Chris Singh is an Editor-At-Large at the AU review, loves writing about travel and hospitality, and is partial to a perfectly textured octopus. You can reach him on Instagram: @chrisdsingh.
It’s tough to be in VIC right now, with COVID-19 cases soaring and Melbourne returning to tight lockdown measures. Some of Australia’s biggest casual restaurants are doing their best to help out. We’ve already seen Grill’d offer Victorians 2-for-1 burgers to ease them back into the order-in state of mind. Now it seems Mexican favourite…
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Melbourne-based Australian-Nigerian emcee IJALE has served up the first taste of his upcoming debut EP Wildly Disparate Sounds with the conceptually powerful, aesthetically smooth “Hotline”. More than just a song, the hip hop artist has expanded upon the idea of having a safe space for the Black community and other people of colour to vent…
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Alice Springs based producer Resin Moon has found his voice in a town so rich in culture, camaraderie and artistic experimentation. As he recalls, the artist found his home in remote Central Australia follows a few years of travelling and trying to find hone his craft, a path to self-discovery which has led to his…
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We all know Singapore is lionised when it comes to food. Though while dining through the city-state is definitely something every gourmand needs to do at least seven times in their life, it’d be a big mistake to gloss over the incredibly diverse and creative cocktail scene coursing in between all those hawker markets and…
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Nike’s move towards sustainable solutions will see a substantial leap forward when the highly anticipated Nike Air VaporMax 2020 Flyknit makes its way to Australia next month. The new release is touted as being one of the brand’s most sustainable shoes to date, with at least 50 per cent recycled content by weight. Representing a…
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Perth emcee Sowdy is steadily building a reputation as one of the most versatile and exciting hip hop artists in the country. Just one listen to his latest single, “Love”, would tell you all you needed to know about the wildly creative rapper, drummer and vocalist, whose love for the art is endearingly obvious. His…
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Following a solid response from artists around the world, this year’s Sculpture by the Sea at Bondi has confirmed that more than 100 artists have been selected for the iconic outdoor exhibition. As one of the first major public arts events in Sydney since the Covid-19 lockdown, Sculpture by the Sea is currently scheduled to…
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Fancy a little cocktail bottle hunt? Both QT Sydney and QT Bondi, two hotels cut from the same highly eccentric cloth, have teamed up with cocktail delivery service Cocktail Porter to stock their rooms with premium handcrafted bottled concoctions. But that’s not the most exciting part – although it’s pretty damn enticing enough. To celebrate…
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As demand for domestic flights continue to rise, Qantas has announced several important changes to its frequent flyer program to make it easier for customers to use points on domestic and, potentially, Trans-Tasman flights. For the remainder of this year, Qantas Frequent Flyer will be boosting the availability of Classic Flight Reward seats by up…
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Students from the University of Sydney and robotics engineers have created the bartenders for the city’s first ever “zero-contact bar”. Located in Darlinghurst, the Heineken Zero0.0 Contact Bar will make use of two robotic arms – named “Heidi” and “Ken” – to serve up the bar’s namesake (alcohol-free) beer, in-line with the need for physical…
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Weekend snags are set to return as Bunnings stores across Australia bring back the ridiculously popular sausage sizzle tradition. Though it’s been an identity-forming food staple since the 90s, Bunnings hit the pause button on sausage sizzles nationwide mid-March due to COVID-19. Now, the hardware chain has promised that they will be resuming the spirited…
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For a budget smartphone, Realme’s C3 sure looks tempting. It’s Blazing Red colourway is a reliable head-turner with its richly textured ribbed finish and ability to shrug of fingerprints like a pro. It’s also large enough to at least pretend to be a top-tier phone. But for all it’s good looks, book-cover applies here, and…
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Matt Moran’s acclaimed Aria has announced the reopening of its doors on 14th July, with a massive change to part of the restaurant. Although things haven’t quite started off on the right foot for their 20th anniversary year, for obvious reasons, part of the dining institution will be transformed into a dedicated, 1700-bottle wine bar…
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Given the recent strengthening of JBL’s Bar Series of soundbars with Bar 2.0, 2.1 and 5.1, the reliable brand is now bringing its top-line JBL Bar 9.1 to Australia. Notably, this is the first JBL soundbar compatible with Dolby Atmos, adding a substantial punch to the series complemented by streaming support for Google Chromecast and…
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Right up until 11:59pm on Thursday 16th July, ubiquitous burger chain Grill’d is offering freebies to Victorians facing a return to lockdown. It’s tough to be in Victoria right now. With cases of COVID-19 quickly rising in Melbourne, and the always ever-threat of it spreading significantly outside of the city, those in Australia’s second largest…
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Deliveroo has announced that, in response to Melbourne being thrown back into stage-three lockdown, the food-delivery service will be offering a 20% discount to all customers who order from a local restaurant between Monday and Thursday, for at least the next two weeks. This offer will be available across 5,000 metro Melbourne restaurants on all…
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Celebrated your birthday in iso? If so, head on over to your local Krispy Kreme store today, show some proof, and the doughnut lords will give you a dozen Original Glazed for free. As part of the latest giveaway, Krispy Kreme expect to give away over 350,000 of their signature doughnuts today, to anyone whose…
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The almost sickeningly rich thirst trap that is Dare Iced Coffee has been broken down, reimagined and distilled by the team at Arnott’s, the result slapped between two dark chocolate biscuits. While Australia has no shortage of master-minded blends of supermarket favourites, the undisputed snack kings have certainly surprised with their latest collaboration. Newly launched…
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Wine rightfully slinks into the starring role in any at-home survival kit, as has been exemplified this year with lockdown. That’s hardly a surprise. For millennia, the drink has been as much as source of comfort as it is symbol of cultures around the world. Perhaps that’s most demonstrated in France than anywhere else, with…
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Prior to watching Natalie Erika James’ Relic, I’d read constant comparisons to Hereditary and The Babadook. The former has too strong a grasp on literal malevolence to align in any way with James’ debut feature, but The Babadook certainly shares a great deal with this Australian-made indie-horror, given both are rooted in German expressionism and…
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If you’ve ever had the pleasure of eating at one of Sydney’s most popular, long-running Japanese restaurants, Masuya, or trendy Surry Hills gem Toko, then you’re familiar with the considerable touch of Sushi Master Toshi Oe. With three decades of experience, the chef is rightfully considered Sydney’s original Sushi Master, and he’ll be popping up…
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Smartphones are nothing without convenience. That has been the biggest point working against Huawei’s feature-rich P40 series thus far. The absence of Google Mobile Services has become a big talking point for the new flagship series, but the Chinese tech giant has been doing admirable work in working around the fact that you can’t get…
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Sydney’s most potent mix of pizza, beer and smoky rock ‘n’ roll, Frankie’s Pizza by the Slice, has officially reopened. Due to eased restrictions, the city’s favourite rock bar will once again buzz from 4pm to 3:30 every single day, with an epic return to live music via long string of shows planned for August….
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Oppo has been showing force this year. First, they reiterated their high-value approach to the budget and mid-market sectors with the likes of wallet-friendly A52. Now they’ve bought that sense of value to the highest tier of smartphones, with the hugely anticipated 5G-ready Find X2 Series, the top of which is the Find X2 Pro,…
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Through some temporal wizardry, January 2020 simultaneously feels like yesterday, and many years ago. COVID-19 and its resulting lockdowns has confused our sense of time and wreaked havoc on the numerous industries that define Australia. The arts has been a most prominent victim of this ongoing global pandemic, but that won’t stop the tenacious scene…
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If diving into rich and creamy French onion soup, sending your tastebuds on a vacay to Rhône Valley, and crunching the juices out of duck confit sounds like your idea of a good time, then you’re going to love Bastille Day this year. France’s national day is always an exciting time across the world, but…
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With talk of a Trans-Tasman travel bubble still floating around – and looking promising – Aussies’ attention is split between their own magnificent backyard and the equally gorgeous landscapes and cities that await across the ditch. Auckland should be front-centre of that vision, with its big-city lifestyle, dynamic dining scene gorgeous harbour, and wine-filled Waiheke…
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Garage may have taken a backseat in the UK music scene, but whenever the seminal sound emerges it always hits hard. With “West Ten”, emcee AJ Tracey has reunited with singer Mabel to swiftly blend the iconic sound with an irresistible pop melody. Despite its saccharine sound, Tracey’s charisma and Mabel’s summery vocals reiterate how…
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Building upon their all-in-one MHC series of party-minded, lighting-enhanced speakers, Sony has introduced three new models focusing on all-new “Omnidirectional Party Sound” and “Omnidirectional Party Light” features. Geared towards creating big high-powered sound stages in the home environment, as well as nodding heavily to self-styled karaoke sessions, the MHC-V73D, MHC-V43D and MHC-V13 represent a wider…
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With a serious price point and an eye-watering spec sheet, the Motorola razr has surely gone down as one of the biggest smartphone releases so far this year. Launched back in February, razr instantly turned heads with it vintage flip design meshed with foldable screen technology, becoming quite the modish device. Now the world’s first…
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