Valentine's Day 2026: Twelve dining experiences in Sydney and Melbourne

Noosa Chocolate Factory is setting up shop on Hastings Street this spring

Pallavi MathurAugust 17, 2026

Noosa Chocolate Factory is opening its sixth store, bringing its hand-crafted chocolate to the heart of Noosa Heads. The family-owned chocolatier will open on Hastings Street on the Sunshine Coast in October 2026. The new store sits within the Village on Hastings (Bay Village) precinct at Hastings Street and includes a generous retail section, a café with seating for 10-15 guests, and on-site parking. The fitout has the same warm, artisanal feel as the group’s other stores, with modern, minimalist styling and multi-toned timber floors and features. Inside, it’s casually chic, with a large window-seating area where guests can sip a signature hot or iced chocolate drink or coffee and watch the beach crowd go by. Counter and table seating is also available. Noosa Chocolate Factory began in 2009 with a small kitchen in Noosaville, before growing into today’s factory, café and retail store on Venture Drive. The group has since expanded to Brisbane City, Sunshine Plaza in Maroochydore and Westfield Chermside. Hastings Street will be its sixth store. Noosa Chocolate Factory Chief Executive Officer Marcus Raward said the group had long envisioned opening a store in the heart of Noosa Heads, and Hastings Street offered the perfect neighbourhood of like-minded, local, artisanal and boutique businesses. “We’re homegrown and absolutely love Noosa, so we’ve created a space that’s unique to this location: bright, spacious and that encourages guests to linger over our signature and specialty drinks – the perfect post-beach or shopping treat. “Our new Hastings Street store will capture the local foot traffic and beach crowd and complement our original Noosaville factory and store – a destination location in its own right, where visitors can watch the thrill of chocolate making underway.” The Hastings Street store will stock the group’s most popular signature and speciality ranges, made with ingredients sourced from ethical and sustainable suppliers, and traditional recipes dating back to the 1920s and the family’s original chocolatier, Charles Thomson. The Noosaville factory and store will continue to stock the full product range, along with its viewing window into the chocolate factory itself. At Hastings Street, the dine-in and takeaway menu is all about Noosa Chocolate Factory’s signature hot and iced chocolate drinks, a blend of fresh chocolate and milk, including Rocky Road and vegan varieties. Speciality coffee roasted by Padre Coffee, based in Noosaville and Melbourne, is also on the menu. The Noosaville factory will supply the new store with fresh, hand-made chocolate that is palm oil and preservative free, made with quality raw ingredients sourced locally wherever possible, including macadamias, hazelnuts, pineapple, mango, strawberries and passionfruit, with additional vegan and no added-dairy options also available. Noosa Chocolate Factory Hastings Street opens seven days a week from October 2026 at 18 Hastings Street, Noosa Heads. Find more food and drink news on Crumb Wire.

Cronulla set to welcome NOA by Chef Nelly Robinson

Pallavi MathurAugust 17, 2026

Chef Nelly Robinson is opening NOA, a new oceanfront restaurant overlooking Cronulla Beach. Robinson has spent more than a decade building a reputation as one of Australia’s most creative chefs, turning his Surry Hills restaurant NEL into one of Sydney’s most experience-led dining destinations through immersive degustations, theatrical storytelling and boundary-pushing cuisine. This September, Robinson and partner Danielle Richards-Robinson will open the new venue, bringing the creativity and attention to detail of NEL into a more laid-back, all-day setting. “NOA is the coastal expression of NEL,” says co-owner Richards-Robinson. “Where NEL is the creator and the visionary, NOA brings a softer, lighter and brighter approach. It’s understated luxury with warmth, sunlight and an effortless sense of calm and confidence.” Joining it is Little NOA, an oceanfront terrace designed for casual burgers, cocktails and walk-in dining just steps from the sand. Together, the two spaces form a new all-day hospitality destination for Sydney’s south. Truly experiential dining Robinson believes Australia has only just begun embracing truly experiential dining beyond special-occasion degustations, and at NOA, that experience won’t be reserved for a tasting menu. Guests can start with a Champagne and caviar trolley, build a personalised cheese board in the venue’s dedicated wine room, order dishes finished tableside, or simply have a steak and a glass of wine for an hour. Others can settle in for an eight-course chef’s selection. The format is designed to adapt to the guest, rather than the other way around. “You might come in for a steak and a glass of wine, or spend the afternoon sharing snacks before finishing with our chef’s menu. It’s your experience. We simply help shape it,” says Robinson. That flexibility runs through the whole venue, with two private dining rooms and a menu built around choice rather than a fixed format. “We wanted NOA to feel like it belonged to Cronulla. Rather than competing with the view or the food, the design frames both, creating spaces that feel warm, timeless and connected to the coastline.” says LikeMinds, the interior design team behind the venue. For Robinson and Richards-Robinson, both Cronulla locals, NOA is as much about community as it is about food. Having spent years living and dining in the Shire, the pair saw an opportunity to bring a restaurant experience to the area that locals would otherwise travel into the city for. Robinson leads the kitchen, while Richards-Robinson brings more than two decades of brand-building experience to the business, overseeing guest experience, design, marketing and partnerships. “We’ve always believed Cronulla deserved a restaurant experience that could sit alongside Sydney’s best while still feeling completely local,” says Richards. Robinson has put together an à la carte menu that celebrates seasonal produce, letting guests explore the dishes at their own pace. Menu highlights include pork and truffle hot dogs with apple, bug toast, premium rib-eye, whole fish for sharing and Robinson’s signature banoffee trifle, alongside curated tableside moments like liquid nitrogen fairy bread and interactive seafood dishes. Little NOA is designed as NOA’s laidback sibling, letting locals walk straight off the beach for burgers, snacks, cocktails and relaxed all-day dining without a booking. Breakfast launches from October, rounding the precinct out into a sunrise-to-sunset destination. For Robinson, success won’t just be measured by accolades. He’s hoping NOA becomes the kind of restaurant locals return to every week. “If people leave saying, ‘I’ve never dined like that before,’ we’ve done our job. But more importantly, I want them to come back the following week. That’s what great neighbourhood restaurants do.” NOA and Little NOA will open in Cronulla this September at 1/8-18 Kingsway. Find more dining out updates on Crumb Wire.

The latest range returning to Macca’s is so cheesy

Pallavi MathurAugust 17, 2026

Macca’s is bringing back its Cheesy Range because, evidently, one layer of melted cheese was never going to be enough. Landing nationally from August 19, the limited-time range brings back the Cheesy Quarter Pounder and Mozzarella Sticks with Tomato Chilli Jam, while adding two new burgers: the Cheesy Double Quarter Pounder and Cheesy McCrispy. The range is aimed straight at the cheese-pull crowd, with each burger stacking a golden cheesy patty, melted cheese, creamy McChicken sauce and tomato chilli jam onto either 100 per cent Aussie beef or crispy Aussie chicken. Tobi Fukushima, Marketing Director, McDonald’s Australia, said, “We know Aussies absolutely loved the Cheesy range when it was last on the menu, so we’re excited to be bringing it back and making it even better with the introduction of the new Cheesy Double Quarter Pounder and Cheesy McCrispy. “From the golden cheesy patty and melted cheese to our 100% Aussie beef and 100% Aussie chicken, every item in the range is packed with crave worthy flavour and quality ingredients. “Whether you’re revisiting an old favourite or trying one of the new burgers for the first time, the Cheesy range is the ultimate comfort food for cheese lovers.” The cheesy line includes: Cheesy Quarter Pounder – Returning to the menu, the burger features a quarter pound of 100 per cent Aussie beef, topped with a golden cheesy patty, melted cheese, 100 per cent Aussie lettuce, creamy McChicken sauce and tomato chilli jam, served on a sesame seed bun. Cheesy Double Quarter Pounder – New to the range, the burger features two quarter-pound 100 per cent Aussie beef patties, a golden cheesy patty, melted cheese, 100 per cent Aussie lettuce, creamy McChicken sauce and tomato chilli jam. Cheesy McCrispy – Also new to the range, the burger is made with a crispy 100 per cent Aussie chicken breast fillet, topped with a golden cheesy patty, melted cheese, 100 per cent Aussie lettuce, creamy McChicken sauce and tomato chilli jam, all served on a soft bun. Mozzarella Sticks with Tomato Chilli Jam – Returning to the menu, the snack features creamy mozzarella cheese coated in a crispy golden crumb and served with tomato chilli jam. The Cheesy Range will be available at Macca’s restaurants nationwide from August 19 for a limited time, via drive-thru, front counter, kiosk and the MyMacca’s app. Find more food and drink news on Crumb Wire.

Distillery Botanica launches its first premium dark rum

Pallavi MathurAugust 14, 2026

Distillery Botanica has spent almost 20 years making award-winning gin. Now, the Central Coast distillery is going darker. The Erina distillery has launched Terrigal Rum Co premium dark rum, with its first limited-edition release, Luscious, now available to taste and buy. Almost three years in the making, Luscious is a small-batch dark rum aged beneath the distillery in a purpose-built barrel room. It is made with subtropical molasses from the Clarence River Valley, wine yeasts from France, Italy and Australia, and distilled in a hybrid copper still. The rum has been aged across a mix of barrels, including new medium toast American oak, Jack Daniels Tennessee whiskey, second-fill bourbon and 60-year-old brandy. In the glass, it brings honey, peach, cinnamon, hazelnut, allspice, marmalade and toffee, with dessert spice, caramel, dried fruit, ginger and fine savoury tannins. From gin to rum Distillery Botanica first opened in 2007 as the sixteenth commercial small-scale distillery in Australia. Founded by Master Distiller Philip Moore, it became known for Moore’s Dry Gin, the first Australian gin to win Gold at the London International Wine and Spirit Competition in 2017. Moore said, “While gin will always be our forte, we can sense a rum revolution brewing and wanted to be at the forefront of the local craft rum scene, just as we were for gin back in the ‘00s, when we were one of the first commercial small-scale distilleries in Australia. “Our uniquely Australian dark rum has a luxurious, velvety complex of dried tropical fruit, toasted oaks and bakery spices, with whispers of ginger, marmalade, toffee, brandy and caramel. The first batch of our Terrigal Rum Co premium dark rum, ‘Luscious’, is an approachable, enjoyable crowd-pleaser, best enjoyed neat or on the rocks, with a wedge of aged cheese, some chocolate or gingerbread. It’s simply sublime. “Creating this dark rum has been a labour of love and I’ve enjoyed crafting the spirit from scratch with a delicious Australian molasses and following the journey of the rum over the past three years in our purpose-built barrel room. I’m delighted with the result and can’t wait to share each new release with visitors to the distillery.” The first releases Priced at $130, Terrigal Rum Co premium dark rum comes in a rectangular bottle with a copper embossed label and a native heron silhouette inspired by the birds that visit Distillery Botanica’s gardens. Luscious is the first release, but it is not the only one in the first drop. Distillery Botanica is also launching The French Connection, aged in French oak barrels for dried fruit, sweet toffee and marmalade notes, and Raisin’ Toast, aged in new American white oak barrels with medium toast for an aroma of toasted raisin bread, fruit and spice. The dark rum follows the original white Terrigal Rum Co spirit, first produced at the distillery in 2023. It now sits alongside the distillery’s broader range of gins, vodka, liqueurs and clear spirits, including Moore’s Blood Orange Gin, Lemon Myrtle Liqueur, Raspberry Liqueur, Moore’s Pearl Crush Gin, Triple Sec Valencia liqueur and Koko Noir chocolate liqueur. The first three batches are now available to taste and purchase at the Erina distillery, with new rum experiences also on offer. Visitors can book a barrel room tour and tasting with Moore, or try a rum tasting with Central Coast-made food pairings. The pairings include handmade chocolate from Luka Chocolates, aged cheese from Little Creek Cheese and rum-glazed gingerbread by Adri’s Gingerbread. Distillery Botanica also offers distillery door tastings, cocktail classes, garden tours, distil-your-own botanical gin and vodka workshops, and tasting paddles with seasonal spirits or liqueurs. Distillery Botanica is open Wednesday to Sunday from 11 am to 4 pm. Source: Coastal Communications Find more food retail updates on Crumb Wire.

Chef Profile: Missy K’s Kim Udomej on genuine hospitality and honouring tradition

Pallavi MathurAugust 13, 2026

Celebrated chef Kim Udomdej has spent more than three decades sharing the flavours she grew up with in Thailand. Now the chef behind Missy K has found a new home at the Horse & Jockey in Homebush, where she’s bringing family recipes, handmade dumplings and her signature pan-Asian cooking to a new crowd. In this Crumb Wire profile, she talks tradition, evolution and why feeding people never gets old. What first sparked your love for food, and how did you get your start in the industry? I’ve always been a creative person. Growing up, I loved art, design and watching cooking shows, so it was only natural that I fell in love with food too. I love how something as simple as sharing a meal—whether at home, at a café, or in a restaurant—can bring people together and create memories that linger long after the food is gone. I started out with a casual job in hospitality, and it didn’t take long before I realised it was something I genuinely loved. I discovered that hospitality wasn’t just about cooking—it was about creativity, connection and bringing ideas to life. That passion eventually led me to create Missy K, where I could bring together everything I love about food, people and memorable dining experiences. What’s been your journey so far – from your first job to where you are now? My journey has been one of creativity, growth and reinvention. I’ve had the opportunity to create, develop and lead a variety of hospitality concepts, each with its own personality and challenges. Every venue has taught me something different, but they’ve all reinforced the same belief—that great hospitality is about more than serving food. It’s about creating places people want to return to and experiences they’ll remember. Today, Missy K brings together everything I’ve learned along the way. It reflects my love of handmade food, creativity and genuine hospitality, and it continues to evolve as I do. What have been some of your greatest achievements and challenges along the way? One of my greatest achievements has been seeing ideas grow into experiences that people genuinely connect with. Whether it’s a menu, a venue or a brand, there’s nothing more rewarding than watching people enjoy something you’ve created. Seeing Missy K continue to grow and evolve has been one of the most fulfilling parts of my journey. Like everyone in hospitality, I’ve also faced challenges that have pushed me to adapt and grow. Looking back, those moments taught me resilience, strengthened my creativity and reminded me that every challenge brings an opportunity to learn something new. Outside your venue, what are your current favourite food joints? One restaurant I’d love to visit is Theodora in New York City. I admire its ingredient-driven approach, thoughtful cooking and the way it creates a dining experience that feels both refined and welcoming. It’s the kind of restaurant that inspires me as both a chef and an operator. Closer to home, I’m just as happy discovering a neighbourhood dumpling shop, a restaurant with a unique concept, or somewhere specialising in regional cuisine. Those are often the places that cook with authenticity and heart. I always leave feeling inspired—whether it’s by a new flavour combination, a simple cooking technique or the overall dining experience. Which chefs and cuisines inspire you most, past or present? I admire David Chang and the way he approaches Asian food. He’s always experimenting and putting his own spin on traditional flavours, which I find incredibly inspiring. I also admire René Redzepi and the way he thinks about food—from foraging for ingredients to the care and intention behind what he serves. I’m inspired by Asian cuisines, especially Teochew cuisine, which reflects my family’s heritage with its light and delicate flavours. I also love Sichuan cuisine for its bold, fiery character. I have a real appreciation for reimagining traditional dishes in a way that feels fresh while still respecting where they came from—something I always try to bring into my own cooking. How do you think Australia’s food culture has evolved in recent years? Australia has become an exciting place to eat because we’re so open to different cultures, ideas and flavours. Chefs are becoming more adventurous, and customers are increasingly interested in the stories behind the food. I think that’s wonderful because great hospitality isn’t only about what’s on the plate—it’s about the passion, the concepts and the people behind it. Any exciting food trends you’ve tried at home – or sneaked onto the menu? I like experimenting, but I try not to follow trends just because everyone else is. For me, it’s more about taking traditional flavours and looking at them from a different angle while still respecting where they came from. Sometimes that means exploring new techniques, fermentation or unexpected flavour combinations, and if something really works, it might eventually find its way onto the menu. That philosophy is at the heart of Missy K—honouring tradition while giving familiar flavours a fresh and creative perspective. And finally, what do you love doing when you’re not in the kitchen or at the venue? Even when I’m not working, I’m usually looking for inspiration. I love exploring local markets, discovering new restaurants and travelling whenever I get the chance. Some of my best ideas come from simply observing how people gather around food. I’m always thinking about the next dish, the next experience and how I can continue evolving Missy K into something people genuinely connect with. Find more food and drink features on Crumb Wire.

Noosa Chocolate Factory is setting up shop on Hastings Street this spring

Cronulla set to welcome NOA by Chef Nelly Robinson

The latest range returning to Macca’s is so cheesy

Distillery Botanica launches its first premium dark rum

Chef Profile: Missy K’s Kim Udomej on genuine hospitality and honouring tradition

Daniel’s Donuts x Heinz have put beans in a breakfast pie