EAT > Bloody Mary’s, Christchurch NZ (13/20)

Christchurch is a little quiet on the Sunday night that we make our way to ‘Bloody Mary’s’ its been recommended for good food, a pleasant ambience, its Bloody Mary’s and that it was actually open on a Sunday evening! Its located in the Ridges Hotel and when you walk in it feels a lot like…

ByEd ItorSeptember 16, 20230Comments

SKI > JAPAN WHERE TO SKI >

SKI > Hakuba Valley

Located in northwestern Nagano Prefecture of Honshu (the main island of Japan) at the base of the 3,000m tall Northern Japan Alps, you will find the town of Hakuba and the centre of HAKUBA VALLEY which is a group of 10 resorts (Happo-one, Iwatake, Tsugaike, Hakuba 47, Goryu, Kashmayari, Sanosaka, Jigatake, Norikura and Cortina). …

ByEd ItorSeptember 7, 20230Comments

DRINK > WINE DRINK > WINE > Pinot Noir

WINE > Dry River Pinot Noir 2020 (96/100 points)

The Dry River vineyard was established in 1979 by Dr Neil and Dawn McCallum and was one of Martinborough’s first wineries and over time it has become one New Zealand's most iconic wines. It was named after one of South Wairarapa’s earliest sheep stations, Dry River rests on the very arid, gravelly, free-draining soils near…

ByEd ItorSeptember 5, 20230Comments

EAT EAT > KYOTO

EAT > Nikuryori Oka, Kyoto (17/20)

Nikuryori Oka is restaurant that obsesses with beef, and not just beef but A5 marbled wagyu beef largely agreed to be the most flavoursome, melt in your mouth beef in the world. Hidden away amongst the beautiful machiya tea houses of Gion you will find a restaurant and a chef who will…

ByEd ItorSeptember 5, 20230Comments

EAT EAT > TOKYO

EAT > J U L I A Omakase, Tokyo (18/20)

Tokyo is has the most Michelin starred restaurants in the world, it is no wonder that in this incredible city fine food is expressed in so many ways and so there are so many choices. The Michelin guide lists 461 fine dining restaurants in Tokyo of those listed 199 have either 1, 2 or…

ByCrispySeptember 5, 20230Comments

EAT EAT > MELBOURNE

EAT > Bellota Wine Bar & Food (18/20)

Last week I was back eating in one of my very favourite restaurants and I realised that it was also one of the first restaurant reviews written for Almanak, so I thought it needed an update. Needless to say we had another outstanding meal and brilliant wine. In full disclosure Bellota used to be…

ByCrispySeptember 1, 20230Comments

DRINK > WINE DRINK > WINE > Pinot Noir

WINE > Domaine Tollot-Beaut Chorey-Les-Beaune Protégée 2018 (93/100 points)

I am very fond of the flavour profile found in Burgundy wines made from grapes grown in Beaune, and while this wine is described by the maker as a "classic rustic red wine" I think it deserves more love and recognition because it is a lot better than that. THE WINERY The Tollot family have…

ByCrispyAugust 30, 20230Comments

DESIGN DESIGN > TECHNOLOGY

DESIGN > OB-4 Magic Radio from Teenage Engineering

Yes the Swedish cool kids are at it again with the very coolest blue tooth speaker you could ever wish to own. The OB-4 is a portable high fidelity loudspeaker, with the emphasis on 'loud'. The OB-4 has two 4" bass drivers and a pair of neodymium tweeters delivering sweet crystal clear…

ByEd ItorAugust 29, 20230Comments

DRINK > WINE DRINK > WINE > Pinot Noir

WINE > Yeringberg – Pinot Noir 2019 (93/100 points)

THE WINERY Yeringberg and the de Pury family are original pioneers of wine making in the Yarra Valley of Victoria. The original vineyard was established in 1863, though many of the grapes were pulled out with vines replanted in the 1970s. In 1969 Guill and Katherine de Pury (already the 3rd…

ByCrispyAugust 28, 20230Comments

TRAVEL TRAVEL > ITALY

TRAVEL > Almanak Guide to Siracusa, Sicily

CONTENTS Getting There Where to Eat Where to Drink Where to Sleep Where to Swim Click to Google Map list The Almanak Guide to Syracuse is now available in print from the blurb store print its just $13 USD plus shipping for 40 pages of full colour - click here. When you are…

ByCrispyAugust 25, 20230Comments