Travel & Lifestyle

Chef Philippe Mouchel brings classic French to Collins Street (Melbourne)

Collins Street now has a classy addition with respected Chef-Restaurateur Philippe Mouchel bringing his namesake restaurant to the laneway site following recently closed pop-up Déjà Vue. Philippe is Mouchel’s dedication to classic French cuisine with extra punch from his signature rotisserie style, said to deliver a generous and affordable casual dining experience to those who…

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On the Shelf: Johnnie Walker Green Label (Re-Release 2016)

Around 10 years ago Johnnie Walker introduced their Green Label blend into the market and it remained one of the most well-received expressions for the iconic Scotch Whisky, until it disappeared. The blended malt whisky was somewhat of an outlier in JW’s core range, but nonetheless it was loved for it’s complex profile and, when…

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Mr Burger team with StreetSmart for new burger “Mr Nice Guy” (Melbourne)

Melbourne food truck Mr Burger have been in the headlines as of late with their ‘win free burgers for life’ competition which required entrants to legally change their surname to Burger to win, only to have that competition swiftly shut down by state government. The situation obviously hasn’t slowed the team down though, with them…

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Alberta’s Eau Claire Distillery launches a Calgary Stampede-inspired cocktail list

To celebrate this year’s Calgary Stampede, which kicks off today (July 8th) in Calgary, Canada, Bar C Food & Drink is teaming up with Alberta’s first craft distillery – Eau Claire Distillery – to launch a Stampede-inspired cocktail list that will be sold exclusively during the 10-day celebration. In addition to the new cocktail list,…

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Legendary pitmaster Rodney Scott is returning to Harpoon Harry for encore BBQ (Sydney)

Popular demand has lured world renowned BBQ pitmaster Rodney Scott back to Sydney’s Harpoon Harry for a one-day-only BBQ residency before he heads back to South Carolina. Scott, a master of the low-and-slow BBQ who a earlier this year teamed with resident HH Chef Morgan McGlone for a hugely popular two-day feast, jumped at the…

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Birds of Redfern: Sydney is getting its first ever fried chicken festival

If it ain’t burgers then it’s fried chicken. Sydney’s obsession with crispy, soul nourishing birds is about to be taken to the next level with Redfern based Cake Wines teaming up with Andrew Levins to curate a festival of some of the best damn fried chicken in the city. Taking place at Cake Wine’s Cellar…

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Mama’s Buoi launches ‘Pho Festival’ menu with soup inspired rolls, ice creams, and more

For all of their Sydney and Melbourne restaurants, Vietnamese mainstay Mama’s Buoi are running a big celebration of all things Phở from now until the end of August. Designed as a Phở Festival with both traditional and quirky takes on the winter warmer, this ongoing celebration will be exploring the full range of flavours Phở…

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Flight Review: Premium Economy to London with Air New Zealand – Leg Three – Los Angeles to London (NZ2)

Over the last week, we’ve taken you on board Jennifer Quinlin’s journey from Melbourne to London with Air New Zealand atypical route for Australian travellers, via Auckland and Los Angeles. So far she’s taken us through legs one and two of the journey, as well as her experience in transit in Los Angeles. Now today…

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Photo Diary: The Land of Fire and Ice – Experiencing the natural wonder of Iceland

Sofie Kim recently travelled to Iceland for the Secret Solstice Festival, during which time she captured the natural wonder of the country, a land she describes as “the land of fire, ice and all things nice…”, in this exclusive photo diary. Witness the wonders for yourself: GEYSIR. Waiting for the Geysir to erupt. The Geysir…

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Review: Yakitori Yurippi – Crows Nest (Sydney)

Winter isn’t coming, it’s here and hell-bent on freezing the behings of every Sydneysider. But aside from your usual comfort foods of soups, stews and ramen, taking a trip to your local yakitori den also works as a keep warm tactic. That’s exactly what we did last week when the good guys at Yurippi in Crows…

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Review: Mezza Train – Mascot (Sydney)

On the surface, you’d probably be right in thinking that Japanese and Lebanese cuisine have virtually zero in common. I mean they rhyme, but that’s probably about it, right? Enter Mezza Train, the first restaurant of its kind in Australia (or possibly the world) that serves mezze-style dishes on a Japanese “sushi train” type conveyor belt.  For the…

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The Lobo Plantation team open Parisian inspired small bar Kittyhawk (Sydney)

This past week, the team behind Sydney’s wildly popular Lobo Plantation, launched their long awaited second venture Kittyhawk, a 175 capacity cocktail bar which draws influence from the historic Liberation of Paris on August 25th, 1944. Co-owners Jared Merlino, Michael Hwang and Eddie Levy, worked alongside Alex Zabotto-Bentley from the award-winning design agency AZBcreative, to…

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Sydney’s Prime Steak Restaurant launches premium meat-only degustation menu

Long-standing and highly regarded Sydney steak restaurant Prime in CBD hub GPO Grand has claimed to have launched the world’s first premium meat-only degustation menu, offered alongside their awarded a la carte option. In a response of a reinvigorated interested in highest quality cuts, the new offering will feature seven courses showcasing Australia’s finest steaks,…

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The Resident is Darlinghurst’s bright new Mediterranean restaurant (Sydney)

Acclaimed chef Pablo Tordesillas (Ortiga) has come on board for one of Sydney’s newest and most exciting CBD restaurants, which opened up right near Hyde Park at the end of last month. Titled The Resident, the new venture from the team behind dumpling staple Lotus Dining is focused on bringing an original take on Mediterranean…

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Max Brenner up their hot chocolate game for World Chocolate Day

Australia has the good fortune to be in the midst of winter when World Chocolate Day (today, July 7th) rolls around each year, which usually means that across the country people will be dipping their marshmallows in a comfortable cup of hot chocolate. One of the most ubiquitous chocolate cafes in the country, Max Brenner…

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A perfect winter’s weekend in Bathurst, NSW (Australia)

Boasting arts, culture, and heritage, Bathurst is the perfect weekend getaway destination. Only a 3-hour drive from Sydney, Bathurst is the oldest inland settlement in Australia. I ventured to Bathurst to explore its historic city centre, the winter festival, and the budding food scene. Bathurst Winter Festival We checked out Ignite the Night, the opening event…

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Sydney’s Winter Festival sets up in front of St Mary’s Cathedral

Winter Festival has kicked off this month, and will be running until the 17th July outside of its usual St Mary Cathedral spot in Sydney’s CBD. The festival offers up a stack of fun activities embracing the winter chill including an ice skating rink complete with cute little ‘penguin aids’, munich bier pop-up, european food…

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Review: Drake Eatery’s Producers Dinner – Bondi (Sydney)

Drake Eatery’s chic yet homely decor would only be half the reason Bondi passers by would gravitate towards a place named after two things, the street Head Chef Ian Oakes’ grandma lived on and his favourite poultry. Focussed on simply prepared dishes that hero quality locally sourced and sustainable produce in a relaxed setting, it seems…

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Heineken embrace Australian multiculturalism with City Shapers Festival

Heineken will be celebrating global cultural, culinary, musical and art contributions which have positively helped shape and influence Australia’s diversity as part of a City Shapers Festival which will span across Melbourne, Brisbane, Sydney and Perth. Whilst all capital cities will share in the fun it seems Melbourne is set for a truly memorable experience…

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A Middle Eastern Night Market is popping up in Waterloo (Sydney)

To mark the end of Ramadan, Sam Ali, the founder of inner-west market COMMUNE, is bringing a Middle Eastern street food experience to Waterloo for one night only. Designed as a celebration of all that is great about Middle Eastern street dining and culture, including markets, music, photography, and film, aimed at bringing neighbours, friends,…

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Delta Society are bringing a dog-hugging pop up to Martin Place (Sydney)

Need a healthy hit of dopamine? Delta Society are launching a new initiative focusing in on the relationship between puppy love and stress relief with “Paws the Pressure”, aimed at assisting morale across various workplaces and universities around Australia. The program, which is officially titled “Australia’s Delta Therapy Dogs”, will be staging a pop up…

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Hotel Review: Summit King at the Hotel Blackfoot Calgary (Alberta, Canada)

This week, the Calgary Stampede returns to Calgary, Alberta. Last year, I was lucky enough to attend the long running event, and while there I stayed a short drive from the event in South East Calgary at Hotel Blackfoot. The privately owned, contemporary hotel offers incredible views of the Rocky Mountains, as well as the…

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Travel Diary: Melbourne singer/songwriter HOWQUA takes us to Toronto

Melbourne singer/songwriter HOWQUA shares with us his journey through Canada for Canadian Music Week, his introduction to international touring and more. We tag along for his experiences in Canada, his visit to Movember headquarters in the Toronto, his last minute invitation to perform and his time spent with his friends.  Beanie face crosses the seas It…

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We celebrate International Joke Day with the largest operator of comedy clubs in the world

Did you know that the largest operator of comedy clubs in the world is a cruise liner? On each of Carnival Cruises‘ 25 ships, they feature the Punchliner Comedy Club, which offers up to 20 performances on an average 7-10 day voyage. This comes to about 25,000 comedy shows a year across the fleet. That’s a…

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Ex-Quay Chef to open Mediterranean restaurant in Marrickville (Sydney)

Barzaari, which opens up to the public on 12th July, is Marrickville’s newest bar-restaurant and the latest venture from Chef and co-owner Darryl Martin who is best known for his work at Foveaux, 3 Weeds, and the world renowned Quay. That resume alone is enough to shoot up expectations for the food here, and Martin…

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Burgers by Josh is heading back to Annandale for final ever pop-up (Sydney)

Josh Arthurs has been a busy man this past year, building his burger empire, Burgers by Josh, through a series of feverishly popular kitchen takeovers that are now somewhat of legend, attracting some of the most mind-numbing queues in recent memory. The fun of following BBJ around Sydney as the Arthurs and his team stage…

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“BLOOM” gin launches in Australia: gin made with chamomile, honeysuckle, and pomelo

London’s premium BLOOM Gin has finally made its way from the U.K to Australia this year, entering the competitive market via a partnership with Sydney Film Festival. As the annual film festival nears a close for 2016, BLOOM have been working hard to make an impact on the events large fan base, many of whom…

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What it’s like to transit at LAX with Air New Zealand’s NZ2 from Auckland to London

The Air New Zealand service NZ2 (the first leg of which I reviewed last week) is a rare flight at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), with the airport serving as a transit point for the plane: with the plane continuing on to London. But not before you have to deal with the airport’s infamous security measures. While…

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NYC’s Greenwich Village is home to the USA’s first national monument to gay rights

The Stonewall Inn in Greenwich Village, is considered by many as the birthplace of the modern Gay Rights movement, when, in the early hours of June 28th, 1969, violent demonstrations took place between members of the LGBT community and the police.  It was the first time that Gay people stood up, as a group, to oppression and victimisation, and cemented the Stonewall as…

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Review: Darlo Country Club – Darlinghurst (Sydney)

Darlo Country Club has been alive with a spirited L.A Hamptons theme for a little over half a year now, fitting out the former Victoria Room space with a bright, energetic bar and restaurant full of playful cocktails (like the Eton Fizz and Gentlemen’s Agreement) and indulgent bar food. It didn’t take long for them…

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