled guindilla peppers; Boccadillo de Miguel – poached chicken boccadillo in spicy saffron sauce. RACIONES: Vieira en Escabeche – Bass Strait scallops poached in escabeche sauce; Pez – lightly cured kingfish with romesco and pickled cucumber; Corona de Pato – Milawa free-range duck crown, glazed with Pedro Ximenez and served with frutos secos; Cogollos – Sara Schreurs baby cos with Conservas Emilia artisan anchovy dressing; Esparagos – poached Victorian asparagus with herb butter.
The gelato is inspired by traditional Spanish flavours and pairs perfectly with the banquet. The result is three decadent flavours including Fig Leaf, which involves churning 24-hour fig-leaf-infused milk into a creamy gelato; Crema Catalana, a traditionally rich and creamy Spanish dessert infused with orange, lemon and a hint of cinnamon and Piña Colada Sorbet, which blends coconut milk, pineapple and white rum.
Piccolina Gelateria owner, Sandra Foti says, “I have so many great memories of meals shared at MoVida; it was a thrill to team up with Frank to create something fun and unique for Melbournians to look forward to, especially with access to these iconic places on hold”.
The banquet will be available for pre-order only via the Alimentaria website and can be collected from Piccolina Hawthorn, Piccolina Collingwood, Piccolina St Kilda and MoVida Original CBD or delivered to your door for a small fee. The banquet will need some finishing touches from you at home.
MoVida × Piccolina Spanish Banquet
Price: $120
Banquet: Serves 2 people and includes a 1L tub of gelato
$5.5 billion food distribution peak body formed to counter supermarkets.
Three of the largest independent food distribution organisations in Australia have decided to form their own peak body to raise the profile of independent family-owned businesses, represent their members views and issues to Government and to counter the aggressive and opportunistic behaviour of the large supermarkets.
Independent food distributors believe there is a lack of acknowledgment or understanding by the states and the federal government in the role family-owned food distributors have played during the pandemic in providing food to essential services like hospitals, childcare facilities, schools, aged care, petrol and convenience stores and military bases, as well as continuing to provide food to commercial venues across the country.
Independent Food Distributors Australia (IFDA) includes Countrywide Foodservice Distributors, NAFDA Foodservice and The Distributors. Collectively, the hundreds of members that belong to the three organisations purchase and on-sell around $5.5 billion worth of product.
The newly elected Chairman of Independent Food Distributors Australia (IFDA) and CEO of Countrywide, Richard Hinson, says they had no choice but to protect the interests of their members through this representative body, “The pandemic has illustrated just how important it is to educate politicians, industry and the community on the critical role that these family-owned businesses play in our community and the contribution they make to Australia’s economy. We directly and indirectly employ tens of thousands of Australians”.
“The large supermarkets have been the biggest beneficiaries from the pandemic with Woolworths and Coles posting $1 billion net profits. Now, while small business continues to suffer, Woolworths has announced it plans to expand into the B2B space with a planned acquisition of PFD Foods. This will have a profound impact on independent food distributors. We will continue to lobby the ACCC and Governments to stop this opportunistic and aggressive move by Woolworths”.
Independent food distribution businesses lost up to 70–90 per cent of their revenue when commercial venues were forced to close their doors, leaving them with mountains of stock. They operate high volume and very low margin wholesale business models, with high fixed overhead expenses.
“Our members play an important role in the food supply chain purchasing product from local manufacturers and farmers in their local communities to then distributing that food to over 100,000 commercial venues (pubs, clubs, cafés, restaurants) across the country. Thousands of small to medium size regional suppliers, manufacturers and farmers support us and they too, employ many thousands of Australians. Nearly 50 per cent of our food distribution warehouses are located in regional Australia,” Mr Hinson said.
ISSUES
JobKeeper – Job keeper has been the single most helpful support in keeping our businesses afloat during the lockdowns. Without a degree of flexibility in the criteria for JobKeeper, food distributors and cafés/restaurants, sports dining and conference facilities will be forced to lay off thousands of staff from March 2021. With your support we would like to see some modifications to JobKeeper that better reflect the current market conditions.
Supermarkets – The large supermarkets have been the biggest beneficiaries from the pandemic with Woolworths and Coles posting $1 billion net profits. Now, while small business continues to suffer, Woolworths has announced it plans to expand into the B2B space with a planned acquisition of PFD Foods. This will have a profound impact on independent food distributors. We will continue to lobby the ACCC and Governments to stop this opportunistic and aggressive move by Woolworths.
A National ‘Eat out to Help Out’ Scheme – We fully endorse the move by Restaurant and Catering Australia to implement a scheme where every household in Victoria would receive a voucher to spend at local eateries under a $650 million plan to save the state’s hospitality industry. This would see households receive vouchers of up to $100, after great success with similar initiatives overseas. We believe this should be expanded nationally. Why? Because a ‘consumption led recovery’ benefits all those involved in the food supply chain from local manufacturers, farmers, suppliers and, independent food distributors.
FBT Tax – That the FBT tax be dropped on dining / business lunches for up to 2 years and potentially beyond? We need to incentivise business customers. This will assist in rebuilding dining establishments.
Tax Deduction for stock losses – There have been huge stock losses due to the closures of commercial venues and bad debts resulting from forced venue closures. A 200 per cent Tax Deduction will help offset the losses experienced by Food Service Distributors.
Banks – We would like the federal government to lobby the major banks for a further six months deferment on loans.
Hospitality innovators Commune Group have two new offerings to get Melburnians excited for the final three months of the year, as the city begins to reopen and starts on its path to normality.
October will see the return of a Tokyo Tina cult favourite, and give one pho fan the chance to win a year’s worth of the Vietnamese noodle soup from Hanoi Hannah.
365 DAYS OF PHO
To celebrate the launch of its own delivery service, Hanoi Hannah is giving one lucky winner the chance to be slurping pho every day for an entire year – that’s 365 free bowls of steaming hot Vietnamese noodle soup.
The competition will run for two weeks from Thursday, 8 October and anyone can enter via the Hanoi Hannah website, with the winner announced on Monday, 26 October.
By skipping international delivery partners, Hanoi Hannah’s delivery service helps customers support local and receive the best quality dishes to their home.
RETURN OF THE KATSU
Back by popular demand is Tokyo Tina’s classic Prawn Katsu Slider: a soft milk bun filled with crispy, deep-fried, panko-crumbed prawns; crunchy shredded cabbage; and a generous dollop of yuzu mayo.
A cult Melbourne dish that has been greatly missed, the Prawn Katsu Slider ($15) is back for good, earning itself a permanent spot on Tokyo Tina’s finish-at-home menu via Providoor.
Newtown brewery and distillery, Young Henrys has announced their newest Brewers B-Side release, “Dark Sour of the Moon”. The limited Dark Blueberry Sour beer will be their first-ever B-Side available in the humble tinnie.
The Brewers B-Sides series are the “alternative tracks to our hit singles”, providing the brewers the chance to get weird and experiment with flavours, while shedding light on the legends who make them. For this release, Brewer Neal Lucas wanted to differentiate a beer from the typical kettle sour, while still maintaining drinkability in a new style.
“In the style of the Belgian Oud Bruin, the beer presents a malty aromatic Belgian brown ale with a smashable blueberry tartness. A rarely seen style in Australia suitable for any kind of day” ~ Neal Lucas.
This Dark Blueberry Sour pours a gorgeous brown hue with a flavourful tartness. The addition of several specialty Malts adds a spectrum of biscuity characters presented on the nose, balanced with a healthy dose of Australian blueberries. The new brew opens the gates for those who wish to take a step further into the wonderful world of sours and can easily be enjoyed year-round.
Dark Sour of the Moon is the first Brewers B-Side to be released in cans, following the lead of Young Henrys’ core range. The brewery made the switch to tinnies back in 2016 as their favoured packaging product. Aluminium cans are lightweight, and due to their uniform shape are far more efficient to stack, trucking 25% more beer on every pallet. They are also infinitely recyclable, chill faster and protect beer from faults far better than glass bottles. Kind of like a miniature keg. Win-win for everyone.
Young Henrys “Dark Sour of the Moon” Brewers B-Side is available in tinnies from bottle-os, the Young Henrys online store and on tap at the Tasting Bar.
We get to taste a lot of new products, but the first thing we look for in everything is balance, and this new craft beer from the team at Young Henrys absolutely hits the mark in that respect. The featured sour note, is counterpointed by a freshness that makes it a perfect craft beer to be enjoyed as we approach summer. There is clarity and nuance in the berry spectrum being showcased, and the specialty malts being used present a fantastic aromatic profile in this most welcome addition to their diverse range of astutely crafted beers.
Urban Foodies offers a brand new range of nutritious and easy-to-make meals designed to give home chefs a night off with an affordable alternative to take-away for all.
Promising a delicious meal in a few easy steps, Urban Foodies home delivers generously portioned chef-prepared meals and crowd-pleasers that don’t skimp on taste and won’t leave you hungry.
With a range that accommodates couples and families across a wide range of budgets, dietaries and cooking abilities, the Urban Foodies offerings for home delivery include:
EVERYDAY FAVOURITES
A healthy and delicious range of ready-to-heat favourites from $9 per serve. Perfect to fill the fridge and freezer and available for next day delivery, the range includes all the nutritious meals you want to eat but don’t have time to cook yourself:
– Beef Bourguignon ($18–$36)
– Vegetable tagine ($18–$36)
– Beef lasagne ($18–$50)
– Healthy Chicken Curry ($18–$36)
– Gourmet Family Pies ($28)
– Ancient Grain Salad ($15–$30)
DIY MEAL KITS
An interactive cooking experience that’s fun for the whole family. The DIY kits come with easy-to-read recipes and all the ingredients boxed and ready to finish in a few simple steps.
Options include:
– DIY Beef Bao Kit ($35–$58)
– Pork Belly Ramen Kit ($28–$54)
– Southern Fried Chicken Burger Kit ($30–$58)
FINISH AT HOME ROASTS AND MORE
From date night to a luxury family meal, the finish-at-home options also include family roasts ($99) – with all the trimmings; seasonal elegant dinners with desserts; Middle Eastern feasts ($155); and pork belly and steamed baos. They even offer a decadent range of celebrations cakes ($80–$120) from their talented pastry chef.
Founded by husband wife team Georgie and Ben Vile, the duo have decades of gastronomic experience, from luxury event and corporate catering of the highest quality with Bay Leaf Catering to interactive cooking school Urban Kitchen, before pivoting during COVID to meet the growing demand from those avoiding the supermarket for pre-prepared meals.
“We wanted to create a new offering that allowed people to spend more time with their loved ones and less time in the kitchen. Although we love to cook, lockdown did leave us feeling some cooking fatigue and we found the same with takeaway too.
“With Urban Foodies we offer affordable, chef-prepared meals, made with the freshest ingredients for everyday and special nights in. Our chefs have done all the hard work so our customers don’t have to,” says Georgie.
Currently delivering to addresses across Melbourne and Victoria, Urban Foodies will be available nationwide before the end of 2020.
The Amalfi Coast comes to Sydney for summer by the pool.
Uccello, Merivale’s iconic poolside restaurant, is set to reopen this month – just in time for a Mediterranean-style summer by the pool. One of Australia’s brightest young chefs Nigel Ward is leading the restaurant’s renaissance, bringing the Amalfi Coast to Sydney.
The new menu takes its cues from the Italian coastline, predominantly and proudly supported by our incredible Australian produce. Making full use of the restaurant’s wood-fired oven and charcoal barbeque, Ward is harnessing old recipes and techniques he learnt from his travels throughout regional Italy to deliver a menu that is humble, restrained and true to its roots.
Guests can expect Burraduc Valley buffalo mozzarella, with violetta artichokes and Cantabrian anchovies; Cape Moreton scarlet prawns with native finger lime; spaghetti alla chitarra, vongole, chilli and bottarga; Ulladulla ruby snapper in cartoccio, served with mussels, fennel, salsa verde; and Melanda Park suckling pig with wine grapes and vino cotto.
At the heart of Ward’s cooking is a deep and humble appreciation for provenance. He is passionate about extracting every drop of flavour from an ingredient, approaching vegetables the same way he does meat – nose to tail, flower to root.
“I have traipsed the paddocks of Italy, from the south to the north, and have seen the weathered faces of paesani who toil day after day to provide produce for their neighbours,” says Ward. “I believe it is only appropriate that we minimise the amount thrown in the bin as a gesture of respect.”
This means working closely with small-scale farmers and producers who share his philosophy and have adopted principles that have existed for millennia. Ward will be heroing many NSW producers on the menu, often listing them by name to respect their contribution to the dish.
The drinks list features much-loved classics given Italian edge with provincial ingredients and produce, while the Italian-leaning wine list suits a multitude of palates – from light and fresh Catarratto and Grillo to the finest Brunello and Barolo, and great list of Provence Rosé (including 6L bottles). In support of our own backyard, there will also be a line-up of exciting local producers and iconic Australian wineries.
Uccello has stood proudly as a beacon of good times and great hospitality for over a decade. Now, with Ward’s deft hand and effortless restraint, the new experience manages to feel both nostalgic and fresh – a celebration of what we have missed most, with a reinvigorated energy needed to usher Sydney into a much-craved summer.
“We want people to eat, drink and be merry. Break bread over the table, laugh with friends until sundown and suck the marrow out of life. We’ve all missed that Mediterranean feeling – that moment when the world seems to stop and your worries disappear into the sea breeze. Let’s escape to the rooftop and forget about our woes for the afternoon,” says Ward.
Uccello will be led by an impressive front of house team including managers Carmen Tomasic (ex-Hemmesphere and sushi e) and Mathieu Mozziconacci (ex-Felix), and sommelier Fabio Pallottini (ex-Mr Wong and Automata). It is set to become an important training ground for new hospitality talent, with chefs from Merivale’s apprenticeship program joining Ward in the kitchen. Having learnt from culinary greats like Sean Moran (Sean’s Panaroma) and Logan Campbell (Lucio’s), Ward places great value on the teacher/apprentice relationship and is excited to pass on his knowledge of grassroots Italian to the next generation of Australian chefs.
“The kitchen is like a family tree and I am committed to passing down knowledge acquired from generation to generation. I think it is important to encourage experimentation in my kitchen – it was a liberty my teachers afforded me and one that I’ll always be grateful for. I just want to make beautiful food with like-minded people.”
Meanwhile, ivy PoolClub has undergone a refresh, with additional booths and seating transforming the celebrated oasis into a relaxed, al fresco dining experience. Around the pool, Vincenzo Biondini of Vinnie’s Pizza is delivering light Italian snacks like prosciutto and rockmelon, antipasto plates, wood-fired pizza, and insalate – perfect for long afternoons and balmy nights under the Sydney sky. Those really wanting to indulge can enjoy Uccello’s caviar service, poolside.
The carefully curated team of DJs and musicians in residence have also been working away on a musical revival of the stunning venue, transporting guests to Southern Italy with Mediterranean beach club vibes.
Stokehouse’s beachfront kiosk Paper Fish is back in action after a winter in hibernation, and with restrictions easing, there will be no better spot to enjoy fish and chips on a sunny day than on the St Kilda foreshore. Offering a healthier take on traditional takeaway and championing sustainability, Paper Fish offers a simple, no-fuss menu using the best-quality fish from Clamms Seafood and ingredients from local farms and producers across Victoria.
“We are so excited to have the Paper Fish window open. It’s been such an incredibly difficult time in Melbourne, we can’t wait to give everyone a taste of beach escapes to come and to bring back memories of holidays well spent on the beach, with salt in your hair and sand in your toes,” says Frank van Haandel, owner of Stokehouse Precinct.
Stokehouse Precinct’s Executive Chef Jason Staudt is at the helm of the Paper Fish menu, which focuses on top-quality produce that’s still fun and affordable; from the oysters shucked to order to the crumbed fish burger with local gurnard and house-made tartar, and of course the humble fish and chips. “Paper Fish is all about super chill good times and as a team we’ve loved working together to bring back the kiosk vibes. Think families fighting off chip stealing seagulls, post-lockdown beach dates and, of course, fried food cheat days,” says Jason.
As for the batter? It would be harder to find a crispier version on the Victorian coastline. “The batter has been perfected at Stokehouse over the past 15 years. We are constantly trialling it over and over again to make sure it’s the best and stays crispy whilst you find your spot on the beach to enjoy your fish and chips,” adds Jason.
Paper Fish will also have a new special every few days to try, which could range from local snapper to a king prawn roll with smoky mayo and diced tomato on a milk bun. The sides are kept simple and delicious too, including chips with chicken salt and a classic Greek salad complete with Meredith’s feta. Customers also can grab a takeaway watermelon granita or soft drink, with alcohol coming very soon too.
To celebrate the reopening and for those missing eating in at Stokehouse, the first 60 customers to purchase a St Kilda Box this Sunday, 11 October will receive a free Stokehouse Neapolitan dessert to their order, created by Group Pastry Chef Lauren Eldridge. The dessert, which has been a favourite on the Stokehouse menu for over a year now, is a nostalgic nod to the tri-coloured ice cream and is made from a layer each of chocolate mousse, native Davidson plum sorbet and vanilla semifreddo.
Paper Fish is currently open for takeaway from Thursday to Sunday, 12pm–7pm, with hours to be extended as the days get longer. The kiosk can be accessed from the St Kilda foreshore boardwalk.
Sydneysiders can order an array of banquets from eight delicious eateries, and have them delivered straight to their front door in one flavour-packed order.
The highly-anticipated Night Noodle Markets returns to Sydney this October in an entirely new format. Bringing together the signature dishes and innovative tastes of eight sizzling stalls, Night Noodle Markets at Home, presented by Citi, delivered by DoorDash, offers a vibrant journey through Asia – now in the safety and comfort of your home. Night Noodle Markets at Home runs every night from 7 October to 6 November and is available exclusively through the DoorDash delivery app.
Food-lovers craving aromatic smoke and exotic spices of the bustling Asian festival can order an array of banquets from new and crowd-favourite eateries and have them delivered straight to their front door in one flavour-packed order. Think fluffy baos, oodles of noodles and Nutella-loaded desserts in the comfort of your home!
Night Noodle Markets at Home is an evolution of the traditional hawker-style market that has taken place in Sydney’s Hyde Park for almost 20 years. Organisers were determined to continue its legacy and reimagine the dining experience for Sydneysiders, in a safe and socially responsible manner.
Venessa Cowell, Head of Nine Food Events, said: “The Night Noodle Markets are a much loved staple of Sydney’s event calendar, heralding the start of Summer in our beautiful City; celebrated for its dynamic flavours, up and coming and well established restaurants and the opportunity to get together and connect with friends and family. This year, whilst we can’t all be together for the event, we wanted to deliver the next best thing. Thanks to Citi, our long-standing presenting partner of Good Food Month, and our new partner DoorDash, this year you can experience Night Noodle Markets at Home. Celebrate with your favourite dishes, try something new and see what this year’s Night Noodle Markets cult dishes are going to be. When your order arrives at your door you will find some additional inclusions from us that we hope will surprise and delight you, and help to bring the Night Noodle Markets to life around you as you feast with friends and family”.
Co-presenting partner Citi is offeringCiti cardholders $20 off their order* to encourage them to join in on the festivities. *Terms and conditions apply.
“We’ve partnered with the Night Noodle Markets for twelve years now, and while we will miss the hustle and bustle of Hyde Park this year, enjoying some delicious cuisine from the comfort of the couch sounds like an excellent way to spend an October evening. Better yet, it’s a fantastic way to support Australia’s resilient and constantly innovating dining scene,” said Samantha Elliott, Head of Digital Sales and Marketing for Citi Australia.
Co-presenting partner DoorDash is offering free delivery to first-time users of DoorDash, when purchasing from the Night Noodle Markets at Home. New users will also get $1 delivery for every other order placed on DoorDash from the Night Noodle Markets at Home, for a further 30 days.
Thomas Stephens, General Manager, DoorDash Australia, said: “We’re so excited to be a part of the re-imagined Night Noodle Markets this year by bringing the event directly to the doors of Sydneysiders. DoorDash is proud to continue helping the hospitality industry innovate and adapt during these times, by keeping them connected with their customers. We’re thrilled to partner with the Night Noodle Markets to ensure food-festival-goers can get their fix”.
The Night Noodle Markets at Home is available from Annandale to Paddington, Dawes Point to Alexandria. To find out if the Night Noodle Markets at Home is available for delivery to your address, open the DoorDash app and search for the ‘Night Noodle Markets at Home’. Please note: the Night Noodle Markets are not a physical event this year, and we will not be offering a ‘pick up’ option on the DoorDash app. Orders must be placed using the DoorDash delivery app for home delivery.
Wednesday, October 7 to Friday, November 6 (inclusive)
Trading Hours:
Monday to Wednesday 5pm–10pm;
Thursday to Sunday 5pm–11pm
(Orders to be placed by 9:30pm & 10:30pm respectively)
Some menu items will be available on rotation as specials throughout the month, so check in on the DoorDash app to view each week’s menus and prices.
Bao Brothers Bao down to the contemporary Gua Bao Bros
Korean Cauliflower | Pickled, glazed and fried cauliflower with sesame & lime (V)
Two Mushrooms with Attitude | 2 × mushroom croquette baos served with soy mayo, pickled ginger & fresh, crispy shallots (V)
Tupuc Chickur & Notorious PIG | 1 × Fried chicken bao with chilli mayo, lettuce & sesame and 1 × Pork belly bao with hoisin, pickled cucumber, peanut praline and shallots
Shrimp Shady | 2 × honey prawn baos with sriracha mayo, toasted sesame and shallots
Donut Papi Handmade gourmet donuts JAM-packed with innovative flavours
Prawn Toast Donut | Homemade prawn and fish mince on a yeast-raised donut, dipped in sesame seeds, panko crumbs & deep fried. Served with a plum & sweet chilli sauce
Leche Flan Donut | A Filipino crème caramel slice sandwiched between a sugared donut (V)
Handmade donuts (weekly rotating flavours) | Handmade donuts filled with either Nutella, Pandan, Ube or Durian (V)
Puffle Every-day I’m puffl-in’ … Asian egg waffles with seriously good fillings
KFC Puffle | Korean fried chicken topped with sweet ‘n’ spicy sauce & kewpie mayo served in their signature cheese waffle
Cheeseburger Puffle | Chopped bulgogi beef patty mixed with melted cheese, drizzled with kewpie mayo, mustard and spicy ketchup served in their signature cheese waffle
Plain Cheese Puffle | The signature cheese waffle with kewpie mayo and sweet Korean chilli sauce (V)
KFC | Korean fried chicken – Puffle style, ZOMG seasoning, drizzled with kewpie mayo & spring onions
Span Thai All of your crowd-favourite Thai staples
Chicken Satay Skewers | Chicken skewers with a peanut satay sauce & pickled cucumber
Roast Duck Red Curry | Five spice-roasted duck curry with pineapple & lychees, served with egg fried rice
Pad Thai |Your choice of chicken or tofu & vegetables, rice noodles, bean sprouts & peanuts with a tamarind & palm sugar sauce
Seafood Spanish Paella | Fresh prawns, calamari, Boston Bay mussels & vegetables in a saffron rice paella
Pad See Ew| Your choice of chicken or tofu, flat rice noodles, egg, honey & soy sauce
Beef Massaman Curry |Beef shank & potatoes cooked in a cinnamon, star anise & coconut milk curry, served with jasmine rice
Chicken and Chorizo Paella | Chicken & Rodriguez Spanish chorizo & vegetables in a saffron rice paella
Deep Fried King Prawns | With sweet and sour, cashew nut tamarind sauce, topped with fried onions, served with a pineapple & sultana fried rice
Teppanyaki Noodles Oodles of handmade Japanese egg noodles
Steamed Chicken & Prawn Wontons | Homemade steamed chicken & prawn wontons, made in a colourful wonton pastry, served with a special chilli soy sauce
Prawn & Scallop Spring Rolls | Deep-fried spring rolls filled with prawn, scallop, chicken mince, cabbage & clear vermicelli noodles, served with wasabi mayo
Steamed Chinese Buns | Chinese steamed buns stuffed with your choice of BBQ Pork, custard or chicken
Pink Noodles with Tamarind Prawns | Rice Vermicelli noodles cooked in a special beetroot sauce served with tamarind prawns, sliced omelette & bean sprouts
XO Hokkien Noodles | Stir-fried Hokkien noodles, with XO marinated chicken
Can’t decide what to order? These curated Night Noodle Markets at Home banquets do all the hard work for you, and are available to order on the DoorDash app:
Broc ‘n’ Roll – Vegetarian dinner for two
1 × Bao Brothers’ Korean Cauliflower
1 × Bao Brothers’ Two Mushrooms with Attitude
1 × Span Thai Tofu & Vegetables Pad Thai or Tofu Pad See Ew
1 × Plain Cheese Puffle
1 × Waffleland Bangkok Night
Date Night – Recreate the famous Lady and the Tramp scene, with noodles
1 × Bao Brothers’ Tupuc Chickur & Notorious PIG
1 × Wok Master Prawn & Scallop Spring Rolls
1 × Wok Master Steamed Chicken & Prawn Wontons
1 × Teppanyaki Noodles Traditional Yakisoba
1 × Donut Papi Leche Flan Donut
1 × Waffleland Dancing Dragon
The Bougie Banquet – Get your entourage together for this food lovers’ feast for six
2 × Wok Master Prawn & Scallop Spring Rolls
2 × Wok Master Steamed Chicken & Prawn Wontons
2 × Wok Master Steamed Chinese Buns
2 × Donut Papi Prawn Toast Donuts
2 × Puffle KFCs
2 × Bao Brothers’ Two Mushrooms with Attitude
2 × Toastie Smith Delilah Fish
1 × Waffleland Lucky Fortune
1 × Waffleland Dancing Dragon
To make the dining experience even more fun, some lucky eaters will be gifted with goodies in their order. Each night, Night Noodle Markets at Home will be giving away hundreds of surprises packed into a select number of orders – including free Night Noodle Markets origami cranes, MAGGI FUSIAN noodles, NESCAFÉ GOLD plant-based dairy-free latte sachets (including Almond Latte, Coconut Latte and Oat Latte flavours) plus some sweet treats from Weis.
As part of your slurp-worthy experience, MAGGI FUSIAN helps you create delicious noodle dishes at home. Whether you add ingredients for an authentic Japanese Ramen, Malaysian Laksa or simply cook them straight out of the packet, they are sure to excite your senses!
Iconic Australian Weis Ice Cream teams up with Night Noodle Markets for a luxurious treat! This year, Weis is bringing to town a flush of flavours to really top off your dining delight. Using the best quality standard in fruit and Australian dairy – every Weis bar is a perfectly crafted moment for you to indulge in quality. Weis is best known for its unique bar format, combining silky Australian cream with only the most indulgent fruits for an incredible taste, like no other.
Want to win a Foodie Staycay in Sydney worth $1,300?4 prizes up for grabs!
It’s time to put your food styling skills to the test. The team behind the Night Noodle Markets and Good Food Month want to see what yourNight Noodle Markets at Home banquet looks like – so for each week during October, they’ll be giving away a Staycay prize for two, including two nights at the Ovolo 1888 Darling Harbour valued at $700, a $200 Citibank Dining Program voucher, a $200 DoorDash credit plus an additional $200 Doordash credit to gift to a friend or family member.
Total prize value is $1,300 and there are four prizes to be won, throughout October.
To enter, post your photo of your Night Noodle Markets at Home banquet on Instagram to your page (your profile must be public), follow and tag @goodfoodmonth @doordash_aus & @citiaustralia in your picture.
Make sure to search for ‘Night Noodle Markets’ in GIPHY under Instagram Stories for some cool stickers to make your post even more captivating. The most creative image will win and be announced each Monday. T&Cs apply.
Sydney Good Food Month | 1–31 October
Night Noodle Markets at Home presented by Citi, delivered by DoorDash | 7 Oct–6 Nov
The much loved Mihi Tavern in Brassall has undergone an extensive $2.5 million renovation after damage from flash flooding forced the venue to close in February this year. The venue will partially reveal its new look from Saturday, 10th October when the bistro and sports bar re-open, with the beer garden and kids’ play area to follow on Wednesday, 14th October.
To thank the local Ipswich community for their ongoing support, the venue has planned a bumper week of celebrations, including free burger giveaways, a charity BBQ and epic family day.
Every space within the Mihi Tavern has been renovated. The dining space has been modernised with the bistro now offering an indoor/outdoor experience for customers. The warm and family-friendly space has booth seating ideal for casual weeknight diners, long weekend lunches and group celebrations.
The bistro seamlessly flows onto the outdoor dining with BBQ and adjoining lounge and bar space as well as the new kids play space that is the largest in the area. There are interactive wall panels, slides, play structure and grassy lawn so the kids will be entertained while mum and dad enjoy their meal and drink.
The sports bar and beer garden offer an epic space for locals to gather, drink and watch sport. Even dogs are welcome in the beer garden. The eight screens across the areas include a mega screen and will play the sport of the season, with a special focus on UFC. For those looking for some action, there are two new large outdoor bocce lanes next to the beer garden, which are set to become a local favourite.
The venue has a stage for live music and is ideal for group bookings with its fun and lively atmosphere.
The menu has also had a re-vamp, with old classics being joined by some newbies. There’s a range of schnitties and parmies (including the Papa Grande Mexican Parmy with jalapeño, guacamole, salsa, sour cream, chips & salad and the Mooloolaba Parmy topped with Mooloolaba king prawns, ham, white sauce, cheese, chips & salad), pizzas, burgers, sangas, hotdogs and the ultimate roast.
Casual drinks are taken to the next level with a line-up of snacks and starters including pulled pork nachos, Bundy rum wings, cheeseburger spring rolls and pork croquettes.
If a challenge is what customers are after, then the all-new Parmi Challenge will not disappoint. Customers can try their luck at devouring the 1kg Chicken Parmi, 300g chips and a side salad in 10 minutes to score the meal for free, a photo on the Wall of Parmi Fame and limited-edition stubby cooler.
Kids are not forgotten with Mix and Match Kids Meals so they can pick their base, protein, veggies and sauce. So no kids tantrums here!
Mihi Tavern has always been known for having the community at the heart of everything it does and for its support of local charities. This will continue with regular fundraisers and events such as Friday night charity BBQs and the Breakfast Club alongside YMCA while the opening celebrations will also raise vital funds.
To celebrate re-opening to the local Brassall community, burger lovers can claim a free burger, with 50 being given away each day (choice of chicken, wagyu beef or smoked bean patty). Customers must register for a voucher on the website to claim.
The celebrations continue across the weekend with Local’s Night on Friday, 16th October featuring a charity sausage sizzle and raffleto fundraise for thePine Mountain and Districts Rural Fire Brigade. Locals can also enjoy free roving tasters of food and beverages in the open-air beer garden from 5pm, before heading into the sports bar to watch Brissie band West Texas Crude from 7pm.
Saturday, 17th October is Family Day from 12–3pm with food and drink specials and Johnny the Jester entertaining the kids with a magic show near the new outdoor play area. Plus, balloons, free fairy floss, popcorn and snow cones.
Then, on Sunday, 18th October it’s time for the furry friends to have some fun with Mihi Puppy Pals. Customers can bring their doggies for a Sunday Session from 3pm in the beer garden. While puppies enjoy their free treats, funds will be raised for the Animal Welfare League. Free bocce lane games all day.
Mihi Tavern is a gathering place for people in the local community and the team are so excited to welcome back familiar faces.
As we come to terms with spending more time in the great indoors, everyone’s favourite cheesemonger Anthony Femia has teamed up with local ceramic studio the Pot Dispensary for the ultimate at-home activity pack. The Cheese, Wine & Pottery Pack is full to the brim with enough clay, tools, wine and cheese to make any family, couple or household happy.
Make your own bowls, mugs, vases, platters or jewellery with easy to follow tutorials found on the Pot Dispensary’s IGTV channel. All the bells and whistles are included to ensure you can make something incredible, including 5kg of high-fire stoneware clay, a toolkit complete with essential hand-building tools, a cotton working surface and a maker’s booklet with step-by-step instructions.
Once you have built up an appetite from making your creations, snack on some of Maker & Monger’s crowd-favourite products, including their renowned Marcel Petite Comté Reservation, gorgonzola dolce with fresh honeycomb, Delice de Bourgogne triple cream brie, fresh berries and grapes, Spanish quince paste and the cult classic Bonilla a la Vista potato crisps.
All of the clay making will be thirsty work, so choose between a bottle of sparkling (Mosaique’s NV Clotilde Davenne Crémant de Bourgogne) or a red (Mosaique’s 2019 Domaine Raphael Chopin Gamay). Both are a great pairing for the delicious trio of cheese included in the pack.
“Pottery has been a hobby of mine for a couple of years now, and I love doing it on my days off from the market. It’s a great way to de-stress and unwind after a long week, and it’s made even better with cheese and wine!” says Anthony.
“We’re so excited to be collaborating with our favourite local cheesemonger. Take a moment of peace and calm for yourself, get messy, get creative and most of all, have fun. We can’t wait to see what creations people come up with,” says Alex Sinclair, owner of the Pot Dispensary.
The pack is suited to every level, whether you’re a first timer or an experienced ceramicist. It’s a great option for an upcoming date night or a gathering with housemates, and an even better gift for a special someone who you might be missing.
The Cheese, Wine & Pottery Pack is for 2–4 people and is $190. Pick up can be arranged from the Prahran Market, or you can get the pack delivered straight to your doorstep for a small fee. Customers can order their pack here.
Maker & Monger
Prahran Market, 163–165 Commercial Rd, South Yarra VIC 3141
The all-new menu at Gerard’s Bar will finally launch from Thursday, 22nd October. Originally slated for March 2020, Executive Chef Adam Wolfers is excited to now introduce his new menu after the restrictions and delays of the last few months. The menu will not just change in flavours but also format, fortifying the connection with Gerard’s Bistro across the lane. Adam’s dishes will be served alongside a revamped wine and cocktail list.
Gerard’s Bar will offer a selection of pared-back, Middle Eastern-style grazing dishes, designed for sharing. “It was a bit of a blow to have to shut down the bar just after we had announced the relaunch, but the time has finally come to unveil what we have been working on. The closure of the bar and halt of the menu launch also gave us the opportunity to refine our dishes. We are thrilled to now share it with our community who have supported us throughout these past few months. The menu will feel more aligned with the Bistro and will be constantly changing,” says Adam.
Image credit: Dan Mumbles
The menu is a journey of flavours influenced by Adam’s travels, his Jewish heritage and the various restaurants that he has worked in throughout his career. Traditional Middle Eastern dishes are accentuated by seasonal produce through a menu largely cooked in the custom-built wood-fired oven. This includes a selection of mezze such as white pea hummus, wagyu basturma, baba ganoush, biber salcasi walnut, smoked Kinkawooka mussels and Middle Eastern cheeses like camel dairy Persian feta and labne all served with freshly baked wood-fired laffa bread. Some of the more substantial offerings include freshly baked wood-fired lamb manoushe, spinach pide and short rib sfeeha with garlic yoghurt. There are also small plates such as Armenian cucumbers with labne and sesame, Sydney rock oysters, baked kibbeh with yoghurt and pine nuts, fattoush salad with sumac and onion and rice pilaf with baharat, raisins and smoked butter. All finished off with traditional desserts including pistachio baklava and burgul malabi with saffron caramel. See the full menu here.
Adam’s commitment to sustainability and his zero-waste approach to cooking means that with the additional new menu further use can be made of the whole ingredient. For example, potato offcuts are pureed and fermented to create manoushe and fresh milk is used up by making labne. Even Gerard’s signature za’atar spice mix, a seasoning in many dishes, is made with turnips tops and carrot greens.
Opened in 2014 and situated across the lane from Gerard’s Bistro, Gerard’s Bar stands alone as a destination in its own right. The new menu and updated interiors have evolved the bar into a more elegant and intimate destination. A sleek, polished concrete bar runs the entire length of the venue, while warm wooden and leather elements lend contrasting softness.
Image credit: Declan Roache
Guests can make the most of the warm climate on the spacious front deck and enjoy the curated beverage menu. The extensive cocktail and premium spirits list is accompanied by a focused wine and beer selection that champions Australian producers and brewers. For those wanting an extra special bottle, the full Gerard’s Bistro wine list is also available at Gerard’s Bar.
Gelatissimo has launched its latest range, Flavours of the USA, satisfying both wanderlust and sweet cravings. The trio of classic flavours incorporates iconic American brands Hershey’s and Reese’s, and plays on the classic bourbon caramel flavour, featuring West Australian distillery, Whipper Snapper.
Peanut Butter Cup Made With Reese’s is a salty and sweet lover’s dream, made from creamy peanut butter gelato and a hint of Hershey’s cocoa powder. Filled with a chocolate ripple and scattered with roasted peanuts and chunks of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, you can’t go wrong with this classic combination.
For the chocoholics, Chocolate Kisses Made With Hershey’sis a rich chocolate gelato made with Hershey’s kisses and Hersey’s cocoa powder, then drizzled with more melted Hersey’s Kisses throughout.
The third flavour in the range, Bourbon Caramel & Pecans, is a collaboration with West Australian distillery, Whipper Snapper. The flavour showcases Whipper Snapper’s Upshot Whiskey, which is infused into the gelato. The gelato is then drizzled with bourbon caramel swirls and sprinkled with crushed candied pecans.
Gelatissimo CEO, Filipe Barbosa said, “Just because we can’t travel right now, doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy some classic American-inspired flavours. It’s been exciting to work with The Hershey Company and Whipper Snapper to bring these flavours to life.”
Freshly made in store daily, Gelatissimo uses only the best ingredients with no artificial colours or flavourings. Available in a cup or cone, Flavours of the USA range can also be purchased as a take-home pack, made into a delicious shake or gelato cake!
Flavours of the USA is available across all 44 Gelatissimo stores in Australia from Friday, 9 October for a limited time only, while stocks last.
Award-winning hospitality group Made in the Shade will unveil and launch their latest range of The Everleigh Bottling Co. cocktails this spring: Spritzed Cocktails.
The Everleigh Bottling Co. has solidified its position of influence and reputation for quality within the premium beverage marketplace. The Everleigh Bottling Co., concepted in 2015, was the first of its kind in the premium bottled cocktail space, transporting world-class cocktails from Melbourne institution The Everleigh from bar to bottle.
The Everleigh Bottling Co. prides itself in producing classic cocktails, manufactured to the most exacting standards, capturing the old-world elegance of cocktail culture in elegantly designed, single-serve bottles. Following the success of the Famous Four and Bartender’s Choice collections, the latest Spritzed Cocktails are light and lively drinks, celebrating sociality and togetherness. Designed to drink straight from the bottle and enjoyed anywhere, anytime, every time; simply chill and have it made.
The first two releases of these expertly balanced carbonated cocktails include the Americano and French 75. The striking bottle design takes inspiration from vintage Italian sodas whilst continuing to talk to the signature style that is synonymous with The Everleigh Bottling Co. brand.
Born in the Italian piazzas back in 1860, the Americano (Campari, sweet vermouth & sparkling water) is the precursor to the nation’s favourite cocktail, the Negroni. Dubbed as the ‘All-Day Aperitivo’, this cocktail is a lighter, lower abv option, perfectly suited to pre-dinner drinking.
Fresh, clean and delightfully drinkable, the French 75 (gin, lemon & sparkling wine) is a classic French toast, dating back to the early 1900s. Considered the ultimate celebratory cocktail ever since, this refreshing combination of gin, lemon and sparkling wine fizzes with effortless elegance.
Made in the Shade Group is owned and operated by Michael and Zara Madrusan. The husband and wife team approach the business with a divide and conquer approach, each contributing different skill sets and experience to the group’s diverse portfolio.
Zara said: “We pride ourselves on delivering excellent drinks which create memorable experiences. ‘People Before Drinks’ communicates our desire to break new ground in Australia’s hospitality scene and define standards of service”.
Michael added: “The Spritz Cocktail collection is perfectly balanced and designed to be enjoyed in good company. Whether it’s a boozy brunch, afternoon aperitif or sunset spritz, we’ve done the hard yards so you can have it made. Every step in the preparation of making and serving a cocktail has been considered to offer consistency and quality above all else”.
Inheriting the name, recipes and ethos from Made in the Shade’s flagship cocktail bar, The Everleigh, every cocktail is hand-made and bottled with the same spirits and distinctive attention to detail that landed the venue its reputation as one of the best bars in the world.
Crown Melbourne has always been the unofficial home of race day frivolity and footy finals and while these iconic Melbourne events are different in 2020, Melburnians can still party in style with a range of limited-edition Crown packages available for delivery – direct from our venues to the comfort of the couch.
Kicking off with the Spring Racing Calendar, consumers can choose from a choice of four different at-home hampers depending on their trackside (or tracksuit) style or set menu packages from Bistro Guillaume and Nobu, ranging from standard hampers right through to luxury offerings. These offers are available on key race days, with delivery option available within 25km radius between 17 Oct and 7 November – perfect for groups of 4–6.
Crown Melbourne’s Spring Racing Hampers
To make the race day experience complete, a range of experience-led add-ons are also available including floral boutonnieres, a makeup tutorial courtesy of Crown Spa, gift cards, Crown’s signature hotel scent and slippers.
Full hamper options, availability and delivery options here.
Nobu @ Home: Spring Racing Edition
Limited time Spring Racing Edition featuring some of the restaurant’s most popular dishes.
Available in two sizes: a $225 box set designed for two to share, or a $500 box set to be shared between five people.
View full menu, availability and delivery options here.
Bistro Guillaume @ Home: A La Spring Racing
After the successful launch of Bistro Guillaume @ Home, this year’s carnival just got fancier with an exquisite box set that highlights authentic French flavours.
Available in two sizes: a $225 box set designed for two to share, or a $500 box set to be shared between five people.
View full menu, availability and delivery options here.
Footy fans look no further than Crown Melbourne’s ultimate Aussie BBQ experience this finals season. Or if corporate suite style is more your thing, then the hugely successful Nobu @ Home has unveiled a special Grand Final edition, designed to raise the stakes on the game day experience. Pick up within 5km is available and free delivery within 10km radius. $15 delivery fee applies to up to 25km radius.
Crown Melbourne’s Footy BBQ Pack
The ultimate BBQ pack – a three-course feast with all the ‘dude food’ favourites and paraphernalia you need to bring the stadium experience to your living room.
The Footy BBQ Pack is $300 and perfect for a group of 4–6 people.
Available Fridays, Saturdays & Sundays from 9 October 2020 to 25 October 2020.
Specially curated to make your casual BBQ a little more premium, this year the classic Grand Final Aussie BBQ can now be celebrated with world-class Japanese flavours.
Limited edition offer is $200 and perfect for 2 people, designed exclusively to enjoy on the AFL Grand Final, 24 October.
Cannoleria has launched its first-ever savoury cannoli as part of its new Spring Carnival DIY Picnic Kit. Spring Carnival in Melbourne may be different this year, it doesn’t mean you can’t celebrate.
While champagne and canapés by the track or in your favourite marquee may be out of reach, Cannoleria has you sorted with this delectable kit to enjoy at the park or in the comfort of your own home – delivered in time for Derby Day on the 29th or 30th October.
The delicious savoury cannoli takes inspiration from canapé favourites – smoked salmon and dill whipped ricotta, garnished with stunning Yarra Valley Caviar.
In addition to the new savoury cannoli, the Picnic Kit includes sweet cannoli with Cannoleria’s signature traditional Sicilian ricotta and pistachio.
Bubbles are a must for Spring Racing, so there’s two piccolo bottles of Organic See Saw Prosecco. Plus, as an optional extra, Cannoleria has worked with BATCHED WITH CO. to offer a bespoke ‘Spring Time Cosmo’.
Cannoleria Spring Carnival DIY Picnic Kit (for 2 | $60)
12 mini Cannoli shells
1 piping bag of Cannoleria first-ever savoury filling: smoked salmon & dill ricotta
1 tin of Yarra Valley Caviar for garnish, 30g
1 piping bag of Cannoleria signature traditional Sicilian sweet ricotta
Pistachio crumbs and icing sugar for garnish
2 piccolo bottles of Organic See Saw Prosecco (Orange, NSW), 200ml
Optional: 1 Bottle of BATCHED WITH CO. Spring Time Cosmo, 200ml ($20)
The Cannoleria Spring Carnival DIY Picnic Kit is available to order until 25th October for delivery only. Delivery is $5 and covers locations up to 15kms of Cannoleria stores (so most of metro Melbourne is covered).
Whether you’ll be celebrating Spring Racing with a lazy picnic in the local park or watching the big races at home, the Cannoleria Picnic Kit is ideal.
Let’s face it, 2020 has been a rough one and with the end of the year approaching, summer holiday dreaming is firmly on our minds. We may not be able to jet-set abroad just yet but Australian Venue Co (AVC) is bringing your travel bucket list to life with Staycation – no passport required – and the chance to win a holiday to the stunning Whitsundays!
AVC’s Staycation launches in venues on November 2nd, and is a series of incredible pop-up experiences across the country, featuring internationally inspired food, drinks and experiences from world-class destinations that will keep travel FOMO firmly at bay.
Image credit: Jasper Ave
Escaping the daily grind and holiday vibes can be achieved this summer without leaving town with over 20 different pop-ups around the country. Whether it’s chilling in a Bali-style cabana at Bungalow 8 in Sydney, escaping to Sweetwater’s Rooftop for Japanese-inspired bottomless brunching in Perth, or working your way through a dedicated margarita menu all afternoon long in Brissie at Riverland’s Mexico-inspired pop-up, there’s something for everyone. Full details and packages will be released on 19th October (excluding Victoria, where bookings will be released later and activations will go live in December).
To celebrate Staycation, Australian Venue Co has paired up with Tourism Whitsundays and Virgin Australia to give three lucky winners the chance to win a holiday to the magical Whitsundays, in the heart of the Great Barrier Reef.
“With many Australians missing out on overseas holidays this year, we’re bringing the summer holiday vibes to our rooftops, beer gardens and venues across Australia,” says Kylie Moncur, AVC Chief Marketing Officer.
“Our specially curated series of pop-up events will transport Aussies to dream destinations Japan, Italy, Bali, Mexico and Palm Springs, without worrying about restrictions or the expensive airfare.”
Dreaming of Europe? Coastal Italy with its fresh food and aperitivo hour will be setting up home to transport you right to the heart of the Amalfi Coast this summer. Perhaps spring in Tokyo is more up your alley? In-venue cherry blossoms and cocktails will create an Insta moment.
Image credit: Jasper Ave
The sands of Seminyak are heading our way with Bali beach club feels, and you can turn up the heat with a Mexican Summer Fiesta with margaritas and bottomless tacos.
If you missed out on your festival fix this year do not fear, Coachella is here! It may not be Palm Springs but the pink decor, desert features and festival-style music will play homage to the ultimate music experience.
And don’t forget those holidays to be won!
“We want to give Australians the chance to visit a world-class holiday destination right here at home in The Whitsundays, so we are excited to partner with Australian Venue Co and Virgin Australia to offer these prizes,” said Tash Wheeler, Tourism Whitsundays Chief Executive Officer.
“We have kept everyone in mind, so the prizes include a family package adventure, a romantic couples escape and a group getaway to remind all Aussies that we should appreciate the beauty in our very own backyard.”
Image credit: Jasper Ave
To enter the competition, entrants simply like the Australian Venue Co and Whitsundays QLD Facebook pages, be following both on Instagram and say why they need a holiday, tagging who they would bring along, by 30th October. Sharing the competition post will gain another entry. For full competition details & holiday inclusions visit https://www.ausvenueco.com.au/win-a-dream-holiday/
Keeping it local never looked so good with Australian Venue Co’s Staycation, and the best part is Aussies will be directly supporting local venues by visiting these amazing pop-up events this summer.
Where: Prince Alfred (VIC), Provincial (VIC),The Rook (NSW), Kingsleys Brisbane (QLD), Payneham Tavern (SA)
Dates: Nov to Feb
What’s on offer: Italian summer haven featuring aperitivo hour sorbet spritz, bottomless pizza & prosecco nights, and more.
Destination: Spring in Tokyo
Where: The Smith (VIC), The Duke (VIC), Manly Wine (NSW), Friday’s (QLD), Sweetwater Rooftop (WA), Smith Street Social (NT)
Dates: Nov to Feb
What’s on offer: Celebrating cherry blossom season in Japan – an Instagrammers dream! Roku Gin plays hero to this activation, with gin spritz and cocktails paired with Japanese-fusion bites.
Destination: Mexico Fiesta
Where: Riverland (QLD), College Lawn (VIC), Cleveland Sands (QLD), Perseverance (VIC), Dirty Little Secret (NZ), Waterloo Station (SA)
Dates: Nov to Feb
What’s on offer: A slice of Mexico with bottomless taco nights, Sunday sunset sessions and dedicated margarita menus – think spicy, fruity and everything in between.
Destination: Coachella, Palm Springs
Where: Fargo and Co (VIC), Cargo Bar (NSW), The Aviary (WA), Hope Inn (SA)
Dates: Nov to Feb
What’s on offer: Playing homage to Coachella music festival with plenty of pink decor, desert features and festival-style music.
Destination: Beach Club Bali
Where: Bungalow 8 (NSW), The Globe(WA)
Dates: Nov to Feb
What’s on offer: Bali beach club dreams become reality with crisp white day beds, beach club brunching, frozen cocktails and more.
It’s been just over six months since the first lockdowns and the closure of many restaurants. Six months of change. Six months of little or no income. Six months of stress and uncertainty. Six months of innovation.
Back in April I wrote about a new normal (to view article, see here). At that time, restrictions were being eased a little and there seemed to be a light at the end of the tunnel. And in June I wrote about learnings (to view article, see here).
However, after this we had a second wave of virus outbreaks, which eventually lead to Victoria being locked down and the borders between some States being closed.
So now things are looking promising again. Touch wood! The new cases of COVID-19 are now very low with all States looking at lifting restrictions. Victoria still has the tightest restrictions and at the moment, the Queensland border is still closed to most of NSW and Victoria – but that may be opened up in November.
By comparison to other countries we are doing well. Six months into the pandemic, the global figures are staggering – over 33 million cases of COVID-19 and 1 million deaths. The USA has over 7 million cases and over 200 000 deaths. The UK is undergoing a severe second wave with over 7000 cases a day at present. And countries like Italy, Spain, Iran and South Korea have been hard hit, with France going back into lockdown. And now, of course, the President of the United States himself has COVID-19.
We in Australia have fared relatively well. Despite criticism, our health authorities have managed to keep the outbreaks under control with a total of just over 27 000 cases (21 000 in Victoria) and 890 deaths (802 in Victoria) (Figures as at 3 October 2020).
COVID infection rates are continuing to fall across Australia, with Victoria, NSW and Queensland set to further ease restrictions over the next few weeks.
In Queensland, border restrictions and restrictions on outdoor dining have been relaxed – and the health authorities are confident that the state will not go back into lockdown in another outbreak. Indeed, the borders with NSW may be opened soon. Similarly, Tasmania is easing restrictions, and travel between Australia and New Zealand may soon be a reality. Even in Victoria, dining precincts are being opened and people are venturing out once again.
It is beginning to look like a social Christmas! We can start to prepare for events and get ready to welcome family and friends.
Where are we today? And what is tomorrow going to look like??
As I said back in April and June – the new normal will be different. I went to a local Thai restaurant on the weekend. The young Thai girls were all wearing full face shields, but beautifully decorated with stick on pearls. It seemed somehow normal!
Restaurants have always had a responsibility to serve safe food – free from contamination and potentially harmful bacteria. We take it for granted that when we dine out, we will not get sick – from the food. Now there is a responsibility to provide a safe environment, so guests do not get sick from the surroundings.
As I wrote last week, restaurants are a potential COVID hotspot (for article, see here). Crowded spaces are a problem. The risk of infection increases in large crowds and enclosed spaces. Social distancing is still vital. Even in the open air.
I – and every other health and hospitality professional – have been going on about social distancing. And it is still vital. It will not go away. Restaurants have a responsibility to give their guests the space to relax in relative safety. I have talked about social distancing several times in this column (see video here and article on Social Distancing and 1.5m here). It cannot be stressed enough that the best form of COVID risk minimisation is to stay 1.5 metres or more apart – even when seated.
Some of my previous predictions may not be necessary. For example, taking temperatures on entry or sitting in plastic cubicles or “cones of silence”. But others were right including the death of self-serve diners like Sizzler, which will close this November.
What we will see is more space between tables (a good thing for guests), greater attention to sanitisation (also a good thing) and an emphasis on outdoor “al fresco” dining. Research is showing that dining outside is much safer than dining inside (for article, see here).
Pre-bookings and registration of guests will also stay. And a positive sign is that restaurants are getting booked out. Reduced seating numbers are partially responsible, but diners are keen to get out and socialise again.
Costs will inevitably rise. Less guests per square metre and more expenses associated with compliance, will increase the costs of running a restaurant or café. So, prices will have to rise. The reality is that many restaurants were unprofitable before COVID, so now there will need to be a shift to better financial models.
Fine dining may well be restricted to the major hotels, where the costs of running a fine diner can be subsidised. But overall the quality of food should increase. If the public are paying more, they will expect more. One unintended consequence of stay-at-home dining over the past few months, is the level of high-quality takeaways that were, and still are, available. This has conditioned people to better quality. Already many pubs and clubs are employing highly qualified chefs, serving high-quality fine-dining meals at pub prices.
To contain costs, chef’s need to minimise the range of expensive ingredients and waste – so no doubt, we will see smaller but higher quality menus and a return to the fixed price “table d’hôte” … a return to high-quality traditional cuisines as well as new innovative comfort foods.
So, the new normal will be different. But it will also be fun and exciting. The evolution of dining continues and together we can all stay safe and dine another day.
Raise a glass of gin and say cheers – Archie Rose is partnering with Chin Chin Sydney for the ultimate gin’spired Weekend Yum Cha collaboration, serving up limited-edition Archie Rose cocktails and a drool-worthy new menu you will love to devour.
Kicking off from Friday, 2 October, Chin Chin are plating up the yummiest of yum chas every Friday, Saturday and Sunday for lunch with a feast of saucy dishes to tuck into such as crumbed prawn steamed buns, fried chicken wings, BBQ pork buns and more for just $55 per person.
Feeling thirsty for some gin? Archie Rose and Chin Chin have been busy distilling a special cocktail menu to start the party, with individual gin cocktails and some made to share with your whole crew, including:
• Archie’s Spritz with Passionfruit and Apricot
• Shiso Fine with Umeshu and Green Apple
• Violet Crown with Elderflower and Orange
• Pomelo Punch with Yuzu, Grapefruit and Cucumber
• Strawberry Colada with Strawberry, Pineapple and Coconut (serves two)
• Pink Pluma with Aperol and Lychee (serves four)
Here for a good time and not a long time, the Chin Chin × Archie Rose Gin’spired Yum Cha will bring the good vibes all weekend long, so make it a lunch date for two or ten of your nearest and dearest.
Stay Connected with free kids and adult cooking classes, live trivia and yoga & Pilates sessions
Continuing to deliver much-needed fun to the community, Burwood Brickworks has introduced new and exciting classes to its online series to run throughout October.
After the success of its virtual activities in August and September, the new schedule includes live kids’ cooking classes with Foost, Hatha Yoga from the team at Little Mandarin and the return of the popular trivia nights with Know Brainer Trivia, cooking masterclasses with acre farm & eatery and more, offering patrons the opportunity to stay connected with its retailers in a fun and engaging way.
Just for the kids, Burwood Brickworks has teamed up with positive food educators Foost to host live interactive Children’s Cooking Classes every Saturday at 10am, with new step-by-step recipes each week to delight any tastebuds and develop safe kitchen skills.
acre farm & eatery will also again host two Live Interactive Cooking Masterclasses led by acre’s farmhouse restaurant Head Chef, Chef PJ, with a delicious dinner recipe on Tuesday 6 and 20 October at 7pm.
The talented quiz masters at Know Brainer Trivia will return to host Live Trivia Tuesdays every week in October at 7:30pm via the Burwood Brickworks Shopping Facebook Page with prizes to be won from Ben & Jerry’s and Gami Chicken & Beer.
Yoga and Pilates studio Little Mandarin will introduce Hatha Yoga & Meditation classes for mind and body strength to run every Sunday at 4pm alongside Kids Yoga every Sunday at 10am, and Mat Pilates classes every Thursday at 10am, focusing on toning and lengthening the body.
Burwood Brickworks shopping centre remains open with the following stores still trading: Woolworths, Hu Hui Asian Grocer, The Source Bulk Foods, Dan Murphy’s, Choice Pharmacy, Eye Trend and BB Medical Centre.
Food retailers still offering takeaway and delivery include Gami Chicken & Beer, acre farm & eatery pop-up (outside Woolworths), My Sushi, Norwood Café, Gotcha Fresh Tea and Ben & Jerry’s.
Although Melbourne remains in lockdown, Burwood Brickworks remains committed to servicing the community to ensure minds, bodies and bellies are full of exciting experiences both inside and outside its walls.
Scottish craft brewer BrewDog has announced it is the first employer in the world to ensure that all team members will now be carbon negative, just like the business itself. The move comes as BrewDog announced last month that it has taken the unprecedented step to become carbon negative and that it will remove twice as much carbon from the air than it emits every single year, making it the first carbon negative international beer brand in the world.
BrewDog has introduced a planet-saving employee perk where all staff around the world, including those at Brisbane’s brewery and taproom, will be required to calculate their personal carbon footprint via the Pawprint platform, which enables them to understand their personal impact on the planet. The trailblazing brewer has also committed to offsetting the carbon ‘pawprints’ of its employees’ dogs to help staff understand that everything has a carbon footprint and impact on the environment.
BrewDog will then calculate its entire team’s footprint and double offset this through gold-standard carbon-offset programmes that remove twice as much carbon from the air each year than what the team is responsible for, as approved by its carbon foot-printing expert and lead scientific advisor, Professor Mike Berners-Lee.
Last month, BrewDog unveiled a groundbreaking climate action program with AUD $55m (£30m) of green investments across its business. Locally, this will see BrewDog Australia add solar panels to supply a significant amount of the energy demand from the brewery, taproom and restaurant and provide all spent grain to feed local cattle in Queensland. Excess CO2 emissions are offset through Carbon Neutral’s Yarra Yarra Biodiversity Corridor, a multi-species native reforestation project located in Southwest Australia, which is a global biodiversity hotspot.
James Watt, co-founder of BrewDog, said: “We are proud to be the world’s first carbon negative beer business and one of the very first businesses to offset the carbon footprint of all of its employees (and their dogs). Our commitment to sustainability is an integral part of our business across our entire operation, and means BrewDog both as a company and as individuals are having a massively positive impact on the planet and helping drive the change that our world so badly needs”.
For more information on BrewDog’s Carbon Negative status and how they offset carbon emissions, download their sustainability report here.
Seven traditional biers on tap, traditional set menu and Oktoberfest schnitzel
The Bavarian on York Street in Sydney’s CBD is re-opening on Tuesday, 6 October, ready to quench a thirst for Oktoberfest biers and appetites for traditional dishes.
While Oktoberfest 2020 may have been toned down in Munich, and international travel plans quashed, the häus of hearty bites at 24 York Street is bringing a taste of Oktoberfest to the city when it re-opens its doors.
The flagship restaurant is renowned for its imported German draught biers, served in traditional, 1-litre glass steins. There are seven German brews on tap, Löwenbräu, Franziskaner Hefe Weissbier Dunkel, Franziskaner Hefe Weissbier Hell, Hofbräu Original, Hofbräu Dunkel, Paulaner, and Spaten. Each bier is special in that it abides to the ancient German Purity Law, or Reinheitsgebot, which means that it can only contain four ingredients: water, hops, malt and yeast. Australian craft beers complement these iconic, pure German brews.
An Oktoberfest feasting menu ($39 per person) is available until Saturday, 31 October. The generous menu incorporates classic dishes, such as buttery pretzels served warm from the oven; The Bavarian’s legendary, golden-crackled pork knuckle; pork belly, served brick-thick and blistered with crackling; a trio of plump German sausages; and the most popular German dish of all: schnitzel, glistening with a golden crumb.
This value-packed platter includes all the traditional Bavarian trimmings of sauerkraut, red cabbage, mashed potato, apple compote and bier jus. Guests can end on a sugar-spice high with häus-made apple strudel, rich with flaky pastry, aromatic sweet spices, and served with vanilla ice cream.
A limited-edition Oktoberfest schnitzel ($26) will be available for the month of October, kicking off a monthly rotation of unique schnitzel variations. The Oktoberfest schnitzel comprises of a golden crumbed chicken breast loaded with sautéed potatoes, wurstsalat (sausage salad), pickled onions, mustard dressing and fries.
The Oktoberfest menu, limited-edition schnitzel and seven biers are available at The Bavarian Charlestown, Castle Hill, Rouse Hill, Green Hills, Shellharbour, Tuggerah, Manly, Macarthur, Miranda and Penrith.
Rockpool Dining Group Food and Beverage Director John Sullivan said: “The Sydney CBD is crying out for some Oktoberfest spirit, which encouraged us to re-open our doors in time for the annual festival.
“Our Oktoberfest dishes are on offer at all of The Bavarian restaurants. They are generous in portion size and flavour and accompanied with a stein of traditional imported bier they capture the essence of the traditional German dining experience and annual festival.”
Guests are also invited to celebrate Melbourne Cup at the York Street restaurant, which features 18 large-screen TVs, and will screen the race live. An à la carte menu is available, alongside a Best of Bavarian menu ($39 per person) and a two-hour Spring Fest food and drink package ($69 per person), including two hours of all-Australian beers, ciders, and a new range of refreshing cocktails on tap: Strawberry Margarita, Lychee Paradise, Apple-Tini, and Elderflower Garden. Guests can celebrate The Cup with $10 spring cocktails and $5 schnapps, which are all named after iconic horses.
The annual College Lawn Hotel Sportsman’s Lunch is back and better than ever! This year, sports lovers can book in for a two-course lunch and beverage package at the venue or join via Zoom from the comfort of their living rooms while enjoying a gourmet charcuterie box with matched beer or wine.
Hosted by SEN Radio’s Liam Pickering, the event will include a Q&A session from 12:30pm–1:30pm with footy legends Alex Rance (ex-Richmond Football Club) and Scott Cummings (ex-Essendon, Port Adelaide, West Coast Eagles & Collingwood Football Clubs) live from College Lawn.
On The Lawn Tickets are $110 per person from 12pm–2pm and include a two-course lunch and 2hr beverage pack, house wine & tap beer and live Q&A session. Limited tickets are available.
At-Home Tickets are $79 per person and includes access to the Q&A session via Zoom 12.30pm–1.30pm, as well as a delicious hamper to enjoy. The hamper includes a gourmet charcuterie box with a selection of cheeses, cured meats, chutney, sourdough & lavosh plus 6-pack Carlton Draught, accompanied by a bottle of Australian Shiraz or Pinot Noir. Delivery is included and is available for suburbs within a 15km radius from College Lawn hotel.
As part of their #TogetherinSpirits campaign, keeping the Melbourne industry, and Australia united during our time of isolation, The Everleigh Bottling Co. has just released Melbourne Mixtape Vol. 2, with additional bars added to the mix pack of cocktails from Melbourne’s best bars.
Following the sellout of Melbourne’s Mixtape Vol 1, Bar Margaux has joined the lineup, bringing the total number of cocktails to eight, at a price of $150. A mixed pack of single-serve cocktails from eight of Melbourne’s best bars, currently closed under Victoria’s Stage 4 restrictions. Bring Melbourne home with signature serves handmade in house by each bar and ready to drink at your convenience.
Given most of these bars have been heavily affected by the continued restrictions, outdoor dining is very unlikely for the majority of them, so the more support, the better.
#SaveHospo
All proceeds go directly to the bars. Do your bit to support the industry that lives to serve.
ABOVE BOARD Mouton Noir Ingredients: Mancino Rosso, Amaro Montenegro, Crème de Mûre, coconut, absinthe, sugar, & malic acid Serve in a rocks glass over ice and garnish with a lemon twist.
BAR AMERICANO Antica Fashionista Ingredients: House redistilled bourbon & rye whiskies with local & Mediterranean fruits, herbs and spices, house amari, smoked tea gum Enjoy in a tumbler, over ice with a lemon zest. Cin cin!
BAR MARGAUX Americano Perfecto Ingredients: Sweet vermouth and Campari topped with beer Chill cocktail bottle and pour into a rocks glass over ice. Top with ice cold beer (approx. 120ml) and garnish with a slice of orange.
BLACK PEARL Tortuga Ingredients: Never Never Triple Juniper, Never Never Black Juniper Amaro, Marionette Curacao, Unico Zelo Yuzu Vermouth Enjoy in a cocktail glass, straight from the freezer, garnish with an orange twist.
BYRDI Wax Flower and White Chocolate G&T Ingredients: Gin, distilled white chocolate and Geraldton wax tonic Serve chilled.
CAPITANO Sherry Cobbler Ingredients: Fino, bourbon, fermented blood orange, salt Serve in a rocks glass over ice, garnish with lemon zest.
MJØLNER Reginleif Ingredients: Havana 7yr rum, Cocchi Torino sweet vermouth, Luxardo maraschino, house-made blackberry cordial & Angostura bitters Serve chilled, in a martini glass with a rye cracker and blackberry jam.
THE EVERLEIGH Martini Ingredients: Gin, dry vermouth, & orange bitters Serve ice cold in a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a lemon twist or olive.
Shipping Nationwide
PLEASE NOTE: All proceeds for Melbourne Mixtape purchases will be split between the eight bars evenly. No shipping discounts or discount codes can be applied to this product, as we are looking to maximise the support they can receive. Thank you for your understanding.
This limited-edition collection of eight cocktails will be delivered to your door so you can bring Melbourne home, in support of the survival of an industry that lives to serve.
Worship at the altar of El Camino Cantina during its 2020 Day of the Dead fiesta and celebrate delicious foods of the Días de los Muertos holiday, sinful margarita flavours, loud music, colourful costumes and elaborately face-painted staff. The colourful celebration runs from Tuesday, 20 October to Saturday, 7 November.
The late-night Tex-Mex diner and bar will drop some new flavours of its mind-blowing frozen margaritas: Devil Chilli (watermelon, chilli and chilli salt), Walking Dead (passionfruit), Ghost Drop (blueberry), and Poison Apple (sour apple).
The flagship El Camino Cantina in The Rocks, Sydney lands an additional six exclusive flavours: Skittle Bomb, Mad Scientist (grape), Sour Strap (strawberry), Snake Bite (raspberry), Whizz Fizz (orange), and Potion of Love (lychee).
All new flavours are served Cadillac-style, with a smooth rich float of Grand Marnier on top, and in two sizes 15oz, $20 and 24oz, $24. Margarita tasting paddles of four 220ml flavours of choice ($30) are also available at all El Camino Cantina venues. Dial up the daily Días de los Muertos rituals with:
• Terror Tuesdays: new Cadillac taco flavours, including chorizo, feta, mango salsa, jalapeños, feta and coriander; tempura prawn, habanero salsa, guacamole and coriander; and popcorn chicken, shredded iceberg, pico de gallo, chipotle aioli and chives
• Wicked Wednesdays: wing roulette – a basket of buffalo wings includes one that is laced in ‘Facemelter’ hot sauce. Also, available are limited-edition habanero and teriyaki sauces
• Troublesome Thursdays: $20 fajita and margarita combination
• Freaky Friday, Sinful Saturday and Spooky Sunday
DJs will entertain at flagship venues at The Rocks in Sydney, Sunshine Plaza on the Sunshine Coast and Bowen Hills in Brisbane every Sinful Saturday.
DJs and Halloween themes will be the backdrop at these three venues on Saturday, 31 October, when guests are encouraged to make their El Camino Cantina pilgrimage in costume, and staff will go all-out ghoulish with Day of the Dead face paint.
A two-hour Deluxe Day of the Dead fiesta package ($89 per person), available at all venues from Tuesday, 20 October to Saturday, 7 November, includes tortilla chips and salsa, buffalo wings with blue cheese mayo and guacamole for entrée; chargrilled chicken fajitas served with all the Tex-Mex trimmings; and churros with chocolate and caramel sauce. The package also includes two hours of Cadillac-style margaritas served frozen and on the rocks, house beer and wine, and soft drinks. Guests who indulge in the package receive a Trick or Treat gift bag.
El Camino is located at The Rocks, Manly, Miranda and Entertainment Quarter in NSW, and Bowen Hills, Westfield Chermside, Sunshine Coast and Robina on the Gold Coast in Queensland. Bookings HERE.
In The Rocks, which is renowned for its ghost trails and historic heritage, The Argyle is transforming its vintage digs – amongst the oldest in Sydney – into a Halloween-themed, four-day Spooktacular from Wednesday, 28 October to Saturday, 31 October.
Watch spoof-slasher Scary Movie from The Argyle’s open-air cinema in its iconic courtyard on the evening of Wednesday, 28 October. Entry is free, the film starts at 7pm, and two-for-one pizzas are $30. Happy hour is from 5pm to 7pm and everyone’s favourite movie treat, popcorn, has had an upgrade, with $15 Salted Caramel Popcorn Espresso Martinis on the menu.
On Thursday, 29 October, ‘horror looks you right between the eyes’ at the Michael Jackson Thriller night, with DJs, singers and Halloween-style performances. The performances and costumed cheap thrills continue on Friday, 30 October and Saturday, 31 October at The Argyle Asylum. Entry is free, costumes are encouraged and the cocktail specials will give you the chills, with The Black Widow Daiquiri ($15), El Diablo Margarita ($17.50), Zombie Got Ya Brainz shot ($11) and Witches Brew Cauldron Punchbowl ($35) available over the four days. Bookings HERE.
Prahran Market has partnered up with the team at Moon Dog Brewery to make celebrating finals footy at home a piece of pie! That’s right, the Market’s pie-making Traders have put forward their best gourmet pies to create the ultimate taster box to enjoy whilst watching the game, paired with an exclusive four pack of Moon Dog Brewery craft beer.
Each Prahran Market × Moon Dog Brewery Pie & Beer Taster Box has a baker’s dozen of gourmet party pies, ready to heat and eat at home, along with four exclusive Moon Dog beers. Prahran Market is even throwing in a mini Sherrin, so you can have a kick in the living room at half-time.
Plus, there’s the option to take part in a virtual tasting, right out of the box, as each pie comes with its own accompanying tasting notes and QR Code. Simply scan the code using your phone’s camera or QR scanner app to watch a video of each Trader talking about their gourmet pie. The beers have also been pre-matched to ensure you have the perfect pie and beer combo with every sip.
The pies include:
Peking Duck – John Cester’s Poultry & Game × 2
Greek Lamb Pie – Sweet Greek × 2
Chicken Pot Pie – Stir The Pot × 2
Classic Braised Beef with Gravy – Wonder Pies × 2
Lamb Kofta Pie – Cleo’s Deli × 2
Creamy Chicken and Roasted Mushroom – Mama Marija’s Café × 2
Roasted Lamb and Mushroom Pie with gravy on the side – Q Le BAKER
And the exclusive Moon Dog Brewery four pack includes:
Old Mate Pale Ale
Beer Can Tropical Lager
Moon Dog Lager
Jean-Strawb Van Damme Strawberry Sour Ale
Orders will be delivered on Friday 16th and Saturday 24th October so you can enjoy them during both the Preliminary and Grand Finals. Orders close at 5pm the Monday prior (12th and 19th October).
Prahran Market × Moon Dog Brewery Pie & Beer Taster Boxes are priced at $55, plus delivery*, and are only available to order online via Food Lovers’ Direct.
*Should you wish to order more produce from Prahran Market with the Pie & Pie Tasting Box on Food Lovers’ Direct, your produce will be delivered separately on the next Market day. If this is the case, you will only be charged the delivery fee once.
The world changes, and Ovolo evolves. The first hotel group in the world to go vegetarian.
On World Vegetarian Day (1 October), Ovolo Hotels announced that all restaurants and bars across Australia and Hong Kong will go vegetarian for 365 days. The designer hotel collection makes a confident leap to greener grass as the first hotel group to make such a commitment globally.
Ovolo’s Australian venues that will go vegetarian for a full year include Monster Kitchen & Bar at Ovolo Nishi in Canberra, ZA ZA TA at Ovolo The Valley in Brisbane and Mister Percy at Ovolo 1888 Darling Harbour in Sydney. Alibi Bar & Kitchen at Ovolo Woolloomooloo, Australia and New Zealand’s first vegan hotel restaurant, will remain with global plant-based pioneer Matthew Kenney as Creative Culinary Partner. In the vein of collaborating with industry leaders, Monster Kitchen & Bar welcomes Paul Wilson (previously of Geranium in Denmark and Orpheus Island on the Great Barrier Reef), with Executive Chef Roy Ner (previously from Nour and Lillah in Sydney) at the helm of the ZA ZA TA kitchen.
Ovolo Group’s Founder and CEO, Girish Jhunjhnuwala says of the bold initiative, “Dining out and enjoying tasty food and wine with great company is one of life’s simplest pleasures. Good times and good intentions is how we’re evolving. We want to be conscious about what we are consuming and practise environmental sustainability as best as we can, as this leads to a larger impact on humanity, not just the environment”.
With a rise in consumer interest and understanding of the benefits aligned with plant-based and vegetarian cuisine, this change embodies Ovolo’s philosophy of connecting with its customers’ wants. Guests and diners will be able to nourish their bodies and feed their souls at Ovolo’s unique kitchen and bar concepts, inspired by fresh and locally sourced produce, ethical eating, and conscious cuisine. Alongside, seasonal cocktails and wines sourced from some of Australia’s most progressive producers will also feature.
Monster Kitchen & Bar’s new Executive Chef, Paul Wilson, will incorporate his previous experiences and techniques to showcase vegetables through a refined menu offering. Fermenting and pickling will feature prominently across the menu, and Wilson will also introduce a kitchen garden where he and his team will grow produce.
Israeli-born chef Roy Ner has evolved his menu at ZA ZA TA to further reference and celebrate the food of Tel Aviv, fondly known as the vegan capital of the world. Guests will be taken on a journey of the Middle East, experiencing all the spices, vegetables, and textures of the Levantine melting pot.
Mister Percy will shift to being a vegetarian Italian wine bar, fusing knowledge of a traditional Italian cucina and the best of seasonal produce to serve up daily house-made pastas and antipasti. The offerings ally perfectly to a thoughtful collection of boutique and local wines by the glass, quartino, or bottle.
In 2018, Alibi Bar & Kitchen was the country’s first 100% plant-based venue to open, showcasing only plant-based cuisine in collaboration with US-based celebrity chef and plant-based pioneer, Matthew Kenney. Alibi brings Kenney’s distinct food philosophy and style to the plate. A combination of classical and innovative cooking techniques gives locally sourced plant-based ingredients a creative makeover, with smoking, fermentation, and molecular techniques all featured.
As well as going vegetarian across their restaurants, Ovolo will continue to incorporate sustainable and ethical practices where possible.
Committed to continuously finding ways to further reduce their environmental footprint, this launch comes off the back of several eco-friendly initiatives already implemented by the hotel collection in the past year. This is inclusive of a bold move away from single-use bathroom amenity plastics, all OMG Amenities being designed in a sustainable manner, and making use of refillable, tamper-free pump bottles that are HDPE recyclable. In addition to this, Ovolo were early adaptors of removing plastic straws, introducing reusable woven bags for slippers, and the use of biodegradable materials in laundry bags and packaging.
All venues will offer vegetarian menus from Thursday, 1 October, in line with World Vegetarian Day.
The Open House Melbourne Board is delighted to announce Fleur Watson’s appointment as the organisation’s Executive Director and inaugural Chief Curator.
In this role, Fleur will lead the vision and creative direction of the new Centre for Architecture that will further build on Open House Melbourne’s extensive public program.
The Centre for Architecture Victoria is an ambitious cultural organisation that includes and expands on the celebrated Open House Melbourne public program and its role as a trusted thought leader and advocate for architecture’s role and agency. Together, CAV and OHM actively engage to communicate the value of good design in the built environment, and how it facilitates better, fairer and more responsive places for people.
The CAV will provide creative and curatorial leadership in the sector by tackling big issues through major public discussions, debates, tours, interviews, exhibitions and events. This will include the well-established and popular Open House Weekends and the ambition to expand public awareness of critical issues that shape our built environment and its impacts.
Fleur’s background as a creative director, curator and editor underwrites her valuable contribution to Australian culture through exhibitions, cultural programs and publishing. The Board and team are excited to support her as she brings this expertise to the community focus that OHM is recognised for in leading a highly accessible, inclusive and enriching platform.
President Shaun Newing says: “Fleur is the ideal person to lead Open House Melbourne and to shape the Centre for Architecture Victoria. She is a highly respected Melbourne cultural leader with a fantastic appreciation for our built environment. Open House Melbourne has emerged in a strong position following the impacts of COVID-19, which is a significant achievement and a real tribute to the team and Board. We are looking forward to working with Fleur to lead the organisation to a very bright future”.
Fleur says: “I’m thrilled to accept this role and look forward to shaping the new Centre for Architecture Victoria. I have been a long-time supporter of the fantastic work that Open House does in advocating and opening up discussion around the importance of quality designed spaces for every Victorian to experience and enjoy. Building on this much-loved Melbourne weekend, we are committed to exploring the pressing issues in making better cities and regional centres in which all Australians can live, work and gather together – never more urgent to address and re-imagine than in a post-pandemic context.”
Watson commenced in the role at CAV / OHM on 28 September ahead of a year of ambitious programming, including expansion into regional Victoria with the Waterfront program for Melbourne Design Week in collaboration with the National Gallery of Victoria and in anticipation of Open House Melbourne’s 2021 month-long program. Both programs will be part of the new and expanded cultural remit of the Centre for Architecture Victoria.
Throughout their 10 years of supplying premium commercial kitchen equipment and catering supplies to the Australian hospitality market, Nisbets has supported the industry through a multitude of changes.
From the never-ending list of new food trends and dietary requirements, to the huge influx of new technologies and even a global pandemic, Australia’s hospitality industry has certainly faced its fair share of changes, challenges and opportunities. Hospitality veterans, Nisbets, have been supporting chefs, caterers and restaurateurs throughout it all.
In honour of their 10th birthday and the incredible growth of Australia’s hospitality scene, staff from all areas of the business are reflecting on the last 10 years and looking ahead to the bright future of the industry.
How has the hospitality industry changed in 10 years?
Digital Developments
As our general day-to-day functions are becoming more and more reliant on technology, and the world around us continues to become more digital, the hospitality industry has also become transformed by digital technology.
Overall digital technologies are considered to be improving the hospitality industry, by increasing opportunities for businesses to engage with and transact with customers, and Nisbets have witnessed the rise in technology, and the effect it’s having on the industry:
Stuart Moody, National Sales Manager – Wholesale:“Over the last 10 years, there has been a dramatic change in the industry, things that are so common now, were not so a decade ago. The biggest driver of change in the industry in my opinion is the adoption of digital. This is in every area of a foodservice business now, from ordering produce to digital menus, online ordering, or food related apps which consumers are increasingly utilising to either increase convenience or value. Businesses now live and die by their online presence, a handful of bad reviews or negative media coverage can spell the end of a hospitality business.”
Christie Saminaden, HR Advisor – ANZ:“Advertising has moved to digital, introduction of booking apps eliminates the hassle of calling the restaurant and waiting for service, delivery service apps like UBER Eats or Menulog have changed the dining experience and offers individuals to enjoy their meals at home through a seamless order and delivery process, both domestic and commercial customers are much more environmentally conscious and have therefore invested in sustainable food sources and packaging.”
Michael Micallef, Managing Director – ANZ:“Digital transformation within the industry has been the area of most development and opportunity. Creating solutions that are focused on simplicity and innovation to help an industry that must be able to transact and operate in different operating hours is a trend we’re seeing and opportunity to build time back into our customers day.”
Insta-worthy food
In April 2012, Instagram was sold to Facebook for $1 billion and by June 2018, the platform had hit 1 billion monthly active users, meaning that their user base is equal to the entire population of the Americas.
According to Facebook Instagram data, 91% of users say they use Instagram to follow at least one of their interests, with the top reported interests of Instagram users being travel (45%), music (44%) and food and drink (43%).
This unbelievable online community has definitely changed the way restaurants and cafés create their menus, and Nisbets has been supporting Aussie businesses since the very beginning of it all. Here, three of Nisbet’s staff give their thoughts on the rise of Insta-worthy food.
Stuart Moody, National Sales Manager – Wholesale: “Of course, when talking about the rise of digital we cannot go without mentioning the huge impact that Instagram has had on the foodservice industry and the general trend of sharing food images – the saying “you eat with your eyes” has never been truer. The foodservice businesses which have designed their menu, venue or experience to capitalise on this trend have flourished during this time.”
Amanda Eyles, Store Manager and State Lead for NSW: “The most noticeable change is the impact social media has had on the industry. Businesses have in turn made their businesses a destination by way of self-promotion utilising these online platforms showcasing the food and services available. People eat with the eyes first and these online forums give the customer the ability to see what is on offer prior to making a reservation and sharing experiences with others.”
Naomi Billingham, Campaign Planner – ANZ: “The industry has changed from a luxurious offering to an everyday modern offering over the years. We have seen increased focus on Instagram-worthy and unique dishes (remember the deconstructed coffee?), online food delivery and food trucks. Hospitality used to be more focused on high-end restaurants however with a younger target market – now the sky’s the limit with creativity.”
Conscious Eating
A noticeable shift in the behaviour of the general public is happening across the world. As climate change, the threat of extinction of many beloved species and other ecological crises reach breaking point, the shift in behaviour from consumers at an individual level is a predictable side effect.
In a recent survey by Walnut Omnibus, a startling 75% of the public indicated that they currently modify their consumption and have become more conscious about their use of consumer items including plastic, non-recyclable materials, dairy, meat, sugar, salt, gluten, palm oil, travel, clothes and products that have been tested on animals.
Nisbets agrees with this research and have noticed a shift in the hospitality industry right here in Australia.
Stuart Moody, National Sales Manager – Wholesale: “Healthy eating, allergen awareness and ethical products is also a macro-trend that is here to stay. All venues must cater for alternate dietary requirements, with vegetarian, pescetarian, meat free and gluten free options available in nearly all food outlets. Most major fast food places offer burgers without, well, the burger! This trend also translates to equipment requirements with increased focus on “green” products, compostable consumables as well as allergen identification in food labelling including segregation of food preparation areas. Who would have thought that we’d have purple chopping boards.”
Tyrone Gowing, Store Manager Sunshine Coast: “Cafes and restaurant menus have taken a large turn moving away from the traditional methods of culinary arts and incorporating the focus around eating well for health purposes and allergies.”
Reality Bites
Amanda Eyles, Store Manager and State Lead for NSW:“A collaboration between cuisines and the way delicious foods have been showcased has seen restaurants and cafes create open kitchen spaces which are able to be seen by diners, giving them a bird’s-eye view of the chef’s skills, ingredients and equipment used, which has been influenced by television reality shows such as MasterChef and My Kitchen Rules.”
Tyrone Gowing, Store Manager Sunshine Coast:“Food has received a large amount of interest here in Australia with the televising of shows such as My Kitchen Rules and MasterChef. Consumer knowledge and understanding of food has increased the popularity of these shows.”
What does the future of hospitality look like?
As a company that has worked so collaboratively with Australia’s hospitality businesses over the past ten years, Nisbets is in a unique position to be able to shed light on the future of the hospitality industry:
Michael Micallef, Managing Director – ANZ: “Concept and experience driven solutions. Whether that be eco-friendly in the takeaway market or good, better, best options across your front of house and back of house solutions. We see a trend developing that is driving the look and feel of the establishment we are serving, with a focus on local supply which placing more emphasis in the way we procure products that can evoke these ideas.”
Christie Saminaden, HR Advisor – ANZ: “Further growth in the real-time digital space, consumers want things here and now, cost savings in commercial kitchen redesign as well as rethinking how individuals and organisations can transition to eco-friendly products.”
Amanda Eyles, Store Manager and State Lead for NSW: “Dynamic food and drink concepts focusing on a more unique offering, highlighting a greater connection between local food, beverage and equipment suppliers with added focus on supporting local communities along with the ability for businesses to be adaptable in the current climate.”
Stuart Moody, National Sales Manager – Wholesale: “With margins being squeezed from rising operational costs and the increased usage of third party food delivery platforms, the necessity to maintain exacting standards and drive consistency and efficiency will only enhance the focus on how to reduce the requirement for human interaction. The utilisation of technology, third-party services and automation will increase, in turn delivering the efficiencies and consistency required to meet the ever increasing customer expectation.”
Naomi Billingham, Campaign Planner – ANZ: “A greater focus on sustainability and health. As millennials continue to dominate the workforce as well as the travel industry, the importance of using sustainable products will increase to suit the demand. Millennials are more likely to support a business who uses these products and those in the workforce are more likely to encourage or propose changing to these products with their management.Alongside the use of sustainable products – there will also be an increased focus on health and fitness. Customers will be more likely to visit and support a hospitality business if they offer healthy options (Restaurant) or a fitness centre/gym (Hotels).”
Tyrone Gowing, Store Manager Sunshine Coast: “Lower start-up cost on smaller venues, increase in takeaway driven service, larger focus on simplifying of menus and venues, and increase in competitor presence.”
Lakanto Classic and Golden Monkfruit Sweeteners offer an all-natural substitute to sugar with 93% less calories
Spoon-for-spoon sugar replacement in all hot drinks, baking and cooking, with no bitter aftertaste
Originally cultivated by Buddhist monks in East Asia for its sweetness and apparent healing properties, the monk fruit has been used to create a 100% natural alternative to sugar.
On average, Australians consume twice the recommended daily intake of sugar[1]. Lakanto’s Monkfruit Sweeteners let consumers enjoy their favourite foods without compromising on health, taste, dietary needs or overall wellbeing.
Made from the melon-like monk fruit, which derives its sweetness from antioxidants in the fruit’s flesh, the new sweetener has 93% fewer calories than sugar, zero net carbs, zero glycemic impact and no fibre, maltodextrin, stevia, artificial sweeteners or flavourings. This makes it suitable for those on gluten-free, diabetic, ketogenic, candida, paleo, vegan and low-carb diets.
TV host, bestselling cookbook author, functional nutritionist and trainer Luke Hines is incredibly pumped to be a Lakanto ambassador: “Eating well shouldn’t be time consuming, tasteless or lacking in sweet treats, it’s about making simple everyday better choices so you can still celebrate all of the foods you love.
“Monkfruit has changed the way I eat for the better, as I still get to enjoy my favourite foods, but in a way that makes them Low-Carb, Keto, so I don’t have to compromise on my health goals. This is the only sweetener I’ll use because it not only tastes great but is genuinely good for you too,” he says.
The range consists of Classic Monkfruit Sweetener, made from the white flesh of the monk fruit to replace white sugar, and the Golden Monkfruit Sweetener with a sweet maple flavour, made from the white flesh, seed and peel, as a substitute for raw cane sugar. They are available in 200g (RRP: $10.50), 500g (RRP: $19.95) and 800g (RRP: $29.95) bags.
To ensure an easy swap from sugar, the extremely sweet Monk fruit extract has been blended with (non-GMO) erythritol to produce a heat stable, spoon-for-spoon replacement for sugar that measures, bakes and cooks just like sugar, with the same flavour and texture and no bitter aftertaste.
With a mantra of being #ResponsiblySweet, all Lakanto products are made using monk fruit that is grown using the same ancient, traditional methods used by the monks that give the fruit its name. It processes the fruit using cold-water extraction at its zero-emissions plant.
Lakanto Monkfruit Sweeteners are available in the sugar aisle in over 2500 outlets nationwide including Woolworths, Coles, Drakes, Ritchies IGA and select health food stores. For additional information visit lakanto.com.au
On Tuesday, 3rd November, Gerard’s Bistro and Gerard’s Bar are once again throwing their annual Melbourne Cup party, celebrating the race that stops the nation.
Experience flavours of the Middle East with a carefully curated 3-course menu by Executive Chef Adam Wolfers, featuring the best local seafood and a selection of Gerard’s favourite dishes.
In true Cup fashion, guests can expect free-flowing Louis Roederer champagne, signature cocktails and premium beer, wine and spirits.
Gerard’s Bistro & Gerard’s Bar
When: Tuesday 3rd November
Where: Gerard’s Bistro & Gerard’s Bar
Time: 12pm–4pm
Eat: 3-course banquet featuring fresh seafood and a selection of Gerard’s favourites from Executive Chef Adam Wolfers
Drink: Louis Roederer champagne, signature cocktails and premium beer, wine and spirits.
Tickets: Four hours all-inclusive for $220 per person. To book, click here
Good Food Month presented by Citi is back this October, and has now added Friends of Good Food Month to its spectacular events programme on sale now.
This year’s Friends of Good Food Month series is the largest programme of events to date, with over 40 events taking place across Sydney and more broadly across NSW. With everything from dine-in events to take-home meal packs and virtual masterclasses, there has never been a better time to celebrate the local talent throughout the state and support the industry that has battled through devastating challenges.
Sydneysiders can enjoy a pasta degustation at Big Poppa’s, cool climate wine dinner at The Restaurant Pendolino, journey through the Silk Road at Spice Temple, jazz at Restaurant Hubert, stressless Sundays at Ormeggio at The Spit, Japan’s finest flavours at No.5 Restaurant & Bar, an evening of decadence at O Bar and Dining, Spring Picnic Bags from Chiswick, virtual feasts and masterclasses thanks to Pasta Pals and Mjølner, and tasty collaborations between Aria and Maybe Sammy, Estate and Clove Lane, Cucinetta and Jacqui Ektoros.
Some events this year will look a little different, as the Friends of Good Food Month restaurant partners implement the highest standards of COVID-19 safety measures, as recommended by the NSW Government and NSW Health. Good Food Month recommends booking in advance to avoid disappointment, as many events have limited tickets available.
Join the team at Secolo Dining in the heart of Sydney’s CBD this Good Food Month for an interactive (but socially distanced) authentic pizza-making masterclass.
This October, The Sydney Connection is holding its fourth Crafty Dining experience as part of Good Food Month and Sydney Craft Week. The event will showcase the rich variety of vintage and contemporary fashion, design and dining options on the streets of Potts Point.
Whether you’re a wine aficionado, or new to exploring unique drops, this is the perfect wine exploration event. Tickets include five wines with matched snacks, discussion about each wine and a bottle of your favourite wine from the event to take home.
Pasta Pals is a virtual cooking workshop with two of Sydney’s top pasta chefs Alex Major (Ragazzi) and Brandon Jones (Totti’s). Fulfil your dream of becoming a master of pasta – learning how to make delicious, classic pasta from scratch in the comfort of your own home.
Your favourite late-night hip hop venue and Italian restaurant invites you for a night of delicious pasta and matched wine to satisfy all your mid-week carb and vino needs.
Let O Bar and Dining take you on a dining experience that is as decadent and immersive as their spectacular setting. Perfect service and bespoke wine pairings will complement an elegant and supremely sophisticated five-course tasting menu.
Join Spice Temple executive chef Andy Evans for his bespoke Silk Road dinner – an exquisite culinary journey through some of the extraordinary, lesser-known regions of China.
This Good Food Month, Estate chef Matthew Butcher is collaborating with Clove Lane’s Emile Avramides to bring a four-course family-style menu to Estate for a special long Sunday lunch on October 18.
Join Cucinetta Sydney for a one-off breakfast event this October with Cucinetta chef Vincenzo and guest executive head chef and friend Jacqui Ektoros (ex-Three Williams, Devon Cafe and Bennelong). Expect exciting dishes and stunning harbour views.
Prep your pup for it’s very own photo shoot on Sunday, 18 October. Simply buy lunch from Spice House (minimum spend $25) between 12:00pm and 3:00pm and show your receipt to score a professional paw-trait of your pooch.
Embark on The Ho Jiak Journey, a gastronomical experience born from head chef Junda Khoo’s passion for both street food and fine dining. All proceeds from The Ho Jiak Journey will go to Food Bank, providing food relief to the community.
Enjoy Mjølner Sydney’s unique and indulgent dining experience from the comfort of your own home. Celebrate all things peat and meat virtually through a Nordic-inspired three-course set menu matched to four peated whiskies.
At this one-off dinner event, the team at Pino’s Vino e Cucina will take guests on a food and wine journey across the regions of Italy that are close to their hearts, recreating childhood dishes and bringing authentic Italian flavours to life in their Sydney kitchen.
Indulge in a divine four-course dinner celebrating all things pork this October, as part of The Milan Cricket Club steakhouse pop-up in Nino Zoccali’s La Rosa The Strand.
At this alfresco dining event, Olio will present a set menu of Sicilian seafood, including an oyster bar and a live fresh seafood station with fruits de mer cooked on demand. Top off this dining experience with a Sicilian-style spritz from the bar cart.
Head chef Emrys Jones has curated a five-course dining experience showcasing Japan’s finest flavours. Join No.5 Restaurant as they present traditional favourites including tataki, yakitori, and okonomiyaki at this one-off degustation.
The event is set over two days with options to enjoy an eight- or ten-course degustation lunch on either day while taking in the beauty of Morton National Park in Kangaroo Valley. Follow the trail, taste the local wines and immerse yourself in the park’s stunning regenerating bushland.
At The Restaurant Pendolino’s NSW Cool Climate Wine Dinner, two of NSW’s most recognised and highly awarded cool climate wineries will showcase their interpretation of unique Italian varietals. Enjoy a four-course menu by chef Nino Zoccali inspired by the northern regions of Italy.
To celebrate Good Food Month, join us on October 31 for an evening of feasting at BEA Restaurant. Our $99 menu will feature local and regional produce from NSW, locally sourced wines and our signature cocktails.
Dine in the park surrounded by nature this Good Food Month for a delightfully casual lunch experience at Centennial Homestead. Soak in the ambience and enjoy the warmth of the venue whilst dining on fresh, honest, home-style food with a twist.
Pho is Viet’s house specialty, and this October they’ll be celebrating Good Pho Month, a nod to Good Food Month with a Vietnamese twist. Throughout Good Pho Month, Viet’s scrumptious chicken and beef pho dishes will be available for just $12 a bowl.
12:00pm–6:00pm, daily throughout October | $78–$98
In support of the Breast Cancer Foundation, The Fullerton Hotel Sydney will be offering a pink-themed afternoon tea served at The Bar throughout Good Food Month. For each Pink Afternoon Tea set sold, $5 will be donated to the Breast Cancer Foundation.
In celebration of Good Food Month, Chef Yves Scherrer of Madame and Yves is offering the “Ooh La La Box” exclusively for the month of October. The divine selection of sweets includes Madame and Yves’ five most popular eclairs – transformed into profiteroles.
To celebrate Good Food Month, Eastside Bar & Grill are releasing a limited number of skewers incorporating ultra-luxe ingredients that are rarely available in Australian restaurants, so that you can enjoy a snack-sized treat of all that is rare, extravagant and utterly delicious.
12:00pm–3:00pm, 5:30pm–9:00pm, daily throughout October | $99
This October, Bistro Moncur is paying homage to its roots and staying true to tradition by bringing back some of its most-loved classic dishes paired with a bespoke selection of vintage wines. Enjoy an elegant three-course menu that will take you back to early Bistro Moncur days.
Savour a seven-course degustation menu crafted by head chef Mike Dierlinger, with matched wines and a guaranteed window table offering incredible revolving views of the city skyline and harbour.
Gavroche Chippendale will be serving the finest French delicacies during October, giving you all the feel-good vibes of a European vacay. Their decadent Parisian Toastie will take you right back to the City of Lights with one bite.
Pull up a chair, admire the golden sunset and sway to the sounds of a live DJ set. Relax and unwind for an easy Sunday evening as Ormeggio brings the Italian Riviera to you with their signature Italian snacks and sleek European vibes.
5:30pm–10:00pm, Sunday to Thursday throughout October | $38
Take a culinary journey down the Mekong River with this special three-course menu for Good Food Month that has been designed to give you a taste of the region’s flavours and diversity. Choose one entrée, one main and a dessert – all for just $38 per person.
5:00pm–10:00pm, Mondays throughout October | $65 for 2
Every Monday in October, China Diner will release an exclusive food and wine package featuring a signature bottle from Bremerton Wines matched with a dish from the China Diner menu. The package will be available for purchase via Deliveroo, to be enjoyed in the comfort of your own home.
5:30pm–9:00pm, Wednesdays throughout October | $50
To show their appreciation for the people who keep the ovens firing, drinks flowing and who paint the smiles on customers’ faces, Estate Kitchen are extending a special offer to hospitality staff every Wednesday throughout October including a special $50 four-course tasting menu and $2 oysters.
From 5:00pm, Mondays & Tuesdays throughout October | $85
Every Monday and Tuesday during October, Restaurant Hubert is putting on a Good Food Month Dinner featuring a four-course shared-style menu, served alongside live jazz music. The menu features signature dishes and classic French specials for $85 per person.
12:00pm–9:00pm, Wednesdays & Thursdays throughout October | $110
As part of Friends of Good Food Month 2020, North Bondi Fish is releasing their Nothin’ But Flavour tasting menu. Be swept away by refreshing cocktails and spicy snacks that transform spring days into long, balmy, summery evenings with flavours that pack a sizzling punch!
12:30pm–9:30pm, Thursday to Sunday throughout October | $200
The Gantry have teamed up with their favourite local distillery, to take you on a hands-on discovery of food, wine and cocktails this Good Food Month – where you’ll experiment with botanical distillates (including honey, raspberry, pink peppercorn and juniper) alongside the best Australian produce, wine and cocktails.
12:00pm–3:00pm, Monday to Friday throughout October | $20
Exclusively for Good Food Month, Rockpool Bar & Grill are putting on a mouth-watering lunchtime offering – Good Food Month Lunch at the Bar. Enjoy a tender David Blackmore Wagyu burger with gruyère, smoked bacon and zuni pickle and a refreshing Resch’s Pilsner for just $20. No bookings required.
12:00pm–3:00pm, Monday to Friday throughout October
It’s Aqua Dining’s 20th birthday this October and to celebrate, you can enjoy a complimentary glass of French champagne when you dine at the stunning light-filled restaurant for lunch from Monday to Friday throughout the month.
12:00pm–3:00pm, Monday to Friday throughout October (excluding Friday, 31 October) | $42
Celebrate Good Food Month with lunch at Public Dining Room overlooking Sydney’s beautiful Balmoral Beach. Enjoy pan-roasted ocean trout with exceptional trimmings, accompanied by a glass of wine or a Peroni all for just $42 per person.
6:00pm–10:30pm, Tuesday to Thursday throughout October | From $105
Kuro Bar & Dining specialises in premium wagyu. For Friends of Good Food Month in October, diners get the opportunity to sample a new dish that heroes premium wagyu from the Kagoshima prefecture in Japan.
Aria is injecting fun back into the city this Good Food Month as they launch Maybe Aria – a collaboration with award-winning cocktail bar, Maybe Sammy. Each Wednesday in October, the Maybe Sammy team will be behind the bar to serve up bespoke cocktails paired with Aria’s sensational new snack menu.
12:00pm–3:00pm, 6:30pm–9:00pm, Wednesdays & Thursdays throughout October | $250
This exciting tasting menu is designed to give you an opportunity to sample dishes that reflect the depth of Italian cuisine, created with the best produce that Australia has to offer, served alongside views of Sydney’s sparkling Bondi Beach.
11:45am–3:00pm, Wednesday to Sunday throughout October | $125 (serves two)
Chiswick head chef François Poulard has created a picnic pack containing some of Chiswick’s most popular spring dishes including Berkshire pork terrine, strawberry and apple crumble and more – just for Good Food Month. Grab a blanket, a refreshing beverage and treat yourself to a perfect Spring picnic.
6:00pm–9:00pm, Fridays throughout October | $49 or $99
Experience Luke Mangan’s glass brasserie this October and enjoy exclusive Good Food Month offers every Friday night such as a main meal with wine for just $49 per person – or for $99 per person with sparkling wine on arrival, delight in a five-course menu at the Chef’s Table.
11:30am–3:00pm, Fridays & Saturdays throughout October | $110
Pipit Restaurant wants to celebrate all things regional this Good Food Month, so the special dishes that will feature on the set lunch menu on Fridays and Saturdays will focus on local Northern Rivers producers such as Australian Bay Lobster Producers, Currie Country, and Boon Luck Organics Farm.
This October, Kid Kyoto’s head chef has personally selected some of the most popular dishes from the restaurant’s rebellious Japanese izakaya-style menu to create epic Cook @ Home Meal Packs. Each meal has been designed for you to finish cooking at home, ideally with a killer playlist in the background.
Sydney Good Food Month presented by Citi | 1–31 October
Due to the success of Nobu @ Home, Crown Melbourne is thrilled to add Bistro Guillaume to its mix of at-home offerings, available from this Friday, 2nd October. French favourites can now be enjoyed by locals in the comfort of their own home or even for a dusk picnic in the park – perfect for celebrating milestones and romantic dinners, bringing the flavours of France directly to you.
Commencing this Friday 2 October for pick-up and delivery every Friday and Saturday, leave it to the chefs at Bistro Guillaume to guide you through their world-class French offering, with two set menus or the à la carte menu to choose from. Encompassing signature dishes from starters through to dessert, such as the roast Bannockburn free-range chicken, a selection de charcuterie or mousse au chocolat, the new at-home offering from Crown Melbourne’s Bistro Guillaume is the perfect option for two people.
In line with the ever so popular à la carte offering, Melbournians can enjoy a newly expanded menu, a one of a kind gastronomical experience – Omakase Box Sets.
Specifically curated for two people with menu highlights in mind, Nobu @ Home offers three new set box options for your choosing, ranging from DIY creations to special occasions.
Starting from $105 for the DIY Sushi Lovers, $165 for Nobu Signatures or go all out for a special occasion with premium cult favourites for $225 – each of the three Omakase box sets are designed to delight any Friday or Saturday night with all the favourites such as chef’s selection of sashimi, wagyu tacos and black cod miso.
To place orders for both Nobu and Bistro Guillaume simply call (03) 9292 5777 by 5pm the day prior. Pick up is available within 5km radius of Crown Melbourne via the Crown Towers Valet Desk or free delivery within a 10km radius. For deliveries a minimum spend of $100 is required and a fee of $15 applies to orders outside of the 10km radius. Orders will be made available for pick up or delivery within a window of 3pm–6pm.*
Local Newtown legends Young Henrys and Waywards, The Bank have announced the return of live music to Waywards, with five ‘Best Served Loud’ gigs. Kicking off from Friday, October 23rd, the iconic venue will host five shows across five weeks, with a genre-spanning bill showcasing the best of local acts. Tickets will be $10 with all proceeds going towards Support Act.
The gigs mark the first live shows at Waywards since lockdown and allow the audience to experience their favourite bands unlike ever before, in an intimate setting with two sessions serving both early birds and night owls.
Waywards Venue Manager Amanda Verratti says: “It’s what we’ve been waiting for, we are SO excited to be hosting live shows again. We’ve finally found a perfect balance for bringing live music back in to our venue, while also keeping it safe for the crowd, performers & staff. Hosting live, local music is a part of who we are and we are thrilled to be partnering with Young Henrys to make these shows happen”.
Maintaining a vibrant live scene is something that both Young Henrys and Waywards hold dearly to their hearts, it is steeped in their bones. These five Best Served Loud gigs support the local musicians who have been unable to play live music in a while and restore their ability to interact with their fans on stage.
Young Henrys Director Richard Adamson says: “Artists have been hit hard and it’s high time we got back out and celebrated the joys of live music, now with added comforts. We have brought together a diverse bunch of mates old and new you can enjoy early or late, in your own safe space. It’s the best of both worlds, and all for a great cause”.
The first gig on Friday, October 23 will be a dedicated night to punk with headliners The Dead Love. The Sydney-based, self-proclaimed “shitty grunge” lords will be joined by the raucous energy that is Eat Your Heart Out.
Headlining the second gig and bringing her hypnotic indie pop sounds is ILUKA. The Australian singer/songwriter is known for her thrilling intimate performances and pop-edge songs. Supporting on the night will be Sydney duo Salarymen, who perfectly combine vintage and modern influences to create their own brand of indie pop.
Charlie Collins will headline the third show on Friday, 6 November. Influenced by Johnny Cash and Mazzy Star, Collins will be playing tracks from her debut and 2019-nominated Best Country Album, Snowpine. Supporting on the night will be emerging indie-folk star and local legend, Ruben Neeson.
Charlie says: “The stage is my home and I’m excited to return back to it. I got super homesick and now I’m ready to settle back in and redecorate with new musical furniture. Not to mention all proceeds are going to Support Act, which supports our asses and is building a better and stronger future for musicians”.
The talented and charismatic performer, CITIZEN KAY will head up the hip hop night on November 13. Having shared the stage with some of the best, including Ice Cube, Public Enemy and Earl Sweatshirt, CITIZEN KAY is set to attract an energetic crowd in the intimate seated setting. Ms Thandi will be supporting on the night, an independent, R&B singer/songwriter whose soulful and sensual sound has dominated the Sydney soundwaves.
Closing the series on the final Friday will be the local punk outfit Totally Unicorn, who have made a name for themselves with their uncompromising live shows and fierce sound. Joining on the night will be local indie punk band Good Pash.
Tickets for each gig will be available three weeks ahead of that show, with all proceeds going to Support Act – Australia’s only charity delivering crisis relief services to artists, crew and music workers who have had their ability to work impacted. With the music industry one of the hardest hit by coronavirus, Support Act remains resilient and stands with those who need it the most.
Amanda Verratti adds “The music industry and all those involved in it have gone through one hell of a year. Support Act have been there every step of the way for people in the industry and we want to help them continue their great work. With live shows trickling back into venues throughout Sydney, here’s hoping live music is here to stay!”
Young Henrys and Waywards ‘Best Served Loud’ gig series at Waywards, The Bank from October 23–November 20. With only 50 tickets for each intimate gig, tickets will sell out fast.
Brisbane’s newest collective of bars is set to open in late October, led by the heritage refurbishment and renaming of The Prince Consort in Wickham Street in Fortitude Valley.
More recently known as The Elephant Arms Hotel, The Prince Consort as it was originally named, is the majestic grand knight of Fortitude Valley. This famed gathering place has fed, watered, and kept the secrets of all who ventured through since 1888, and now, thanks to new owners Tilley & Wills Hotels, it will once again take its rightful place on Brisbane’s centre stage.
The eight-venue collective will be managed by Brisbane-born and highly respected hospitality leader, Jason Hirt, who said it would be a place where guests could choose their own adventure, every day and every night.
“Firstly, the Elephant has left the building. The hotel is reverting to its original heritage name, and introducing some exciting new ones, with the result being an incredible experience for guests, allowing them to choose between a heritage-style classic English pub, a luxe supper club, a Los Cabos-inspired taco and tequila adventure, a music-driven underground edge, a chilled garden bar and more.”
Meet The Prince Consort and Friends – La La Land, 400 Rabbits Cantina, The Garden Bar, The Naughty Corner, The Bowie Rooms, The Yorke Suites and Greaser, eight spaces in the heritage hotel, each a different experience. The result is a new social master quarter in Fortitude Valley.
The ground floor parlour at The Prince Consort is a nod to the building’s rich history, while the Garden Bar outside is an open-air oasis, brimming with botanicals, washed in a palette of pastels and humming with Queensland vibes and it’s very own stadium screen. Upstairs via the ornate staircase, La La Land is an eclectic, sumptuous bar with booth seating, VIP private rooms and a crystal chandelier-covered dance floor – think super luxe Supper Club. An antler-suspended hallway leads to the unexpectedly themed Bowie Rooms, truly spaces that need to be seen to be understood. On the top level is The Yorke Suites, a boulevard of spaces for music makers and creatives, and in the cellar and able to survive just about anything, the much-loved Greaser. And in the heart of the hotel is The Naughty Corner – every pub has one, this time it’s official!
Menus range from the gastropub-inspired offering of The Prince Consort, to super modern tacos starring seasonal ingredients at 400 Rabbits Cantina, to epic pizzas from the wood-fired oven, to shared tapas plates at La La Land.
“We will have 89 beer taps here, pouring everything from contemporary brews to modern crafts and international classics, the wine list will star great Aussie names as well as the young guns taking the industry into new and exciting territory and our cocktail lists are creative, packed with punch and very cool.”
Hirt said transforming The Prince Consort back to its former glory, while also creating the texturally rich new spaces throughout the venue, had been challenging, but the utmost respect had been given to its Heritage Listing.
“We are really excited we have been able to embed 2020 technology into a 132-year-old hotel. La La Land for example, features the very latest livestream technology, enabling events in that space to beam around the world. If one thing COVID-19 has taught us, it’s that we need to have technology available for livestreaming at any time, to anywhere. And we do.”
The Prince Consort joins other Tilley & Wills-owned pubs including Sydney’s Greenwood Hotel, Oxford Art Factory and Newcastle’s Hotel Delany, as well as hotels managed by the group including The Buena and Bistro Mosman and Clovelly Hotel.
THE HISTORY – take a seat and let’s pour you a history!
You’d be hard-pressed to find a pub in Brisbane with a more colourful history than Fortitude Valley’s 132-year-old, heritage-listed, The Prince Consort. Let’s consider the name for starters. It means the husband of a reigning queen – think Prince Philip, but even before his time! How thoroughly modern of them.
For 132 years, The Prince Consort has watched over Fortitude Valley, as one of the city’s original heritage pubs. If these walls could talk, they’d tell a cracking tale. But perhaps best they don’t, some secrets are meant to be kept. Back to the name. In 1888, Queen Victoria reigned over the Commonwealth, and the name the Prince Consort refers to her beloved husband Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (um, also her cousin). The Prince Consort died in 1862 so the Queen paid tribute to him by changing the name of the HMS Triumph (a ship in the Royal Navy) to The Prince Consort. The ship brought passengers to Queensland in 1862, 1863 and 1864, sailing from the English ports of Liverpool, Plymouth and Southampton. And there’s the connection!
The original Prince Consort Hotel was built on the current site at 230 Wickham Street and leased to former stonemason turned publican John Daniel Heal around 1863. At the time, Fortitude Valley was in a building boom and Heal snapped up neighbouring properties so he could build a bigger, grander hotel.
To design this vision, in 1887 he called on architect-of-the-moment, Richard Gailey. The new pub was built by William Ferguson for £9,400. It took 12 months to build, and a new era began.
About Gailey. He was busy! During the second half of the 1880s, he designed The Wickham Hotel (1885), the Empire Hotel (1887), the Jubilee Hotel (1887) and the Prince Consort, all in Fortitude Valley, as well as the Regatta Hotel in Toowong in 1886. To this day all these hotels remain standing and operating. Go Gailey!
When The Prince Consort opened in 1888, it boasted one of the largest bars in Brisbane, three parlours, a large dining room, billiard room, kitchen, cellar, six bathrooms and 28 bedrooms as well as four large shops on the ground floor. Running the entire length of the first-floor facade was a reception area, known as the Club Room. This vision splendid of many spaces under the one roof continues today!
John Daniel Heal became the local alderman for Fortitude Valley and Mayor of Brisbane for a time. The hotel was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 21 October 1992, and has undergone a few ownership changes.
It’s not just 132 years of late-night bar confessions and corridor whispers that make this hotel epic, it was also a preferred meeting place for many a Fitzgerald Inquiry person-of-interest! Let’s just say more than a few brown paper bags were spotted in the day! Now, a new era beckons and under the ownership of Tilley & Wills, the future of The Prince Consort and Friends is inked.
Sydney coffee pioneers Single O are excited to bring a record-breaking coffee home from Ethiopia. The Rumudamo coffee was the number two winning lot from the first ever Ethiopian Cup of Excellence earlier this year, and Single O were lucky enough to pick up a few kilos of the magic beans to bring home and roast for Aussies to try.
The coffee will be released on International Coffee Day on Thursday, 1 October, at a splurge-worthy $20 per cup at Single O Surry Hills and 19 of their partner cafes and restaurants around the country, including Cutler & Co in Melbourne, The Spot Specialty Coffee in Brisbane, Bread + Butter in Tasmania, Three Blue Ducks in Bronte, Rosebery and Byron Bay, and Single O Surry Hills and Sydney CBD. What better way to celebrate coffee than with a historic cup of its very best.
The Rumudamo coffee was purchased at auction by Single O and a few other world-class buyers globally, earlier this year at the first ever Cup of Excellence (the “Oscars of coffee”) competition to be held in Ethiopia. In what was a ‘perfect storm’ for quality specialty coffee – the combination of excitement about the 20th anniversary of the world’s most prestigious coffee awards, the awards being held in the birthplace of coffee and arguably the world’s leading producer, Ethiopia, and there being more entrants than normal – caused new price records to be set left, right and centre. And that’s only good news for growers and coffee-lovers the world over.
Single O have worked for many years to do more for the producers they work with and support better prices in the industry. It made sense for them to be involved in the historic auction and do their bit to support the industry and growers, at the same time as bringing coffee-lovers a taste of a very special coffee.
Single O head of coffee Wendy De Jong says “We are pinching ourselves that we are able to participate in this historic Ethiopia auction and bring Winning Lot #2, out of 1,459 total entries, to coffee fans in Australia. This coffee was awarded an incredible 90 points by the International Jury, and blew us all away at our staff cupping with its incredibly sweet and dynamic fruit flavours, and was our unanimous favourite.
“Beyond an incredible taste experience, what the Cup of Excellence program has proven over its 20-year history is that there is always quality to be discovered, even in countries you think you know well. Single O is proud to be a small part of this important moment.”
So here’s the reason to get excited: drinking a cup of this amazing coffee is not only a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, it’s sending a clear message to coffee producers worldwide that ‘your work is highly valued, keep investing in quality, and coffee drinkers will gladly pay more for it’.
There are only about 3,000 cups that will be served around Australia, with 396 numbered bags, and those who order Rumudamo will receive a special coaster to keep as a memento of their history-making experience. They will also get some background on the coffee itself and why it’s so special.
This $20 cup is the price-lifting, feel-good coffee of the year, with Rumudamo’s manager Bogale Woldehana saying “Our hard work has paid off and we are so happy and grateful”.
Single O will celebrate International Coffee Day on October 1 with the release of Rumudamo Ethiopia COE #2 served as a v60 pourover. The coffee will be served with a full barista-guided experience at the café brew bar, giving customers the opportunity to learn more about the coffee. Select Single O partner cafes across NSW, QLD, VIC and TAS will also be offering a synchronised first taste of this history-making coffee. Full list of stockists below.
To have the opportunity to be one of the first to order a bag of Rumudamo, join Single O’s community by signing up to their newsletter – singleo.com.au
Rockpool Dining Group’s flagship restaurants and bars at The Rocks, Darling Harbour and Manly will be open for Melbourne Cup, with seated events, live screenings of the race, and set menus available for those who fancy a flutter and some fizz.
Each spacious venue is Covid-Safe, with multiple spaces to host guests, and bookings of no more than 10.
El Camino Cantina The Rocks is hosting a seated lunch, designed to be shared with friends, from 12pm to 2pm, which includes two hours of drinks ($79 per person). The multi-zoned space will have 20 large-screen TVs tuned into the race, prizes for the best-dressed guests, sweepstakes, and live entertainment.
~ Entrée ~
Trio of dips and tortilla chips
Spicy Buffalo and BBQ chicken wings
Guacamole
~ Main ~
Assorted seasonal tacos
Nacho bowls
Naked burrito bowls
~ Dessert ~
Churros with chocolate and caramel dipping sauce
Drinks package: Ten exclusive margarita flavours, house beer, wine and sparkling wine
Fratelli Fresh Darling Harbour is inviting guests to its spacious harbourside dining emporium to enjoy the race from its nine large-screen TVs, with a four-course seated lunch and drinks package from 12pm to 3pm. A series of pop-up bars will cater to lovers of spritz, frosé and rosé, wine and sparkling wine, Campari and beers.
~ Entrée ~
Deluxe grazing platter with an assortment of cured meats and cheeses
Prawn cocktail, iceberg lettuce and Marie Rose sauce
Heirloom tomatoes, buffalo mozzarella and basil
~ Main ~
Slow-cooked lamb shoulder, mint salsa verde
Ocean trout al cartoccio, fennel, olives, capers, and tomato
Roast chicken with stuffing, lemon and rosemary
Seasonal garden vegetables
Baby potatoes, butter, parsley
Summer salad leaves, stone fruit and fresh oregano
Drinks package: Ten spritz flavours, frosé, frozen Aperol, five tap beers, Fratelli wine and soft drinks
The Argyle is hosting a garden party in its iconic courtyard, which is home to the CBD’s biggest screen. Food and drinks packages are available from 1pm to 3pm (from $79 per person). Menus include charcuterie board, gourmet sandwiches, fruit platters and Eton Mess, paired with Pimm’s, gin spritz, pink G&T, beers and wine.
At The Bavarian Manly watch the race from eight TVs with a Best of Bavaria set menu ($39 per person), Spring Fest food and drinks package ($69 per person) and à la carte menu available. Relax on the waterside deck with sweepstakes, and $10 spring cocktails and $5 schnapps, which are named after iconic horses.
Aria, Sydney’s preeminent harbourside dining destination, is pleased to announce the launch of “Maybe Aria” – a collaboration with award-winning cocktail bar Maybe Sammy – bringing some fun back to the city. Every Wednesday in October, Aria are inviting the team from Maybe Sammy behind the bar to serve up a selection of bespoke cocktails for four nights only, paired alongside Aria’s new snack menu. The collaboration provides a preview of the new way in which Aria will encourage its guests to use the venue once the wine bar launches later this year, dropping by for a casual drink pre- or post-dinner, or pulling up a seat for the night.
Maybe Sammy was named one of the world’s best bars in the prestigious World’s 50 Best Bar Awards – the only Australian bar to make the list in 2019. Stefano Catino and Andrea Gualdi from Maybe Sammy will be working with Aria’s Head Sommelier, Alex Kirkwood to create an exciting drinks menu that features bespoke cocktails such as the Fly Me To The Moon, Aria di Sammy and Gran Finale alongside exceptional wines by the glass, and beers from the Aria list. Executive Chef Joel Bickford and the team at Aria will use the Wednesday nights to showcase their new snack menu – a prelude to the kind of food you will see when Aria opens its wine bar in late 2020.
Guests will be able to purchase a ticket to each Wednesday night for $85, which covers their choice of two cocktails by Maybe Sammy alongside two snacks by Aria. There will be additional items available à la carte.
Snacks include raw scallop with potato and caviar, and the macadamia and acacia eclair by Aria’s Executive Chef Joel Bickford.
Maybe Sammy has created a host of bespoke cocktails for the occasion, including the ‘Fly Me To The Moon’ (gin, sandalwood, aquavit and vermouth bianco), ‘Aria di Sammy’ (pineapple skin, Madeira, cocchi Americano, bitters and aromatic bubble) and ‘Gran Finale’ (figs, Mister Black single origin, Oloroso sherry and honey).
Aria are encouraging guests to come down on a Wednesday night and unwind to Maybe Sammy’s roaring fifties-inspired playlist, while enjoying a selection of the best snacks and cocktails Sydney has to offer.
Details
“Maybe Aria”, a collaboration between Aria and Maybe Sammy, will be activated every Wednesday in October, within Aria’s iconic harbourside venue. There will be a selection of staggered 1.5hr sessions available per evening, adhering to current restrictions:
Session 1: Commencing 5:30pm (10pax), 5.45pm (10pax) and 6pm (8pax). Tables of 2 and 4 available (28pax total)
Session 2: Commencing 7pm (10pax), 7.15pm (10pax) and 7.30pm (8pax). Tables of 2 and 4 available (28pax total)
Session 3: Commencing 8.30pm (10pax), 8.45pm (10pax) and 9pm (8pax). Tables of 2 and 4 available (28pax total)
Maybe Aria tickets are available here for $85 each.
Hello Auntie Darling Square is bringing back its coveted bottomless brunch with a baller twist just in time for the Spring season! From Saturday, 19th September, Auntie’s Ballin’ (On A Budget) Bottomless Brunch will be the number 1 boozy feast for Sydneysiders who enjoy the finer things in life but are trying to not break the bank.
Every Saturday, pay your Auntie a visit at her Darling Square location for the ultimate brunch offer. For $70 per head you can enjoy Auntie’s new favourite dishes that showcase a mix of traditional Vietnamese dishes with a contemporary twist. Highlights include Ca Hoi Tai – cured salmon with crème fraiche, tamarind gel and Jerusalem artichoke; Hoanh Thanh Tom – XO prawn dumplings; Bo Tai – an aged beef tartare topped with caviar; Goi Cuon – a DIY rice paper roll kit and Com Chien Diep – XO fried rice with bottarga, just to name a few.
For those feeling extra baller, customers can level up and eat like royalty with a spectacular caviar course of Polanco Baerii sturgeon caviar, Yarra Valley Brook Trout gold caviar, Vietnamese flatbread, egg salad and crème fraîche, for an extra $20 per head. This caviar course not only tastes amazing but the serving board is specially designed and filled with dry ice that overflows the table for that Instagram-worthy moment.
To top it off, Auntie will be pouring up bottomless glasses of three fruity spritz concoctions; passionfruit grape spritz, strawberry lime spritz and lychee ginger spritz.
You can also bring your furry friend to enjoy brunch as the Darling Square venue is pet-friendly.
Minimum 4 people, $70 per head includes set menu with option to add caviar course (for extra $20 per head) and unlimited spritz cocktails. One sitting at Darling Square from 12pm–2pm. Bookings are essential and must be made via the Hello Auntie website.
Gerard’s Bistro will be reopening for Friday lunch service for dine-in guests from Friday, 2nd October.
Perfectly in time with the warmer weather, guests will be able to drink and dine al fresco in the picturesque laneway or inside the restaurant for a long Friday lunch that will perfectly top off a big week.
The set lunch menu ($65pp) will change weekly, featuring one of their signature wood-fired breads and dip to start, followed by an array of seasonally influenced dishes that marry the best local produce with the intoxicating flavours of Middle Eastern cuisine.
Each week’s new menu will be available online at www.gerardsbistro.com.au every Monday for that week.
Lunch reservations will be available from 12pm–3pm and can be made online.
To celebrate the easing of restrictions and the encouragement of social interaction outdoors, premier Melbourne catering company Cookes Food has launched Park Life – three premium picnic boxes to be enjoyed at the local park with family and friends.
No stranger to a pivot in 2020, Cookes Food has been curating delicious at-home menus and fun collaborations throughout the year to keep the spirits up for their clients at home. Although they would usually be setting up for events with 500+ people, Cookes have been busy in the kitchen and on the roads delivering the premium food they have always been known for.
In line with the ‘Second Step’ to hopefully kick in by Monday, 28 September, Victorians will be able to meet up to five people in an outdoor setting, giving the humble picnic the time to shine. There will be no better way to spend much anticipated quality time with loved ones than on a picnic rug with deliciously curated food and drinks in the sunshine.
The three boxes on offer are the Brunch Box, Grazing Box and Euro Grazing Box, with all serving two to three people generously. Some of the delicious dishes include house-smoked ocean trout with dill horseradish cream; baby tomatoes on the vine with buffalo mozzarella, smoke salt and extra virgin olive oil; shaved Donati’s ham with Cookes pickles and babaganoush and beetroot dip with qukes and sourdough crostini.
The Euro Grazing Box includes French brie with fruit crostini and fresh grapes, spanakopita triangles, Jimmy’s pickled octopus and Basque cheesecake.
Two of the boxes also include a bottle of Adelina Nebbiolo Rosato 2017 or Bannockburn 1314 A.D. Pinot Noir.
The picnic boxes are available to order through the Cookes Food website and can be picked up from their St Kilda HQ or delivered to your doorstep for a small fee. And to make things even more convenient, Cookes will be offering park drop-offs, meaning that all you need to bring from home is a picnic rug and a big appetite.
All serve 2–3 pax. All items come neatly packed in a natural oatmeal box with clear and simple instructions on a decorative menu card. Some items will require minimal assemblage. Boxes also include bamboo plates, forks and knives.
The Wickham Hotel made the decision to extend the annual event across the three days of the October long weekend to allow everyone to enjoy the fun in a socially distanced atmosphere.
Entrance to Little Gay Day will be via a gold coin donation and there will be over 35 LGBTQIA+ musicians, drag queens and performers keeping customers entertained by kindly donating their time and showcasing their talents.
Brisbane drag icons including Vollie La Vont, Tina Bikki, Jana Michelle and The Voice AU star Ellen Reed will be making appearances across the weekend, firm favourites within the LGBTQIA+ community.
After the success of its sister event Big Gay Day earlier this year – raising $35,000 – the venue is excited to be able to continue to host this smaller event in support of the LGBTQIA+ community and its associated charities.
“We are thrilled to once again be able to celebrate Little Gay Day with our patrons and help raise money for these charities that are very close to our heart,” said Stuart Black, The Wickham Hotel Venue Manager.
“The decision to extend the day to a whole weekend allows us to ensure all of our customers feel safe and adhere to social distancing whilst enjoying the incredible entertainment on offer.
“Last year Little Gay Day raised over $2,000 and we hope that this year we can achieve even more.”
With lucky door prizes, games and raffles, as well as passes to the Rainbow Retrospective film screenings in partnership with Dendy Cinema in Coorparoo all up for grabs, a record amount is expected to be raised.
Cashless payments, social distancing measures and extra cleaning have been implemented to keep customers, entertainers and The Wickham team safe.
The Wickham Hotel looks forward to welcoming customers to celebrate Little Gay Day 2020.
Festivities take place Friday, 2 Oct: 5pm till 12am; Saturday 3 Oct: 5pm till 12am; Sunday, 4 Oct: 4pm till 12am.
Sydneysiders have been giving up their cars in droves. In the census data of 2016, over 10% of households had no car at all. And that number has been on the rise since COVID-19. In fact, April 2020 showed a drop in new car sales of 48.5%, the biggest decline in the last 30 years.
Commuters in Sydney are also some of the biggest users of public transportation with 20.9% using public transport on a daily basis. But public transport, while great for getting to the usual spots along train and bus lines, isn’t great for letting you explore out-of-the-way places that make a road trip something special.
Popcar is one of the fastest growing car sharing companies in Australia. With Popcar you can take all the road trips you want, on your own terms, with flexibility that suits you. And you can get to those special places that you simply can’t via public transportation.
Anthony Welsh, Director of Popcar, says, ‘Our customers don’t want to queue in long lines at rental agencies. They want the ease of online booking and local pick up. They want to be able to grab a car and go without worrying about a bunch of forms and insurance add-ons. And we want to help them do just that.’
Sydney is a jumping off point for some incredible road trips, and the Popcar team have pulled together some of their favourites:
THE GRAND PACIFIC DRIVE
Head south to the Royal National Park where you can start the 140-kilometre Grand Pacific Drive. The Grand Pacific will take you through sun-dappled rainforests, over the iconic 665-metre Sea Cliff Bridge and through salty coastal townships like Kiama and Shoalhaven.
Once you’ve arrived in Jervis Bay (with it’s incredible white sand beaches) you can choose to head back to Sydney via the Southern Highlands or through the quaint Sapphire Coast regions. Along the way visit an oyster farm, get a birds-eye-view from the Illawarra Tree Top Walk and feel the spray at the Kiama blowhole.
LIGHTING RIDGE
If you’re looking for a drive to really test your mettle, why not try the nine-hour trek to Lighting Ridge. Along the way check out Katoomba’s antique stores, pop into a cellar door or two in Mudgee and visit historic Gilgandra, home of the Coo-ee Heritage Centre. Once you’ve arrived in Lighting Ridge you can tour an opal mine, try fossicking or relax in one of the town’s naturally heated bore baths.
Sometimes the roads can be tricky along this route. One of Popcar’s SUVs might be a great choice.
Unmissable Cabin Tours
Within an hour or two of Sydney, there are a string of incredible, not-to-be-missed cabin retreats. Grab your best friend, or get the boys together, and make road trip of it, travelling between these cabins and grabbing adventures along the way. Start with Wollemi Cabins in the Blue Mountains, where you can rent an actual cave and bask in a hot tub set among the wild, untamed rainforest.
Next you’ll want to squeeze in trips to the Woolshed Cabins, Studio Cottages and the Old Shack. End your trip at the Season of Mists cabin, a luxury getaway perched atop the apex of Kanimbla Valley. It has incredible panoramic views and a gorgeous sun deck for taking your morning coffee and recovering from an epic adventure.
So, plan a road trip with the girls, get the boys together for a weekend and let Popcar take you somewhere exciting.
‘We’re so proud to be able to keep Australians out and about, and having adventures, despite this challenging time,’ says Anthony.
No car? You can still have the perfect weekend away with Popcar
Sydney, Australia … living in the big city is great. There’s so much to do and see and city dwellers can rely on public transport to get where they need to go, without succumbing to the expense and hassle of owning their own car. Public transportation is convenient, sustainable and budget friendly. But it does make hard to get away.
Having a weekend adventure can be difficult if you don’t have a car. Public transport won’t always get you to the unique or off-the-beaten-track places that we really crave. But Popcar is helping to change that.
So, if you’re looking for a little break, here are the top five places that Popcar can take you next weekend:
1. THE HUNTER VALLEY
A gorgeous two-hour drive will find you away from the big smoke, and amongst the vineyards of the incredible Hunter Valley. With 150 wineries in the region, you’ll want to try to varietal specialties of the area, like Shiraz and Semillon. Get your adventure on with an off-road Segway Tour or take a Sunrise Hot Air Balloon Ride.
Grab one of Popcar’s sports options – like the Toyota 86 – and make the drive part of the adventure.
2. THE BLUE MOUNTAINS
The Blue Mountains are some of the most beautiful and iconic parts of NSW and the best place to get a good nature recharge. But it can be tricky and annoying to get to by train. Popcar makes it really easy, even if you only have one day.
Head out to explore the wide range of hiking trails around the park. Or take the experience up a notch and book a canyoning tour, complete with abseiling and deep dives into icy rock-hewn streams.
3. HYAMS BEACH, JERVIS BAY
The South Coast has some of the best beaches in the state – yes, even compared to Bondi. And Hyams Beach near Jervis Bay is the best of the best. It’s a fantastic spot for a weekend getaway. Picture bright-white sand and crystal blue water surrounded by the incredible bushland of Booderee National Park.
Use a hybrid car to get there, and feel good about protecting these beautiful natural areas.
4. BUBBLE TENT IN CAPERTEE VALLEY
Capertee Valley is the world’s second largest canyon. Surrounded by World Heritage-listed wilderness, with stunning sandstone cliffs that dominate the escarpment, it’s truly an awe-inspiring place. You can experience it in all its stunning beauty from your very own Bubble Tent – the ultimate glamping adventure. The Bubble Tents are clear, inflatable tents with stargazing telescopes, a fire pit and an outdoor bath.
Only three hours from Sydney, you might as well be a world away. You’ll definitely need a car to get here, and a 4WD is recommended, so consider an SUV for this trip.
5. PORT STEPHENS SAND DUNES
Port Stephens is great for whale watching, and for catching a glimpse of playful dolphins or basking seals. But for real adventure you can’t go past a visit to the Stockton Sand Dunes. Take the 1.5-hour quad bike tour and experience the vast ‘desert’ of dunes, try your hand (or legs) at sandboarding and have a go at digging for water.
If you’ve come for the weekend and brought a four-legged companion, the team at Stockton will even look after them while you take your tour.
‘When we launched Popcar in 2016 we couldn’t imagine the world the way it is now. But we’re proud to be helping people to get out and about, having adventures and new experiences, despite lockdown conditions,’ says Anthony.
