Author: Chris Singh

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.

Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning Review: A vital title for the Nintendo Switch

It disturbs me just how often Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning is overlooked and underrated when it comes to talking about the great action-RPGs of the past decade. Skyrim? Sure. Dark Souls? Definitely. The Witcher 3? You betcha. All three games were superior of KoA, but that doesn’t at all diminish just how intensely playable and…

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Junipalooza Sydney eyes August launch with a two-day homage to gin

Two-day gin superfest Junipalooza is eyeing an August 2021 debut for its Sydney iteration, following five successful years staging its Melbourne festival. The homage to all things gin will be taking over Carriageworks on 28th and 29th August, rounding up dozens of distillers under the one roof. Given the way the festival works and its…

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Travel Gear: Icebreaker’s City Label is a game-changer for the brand

New Zealand brand Icebreaker may be best known for travel apparel that you’d wear far outside of any dense concrete settings, but their still-fresh City label plays by a different set of rules. Although timing may have been a bit off, Icebreaker’s tightly curated City capsule launched early last year and has instantly become an…

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EggSlut’s Alvin Cailan leads new Potts Point pop up “Iconic Burger”

To celebrate the fact that online platform The Burger Collective is now doing delivery – TBC Delivery (it’s like your favourite delivery service, but only with burgers) – celeb chef Alvin Cailan has decided to open a new Potts Point pop-up called Iconic Burger. Kicking off on the 17th March for 3 weeks only, the…

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Black Star Pastry prep 15,000 hot cross buns for Sydney’s Easter rush

Given that they are some of the most popular Easter treats its year, it’s no surprise to see Black Star Pastry bring back their famous translation of the classic Hot Cross Buns. Available now until Monday 5th April, Sydney’s most beloved bakery will be dolling out these dense, cushiony, sticky, spicy, sweet, 100% vegan buns…

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Sonos Roam

Sonos Roam is the powerhouse audio brand’s most portable speaker yet

Audio experts Sonos have announced their latest speaker, and like the Sonos Move before it, they are once again tackling the portable audio market. The Sonos Roam, coming to Australia on 20th April, is the latest from the highly reputable brand, offering both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi modes for better flexibility. Featuring that unmistakably minimal and…

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Peloton

Fitness brand Peloton are finally launching Bike and Bike+ in Australia

New York-born interactive fitness platform Peloton is set to (finally) launch in Australia in 2021, 7 years after the brand first introduced its seminal indoor, high-tech Bike. Both the Peloton Bike and Bike+ will be launching for the Australian market, alongside two tread options, as well as a robust Digital Membership program to found out…

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Esteban evolves with modern Mexican eats and live Latin American music

Live music was hard to come by all throughout last year in Sydney, for obvious reasons, but now a swift return to in-the-flesh sounds of all kinds is back on the cards. We’ve already seen Sydney come to life with a new outdoor concert series, and now one of the city’s best new Mexican restaurants…

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Keep travel dreams alive with Trafalgar’s free digital events in March

Even a glimpse of international travel, and what it will look like post-COVID, is still awhile away, but as with 2020, dreaming is still important. The problem is then sorting through the deluge of travel talks and videos to find what’s going to inspire you. The answer: well, anything. You can never know what’s going…

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BrewDog are opening a craft beer hotel in Australia

Aussie brew fiends will soon be able to stay in the country’s very first craft beer hotel once BrewDog Australia open the ambitious property in Brisbane. The eco-friendly, dog-friendly, will be simply dubbed The DogHouse, bringing the concept over from the states following the success of the brand in Ohio – a property TIME Magazine…

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LG are launching their ultra-light laptop range in Australia

Announced just last week, LG Electronics Australia are bringing the company’s acclaimed LG Gram laptop range to Australia, hoping to compete in a crowded market with some ultra-light options. Coming to local retailers and Amazon Australia this month, the 14-inch, 16-inch, and 17-inch LG Gram models are hoping to bring some freshness to the market,…

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The best affordable 5G phones out right now in 2021

The 5G race is heating up in the world of smartphones, with both Android and Apple devices now bringing out mid-tier 5G-ready sets to prepare for faster speeds. The past few years has been defined by a somewhat transition period between the two Wi-Fi standards, but now that we’ve tipped towards the future-ready side of…

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Lark muscat cask finish

Lark Distillery reveals gold-winning Muscat Cask Finish single malt whisky

As far as Australian whisky goes, is there any distillery as prolific as Lark right now? They’ve been bang on with the releases lately, and that success doesn’t look to be slowing down any soon with the highly anticipated release of the Lark Muscat Cask Finish single malt. It’s one of Lark’s highest achieving whiskies…

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Crowne Plaza will let you check out as late as 11pm across Australia

“Can I get a late check-out please?”. Perhaps the most common request when checking into a staycation, and one that’s entirely understandable. The folks at IHG Group hotels have obviously heard this one too many times, so to celebrate World Sleep Day they are using their ubiquitous Crowne Plaza brand to offer Australia’s latest check-out….

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Culture Check: 5 unmissable Sydney events in autumn 2021

Think now that summer is over Sydney goes into hibernation? Think again. With the exception of last year, moving into autumn is often a time when the city’s dynamic cultural scene comes alive, and 2021 will be no exception, with some of the best things to do in Sydney. Particularly after the year that was,…

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Oppo announces Find X3 Pro, Neo & Lite: Australian pricing and availability

Oppo, which has just overtaken Huawei as China’s number one smartphone brand, is looking to keep their recent score of wins rolling with their new flagship Find X3 series. Much like the X2 series before it, the forthcoming release will be split into Lite 5G, Neo 5G and Pro 5G models – Pro obviously sitting…

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Barry's Bootcamp Surry Hills

Barry’s Bootcamp and Chin Chin link up for the ultimate fitness feast in Sydney

Fancy your HIIT with a side of scrummy Thai food? I’m not talking overly-sauced takeaway pad see ew after you’ve just flurried your way through sprints and burpees either. The team behind global fitness favourite Barry’s Bootcamp has teamed up with pink-hued contemporary Thai restaurant Chin Chin for just that. HIIT with a side of…

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How to get your hands on rare 19-year old whiskies from Lark Distillery

Ever-busy Tasmanian whisky heroes Lark Distillery have just released a sub-$2,000 19-year old whisky as two casks. The inaugural “Legacy” and its expressions, HHF582B (AKA “Topaz”) and HHF585A (AKA “Rich Toffee), boast the distinction of having been distilled by Bill Lark himself, during his tenure as Head Distiller, which has since been a role filled…

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What to do if you want to re-kindle your love for Sydney in 2021

We’re lucky to live in Australia. That phrase – as common as it is – has never been more accurate. We haven’t beaten this ongoing global pandemic by a long shot, and it would be foolish to be complacent about something that could very well rear its ugly head at the drop of a hat….

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koala cork sofa

Koala’s new cork sofa is a big step towards sustainable homeware

Koala may be best known for their ridiculously popular mattresses in-a-box, but the environmentally conscious furniture brand has just made a big, sustainable statement outside of the bedroom. Sourcing cork from regenerative cork oak trees in the Mediterranean basin, they have managed to produce Australia’s first ever soda made entirely from cork. Yes, cork. Cork…

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Whisky Loot taps the luck of the Irish with new themed whiskey boxes

Put down that bottle of Jameson. You can pick it up later – Jameson is fine. But there is much more to Irish whisky than one or two brands. Don’t believe me? Hit up Whisky Loot and they’ll tell you – actually, they’ll show you. The Australian online whisky subscription service has decided to turn…

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A local’s guide to Orange, NSW in 2021: Where to eat, stay, sip and play

Domestic travel is in full-swing, which means Sydneysiders should be swapping turns hopping between some of the state’s greatest spots. They all have their moments, but one of the most consistent in terms of both popularity and value has been, is, and will always be Orange. The pocket of serenity, wine, and some of the…

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Sneaker of the year, so far? New Balance’s 237 Silhouette is a wild and fitting tribute

The patchwork approach New Balance have taken to one of their latest silhouettes, the 237, is outstanding. Two colourways, both equally head-turning, are available for this recent drop, which is somewhat of an homage to the classic 327 and the aesthetic bent of the 1970s. A stitched and oversized N logo is an unquestionable presence…

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Grill’d are giving away free lamb brain burgers this weekend

Grill’d isn’t widely known for experimentation. Sure, they’ve always been consistent in rolling out new, health-focused combinations, but they’ve never truly gone left-field with their inoffensive menu. That changes this weekend, as the burger chain partners with streaming service Binge to introduce a lamb brain burger. Yes, a lamb brain burger. And you don’t get…

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Restaurant of the Month: Mister Percy – Pyrmont, Sydney

Sydney’s hotel restaurants are boring. Maybe that was a bit too definitive. Let’s just say, Sydney hotel restaurants are, for the most part, unmemorable. At least when compared to standard-pushing cities like Tokyo and New York City. Although, I’ve never eaten at a Chicago, San Fran or L.A. hotel restaurant that inspired much enthusiasm either….

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Pizza Hut Australia now delivers some of the country’s favourite beers

Forget the 1.25L bottle of Coke with your Pizza Hut Australia order. From today, the inescapable pizza brand is now chucking beer on the menu. From $20, you can slap a six-pack on top of your pizza (or wings or pasta) order, although the concept has only so far rolled out in Queensland and Victoria….

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Four Pillars and QT Hotels come together for exclusive coconut and bamboo “Ordered Chaos” gin

Yarra Valley’s eternally beloved Four Pillars has teamed up with the equally adored QT Hotels and Resorts for a playful new collaboration which will see the distillery’s latest gin available exclusively across QT’s family of boutique-minded hotels. And though you might not be able to get Four Pillars’ new Ordered Chaos Gin at your local…

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Win a TCL 10 Pro smartphone worth $749

In the market for a premium mid-range smartphone? The latest flagship offering from TCL Electronics (yes, the ones that make those consistently impressive super premium televisions) is the TCL 10 Pro and we’ve got one to give away to one lucky reader. Retailing for $749, the TCL 10 Pro provides an immersive experience to users…

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Lenovo Duet Chromebook Review: Costs less, offers more

I’m shocked. Not because Google and Lenovo have produced a capable entry-level 2-in-1 with the Lenovo Duet Chromebook, but because it’s only $599 (although you can probably get it for much less right now). That’s not cheap per se, but it’s incredible value for something that doesn’t feel like a heavily compromised budget PC. The…

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Amazon Echo (4th-Gen) Review: Spheres are sexy, and so is surface area

We haven’t even reached the point where smart devices are truly mass market, but we will get there. Curating smart homes has been a big talking point over here at the AU, and in general. It’s a fascinating lean forward into the IoT world, and the big companies like Google and Amazon are starting to…

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