Author: Chris Singh

It was my first bison and bacon burger, eaten outdoors in the gentle Pacific Northwest breeze, when I realised that Vancouver’s food scene was different.  There’s great pride of provenance in British Columbia. The city’s chefs have the good sense to play to the region’s natural strengths. And from the land to the sea, this…

The Prodigy is its own genre. And there aren’t many bands in history that can claim such a one-of-one reputation. Metal festivals? Yeah, they’ll dominate. EDM festivals? Best believe they are closing the main stage. The unimpeachable band, now officially the duo of Liam Howlett and Maxim, could even slot seamlessly into a hip hop…

Going the classic route for Valentine’s Day doesn’t just mean a nice dinner out anymore. You’re going to have to get that special someone (assuming that’s how you’re spending the day) a gift for tradition’s sake, and you’re going to be flooded with ideas left, right and centre in the lead-up to one of the…

Was Google’s decision to offer two Pro models in 2024 excessive or a sign of confidence? I’m going with the latter. As a smartphone manufacturer, Google has historically been running in third place. Samsung has been quicker and slicker with the Galaxy models for years, and Apple still offers the most seamless OS experience. Then…

Few (big) cities worldwide are as lovingly cradled by nature as Vancouver. Nestled between the Pacific Ocean and the snowy peaks of the Coast Mountains, the biggest and most diverse city in British Columbia perfectly fits the bill for both outdoor adventure and urban excitement.  There’s world-class art (one of my favourite museums in the…

Around 800 cherry blossom trees wither over the water in the hip, canal-centric neighbourhood of Nakameguro in Tokyo; their spines ain’t what they used to be.  From mid-to-late March, the canal is dressed as its festive best, the cherry blossom trees shedding over the narrow 3.8-km stretch, floating in the water to create a memorable…

While I was in the USA last year I had a few changes to my itinerary. It was ambitious, I was darting from coast to coast to Canada and back again, but not everything was locked in. I spent most of the time in New York City and planned to gradually make my way over…

What happens to things that don’t bend? After years of watching foldable phones struggle to justify their existence, Google’s Pixel 9 Pro Fold finally answers the question: “Why would I want a phone that bends?”. Samsung has been trying to answer that question for years now, and Apple is only starting to ask it. Google’s…

Counting just how many hotels there are scattered across New York City would be an impressive undertaking. New properties are popping up from some of the world’s best hotel companies almost every month. I spent a decent amount of time travelling around New York City in mid-2024 so I could bring AU Review’s readers a…

Luxury with such heart, cinematic appeal and playfulness is rare. Amid all the showiness and exclusivity of a snooty five-star in Manhattan, there can be a real sense of disconnection as the soullessness of it all starts to take hold and that all-important sense of place drops off. That’s why feeling a deep sense of…

Concrete Jungle where dreams are made of? The now immortal phrase refers to New York City’s most distinctive visuals, where bright, vivid colours of nature snake through the urban sprawl like a dystopian fever dream. Few places in the world are as symbolic of biophilic design, which is why it works having two properties from…

There are hotels, and then there are institutions—places that have woven themselves into the fabric of a city’s history, where the past is packed into every ornate detail, nook and cranny. Palmer House, a Hilton Hotel in Chicago is one such place. A transportive capsule of elegance since the 19th century, this landmark property is…

Hobart is a city of stories, so it makes sense that you’ll find different storytelling techniques in the Tassie capital. I realised that at Dark Mofo one year, running around the epic Winter Feast and asking a tonne of questions to all the local artisans. Everyone here has a fascinating history and knows exactly how…

I’ve become increasingly impressed by how tight and efficient Apple’s ecosystem has been over the past few years. Accusations about a lack of innovation ring true, but the pressure to provide something new every time isn’t always the right path in the tech world. I’ve come to understand that true progress is all about refinement;…

The Prodigy are touring Australia. I honestly never thought I’d be writing that sentence again. The iconic, genre-less group last toured Australia just weeks before Keith Flint passed away in March 2019. With only Maxim, Liam and their keyboardist Leeroy left, it didn’t seem likely to see The Prodigy hit the stage again. And yet…

Located in the charismatic James Hotel, Scarpetta holds court as one of Manhattan’s most reliable Italian restaurants, shouldering plenty of acclaim despite consistent competition from the likes of Torissi and the great Emilio’s Ballato. The restaurant opened in 2008 in the Meatpacking District to instant acclaim, glowing from a three-star review in The New York…

One in Sydney. One in Melbourne. L.A legend Ice Cube is no stranger to performing in Australia. He was just here two years ago with Cypress Hill, although he hadn’t been touring much before that. Anyone who saw Cube at those concerts would be surprised to hear he’s coming back so soon, and with a…

It’s no secret that Canberra punches above its modest weight. The food (and wine) is some of the best in the country, spoiled by the finest of both Victoria and New South Wales produce. Then you have the relaxed pace, barely-there traffic, world-class art and bucolic lifestyle.  That’s one of the few things Melbourne and…

When you live in Australia, summer means long, hot days, backyard BBQs, and—if you’re lucky—a dip in the pool to escape the heat. But if you’ve got a pool, you also know the struggle: leaves, bugs, and who-knows-what floating on the surface. That pool net is a daily demand, and it takes up a lot…

Pizza ovens have been a leading category for a few years now. Just look on Google and you’ll find that plenty of brands have entered the market to meet demand. But Gozney started the whole hype with the excellent (and remarkably portable) Roccbox. Expanding the range has been a regular thing since then, with some…

While the tech world obsesses over Apple Intelligence and machine learning algorithms, the iPhone 16 Pro didn’t exactly need to be an impressive piece of tech. In fact, Apple kind of messed up when they put out the iPhone 16 series with little to no AI features, even though Apple Intelligence was a big drawcard…

Sleek, beautifully designed, and highly functional, the Google Pixel Watch 3 represents a major change for the mega-company’s smart device ecosystem. Whereas the original Pixel Watch and Pixel Watch 2 failed to make much of an impact, the third time is most definitely a charm for this product line. But first. Frustration. Google’s bizarre system…

The smartphone market has become obsessed with “bigger is better,” but Google’s Pixel 9 Pro makes a compelling case for restraint. In an era where flagship phones increasingly resemble tablets, the 6.3-inch Pixel 9 Pro feels refreshingly normal to hold, while delivering every premium feature you’d expect from a top-tier Android device. After three months…

Noughties nostalgia will be flowing all over some of Australia’s best venues this month when St Louis rapper Nelly brings his current world tour down under to celebrate a trip down memory lane. While many younger hip hop fans would have grown up with songs like “Ride With Me” and “Dilemma,” there’s a distinct bounce…

After plenty of acclaim this year, it seems Dometic is poised to dominate the category of outdoor essentials. Planning a big camping trip? You might want to look into this incredibly well-considered device, which is aimed squarely at big groups who spend days or even weeks soaking up the great outdoors and don’t necessarily feel…

The Ecovacs Deebot X5 Omni represents a significant leap forward in the evolution of robot vacuums. It introduces a suite of advanced features that enhance cleaning efficiency and user convenience. That’s the promise on paper and it’s more or less delivered here with stunning results. And while it may not be pushing the envelope, I’ve…

Everyone knows the UE speakers as soon as they see them now. I don’t think there’s a sharehouse in Australia that doesn’t have at least two of these sitting around the lounge room, always ready to blast some Fred Again when the mood strikes. Such familiarity also leads to complacency at times. It’d be just…

The latest iteration of GoPro’s action camera continues the company’s tradition of keeping in step with modern technology while maintaining the rugged reliability that made the brand a household name. Design is, after all, what made GoPro such a game-changing camera when it was first released. Now, as more and more people set out to…

Compact with big ambitions, XGIMI’s MoGo 2 Pro might not be perfect but, for the price, it’s the portable projector to beat right now and has me excited about where the technology is going. When it comes to portable projectors, the XGIMI MoGo 2 Pro aims to redefine expectations, packing impressive features into a device…

Santa’s state-sanctioned home invasions are just around the corner. The big ball of joy is going to be squeezing down your chimney in just a few weeks, but you don’t want him to spot a sad, empty Christmas tree when he makes it down, do you? Trees that shadow dozens upon dozens of wrapped presents,…