Author: Chris Singh

Chris Singh is an Editor-At-Large at the AU review, loves writing about travel and hospitality, and is partial to a perfectly textured octopus. You can reach him on Instagram: @chrisdsingh.

This historic food and wine festival is set in one of Canada’s most stunning towns

Anyone planning on exploring Canada’s fall season would be wise to head along to Whistler’s 22nd annual Cornucopia. The world renowned event, taking place from 8th to 18th November on the cusp of the town’s ski season at the iconic Whistler Blackcomb, is often recognised as one of North America’s most unique and diverse food…

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Intrepid tighten focus on sustainable travel with new millennial brochure

Veteran adventure travel company Intrepid have recently put out a brand new, and very substantial, brochure focusing on socially conscious millennial travel. In a nod to the growing importance of sustainable travel and reducing one’s carbon footprint, the 18 to 29s brochure spans more than 80 travel experiences and hops from bucketlist experiences like camping…

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Hong Kong’s historic bullet trains are ready, connecting the city to Greater China

In an effort to further strengthen Hong Kong’s position as a gateway to Greater China, the city’s Transport and Housing Bureau is getting ready to introduce the long-awaited – almost a decade in the making – High Speed Rail system connecting Hong Kong, Guangzhou and Shenzhen. Set to commence operation on 23rd September of this…

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Fried chicken coated with BBQ Shapes is a thing in Australia now

BBQ Shapes (Original Recipe) flavoured Fried Chicken exists. If that surprises you then you obviously haven’t been keeping in touch with Australia’s over the top food trends lately. The newest slightly weird, absolutely delicious (probably) collaboration comes from Arnott’s Shapes, Deliveroo and three of the East Coast’s most beloved chicken joints. The ever-iconic staple snack…

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Fujifilm create luxury “Fuji Island” so guests can get the perfect Instagram shot

A genuine pinch yourself moment: soaking in a private infinity pool with a five-star luxury villa to one side, the crystal-clear turquoise waters of Fiji as your background, and absolutely no tourists in sight. This is your island, and you’re sharing it with a handful of other friends, being served gourmet meals, cocktails and wine…

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Hotel Review: Marriott sticks to classic hospitality in Melbourne’s CBD

It’s hard to surpass the classic beats of good old fashioned hospitality. While Melbourne Marriott Hotel may play it extremely safe in a city that’s dotted with interesting boutiques and creative accommodations, there’s enough charm throughout this 10 floor property to sit nicely beside the luxury amenities often expected from one of the hotel group’s…

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Hotel Review: The Cullen remains one of Melbourne’s most unique hotels

It all started here for Art Series Hotel Group, the boutique hotel brand renowned for dedicating each of their properties to an individual Australian artist. Opened in 2009, The Cullen was the first for the group, and has arguably remained one of their finest achievements, thanks to the late great Adam Cullen and his grungy…

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Huxtaburger is making its Sydney debut with $1 burgers this week

I guess you can call Huxtaburger a pioneering business. The Melbourne-born burger joint first popped onto the scene in 2011, long before the burger boom that has since seen – in particular – Sydney and Melbourne become two of the best cities in the world for burger lovers. Though unlike some others, Huxtaburger’s popularity has…

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Six things you need to do in Melbourne this September

Melbourne’s dynamism and constant revolving door of things to do is one of the reasons why it has remained one of the world’s most desired cities. Now that Spring is here, there’s going to be a bunch of things happening across town, and we’ve picked out six of our favourite things to do this month….

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Film Review: Is The Nun (USA, 2018) a sinister ghost story or middling monster movie?

The Conjuring universe began five years ago, spurred by James Wan who had successfully delivered one of the great ghost stories of the 21st century. It was a box office darling, as was every sequel and spin-off that came after, with only the first Annabelle (terrible by every standard) failing to meet the franchise’s critical…

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Here’s where to get the new Nike Air Presto Mid x ACRONYM sneakers in Australia this month

ACRONYM’s Errolson Hugh, the wildly imaginative Canadian designer behind the mega successful Berlin-based fashionable techwear brand, is about to release the second collection of his collaboration with Nike Air’s Presto. The sneaker world got its first taste of the Nike Air Presto Mid x ACRONYM collection back in 2016, when Hugh’s utility-focused design ethos elevated…

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Queensland’s High Tropics to represent Australia for Project: Aloft Star in Seoul

Marriott’s millennial brand Aloft hotels is once again kicking into high gear for their annual Project: Aloft Star, a good ol’ fashioned band comp that, for the past few years, has been uncovering and amplifying unsigned musicians from across the Asia-Pacific region. Fashioned as an “artist discovery competition”, the program is nearing its grand final…

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Best things to do in Sydney for September 2018

Be gone winter. Spring is here, which means some of Sydney’s best events and openings are coming up throughout the month of September. There’s a whole heap of one-off events, openings, festivals and exhibitions to get out and see so we’ve listed some of our top picks, including two very worthwhile road trip ideas that…

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Lauryn Hill announces Australian tour with special guest Nas

It has been two decades since Ms Lauryn Hill branched out into a solo career, releasing her seminal The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill and watching it become one of the most acclaimed, awarded and influential albums of its time. She’s been busy touring it around the world for the all important 20 year anniversary, and…

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Gold Coast’s new billion-dollar luxury apartment hotel nears completion

After years in development, the so-called “billion-dollar game-changer”, The Ruby Collection is ready to add its substantial weight to the Surfers Paradise skyline. A sightly “Ruby” rooftop sign has officially been raised on the first tower, indicating that the luxury development is finally nearing completion, with just over 70 days to go before CEO David…

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Melbourne’s 400 Gradi has introduced a pizza with 150 different types of cheeses

Just a few months after being named the best pizza in Oceania and one of the top 50 pizzerias in the world, 400 Gradi will be adding a not-so-modest achievement to their already world-class reputation. For National Cheese Pizza Day (Sep 5th), owner and chef Johnnie Di Francesco will now attempt to best an ambitious…

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Review: Alpha Restaurant (Sydney) – Greek institution makes some welcome changes

Sydney’s Greek dining institution Alpha has refined their menu further to make Peter Conistis’ cooking more accessible to a wider variety of diners. The major change is that they’ve taken some of their most popular, larger dishes and also included options for smaller sizes so those who really want to indulge, especially groups, can have…

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Track of the Day: Sparrows “Over & Out” (2018)

From that mesmerising bounce, spun into a tribal-like dance, to the wispy vocal performance from Sydney artist Sparrows reminiscent of a vocalist like Lykke Li, “Over & Out” is a strong case for the return of euphoric dance-pop in 2018. The singer, producer and multi-instrumentalist, born Jessica Nitties, has chosen to put this solid work…

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Virgin Australia to begin flying direct services between Hobart and Perth this month

In just a few weeks time, Virgin Australia will become the first airline to introduce direct services between Hobart and Perth, opening up a necessary connection between two of Australia’s fastest growing cities. The airline will fly the thrice-weekly return service on a Boeing 737, providing travellers with better and easier access to the two…

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Hong Kong’s e-Sports and Music Festival shows how lucrative competitive gaming has become

A few days on and the dust has finally settled from Hong Kong’s most lucrative e-Sports event to date, the ICBC (Asia) e-Sports & Music Festival. The event, which was officially organised and promoted by the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) and title sponsored by the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, was significant as…

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Film Review: Kin (USA, 2018) attempts to balance family drama and sci-fi for something different

It takes quite some time before Kin ramps into its intergalactic promise, with Aussie directors Jonathan and Josh Baker stretching their indie short Bag Man into an odd hybrid feature to try thin the chunky line between on-the-road family drama and sci-fi. And while the uneven plot can be frustrating to witness as it slowly…

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The 6 best Father’s Day menus in Sydney for 2018

Whenever Father’s Day comes around Sydneysiders are tempted in every direction by some of the city’s top restaurants, all of which offer up special menus to help you treat dad the right way. It’s often one of the best days of the year to really tease out a dining destination’s finest dishes at reasonable prices,…

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The 5 best gifts ideas in Australia for Father’s Day 2018

Father’s Day is but a few days away with Sunday 2nd September coming up fast. Got a gift for dad yet? Don’t worry, we’ve got you with a few last minute gift ideas for Aussies to get across, from one of the most beautiful whiskies of the year to a pure shot of adrenaline. We’ve…

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eSports fever hits Hong Kong as three-day EMF begins

While Asia is certainly not lacking when it comes to regular events for eSports fans, Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) are throwing their sizable hat in the ring this weekend with the return of the now annual ICBC (Asia) e-Sports & Music Festival (EMF). Kicking off last night with a fluffy of dramatic bass drops…

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Games Review: Okami HD (Switch, 2018) remodels its intuitive controls for an endlessly beautiful adventure

Okami was a work of art before it was ported to numerous modern platforms, inspiring a new generation of players with its mythic take on the old Zelda formula, but this Nintendo Switch port in particular gives it a necessary new life.

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Tech Review: B&O strike a fine balance between form and function with Beoplay P6

The initial question with a Bang & Olufsen product is almost always “is it worth the price?”. The Danish consumer electronics brand has a habit of playing in the “Ludicrously Expensive” price range, but has always managed to justify that high price point with an equal focus on luxurious design and world-class performance. No matter…

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Exclusive Single Premiere: Tyne James-Organ “Graceful” (2018)

While currently on the road with LANKS, Melbourne-based singer-songwriter Tyne-James Organ has found the time to release a follow-up to last year’s deeply personal “Watch You Go”, the delicate single which immediately endeared the young artist to music fans across the country. Titled “Graceful”, the new song is a boppy showcase for Organ’s versatility, still…

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Track of the Day: Guerilla Toss “Green Apple” (2018)

Dense and hypnotic, New York art-rock group Guerilla Toss have given us another delicious oddity with “Green Apple”. Following the swift and absurd “Meteorological”, it’s the second cut from forthcoming album Twisted Sister and is just as propulsive with a very tye-dyed distorted vocal performance from lead Kassie Carlson and a particular frantic thrust from…

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Tech Review: Google Home Max has brains, brawn and big sound

The Google Home Max is, in this reviewer’s opinion, the best sounding standalone smart speaker on the market. That’s an arguable point of course, but after weeks spent trying this imposing device with various styles of music (and a few podcasts) it is becoming increasingly difficult to avoid going full cheerleader mode over its performance….

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Tech Review: Sony SRS-XB31 turns up the bass for an excellent portable party speaker

If you want the concise verdict on Sony’s recently released SRS-XB31 Bluetooth speaker then all you need to know is that they’ve taken last year’s well-reviewed SRS-XB30 and given it some noticeable improvements with better design, punchier bass, and a more comprehensive range of light patterns. It’s mostly as simple as that, sitting in the…

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