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.

Sydney lockdown be damned: ChefPrep lets us try our favourite restaurants from afar

Sydney being in lockdown doesn’t mean locals can’t experience their favourite restaurants. In the past few weeks the state has already seen the launch of Melbourne-born service Providoor as well as a healthy selection of Sydney lockdown takeaway options. One new service adding greatly to that is ChefPrep, a new online marketplace that has partnered…

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Flight Centre just put up a massive competition with 5 years worth of free travel on the cards

With Aussies itching for the day when international borders finally open up, hopeful planning is one of the best things to do right now. Money will most definitely be an issue once that day comes, so being on the lookout for competitions, like this new one run by Flight Centre Australia, is a wise move…

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Grilld

Grill’d make a huge play for plant-based burgers in new partnership with Heston Blumenthal

Michelin starred chef Heston Blumenthal has come on board to help Grill’d pick up their increasingly impressive plant-based game. Using Fable, a mushroom-based meat, Heston has helped create four new burgers in a bid to add to the chain’s already stacked offering, which in the past few years has been fast moving towards redefining fast-casual…

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Bite Size: 5 bits of Australian food news you should know for August 2021

Looking to switch up that shopping cart? Every so often the AU will be looking to 5 quick news bites we think Aussies should be across, whether that’s something as small as a new supermarket essential or a city-specific needt-to-know to keep you eating you eating well each day of the week. Kit Kat Teams…

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Nespresso Vertuo Next Review: Adding a bit more versatility to your standard capsule coffee

Can a Nespresso machine be any easier to use in 2021? Although the Nestle has a seemingly endless collection of models now, it’s hard to imagine how they could make a more straight-forward coffee machine than they have in the past. Pop a pod in and you’ll be typically rewarded with an excellent, velvety smooth…

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Modus Operandi’s NORT creates world first non-alcoholic Pacific Ale

Australian made, female founded company NORT Beer has pushed forward with a world’s first, launching a non-alcoholic Pacific Ale in a substantial move for the low-to-no alcohol movement that has swept the industry over the past few years. NORT is already well known throughout Australia as a locally-brewed 100% crafted non-alcoholic beer, so it’s not…

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TCL 20L

Win a TCL 20L+ smartphone worth $399

TCL have completed their high-value mid-range line with the recent released of the TCL 20+ smartphone. Given TCL Electronics make some of the best TVs on the market, not only does phone have a large 6.67″ HD+ screen that’s clear and crisp, but also sports a range of features making it an incredibly slick Android…

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Hendrick’s get starry-eyed with the release of limited edition Lunar Gin

Hendrick’s has always been a gin with just as personality as punch, so it’s always worth paying attention to what the William Grant & Sons label has got going on. Right now, that’s the newly released Hendrick’s Lunar Gin, hand-crafted in Scotland and serving as a sequel to 2019’s Midsommer Solstice Gin. Popularity has always…

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a’Mare, Crown Sydney Review: Golden-age service with a side of theatre

Alessandro Pavoni doesn’t have anything to prove. His Ormeggio at the Spit – old enough to be considered legendary – has always been a reference point for Sydney’s excellent spread of trattoria-inspired eateries. The Mosman restaurant’s more recent turn, skewing seafood and flirting with Puglia, has only solidified that reputation. But the chef is clearly…

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QT Hotels & Resorts launch their very own riesling in collaboration with Seppeltsfield Wines

They’ve already created their own gin in collaboration with Four Pillars, now the personality-led QT Hotels & Resorts have gone and made their very own white wine. In partnership with Seppeltsfield Wines, QT have mined the iconic Quelltaler Vineyard and come up with the QT Riesling. Available exclusively across QT’s signature restaurants and bars in…

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The best truffle dishes you need to try in Sydney for Winter 2021

Truffle season has rolled around once more, with plenty of menu takeovers across Sydney showcasing unique flavour profiles including the beloved fungi. Adding a little luxury to your next night out, these lashings of truffle turn any dining experience into an indulgent one. To save the hassle and to get those taste buds tingling, we’ve…

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Papa J’s is Cronulla’s new lounge bar inspired by old-world glitz & glamour

While Sydney’s been getting plenty of new bars this year, building up a strong post-2020 scene that feels refreshing and exciting, not much new has popped up outside of the typical haunts. Cronulla muscles into the scene with the launch of a new art deco bar called Papa J’s. Part of a small family that…

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JBL PartyBox 310 Review: Pure, powerful, and absolutely worth it

JBL have redefined big, booming Bluetooth speakers with the PartyBox 310. That much is clear as you can turn on this mammoth, booming device which is now one of the most powerful Bluetooth speakers on the market, and justifies the huge asking price with a similar sized performance. Design If you’re familiar with the still-young…

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West Hotel Review: A strong atmosphere makes up for a lack of space (Sydney)

As part of Hilton’s boutique-minded Curio Collection, West Hotel comes to Sydney off the back of a strong and prodigious history of hotelling. Although unlike the Hilton chain, Curio clearly skews more designer, and focuses on more than just a few details to echo that ethos. Does Sydney’s property really fit into the brand’s identity?…

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Airgarden uses NASA-designed technology to give sustainable produce an easy win

Does your home benefit from the use of astronaut technology? No. Let’s change that shall we. Airgarden, Australia’s very first vertical soilless gardening system, is making use of the technology for the benefit of anyone obsessed with sustainable design – or for those who just want access to more home-grown produce, faster. The game-changing gardening…

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JBL Club Pro+ Review: An impressive entry into a crowded market

I’d say JBL have been on a roll lately, but it’s been like that for years. Consistently, the brand has gone from being renowned for their loud, slightly obnoxious, party-minded bass to a maturing producer of headphones that see balance as a virtue. On previous JBL models that I’ve tested, bass has always been wound…

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hilton sydney

Hilton Sydney Review: History gets a slick refresh

Hilton Sydney is one of the city’s most reliable CBD hotels. It’s been that way for a long time, but not necessarily because of the guest rooms. The location, directly opposite the Queen Victoria Building, is of course one of the primary reasons for the hotel’s enduring success, despite stiff competition from fresher-faced and more…

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Jabra Evolve2 30 Review: the perfect value proposition for the office

I’ve warmed up to Jabra fast over the past year thanks to their reputation for producing excellent sports-friendly headphones. But the enterprise side of the brand should not be ignored. The brand has long been known for creating some of the best office-focused headsets out there as part of their Evolve2 series, but the best…

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A guide on how to pick furniture for a more mindful, meditative home design

Marie Kondo’s undeniable popularity and her status as a cultural icon should tell you all you need to know about the importance and popularity of home design. It’s now gone beyond aesthetic, but it’s always been that way. How integral design is to concocting a more mindful, harmonious, and hence nourishing home environment cannot be…

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Sydney Solstice: 6 highlights of the new winter festival

Sydney isn’t about to let the postponement of Vivid get in the way of a good winter festival. Although our two major winter events – Sydney Film Festival and Vivid Sydney – have both been rescheduled and shifted to later this year, a new two-week replacement will more than fill the need for all that…

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Kenwood Cooking Chef XL Stand Mixer Review: A kitchen unto itself

You’d be forgiven for thinking you just bit off more than you could chew when Kenwood’s new Cooking Chef XL. Given its multitude of attachments, the device comes in a supersized box that looks like you’ve just purchased a medium-sized bar fridge. Open it up though, and things look much more manageable. Despite the “XL”…

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Sonos Roam Review: Punching well above its weight, even with a few drawbacks

At 430g, the Sonos Roam is the company’s lightest speaker to date. That’s no surprise, seeing as the Sonos Roam is named so for a reason. It’s the first Sonos speaker designed to compete in the very competitive market of lightweight portable Bluetooth speakers that have been specifically designed for outdoors use. You know, the…

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Lark Distillery and Frogmore Creek team up for limited edition Ruby Pinot Cask Finish whisky

If it seems like Tasmania’s iconic Lark Distillery are moving forward with more releases than most would even know what to do with this year – you’re not going crazy. There has simply not been an Australian distillery as prolific and inventive with their 2021 releases and the latest, a Ruby Pinot Cask Finish, is…

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Sennheiser IE 300 Review: Bringing cabled back in a big, bass-heavy way

Cables on a pair of earphones in 2021? Surely you jest. While the trend keeps moving towards truly wireless and Bluetooth for high-end earbuds, Sennheiser clearly want to cover all bases. They’ve already got some of the best truly wireless lifestyle earbuds on the market with the CX 400BT (which I have 4.5 stars in…

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Grill’d is giving away thousands of free burgers this week

Tomorrow, Friday 28th May, is one of the greatest days in Australia. In case you didn’t know already, the date marks National Burger Day and you better believe some of the country’s best flippers are celebrating in their own special ways. Grill’d isn’t about to be left behind. As the country’s best known healthy burger…

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QT Bondi and Slow House partner up to offer guests holistic wellness staycations

There’s something about beautifully styled boutique hotels that can immediately shift guests from stress to rest in a way larger hotels can’t. Want proof? Just walk into the humble lobby of QT Bondi and feel the day’s worries melt like fine butter on a hot summer’s day. That goes double now that the boutique has…

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Netgear Orbi WiFi 6 Review: Running laps around the competition

The Netgear Orbi WiFi 6 just may be the most reliable of its kind right now. It’s blazingly fast, beautifully designed, and shows of just how powerful and important having a mesh system can be when building a more modern, smarter home. Although having one would depend on your needs. A home of modest size…

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soulara pesto

Soulara: Plant-based microwave meals are a life-saver for the health-conscious worker

Walk into any supermarket now and I’d be surprised if you couldn’t find the ready-to-heat meal section. If any part of your local has seen more variety in the past year, it’s this sector. Yes, microwaveable meals have been around forever, but a recent swell in interest, and a wider push towards portion control, is…

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Cam Avery has curated a score for one of Sydney’s most luxurious spa treatments

Until the end of May (so you only have a week), Sydneysiders will have access to a different kind of luxury spa treatment at The Darling Spa. How different? Well, one of the The Darling Spa’s signature treatments, the 90-minute Li’tya Mala Mayi, has been elevated with a multisensory approach in collaboration with Aussie musician…

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QT Sydney is bringing back their vintage negroni fountain for your best aperitif session

In an ideal world, knocking back the greatest apertivo known to humankind, the humble and dependable negroni, would be an everyday, forever kind of thing. For a fortunate few, it is, but most barely have enough time to sit down and revisit the handsome cocktail on the regular. That should change, and the eternally playful…

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