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.
Travelers heading over to Finland’s famous three-day Rusirock Festival to see the likes of N.E.R.D and The Chainsmokers will be the first to test out a new electric Taxi service that has found a different way of charging customers for rides, one that doesn’t involve cash, credit or any cryptocurrency. Those taking advantage of the…
Australia’s most divisive spread is taking over! Last month Boost Juice threw a Vegemite smoothie on their new ‘Aussie-themed’ menu) and now Village Entertainment (Village Cinemas and Event Cinemas) have announced a limited edition Vegemite Popcorn. Part of their Chef’s Gourmet Premium Popcorn series, the ubiquitous cinema brand will be offering movie-goers the classic snack,…
Music lovers in and around Brisbane are about to be spoiled for choice with this year’s Brisbane Festival, which stretches from 8th to 29th September, book-ended by an opening night and closing night that both feature massive line-ups taking to the Riverstage. The former will be headlined by Ball Park Music and San Cisco in addition…
We don’t all have the funds to be regulars over at storied Rose Bay restaurant Catalina, but while many may keep this as an occasional indulgence, it’s always well worth seeing how this dining institution is constantly evolving thanks to their unwavering commitment to change. Like most seasonally-focused restaurants, Catalina switches up their signatures with…
Southern Cross Station’s collection of casual eats just took a big step up with the opening of acclaimed Malaysian-born restaurant chain PappaRich. A 40-seater venue was unveiled earlier this week, bringing the authentic flavours of South-East Asia to Melbourne’s CBD with a new-concept lean towards fast service, best represented by self-serve kiosks, a first for…
After a month-long competition resulting in fierce competition between the many different metal scenes of Finland, the official “Capital of Metal” has been named. Lemi, a small municipality with a population of just over 3000 in rural Southeast Finland, has walked away with the honour based upon them having the most dense metal scene in…
Tokyo’s iteration of Marriott International’s energetic and youthful Moxy brand has done well to distinguish itself among the many traditional hotels that lie across the sprawling city. Located in the Sumida Ward, just five minutes on foot from JR Kinshicho Station, the property is a creative and playful entry to a neighbourhood most tourists wouldn’t…
For the first time ever Matt Moran will be taking his iconic Sydney restaurant Chiswick and hosting a 80-seat pop-up iteration at this year’s Splendour in the Grass. The iconic three-day festival will no doubt benefit from Moran’s planted-to-plated approach which has seen Chiswick, both the original in Woollahra and the extension at the Art…
Over the next three days, Melbourne locals will be able to get their hands on a free pair of prescription glasses as popular online retailer VisionDirect.com.au opens its very first Vision Direct Optical Centre in the heart of the CBD. They’ll be going large for their opening week, committing 100 free premium acetate frames and…
Spike Lee is quite clearly fired up as he scatters sharp, defiant dialogue all through BlacKKKlansman, his first feature film since 2015’s good-but-uneven Chi-Raq and without a doubt one of his best works to date. That is no overstatement either, with Lee directing a big middle finger to the racism both explicit and implicit, by…
There are millions of interesting little details threaded through the rich, and often controversial, history of Los Angeles, one of the most storied cities in the world thanks to its confluence of just about everything you can think of. It’s one of North America’s most multi-cultural, famed for it’s (mostly) sunny weather and largely distinct…
Arnott’s Shapes are still very much top of the line as far as Aussie snacks go, which should come to no surprise seeing as 230,000 packs of the things are consumed every day across the country (compare that with 100,000 packs of Jatz, and 43,000 packs of Vita-Weat). In a response to the strong-as-ever popularity…
Australians will have greater access to Hawaii over the Christmas holidays as Hawaiian Airlines increase their non-stop service between Brisbane and Honolulu’s Daniel K. Inouye International Airport to up to four weekly flights from 10th December 2018 to 8th January 2019. The expanded summer schedule will see additional flights departing Brisbane at 10:30pm on Mondays,…
We’ve already got Hokkaido Baked Cheese Tarts and Ippudo, so it was only a matter of time before ST Group bought down another very well-known Japanese brand, dipping back into the sweet side with Pafu. Last year the Japanese puff-pastry dessert made a successful debut at QV in Melbourne, so now it’s Sydney’s turn to…
Virgin Australia’s Velocity Frequent Flyer Points program has this week announces a new partnership with Westpac, aimed at giving new home owners in Australia access to potentially hundreds of thousands of points. The substantial bank of points being offered come with two options, both accessible to Westpac customers who apply for a new home loan…
Fresh off tour dates around the country – including a spot at Tasmania’s prestigious DARK MOFO festival alongside Sun Ra Arkestra – Australia’s rocking electric string quartet FourPlay has blessed us with a new original track titled “Bound”, highlighting a penchant for blending the band’s urgent melodies with big, dirty riffs. The unique track has…
Following the big-ticket launch of W Brisbane, the first luxury property from W Hotels Worldwide as they steadily re-enter the Australian market, the renowned brand have announced a 593-key property for Sydney. The new-build W Sydney will make its debut in 2020 as part of The Ribbon from award-winning architect Hassel, a $700 million development…
Not truly knowing your significant other post-marriage must be a terrifying thought, and it’s one that grounds Colin Minihan‘s What Keeps You Alive in a genuinely frightening premise. Lock that idea up and throw it into a cliche cabin-in-the-woods scenario and you have yourself a fun horror film that’s intriguing and entertaining, if not a…
Four bartenders who have been instrumental to the rise of Melbourne’s highly regarded Black Pearl will open a new venue in the CBD later this year. Rob Libecans, Chris Hysted-Adams, Matthew Stirling and Ryan Noreiks will lead the charge at Fancy Free, helping shape the bar as a neighbourhood watering hole in the middle of…
Johnnie Walker Black Label has been re-imagined with the iconic whisky’s latest iteration, a limited edition expression which benefits from part of the blend being matured in former Sherry casks. Officially titled the Black Label Sherry Edition, the whisky was recently launched in the Australian market and has since become one of the more buzzed…
The next instalment in the ongoing seasonal night markets from Carriageworks will pay homage to smoked, spiced and slow-cooked food with “Burning Love”. Teaming up with the infallible Porteño duo of Ben Milgate and Elvis Abrahanowicz, the arts and entertainment hub will host 55 of Sydney’s leading restaurants, bars and producers with special menus worked…
Anna Polyviou, renowned Executive Pastry Chef of Shangri-La Hotel, Sydney will once again be leading charge as she curates the hotel’s 5th annual “Sweet Street” dessert festival at the end of this month. Set for one night only on 29th June, the curated sugar rush will bring in a bunch of the city’s best and…
That Jirga is quiet and understated is the film’s biggest strength, consciously moving away from the lurid details of your typical war blockbuster and presenting something of a bare-bones human story about redemption and forgiveness. When Director Benjamin Gilmour and actor Sam Smith, both Australian, spent 20 days shooting this film they did so at…
When light finally filled the theatre at Austin’s Alamo Drafthouse Cinema I could see that the older man sitting next to me was visibly shaken. In fact, I could see many people who looked like they were in desperate need of a good, long hug and maybe a bathtub full of bright yellow rubber ducks…
BAFTA-nominated documentary director Tim Wardle has an enviable subject with the highly publicised reunion of long-lost-triplets Robert Shafran, Eddy Galland and David Kellman, who found each other at the age of 19, tracking three identical New Yorkers separated at birth by a prominent Jewish adoption agency. It’s the kind of stranger-than-fiction story that the most…
In an ambitious attempt to zone in on enriching, local experiences for their guests, Marriott’s considerable network of properties around the world have been tied together by the roll out of an online platform dubbed “Marriott Moments”, seeking to offer local-area expert recommendations, bespoke categories and hand-curated lists of things to do across various destinations….
Virgin Australia have introduced reasonably priced inflight WiFi on their international route between Australia and Los Angeles, helping passengers stay connected during the 14 hour trip. The service will cost $12 for the duration of the trip, available for passengers embarking from either Sydney (13.5 hours) or Melbourne (14.5 hours). The recent introduction means that…
AccorHotels has maintained a strong presence in the Australian market since first opening here with Novotel Sydney in Darling Harbour in 1999. Not only is that presence growing, particularly with the recent opening of five-star hotel – and Instagram star – Sofitel Darling Harbour, but the hotel group’s portfolio has just taken a giant leap…
Witnessing undisputed rap legends live on stage is somewhat of a rarity in Australia. We’ve (surprisingly) managed to get KRS-One, watched in awe as Big Daddy Kane rocked the mic, seen Masta Ace a few times, and we even got Biz Markie and Kurtis Blow once. Once big names through the late 80’s and early…
“We’re always looking to think outside the square when it comes to product development”, said Chief Marketing Officer of Boost Juice Joanne Bradley. And outside of the square they have most certainly thought this time, with the ubiquitous juice brand introducing new flavour The Vegemite Boost. It obviously contains Australia’s most divisive (to non-Australians anyway;…
