When Japanese and Peruvian cuisines blend in Sydney

Sydney is poised to get a new niche restaurant offering with ESCA Hospitality Group set to open Amé, a Nikkei restaurant bringing Japanese-Peruvian cuisine to Oxford Street, Darlinghurst. 

Situated on the ground floor of a heritage-listed 1927 building at 84 Oxford Street, Amé will be led by executive chef Erik Ortolani, who is currently executive chef of ESCA’s Itō and Jōji. 

At Amé, Ortolani draws will draw inspiration from the rich culinary tradition born from more than 130 years of Japanese immigration to Peru.

“I’ve always loved Nikkei cuisine - it’s incredibly vibrant, layered and exciting, yet it still feels underrepresented in Sydney,” says Ibrahim Moubadder, co-founder and creative director of ESCA Group. 

“Sydney is one of the greatest dining cities because we don’t just replicate cuisines, our chefs interpret them through the way this city eats, and I don’t think Nikkei has had that moment here yet. That’s what excites us about Amé.”

“Erik has such a strong foundation in Japanese cooking, and after travelling through Peru and immersing himself in its food and culture, he’s bringing those two worlds together through his own perspective. 

"We want Amé to be some of ESCA’s best work yet, a restaurant that makes people fall in love with Nikkei cuisine and shows what it can become in Sydney. I can’t wait to open the doors this October and share what we’ve created.”

Amé - which joins Callao Barangaroo as the second Nikkei offering in Sydney - will form part of Oxford & Foley, the Darlinghurst precinct also home to the recently opened Mecca Coffee and Aenza, with Soho House set to open next door in 2028. 

The opening of Amé follows the recent launches of ESCA venues AALIA Wine Room in Martin Place and Besa in Bondi. 

Amé will open seven days a week for dinner, and for lunch Wednesday-Sunday, from October 2026.

Image: Eric Ortolani and Ibby Moubadder. Provided.

Farewell Manly Pacific, hello Elysium Manly

Elysium Manly is now open, marking the arrival in Sydney of Australian luxury hotel brand Elysium Hotels.

Formerly known as Manly Pacific, the 213-room beachfront hotel has transitioned to Elysium Manly, joining Elysium Noosa as the brand's second Australian property. 

The re-branding to Elysium follows a $40 million investment in the property, including a $30 million

refurbishment of rooms and suites by Coco Republic. 

Elysium aims to bring its "distinct expression of contemporary luxury" to one of Sydney's most iconic beachside destinations.

The hotel's new persona brings together "contemporary design, destination dining, intuitive service and integrated wellbeing", with new experiences introduced as part of the Elysium offering. 

Elysium Manly general manager Dylan Cole said the official transition marked the

culmination of several years of investment in the property, while introducing a new level of

service and experience not previously available at the hotel:

"Elysium is about looking at every part of the guest experience and asking what more we can

give, from the way we welcome people and anticipate what they might need, to the quality of the

amenities in their room and the details they encounter throughout their stay," he said. 

"We have an extraordinary location in Manly and the ambition is to create a hotel experience that genuinely lives up to it.

“There is a generosity to Elysium that goes beyond the physical hotel. 

"It’s the freedom to have breakfast brought to your suite after a sauna, knowing your favourite bottle is waiting in the wine fridge, having your dining reservations taken care of, or simply being recognised and looked after by someone who understands how you want to spend your time with us.”

Six ocean-view Wellness Suites feature private infra-red barrel saunas alongside wellness amenities and rituals, while Coastal Two-Bedroom Suites offer "generous living spaces and residential-style comfort".

The pinnacle Elysium Suite offers an elevated stay with an expansive terrace and infra-read sauna overlooking Manly Beach.

Guests can enjoy the rooftop magnesium mineral pool with Pacific Ocean views and dining across hatted Italian restaurant Cibaria, 55 North and Bistro Manly - all just an exhilarating  ferry ride away from Sydney's CBD.

See elysiumhotels.com

Floriade to blossom for 39th year

Spring in Canberra is synonymous with the much-loved Floriade festival.

Australia's biggest celebration of the change of seasons returns to the Australian capital this month for its 39th year, with over one million blooms set to reach peak brilliance across Commonwealth Park.

This year's theme - "a Feast of Flowers" - introduces a focus on seasonal food, edible gardens, and shared experiences, complementing Floriade's iconic floral displays, which remain at the heart of the festival.

The programming reflects the connection between gardens, growing, and the table.

The event runs from September 12 to October 11 and entry is free.

See https://floriadeaustralia.com/

Held in conjunction with Floriade in the national capital is Nightfest, on October 1-4.

This is a ticketed event which costs $31.50 for children and $41.50 for adult.

Nightfest sees Commonwealth Park transformed into an after-dark "wonderland" filled with vibrant horticultural illuminations, food and drink stalls, and a packed program of live entertainment.

A standout live music line-up features a different headline act each night, including Tim Finn, Busby Marou, Christine Anu, Pacific Avenue and The Temper Trap.

See https://floriadeaustralia.com/nightfest/ 

Image: Events ACT

Air Canada unveils growth strategy

Good news for anyone flying with Air Canada with the airline boosting its global connectivity.

The Candian flag carrier is planning its biggest-ever intercontinental expansion for summer 2027, adding five international destinations and seven new routes from its three Canadian hubs, Travel Mole reports.

The carrier will launch a year-round service from Vancouver to Guangzhou, China, while Toronto will gain new flights to Oslo, Shannon in Ireland and Nice. 

Montreal will add new links to Basel, Switzerland, and Dubrovnik, Croatia.

Air Canada will also extend several existing seasonal services to year-round operations, including Tenerife, Lima and Guatemala City.

The expansion will increase international capacity by more than 8% compared with summer 2026. 

The airline plans to operate more than 125 international routes, offering up to 169,000 seats a week from Canada to more than 85 destinations across the Atlantic, Pacific, Mexico, the Caribbean, Central and South America.

Toronto is at the centre of Air Canada expansion. The new Oslo service will operate four times weekly from June 2 through October 10, 2027, using Air Canada’s new Airbus A321XLR aircraft.

Shannon will receive three weekly flights from June 10 through to October 2, giving Air Canada its second destination in Ireland after Dublin. The airline says it will be the only carrier offering non-stop service between Toronto and Shannon.

Nice will receive twice-weekly Toronto service from June 16 through October 23. Combined with Air Canada’s existing Montréal-Nice flights, the new service will provide a daily connection between Canada and the French Riviera during the summer season.

From Montréal, Basel will operate four times weekly from June 16 through October 23, while Dubrovnik will receive three weekly flights from May 11 through October 23.

Vancouver will gain three weekly flights to Guangzhou beginning May 4, 2027. The year-round service will use Boeing 787 Dreamliners and make Guangzhou Air Canada’s third destination in mainland China.

The airline says it will offer up to 24 weekly flights to Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou combined.

Air Canada expects the broader growth strategy to create more than 1,500 direct jobs by 2028. 

Mapping the best way to explore the Yarra Valley

The Yarra Valley is the birthplace of Victorian wine. 

With a 170-year wine legacy, the region is one of Australia's most popular wine tourism regions. 

Just a one-hour drive from downtown Melbourne, the Yarra Valley offers not only fine cool-climate wines, but also great produce, pubs, breweries and distilleries. 

There are tastes of city sophistication here, but you are very much in the country. 

With over 80 vineyards dotted throughout Healesville, Coldstream, Yarra Glen, Seville and Lilydale, the Yarra Valley is regarded as one of Australia’s premier cool-climate regions, and is renowned for a wide range of wine styles, including chardonnay, pinot noir, cabernet sauvignon, shiraz, and méthode traditionnelle sparkling.

In recent years, other highly acclaimed varieties have joined the party, including nebbiolo, gamay, arneis, sangiovese and savagnin.

The Yarra Valley isn't one destination - it's a dozen little pockets, each with its own character, its own back roads, and its own reasons to linger, the Wine Yarra Valley organisation boasts. 

To make it easier to find your kind of day out, Wine Yarra Valley has grouped the region's cellar doors into a handful of trails. 

You can choose by sub-region, or your favourites. 

Pick one trail, follow the vines, and let the day unfold. 

Here's what you need to know: https://wineyarravalley.com.au/explore-yarra-valley-wine-trails/

World Cup still kicking goals in Vancouver

The FIFA World Cup 2026™ circus is only a memory now, but the Canadian city of Vancouver is doing its best to keep the dream alive after the final whistle. 

The city hosted seven tournament matches and fans from around the world and now locals are enjoying the goal nets as hammocks dotted around Vancouver. 

The quirky installations remain, urging visitors to Recouver in Vancouver post-tournament. 

Hammock Goals is the name given to a series of custom hammocks crafted from soccer nets that have popped up at locations across the city, including one made from an actual World Cup match-played goal net. 

It’s a part of a Destination Vancouver initiative that invites visitors to slow the pace, look back on all the excitement the tournament had to offer and experience the city from a more relaxed perspective.

Made locally in Vancouver, additional hammocks crafted from goal nets will be gifted to the Swiss Football Association and Football Australia as a reminder of their matches in the city and an invitation to return. 

Hammock locations include Grouse Mountain, Kitsilano Pool, Van Dusen Botanical Garden, Stanley Park and Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden

 
Explore the interactive hammock map.