Last month I was lucky enough to visit Buffalo, New York for the first time since 2019. A lot has changed in this city since my last visit, but today I want to talk about a restaurant that opened up in August 2023 – Southern Junction. From the outside it looks like a typical Texan…
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If you’re going to have a restaurant in one of the most highly contested areas of Manhattan, you’re going to need a strong offering. Thankfully, Fasano Restaurant is well up-to-task with spritely, classic service and a sense of grandeur that’s a little bit of Rome and 90s New York rolled into one. The thing you’ll…
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Coming from Australia, it’s always fascinating to see just how different hospitality concepts are over in the USA. Particularly New York City. I always return with ideas on how to change a city like Sydney and make it much more the world-class destination it pretends to be (it’s getting there, just not there yet). But,…
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Opening on the Upper Lot of Universal Studios Hollywood earlier in the year, the new Power Up Cafe is a companion to Super Nintendo World in the theme park’s lower lot. The “cafe” sits in the New York strip, taking inspiration from the “real life” Mario universe you saw featured in the billion-dollar making Super…
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Welcome to ‘Dining Icons’ where our writers take a look at some of the world’s most iconic food and drink experiences – both reputable and under-the-radar – and report back to answer the simple question: is it worth it?. For our first edition, we’re taking a look at Giorgio Baldi, an Italian restaurant just outside…
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With the state-of-the-art Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas playing host to this weekend’s Super Bowl (for American Football fans) and next month’s NRL Telstra Premiership season kick off match (for Australian Football fans), “Sin City” is fast becoming America’s newest “Sports City”. But long has it been a destination for foodies, with restaurateurs from all…
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The insights of a Master of Wine are what truly sets Enoteca Centro apart from other wine bars in Perth. The venue is a summery oasis, hidden away on Wesley Lane behind the historic Uniting Church, a casual Italian-inspired take on the usual inner-city happy hour destinations. But it’s Master of Wine Brendan Jansen’s carefully…
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It’s been a while since I last ventured into a fusion restaurant, let alone one that skillfully harmonizes not just two, but three distinct culinary traditions into a symphony of flavors. Calle Rey has masterfully achieved this feat, exuding both confidence and finesse through its plant-based and gluten-free menu. The abundance of exquisite diversity in…
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In our new series “Dining Destinations”, we take you to some of the best and most unique dining experiences you’ll find around the world. We start in Hawai’i, on the island of Maui, where over the pandemic an inspired new restaurant popped up at one of the region’s most iconic hotels, fusing Hawaiian flavours with…
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This weekend in the Yarra Valley, hot heads and green thumbs alike swarmed to the aptly named Lovely Nursery for the 11th Herb & Chilli Festival. Featuring over 80 stalls, live cooking shows, hot wings, fresh chillies and chilli chocolate chip cookie eating contests, and a whole host of fresh herb and chilli plants to…
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There are very few things quite as satisfying as pulling a fresh pizza out of the oven and taking a second to admire your handy work. You’ve put toppings on dough, spread evenly, and melted everything into one another to create what is easily one of the greatest food creations in history. There’s one problem…
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We visited Sydney’s new Italian café La Bottega to check out the vibe and the food. Tucked away down busy Norton Street, it has a friendly inviting feel. Colourful umbrellas give some cool shade to the outdoor tables, while the open glass doors make the indoor space feel part of the outdoors. The menu has…
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Set at the very start of St Kilda Road, a new family and pet-friendly bar and food truck park has aimed to recapture the historic beauty of the Holy Trinity Church Hall. Majestically transformed into a bright and luxurious bar with a separate wine room, Trinity St Kilda also features a huge outdoor space with…
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Kid Kyoto is like your trendy cousin. You envy their effortless style and try to imitate their endearing nature, but no matter how hard you attempt to recreate their swagger, it just isn’t right. These are my favourite types of dining experiences – the ones you genuinely can’t replicate at home. As I walked Bridge…
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Now that Pacific Concepts is ready and willing to trudge forth into new territory, it seems the group has chosen to kick the post-lockdown life off by taking the somewhat inescapable Fratelli Fresh brand and upscaling it with a new standalone restaurant at Grosvenor Place. Carving out the same space that was once occupied by…
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Surry Hills iconic The Clock Hotel has been through more than a few changes in its lifetime, and I’m hoping the latest is nice and permanent for the long-standing venue. That would be moving away from the typical pub grub associated with such a popular hotel into undeniably French territory, dissing the parma for some…
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Sydney will never have enough French restaurants. The cuisine can arguably outmuscle Italian and Japanese when it comes to density, with some of the city’s most beloved dining institutions favouring the regional delicacies of France. Sydney’s already got a new spat of finer dining, more upscale French restaurants with Porcine and Bistro 916, but our…
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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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When you think of Korean food in Sydney you either conjure images of wagyu sizzling on a built-in grill, or obscenely crispy fried chicken dripping with a tangy house-made sauce. Illa Kim and Daero Lee have been redefining that image for years at their Surry Hills restaurant, Soul Dining, often bringing in influences from other…
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Manly Pavilion holds a special place in the Northern Beaches. There are of course many time-tested institutions in the area, but few can boast the same sparkling, impressively serene location of this venue. Perched on the water’s edge, in a restored heritage building, it’s rightfully a top choice for long-lunches, evening cocktails, and more relaxed…
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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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Copious amounts of sugar, a baking competition and a cocktail bar – what could possibly go wrong?! The Big Bake Sydney is a pop up baking experience where you team up to compete for the title of Baking Champion. Loosely based on the popular Canadian television show of the same name, The Big Bake incorporates…
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Circular Quay favourite Q Dining prides itself on using Australian native ingredients and a bounty of fresh local produce. And with a new autumn-indebted menu, newly appointed Exec. Chef Steven Hartert is set to further that dedication to produce. Promising prime views of the harbour yet set back from the crowds in the heart of…
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A new burger bar concept has emerged in Manly, rethinking the very idea of what a burger could be, by focusing on the bun. It’s no surprise that more and more burger lovers are swapping traditional carb-heavy buns for healthier alternatives, such as the ubiquitous naked lettuce wraps. BunBar seems to thrive on this evolution,…
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Rose Bay favourite I Maccheroni has relocated to Woollahra, squeezed into a site that comes with its own lofty culinary standards. Standing on Jersey Road, the slim two-storey Victorian-era building that now hosts this fantastic Italian eatery glows with the reputation of having previously housed both Pinbone and Buzo. Now, the location is once again…
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Replacing the spectacular Flying Fish at the apex of Jones Bay Wharf is an ambitious meeting of two accomplished culinary champions, ambitiously clashing Japanese and Chinese flavours at the behest of The Star Sydney, debuting their very first off-site restaurant. Chase Kojima (best known for Sokyo) and Victor Liong (best known for Lee Ho Fook)…
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It’s always exciting to re-visit one of your favourite restaurants on the Gold Coast, more so when it’s even better than you remembered. When Chase Kojima (of Sydney’s celebrated Sokyo, and the more recent Chuuka) first opened this slick modern Japanese restaurant at The Star back in 2015, reception was instantly, and understandably, enthusiastic. Sokyo…
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The folk behind Sydney’s beloved Devon Café sure are banking on the Japanese donburi with their new venue Dopa by Devon. And why shouldn’t they? The staple simmered bowl of rice and protein is a constant favourite for anyone who has ever been over to Japan (which should be everyone by now – flights are…
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David Thompson’s masterstroke Long Chim is all about depth. That much has been touted since the acclaimed chef opened this Sydney outpost in 2016, triumphantly returning home after swiftly building up a reputation as one of the world’s leading Thai food chefs. The shadowy industrial space just off Martin Place is lit like the pulsating…
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It would require no stretch or exaggeration to proclaim Manta a legend in Sydney’s dining scene. The high-end fixture of Woolloomooloo’s illustrious finger wharf has for 9 years now been the first port of call for schmoozy seafood-centric lunches and luscious business dinners thanks to its uncompromising worship of the highest quality produce. Nothing has…
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