Category: LIFESTYLE

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

Automating your home: A lot more possible than you thought

Interiors home living room

In the days of Google Home, Amazon Alexa and Siri, who can do anything you need other than make your morning coffee and take your stuff to the dry-cleaners, your home is next in the long line of tech updates. And the best bit, is that the days of just being able to time your lights and flick them using an app are over – you can turn your home into something seriously ‘of the future’ with just a few updates. Think: Talking to your centralised hub like Amazon Alexa having your air conditioning units, humidifiers and more reacting together in response to changes in your home environment communicating with postmen and couriers through the door bell relaxing and unwinding in the evenings by setting schedules with connected products such as scent diffusers, lighting and curtains returning to a freshly vacuumed and mopped home, every single day. Things like this are doable with a whole range of tech, like these nifty finds. Sort your life out with Amazon Alexa From scheduling things in your calendar, to simply setting a timer, to generally reducing your screen time, these Amazon Alexa babies make life easier! Control your home’s temperature without even thinking about it Using the Connect Universal Smart IR remote with temperature and humidity sensors, helps with controlling TVs and air cons from a single remote. Set scenes to automate your life! Have constantly clean floors thanks to Ecovacs Control your personal cleaner using the the Ecovacs app or with voice command through Amazon Echo or… Read More

Travelling sustainably: Lonely Planet’s guide to not killing the earth while you holiday

Man airport plane travel

Think off-grid camps, community stays, responsible wildlife encounters, cultural immersion tours, conservation opportunities, green hotels and more, the new guide book by Lonely Planet, available this March, has the Earth’s back. “While the global tourism industry has made great strides towards sustainability in recent years, achieving sustainable tourism is a continuous process,” Lonely Planet says. “This process is reflected in our book. When we asked travel writers from around the globe to tell us about their favourite sustainable travel accommodation and experiences, their top picks covered the spectrum of sustainability. Some options had sustainability at heart from conception, while others have made a concerted effort to improve. What unites them, is a commitment to enacting positive change.” How to use the book… There’re five chapters, each alongside a theme of escape: Nature, Relaxation, Culture, Urban and Learning. Within each chapter, the profiles are labelled with the key sustainability features you can enjoy while staying at the hotel or participating in the tour. Check it all out and get your own at the Lonely Planet website.

Haircut and a cocktail: Why Sharps barber is doing Metaxa cocktails

Metaxa

Everybody loves a drink. Everybody needs a haircut. Combine the two and you’ve got a great after-work activity, delivering you a new look and slightly cloudier judgement, making for an even better time. Sharps is serving Metaxa. A Greek spirit from 1888, it’s known as the original Greek spirit and is all about its vibrant yet smooth, Metaxa’s unique taste takes you on a voyage that piques your curiosity and encourages a sense of exploration. They celebrated the whole collaboration at the end of 2019, by teaming up with travellers who’d share stories and anecdotes from their travels, overcoming adversity and challenges, the world’s first expedition to officially reach the furthest source of the Essequibo river in Guyana and complete its descent by kayak, last year.   In any case, seize the spirit of exploration, try a new do and head to Sharps for more. They’re serving up Metaxa 12 Stars and ginger rock cocktails, too. Find out more and make a booking at the Sharps website.

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.

Easiest way to get to the Sydney Mardi Gras from these 6 cities

Mardi Gras parade Sydney THE F 2

You anywhere but Sydney and planning to go to Mardi Gras? Worry not; Sydney might be far, but it’s still connected. Here’s how with Cathay… New York: The origin of the historic 1969 Stonewall Riots, New York kicked off Pride marches and celebrations the world enjoys today. Visitors can be enriched by the historic gay liberation movements ignited in this city, as well as take part in the bustle of its June Pride events. From unique drag nights to inclusive street markets New York has something for everyone. London: Entering its 51st year, London Pride is one of UK’s biggest celebrations with a vast array of events including world famous cultural and political art scene, culminating in the Pride Parade on the 27 of June. Tel Aviv: Celebrate at the Middle East’s biggest Pride festival and take to the streets with more than 250,000 Pride attendees. With an abundance of inclusive activities, join the party and cheers to acceptance and inclusion during a week-long Pride festival. Amsterdam: Looking for a unique parade experience? Look no further than Amsterdam. Leaving the streets and hitting the water this city’s Canal Pride Parade is something no pride lover can miss. With parade watcher’s filing the edges of canals, be amazed by the literal floats. Taipei: Making history in 2019 as the first Asian nation to legalise marriage equality, Taiwan is now making its mark on the world LGBTQI+ scene. Hosted in October, Taiwan Pride attracts tens of thousands of visitors to the capital city, Taipei. San Francisco: One of the best represented LGBTQI+ communities… Read More

The Winery Sydney goes gay this Mardi Gras

Winery Mardi Gras

The Winery on Crown Street, Sydney, right at the epicentre of all things Mardi Gras this year, is turning it on. Think wine, champagne, men in dresses and all the entertainment you need in the lead-up to the climax that is the after party. Have a look at what they’ve done previously to get a taste. Expect to be dazzled by MC personality, James Breko as he hosts Chalk A Rainbow for the community; sing along with the Drag Diva Lip Sync Battles to favourites like Kylie vs Pink and Adele vs Madonna; escape the crowds but not the fun at the exclusive parade viewing party; and recover in style the morning after at their official ‘Recovery Party’ with tasty, alcohol-free cocktails and massages.  For more, check The Winery’s 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.