Travel & Lifestyle

Lark Distillery releases its first ever blended malt whisky, Symphony No.1

Australia’s whisky pioneers over at Tasmania’s Lark Distilling Co. have lifted the barrel on their first ever blended malt whisky, Symphony No.1. Released at the perfect time, with Father’s Day right around the corner, the release has been built with a harmony of exceptional Tasmanian single malt whiskies, collated to offer whisky lovers an approachable…

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Recipe: Poached Seabass with Tomato and Mushroom from COMO Shambhala

Bali’s deeply-rooted wellness retreat COMO Shambhala Estate owes much of its worldly repute to its dedicated culinary program. Clean, fresh and healthy eating is but one aspect of the holistic, 360-approach to immersive wellness here, so if a recipe comes from the property’s Head Chef, you can be sure its well worth your time. Fans…

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Recipe: Tussock Jumper 8-hour Lamb Shoulder

We may be sliding down the tail of winter and into spring, but such a soul-stirring dish as an eight-hour lamb shoulder is typically appropriate for any seasons. While you’re spending an inordinate amount of time in your kitchen sharpening up those chef chops, it’s pretty much a requisite for any potential dinner-party-thrower to master…

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Reynold Poernomo’s KOI dessert bar creates Father’s Day dessert menu

Dessert king Reynold Poernomo, who owns KOI in Chippendale (and more recently, Ryde) with his brothers Ronald and Arnold, has partnered up with famed liqueur Disaronno to curate a special dessert menu for Father’s Day 2020. A five-courser, the menu has been worked up in collaboration between the KOI team and Disaronno brand ambassador Danilo…

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‘Unfudge Our Future”: Ben and Jerry’s newest flavour tackles fossil fuels

Not every dessert signals to the Australian Government an urgent message about climate change. Ben and Jerry’s latest one does just that. Dubbed “Unfudge Our Future”, the pint was created with PM Scott Morrison, Treasurer Josh Frydenberg and Energy Minister Angus Taylor in mind, sending a pointed message that the dessert-loving public want fossil fuels…

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Airfryer Recipe: Fairy Bread Bagels

If you’ve spent this year’s ongoing pandemic glued to your kitchen, like most people, then you’ve probably picked up an Airfryer recently. The wondrous kitchen appliance has been MVP for 2020, keeping things nice and (relatively) healthy while still offering up that indulgent deep-fried-esque crisp and almost criminally easy prep. It’s also likely you’ve spent…

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Applejack Group opens Hester’s Cafe and Bar this week

After the successful launch of restaurants in the Wynyard Precinct with Bopp & Tone and June’s Shoppe, the Applejack group is launching its third CBD venue, Hester’s Cafe and Bar. The cafe and bar will offer a dine-in and takeaway menu designed by Bopp & Tone Head Chef, Sa Va’afusuaga. Expect some classic breakfast dishes,…

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Cocktail recipes from the best bars in Oklahoma, USA

From the historic stockyards of Oklahoma City to the electric streets of downtown Tulsa, Oklahoma is one of the most fruitful stops on that bucket list Route 66 drive you’ve always wanted to take. While that quintessential trip may be off the cards for now, we’ve gone ahead and sourced a few cocktail recipes to…

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Etihad PPE

There’s now a website that rates airlines’ compliance with COVID-19 measures

AirlinesRatings.com has long been a reliable and comprehensive guide to the best and worst of aviation. Now, in an industry first, the website has introduced a very relevant dimension to its safety rating system, considering a score for airlines based on their COVID-19 protocols. When the time comes to chose between multiple airlines, passengers are…

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Lebanese-style charcoal chicken chain El Jannah debuts first drive-thru venue

The lingering taste of garlicky toum that has left an indelible mark on Sydney’s food scene in the past few years can typically be traced back to El Jannah. The charcoal chicken joint, born a stone’s throw from Granville Station, peddles the kind of dreamy never-forget-your-first-time that has since seen the business expand to include…

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Grill’d will take $10 off your order if you walk 10,000 steps

In doubling down on the ‘healthy’ part of its brand identity, Grill’d is accompanying the launch of a new and improved 100% Natural burger menu with a neat little initiative tasking customers to simply walk for a discount. Anyone who wants a dig at the new menu can simply get $10 off any burger or…

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Scapegrace: The world’s first naturally black, colour-changing gin launches in Australia

Pink is cool, but everyone knows that that black is just a better look for any spirit. Enter the world’s first naturally black gin, echoed from the pure waters of New Zealand’s Southern Alps and captured in a neat-looking bottle from the award-winning Christchurch-based Scapegrace distillery. Simply dubbed Scapegrace Black, the stylish and unique gin…

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What a road trip looks like in the UK right now: socially distanced tourism?

If there are two things I’ve missed most during months of lockdown in London, it’s pubs and the sea. Fortunately, the former – along with restaurants, cafes and self-contained accommodation – reopened their doors to customers on Saturday 4th July across most of the country, with a return to business caveated by strict health measures….

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Sydney’s favourite wine bar, Monopole, is moving to the CBD

Award-winning and highly influential wine bar Monopole is packing up from its long-standing Potts Point address and making the convenient move to Hunter Street in the CBD. Owners Brent Savage and Nick Hildebrandt, who will maintain a Potts Point with Yellow along with a new concept, have secured a new venue overlooking Australia Square, and…

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Black Star Pastry opens new store in The Galeries

Dragon Cake, Japanese Forest Cake, or the iconic Strawberry Watermelon Cake. You’ll get to take your pick when Newtown-born phenomenon Black Star Pastry opens their new Sydney CBD store on the ground level of The Galeries. Just off the Pitt Street entrance to the central mall, Black Star Pastry will be conveniently positioned for city…

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Pizza Hut to give away 50,000 pizzas next week

To celebrate their 50th anniversary in Australia, Pizza Hut is set to give away a whopping 50,000 free pizzas between Monday 3rd August and Friday 7th August. Each day, Pizza Hut will open up the online giveaway between 4pm and 6pm, with pizza-lovers simply required to just head to the website and follow the instructions…

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New eateries open in Darling Square, from sushi to toasties

Sydney’s Darling Square is fast-becoming the ‘it’ precinct for new and exciting eateries, adding to the already strong scene of casual eats which includes DOPA by Devon and Saga Lyte. Now, Darling Square has welcomed a host of new concepts, ranging from an 11-seater sushi and sashimi bar, to a inventive toastie joint. Kuon Omakase…

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Travel Gear: Reggie Key – the sixth finger in a COVID-19 world?

Due to obvious reasons, the need to reduce touching high-contact surfaces in public is at the forefront of an increasingly nervous society. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted and brought attention to the way viruses can easily spread via droplets, aerosols, and fomites. That last one is particular interest here, and is the reasons why…

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KitKat goes for gold with new triple-layered Krisp chocolate

KitKat Chunky and KitKat Gold have been spliced together to create the chocolate brand’s latest offering, perfectly timed to jump on all the hype that’s been surrounding the historic wafer these past few weeks. First, Sydney got its very first KitKat chocolatory, which opened to massive fanfare with an endless array of KitKat flavours, its…

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Recipe: Vegetarian Spring Rolls from Long Chim Sydney

David Thompson’s Long Chim in Sydney CBD is now firmly positioned as one of the best spots for modern Thai food in the city. And it’s often the opening acts that get all the fanfare, with plenty of smaller dishes served up as the highlights of this restaurant’s extensive menu. Count the incredible vegetarian spring…

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Sydney’s Burger Head is doing up a hot cheetoh fried chicken burger

“This one looks like it’d fit right into the movie Pineapple Express”, write Sydney’s feverishly popular Burger Head on Facebook, referring to the restaurant’s weekly special. As with several of the city’s most popular burger spots, Penrith-born Burger Head does up a unique and inventive burger each week which is almost always lapped up in…

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US burger chain Five Guys to open stores across Australia and New Zealand

Seagrass Boutique Hospitality Group has officially confirmed an exclusive master franchise agreement with Five Guys. This will involve the iconic US burger chain opening stores across Australia and New Zealand, starting with multiple venues in Sydney CBD. “Our commitment is to open approx. 20 stores nationwide in the right locations and with the right staff,”…

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Sydney’s best restaurants come together in support of the hospitality industry

Some of Sydney’s top restaurants have come together under the “Plates For Good” initiative, established to help industry staff who have been impacted by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Eight of the city’s favourite eateries have committed to donating the purchase price of every Westholme Wagyu dish ordered to that venue’s staff who have lost income…

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Truffle dumplings anyone? New Shanghai celebrates fungi with winter menu

As truffle season is here, it’s no surprise that our favourite restaurants have begun showcasing the winter fungus on their menus. As New Shanghai returns with their new winter truffle menu, the AU Review caught up with New Shanghai’s Head Chef Sam Wu, who spoke about all things truffle and the inspiration behind the new…

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Gelatissimo brings brown sugar bubble tea gelato to Australia

Boba fans should be heading to their nearest Gelatissimo store this week to indulge in the chain’s latest limited edition flavour, “Brown Sugar Bubble Milk Tea”. Popping the flavour of natural brown sugar pearls into milk tea gelato, the new flavour gives a heady nod to the global bubble tea phenomenon. The profile is made…

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Gelato Messina’s ‘Fairy Bread Cookie Pie’ is available from today

Comfort food has never been more important during waves on (necessary) lockdown this year. And the gelato gods at Messina have been up to task over these past few months, with eye watering mash ups like Nutella Cookie Pie. Now, the cult ice creamery has doubled-down on the love of franken-food with a new ‘Fairy…

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Jetlag The Podcast: Finding flight hacks and error fares during a pandemic

In the final episode of the season for our podcast series Jetlag: An Industry Grounded, we talk to Immanuel Debeer from the website Flight Hacks to talk about what the Covid-19 pandemic has meant for the airline industry, and the future of frequent flyer programs. You may also be surprised to learn that it remains possible to find…

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Cocktail recipes from the best bars in Memphis, Tennessee

The historic music city of Memphis isn’t just a beacon for artist’s the world over. The home of the Blues and the birthplace of Rock ‘n’ Roll also boasts a soulful food and drink scene that’s as much about lip-smacking comfort food as it is fresh seafood with a worldly outlook. Bluff City does boast…

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Some of the absolute best staycations New South Wales has to offer (Part One)

That New South Wales has some of the best accommodation in the world has never been a secret. What, with the kind of landscapes that people save for their entire lives to come and see? You’d expect no less: seriously bucket list resorts sketching indulgence onto rugged scenery, relentlessly charming boutique hotels you’d dream of…

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Matt Preston’s five best tips for hosting a winter dinner party

After many months of self-isolation and not being able to see friends and family, what better way to reconnect than a classic dinner party (in states that allow it, of course)?. And who better to help you plan the finest feast than food critic and former Masterchef judge Matt Preston? The AU Review spoke with…

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