This cosy inner-north ramen joint serves less than 100 bowls a day
Ako's in Fitzroy is a heartfelt story, born from owner Sho Iijima's nostalgia for his mother's home-style chicken soup from Kanagawa, Japan. This translates to a concise menu where chicken shio ramen – clear chicken broth with a salt-based tare – is the hero.
Sho only serves 80 to 100 bowls daily, each with meticulously prepared house-made noodles, tender torched pork chashu, marinated egg and bamboo shoots with a perfect bite. A vegan mushroom broth, also inspired by Ako's recipes, offers an equally nourishing alternative.
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Sky News AU
23 minutes ago
- Sky News AU
Saving thousands of local jobs amongst ‘most important' parts of Whyalla Steelworks sale, McKell Institute CEO says
Preserving thousands of local jobs and skills is one of the 'most important' aspects of the Whyalla Steelworks' potential sale, a thinktank leader has declared. BlueScope on Monday announced it was partnering with Japanese, Indian and Korean steelmakers to make a bid for the Whyalla Steelworks after it was forced into administration earlier this year. The steelworks, which employs 1,100 workers directly and supports an additional 2,000 in related industries, supplies 75 per cent of the country's structural steel and remains the only domestic producer of long steel products. Whyalla received a $2.4b government bailout package in February from the federal and South Australian governments after becoming "irredeemable" under British billionaire Sanjeev Gupta's company, GFG Alliance. About $500 million was set aside for transforming Whyalla into a green steel powerhouse. The McKell Institute's chief executive Edward Cavanough said maintaining the Whyalla Steelworks and the local industry surrounding it was critical for ensuring Australia's green steel future. 'The fact is we can't get to a green steel future if we lose the Whyalla plant in the first place,' Mr Cavanough told Business Now. 'You're not going to be able to recreate that out of thin air. 'The most important thing initially is preserving what is there, recapitalising the plant so it's actually sustainable and making sure that the skills in Whyalla aren't lost. 'If we lose all of those then there's certainly no hope for a green steel future, let alone any steel future.' He also stressed the expression of interest from the consortium, which featured major international steel makers, was a 'really positive step' for the steelworks. 'It was a really big risk by the government to intervene earlier in the year,' Mr Cavanough said. 'I think the fact that we have the likes of BlueScope putting their hand up and saying there is a future here is really, really positive.' BlueScope is joined by Japan's Nippon Steel, Indian multinational JSW Steel and Korea's POSCO in its bid to snap up Whyalla and turn it into a green steel maker. BlueScope told the ASX on Monday: 'The consortium has identified Whyalla as a prospective location for future production of lower emissions iron in Australia for both domestic and export markets, with the potential to play an important role in the decarbonisation of the global steelmaking industry." KordaMentha, an Asia-Pacific advisory firm, was appointed as the steel mill's administrator after the government forced its shutdown. The plant has been plagued with issues including frequent shutdowns of its coal-fired blast furnace, delays in necessary upgrades, and a lack of stable financial backing. The company owed tens of millions of dollars in unpaid royalties to the SA government and an additional $15 million to SA Water. Mr Gupta purchased the plant for $700m in 2017 with ambitions to transform it into a green steel plant by using hydrogen. The BlueScope-led consortium revealing its interest in acquiring Whyalla about six months after its forced administration comes as a relief for many as it originally took 17 months for Mr Gupta to purchase it.
The Advertiser
12 hours ago
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Overseas stars lure tourists Down Under in new push
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"Traditionally tourism campaigns have leveraged one famous face across every market but for our latest campaign Ruby will be joined by well-known talent from five different markets to showcase personal lasting memories of a holiday to Australia," Tourism Australia managing director Phillipa Harrison said. "These international stars combine with local talent ... to create bespoke invitations for five markets." Since the resumption of international travel, the domestic tourism industry has grown with the number of international arrivals expected to reach a record 10 million in 2026 and 11.8 million in 2029. More than 700,000 jobs and 360,000 Australian businesses depend on tourism. The teaser for this campaign was first launched in July during the prime minister's trip to China. Chinese travellers remain Australia's second biggest cohort of tourists behind New Zealand, figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics show. "Tourism is the lifeblood of so many communities right around the country and creates hundreds of thousands of jobs," Tourism Minister Don Farrell said. "The previous campaign struck a chord with visitors, with Ruby the Roo bounding into the imagination of countless guests, encouraging them to book a holiday down under. "I know this iteration, featuring popular talent like Robert Irwin, will be a smash." The advertisements will go live in China from August 7 on TV and online. Australian celebrity Robert Irwin, English television cook Nigella Lawson and other international stars are tempting tourists to the land Down Under. Shots of these celebrities set against iconic Australian landscapes are part of the federal government's newest tourism push to attract travellers from five countries. Advertisements featuring Chinese actor Yosh Yu, Ms Lawson and Japanese comedian Abareru-kun will air in their home countries, while Steve Irwin's son will become the face of the American campaign and wellness advocate Sara Tendulkar will star in ads broadcast in India. This $130 million push builds on Tourism Australia's Come and Say G'day campaign, which launched the lovable animated mascot Ruby the Roo. "Traditionally tourism campaigns have leveraged one famous face across every market but for our latest campaign Ruby will be joined by well-known talent from five different markets to showcase personal lasting memories of a holiday to Australia," Tourism Australia managing director Phillipa Harrison said. "These international stars combine with local talent ... to create bespoke invitations for five markets." Since the resumption of international travel, the domestic tourism industry has grown with the number of international arrivals expected to reach a record 10 million in 2026 and 11.8 million in 2029. More than 700,000 jobs and 360,000 Australian businesses depend on tourism. The teaser for this campaign was first launched in July during the prime minister's trip to China. Chinese travellers remain Australia's second biggest cohort of tourists behind New Zealand, figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics show. "Tourism is the lifeblood of so many communities right around the country and creates hundreds of thousands of jobs," Tourism Minister Don Farrell said. "The previous campaign struck a chord with visitors, with Ruby the Roo bounding into the imagination of countless guests, encouraging them to book a holiday down under. "I know this iteration, featuring popular talent like Robert Irwin, will be a smash." The advertisements will go live in China from August 7 on TV and online. Australian celebrity Robert Irwin, English television cook Nigella Lawson and other international stars are tempting tourists to the land Down Under. Shots of these celebrities set against iconic Australian landscapes are part of the federal government's newest tourism push to attract travellers from five countries. Advertisements featuring Chinese actor Yosh Yu, Ms Lawson and Japanese comedian Abareru-kun will air in their home countries, while Steve Irwin's son will become the face of the American campaign and wellness advocate Sara Tendulkar will star in ads broadcast in India. This $130 million push builds on Tourism Australia's Come and Say G'day campaign, which launched the lovable animated mascot Ruby the Roo. "Traditionally tourism campaigns have leveraged one famous face across every market but for our latest campaign Ruby will be joined by well-known talent from five different markets to showcase personal lasting memories of a holiday to Australia," Tourism Australia managing director Phillipa Harrison said. "These international stars combine with local talent ... to create bespoke invitations for five markets." Since the resumption of international travel, the domestic tourism industry has grown with the number of international arrivals expected to reach a record 10 million in 2026 and 11.8 million in 2029. More than 700,000 jobs and 360,000 Australian businesses depend on tourism. The teaser for this campaign was first launched in July during the prime minister's trip to China. Chinese travellers remain Australia's second biggest cohort of tourists behind New Zealand, figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics show. "Tourism is the lifeblood of so many communities right around the country and creates hundreds of thousands of jobs," Tourism Minister Don Farrell said. "The previous campaign struck a chord with visitors, with Ruby the Roo bounding into the imagination of countless guests, encouraging them to book a holiday down under. "I know this iteration, featuring popular talent like Robert Irwin, will be a smash." The advertisements will go live in China from August 7 on TV and online. Australian celebrity Robert Irwin, English television cook Nigella Lawson and other international stars are tempting tourists to the land Down Under. Shots of these celebrities set against iconic Australian landscapes are part of the federal government's newest tourism push to attract travellers from five countries. Advertisements featuring Chinese actor Yosh Yu, Ms Lawson and Japanese comedian Abareru-kun will air in their home countries, while Steve Irwin's son will become the face of the American campaign and wellness advocate Sara Tendulkar will star in ads broadcast in India. This $130 million push builds on Tourism Australia's Come and Say G'day campaign, which launched the lovable animated mascot Ruby the Roo. "Traditionally tourism campaigns have leveraged one famous face across every market but for our latest campaign Ruby will be joined by well-known talent from five different markets to showcase personal lasting memories of a holiday to Australia," Tourism Australia managing director Phillipa Harrison said. "These international stars combine with local talent ... to create bespoke invitations for five markets." Since the resumption of international travel, the domestic tourism industry has grown with the number of international arrivals expected to reach a record 10 million in 2026 and 11.8 million in 2029. More than 700,000 jobs and 360,000 Australian businesses depend on tourism. The teaser for this campaign was first launched in July during the prime minister's trip to China. Chinese travellers remain Australia's second biggest cohort of tourists behind New Zealand, figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics show. "Tourism is the lifeblood of so many communities right around the country and creates hundreds of thousands of jobs," Tourism Minister Don Farrell said. "The previous campaign struck a chord with visitors, with Ruby the Roo bounding into the imagination of countless guests, encouraging them to book a holiday down under. "I know this iteration, featuring popular talent like Robert Irwin, will be a smash." 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Sydney Morning Herald
13 hours ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
Japanese sando and vinyl cafe Supernova announces sudden closure
Eating out Food What began with a bang in the Valley has ended just 14 months later, its demise linked to the sale of a nearby sister venue on James Street. Fortitude Valley sando and vinyl café Supernova has closed, serving its last fluffy white Japanese-style sandwich on Friday just past. The venue announced its closure on social media later that day. 'After 14 wonderful months, Supernova has decided to closed its doors,' the post on Instagram read. 'We are incredibly grateful for your support, smiles, and shared moments over endless matches [sic] and katsu sandos. Your encouragement meant the world to us.' The post finished by thanking Supernova's customers and hinting that new venues and ventures would soon come from owner-brothers TH and Chewie Choo. 'That's correct,' Choo said. 'We got hold of the site for a production kitchen – it just happened to have a café attached to it. 'In October, we received an offer on James & Antler that was too good to refuse, quite out of the blue, so we sold it.' Supernova continued until the end of its lease, its appeal as a destination venue with specialty food helping offset its location, but Choo said the lack of pedestrians was ultimately too hard to overcome. The Choos still own and operate Mitch & Antler, their popular Mitchelton café, which opened in early 2023. James & Antler followed later that year, with Supernova announced in April 2024, initially with star chef Kym Machin attached (although that changed pre-opening). A new specialty coffee operator, Fave, is scheduled to open in Supernova's McLachlan Street space on Wednesday.
