Category: FOOD & DRINK

Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with whisky in London

The Sun Tavern is the small corner bar in Bethnal Green you need to know. If relaxed aesthetics and comfy interiors aren’t reason enough to call this East London hang out your local, then perhaps what they can do in the form of a cocktail, is? This Saint Pat’s Day they’re turning it on to the tune of a special cocktail menu this 17 March. From 6pm-9pm Three Sheets’ Noel and Max Venning will be taking over the bar, alongside The Sun Tavern bartenders, to offer guests an exclusive St Paddy?s day cocktail menu featuring a White Russian with Coffee, Milk Washed Slane Irish Whiskey and Miso, The Shamrock Gimlet with Slane Irish Whiskey, Wood Sorrel and White Wine and a twist on The Sun Tavern’s own Irish Coffee with Slane Irish Whiskey, Salted Coffee and Baileys Cream. Sort yourself out: Doors will be open from 12pm – 1am offering a whole day of shenanigans and ample time to enjoy the frivolities. St Patrick’s Day at The Sun TavernDate: Tuesday 17th March 2020Time: 12pm – 1am The Sun Tavern441 Bethnal Green Rd, London E2 0ANWebsite: www.thesuntavern.co.uk

The gin to have when you’re not having a gin

CEDERS alt gin

With mindful March just around the corner, there are those who are trying to be a little healthier and more balanced by reducing their alcohol intake for the month. Then are those who are giving up alcohol all together for a variety of reasons. And then there are those good, responsible humans who regularly nominate themselves as ‘designated drivers’ (you know who you are). But just because you’ve decided it’s time to cut out the alcohol, it doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy a cool, refreshing G&T bursting with your favourite botanicals, garnished with a slice of lime.  Now that we have your attention, let’s talk about the hottest, grown-up, non-alcoholic gin alternative on the market – CEDER’S. Yes, it’s so boss, even the name of the alt-gin is all uppercase.  Produced in Sweden, CEDER’S is a distilled, non-alcoholic alt-gin created using pristine Swedish water, and rare South African and classic gin botanicals. Two of the three varieties are now available in Australia – CEDER’S Classic and CEDER’S Wild. CEDER’S Crisp is the third variety featured on the website but is not yet available in Australia.  Botanicals used to create the alt-gin include juniper, coriander, lavender, geranium, buchu, rooibos, grapefruit, ginger and clove. The result is a beautifully created alt-gin with all the traditional characters of an alcohol-based gin, without the consequences.  The ‘classic’ variety is described as floral and balanced while the ‘wild’ is spicy and intriguing. It’s best served in a gorgeous glass with a good quality tonic and a twist of your favourite fruit… Read More

Local favourite Kogarah Clubhouse receives a facelift but maintains traditional club charm

Southern Fried Chicken Burger

Kogarah Clubhouse has been a local favourite for years. Established in 1947, it was originally known as Kogarah RSL Club, but it recently received a renovation, introducing a fresh, modern take on the much loved club. However the one thing locals will tell you hasn’t changed, is the friendly and genuine hospitality you’ll encounter at the Clubhouse. No BS here.  Kogarah Clubhouse now offers three contemporary venues – The Pearl Asian Eating House, Blake Street Kitchen and a revived Clubhouse Bar.  Featuring high, exposed ceilings and curved architecture, the Clubhouse Bar is the perfect venue to kick off your lunch or dinner date with a cocktail or a refreshing cider on tap. On the cocktail front, the ‘Sassy Pear Cosmo’ (grey goose, triple sec with fresh pear) jumps out at you from the ‘Something Special’ cocktail menu while the ‘Fairy Godmother’ (beefeater pink gin, cointreau blood orange and campari) is also extremely tempting.  From here, you can move to The Pearl Asian Eating House, featuring a menu that showcases authentic Asian flavours with a contemporary, modern twist. The Pearl is also a great venue for that old lunch time favourite, yum cha. The Pearl Asian Eating House is open for early dining from 11am from Monday to Friday and 10:30am on Saturday and Sunday. But if it’s a mouth-watering schnitty, a southern fried chicken burger or seafood platter you crave, then all-day modern eatery Blake Street Kitchen is your venue.  There’s something for everyone, from delicious starters such as satay chicken skewers and bruschetta to… Read More

What’s up with the Canberra Night Noodle Markets

Canberra Noodle Market

As every good city should, Canberra is hosting their own instalment this year of the Night Noodle Markets. And it’s looking delish. They’ve released the sizzling menus of this year’s event, with a feast of signature dishes and creative tastes from Canberra and Australia-wide favourites. Returning to Reconciliation Place for an extended stint of eleven nights due to popular demand, from 28 February until 9 March, the air will be filled with spicy, salty and sweet aromas as Reconciliation Place is transformed into a bustling Asian street food festival.  And we spoke to chef Matt Blackwell of Monster Kitchen & Bar about why he’s doing this year’s fest and what we can expect! Describe food in a sentence. Food for me is something that brings people together, weather its eating a bowl of Larb in a local street market in Bangkok, or with your close friends and family at home. Why have you dedicated your life to it?Cooking allows me to be creative and constantly gain new experiences and meet really cool new people. It has allowed me to constantly travel and keep finding new things. Why should Canberra want to eat what you make?I am trying to bring some of what we do over at GOMA so people can get a taste of it in Canberra. Most of the ingredients and dishes I am bringing with me are really unique to Queensland, and I think it will be really cool for people in another state to get to try them in the way I’m using them. … Read More

London: Where to celebrate Holi Festival

Bang Bang Oriental Food Hall

So, there’s two things to know about Holi Festival, the Indian fest of colour and it’s heaps of fun. Also, food. A vital part of Indian culture and a quality element of the festival, all of which can now be attained at Bang Bang Oriental, the largest food hall of Asian cuisine in London. To celebrate, the Bang Bang Oriental space will be celebrating the Holi Festival with an exclusive performance from the award-winning Bollywood dance group Bollywood Belles on Friday 6 March 2020 from 7pm. Three types of Indian dances will be performed on the night and guests will have a chance to demonstrate their skills with a 15-minute dance class led by the experts. For those looking for a taste of India, Patiala Xpress specialises in authentic Indian cuisine and diners are welcome to try a tasty selection of Indian dishes including Chicken Biryani, Prawn Malabar and Paneer Tika. So bring your jingly bits, appetite and cultural awareness for a night to be savoured. Find out more at the Bang Bang website, link above!

Where to drink pink: The Lanique pop-up bar in London

Lanique

Lanique, Spirit of Rose has teamed up with VAULT Festival 2020 (28th January – 22nd March), to bring bespoke rose tinted cocktails to London’s boldest arts and theatre celebration.  At The Vaults on Waterloo’s Leake Street, The Rose Bar is an immersive cocktail experience from Lanique, taking you on a journey through the drinks’ rich history. You’ll start in 18th century Prussia, through to modern day London. All in drink form. All delicious. All pink. And the best bit? It’s free to visit. For more and to plan your visit, head to the website.

Sydney: Bar Totti’s open – and why you should care

Totti 4

The ivy in Sydney has a new housemate: Bar Totti. It’s walk in only, the relative to the Bondi version and front-and-centre in the ivy complex right in the middle of the city, giving visitors all the alcohol-fuelled, foodie haven-ness that’s synonymous with the Merivale movement. It’s fun, high-energy and ready for a party, putting chefs Mike Eggert and Jake Ahrens (Ash St. Cellar, Uccello) behind the pans to serve-up the simple and delicious food Totti’s is renowned for. With a menu built on wood-fired bread, house-made antipasti and snacks, it’s a simple offering to line the stomach before visiting any of the the ivy’s other venues well into the night. The antipasti list is touting about 20 options, like sardines, anchovies, octopus, scallop crudo, prosciutto, ‘nduja, burrata, baked tomino and marinated peppers. Snacks are ‘alla griglia’ (grilled), like king prawns, chili and fennel, halloumi, oregano and lemon, chicken wings, honey and rosemary, and grilled garfish lemon and bay leaf. The drinks? Simple. The desserts? On the menu. The atmosphere? Worth it. For a visit, go to ivy, Shop 4/330 George Street.

Melbourne: The Prince Public Bar is open again

Prince bar

Late nights, Sunday mornings, bayside debauchery and live music shenanigans are back at the gateway to the southeast: The Prince Public Bar. St Kilda’s legendary local Prince Public Bar is calling first drinks again with the legendary pad flaunting a new look since closing in April to undergo a major overhaul. Remodelled by IF Architecture’s Iva Foschia, a long-time collaborator of the corner locale, the new design pays homage to its Art Deco heritage reimagined through a modern lens. The entire ground floor has been opened up to create light, roomy spaces, with an internal staircase allowing a more free-flowing connection to the hotel lobby and Prince Dining Room. At the heart of the venue is a large oval island bar, reinstated to its original orientation and grandeur. With breakfast-to-lunch at the hands of Chef Dan Cooper’s approachable, seasonal menu, there’s no reason to not check him out at the Prince website.

Sydney: Coogee Pavillion's middle level is now open!

Coogee Pavillion middle floor Mimis 1

It’s about time! For as long as any coastie’s conscionable memory extends, the middle level at the Merivale Coogee Pavillion’s been shut. But, no more! Complete with three venues – restaurant mimi’s, cocktail bar will’s and wine and tapas bar Una Más – it’s a new addition to the coastside haunt that’s slammed every weekend. More space, more on offer, more reasons to go, the ‘Pav”s new places to eat and drink are guided by the cooking philosophy of executive chef Jordan Toft (Bert’s, Bar Topa) – a simple, yet special style of dining sparked by a Mediterranean heart, through an Australian lens. New feeds on offer span the likes of warmed Queensland scallop, chicken wing murri and summer fennel, barbequed black lip abalone skewer, pancetta, bay and yeasted puff pastry arlettes, warm d’affinois. Coogee Pavilion’s middle floor has been five years in the making and is the product of an inspiring collaboration between Toft, Justin Hemmes and Merivale’s design team (Bettina Hemmes, Vince Alafaci and Caroline Choker of ACME, and stylist Amanda Talbot). To see more of the menu, make a booking, go to the Coogee Pavillion’s website. To see more, scroll down.

It’s okay to drink chilled red wine, but if you don’t believe us, ask the experts at Taylors Wines

Taylors Wines Summer House

Contrary to popular belief, you can enjoy a chilled, full-bodied red wine over summer. “Sacré bleu!,” we hear you say! But yes, it’s true. Gone are the days when red wines are said to be enjoyed best at room temperature, by the fireplace in the middle of winter.  And in fact, the concept of drinking wine at room temperature originates from Europe, where wines were kept in chilly cellars at ‘Europrean room temperatures’. The average room temperature in Australia is approximately 23 degrees, which is somewhat warmer than the chilly cellars of Europe, making it just that little too warm for the optimum serving temperature.  According to Taylors Wines, full-bodied reds such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz should actually be served at between 16 to 18 degrees celsius. If you prefer a lighter-bodied red such as Pinot Noir, it should be served at 12-14 degrees celsius. Experts at Taylors also say if red wine is served too warm, the alcohol will dominate and mask its subtle flavours. But if you need further convincing that drinking chilled red is actually okay, then it’s best you hear it from the experts at Taylors Wines, who are launching the Summer House of Shiraz – a 90-minute, temperature themed wine tasting experience at a stunning Point Piper venue overlooking Sydney Harbour. To access the venue, you will be transported to and from the Summer House via private water taxi from Rose Bay. The Summer House will open its doors and private jetty for two days, Saturday 7 December and… Read More