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.
Modern thinking has long aligned furniture and home design with wellness, and with work-from-home becoming a better established approach to daily life it’s important to look at the ways we can design our spaces to better complement stress reduction, mindfulness, and an overall feeling of wellbeing. Koala slots into that mentality nicely, seeing as it…
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I love personal air conditioning. I know that’s a strange thing to say, but ever since owning the Dyson Pure Cool Me, a portable air conditioner that selfishly focuses on me has become a summer essential. Can Close Comfort’s Cool Focus compete? It definitely tries too, and does a bang up job doing so, offering…
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Let’s be blunt here. LG isn’t the first brand that comes to mind when you think of the hyper-competitive market for true wireless earbuds. Personal audio is always going to be a fiercely competitive scene, but dominators Sony, Bose, Sennheiser, Apple, Samsung, and JBL are always going to come out on top. That’s not to…
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There are plenty of kitchen gadgets on the market if you’re after quick and easy slow-cooked meals which require very little effort. Always has, always will be. But there’s something uniquely satisfying about Zega Intelligent Cookware and their nifty little (little in effort, medium in size) app-enabled pot – the currently $199 Zega Digital. For…
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JBL entered the soundbar game a few years ago, but their output to date has invariably paled in comparison to the likes of Sonos, Sennheiser, and Bose. The JBL Multibeam 5.0 is a swift, impressive change to that, bringing the notoriously party-minded audio brand and shaping it nicely for a home cinema experience. The Dolby…
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Father’s Day is right around the corner, coming at you on Sunday 5th September. Old man itching to get out? Where are you going to… oh. Wait. If you’re in Sydney right now you don’t many options because, you know. And while there is a small possibility of easing some restrictions for anyone fully vaccinated…
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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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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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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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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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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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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 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 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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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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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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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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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 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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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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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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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 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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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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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 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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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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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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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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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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