Japan's evolving kissaten coffee culture
You don't expect time machines to come with a serving of coffee, but that's the power of kissatens. In Japan, these old-school cafes can send you back decades through a freshly brewed cup.
Culinary Archive podcast
Listen to season one and two of the Powerhouse Museum's Culinary Archive podcast, hosted by Lee Tran Lam.
Should You Really Eat That?
Are olive oil shots a good idea? Is soy really “the most dangerous food for men?” and is chocolate actually a health food? Lee Tran Lam untangles the mixed messaging about the food and drinks we consume.
Liminal profiles Lee Tran Lam
I loved being interviewed by Colin Ho for this in-depth Q&A (Teresa Tan's photos are also a joy).
One hundred years of Vegemite
Vegemite started out as a response to a wartime shortage of Marmite. It's now a symbol of Australia that's spread onto toast, added to curries and even churned into ice-cream.
Of art and appetites
There's a hunger for pushing art beyond conventional spaces – leading to culinary walking tours, live cooking demonstrations, recipe swaps and much more.
Strong flat white for Batman: should I use a ‘coffee name’?
Batman, 123 or Tom? From convenience to cultural reasons, here’s why people use ‘coffee names’ (a story inspired by own conflict over whether to use my 'difficult ethnic name' or something 'easier').
A Gastro Obscura Guide to Sydney
65,000 years of Indigenous knowledge is palpable in everything from bush teas to wattleseed desserts. I'm proud to have contributed to this series, which won a James Beard Award.
Comic craze captures Superman’s latest battle - what to have for lunch
In Superman Vs Meshi, Lex Luthor isn’t a planet-destroying villain, but an annoying online food influencer who uses too many hashtags (which may actually be worse). This manga – like Oishinbo and The Solitary Gourmet – is a culinary comic to savour.
Seekae: The Sound of Trees Falling On People
The Sound of Trees Falling On People is not the soundtrack for a home-video show that turns injuries into punchlines. Instead, it’s an album that’s as ambient and mesmerising as an iced-over forest.
The Japanese artist redefining womanhood one brushstroke at a time
Getting trapped in the dark with ghost paintings isn’t a typical childhood punishment – but that’s what artist Fuyuko Matsui faced when she was in trouble. So it's fitting that her work will appear at Japan Supernatural.
Firepop’s Olive-Oil-Splashed Panna Cotta Is a Sydney Go-To
Whether you’re a panna cotta sceptic or swear you’re truly too full to consider dessert, this restorative meal-ender will emphatically change your mind.
Review: This condiment is ‘one of the best things I’ve tasted this year’
The tahini at this Iraqi bakery is fortifying, spectacularly nutty and lines your mouth like liquid velvet. It has more complexity and character than entire bookshelves.
All aboard: dining through Catalonia and Lake Geneva by Eurail
Eating and drinking with a town-hopping train pass from Spain’s Catalonia region to Lake Geneva in Switzerland.
Jollof rice brings people together and inspires international fights
From #jollofwars to “Ted Lasso” battles and rivalries amongst countries, this West African staple sparks memorable reactions.
When the Matcha Runs Out, Where Will Cafes Turn?
When Marie David opened Lola’s Coffee Bar in 2023, “I would only make one matcha beverage a month,” she says. Two years later, whisking Japanese green tea powder is a constant activity.
Review: Variety is the spice of life at Ambi’s Chai Bar in Pennant Hills
Owner Ambi Thind can make up to 28 kinds of chai and each ginger-charged, pepper-buzzing flavour is named after someone he knows.
Wafia: Live at St Stephens Church for Sydney Festival
Wafia’s career has blown up so quickly, it’s like someone’s thrown accelerant on it.
The ‘real’ food critics? Australian chefs on the toughest restaurant reviewers of all
My mother, in all the decades we’ve dined out, has never liked a single restaurant I’ve taken her – even though I’ve written about food for nearly 20 years. Then we went to Yan, an Asian smokehouse in Sydney.
Putting the gross in ‘gross earnings’: Box office talk is ruining the movies
What is it about movies that turns everyone into number-crunching accountants? We don’t talk about books or other art forms this way.
Review: This prized crispy rice dish is often fought over, but here it’s all yours
Tida Persian Food specialises in sandwiches formed from tahdig – an oven-scorched foundation of bronzed, dimpled bread that's worth fighting for.
I've read 63 books so far this year. Here's how I did it
There's a Japanese word that describes your pile of unread books: tsundoku. It dates back to the 1800s but feels especially relevant today — after all, we're reading less than we used to.
'I did not want to be Chinese': Lindy Lee struggled growing up in Australia – then she found art
Buddhism led to her bronze sculptures, which resemble flung-ink paintings, too. Except she uses 1,200-degree molten liquid that burns through to the bone, instead of traditional ink.
Lee Tran Lam on her obsession with podcasts
You hear some wild stories when recording podcasts. There was the time Annabel Crabb accidentally baked her laptop. The nine-month period when sommelier Glen Goodwin used his brother’s passport to work and travel in Paris. And the party trick LP’s Quality Meats chef Luke Powell recalls his first boss having (hint: it involved a hand and batter).
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Jollof rice brings people together and inspires international fights
From #jollofwars to “Ted Lasso” battles and rivalries amongst countries, this West African staple sparks memorable reactions.
Liminal profiles Lee Tran Lam
I loved being interviewed by Colin Ho for this in-depth Q&A (Teresa Tan's photos are also a joy).
Strong flat white for Batman: should I use a ‘coffee name’?
Batman, 123 or Tom? From convenience to cultural reasons, here’s why people use ‘coffee names’ (a story inspired by own conflict over whether to use my 'difficult ethnic name' or something 'easier').
Of art and appetites
There's a hunger for pushing art beyond conventional spaces – leading to culinary walking tours, live cooking demonstrations, recipe swaps and much more.
The 38 Essential Restaurants in Sydney
There’s much more to Sydney’s dining scene than avocado toast, which the late Bill Granger made famous at his inner-city Darlinghurst cafe in 1993.
Seekae: The Sound of Trees Falling On People
The Sound of Trees Falling On People is not the soundtrack for a home-video show that turns injuries into punchlines. Instead, it’s an album that’s as ambient and mesmerising as an iced-over forest.
Firepop’s Olive-Oil-Splashed Panna Cotta Is a Sydney Go-To
Whether you’re a panna cotta sceptic or swear you’re truly too full to consider dessert, this restorative meal-ender will emphatically change your mind.
Culinary Archive podcast
Listen to season one and two of the Powerhouse Museum's Culinary Archive podcast, hosted by Lee Tran Lam.
Should You Really Eat That?
Are olive oil shots a good idea? Is soy really “the most dangerous food for men?” and is chocolate actually a health food? Lee Tran Lam untangles the mixed messaging about the food and drinks we consume.
Review: This condiment is ‘one of the best things I’ve tasted this year’
The tahini at this Iraqi bakery is fortifying, spectacularly nutty and lines your mouth like liquid velvet. It has more complexity and character than entire bookshelves.
Japan's evolving kissaten coffee culture
You don't expect time machines to come with a serving of coffee, but that's the power of kissatens. In Japan, these old-school cafes can send you back decades through a freshly brewed cup.
Wafia: Live at St Stephens Church for Sydney Festival
Wafia’s career has blown up so quickly, it’s like someone’s thrown accelerant on it.
The ‘real’ food critics? Australian chefs on the toughest restaurant reviewers of all
My mother, in all the decades we’ve dined out, has never liked a single restaurant I’ve taken her – even though I’ve written about food for nearly 20 years. Then we went to Yan, an Asian smokehouse in Sydney.
A Gastro Obscura Guide to Sydney
65,000 years of Indigenous knowledge is palpable in everything from bush teas to wattleseed desserts. I'm proud to have contributed to this series, which won a James Beard Award.
Visiting the oldest tea shop in Japan
Tsuen Tea in Kyoto is remarkable in many ways – it’s been offering loose leaf and soothing brews since the 12th century.
Putting the gross in ‘gross earnings’: Box office talk is ruining the movies
What is it about movies that turns everyone into number-crunching accountants? We don’t talk about books or other art forms this way.
I've read 63 books so far this year. Here's how I did it
There's a Japanese word that describes your pile of unread books: tsundoku. It dates back to the 1800s but feels especially relevant today — after all, we're reading less than we used to.
Review: This prized crispy rice dish is often fought over, but here it’s all yours
Tida Persian Food specialises in sandwiches formed from tahdig – an oven-scorched foundation of bronzed, dimpled bread that's worth fighting for.
Comic craze captures Superman’s latest battle - what to have for lunch
In Superman Vs Meshi, Lex Luthor isn’t a planet-destroying villain, but an annoying online food influencer who uses too many hashtags (which may actually be worse). This manga – like Oishinbo and The Solitary Gourmet – is a culinary comic to savour.
First Nations, born and bread at Native Foodways
I could rate this bread highly just for being a multi-fragrant oxygen supply I couldn’t stop inhaling, but it’s also brilliant when slipped into a toaster, slathered with Vegemite or dipped into leftovers.
Review: Variety is the spice of life at Ambi’s Chai Bar in Pennant Hills
Owner Ambi Thind can make up to 28 kinds of chai and each ginger-charged, pepper-buzzing flavour is named after someone he knows.
One hundred years of Vegemite
Vegemite started out as a response to a wartime shortage of Marmite. It's now a symbol of Australia that's spread onto toast, added to curries and even churned into ice-cream.
The food documentaries to watch at the Sydney Film Festival
“Someone once said that curating a film festival is like cooking for a dinner party,” says Jenny Neighbour, documentary programmer for Sydney Film Festival. “Because you don’t just cook what you like.”
Stop insulting VFX artists! They’re making movies better
In The Matrix, the iconic code streams down the screen in glowing waves. But did you know this digital rain comes from sushi recipes? There's an artistry to visual effects that is often overlooked or misunderstood.
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