FESTIVAL HOPPING: TASTE, SPANISH AND NOODLES
Festival. Noun: An occasion for feasting or celebration, especially a day or time of religious significance that recurs at regular intervals. I’ve never been a religious person; however, I have always...
RICE WORKSHOP: LAUNCH NIGHT
As far as launches go, the opening of Rice Workshop resembled something more of a cosplay convention than a restaurant opening. The spectacle of Harajuku Girls (and Boys) originates from Harajuku district of...
GALLIANO’S BOCCE LANES AT TASTE OF MELBOURNE
GALLIANO, the sophisticated Italian liqueur of choice, will be bringing a taste of Italy to the Taste of Melbourne this Thursday 14 November by giving visitors the chance to sample the world's first Ristretto...
MORE THAN JUST FASHION & FRIVOLITY: FOOD AT THE MELBOURNE CUP CARNIVAL
Melbourne Cup Carnival is more than just fashion, frivolity and fun. It's also about the food, with many high profile Australian chefs putting on outstanding menus for guests in the various marquees in the...
FINISH THE YEAR WITH ‘A TOUCH OF….HIGH TEA’ BY BURSARIA
Celebrate the last of 'A Touch Of...' High Tea with a twist, making this High Tea a very special one on Sunday 17 November at Abbotsford Convent. “A Touch Of…” by Bursaria is a uniquely new High Tea...
NOVEMBER IS FOR FOOD
November in Melbourne is usually associated with fashion and horses as the Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival kicks off Spring fun, or Movember is also when men begin their journey to groom fantastical...
ART + SCIENCE = TIA MARIA
In much the same way that you wouldn't expect a coffee liqueur and ginger beer to make much of a drink but end up pleasantly surprised, the re-branding of Tia Maria could be best described as a collaboration...
THE BLUE ROOM BY ABSOLUT
Absolut put the 'Art' into party last week as it transformed new Melbourne hot spot, The Manhattan Lounge, for an Australian first initiative called The Blue Room by Absolut. The Blue Room saw influential...
BAR SCHWEPPES AT THE MELBOURNE CUP CARNIVAL
Schweppes is bringing a twist to the Birdcage during Melbourne Cup Carnival, with a unique marquee that will provide an experience reminiscent of the Melbourne's best bars and restaurants. The 2013...
STATE OF GRACE
In a city where the bar and restaurant culture is among the best in the world, it is hard for a new comer to stand out. State of Grace, Melbourne's latest entry into the food and drink scene, left a...
LAVAZZA SERVES UP AUSTRALIAN’S FINEST ITALIAN CHEFS AT THE MELBOURNE CUP CARNIVAL
Lavazza is serving up some fantastic Italian fare in the Birdcage during Melbourne Cup Carnival with some of Australia's best Italian chefs on hand creating their signature dish over the Melbourne Cup...
REVIEW: THEIC TEA BAR
Tea lovers rejoice! The opening of Theic Tea Bar in Collingwood has brought speciality tea to the fore of Melbourne's cafe scene, with an establishment dedicated to the wonders of tea. Opened by Nathan...
REVIEW: 90 SECONDI. 400 GRADI. PERFECT ITALIAN
90 Secondi. 400 Gradi. These are Johnny Di Francesco’s two pizzeria e cucinas located in the Docklands and East Brunswick, respectively. However more significantly, they aptly represent di Francesco’s...
WHO’S YOUR SHANDONG MAMA?
Dumplings have become an institution in Melbourne for the young and old – from the cheap and “dirty” dumplings of Shanghai Dumplings which caters for the masses of hungry uni students, to the elegant...
1806 WINS 2 BAR AWARDS
Iconic Melbourne bar, 1806, won two Bartender Magazine Bar Awards recently, after being nominated for an unprecedented 7 Bartender Magazine Bar Awards. Owner, Lisa Kelly, and the teams at 1806 and The...
PINOT PALOOZA – TAKING PINOT NOIR TO A NEW LEVEL
Pinot-philes (defn: Those that love Pinot Noir wine) gathered en-masse on Saturday in Melbourne at the St Kilda Town Hall for the second annual Pinot Palooza, a celebration of all things Pinot Noir. The...
YELLOWGLEN COLLABORATES WITH SAMANTHA WILLS TO LAUNCH YELLOWGLEN HOUSE
New York based Jewellery designer, Samantha Wills, joined race-goers trackside at Flemington on Saturday for the Turnbull Stakes, as curator and host of Yellowglen house, one of the only public marquees for...
THE FLEMINGTON FLING COCKTAIL
An iconic cocktail that can be recreated at home, the signature Schweppes Flemington Fling is the perfect drink trackside this year during the Melbourne Cup Carnival. Created by Dave Kerr of Melbourne's The...
THE SCHWEPPES FLEMINGTON FLING BAR AT THE MELBOURNE CUP CARNIVAL
The one place you need to visit during the 2013 Melbourne Cup Carnival (aside from the betting arena) is the Schweppes Flemington Fling Bar on Level 1 of the Hill Stand, which was launched on Saturday at...
GAZI – STYLISH STREET FOOD
There are two things you notice when you first walk into George Calombaris' new venture, Gazi. The first is the amazing ceiling - ceramic pots placed across the whole surface. The second are the aromas coming...
THE ULTIMAT EXPERIENCE SHORT FILM COMPETITION IS NOW OPEN SPONSORED BY ULTIMAT VODKA
ULTIMAT VODKA, one of the world’s leading and ultra-premium vodkas, is giving away over $5,000 and exclusive prizes in the Ultimat Vodka Short Film Competition. The competition invites all aspiring and...
THE EFTERSKI FESTIVAL AT THREDBO – WRAP UP
The first-ever EFTERSKI FESTIVAL in Thredbo went off with a bang last weekend, with the sold out Big Air Big Beats event featuring three days of music, sport and film extravaganza. Sponsored by Rekorderlig...
WINE FUN AT PINOT PALOOZA
Think Wine tastings are stuffy and boring? Well, think again as Pinot Palooza hits Melbourne-town on Saturday 5 October at St Kilda Town Hall for a wine tasting with a twist. Event organiser, Dan Sims,...
PINOCCHIO’S – ITALIAN DINING AT ITS BEST
Let's start this Editor's Test, with the following: if you are looking for great Italian food with a great atmosphere and delightful staff, you must visit Pinocchio's. This...
A TOUCH OF… HIGH TEA
Do you yearn for a simpler time when people swanned about drinking tea, eating sweet things and generally enjoying a luxuriously lazy Sunday afternoon? Well then you have not yearned in vain good people,...
TOP 5 GLUTEN-FREE MELBOURNE DINNERS
Navigating Melbourne with gluten intolerance in your back pocket can be tough to say the least. If you've got other intolerances or eating preferences then that just makes things all the more tricky. Never...
WINTER WONDERLAND
Like some sort of budding annual event the Queen Victoria Market's Luna 1878 Night Market is back again this year, and this time it’s personal. Just when you thought there was absolutely no reason to go...
VARIE-TEA IS THE SPICE OF LIFE
Although Melbourne is the coffee Mecca of the antipodes there seems to be a strong undercurrent of tea pulsing through the cities arteries. It might be coffee that kick-starts Melbourne’s engine but tea...
GOOD MORNINGTON PENINSULAR
When people think of winter they rarely think of going down to the beach, which is the exactly why you should consider it. The Mornington Peninsular is a sprawling wonderland and now - when the swarming...
POK POK ON THE DOCK
To the majority of Melbournians, Docklands might as well be antipodean to where they lay their heads. It is in fact a mere block away from the CBD and thanks to a few clever cooks, there's a new reason to...
THE SPIRIT OF WINTER
If, like most warm-blooded mammals, you have been suffering through the recent icy blasts - so cold they could extinct a dinosaur - then it’s high time you warmed yourself up with a stiff drink. However,...
THE HOBART COFFEE CONNECTION
If, like many Melburnians, you are about to make your pilgrimage down to Hobart to see MONA (and remind yourself that Melbourne isn’t that cold) then you will also undoubtedly need your caffeine...
LITTLE BIG SUGAR SALT
Little Big Sugar Salt. What is in a name? Can a person look like a 'Terry'?, can Sue from marketing be just like the Sue from accounts? Well, where Little Big Sugar Salt is concerned, finding out what's in...
KWENCHER PALE ALE: THE REMEDY FOR WHAT ALES YOU
Hidden in the heart of the Moroccan Mountains, a couple connected over peach iced tea and local beer. They shared stories, shared sips and when they returned, they longed for that taste of escape. In true...
ADENEY MILK BAR
There are a couple of things that make up a great cafe in Melbourne. Location, atmosphere, good coffee and tasty food. The newest addition to Kew, has all these ticked, but in a slightly different...
NORTHCOTE: THE FINAL FRONTIER
Northcote: the final frontier of low-budget, high-culture, community living. They say it’s the new Fitzroy – a tag previously pinned to Clifton Hill before house prices boomed and the DINKS moved in. Yet...
THE PERFECT FIT(ZROY)
Now everyone likes to think they know Fitzroy and I'm sure you've has brunched at Breakfast Thieves and dined at Vegie Bar and think Naked in the Sky is totes magical at sunset, but if you're going to spend...
BAYTE – MIDDLE EASTERN BRUNCH IN MELBOURNE’S NORTH
Brunch in Melbourne, whilst delicious and one of the most important weekend meals, can get a tiny bit repetitive. If you're tired of your tomato baked eggs, french toast and eggs benedict, maybe it's time to...
MULLED WINE GUIDE
With the mercury dropping, at a fairly rapid rate in Melbourne, it's time to say goodbye to peachy Pinot Gris and Rose on balmy summer afternoons. Instead, it would be far more appropriate to warm the soul...
MOTHER’S DAY OUT
'Tis that time of year again, when we celebrate our mothers by treating them to breakfast in bed, a ladies lunch or a fine wine and dining experience. If you’re still unsure of where to take your mum this...
DUKES COFFEE ROASTERS AT ROSS HOUSE
Melbourne is littered with both large and hole-in-the-wall coffee shops; a cup of caffeine available at every corner. However, the question that plagues city wanderers is how to filter out the bad from...
SI SENOR POP-UP TAQUERIA
Got a free Friday or Saturday night in the next couple of weeks? Well, grab a couple of friends and shimmy your way to Somerset Place, which becomes heavily doused in tequila and all things Mexican thanks...
SIMON GRIFFITH’S SHEBEEN
A few years back a couple of young volunteers sat on an African beach and sipped beer that tasted a lot richer than the economic climate. This disparity got Zanna Mccomish and Simon Griffiths talking and I...
THE READING ROOM AT CAFE BLAC
At face value Cafe Blac may come across as a fairly unassuming and typical suburban cafe but don't be so quick to judge, because like most good things, at Cafe Blac, it's the inside that counts. The new...
FIFTY ACRES
With a name that alludes to a rather large amount of space, Fifty Acres is a surprisingly cosy spot. Nick Gaoutsos and his team have settled in on the retail end of Bridge Road, providing shoppers the perfect...
BAR AMERICANO
After closing down the lauded Der Raum to start Gamsei, "a produce driven Der Raum 2.0" in Munich, Matt Bax has left Bar Americano (and soon to come Bar Economico) in its wake. But far from an ode to the...
KING OF THE NORTH: NORTH MELBOURNE
Only a short stroll from the CBD, North Melbourne was built by locals, for locals. Subsequently it's often overlooked by Melbournians, and travellers alike, for the busier haunts of Carlton, Fitzroy and...
HELL HATH NO FURY LIKE A HAW-THORNED
Private school girls, the football team, ageing population and expensive real-estate are all terms you may have associated with the suburb of Hawthorn. How rude! There is so much more to this Eastern beauty....
COBURG-EONING ON GREATNESS
Ah, Coburg. Famed for its density of kitschy bridal stores and Middle Eastern take-out shops, the sprawling, creek-side ‘hood' is frequently overlooked due to its perceived lack of viable entertainment...
NEW KUM DEN
Located just off China Town’s main strip, awaits Cantonese restaurant, New Kum Den. As I entered the venue, the resurgence of kitsch Chinese restaurants about town came to mind - which, for me, was...
HAS OUR FOOD OBSESSION GONE TOO FAR?
It's impossible to deny, we live in an era where cooking shows and restaurants pop up like daisies in Spring, celebrity chefs are as revered as actors and we find ourselves enthralled by some new grain or...
THE URBAN COFFEE FARM & BREW BAR
Descriptions like 'smooth caramel texture' and 'zesty aftertaste' are the kind of uber-specific things baristas say or that you see written on single-origin coffee boards. Such recounts of subtle flavours...
YOUR DREAM WEDDING CAKE
One of the most important components to any wedding, would have to be the wedding cake. After all, the cutting of the cake photo is memory-box must have. The cake must look beautiful, and for anyone with a...
BIENVENIDA A MAMASITA; A MEXICAN TOUR
On the tail end of last week and at the top of a secret staircase, Mamasita played host to a Mexican tour as part of the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival. The six course tequila-paired feast, showcased...
CATER TO YOU; WEDDING SPECIALISTS
Food for your wedding ought to be delicious, detailed and not too difficult. Fortunately, you can enlist the aid of culinary event specialists. All of whom have a focus on delivering the best food and...
COME ON GET HAPPY PALACE
Welcome to the Happy Palace, where a suspicious stairway leads to a hot pot that's boiling over with babes, cocktails, deep fried parcels of yummy goodness and the kitsch charm of old school...
THE WISE TAPAS AND WINE BAR
Sydney siders turned Melbournians, Jessica Dalziell and Gregory Young, have made themselves at home on High St in Prahran with their new tapas and wine bar, The Wise. Couturing attended the official opening...
OMBRA SALUMI BAR
Ombra Salumi Bar is a fresh seedling with roots that run deep in hospitality culture. Having opened in November by Guy Grossi and managed by his son Carlo, the salumi bar next to Grossi Florentino, began...
NBHD NEANDERTHAL GETTING BACK TO BASICS
Spurring on rumours of being a married couple, Nicholas and Dax Byrne have produced their first child in the form of NBHD (neighbourhood) Neanderthal. This cafe and bar off Chapel may be the product of...
DOMINIQUE PORTET WINERY
There's nothing more romantic than a day spent ankle-deep in a vineyard, sipping on some of our state's finest. At Dominique Portet, this rural fantasy is only one hour away. Nestled deep within the Yarra...
SHOPHOUSE RAMEN POP-UP RESTAURANT
Lately the pop-up store phenomenon has been moving from the world of fashion into food. Taking notes from designer flash sales and exclusive temporary stores and market stalls, Market Lane have set up a...
HEIDE AND SEEK: MELBOURNE’S MOST BEAUTIFUL DAY TRIP DESTINATION
Just a short 30 minute drive from Melbourne’s CBD, Bulleen is home to the stunning Heide Museum of Modern Art and the popular Café Vue. If you’re looking to get out of the city for a day and appreciate...
PRIMAVERA GELATO AND SPRING ST GROCER
Spring Street's Grocer is the opening act of John Brisbane's and Con Christopoulos' budding community centralised around the finer sensibilities of "old world Europe". The first cast member in this piece...
THE BRUNSWICK MESS HALL
The Brunswick Mess Hall opened last Wednesday night (16th of Jan) with a bang. Brunswick's first beer hall is a welcome new addition to Sydney Road's night life. The huge space has a communal feel and aims...
HANNAH DUPREE AND HER ARTISAN TEA
Storm in a Teacup is celebrating its first anniversary with Smith st after snuggling into the street-scape a year ago. "I wanted to start a business good for people, both health-wise and spiritually,"...
SUMMER TEA PARTY MUST HAVES
Tea parties have been all the rage since your great-great grandmother’s grandmother could knit a doily. And we at Couturing wholly agree. Tea parties are a must for this summer so we’ve collected some...
BY JOSEPHINE’S JOSEPHINE
An exciting new French patisserie shop has just been piped into Sydney Road's busy network of multicultural specialist stores. By Josephine offers family-recipe macarons and other tasty morsels encased in...
ROCKY ROAD RECIPE
It's your cheat day, your treat day! The day you allow yourself to let go a little, but you want to do it right, don't get overwhelmed in the confectionary aisle and end up choosing a macadamia and honey...
SUPER FOODS FOR SUMMER
We hear the experts talking about 'super foods', but which ones are actually super? Here are some of our favourite super foods that will help give you a healthy start in 2013. Chia Seeds These little...
OATMEAL, SULTANA AND PISTACHIO BISCUITS RECIPE
Christmas wrapped up nicely and the new year has ticked over without a hitch. People are heading back to work and some of us are still partying. Here is a recipe for an all occasions biscuit; whether you...
SO FRENCHY SO CHIC
The mere mention of summer festivals can make some of the strongest of us squirm. Hideous memories arise. Visions of entering a portable toilet on the last leg of its four day sun-soaked marathon, of not...
31ST DECEMBER – 6TH JANUARY
Monday 31st New Years Eve! Couturing has picked the best New Year's Eve celebrations around Melbourne to help you get wild. Whether you're celebrating at a festival, at an event or even a house...
SHARON THURIN’S SLIM SECRETS
Last week Couturing chatted with the founder of Slim Secrets, Sharon Thurin. Thurin has watched her hobby of helping people curb their unhealthy snacking habits, turn into a globally recognised brand. We found...
JAMIE OLIVER’S TROPICAL TREATS AND CELEBRITY EATS
Last Friday I woke to the drizzling rain that graces Melbourne every other day, I braved the first sign of cold I had felt in a few weeks since summer had hit, and I marched myself down to Federation Square...
SIMPLE SUMMER SALADS
In the warmer months we tend to change our eating habits, and salads are always at the top of the list. We've chosen, made and tasted, three simple summer salads that will leave you feeling fresh, light and...
CHRISTMAS SPIRITS
The festive season revolves as much around merry drinks as it does children's day time movies and tinsel. This week we ventured out in search of some cheer infused cocktails. We've narrowed them down to...
BY DAY AND BY NIGHT
What do some of Melbourne's leading restaurants have in common with our favourite DC comic characters? No, they're not fighting off crime with their spatulas or turning potato sacks into capes. Across the...
17TH – 24TH DECEMBER
Monday 17th Tees: Exposing Melbourne’s T-shirt Culture Got love for a classic tee? How about a FREE exhibition featuring Melbourne’s influential t-shirt culture. Including Eddie Zammit's personal...
MICHELLE LUCKMAN’S LUCKY POPS
Melbourne is the city of diverse culture, exuberant flavours and of course, wild weather. Michelle Luckman is the face behind Melbourne’s fresh new business Lucky Pops. Luckman breaks away from such typical...
COUTURING AND CLOUD 9
There is exciting news we have been waiting to share with you all! Couturing most recently partnered with fabulous premium frozen yoghurt brand CLOUD 9 on a wonderful new initiative. Can you...
WHAT’S COOLER THAN BEING COOL? ICE COLD DRIP
When its Forty degrees outside who can be bothered adding to the heat with hot coffee? No-one! But if you need something to get you through the day, why not take the chilled option? Cold coffee is going to get...
DEB AND LUCAS OF MISTER NICE GUY’S
Melbourne welcomes a 1950/s oasis with delicious baked goods and exquisite cupcakes, located in both Ascot Vale and Prahran. Owners Deb and Lucas, take much pride in their work, from friendly helpful service...
COMPETITION: MOËT AND CHANDON GOLDEN DIAMOND SUIT
Moët and Chandon are preparing for a very exciting announcement - the news of their fresh new Brand Ambassador for the Moët and Chandon line, and to celebrate Couturing and Moët and...
MELBOURNE’S HOSTS WITH THE MOST
A trend will come. A trend will go. However the 'trend' of lining up for a restaurant will be around long after you finally get into Mamasita. There's no waiting this one out. Although lauded as being a recent...
CHRIS LUCAS’ BABY
This week I met with Chris Lucas, the man who gave us the double chin (Chin Chin) and Go Go Bar, whom has just welcomed a new member to his family, Baby Pizza, located in Richmond. Q: Where does...
MELBOURNE’S BEST PIZZERIAS
I consider myself somewhat of a connoisseur of pizza, and find conventional take-away pizzerias to be pretty oily and tasteless, so I've decided to sort out the best from the rest and have compiled a list of...
MELBOURNE’S BEST PIZZERIAS
I consider myself somewhat of a connoisseur of pizza, and find conventional take-away pizzerias to be pretty oily and tasteless, so I've decided to sort out the best from the rest and have compiled a list of...
HOLA LOS HERMANOS!
Melbourne's newest installation to the Mexican food craze is Los Hermanos, an authentic Mexican taqueria with an injection of Brunswick edge. Los Hermanos opened last Monday, after what some have called...
SUMMER MUFFINS, HAPPENED SO FAST
The warm weather is kicking in and so to are the endless barbecues and picnics of summertime. More often than not meat, salads, beer, wine, bread, cheese, fruit and other delicious nibbles make their way into...
HERE’S CHEERS TO MORE BEERS
Tired of walking in to overly trendi-fied lane way bars and being met with a bemused look of condescension when you ask what beers are on tap? Then proceed to pay $10 for a bottle of Stella while you stand...
FROZEN YOGHURT FAVOURITES AROUND MELBOURNE
Melbourne’s weather is finally starting to pick up with Summer just around the corner, and it's usually around this time of the year that we start to hit panic mode about how much we have neglected our...
DUDE FOOD DESTINATIONS
Hearty, minimal fuss, carb and protein-loaded dishes, typically accompanied by pints of beer. Welcome to the world of dude food. Think parmas, burgers, cheesy pizzas, and a good old-fashioned steak with fries....
THE TABLE FOR JLP TEQUILA’S DAY OF THE DEAD FESTIVAL
This last week Couturing attended the intimate cocktail and dinner degustation hosted by The Table Restaurant in St Kilda, in celebration of JLP Tequila's Day of the Dead Festival. Mexican born...
THE BLACK TORO FOR JLPS DAY OF THE DEAD FESTIVAL
Energy was high at the Black Toro in Glen Waverly this week, celebrating The Day of the Dead Festival or “Dia de los Muertos”, if I may. The Black Toro went all out with creating an authentic ambience,...
JAMIE OLIVER’S MINISTRY OF FOOD: A FLAVOURSOME EDUCATION
Teriyaki glazed salmon and crisp cucumber and peanut salad served on a bed of white fluffy rice. That was my lunch. A far cry from my usual lunchtime mission to consume as many carbohydrates as my half-hour...
CALLING ALL GLUTTONS, FOOD JUST GOT SEXY
Hot Asian Buns, Massive Wieners, Phat Brats, lovingly prepared balls… Turned on? You should be. Melbourne’s new string of specialty eateries are not just being cheeky with their words for the fun of it,...
HE SAYS SHE SAYS; FINE FOOD AND FABULOUS DESIGN
The smooth sounds of double bass and slick keyboard thrust together and lingered in the air, as we were welcomed into a fresh, urban restaurant, Camberwell's latest, He Says She Says. With an eclectic mix of...
THE FACE BEHIND THE SPACE: DAVIS YU’S CLAREMONT TONIC
At only 22, Davis already owns three restaurants across Melbourne. If this isn’t novelty enough, they all specialize in diverse cuisines and couple with different music genres. His string of...
D.O.C DELICATESSEN TRADES DAY WITH VINO BAMBINO
The creative behind the much-loved D.O.C Pizzeria and Carlton Espresso, Tony Nicolini, has recently extended his foodie franchise to include a top-of-the-range delicatessen, stocking only the finest in...
SPRING AT SPOONBILL: A SEASONAL DEGUSTATION
Traditionally, Melbournians are a patient people when it comes to the weather but there’s no denying we’re all thankful that Spring is here at last. Balmy breezes, floral dresses, extravagant millinery,...