Where to find global insider tips on where to eat

Tip  

Surely the last thing the world needs in another restaurant app?

Well, yes and no.

World of Mouth has just launched WoM Concierge - a new restaurant discovery tool that aims to help food-loving travellers find restaurants recommended by more than 800 chefs, food writers, restaurateurs and sommeliers around the world.

Instead of relying on anonymous ratings or popularity rankings compiled by diners with dubious tastes, Concierge is deisgned to let users describe what they are looking for and receive recommendations backed by named experts whose taste they can trust.

The expert network includes names such as Albert Adrià, Massimo Bottura, Will Guidara and Ana Roš. Impressive.

It came up a little short when I asked for seafood dining in Hobart, but it did come up with my long-time favourite Juveniles as an option when I asked for a Paris wine bar choice, and it named the excellent Saint Peter for a fish dinner recommendation in Sydney.

World of Mouth boasts that it starts from a different place: the person behind the recommendation
matters.

WoM Concierge is a restaurant discovery chat built on recommendations from more than 800 experts - food writers, chefs, restaurateurs and sommeliers around the world. 

"Twenty years ago, when you landed in a new city, you called the one person who knew where to eat," says Kenneth Nars, creative director and co-founder of World of Mouth. 

"We wanted to re-create that on a global scale. The technology is new, but the behaviour is ancient." 

So ask where to eat pizza in Naples (just about anywhere is the right answer), and the Concierge might point you to 10 Diego Vitagliano - one of Massimo Bottura's favourite pizzerias, and tell you why it stands out. 

Ask for a natural wine bar near Tokyo Station or a traditional spot in Lisbon, and you'll get considered recommendations. 

"Asking WoM Concierge where to eat feels surprisingly personal - it's like asking a chef friend who knows all the best places," says Santiago Lastra, chef patron at KOL in London.

The core idea is simple: some of the world's leading voices in food are now one question away. But looking at bigger cities get better answers right now.

"We've been building our expert community for years, and it's based on a shared mission," says CEO says Saku Tuominen. "We want to give visibility to places that deserve to be seen, not to the ones that pay for it.

"With Concierge, we can now do that in a far more personal and useful way."

At launch, Concierge is free to try in a web browser and works anywhere in the world. Check out www.worldofmouth.app

Iconic Twin Towers still pulling in the crowds

Malaysian tourism authorities are placing one of the world's most spectacular buildings front and centre of their 2026 marketing.

Visit Malaysia's newest promotional material puts the the Petronas Twin Towers in the bustling heart of Kuala Lumpur as the top place to explore.

Not only are the Petronas Twin Towers among the tallest buildings in the world - creating global recognition for Kuala Lumpur and all of Malaysia - but the complex hosts several attractions, including the Suria KLCC shopping mall, located between the two towers.

Other attractions include the Esplanade (Lake Symphony), Petrosains Discovery Centre, KLCC Park and Aquaria KLCC.

So some visitors come for the views; others for the shopping: offering high-end designer boutiques and multiple food outlets.

Built in the 1990s, the dramatic twin towers reach an impressive height of 452 metres and were the world's tallest buildings from 1998 to 2004.



Visitors to the Twin Towers can visit the Skybridge and the Observation Decks for sweeping views of the city and beyond - and after dark the buildings are lit up.

An aerial bridge connects the two towers on the 41st and 42nd floors, making it the highest two-storey bridge in the world.

In the area surrounding the Twin Towers, a selection of nearby hotels await, including the W Kuala Lumpur, Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur and Four Seasons Kuala Lumpur.

Visitors looking for a gourmet experience can enjoy meals at famous spots like Madam Kwan's, NZ Curry House, Dewakan, Beta and Hide. 

For locals or anyone familiar with the city, public transportation is affordable and easy on the LRT or MRT.

After exploring, KLCC Park has green spaces and benches on which to relax.

The Petronas Twin Towers also often host special events and exhibitions including those highlighting Malaysian culture and heritage at the Petronas Twin Towers Gallery.

The country’s first concert hall, The Petronas Philharmonic Hall, was built specially for classical music and is the home to the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra.

See https://www.malaysia.travel/ and https://www.petronastwintowers.com.my/ 

Paddy's re-imagined: discover Sydney's new gourmet market

Sydney has a new gourmet destination with the launch of Hay St Market at Paddy’s - which opened this week.

The concept is described as "a celebration of food, culture and community, bringing together a dynamic collection of traders under one roof in the heart of Haymarket".

It has to be an improvement on some of the dire recent local offerings.

Spanning 3,000 square metres of Paddy’s Markets, Hay St Market is home to over 48 traders offering more than 25 different cuisines.

At its heart, it’s an open, bustling space that shifts from morning to an after-dark foodie destination. I'm told that "visitors can snack on the go, kick back with a bite, grab something for home or chill out at Cans & Crates or Traders Bar".

The multi-million dollar transformation is designed to revitalise the Haymarket precinct, increase tourism and create more than 300 jobs.

“We’ve left no stone unturned in creating Hay St Market at Paddy’s - an affordable destination that Sydney can be proud of, where visitors can eat, drink, and shop," says says Joseph Murray, group CEO and managing director of Doltone Hospitality Group.

"Inspired by some of the world’s best markets, we’ve built something extraordinary that harnesses Sydney’s cultural diversity, offers a twist on tradition, and taps into our collective love of food and beverage.”

Leading chefs including Luke Nguyen (above) and Mark Olive are involved

Also joining the market is Tim Casey, a specialist butcher with over 50 years of experience, including as former head butcher at Rockpool; cheesemonger Christina Murphy, and The Signorelli Bros greengrocer.

Specialty coffee will be roasted in-house with Genovese’s finest beans at Hay St Roasters.

“While our food offering is phenomenal, we are also excited to bring to life the speciality traders within Hay St Market at Paddy’s,” added Murray.

Image: Esteban La Tessa 

Useful tips for first-time visitors to Japan

Japan can be an intimidating destination for first-time visitors.

Few westerners speak the language and the custom are very different.

The Japanese are very welcoming, however, and there were 19.8 million overseas visitors between January and October.

Learning a few key common phrases is a good idea, as is learning about local etiquette and expectations.

The experts at JRPass have pulled together some of their top tips to help tourists navigate common etiquette and practices when visiting Japan.

# The customs for greetings in Japan look noticeably different than those in most western countries, and bowing is the most common Japanese greeting, ranging from a nod of the head to a deep bend at the waist. If you aren’t sure what type of bow is required in a given situation, don’t panic. Tourists are not expected to know the intricacies of the bowing customs in Japan.

# Many Japanese restaurants will have traditional seating, consisting of low tables and cushions on the tatami floor. Make sure to take off your shoes before stepping onto the tatami floor and avoid stepping on any cushions other than your own. It is common to wait until everyone has received their food, and then start the meal with the phrase "itadakimasu" ("I gratefully receive"). When eating from a small bowl, it is good manners to pick this up with your hand and bring it closer to your mouth. Slurping is encouraged. Never stab your food with chopsticks and do not place them upright in the bowl (this is a ritual reserved for funerals). Use the opposite end of your chopsticks to serve yourself from a communal dish and don’t point at things (dishes or people) with your chopsticks.

# When it comes to drinks it is customary to serve each other, so you should never pour your own drink (you pour your friends’ drinks, and they return the favour).

# It is important to avoid loitering and blocking the flow of traffic, especially on busy streets. If you must stop, move to an area where you will not be disturbing the flow. This is especially important if you have lots of luggage taking up space. It is considered bad manners to eat or drink while walking in Japan. Instead, stop and take a break whilst you eat; many places (including many convenience stores) have designated places for you to stop and eat. Keeping the streets clean is a point of pride in Japan, and you should hang on to all your rubbish until you find a bin or get home.

# While it may be tempting in today's Insta-obsessed culture, you should not approach Geishas and Maikos for selfies in the street. They are working and often hurrying from one engagement to another, and as such, it is very disrespectful to hold them up for the purposes of getting a photo. Also, do not blow your nose in public as it is seen as very rude.

# When moving around stations, always follow the flow of traffic – don’t worry, there tend to be arrows or signs to help point you in the right direction. If you have to make use of priority seating, you must give up your seat and respect the rules should someone who is elderly, disabled, or pregnant board the train. On all public transport you should keep your phone on silent and avoid taking calls when onboard and keep any noise to a minimum.

 

Haroun Khan, founder and owner at JRPass, says: “Adjusting to a world of new etiquette and customs may seem initially confusing as a visitor to Japan, but it isn’t something that should deter you from visiting this beautiful country.

“Experiencing a different culture to your own is an exciting opportunity and one to jump into. Japan is an incredibly welcoming place, and no visitor is expected to know the ins and outs of every unique custom, however, learning some of the basic etiquette is always an appreciated effort.

“Of course, these are just some of the many common courtesies and rules followed when in Japan, and the country has many other fascinating rules to keep in mind when travelling around there, so we’d encourage you to do your research before you visit.”

Info provided by https://www.jrpass.com/

Images: scop.io and Winsor Dobbin

What a bloody mess: café worker sacked for "job terrorism"

Now here's a seriously weird story.

A Japanese café has sacked one of its employees after she allegedly used her own blood in place of coloured syrup to make cocktails.

The Mondaiji Con Cafe Daku in Sapporo, Hokkaido - whose name loosely translates to 'Problem Child Concept Café' - apologised for the staff member's actions.

The establishment’s owner added that the café had been forced to close for a day while all drinking glasses were replaced as a safety precaution.

“Such an act is no different from part-time job terrorism and is absolutely not acceptable,” the owner Tweeted.

The woman's motive was not revealed.

The establishment is one of Japan's concept cafes offering different experiences. Other offerings include cat cafés and maid and butler establishments.

The bizarre behaviour followed a spate of so-called "sushi terrorism" in Japan, where restaurant-goers interfere with sushi going round on a conveyor belt, Drinks Business reports.

In February, the share price of Akindo Sushiro’s parent company dropped by 5%, after a video was shared of a teenage boy in a restaurant in Gifu Prefecture licking and then returning a soy sauce bottle and tea cup.

Two major restaurant chains have disabled their conveyor belts and returned to a traditional table-serving process to remove the risk of people carrying out the crimes, which have include spraying hand sanitiser on passing plates of food.

Image: Ivan Naunov, Scop.io

Australian food market chain eliminates artificial colourings

The move towards healthier eating is inexorable, with even the smallest elements of our diet under the microscope.

Tristan Harris from Harris Farm Markets was joined by colourful pastry chef Anna Polyviou this week as the food chains announced that its stores are now free of all artificial flavours after a five-year program came to fruition.

Harris Farm Markets says it the only major grocery provider in Australia making the commitment.

“Anything artificial colours can do, nature can do better,” said Tristan Harris.

That means no more erythrosine and no more tartrazine, compounds that are used to make foods look more appealing.

“For over 50 years Harris Farm Markets have been delivering goodness to Australian families," said Harris, the company's joint CEO.

"To continue to do this, we knew we needed to eliminate artificial colours from our shelves. So, for the past five years we have been working with our suppliers, to find new methods of production if needed and alternative ingredients if required.

"Now, our pasta sauces, dips, juices, peanut butter, cookie dough, curry pastes, chocolates, soups, noodles and even orange juices - just to name a few - are all free of artificial colouring.

"It has meant, however, that some product lines have been eliminated, because we have to stand firm on our commitment.”

Harris added: “The Covid-19 pandemic fine-focused Australians on health and immunity, and has instigated a return to home cooking, which in turn has increased everyone’s understanding of how foods impact health.

"There’s more reading of labels, more questioning of provenance, and a much deeper understanding of where food comes from now. We applaud this; our new sourcing policy means a healthier and cleaner alternative for families every day. ”

Pastry chef Polyviou said: “I learnt of Harris Farms’ Coloured by Nature commitment when I first tried to get my products on their shelves.

"By being knocked back initially, I learnt about Harris Farms’ standards, and if I wanted to be a supplier, I needed to meet those. It was a whole new ballgame for me and my team.”

Image: Adam Hollingworth

New eatery poses some meaty questions

Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, plant-based: it can be hard to keep up with the range of different lifestyle dining options. 

As more and more people cut out, or reduce, the amount of red meat in their diet, celebrated Turkish-born chef Somer Sivrioğlu has teamed with business partner Tarik Köni to launch a new plant-predominant dining venue: Maydanoz, in Sydney’s CBD 

Opened this week, it is the third venue from the Turkish-influenced Origins Dining Group, and its first plant-predominant offering. 

Maydanoz (parsley in Ottoman Turkish) is a 100-seat Aegean coast-inspired bar and restaurant paying homage to that region’s casual vegetable-driven meze bars. 

Maydanoz will showcase traditional dishes from the western region of Turkey, where plant-led dining is abundant, and meat is typically seen as a supporting act to vegetables. 

With most of the dishes prepared zeytinyagli style (cooked in olive oil), hero ingredients will include wild weeds; fresh herbs; ancient seeds, grains and legumes. 

Group executive chef Arman Uz has created the menu, with signature dishes including house-made dips, dolmas, sarmas and seasonal vegetables.

The menu is designed to be shared, with a variety of dishes served meze style in small plates to accompany the venue’s extensive Turkish (and Australian) beverage collection. 

“We are thrilled to debut a new dining concept for Sydney with the launch of Maydanoz, as one of the country’s first plant-predominant Turkish restaurants," says Sivrioğlu. 

@So often, people equate Turkish cuisine to kebab or lamb, but in fact the meat is often secondary to the incredible array of vegetable-driven dishes available in Turkish cuisine.

"We look forward to introducing Sydney to this side of Turkish cuisine, and to continue showcasing the incredible wines from the region as well."

One of the few meat items on the menu is apparently sheep’s head soup, which I somehow do not see as having widespread gourmet appeal.   

Located at Shop 1, 50 Carrington St, Sydney; Maydanoz will operate six  days per week for lunch and dinner from May 26 - closed Sundays. Right now it is dinner service only. 

The website is www.maydanoz.com.au/, but when I checked on Tuesday it contained zero info.

Images: Steven Woodburn

Finger-licking drawcard for Melbourne gourmet festival

I personally find Nigella Lawson's faux-erotic finger licking and pseudo-sexy sideways glances tiresome in the extreme. 

There is no doubt, however, that the English cook remains a global drawcard and she was today unveiled as headline attraction for this year's 30th anniversary edition of the Melbourne Food & Wine Festival, to run from March 25-April 9.

Organisers announced a two-week program for gourmets involving eating and drinking all over Melbourne. 

There will be a line-up of chefs travelling to Melbourne from New York and London, Hong Kong and Singapore, and festival-goers can attend a Sunday lunch with the self-styled "domestic goddess" on March 27. 

The festival will kick-off with the return of the World’s Longest Lunch, led by Attica’s Ben Shewry (below) in Treasury Gardens. 

Many events will be hosted at Melbourne Food & Wine Festival’s 2022 home : Queen Victoria Market.

Star names include Isaac McHale from The Clove Club in London, Sichuan food expert Fuchsia Dunlop, Skye Gyngell, Jowett Yu and Lennox Hastie. 

“We are thrilled to be back in 2022 and to welcome UK superstar Nigella Lawson to Melbourne as part of the Festival’s 30th anniversary celebrations," says Anthea Loucas Bosha, CEO of Food+Drink Victoria, the not-for-profit parent company behind MFWF. 

"I’m super proud of this program which highlights the extraordinary food and drink experiences that make Melbourne so special."

The festival also brings together some of the most exciting food talent from around Australia and overseas to collaborate with Melbourne restaurants for the signature chef series. 

Stars include  Arabella Douglas and Christine Manfield at Rockpool Bar & Grill and Jowett Yu at Nomad. 

Tickets for Sunday Lunch with Nigella, hosted by Matt Preston, will set you back $285 a head. 

Tickets for all events go on sale at 10am on Thursday. See mfwf.com.au