Category: CITIES

Eat well without the worry: WW and chef Gary Mehigan show you how

Posted: 28/08/2019

Australian chef, restaurateur and former MasterChef judge Gary Mehigan is a self-proclaimed pleasure seeker when it comes to food. Gary also says as he gets older, he finds it increasingly harder to maintain a healthy lifestyle surrounded by all that glorious food. This was particularly problematic during his time on MasterChef, gaining weight every season over the last ten years. Not only did he feel sluggish, but worse than that – he knew he was unhealthy. Gary wanted to buck the trend and choose a healthier approach to living. And he did. Now a WW (Weight Watchers) Ambassador, Gary’s weight is the lowest it has been both during and after filming MasterChef. He says he took on the WW challenge to become healthier and feels more energised than ever. Gary has recently released a WW cookbook called Bringing Flavour Home, which contains a collection of delicious recipes developed by Gary that don’t compromise on flavour or enjoyment. For those with additional dietary needs, the recipes are usefully divided into categories such as gluten free, dairy free, vegetarian, vegan and nut free. But why not give it a go yourself. Here are two delicious recipes Gary has shared with us to give you a taster of just how good, healthy eating is! Bringing Flavour Home is available for purchase online (RRP $15.95) Prawn & Mussel Curry Serves: 4 Preparation: 15 minutes Cooking: 15 minutes “Most prawns in Australia arrive at the market or fishmonger’s frozen. There’s nothing wrong with this as they get frozen on the… Read More

Category: CITIES, FOOD & DRINK, LIFESTYLE, SYDNEY

Tags: Bringing food home, Gary Mehigan, Gary Mehigan weight watchers, Gary Mehigan WW, WW

What to do, where to eat in London this August bank holiday

by James Banham

Updated: 16/11/2022

The last long weekend in London before Christmas is almost upon us (26 August), so what better to do than eat and drink your way through it? Try these winning ideas from some of your favourites around London. Notting Hill Carnival Feathers, music, drinks, fun, street parties and over 2.5 million people all make-up what’s renowned as one of London’s most Carribbean influenced, excitement-charged street festivals, the city-wide! Plan your route, don’t bring anything valuable and have a time. Little Gay Brother Club kids, queer kids, all kids (over 18) assemble, this is the queer rave to end all queer raves. Though it’ll be back next year, too. LGB is large, sexy, sassy and is open for biz from 10pm-5am. Don’t let him down. Manchester Pride Not in London, yes, but who cares! With acts like Ariana Grande, Kim Petras (who performed at Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras back in march) and Liberty X, there’s no reason to not head North for a bit of gay festivity to celebrate equality, diversity and just have a bloody good time. Coya in Mayfair On Sunday 25th August, they’re putting a Peruvian Carnival spin on their brunch with cocktails, canapés and a party to rival Notting Hill Carnival. Complete with bottomless three-hour beverages, the affair will see guests sip on pisco sours and frozen mojitos whilst tucking into their favourite brunch dishes and more! Avenue restaurant in St James They’re hosting the Pink Clink Brunch, a free-flowing rose affair is launching at Avenue made-up of a seasonal British fare in the form of… Read More

Category: CITIES, FEATURES, LIFESTYLE, LONDON

Tags: Bank holiday weekend, Bank holiday weekend guide, London bank holiday, Long weekend London, What to do August bank holiday, Where to eat London bank holiday weekend, Where to go August bank holiday

Sydney restaurants to visit: The Prince of York

by James Banham

Updated: 23/08/2019

Loosten your laces, let your hair down and pop a button or two, The Prince of York is all about a good time where you can just enjoy. The Prince of York is chill, but to great detail with a vibe you can both enjoy and relax in. It’s all been curated to a stylish extent set-up in an offbeat juxtaposition of understated design, colour, flamboyance and grunge brought together by eccentric and cultivated tastes. They’ve tried to emulate the grandeur of the scene of the late 80’s and early 90’s, Prince of York’s basement bar, Pamela’s is complete with disco ball and a stage, set for live music and impromptu theatrics. Couple all that with music of rare disco, new wave and post punk tracks for late night playlists, it’s all about hitting the right note for a break from the norm, a haven, where you’re free from judgment to have a great time. Doors are open now, located at 18 York Street Sydney. See more at the Prince of York website.

Category: CITIES, FOOD & DRINK, LIFESTYLE, SYDNEY

Tags: Prince of York, Prince of York Sydney, sydney bars, sydney drinks guide, sydney pubs, Sydney pubs guide

There’s a month-long cherry blossom festival in Sydney you can’t miss

by James Banham

Posted: 22/08/2019

In Manly, you’ll find Daniel San’s, the beachside hovel to go for Japanese delights and, this month, all the cherry blossoms you need outside of Land of the Rising Sun. It’s transforming into springtime Japan, called ‘Sakura Sakura! A Cherry Blossom Festival’ with a floral wonderland and perfectly pink menu, for all your social media needs. But, social buzziness aside, don’t let that detract from the intended quality of the food! The festival begins on 1 September, the first day of spring, running until 7 October with pink-inspired, cherry blossom special dishes, cherrylicious cocktails and a fabulous floral photo wall. There’s a menu that spans Sakura mochi ball skewers, Sakura vege burgers, pink pork bao buns and even Sakura sushi. Monday to Friday Daniel San is dishing up food and drink deals including $20 Kirin beers + Sakura burgers and they’ve even promised to bring back the utterly indulgent Taiyaki waffles, this time stuffed with Nutella and a pink twist. Sakura Sakura! A Cherry Blossom Festival runs from 1 September – 7 October. Check it out here.

Category: CITIES, FOOD & DRINK, LIFESTYLE, SYDNEY

Tags: Cherry Blossom festival, Cherry Blossoms, Manly Japanese restaurant, Manly Sydney

Skate through the silly season at Somerset House

by James Banham

Updated: 22/08/2019

They do it every year as the pinnacle of festive season fun and 2019 is no different. Somerset House is freezing over, so you can carve up the ice and see if you can’t pull a muscle. So, in the spirit of festive cheer, stretch out those calves, strap on those blades and head down to Somerset House, right in the middle of London, for the Skate at Somerset event, this year celebrating 20 years of fun. Complete with food, drink, freezing temps and fun, the House is offering skating lessons with Skate School and Polar Bear Club, to the ultimate nightlife sets from trailblazing DJs on rink-side decks at Skate Lates. Food’s by Fortnum & Mason for the sixth year, bringing a range of the renowned grocer’s luxury food, drinks and gifts to the Fortnum’s Christmas Arcade, while gourmet dining also returns at The Lodge, providing the perfect post-skate treat at the pop-up alpine restaurant. See more and sort your movements out at the Somerset House website.

Category: CITIES, LIFESTYLE, LONDON

Tags: Ice skating London, London skating, London Somerset House, Skate London

New sundowner seafood menu on the banks of the Thames this summer

by James Banham

Posted: 20/08/2019

The countdown to the end of August is on, so if seafood and summer are your thing, then Le Pont de la Tour is where you need to be. Until the end of the month, for £50 a pop, you can sit Thames-side through golden hour (for the ‘Gram), feasting on the restaurant’s sundowner seafood menu, coupled with Moet & Chandon champagne. There’s a new chef in the kitchen, Thomas Piat, whose new menu of his favourite fresh bits from the sea will be paired alongside a sea of white florals and green foliage will decorate the outside terrace alongside some elegant gold and white Moët lifebuoys as guests catch the last-minute rays in style on the sun-drenched terrace. The sundowner menu features seafood delights such as bouillabaisse of mussels and prawns with saffron potatoes; line-caught cod filet with ratatouille Provençale and stuffed piquillo peppers and lavender peach melba with vanilla ice cream. Enjoy the three-course seafood platter and a cold glass of Moet & Chandon as guests take in the breath-taking early evening views by the river. See more at the Le Pont de la Tour website.

Category: CITIES, FOOD & DRINK, LIFESTYLE, LONDON

Tags: London best restaurants, London restaurant guide, Pont de la Tour London, Seafood London, Where to eat London

New Years at Lost Paradise: The line up announced

by James Banham

Posted: 18/08/2019

Get ya boots on, drinks ready and tits out – Lost Paradise is back for New Years Eve 2019. With a stellar line-up as usual, the festival experience that’s held an hour out of Sydney is turning it on in the bush, headlined by Rüfüs Du Sol and Hilltop Hoods, Golden Features, Matt Corby and The Veronicas, Green Velvet, Dom Dolla, Denis Sulta and Honey Dijon for four epic days of music, wellness, food, art and cultural experiences. In year 6, Lost Para is bringing together some of the world’s hottest acts, emerging musical talent, yoga teachers and practitioners to feed the soul through revelry, connection and discovery. For campers only, the festival offers a completely immersive escape from city life, encouraging people to forge deeper connections with nature, others and themselves. For more, see the line up and get tickets at the Lost Paradise website.

Category: CITIES, LIFESTYLE, SYDNEY

Tags: Lost Paradise, New Years Lost Paradise, New Years Sydney, nye

Bye Chur Burger: The OTHER best burger places in Sydney

by THE F

Updated: 20/08/2019

This week news of one of Sydney’s favourite burger joints comes that they will be closing its doors, after seven years of flipping burgers. This Surry Hills institution, which contributed to Sydney’s burger boom, will be open until August 18th. To help grieve the loss of its beloved burgers, OpenTable has compiled a list of seven mouth-watering burger joints to help keep the taste buds satisfied. Butter, Parramatta Butter is a hybrid sneaker bar where fried chicken and champagne come together in a delicious harmony. Specialities include the fried chicken sandwich (burger), served with house made slaw and delicious fries. To finish the meal off, try Butter’s famous cinnamon doughnuts – a perfect blend of street food and delectable flavours. Elements Bar and Grill, Darlinghurst Local steakhouse, run with excellence and with incredible food to match! Using top-end produce serving up quality burgers with their premium dry aged wagyu beef patty at affordable prices. On top of that, there’s a range of 12 craft beers to wash down your meal –as well as an extensive wine and cocktail menu, offering something tantalising for all. Macelleria, Newtown Macelleria is more a way of life than just a restaurant. It’s designed for those who care about quality and traceability of produce, as well as value for money. Serving up a triple formaggio blend sure to satisfy any cheese lover, their burgers are of the highest grade of grass-fed meat sourced from the Cape Grim with the purest air on earth. Nighthawk Diner, Chippendale Originally a food truck,… Read More

Category: CITIES, FOOD & DRINK, LIFESTYLE, SYDNEY

Tags: Best burgers Sydney, burger, Burgers Sydney, Chur Burger Sydney, sydney burger guide

Outdoor movies in London: Film4 Summer Series at Somerset House

by James Banham

Posted: 13/08/2019

This August, right in the heart of London at Somerset House, Film4 Summer Series will take over the courtyard to host an outdoor cinema experience under the London summer sky. It’s a strictly limited season, winding up on 21 August, uniting film fans in an array of cult and mainstream film choices. The line up features some winning movie choices of our time from a nice spread of eras, alongside food offerings by Jimmy Garcia’s BBQ Club on site and top-class DJ spinning tunes as the sun goes down each night. On screen, the likes of Pain and Glory kicked off the festival on 8 August, with movies such as The Matrix, God’s Own Country, Straight Outta Compton and Clueless carrying the rest of the festival out. See the full line-up and get tickets at the Somerset House website.

Category: ARTS & CULTURE, CITIES, LIFESTYLE, LONDON

Boozy summer slushies are in London at Mr Fogg’s Tavern

by James Banham

Updated: 16/11/2022

Mr Fogg’s does holistic experiences and drinks well. There’s a lot more about walking into one of the globetrotter’s venues that makes them memorable, too, but this summer, it’s the spiked slushies that are worth raving about. Mr Fogg’s Tavern in Covent Garden, right in the centre of London, is celebrating summer with an elaborate floral display and Cointreau slushie cocktails. As the world gets hotter – thanks, climate change – the bar’s partnered with Cointreau and Mount Gay Rum to install a floral explosion alongside the new additions to the menu, on ’til the end of September. You literally can’t miss it. The joint’s been swathed in a blooming floral display featuring a striking door garland comprised of vivid sunflowers, orange and red roses and intertwined with foliage. To that end, warm up your senses with the floral arrangement and then knock ’em dead with cocktails like Caribbean Ice-Land (£8) featuring Mount Gay Black Barrel Rum, Angostura Bitters, sugar syrup, coconut and pineapple. If tequila’s your thing, be tempted by the Cointreau Row Row Your Boat (£8), made up of Cointreau, Cabrito Blanco Tequila, Bobb’s Abbots Bitters, sugar and lime juice. Get them – and the whole Mr Fogg’s experience – at Mr Fogg’s Tavern, 58 St Martin’s Lane, WC2N 4EA.

Category: CITIES, FEATURES, LIFESTYLE, LONDON

Tags: Alcoholic slushies London, London bars, London food blog, London food blogger, London slushies, Mr Foggs, Mr Foggs London, Mr Foggs Tavern

ARTS & CULTURE

Yayoi Kasuma makes more history at NGV Melbourne

22/11/2024

By James Banham

This summer, the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) in Melbourne invites you to lose yourself in the extraordinary universe of Yayoi Kusama.

Why rush to see The Great Mughals at V&A: a celebration of opulence, art and culture

22/11/2024

By James Banham

Today, the Victoria and Albert Museum opens the doors to a landmark exhibition, The Great Mughals: Art, Architecture and Opulence. For the first time in a major show, the monumental artistic achievements of the Mughal Empire’s ‘Golden Age’ (c. 1560–1660) take centre stage, showcasing the splendour, craftsmanship, and cultural exchange that defined one of the world’s greatest empires. The Glory of the Mughals The Mughal dynasty, rooted in Central Asia, was founded in 1526 by Babur, a Timurid prince who carved out an empire stretching from modern-day Afghanistan to the edges of southern India, and from Gujarat to the borders of present-day Bangladesh. At its zenith, the empire was known for its staggering wealth, progressive governance, and artistic innovation. Focused on the reigns of three of the dynasty’s most celebrated emperors—Akbar (r. 1556–1605), Jahangir (r. 1605–1627), and Shah Jahan (r. 1628–1658)—the exhibition illuminates a period when the Mughal court transformed into a cultural powerhouse. These were the rulers who commissioned masterpieces like the Taj Mahal and fostered an artistic legacy that blended Persian, Indian, and European influences. Unveiling the Court’s Creative Mastery At the heart of the exhibition are over 200 objects, breathtaking in both their beauty and their historical value. Visitors can expect to marvel at exquisite paintings, intricately illustrated manuscripts, luxurious textiles, vibrantly hued carpets, and dazzling objects crafted from mother of pearl, jade, rock crystal, and precious metals. Many of these treasures have been hidden from public view for decades, making this a rare opportunity to immerse oneself in the artistry of… Read More

A Golden Adventure awaits at the Australian Museum with new Machu Picchu Exhibition

21/11/2024

By Danielle Kirk

Sydney, prepare yourselves for a cultural gold rush. From November 23, the Australian Museum is rolling out its latest blockbuster, Machu Picchu and the Golden Empires of Peru. This dazzling exhibition is your passport to ancient Peru, featuring 134 priceless treasures from the land of the Incas and 14,000 years of history. Think glittering jewels, royal tomb artefacts, and a VR journey to one of the Seven Wonders of the World. It’s more than a history lesson—it’s a time machine with all the bells, whistles, and human sacrifice relics you could dream of. Following the success of the Ramses Exhibition at the Australian Museum (fun fact, it became the highest grossing exhibition in the State’s history, selling over 500,000 tickets!), Machu Picchu and the Golden Empires of Peru is created in partnership with Peru’s Museo Larco, Museo de Sito Manuel Chavez Ballon, and Neon Global, taking you on a journey through five ancient Peruvian empires, spanning over 3,000 years of rich history. Parts of the collection have only been shown in four other cities around the world, in fact, some of the artefacts have never left Peru before, and now we’re lucky to set sights on them in Sydney. Expect to see the most opulent Andean gold collection to ever leave Peru, intricate ceremonial masks, and objects that whisper secrets of long-lost rituals. For the tech-savvy explorers, the Machu Picchu and the Spirit of the Condor VR experience will transport you above the clouds for a bird’s-eye tour of the legendary citadel. Guided by the… Read More

NGV Architecture Commission 2024: Home Truth by Breathe

14/11/2024

By James Banham

In a bold reimagining of Australian home design, Home Truth by Breathe has been announced as the winner of the NGV Architecture Commission for 2024. This captivating installation takes the form of a labyrinthine house-within-a-house, challenging the notion of ever-expanding home sizes in Australia. At the heart of this design is a powerful message: rethink how we build to create more sustainable, higher-quality, and community-orientated living spaces. Home Truth invites visitors to step into a space that questions the ethical and ecological ramifications of the sprawling, oversized homes that have become prevalent across the nation. An external frame mirrors the silhouette of the average Australian home, which, at 236 square metres, ranks as the largest globally. Nestled within this silhouette is a serene timber structure, representing a smaller, more sustainable living footprint. This juxtaposition of scales is not just an architectural statement but a call to action. By contrasting these two structures, Home Truth shines a light on how smaller, more considered homes could help reduce suburban sprawl, mitigate environmental impacts, and enhance community wellbeing. It is a thought-provoking invitation for audiences to consider alternative, sustainable housing models that could lead to positive lifestyle changes. Visitors entering through the expansive garage door of the larger house find themselves navigating a maze of rooms and corridors, eventually arriving at the intimate timber retreat. This wooden haven offers a space for meditation and reflection, presenting a tangible vision of a more sustainable housing future. Constructed from framing pine and Saveboard, Home Truth uses materials emblematic of current… Read More

LOEWE PRECO SS25 SUNA FUJITA CERAMICS RGB CROPPED 4X5 3 5

Suna Fujita, LOEWE & Melbourne Art Fair to exhibit works

14/11/2024

By James Banham

In an exciting fusion of art and fashion, Melbourne Art Fair has announced a groundbreaking partnership with LOEWE, the esteemed luxury fashion brand renowned for its dedication to craftsmanship since 1846. This collaboration brings to life an exquisite preview of Jonathan Anderson’s renewed partnership with the Kyoto-based ceramist duo, Suna Fujita, marking a world-first exhibition in Australasia. The LOEWE x Suna Fujita collection made its debut with an intimate showcase at LOEWE’s Melbourne Collins Street store, offering an exclusive viewing experience of twenty whimsical ceramic pieces. These delicate works, celebrated for their intricate hand-painted scenes featuring ocean creatures and cosmic animals, seamlessly blend artistry with everyday function, transforming accessories and ready-to-wear items into enchanting works of art. Fair Director Melissa Loughnan expressed her enthusiasm for this creative union, stating, “This partnership is a reflection of Melbourne Art Fair and LOEWE’s shared commitment to supporting living artists and creatives, and an exciting precursor to the 18th edition of the Fair, which promises to be one of our most dynamic and anticipated showcases yet.” The collaboration not only highlights the playful essence of Suna Fujita’s ceramics but also underscores the vibrant art scene that Melbourne Art Fair champions. Launching today, the LOEWE x Suna Fujita collection is available both in stores and online at loewe.com, continuing until 29th December 2024. This artistic venture paves the way for the 18th edition of Melbourne Art Fair, set to take place from 20-23 February 2025 at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre. The fair will present a remarkable assembly of… Read More