Global Asian sauce brand Lee Kum Kee has partnered with Sydney pasta chain Spago and Australian brand ambassador Mimi Wong on a limited-edition menu that blends Asian flavours with handmade pasta. Available until June 28 across all Sydney Spago locations, the collaboration combines Spago’s signature pasta with Lee Kum Kee sauces, including Panda Brand Oyster Sauce, XO Sauce, Chiu Chow Style Chilli Oil and Hoisin Sauce. The menu includes: XO Carbonara – Rigatoni, Crispy Pancetta, Egg, Parmesan and Lee Kum Kee XO Sauce Squid Aglio E Olio – Squid Ink Spaghetti, Squid, Lee Kum Kee Oyster Sauce and Lee Kum Kee Chilli Oil Peking Duck Pizza – Peking Style Roast Duck, Lee Kum Kee Hoisin Sauce, Toasted Sesame and Spring Onion Developed with Wong, the menu pairs Spago’s handcrafted pasta with rich umami flavours and contemporary Asian influences, bringing together two food cultures in a format designed for Sydney diners. Customers who purchase any two items from the Lee Kum Kee x Spago menu at the Darling Square store can also spin a capsule toy machine to score a collectible Lee Kum Kee toy capsule featuring a miniature sauce bottle keyring. The limited-time menu launched on May 31 and remains available until June 28 across all Sydney Spago locations, giving customers more than a one-day window to try the collaboration. The partnership reflects growing demand for dining experiences that combine familiar comfort foods with globally inspired flavours, while also highlighting Lee Kum Kee’s continued investment in food culture collaborations aimed at younger audiences. Source: One Two Agency Find more dining out updates on Crumb Wire.

Macca’s is giving its McSmart range a refresh from July 1, adding three new meal deals with prices starting at $6.95. More than 30 million McSmart meals have been sold across Australia in the past year, with the value range becoming a go-to for customers looking for a cheaper lunch, dinner or snack run. The new line-up introduces three meal options at three different price points, with the cheapest option available exclusively through the MyMacca’s app. Available daily between 10.30 am and midnight, the new range includes: McSmart Saver ($6.95) – Available exclusively through the MyMacca’s app and includes a Hamburger, Small Fries, Small Soft Drink and 3-piece Chicken McNuggets. McSmart Meal ($7.95) – Available in restaurants, drive-thru, kiosks and the MyMacca’s app. Includes a Cheeseburger or Chicken ‘n’ Cheese, Small Fries, Small Soft Drink and a choice of either 3-piece Chicken McNuggets, Hash Brown, Hot Apple Pie or Cookies. McSmart Plus ($9.95) – Available in restaurants, drive-thru, kiosks and the MyMacca’s app. Includes a McDouble, Small Fries, Small Soft Drink and a choice of either Chicken ‘n’ Cheese, 3-piece Chicken McNuggets, Hash Brown or Small Sundae. According to McDonald’s, the new range is priced below what customers would have paid on average for the same items in 2020. The launch comes as the chain’s 12-month McSmart price promise wraps up on June 30. In a letter to customers, McDonald’s Australia CEO Joe Chiczewski said, “When we launched our 12-month price promise on McSmart in 2025, it quickly became one of your favourite ways to order a delicious, affordable meal at Macca’s. Our 12-month price promise comes to an end on June 30, but our commitment to value doesn’t. “From July 1, we’re introducing a new McSmart range with more choice and prices starting from $6.95 on the MyMacca’s app.” “Value at Macca’s means something different for everyone. Whether it’s a 50-cent Soft Serve or a four-piece meal for under $7, we want to make sure there’s always something that works for you.” The Loose Change Menu isn’t going anywhere The new McSmart range joins Macca’s existing Loose Change Menu, which continues to offer some of the chain’s cheapest menu items. That includes a 50-cent Soft Serve Cone, Frozen Drinks from $1 and a Hamburger for $2.50. Other value offers include an Apple Pie for $2.50, Ham & Cheese Pocket for $2.50, Chicken ‘n’ Cheese for $4.00 and a Sausage McMuffin for $4.00. The Apple Pie and Chicken ‘n’ Cheese deals are available between 10.30 am and midnight, while the Ham & Cheese Pocket and Sausage McMuffin are available from 4.00 am until 11.30 am daily. The app-only play The $6.95 McSmart Saver is exclusive to the MyMacca’s app. Customers using the app earn 100 points for every dollar spent on eligible purchases and can access personalised weekly deals, birthday rewards and partner rewards. Over the past 12 months, Australians have redeemed 27 million free or discounted items through the app, including nearly four million Large Fries. The new McSmart range, Loose Change Menu and value offers will be available nationwide from July 1, excluding McDelivery. Find more food and drink news on Crumb Wire.

OpenTable has named 37 restaurants across Melbourne and Sydney as its inaugural Australian Icons, recognising the venues that have helped shape the country’s dining culture. The new list sits alongside OpenTable’s first Australian Restaurant Awards, which also crowned favourites across a series of industry-voted and diner-voted categories. The announcement follows new research from OpenTable showing 63% of Australian diners are more likely to try a restaurant they haven’t visited before if it has won an award or appeared on a best restaurants list. Keeping it iconic Melbourne’s list includes some of the city’s biggest dining names, with Attica, Amaru, Vue de monde, Carlton Wine Room, Lee Ho Fook, MoVida and Serai Kitchen among the venues recognised by OpenTable. In Sydney, restaurants including Saint Peter, Sixpenny, Ester, Pellegrino 2000, Poly and The Apollo were named Icons, alongside a mix of long-standing institutions and newer favourites helping shape the city’s dining scene. Drew Bowering, General Manager Australia at OpenTable, says the list is designed to recognise restaurants helping define Australia’s dining culture. “Melbourne and Sydney are home to some of the world’s most exciting hospitality venues. Restaurants play an important role in how people experience a city and OpenTable Icons is an opportunity to recognise the restaurants helping shape Australia’s dining culture and setting the standard for hospitality experiences globally.” The Icons were selected by a panel of hospitality figures, critics and creatives, with the list designed to recognise restaurants that have had a lasting impact on Australia’s dining landscape. The Melbourne judging panel included Food & Drink Victoria CEO Anthea Loucas Bosha, food journalist Dani Valent, restaurant photographer Kristoffer Paulsen, PAX Hospitality founder Leon Kennedy, chef and cookbook author Rosheen Kaul, food writer and television host Sofia Levin, Club Sup founder Sophie McIntyre and MEASURED Studio co-founder Thurman Wise. Rosheen Kaul, chef, food writer and cookbook author, says Melbourne’s dining scene continues to stand out for its creativity and diversity. “Melbourne’s dining scene has always been defined by its creativity, diversity and willingness to evolve. What stood out most throughout the judging process was the calibre of venues consistently delivering memorable experiences while continuing to shape the culture of dining out in this city.” The Sydney panel included chef and cookbook author Brendan Pang, chef and cookbook author Danielle Alvarez, DRNKS founder Joel Amos, publisher Julie Gibbs, photographer Nikki To and presenter and food judge Simon Marnie. “Sydney’s hospitality industry is producing restaurants that stand confidently alongside the best in the world. OpenTable Icons is about recognising the venues setting the benchmark for experience, service, and cultural impact, and helping more diners discover the restaurants shaping what modern Australian dining looks like,” adds Danielle Alvarez, chef and cookbook author. The full list of OpenTable’s 2026 Melbourne and Sydney Icons can be found on the official OpenTable website. Melbourne’s Restaurant Award winners OpenTable also handed out its inaugural Restaurant Awards, with winners selected by both hospitality professionals and diners. The awards were presented in Melbourne by Merrick Watts. Industry Choice Awards Restaurant Design Award: Yiaga Innovation Award: Serai Kitchen Impact Award: Farmer’s Daughters Standout Service Award: Il Solito Posto People’s Choice Awards Neighbourhood Gem: Carlton Wine Room Bar & Pub of the Year: Marquis of Lorne Bucket List: Attica Opening of the Year: Yiaga The Australian OpenTable Restaurant Awards follow the launch of the OpenTable London Restaurant Awards in May, with Australian venues joining a growing international list of restaurants recognised for defining dining culture and exceptional hospitality experiences. Find more dining out updates on Crumb Wire.

Australia’s oldest family-owned chocolate maker, Haigh’s Chocolates, is heading west, opening its seventh Melbourne store at Highpoint Shopping Centre on June 17. The new store joins existing locations at Block Arcade, Elizabeth Street, Collins Street, Hawthorn, Toorak and Eastland. Located on Level 3 near Cotton On, it will offer the full Haigh’s range alongside complimentary in-store tastings. The Highpoint opening is part of a broader period of growth for the Adelaide-born brand. In September 2025, Haigh’s opened a $130 million purpose-built factory in Salisbury South, doubling its chocolate production capacity from 1,100 to 2,000 tonnes per year and creating 150 new jobs. The brand now operates 22 stores nationally across Victoria, New South Wales, South Australia and the ACT. Peter Millard, Chief Executive of Haigh’s Chocolates, said, “We are delighted to officially open our new store at Highpoint Shopping Centre and share the unique in-store Haigh’s experience with customers in Melbourne’s west, growing our retail offering in the Victorian market.” Bryce Telley, General Manager of Highpoint Shopping Centre, said, “We’re thrilled to celebrate the opening of iconic Australian brand, Haigh’s Chocolates at Highpoint. “Haigh’s is the perfect addition to our diverse retail mix and has been highly anticipated by customers, who we know will love shopping the full range of premium chocolates right here at the Centre.” To mark the opening, the first 50 customers through the door will receive a free Milk Chocolate Midi Frog. Customers spending $50 or more in-store will also receive a complimentary packet of Milk Chocolate Speckles, valid from June 17 to 21 at Highpoint only. Source: Callie Find more food retail updates on Crumb Wire.