Merimbula’s Umiko Izakaya’s ultimate Pork Ramen is deep and comforting. Photo: Lisa Herbert. Japanese chef Kaoru Ito hails from a place called Mie, between Osaka and Nagoya in central Japan. About seven years ago, while washing dishes on a working holiday in Melbourne, Kaoru fell in love with nearby Spanish restaurant Mo Vida. The young foodie spent quite a bit of time eating in his food hero Frank Camorra’s laneway restaurant, and eventually found himself working at the Lorne iteration of Mo Vida, and its cousin restaurant Coda, over a period of three years. In Lorne, two families of “very ..read more

While many of us used to reach for a glass of red or white, rosé is quickly becoming a beloved alternative – especially during warmer weather. Photo: Four Winds Vineyard/Facebook. Not that long ago the idea of sitting with a crisp cold glass of wine would see a sauvignon blanc in the hands of many Canberrans. But a light pink hue is taking over. “Rosé is the kind of wine people sit out on a warm summer evening and enjoy as an apéritif or even with the meal,” Four Winds Vineyard owner Sarah Collingwood says. “We don’t want it to be too sweet when we make it, but that little bit of residual su ..read more

While many of us used to reach for a glass of red or white, rosé is quickly becoming a beloved alternative – especially during warmer weather. Photo: Four Winds Vineyard/Facebook. Not that long ago the idea of sitting with a crisp cold glass of wine would see a sauvignon blanc in the hands of many Canberrans. But a light pink hue is taking over. “Rosé is the kind of wine people sit out on a warm summer evening and enjoy as an apéritif or even with the meal,” Four Winds Vineyard owner Sarah Collingwood says. “We don’t want it to be too sweet when we make it, but that little bit of residual su ..read more

Stephanie Helm learned winemaking from her parents – and she’s putting that knowledge to good use at her own winery in Murrumbateman. Photo: The Vintner’s Daughter. Who are you? I’m Stephanie Helm, co-owner and winemaker at The Vintner’s Daughter winery in Murrumbateman. What is your venue? My husband [Ben Osborne] and I established the brand a decade ago on an existing vineyard and winery, which made wines dating back to the 1970s. We make small-batch wines with a focus on premium quality that reflect the place where the grapes were grown. How did you get involved in the hospitality industr ..read more

The Stomp Festival and Canberra Wine Week combine this year. Photo: Canberra District Wine Industry Association. According to Wine Australia, Canberra holds “one of Australian wine’s best-kept secrets”. “Canberra district wines have already made an impact on wine-lovers and critics, producing some of Australia’s most-loved cool climate Shiraz, Viognier, Pinot Noir, Riesling and Chardonnay.” The experts largely put it down to our climate of extremes, with its “cold, crisp winters and hot, dry summers”. This is said to give the grapes plenty of time to ripen while also supplying them “some res ..read more

Toast Eden has great frontage and brings fab food and coffee to the town’s main street. Photo: Supplied. Eden is a beautiful town with a main street that has seen a parade of culinary openings and closings and chef comings and goings over recent times. Recently the team at popular Pambula cafe Toast saw an opening when Sprout Cafe – the produce-driven eatery started by Karen Lott in 2011 – became available. Ms Lott sold her popular cafe in late 2022, and after only 16 months or so under a couple new to town, seasoned cafe owners Nicky Austin and Ollie Pitcher have stepped in and set up a sis ..read more

Bernie Connell with his 2.74 kg Clyde River oyster. Photos: David Rogers. At one point, Australia had a serious chance of having the world’s biggest oyster – it had the weight to get into the Guinness World Records but sadly not the length. Nonetheless, Australia’s biggest oyster competition has gone on to become a family favourite at the annual Narooma Oyster Festival. Montague Vets’ Dr Kate Le Bars has been involved since the first competition in 2018 when Australia hoped to smash the world record. Kate was there to ensure it was alive. That means the shell is closed and the oyster passes ..read more

So bad it’s good: The Mee Goreng Toastie from Melted Toasted Sandwich Emporium. Photo: Lucy Ridge. The humble sandwich is having a moment in the limelight. From boutique toasties to traditional banh mi, New York deli sandwiches and fine-dining flavours – it seems like there’s a sandwich for everyone out there at the moment! The current trend takes sandwiches far beyond the soggy, white bread in your school lunchbox and elevates its culinary status. The hospitality industry has infamously tight profit margins and faces a lower spend-per-head as customers hold onto their dollars during the cos ..read more

Rosemary by Eighty Twenty. Photo: Kazuri Photography. Eighty Twenty is the cafe I frequent most often in my own time, specifically because I am addicted to their crunch bowl, a peanut butter-infused acai bowl. So best believe I notice the name change of its Kingston store to ‘Rosemary by Eighty Twenty’. When I drop in to investigate, I learn that the new team offers all the original fabulousness of Eighty Twenty, brings unique specials to the day menu, and serves dinner three nights a week! This alone may not pique your interest, but it might when you learn that the team is headed up by Ton ..read more

Steve Feletti is celebrating his latest win. Photo: David Rogers. Serendipity seems to be a constant in Steve Feletti’s oyster and wine journey. He bought neglected oyster leases sight unseen, stumbled across the ideal restaurant to supply them to and chanced upon the perfect wine pairing in regional France. They are just some of the happenstances that led to two Borrowed Cuttings’ picpoul wines winning medals at London’s Decanter, the world’s largest and most influential wine show. In his quest for perfection, Steve broke with convention and applied every skill acquired earlier in his caree ..read more