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.
Few (big) cities worldwide are as lovingly cradled by nature as Vancouver. Nestled between the Pacific Ocean and the snowy peaks of the Coast Mountains, the biggest and most diverse city in British Columbia perfectly fits the bill for both outdoor adventure and urban excitement. There’s world-class art (one of my favourite museums in the…
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Around 800 cherry blossom trees wither over the water in the hip, canal-centric neighbourhood of Nakameguro in Tokyo; their spines ain’t what they used to be. From mid-to-late March, the canal is dressed as its festive best, the cherry blossom trees shedding over the narrow 3.8-km stretch, floating in the water to create a memorable…
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While I was in the USA last year I had a few changes to my itinerary. It was ambitious, I was darting from coast to coast to Canada and back again, but not everything was locked in. I spent most of the time in New York City and planned to gradually make my way over…
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Counting just how many hotels there are scattered across New York City would be an impressive undertaking. New properties are popping up from some of the world’s best hotel companies almost every month. I spent a decent amount of time travelling around New York City in mid-2024 so I could bring AU Review’s readers a…
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Luxury with such heart, cinematic appeal and playfulness is rare. Amid all the showiness and exclusivity of a snooty five-star in Manhattan, there can be a real sense of disconnection as the soullessness of it all starts to take hold and that all-important sense of place drops off. That’s why feeling a deep sense of…
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Concrete Jungle where dreams are made of? The now immortal phrase refers to New York City’s most distinctive visuals, where bright, vivid colours of nature snake through the urban sprawl like a dystopian fever dream. Few places in the world are as symbolic of biophilic design, which is why it works having two properties from…
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There are hotels, and then there are institutions—places that have woven themselves into the fabric of a city’s history, where the past is packed into every ornate detail, nook and cranny. Palmer House, a Hilton Hotel in Chicago is one such place. A transportive capsule of elegance since the 19th century, this landmark property is…
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Hobart is a city of stories, so it makes sense that you’ll find different storytelling techniques in the Tassie capital. I realised that at Dark Mofo one year, running around the epic Winter Feast and asking a tonne of questions to all the local artisans. Everyone here has a fascinating history and knows exactly how…
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I’ve become increasingly impressed by how tight and efficient Apple’s ecosystem has been over the past few years. Accusations about a lack of innovation ring true, but the pressure to provide something new every time isn’t always the right path in the tech world. I’ve come to understand that true progress is all about refinement;…
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The Prodigy are touring Australia. I honestly never thought I’d be writing that sentence again. The iconic, genre-less group last toured Australia just weeks before Keith Flint passed away in March 2019. With only Maxim, Liam and their keyboardist Leeroy left, it didn’t seem likely to see The Prodigy hit the stage again. And yet…
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Located in the charismatic James Hotel, Scarpetta holds court as one of Manhattan’s most reliable Italian restaurants, shouldering plenty of acclaim despite consistent competition from the likes of Torissi and the great Emilio’s Ballato. The restaurant opened in 2008 in the Meatpacking District to instant acclaim, glowing from a three-star review in The New York…
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One in Sydney. One in Melbourne. L.A legend Ice Cube is no stranger to performing in Australia. He was just here two years ago with Cypress Hill, although he hadn’t been touring much before that. Anyone who saw Cube at those concerts would be surprised to hear he’s coming back so soon, and with a…
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It’s no secret that Canberra punches above its modest weight. The food (and wine) is some of the best in the country, spoiled by the finest of both Victoria and New South Wales produce. Then you have the relaxed pace, barely-there traffic, world-class art and bucolic lifestyle. That’s one of the few things Melbourne and…
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When you live in Australia, summer means long, hot days, backyard BBQs, and—if you’re lucky—a dip in the pool to escape the heat. But if you’ve got a pool, you also know the struggle: leaves, bugs, and who-knows-what floating on the surface. That pool net is a daily demand, and it takes up a lot…
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Pizza ovens have been a leading category for a few years now. Just look on Google and you’ll find that plenty of brands have entered the market to meet demand. But Gozney started the whole hype with the excellent (and remarkably portable) Roccbox. Expanding the range has been a regular thing since then, with some…
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Noughties nostalgia will be flowing all over some of Australia’s best venues this month when St Louis rapper Nelly brings his current world tour down under to celebrate a trip down memory lane. While many younger hip hop fans would have grown up with songs like “Ride With Me” and “Dilemma,” there’s a distinct bounce…
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After plenty of acclaim this year, it seems Dometic is poised to dominate the category of outdoor essentials. Planning a big camping trip? You might want to look into this incredibly well-considered device, which is aimed squarely at big groups who spend days or even weeks soaking up the great outdoors and don’t necessarily feel…
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The Ecovacs Deebot X5 Omni represents a significant leap forward in the evolution of robot vacuums. It introduces a suite of advanced features that enhance cleaning efficiency and user convenience. That’s the promise on paper and it’s more or less delivered here with stunning results. And while it may not be pushing the envelope, I’ve…
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Everyone knows the UE speakers as soon as they see them now. I don’t think there’s a sharehouse in Australia that doesn’t have at least two of these sitting around the lounge room, always ready to blast some Fred Again when the mood strikes. Such familiarity also leads to complacency at times. It’d be just…
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The latest iteration of GoPro’s action camera continues the company’s tradition of keeping in step with modern technology while maintaining the rugged reliability that made the brand a household name. Design is, after all, what made GoPro such a game-changing camera when it was first released. Now, as more and more people set out to…
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Compact with big ambitions, XGIMI’s MoGo 2 Pro might not be perfect but, for the price, it’s the portable projector to beat right now and has me excited about where the technology is going. When it comes to portable projectors, the XGIMI MoGo 2 Pro aims to redefine expectations, packing impressive features into a device…
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Santa’s state-sanctioned home invasions are just around the corner. The big ball of joy is going to be squeezing down your chimney in just a few weeks, but you don’t want him to spot a sad, empty Christmas tree when he makes it down, do you? Trees that shadow dozens upon dozens of wrapped presents,…
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Have you been to a rave at Sydney’s Carriageworks? You may have popped by the Carriageworks Farmers Markets, gazed in wonder at Sydney Contemporary and strutted your stuff at Fashion Week, but seeing a big, blinding rave at this arts and lifestyle institution is just as essential. I once saw Grace Jones in the belly…
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You know it’s a big deal when bassist Mark Stoermer pops up on stage. Stoermer might be The Killers’ original bassist, but a combination of tinnitus and back issues means the prodigiously talented musician rarely tours with the band. Similarly, Dave Keuning’s luscious locks are barely seen when The Killers flirt around the word. And…
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Not since 2017’s highly successful Boys Meets World tour has Canadian rap impresario Drake even stepped on Australian soil. But eight years later, the globe-dominating artist has the country’s east coast firmly in sight. In fact, he may well be debuting a brand new tour down here. The Anita Max Wynn (“I Need A Max…
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Music is much more than just art. It’s a neuroscientific tool that you can use to pocket memories, elevate moments and add magic to the mundane. Some elicit stronger bouts of nostalgia than others simply because of how they’re produced and written. But the process of music digging into our souls and helping us find…
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It’s been far too long between outings for Nintendo’s acclaimed Mario & Luigi RPG outing. This has supposedly been rectified by masterful remakes of two of the series’ most acclaimed titles, as well as a brand new adventure in Mario & Luigi: Brothership. The interesting release strategy is a smart move from Nintendo, nodding to…
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Black Francis doesn’t like talking, and he isn’t afraid to let you know that. “We’re happy to be here. Many people think we aren’t because we don’t talk much, but we are,” he says casually into the microphone before his band, Pixies, give us two nonstop hours of snub-nosed rock & roll. “When you talk,…
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The silly season has already started. With work winding down, Christmas parties loading up, and all those Xmas lights starting to sparkle, it’s beginning to look a lot like freedom. No doubt you’ll be planning an epic December to let loose from a chaotic 2024. We’re willing to bet that live music is a big…
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If the remaining members of the Beastie Boys ever wanted to recreate the music video for “Intergalactic” surely Chris Martin wouldn’t mind stepping in for the late, great MCA. I’m not sure when Coldplay became obsessed with the galaxy but the band has been doing this titanic, leave-the-world-behind super-pop thing for many years now. It’s…
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