Posted by KB on October 21, 2011
It’s no secret that Sydney’s pub food has taken a distinct turn towards the Americas. It’s now a pretty rare thing that you don’t have the option of some kind of taco, hot dog or bite-sized burger to go with your beer. And while we’re massive fans of the fresh flavours (and pulled pork) on offer, we decided to re-explore the world of the original beer-drinking food: German.
We figured you can’t go too far wrong with a restaurant that means ‘eat’ in German, so we headed off to Essen on Broadway. You may know it as the place that used to be Una’s. It still has a connection to the old place by way of owner and executive chef Geert Elzinga, previously an owner at Una’s, who has moved the focus away from the simple schnitzel and expanded on the hearty European theme.More...
essen, german, beer, broadway, pork, restuarants
Posted by KB on August 2, 2011
Somehow we seemed to have ended up with an Italian food mindset which equates authentic with traditional. Where the only ‘real’ Italian food comes from a home-style kitchen, just the way nonna used to make it. But unfortunately that leaves something of a gap between that and the modern Italian restaurants.
And that’s why we like Caffe Sicilia so much. A bold black and white outfit, with plenty of marble and gold trim, it seems to come straight out of 1940s Sicily and landed perfectly between our two extremes. It’s as authentic as it comes, but there’s nothing home-style about it.
As you’d expect from an island, Sicilian cuisine is heavy on the seafood, which is reflected in the menu here. There are other options (braised spatchcock, veal involtini) but it makes sense to stick with the waiter’s suggestion of fish; the staff really know what they’re doing. More...
caffe sicilia, italian, surry hills
Posted by KB on July 25, 2011
In the Sydney suburb of Centennial Park, an ex-socialite lies dying. Her adult son and daughter have flown to be with her, but even on her deathbed she remains a strong and destructive influence on those around her.
The Eye of the Storm is directed by Fred Schepisi (Six Degrees of Separation) and brings together stars Charlotte Rampling, Geoffrey Rush and Judy Davis. It’s based on the novel of the same name by Patrick White, Australia’s only recipient of the Nobel Prize for Literature.
We are offering ten Kluster readers the chance to win an in-season double pass to see The Eye of the Storm. To be in the running simply email us at info@kluster.com.au with the subject: Stormy Weather. Entries close 12.08.11
The Eye of the Storm is in cinemas from September 15.
the eye of the storm, fred schepisi, charlotte rampling, geoffrey rush, judy davis
Posted by KB on July 5, 2011
In line with their vision of providing Sydneysiders with a fresh take on culture, artist-run initiative Serial Space is presenting their inaugural mini-sound festival, Next Next, from July 7-9.
The festival kicks off on Thursday with a performance by The Splinter Orchestra, marking the end of their two week residency at the space. The 35 strong group are Sydney’s foremost improvisational ensemble, creating sound through creative use of traditional and experimental instruments.
If you’re still on the fence about the whole experimental music thing, then check out Friday’s Great Music Debate: That Experimental Music Is Boring - apparently based on “history’s most frequently though, but least uttered statements”.
The festival continues over the weekend with Boredom and Danger, a forum on the contemporary and historical practices in experimental music, and culminates in a live performance from electronic artist Ivan Lisyak, together with an installation from Emily Morandini.
For all the information on the program, check the Serial Space website.
Serial Space is at 33 Wellington St, Chippendale.
next next, serial space, splinter orchestra, ivan lisyak
Posted by KB on April 6, 2011
At Kluster we’re firm believers that food tastes better on sticks. Sticks turn ordinary ice cream into a portable summer treat, and make it acceptable to eat only cheese at a cocktail party. So when offered the chance to grab a meal at Crazy Wings, home of food on sticks, we said yes. Hell yes.
Crazy Wings is the last restaurant to open as part of the Eat street dining district in Chatswood, and in our humble opinion, worth the wait. The chain, which boasts 300 stores in China and internationally, is based on Beijing hawker-style eating – largely defined by things on skewers, barbecued.
Faced with a dizzying array of options – crazy lamb, crazy kidneys, crazy potato - we start with the most obvious choice: original wings. Covered in a dry spice rub, they’re barbecued to perfection and stick-lickingly moreish, as are the honey soy variety that swiftly followed their demise in our hands.
The surprise of the meal came with the beef and mushroom skewers. We were expecting a simple kebab-style combo of alternating beef and mushroom chunks, but were treated to delicate parcels of enokitake mushrooms wrapped in beef slices - skewered and barbecued, of course. More...
crazy wings, chinese, eat street, chatswood, restaurants, food
Posted by KB on March 18, 2011
We’ve been fans of dumpling professionals New Shanghai since we had a chance to check out their Chatswood restaurant, but their new outlet at Bondi Junction means those south of the Bridge can get a piece of the action too.
And starting March 21st (that’s next week people), Mondays through Fridays from 6-7pm will be dumpling happy hour, with all dumplings on the menu half price. Which means you can eat twice as many.
New Shanghai are known for their pan-fried pork dumplings (pictured), a crispy, chewy dumpling skin with a pork and broth filling, but in the interests of letting you know exactly what’s on offer, we thought we’d give the rest a sample too.
Coming up trumps was the classic combo of pork and chives, but we also doff our hats to New Shanghai for less encountered flavour combinations such as lamb and leek, chicken and celery and beef and coriander. And as a pleasant surprise for vegetarians, the vegetable dumplings here actually contain plenty of greenery.
New Shanghai Bondi is on Level 5 of the Westfield Bondi Junction.
Dumpling happy hour is 6-7pm M-F for a limited time. So get in there.
new shanghai, dumplings, bondi junction, restaurants, chinese
Posted by KB on March 11, 2011
For an animal lover, the power of the pooch is not dissimilar to the effect of a cute baby on a clucky woman. The presence of man’s best friend can, as if with the flick of a switch, turn a usually rational, mature adult into a babbling lunatic. Such is the force of a much-loved pet. With so much unconditional love to give and unquenchable thirst for fun-and-games, it’s astounding to think that 20,000 unwanted, lost and stray pets every year are cared for at the Lost Dogs’ Home in North Melbourne, alone.
Somewhere Store and Gallery has got behind Australia’s largest animal shelter with the Besties exhibition, a fund- and awareness-raiser for helping Lost Dogs’ to continue to fight for animal rights and provide welfare and community services including responsible pet ownership programs.
The Besties launch unveiled 22 donated artworks inspired by artists’ personal experiences with dogs and cats. There were pugs in portrait and kittens on canvas. A “working” dog in a suit ran for the tram, perhaps sending a deeper message about the nature of nine-to-five.More...
besties, somewhere store and gallery, dogs, art, exhibitions
Posted by KB on March 2, 2011
Since the release of his 2007 film, Hammer Bay, Ben Briand has been impressing audiences and critics alike with his creativity and style. Taking on short films, video clips, commercials and photography, Ben has instilled in his work a unique visual approach that’s seen him dubbed “one of Australia’s most promising film makers”. We caught up with him in the wake of the release of his latest short film, Some Static Started.
Covered: dying men, square pegs, scripts and shorts.
KB: You’ve just released Some Static Started, can you tell us a bit about it?
Ben Briand: It’s a short film I made in association with the guys at China Heights. I describe it as a strange nightmare in a hot motel by the side of a highway. In his final moments a bleeding man recalls a reoccurring dream he has had featuring a beautiful girl in trouble. It’s a short film
KB: It finishes the trilogy that includes Apricot and Castor & Pollux – were these films devised as a set from the start?
BB: Not consciously. But there are certainly threads that are consistent through all the works. I like to think of them as different perspectives on the same idea. More...
ben briand, some static started, china heights, film
Posted by KB on February 16, 2011
It’s more than likely that you’ve heard of Sydney illustrator Emma Magenta, or at least seen her work. After all, this prolific artist has three adult picture books under her belt, works as part of the Third Drawer Down collective and has illustrated two children’s books for Toni Collette as well as one of her own. Now she’s branched out with an animated series, The Gradual Demise of Phillipa Finch, comprised of 17 episodes, plus an accompanying hardcover book, interactive web component and an iPhone game. We caught up with Emma to chat about her latest creation.
Covered: the emotional abattoir, working with Toni Collette, sequels and being a hermit.
KB: So tell us about Phillipa Finch the character. Is she as sweet as she looks?
Emma Magenta: Phillipa Finch looked a lot sweeter before her heart was taken to the emotional abattoir. She is a girl whose sense of wonder has diminished due to her thwarted attempts to procure perfect love; ideal love. She is a portrait of what can often happen to a girl when she tries to hide her disappointment, as she comes to terms with her expectations of not just love, but life. She develops a shadow side that has obsessive compulsive disorder as a method of controlling her emotions. The shadow side makes itself present in the form of hyper attention to cleaning rituals, health and cup/pet collecting.
She is flawed yes, but that is the essence of the story I guess, it is only by accepting one’s own flaws that one begins to empathise with the flaws in others... then real love can take place.
KB: As well as the animation, there’s an interactive web component, a game and an illustrated novel. What prompted the decision to turn The Gradual Demise of Phillipa Finch into a cross-platform affair?
EM: I wrote the book for my own catharsis in 2008/2009 and then Rachel Okine (the producer from Hopscotch Productions) asked me to develop an animation series. So I wrote a script around the concepts in the book and The ABC network saw the potential of both mediums working as well as the potential for a game. The concept to make the website interactive occurred after employing the genius of Based on Birds. The main focus was to make any technology associated with the work very human based; things that would click emotion into play rather than the cerebral alone. More...
emma magenta, the gradual demise of phillipa finch, illustration, hopscsotch, based on birds, abc, toni collette
Posted by KB on February 7, 2011
We’ll forgive you if you haven’t been down to Darling Harbour lately. After all, it’s easy to dismiss it as the realm of the tourist and the school group. But if bar openings over the past couple of years are anything to go by (think Grasshopper, Grandma's, Good God Small Club), the city is heading for a reinvigoration. Plus, it’s about time we stopped taking those lovely harbour views for granted.
To give you a little nudge in the right direction, we’re giving you the chance to win a $100 bar tab courtesy of Helm Bar. On February 26, Helm are hosting a party to celebrate the launch of their Lower Deck area, and to mourn the end of summer. There’ll be a seafood barbecue, music and, of course, that cracking view. Should you be lucky enough to win, the bar tab will be yours to spend on the day, so start thinking about which of your friends have been the nicest to you lately.
To enter, email us with your full name and phone number. Of course, you’ll need to be over 18, and you’ll need to be signed up to Kluster. Entries close February 22. Please note the bar tab is only redeemable on Sat Feb 26, so clear your diary.
competitions, bars, helm bar, darling harbour
Posted by KB on February 3, 2011
That festival that had such small beginnings has not only blown up in Australia (covering five Aussie cities at last count) but now has plans to take over the US.
Ahead of the first Australian shows (which kick off in Brisbane tomorrow), the folk at Laneway have announced they’ll be hosting a party at every music buff’s favourite festival, SXSW.
To be held on March 16, the party kicks off at noon and includes music from Cloud Control, Cloud Nothings, Foster The People, Givers, Hanni El Khatib, Huw Stephens (DJ set), Noah & The Whale, Royal Bangs, The Holidays, Twin Shadow and a special guest performer.
For more info, hit up the Laneway website.
laneway festival, sxsw, cloud control, cloud nothings, foster the people, givers, hanni el khatib, huw stephens, noah & the whale, royal bangs, the holidays, twin shadow
Posted by KB on February 2, 2011
China’s Shaolin Monastery: if you know anything about martial arts then you’ll realise this is a pretty important place. Which is why when it was confirmed that Benny Chan’s new epic, Shaolin, was to be filmed at the monastery itself, ears of martial arts fans all over the world pricked up.
Fans of the 1982 film Shaolin Temple (starring Jet Li) needn't fear the desecration of a classic; this isn't really a remake. The focus has been shifted a little from just martial arts (though the temple itself remains an integral part) and the story moved to the 1920s.
It’s a time of change for China; the early years of the republic and the era of vicious civil wars headed by feuding and equally vicious warlords. Enter Hou Jie (played by Andy Lau) and his sworn brother Cao Man (the emotastic Nicholas Tse) who take great gusto in their part in the war, generally terrorising the population. But as all good fables tell us, it’s important how you treat people on the way up, as you tend to run into them in some rather awkward situation on the way down.More...
shaolin, andy lau, jackie chan, movies, martial arts, benny chan