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.

In conversation with Poo Bear, the hitmaking songwriter who helped redefine Justin Bieber

A hit-maker since his early teens, Jason Boyd – better known as Poo Bear – has proved to be an essential ingredient for countless chart-toppers across generations. Largely anchored in, but not confined to, the world of hip hop and R&B, Boyd worked with the likes of 112 (“Anywhere”, “Peaches & Cream”, “Dance With Me”),…

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Burger Watch: Guilty brings mi goreng fried chicken sandwiches to Sydney

Welcome to Burger Watch, where we acknowledge the constant creativity bursting from all sides of the epic burger wave that regularly sweeps Australia. The highest-of-high demand is reserved for this timeless food staple and just about every interpretation of it, whether it to be an over-the-top glutton-fest or a focus on simple burgers done well….

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Over 100 events planned for Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane during World Class Cocktail Week

Returning for another year of boozy, balanced and innovative fun, World Class Cocktail Week is bringing over 100 experiences to Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, spread across seven days with some of the country’s finest bartenders and chefs getting involved. A range of masterclasses, tasting events and tutorials will be spread through the three cities, underlining…

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OAK give their flavoured milk some more muscle with OAK Plus

Stalwart flavoured milk brand Oak have been serving the Australian people for what feels like forever. Earlier this year, interest in Oak spiked with chocolate milk slurpee machines popping up around the country, and now the brand has used that momentum to spring a new product on us unworthy flavoured milk fiends: OAK Plus. As…

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Jamie Oliver is coming to Australia to help kickstart a new era for Jamie’s Italian

If Keystone Group goes down, it certainly won’t be taking Jamie’s Italian with it. With six wildly popular restaurants across the country, Jamie Oliver’s dominant Italian restaurant chain is about to receive a substantial and much-needed shake-up now that is has been officially bought back by the Jamie Oliver Restaurant Group. To celebrate, the renowned…

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Review: Burger Project proves essential to Parramatta’s growing food scene (Sydney)

For the past few years there has been a major shift in how Parramatta is being used. Western Sydney’s enormous hub has been crafted to a higher standard than it has in the past, pushing away from dusty old RSLs and substandard food to give locals and visitors a hospitality scene that’s actually exciting. With…

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Reynold Poernomo opens Koi Dessert Kitchen in Ryde (Sydney)

After finding great success as part of the Kensington Street precinct in Chippendale, former Masterchef favourite and one of the country’s most celebrate “dessert kings” Reynold Poernomo has expanded upon KOI Dessert Bar. Now, in addition to the wildly popular Chippendale dessert destination, Poernomo has opened up KOI Dessert Kitchen Ryde. In partnership with members…

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Review: Catalina is more than sparkling Rose Bay views and celebrity spotting (Sydney)

Sparkling views of Rose Bay stretch from Catalina, one of the most high-profile and sought-after dining spots in Sydney. The exclusivity may be overwhelming to some at first, but despite the dazzling clientele and prices to match, there’s a warmth to the restaurant that’s immediately welcoming. The charm undercuts what some people may see as…

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Sydneysiders can get their mouths around coffee-infused fried chicken this weekend

It’s always a good time when an established brand reaches out to some of Sydney’s finest to do a collaboration. It often leads to inventive franken-foods, and this one right here is absolutely no exception. The brand is Nespresso. The Sydney vendor is “sneaker ‘n’ fried chicken” shop Butter. The collaboration: well, the headline says…

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Randwick’s The DOG Hotel has something special planned for ANZAC Day (Sydney)

As we approach Australia’s national day of remembrance, ANZAC Day, some of the country’s best pubs are preparing for one of their busiest days of the year. Something about kicking back with friends and drinking beer has somehow become attached to the national public holiday, and for years these drinking institutions have been putting on…

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The Best Places to Celebrate Easter 2017 in Sydney

Easter AKA the longest public holiday of all time, is upon us once again. While chocolate is definitely what the doctor ordered for the four-day weekend, there’s going to be plenty of special menus and events offering all kinds of savoury and sweet deliciousness. We’ve rounded up some of our favourites in Sydney for you,…

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Wizardfest is Australia’s first touring Harry Potter inspired party

If you hadn’t noticed already, pop culture inspired parties are very popular. There’s something about dressing up and stepping into an IRL RPG-like world where you down cocktails named after cultural touchstones and quote things in badly imitated voices without getting awkward stares. So Wizardfest should go down a treat. What’s Wizardfest? Well as you…

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Recipe: Sake Jr’s Japanese Fried Chicken with Gochujang Sauce

By day, fast-casual chain Saké Jr is a health-focused Japanese inspired smorgasbord of fresh DIY Japanese bowls and sides. With an injection to their menu from renowned chef Neil Perry, the increasingly popular chain has introduced a “Jr By Night” menu that pushes into a different kind of vibe, with a special night-only offering including…

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Ray-Ban are now letting you turn your social media feed into a new pair of sunnies

Sunglass stalwarts Ray-Ban have decided to kick their successful “Ray-Ban Remix” concept up a notch and tap further into the social media generation by allowing customers to personalise new pairs of sunglasses with their Instagram or Facebook feeds. The enormously successful, visual-first social media platforms have come to capture users’ personalities, presenting feeds which are…

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Keg & Brew are doing vegemite pies and specially made 2-Up Pale Ale for ANZAC DAY (Sydney)

Along with Sydney’s annual ANZAC Day March, our national day of remembrance is often used to celebrate the relaxed way of life credited to this country. In other words, it’s always an excuse to spend the day with mates at one of Australia’s most beloved institutions: the pub. The harbour city’s seemingly endless collection of…

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Former Australian Prime Minister Bob Hawke launches Hawke’s Brewing Co. lager

Bob Hawke, former Australian Prime Minister, has announced to opening of his very own beer brand, putting his name to the new Hawke’s Brewing Co., a Port Melbourne brewery founded by locals Nathan Lennon and David Gibson, brew. To celebrate, they’ll be rolling out their very first product, a Hawke’s Lager, across several iconic Sydney…

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Guardians of the Galaxy themed Doritos Supernova launches in Australia

With the second Guardians of the Galaxy not too far away Marvel have partnered with beloved party-style Doritos to launch some very oddly coloured limited edition chips, going by the name of Doritos Supernova. The snack has now landed in shelves across the country, bringing with it a flavour description that promises a zesty blast…

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Review: ANA InterContinental Tokyo’s sense of scale, luxury and location is hard to beat (Japan)

Last year respected website Haute Grandeur named ANA InterContinental Tokyo “Best Business Hotel” in the continent and “Best Lifestyle Hotel” in Japan; in addition, the property was also named “Japan’s Leading Business Hotel” by the prestigious World Travel Awards that same year. It’s certainly hard to argue with those accolades after witnessing first hand just…

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The World’s 50 Best Restaurants for 2017 have been announced, here’s the full list of winners

The anticipation was at an all time high this past Wednesday at a special ceremony held at Melbourne’s historic Royal Exhibition Building. With the highly authoritative World’s 50 Best Restaurants already announcing their 100-51 positions last week, with some very fine entries, discerning diners all across the world were speculating as to which destinations would…

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Hotel Review: The Strings by Intercontinental Tokyo (Japan) tames the business district with dulcet tones

With three properties across Tokyo it’s safe to say that, as far as high-end accommodation goes, the InterContinental brand is a dominant force in one of the world’s most famously vibrant cities. All three have had their fair share of awards and nominations, no less The Strings by InterContinental Tokyo which is positioned a stone’s…

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TV Review: The Walking Dead Season 7 Episode 16 “The First Day of the Rest of Your Life” ends with a touching tribute

Curious choices defined The Walking Dead’s season 7 finale “The First Day of the Rest of Your Life”, and while it didn’t quite make up for what’s been an average season at best, it featured all the big beats characteristic of a landmark episode mixed in with those small character moments that teetered between nauseating…

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White Rabbit Brewery have released a Pana Chocolate stout for Easter

One of our favourite craft breweries here over at the AU is the consistent and imaginative White Rabbit. The sister brewery to Little Creatures, both occupying the same space in Geelong, have impressed with recent experiments like their red wine infused craft beer, so it stands to reason that this latest release is going to…

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Breaking Bad’s Los Pollos Hermanos is popping up in Sydney next week, and so is Gus Fring

Gone but definitely not forgotten, AMC’s now iconic Breaking Bad series is still making waves through pop culture, largely in thanks to currently running spin-off Better Call Saul, the third season of which will be premiering in Australia in Stan come April 11th. Cause the celebrate? You’re god damn right. After popping up at SXSW…

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Mjolner is Redfern’s new viking-themed carvery and whisky bar (Sydney)

Mjølner (pronounced Mjol-near), Asgard and Valhalla: three terms one would associate with storied Viking culture and the legend of Thor, and possibly some of the last things you’d associate with Sydney’s dining scene. That’s changed now that The Speakeasy Group, the same team behind Eau de Vie (both Sydney and Melbourne), Boilermakerhouse and The Roosevelt,…

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Super Combo, a Street Fighter themed burger bar, opens in Bowen Hills (Brisbane)

Under The Green apartments at the Brisbane Showgrounds in Bowen Hills is where you’ll find the recently opened Super Combo, a burger bar that looks to Arcade classic Street Fighter for inspiration. Co-owned by Hao Vu and Michael Nham (of Melbourne’s NSHRY), who both grew up mashing buttons on Street Fighter II at their local…

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Air New Zealand introduces 787-9 Dreamliner for direct service between Sydney and Cook Islands

Air New Zealand have just taken a big, comfortable leap forward for passengers hopping on the popular direct route between Sydney and Cook Islands hub Rarotonga. As of this past week the highly regarded airline have upgraded their aircraft on the route to operate a 787-9 Dreamliner, bringing a superior option for those looking to…

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Hotel Review: InterContinental Osaka (Japan) is sky-high luxury in the heart of the city

Walking into a luxury hotel is almost always accompanied by a dramatic, and instantaneous, sense of freedom. As such, the lobby – the face of any hotel – is one of the most important steps for any property, so grand design is almost a given. That idea is built upon even further for those heading…

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Review: Dixie Chicks’ enormous live show proves a massive hit for Sydney fans

One of the most famous and downright talented trios in the music industry for the past few decades has been Dixie Chicks. Natalie Maines‘ diverse vocal work complemented by Martie Maguire and Emily Robison has proven to be a powerful combination, working in perfect harmony to produce hits that have reached far beyond the famously…

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Review: Chefs Gallery refresh their menu with a range of new flavours (Sydney)

I’m constantly impressed by just how damn successful Chef’s Gallery is. The restaurant, which has a flagship at Town Hall but has expanded in recent years to places like Parramatta and Hurstville, is constantly one of the busiest dining spots in the area, always commanding a wait list that can stretch to an hour if…

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Ben & Jerry’s free cone day will take place across Australia this Tuesday

Each year dominant ice-cream brand Ben & Jerry’s thank their many fans for a year of support with a day entirely dedicated to free ice-cream. They’ve been doing this public service since 1979, etching a nice little tradition for themselves and watching as demand piles up – last year they handed out over 103,000 scoops…

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