Features

The best Christmas gifts in Australia for 2020

Christmas is almost here, and given the year we’ve just had, it’s go hard or go home. This holiday season is – pending none of 2020’s indulgent curve-balls – going to have a lot riding on it. It’ll be like cannoning-balling into that perfectly temperature controller pool after trudging through the Sahara, and hearing those…

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Atomic Beer Project is Redfern’s latest microbrewery, workspace and restaurant

Western Australia’s Gage Roads Brewing Co is opening its very first venue in Sydney. Situated in the heart of Redfern, Atomic Beer Project brings an innovative concept to the hospitality scene with a microbrewery, workspace and restaurant. Set in in a contemporary warehouse and visually setting the scene with giant stainless-steel tanks of fresh beer,…

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Five new drinks you need in your life right now

As we move away from winter and into spring, those who love a good, hard spirit are looking for something a bit more vibrant on the palate. Although given that we haven’t quite left the erratic weather behind, something mature and full of enough fire to keep the chest cosy at night. That’s a delicate…

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Interview: MasterChef alumni Matt Sinclair shares his tips and techniques on all things beef

As warmer weather approaches, what better way to celebrate spring than a good old fashioned BBQ or cooking up a Sunday roast? The AU Review spoke with MasterChef finalist and restaurant owner of Sum Yung Guys, Matt Sinclair, who enlightened us with his knowledge of the best beef cuts and cooking techniques. From slow braising,…

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The AU’s Father’s Day drinks guide 2020: Spirits, Wines, and Beers

The pandemic may have shut down more than a few 2020 plans, but that doesn’t mean some of Australia’s finest distilleries, breweries and wineries have stopped pushing their liquid gold onto shelves around the country. We’re willing to bet that dad is going to need a good drink or two come Father’s Day, at least…

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Vanto is Sydney’s hidden gem of Naples-style pizza

Whether it’s traditional Naples-style pizza, classic pasta dishes or their iconic wood-fired sandwiches, Vanto restaurant is the place to be when it comes to authentic Italian cuisine. Nestled on the first floor of the Queen Victoria Building, the hidden gem pays homage to traditional and modern Neapolitan cooking. Noted as Ospitalità Italiana certified (which is…

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Roll’d dishes out new traditional soup range and meal boxes

Whether it’s their innovative rice paper rolls, vermicelli noodle bowls or their classic soup phở that you love, Roll’d is dishing out their latest noodle soup range this winter. Extracted from Roll’d owner, Bao Hoang’s mum’s (Phien Hoang) secret recipes, the traditional Vietnamese soups include the Bún bò Huế, Bánh Canh Cua and Mì Tôm…

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Matt Preston’s five best tips for hosting a winter dinner party

After many months of self-isolation and not being able to see friends and family, what better way to reconnect than a classic dinner party (in states that allow it, of course)?. And who better to help you plan the finest feast than food critic and former Masterchef judge Matt Preston? The AU Review spoke with…

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Jimmys Falafel Bar Sydney

Three new Middle Eastern restaurants open in Sydney

Sydney has never wanted for good, full-throated Middle Eastern food. Efendy, Stanbuli, Barzaari, Nour, Anason, Kepos Street Kitchen, Tayim, Thievery, Cubby’s Kitchen, Shenkin, Emma’s Snack Bar, El Jannah – need I go on? It’s one of the most reliable and diverse cuisines sutured into the very belly of the city’s multicultural fabric. Evidently, the promise…

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Dine With Them: Best Melbourne venues to order from while stuck in iso

Lockdown has made a comeback in Melbourne, meaning more time at home and less time sunning ourselves on a secluded tropical island. While our social lives may be on hold, at least we don’t have to wave goodbye to delicious Melbourne food. Though dining out isn’t an option right now, plenty of our favourite venues…

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Four beginner tips to help you choose the perfect wine this Bastille Day

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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Dine With Them: 5 Sydney restaurants reopened for dine-in (2nd edition)

The sound of creaking hinges echoes around Sydney as restaurants reopen their doors to brunch starved patrons looking for a quality foodie experience once again. With new menus, weekday specials, live performances and scrumptious food, your grand debut back into society will have been worth the wait.  This should be obvious but if you do…

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Sean Baxter’s five mixology rules for amateur bartenders

If 2020 has taught us anything, it’s that homemade bars can be just as special as your favourite speakeasy, and a good beverage doesn’t need to be reserved for the pub or restaurant. Anyone is capable of creating and enhancing their mixology skills, whether it’s making a nice cocktail for virtual work drinks or whipping…

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Interview: Talking burgers, consistency, and COVID-19 with Easey’s co-owner Jimmy Hurlston

It’s been five years since the man who literally wrote the book on burgers opened up an the ambitious Easey’s in the eternally hip Melbourne suburb of Collingwood. The multi-storey building, topped by sightly repurposed train carriages, has since become the preeminent spot for no-fuss burgers in the city and has remained so until this…

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Dine With Them: Five reopened restaurants and cafes in Sydney (Week One)

Over the next few weeks, the AU review will be highlighting five different restaurants in different cities that have re-opened after weeks of devastation. Acting in accordance with current health measures, each of these venues have opened to ten dine-in customers at a time and are following strict hygiene standards to adapt to the ongoing…

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The last minute buyers guide to Mother’s Day 2020

Online shopping is the way to go this year as Mother’s Day 2020 fast approaches. Given the current pandemic sweeping the globe, home tech, beauty and kitchen essentials are flying off those digital shelves, which is why we’ve pulled together some of our latest favourites from each category. Whether your mum needs to lose herself…

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Travel by Taste: 11 food shows on Netflix to binge through

Although we’re currently unable to head on out to a far-flung destination and indulge ourselves in local flavours, we’ve still got ‘armchair travel’. Whether you’re glued to the TV or cooking up a recipe in the kitchen, using your senses to immerse yourself in another culture, as vividly as possible, is the closest we can…

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Ngala Crunchies

Recipe: South African Ngala Crunchies – a safari staple

During these unprecedented times, when staying at home is of the utmost importance, us here at The AU Review are going to be doing everything we can to help readers live their best lives, indoors. As with many other media companies who typically focus on getting folks out and about, we’re shifting to adapt to…

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Cold Fashioned

Recipe: Westward Whiskey Cold Fashioned

During these unprecedented times, when staying at home is of the utmost importance, us here at The AU Review are going to be doing everything we can to help readers live their best lives, indoors. As with many other media companies who typically focus on getting folks out and about, we’re shifting to adapt to…

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Attica Recipe

Recipe: Attica head chef Ben Shewry’s Winter Bolognaise

During these unprecedented times, when staying at home is of the utmost importance, us here at The AU Review are going to be doing everything we can to help readers live their best lives, indoors. As with many other media companies who typically focus on getting folks out and about, we’re shifting to adapt to…

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NOMAD up the Road

Gift Cards: how to support Aussie restaurants during the Coronavirus pandemic

Covid-19, a novel coronavirus, has spread around the world and continues to cause unprecedented health, social and economic crises. Experts are pleading with people to take this seriously, while many separate on the two (equally stupid) extremes of naivety/complacency, and panic/fear-mongering. Social distancing is absolutely crucial to prevent the spread of coronavirus, but as a…

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Five Favourites: Singapore Chef Wayne Liew’s must-eat spots

Eating your way through Singapore is a rite of passage for any worldly traveller. From hawker centres to highly regarded fine-dining, this kinetic hub of all things food, shopping and art is boundless. The internet can never have enough Singapore food articles, given the plethora of what’s out there, what’s been immortalised, and what’s constantly…

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Tasting Australia

Why Tasting Australia is so important for Adelaide in 2020

This April, the annual Tasting Australia will once again spread across Adelaide and its bucolic surrounds to celebrate the best in food, wine and culinary talent. Most importantly, the premier event’s program has been curated by the best talent in the business, put together to help guests fall in (or rekindle their) love for the…

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The four best Valentine’s Day menus in Sydney for 2020

Raspberry and dark chocolate framboisier made to look like a delicate rose in full bloom (pictured above) should tell you all you need to know about how creative chefs get whenever Valentine’s Day comes around. That particular dessert, part of Mode Kitchen & Bar’s set VDay menu for this year, is but one of the…

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7 tech and lifestyle gifts that will score major points this Valentine’s Day

Valentine’s Day is once again right around the corner, which means you’ll probably want to go out and get your S.O. a gift, right? Far from the typical chocolate and roses (although if you do want some of those, new Aussie service Mr Roses is a good place to start), the things that really get…

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Here are all the Bushfire Relief food and drink initiatives in Australia

The bushfire crisis in Australia is ongoing, ferocious and will require a long-term strategy of growth and support for those effected. This past week many celebrities around the world have come out and pledged substantial amounts to help with various bushfire appeal funds aimed at supporting a wide range of people and animals who have…

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Rums, whiskies and wines that pair well with any Christmas feast

Rum, whisky and wine. Clear spirits take a backseat when it comes to ideal Christmas pairings, and wine is infallible given the multitude of flavours in a silly season feast. You might as well be across your best options, right? We’ve rounded up some of the best for you to go grab in your last…

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The best way to spend a weekend in California’s iconic Napa Valley

The small city of Napa is no longer just a stepping stone to the many venerated vineyards that populate Northern California’s Napa Valley. Although once seen as the forgettable part of an unforgettable wine adventure, recent years have worked magic around Napa’s boutique-minded downtown, propping it up as the most ideal base for discerning wine…

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Try the Best Beer in British Columbia on Brewers Row, Port Moody

Any well-informed beer enthusiast who finds themselves in Vancouver or surrounds absolutely must not leave without a visit to Port Moody, BC, a relaxed area laden with lakes, lush mountains and young families walking their dogs. Located 20 minutes outside of Vancouver by public transit, the main street truly comes into its own in the…

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Food Tours: Five places to eat and drink in London’s Soho & Chinatown

There are few better ways to get to know a city than by eating your way through it. Sure, Google Maps can help – just make sure you’ve got unlimited data for your UK trip. But even if you live in that city, sometimes it takes being “in the know” to uncover the best spots….

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