Urgent Recall: Aldi frozen dumplings may contain glass
Food Standards Australia (FSA) and state food authorities have issued an urgent recall of ALDI’s Urban Eats Japanese Style Vegetable Gyoza (750g).
July 2025
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Dine Out with Uber Eats launches in Sydney with a one-night-only degustation
Uber Eats has launched Dine Out in Australia, allowing Sydneysiders to find hundreds of dining deals at their favourite restaurants on the app. The feature turns the Uber Eats app into a new way to discover and claim in-person dining deals at restaurants, while also unlocking a transportation option to ‘book a ride’ from the Dine Out storefront to the restaurant. Sydney has been selected as the global launchpad for the feature, on account of the city’s thriving F&B scene and tech-savvy diners, marking the first time an Uber Eats product of this scale has been piloted down under. To celebrate the launch, Uber Eats is hosting House of Eats in Darlinghurst: a one-night-only pop-up dining experience on Friday, August 8, featuring some of Sydney’s iconic restaurants for a fun feast curated by chef Danielle Alvarez. The four-course degustation menu will feature exclusive dishes from Dine Out partner restaurants, including Rose Bay waterside institution Catalina, Italian neighbourhood favourite Fabbrica, and cult burger barons Mary’s. P&V –neighbourhood bottle shops, wine bar and liquor merchants – will also be on board to serve a verde negroni and expertly paired wines throughout the evening. “Sydney has some of the best dining in the world – a bold mix of cultures, incredible produce, emerging talent, and iconic venues that have stood the test of time. This collaboration brings that energy to the plate,” says Alvarez. “We’ve created a menu that’s playful, full of flavour, and a tribute to what makes each venue so beloved. Bringing them together was a delicious challenge – each so different, but all part of Sydney’s rich dining fabric,” she adds. Those able to secure one of the coveted spots can expect elevated twists on some of Sydney’s favourites, including Mary’s fried chicken topped with caviar served alongside bread rolls with Mary’s delectable chicken gravy for dipping. Fabbrica’s signature cacio e pepe will be reimagined with bottarga, followed by Catalina’s elevated take on fish and chips. For dessert, Alvarez’s spin on the classic Aussie pavlova with sorrel sorbet, rhubarb and yogurt mousse – It may not contain a lot of iron or fibre, but at least this way guests can claim to have eaten their greens. House of Eats is free to attend, but tickets are limited. Spots will be released in pairs at 9 am AEST on Tuesday, 29 July. There will be two sittings on Friday, 8 August (5 pm-7:30 pm or 8:30 pm-11 pm), taking place at Rainbow Studios, 348 Liverpool Street, Darlinghurst NSW. For those who can’t make it, the crew from Harry’s Bondi will pop up with a free brekkie on Saturday, 9 August. The breakfast will feature a lemon and ricotta stuffed croissant roll with white chocolate and pistachio drizzle, topped with a pistachio crumb, alongside a mandarin coulis varietal of Harry’s famous canned matcha. “We’re incredibly privileged to be launching Dine Out in Sydney – supporting local businesses and giving people the affordable dining options they’ve been asking for. With winter often bringing a dip in foot traffic, we hope this helps drive more diners through the doors. And as a proud Melburnian, I’m making sure that Victoria’s not far behind,” says Ed Kitchen, Managing Director at Uber Eats Australia and New Zealand. Dine Out with Uber Eats is now live in the Uber Eats app. Participating venues include Nel. Restaurant, The Restaurant Pendolino, Chester White Cured Diner, Ace Hotel’s Lobby Bar, Centro 86, Arthur’s Pizza, The Cottage Balmain, Catalina, Mary’s, Fabbrica and more. Source: Uber Newsroom
From Amalfi to the reef: Cairns Italian Festival returns to the tropics for 2025
From July 23 to August 3, Cairns will play host to the best of Italian cuisine and entertainment as locals and travellers gear up for the Cairns Italian Festival. A highly anticipated annual event on the Cairns calendar, the festival is now in its fourth year. Events on the 2025 program include the big ‘La Festa – Food and Wine Day’ at Fogarty Park, luscious degustation dinners celebrating Italian flavours and culinary techniques, the Mareeba Salami and Sausage Festa and the Carnevale Cocktail Party with a masquerade twist. In a statement to Cairns Local News, Festival President Claudio Di Bartolomeo said: “La Festa is coming back, it’s our biggest day, we are expecting 15 to 17,000 people through the door. Last year, we had a lot of people from down south at the event, so this is bringing visitation to Cairns.” Early birds get the worm with a six-course long lunch at Cairns’ only hatted restaurant, Ollie’s Italian. La Dolce Vita – The Long Lunch has been co-created by Ollie’s Chef Giuseppe Morabito (ex Michelin-starred Capri Palace) and guest Chef Dario Manca. Guests can expect a chilled Aperol Spritz or Peroni Red as their welcome drink, followed by each modern Italian course paired with hand-picked Italian and Australian wines by The Wine Tradition. Di Bartolomeo added: “La Dolce Vita – The Long Lunch is all about celebrating the sweet life. Amazing food, beautiful wines, great people. What more could you want? “We have a lot of support from the local community, from the Cairns Regional Council, from our sponsors and people are really excited for another year.” This year’s festival sponsors include the Ray White Cairns, Cairns and & Great Barrier Reef, Cairns Regional Council, The Benson Hotel, Borgo Salumi, Villa Romana Trattoria, Vitalia’s, The Wine Tradition and a whole host more. Source: cairnsitalianfestival.com.au, Cairns Local News
Coca-Cola to release a new product in US; no changes to Aussie recipe
Coca-Cola announced this week that it will be offering a new variant of the product – a change Australia has found itself ahead of. Reportedly influenced by US President Donald Trump, the new American recipe will use US cane sugar to sweeten the drink instead of high-fructose corn syrup. Trump’s social media post on July 16 read: “Speaking to Coca-Cola about using REAL Cane Sugar in Coke in the United States. They have agreed to do so.” In a statement released on July 22, Coca-Cola confirmed plans for the new launch, saying: “This addition is designed to complement the company’s strong core portfolio and offer more choices across occasions and preferences.” The Australian market will not see any changes to the recipe as the local formula has always been manufactured with cane sugar. The company started using corn syrup in its products years ago because it is less expensive than cane sugar. Source: msn
Pilu sets sights on the harbour with Flaminia: a tribute to family, seafood and the coast
Italian-Australian Chef Giovanni Pilu and his wife and business partner, Marilyn Annecchini, are on their marks and ready to launch Italian restaurant Flaminia at the Pullman Quay Grand, Sydney Harbour. Due to open in November 2025, Flaminia will embrace the waterfront dining blueprint that defines the iconic Pilu at Freshwater – just as it did with the couple’s first restaurant, Cala Luna at the Spit. With a touch of sentimentality, the restaurant has been named after the ship that first brought the Pilu family from Italy to Australia in 1959. “It represents our journey, leaving one coast behind and arriving on another, and everything that’s come from it,” says Giovanni Pilu. “Naming the restaurant Flaminia is a way of honouring that story of food, family and finding a new home.” The menu will draw on the distinct food culture of Italy’s port towns like Venice, Catania, Genoa, Cagliari and Portofino and Porto Venere. Seafood lovers can expect to be wooed by a dedicated crudo bar, freshly shucked oysters, coastal antipasti and seafood pastas. “It’s the spirit of the ports, brought to life with incredible local produce, right on Sydney Harbour,” says Pilu.
Auntie Anne’s pretzels make Australian debut
Popular American pretzel franchise, Auntie Anne’s, is set to open its first Australian outlet in Westfield Parramatta on July 26. The local launch is being led by friends-turned-business partners Yu Jin-Lett and Johann Wong. Together, they plan to roll out 60 locations across Australia, with five new openings already on the horizon in the next 12 months. The new store will carry all the American classics like the original sweet almond, cinnamon sugar, pepperoni and cheese as well as sweet and savoury nugget bites. Customers will be able to wash down the bready goodness with coffee or Auntie Anne’s signature lemonade. All products will be freshly handmade on-site, so mall visitors can expect the warm aroma of butter and flour cutting through the scents of shiny leather, fabric and the Myer perfume counter. The pretzel dough will be made from raw ingredients and hand rolled into the various options on the menuwith a brush of rich, fatty butter to finish. If you’re tempted to head over early, assuming the launch comes with an introductory offer – you’re right. The first 50 guests to visit the new store on opening day will get a limited-edition goodie bag of branded merch.
Now open: Rockpool’s 24 York serves one dish to rule them all
This week, Sydney’s buzzing CBD welcomes 24 York – Rockpool Group’s new restaurant serving one dish and one dish only – Steak-Frites. According to a statement on the restaurant’s website, the venue takes a confident stance on a crowded market: ‘one dish, done right, every time.’ At $48, 24 York offers a premium grass-fed MB2+ scotch fillet from O’Connor in Gippsland – the very same as the Rockpool Bar and Grill menu. Vibe: Parisian Bistro with a touch of Sydney CBD’s pace. Menu Highlights: Grass-fed MB2+ Scotch Fillet Price: $48-$70 pp Dietary Considerations: Vegans and Vegetarians can give this one a skip. The cut is paired with fried shoestring fries and a small selection of house-made sauces like peppercorn, chimichurri, umami butter, and veal jus. It’s Rockpool quality at half of Rockpool’s premium prices. Add-ons include a green salad and a cheesecake tart for those who crave a bit of sucrose after dinner. The drinks menu offers classic cocktails like vodka and gin martinis and a Negroni, along with four choices each of beer and wine, and some non-alcoholic options. With Rockpool’s Executive Chef, Santi Aristizabal at the helm, the restaurant draws inspiration from Parisian favourite, Le Relais de l’Entrecôte – a landmark single-dish bistro famous for its sirloin steak. 24 York shares its French muse’s sophistication without song-and-dance – think crisp white tablecloths, leather banquettes and a warmth that feels simultaneously premium and accessible.
Nando’s becomes Merrylands’ newest tenant
Nando’s Australia and New Zealand has opened a new location in the Mason and Main ‘Eat Street’ precinct in Merrylands. The location marks a first for the chain, which is situated within an apartment building, a setting never previously used by Nando’s in the ANZ region. The launch is part of Nando’s broader expansion plan, which includes 25 new restaurants across Australia and New Zealand over the next three years. The Merrylands restaurant will feature distinctive design elements, including large arch windows and pendant lighting from Mash T. The venue will also showcase authentic South African artwork, aligning with Nando’s brand identity. A LinkedIn post on the official Nando’s Australia and New Zealand page says, “This new space boasts plenty of art, features, furniture, and fixtures, from our South African design portal, including our personal faves, the condiment station tiles, the feature dining space pendants, and the iconic cork panelling.” In addition to its design, the restaurant will be NSW’s first ‘Premium beverage restaurant’ offering a variety of beverages, including frozen cocktails, curated wines, craft beers, and unlimited refills of RUBRO Iced Tea and Coca-Cola products. Customer and Brand Director of Nando’s Australia and New Zealand, Darren Hampton, said: “We’ve been privileged to serve a number of communities in New South Wales over the last two decades and have big plans for the future.” The new Merrylands location will provide dine-in, takeaway, and delivery services, catering to a range of customer preferences. Juicy chicken and thirst-quencher galore? Sign us up!
Barangaroo’s waterfront welcomes Gina Pasta Bar
Sunny Barangaroo water views and a gourmet Italian fare are on offer at Woundrous Entertainment’s (Izgara Turkish Grill; Malika Bakehouse) latest launch – Gina Pasta Bar. Inspired by Italy’s easy-breezy coastal trattorias, Gina offers ample seating for up to 170 – a reflection of the eagerness to feed as is customary in parts of the Mediterranean nation. Vibe: A swish trattoria on the Amalfi coast. Tile, cane and serene blue views (plus a ferry station) as far as the eye can see. Menu Highlights: Crab arancini, Moreton Bay bug pappardelle, Casarecce with grass-fed lamb ragu Price: $65-$100pp for a full meal + drink Dietary Considerations: Vegetarian and Gluten Free options available A joint venture by Group Executive Chef Michael Chang (ex-Maydnoz) and Sicilian-born Head Chef Giuseppe Pappalardo (ex-Molto Italian), the menu sets the perfect stage for those looking to emulate an Amalfi sundowner with house-made pastas, antipasti, premium steaks, elegant seafood flavours and seasonal dishes. Highlights include a Moreton Bay bug pappardelle with a kick, scallop crudo with blood orange, the Kiwami fullblood Wagyu skirt and the swordfish with lupini beans, vine-ripened tomatoes and Cavolo Nero. You can also choose to opt for one of the two banquet options with a choice selection of antipasti and mains. The cocktail menu by Grant Collins mixes classic Italian summer flavours with a modern Australian touch. It also features a 200-bottle wine list, ensuring you can enjoy fine dining with something equally exquisite to drink.
Little foodies eat free: Kickin Inn shouts kids’ meals every day of the week
Source: kickininn.com.au Cajun seafood boil chain, Kickin’ Inn has extended it’s popular ‘Kids Eat Free’ offer to 7 days a week. Previously available from Monday to Thursday only, the offer has been upgraded and made available across all Kickin’ Inn locations nationally, starting July 1. Children aged 8 and under can choose from kids menu items like boneless chicken and chips, tempura calamari and chips, chicken nuggets, a small pasta in napolitana sauce and more. All kids’ meals are served up with a side of tomato sauce, a choice od apple or orange juice and vanilla ice cream. A social media post by Kickin’ Inn co-founder Ravi Singh says, “This is not just a promotion; it is a reflection of our core values and a commitment to giving back to the next generation. “At Kickin’Inn, hospitality means more than food. It means creating moments and building connections. Our thoughtfully crafted Kids Menu ensures our youngest guests enjoy meals made with care and quality, while parents can feel confident and valued.” Singh plans to open 50 restaurants in Australia by 2030, emphasising that the brand aims to be socially responsible and support families nationwide. Kickin’ Inn has also teamed up with Little Wings, an organization that helps seriously ill children get essential medical care by offering free flights. Singh plans to support the charity through his participation in City2Surf 2025. Source: Multiple sources
