/ Nov 04, 2026
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2025

Chef Profile: RJ Lines on hats, hard work and why casual dining matters

Crumb Wire07 mins

RJ Lines is the chef-owner turned consultant best known for Summer Hill’s (NSW) One Penny Red. In this Q&A, he reflects on his path from bartending in the ’90s to earning a chef’s hat, his inspirations and where he sees Australia’s food culture heading. What first sparked your love for food, and how did you get your start in the industry? It’s probably a bit clichè, but my love of food probably came from my mum at an early stage. She is a fantastic home cook and always baked treats and cooked delicious meals for the family. By the time I was 16, I was hosting dinner parties at home  I actually started my journey as a bar tender at the basement jazz club in Circular Quay in the very late 90’s, which was an incredible environment to work in and really opened me up to the world of hospitality. I would bartend by night and cook at a whole foods cafe by day in Bondi What’s been your journey so far – from your first job to where you are now? I was a bar tender for quite a few years, but always cooked at the same time, both in Australia and Europe and the U.K. After a few years, I made the decision to focus on cooking and returned to Australia. I put myself through TAFE on one of my days off while working at Longrain in Surry Hills in Sydney. It was an incredible experience – I worked my arse off for a few years and really learned “how” to be a chef in a big, busy kitchen working alongside so much talent After Longrain in 2007, I joined the recently opened Glebe Point Diner and stayed with Alex Kearns over the years, with an overseas sabbatical in Italy until I opened the Neutral Bay Diner with Alex in 2010, in my first head chef role.  In 2014, I finally took the plunge and opened my own restaurant and bar, One Penny Red, in Summer Hill (Sydney), which was an incredible journey for 10 years, including being awarded a chef’s hat by SMH. After One Penny Red in 2024, I started my own consulting and catering business, which is what I am running now. What have been some of your greatest achievements along the way? Definitely opening my own business within 10 years of being a qualified chef and also being awarded a chef’s hat along the way.  Outside your property/properties, what are your current favourite food joints? I absolutely love Ante in Newtown. Ester in Chippendale is also a favourite and one of the best restaurants in the country, hands down. Which chefs and cuisines inspire you most – past or present? I have never really idolised any chef ; however, recently I have become a fan of Ben Shewry and his approach to cooking and business, which is totally inspiring. Cuisine-wise, I think Italian and Spanish are my favourites, owing to their focus on beautiful, simple produce. How do you think Australia’s food culture has evolved in recent years? I think there has been a return to casual dining and produce-driven food with a focus on quality ingredients, really showcasing beautiful Australian produce, which I think is amazing. Any exciting food trends you’ve tried at home – or snuck onto the menu? I think the first time I heard of corn ribs, I rolled my eyes. However, after putting them on the menu at one of my venues (with curry leaf butter), I am obsessed. So moreish. The melted curry leaf butter has also become a staff snack favourite, dribbled on chips. And finally, what do you love doing when you’re not in the kitchen/at the venue?                                Whenever I’m not hanging out with my family, I try to jump on the motorbike and get out of the city. It’s my selfish happy time.

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Uber Eats tops Ubiqitum index as Australia’s favourite food delivery app, DoorDash close second

Crumb Wire04 mins

Australians love their food delivery apps, but not all apps are created equal. AI-native brand data platform Ubiqitum has published the findings of its latest food delivery app index, which shows Uber Eats comfortably in the lead, while DoorDash and Menulog carve out their own strong positions. The index, which tracked usage and brand response (i.e. how Australians feel about their favourite apps), scored the nation’s foremost delivery apps based on awareness and visibility, trust and reliability, experience quality, value and perceived fairness, cultural connection and momentum and advocacy. The criteria are designed to gauge how front-of-mind each app is for customers, how reliable it is, how user-friendly consumers find the interface and other key consumer-driven insights. These elements are weighted, benchmarked, and normalised to reflect sector realities. The result is a single score that balances both rational and emotional measures of favourability. Uber Eats on topUber Eats holds the crown with a score of 86.7, well ahead of its competitors. According to the findings, “Uber Eats sits on top because it scores highly across every dimension. Its visibility is unmatched, its app experience is polished, and consumers rate its reliability as best-in-class. The 86.7 reflects not just dominance in scale, but the feeling that Uber Eats is the ‘default’ for food delivery in Australia.” DoorDash closes the gapDoorDash ranks second, just a few points behind at 82.9. This position comes from perceptions of reliability and speed, according to Ubiqitum. “Consumers see it as accurate and dependable, especially in suburban and regional delivery. Its awareness trails Uber Eats slightly, but high trust scores lift its position,” the index finds. Menulog holds on to community tiesMenulog comes in third at 79.4, reflecting its deep cultural and local ties. “Its long-standing partnerships with independent restaurants score well for connection and value. But experience quality and speed trail its competitors, keeping it below Uber Eats and DoorDash,” notes Ubiqitum. Deliveroo and EASI in the niche laneThe index also shows that Deliveroo’s 74.8 shows “respectable recognition and an urban customer base, but gaps in national coverage and a weaker cultural connection lower its favourability”, whereas EASI’s 71.6 demonstrates the power of niche loyalty. “Strong cultural resonance with Asian cuisines boosts its cultural connection score, but limited visibility and weaker advocacy hold it back from higher favourability.” Ubiqitum’s scores reflect the full picture of favourability, not just how often Aussies order, but whether they trust, value, and emotionally connect with the brand delivering their meals. Source: Ubiqitum, Australia’s Favourite Food Delivery App; 18 August 2025

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Canberra welcomes new East Asian joint Azuma Den, via Bisa Hospitality

Pallavi Mathur03 mins

Canberra’s Bisa Hospitality, the family-owned group behind Agostinis, Joe’s Bar and Café Sosta, is adding another venue to its portfolio, with Azuma Den officially opening today, August 18. The new restaurant at the East Hotel in Kingston celebrates Japanese and Korean cuisine – drawing from Japanese simplicity, elegance and focus on seasonal ingredients alongside the bold flavours and fermentation techniques that Korean cuisine is best known for. The menu and experience have been designed by Executive Chef Junho “Luffy” Koh and Chef Jun Kim. Koh, who is Italian-trained but raised on Korean food, says: “It’s all about connection and harmony. Our food is based on Korean and Japanese cuisine, bringing together traditional flavours with modern ideas, familiar dishes and new surprises.” The menu showcases the marriage of the two eastern cuisines through novel dishes such as the Kimbap roll with ponzu mustard, pork and ginger dumplings with shishito pepper oil and the pork jowl hibachi kushi (skewers) with yuzo miso and ssam jang. From the hibachi grill, guests can order the 200g Snapper with yuzu butter, Tajiama Wagyu steak MB8 with smoked salt and wasabi, Finger Eggplant with gochujang and miso and more. The dessert selection stands out with the Coconut Meringue topped with yuzu miso caramel, custard and mandarin or a twist on the French Brûlée with a twist of orange and ginger. “I believe that cooking with fire is about giving energy to cold ingredients and passing that energy onto guests. By eating delicious food cooked over a sizzling fire, customers can receive energy for their tired and cold bodies and minds and feel warm and comforted,” says Koh of the menu. Azuma Den is now open for lunch Wednesday to Sunday, and dinner seven nights a week. Source: azumaden.com.au

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Urgent Recall: Multiple pasteurised soft cheeses

Pallavi Mathur02 mins

Food Standards Australia and New Zealand have issued an urgent recall of pasteurised cow and goat milk cheeses due to potential contamination with Listeria monocytogenes. The recalled products were all produced by French manufacturer, Chavegrand. The recalled products include: K-sein Pty Ltd – Bûche Belle du Bocage, Washed Rind Pty Ltd – Bûche Belle du Bocage, ALDI’s Specially Selected French L’ovale cheese 300g and the Emporium Selection French Brie 125g. Global Foods Group has also recalled their Mon Ami and Emborg soft cheese collection. FSANZ is working with food businesses and state and territory food enforcement agencies to recall affected products. Australian government authorities are also working with international counterparts to manage this issue. The mass recall comes as 21 cases of listeriosis caused by bacterial strains with similar characteristics have been identified by French health authorities, including 18 cases since the beginning of June 2025.  According to the FSANZ website, Listeria monocytogenes may cause severe illness in pregnant women, unborn babies, neonates, the elderly, and immunocompromised individuals. The general population can also become ill from consuming food contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. While no cases of illness linked to these products have been reported in Australia, consumers have been advised not to eat these these products and return them to the place of purchase for a full refund. Any consumers concerned about their health should seek medical advice.

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Marrickville’s People’s Burger rolls into Tempe with $5 launch day drop

Pallavi Mathur01 mins

Tempe’s food truck scene is getting a new player this weekend as People’s Burger opens its second Sydney location. The long-time Marrickville resident is marking the occasion with a $5 burger drop for one day only. On Saturday, August 16, the burger brand will be serving two of its signatures: the beef-based Skinny Boi and the fried chicken Dirty Bird, each for $5 from midday until midnight. A vegetarian option will also be available. People’s Burger started in 2015 at Frenchs Forest Market before moving to a food truck in Marrickville in 2019. The business is led by chef Kumar, whose background in fine dining and hatted restaurants is behind the menu’s focus on quality ingredients and crowd-pleasing combinations. The new Tempe store is located at 531 Princes Hwy and will be open from 12 pm to 12 am for the grand opening offer.

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Nostalgia Alert: McDonaldland Crew Returns With Limited-Edition Meal

Pallavi Mathur02 mins

After more than two decades since Ronald McDonald, Grimace, Birdie, Hamburglar, Mayor McCheese, and the Fry Friends shared the same menu board, the OG Macca’s crew is coming home. Macca’s new McDonaldland Meal is designed for a little grown-up nostalgia, with your pick of a Quarter Pounder, Big Mac, or six-piece McNuggets, plus fries. The throwback factor comes in the form of a limited-edition berry-flavoured McDonaldland Shake – topped with whipped cream and raspberry sprinkles – and one of six collectible souvenir kits. Each tin is filled with postcards, stickers, and character-themed extras. Jennifer “JJ” Healan, McDonald’s VP, U.S. Marketing, Brand, Content & Culture, said: “For the first time in decades, we are taking fans on a trip to McDonaldland with an immersive experience that taps into the past to create the future. It’s a chance for us to give fans a new, modern way to experience this magical world.”  The McDonaldland Meal will be available nationwide from August 13 until stocks run out.

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Bringing green to the gram: How creators turned matcha into a lifestyle symbol

Crumb Wire06 mins

Source: Stock It’s the middle of Australian winter and yet iced matchas are everywhere.  Not just in cafes, but across our feeds – there they are. Tumblers dripping with condensation, clutched in manicured hands, swirling gradients of oat milk and powdered green, some with colourful toppings. In a landscape of endlessly shifting lifestyle trends, matcha has proven remarkably sticky. The Japanese green tea powder started having a moment back in 2023 as a traditional drink, long revered for its cultural context, that also happened to be what all the ‘clean-girls’ ‘green-godesses’ were drinking to balance their guts. Like all good trends, it eventually started to wobble with complaints about the flavour and the boom of alternative health drinks and immunity shots that threatened to knock it off its symbolic perch. Except it didn’t go anywhere. It simply rebranded and made a comeback so big, Japan is now dealing with a matcha supply crisis.  What’s happened more recently is curious. Matcha isn’t being sold as a health drink anymore, but rather as a Gen Z symbol for good taste and better vibes.  Recent edits include matcha montages and day-in-the-life style short videos set to trending Instagram and TikTok sounds like the one that quips, ‘If matcha tastes like grass, I am simply a cow.’  Matcha has slipped from centrepiece to signature, no longer primarily the subject of tutorials or wellness posts, but a quiet fixture in the frame. It shows up in travel diaries, BookTok recommendations, even the front seat of a car, mid hot take about Labubus.  The whisk shots are on their way out; in their place, a green drink that says everything without needing to be explained. If you fancy a game of ‘Where’s Wally – Matcha Edition,’ here’s where you can start looking: In the passenger seat  Often appearing during a rant or thought dump that simply couldn’t wait until after the drive home, you’ll find a cup of matcha in the holder or being waved at the camera or even being sipped mid-sentence. You’re not watching for the drink, but it’s an accessory that only pretends to be in the background. #BookTok It’s the first shot in a #BookTok reset or a Sunday vlog. The swirl, the pour, the green on glass, gently placed next to a hardbound book. You may also find it cupped in the hands of your go-to booktok creators as they share their favourite reads of the season. Matcha sets the new aesthetic tone: calm, conscious, clean, with a pop of green in a content universe that until recently went hand in hand with coffee stains and latte art.  Weekly carousel dump  Scroll through any creator’s carousel of weekend snaps or ‘camera roll clears’ and odds are, there’s a cold matcha somewhere near the front. Lit just right, being stirred in slo-mo to capture the clouds of oat milk rising as it blends.  A trend that’s inspired many to subtly drop their own love affairs with matcha on their feeds, it makes for the perfect hook in an amateur creator’s virality toolkit. As filler B-roll  Even when the content is about something else entirely, matcha somehow still finds its way in. Stirring, sipping, resting on a windowsill. No one’s talking about the drink in their hands as they get on the mall escalator or stroll down the esplanade – and that’s the whole point. Matcha is now a mood, not a menu item. Matcha has become the young, hot cousin from out of town that’s featured in fun little brunches with the girls, wellness goals, coffee dates and window shopping. So while this has been a low-yield year for the tea, we reckon it isn’t going anywhere soon. The flat white ought to watch its back.

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Chatime teams up with Maybelline for a limited-edition collab

Crumb Wire03 mins

Bubble tea meets beauty this August as Chatime partners with Maybelline for a two-week giveaway that brings lashes and lattes together. From August 12–25, ordering a large size of one of four limited-edition Chatime × Maybelline drinks will score you a scratch card for the chance to win a full-size Maybelline mascara or a $3 Chemist Warehouse voucher. Rachel Druce, Marketing Manager, Chatime, said: “Chatime’s collaboration with Maybelline marks a bold new chapter in its history of successful brand crossovers. This partnership celebrates the launch of Maybelline’s latest cult-favorite innovation – the Colossal Bubble Mascara, which delivers inflated yet lightweight volume- by blending the playful world of bubble tea with cutting-edge beauty.” The lineup includes: Maybelline Sugar SwirlA brown sugar milk tea with black pearls, this rich, velvety sip is all about indulgence – and pairs with the “lightweight feel” of Maybelline’s lash lift formula. Bubbllicious Mango FruityA sweet-tart tea with bold mango flavour. The golden hue matches Maybelline’s yellow mascara tube, while the “magic” is in the bright, summery punch it delivers. Colossal Mango Passion FrozenA frozen mango-and-passionfruit tea topped with mango popping pearls. The bold, juicy hit is designed to lift your mood (and match Maybelline’s volume-boosting promise). Maybe It’s Peach FruityA playful nod to “Maybe she’s born with it” – this juicy peach tea brings a fresh, sunny pop of flavour to the collection. “We are always looking for exciting ways to connect with our customers. This collaboration with Maybelline allows us to blend beauty and beverage culture in a way that feels fresh, fun, and on-brand for Chatime,” added Druce. The collection is available nationwide until August 25 or while supplies last, with prizes up for grabs on the spot.

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Sydney’s Opera Bar set for a makeover as new owner takes the reins

Crumb Wire04 mins

After more than two decades under Matt Moran and hospitality group Solotel, the Sydney Opera House’s most famous harbourside hangout is getting a shake-up. Applejack Hospitality – the crew behind spots like Bopp & Tone, RAFI and The Butler – will take over both Opera Bar and neighbouring House Canteen in a major 10-year deal with the Opera House. Sydney Opera House Chief Customer Officer, Jade McKellar, said that Applejack had delivered “a compelling, vibrant vision for this community space that thousands of locals and visitors enjoy every year.” “We’re thrilled to have appointed Applejack Hospitality to run the Opera House’s popular harbourside venues, Opera Bar and House Canteen, for the next 10 years,” she said. The Opera House team also thanked the existing operator, Solotel, as well as Matt Moran and General Manager John Gallas, for their outstanding contributions over 24 memorable years. “Solotel has been instrumental to the success of these iconic Sydney venues, creating unforgettable experiences for locals and tourists over decades and contributing to the vitality of Sydney’s hospitality scene. We’re incredibly proud of what we’ve delivered together over this long-standing partnership. We thank them for their significant contribution and acknowledge their lasting legacy,” McKellar said. Applejack Co-founders Ben Carroll and Hamish Watts called the opportunity “a dream come true for the entire team.” They added: “To be entrusted as custodians of venues at the Sydney Opera House – the world’s most iconic cultural stage – is both humbling and inspiring. We can’t wait to share the exciting new concepts we’ve developed for both locals and visitors while honouring this extraordinary location.” The changeover starts mid-September for Opera Bar, with House Canteen following in November, just in time for the summer crowds. Both venues will continue to trade as usual before Applejack puts its stamp on the spaces, with refurbishments planned for 2026. Expect a fresh vision for the waterfront icons – Opera Bar is set to channel Sydney’s cultural food scene with a lively, all-day offering, while House Canteen will lean into a relaxed café vibe. It’s a big changing of the guard for two of the country’s most recognisable venues, promising new menus, fresh interiors and a renewed focus on creating spaces locals will want to visit as much as tourists. Source: Applejack Hospitality

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Ferragosto 2025: Five Dock’s Italian feast hits the streets

Crumb Wire03 mins

Five Dock’s biggest street party is back on Sunday, August 17, bringing with it an 800-metre stretch of Italian food, wine and festive chaos. From 10 am to 5 pm, Great North Road will turn into a celebration of Italian-Australian culture. More than 150+ stalls will be dishing up everything from arancini and antipasto to cannoli, pasta and wood-fired pizza. Sandhurst Australia will transform First Avenue into Via Sandhurst – a VIP space where guests can taste antipasti, pastas and nibbles. Also a key installation this year is the FerraCucina stage, where chefs from La Favola, Nonno in the Kitchen and Cicerone will share their takes on Italian staples, followed by an aperitivo hour with peak-Italian apertif brand Aperol and Sandhurst. Aperol will also take over Garfield Street with Terrazza Aperol, an orange-washed Mediterranean oasis serving Aperol Spritz, antipasti and the chance to win a trip for two to Italy. Ferragosto began in 1998 as a small car park event and has since grown into one of Sydney’s most popular multicultural festivals. Now stretching from Queens Road to Lyons Road, it’s a full-scale immersion in Italian food, music and culture. “Ferragosto is a celebration of Five Dock’s heritage, vibrant local businesses and the contributions that Italian migrants have brought to the area over the years,” says City of Canada Bay Mayor Michael Megna. “The event is a community favourite and this year we have really upped the ante. We welcome you to join us to celebrate, enjoy delicious food and experience the world-famous Italian hospitality.” The festival will also serve up wine tastings, roving entertainment, Italian vehicle displays and free rides for kids. Entry is free, with shuttle buses running from surrounding suburbs all day. Source: City of Canaday Bay

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