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The Advertiser
3 days ago
- The Advertiser
9 unmissable new luxury experiences in Asia that are worth the splurge
These hot new stays and services prove Asia does luxe best. Fairmont Udaipur supplied By Carrie Hutchinson The Aussie dollar's not stretching far in Europe or the US - but in Asia? It still buys you serious luxury. Think top-tier service, bold design and stays that are anything but ordinary. From jungle spas to design-led villas and palace hotels, these are the newest places to spoil yourself sensibly. Subscribe now for unlimited access. or signup to continue reading All articles from our website The digital version of Today's Paper All other in your area 1. Fine dining meets star power Chef Andre Chiang in the Kitchen. Picture supplied Michelin-starred chefs are bringing their celebrity to Singapore. Like Madonna, he goes by one name only, and now chef Fei (real name: Fei Lianghui) offers a contemporary take on Cantonese and Teochew cuisines at the Mandarin Oriental's Cherry Garden. His aromatic lobster creation, with basil and pickled mustard greens, is an homage to Chaoshan, where he grew up. Take the pressure out of ordering by choosing a set menu, starting at about $165 a person. Across town, Taiwanese chef Andre Chiang is setting up a culinary home at Raffles, where he's been the artist in residence while writing his book, Fragments of Time . His outpost, in the hotel's most elegant dining space, opens later this year. 2. The world's biggest infinity bath Spa Junglia. Picture supplied Soak away stress on Japan's tropical Okinawa island. This week saw the scheduled opening of Spa Junglia, and the Guinness Book of Records has already certified its public infinity bath, at nearly 83 square metres, as the biggest on Earth. The views of dense mountain-side forest are hard to beat, but there's also an onsen, sauna, cold plunge and cave bath. It's part of a huge entertainment destination, so send the kids off to Dinosaur Safari - the landscape bears more than a passing resemblance to Jurassic Park - while you kick back. 3. A Maldivian retreat for mind, body and sea SOUL Festival, Maldives. How do you make a Maldivian break better? Add an immersive wellness program. Soneva Fushi hosts the annual SOUL Festival (October 9-13), with a line-up of thought leaders and practitioners including biohacker Tim Gray, sound therapist Roses Gabor and longevity expert Nils Behrens. Start your day with an energising morning ritual, take part in workshops, book healing therapies at the spa and eat healthy cuisine. Of course, there's also time to explore shore and sea. From $5130 a night for two people, all-inclusive; 4. A new palace hotel with next-level grandeur Fairmont Udaipur bedroom. When you've finished dodging traffic in Delhi, head to the City of Lakes and the newly opened Fairmont Udaipur Palace. Fit for modern-day royalty, this lavish 327-room hotel set atop the Aravalli Hills is spread across a seven-hectare estate. Guests enter through a jaw-dropping fortress gateway before being welcomed beneath a sparkling chandelier. The rooms are dotted with handiwork by village craftspeople, while the restaurants serve the cuisines of India, Asia and the Mediterranean. From $443 a night; 5. Colonial charm in the Sri Lankan highlands Uga Halloowella. Picture supplied In the highlands of Sri Lanka, Channa Daswatte, protege of revered architect Geoffrey Bawa, has transformed the former residence of a World War I RAF fighter pilot. Uga Halloowella's six suites overlooking a tea plantation have an eclectic colonial vibe, but it's the attention to detail - a butler attending to all your tea-drinking needs, exquisite cuisine inspired by its location, and thoughtful excursions - that makes this boutique hotel a gentle retreat into times past. From about $1200 a night; Ne. Picture supplied Japan has become one of Australia's favourite travel destinations, but if you're keen to avoid crowds, head outside Tokyo and Kyoto. Set on farmland outside Shibata City, two hours by fast train from Tokyo, is Ne, offering an exclusive, all-inclusive, cuisine-focused rental for a party of up to four adults. Designed by architect Kenta Fukunishi, Ne is built using wood, earth from the property and locally fired Yasuda tiles. The commitment to sustainability and local culture at the eye-catching property runs deep. Chef Makoto Fuse, who studied the culinary arts in Paris, sources ingredients from the local area - he dries mountain herbs, makes spices from crushed branches and ferments vegetables for broth - and returns anything unused to the earth. Opens in August; from $2075 a night for two; 7. Temples, tuk-tuks and the Ganges in style See India on a Globus cruise. Picture supplied Ready to dip your toe into the world of river cruising? Globus's new 13-day Heritage of India & the Ganges River tour and cruise (from $8668 a person, twin-share) blends land and water activities. See the Taj Mahal at sunset, ride a rickshaw through Chandni Chowk bazaar and visit the spectacular Amber Fort before setting sail down the Ganges from Kolkata. 8. Adults-only glamping in Phuket Twinpalms Tented Camp in Phuket. Picture supplied Bustling Phuket now has a chic adults-only glamping retreat. Twinpalms Tented Camp has 29 spacious safari-style canvas abodes, some with their own plunge pools, set back from Bang Tao Beach on Phuket's west coast. Rather than full moon parties and Muay Thai fights, this is a retreat for those ready to immerse themselves in nature and enjoy the finer things in life, like island hopping on a superyacht. From $270 a night; 9. A boundary-blurring new dining experience 9 unmissable new luxury experiences in Asia that are worth the splurge British chef Joshua Paris has worked across the world - including at the Sydney Opera House restaurant Bennelong - and now his skills are on show at Aster by Joshua Paris. Set in Shanghai's upcoming Jing'an neighbourhood, the restaurant has a menu Paris describes as borderless, which means he blends techniques and influences from Europe, Australia and China. Be sure to order his rendition of the classic drunken pigeon, which comes with marinated foie gras. Seating just 46, the space features a purple aster flower installation floating above the bar. Speaking of which, end the night here with a cocktail and bite from the snack menu, available from 10pm.
West Australian
6 days ago
- West Australian
Bali's best new steakhouse
I have reviewed hundreds of restaurants throughout my career . But I still don't consider myself a restaurant critic — just a writer who describes rather than criticises food. Why? Well, first of all, I'm not a chef or restaurateur. I can barely cook, and I don't believe you should judge a person until you've walked a mile in their shoes. Second, I'm too easy to please. Make me a good melted cheese toasty and you'll get the same kudos and gratitude from me as I'd give to a master chef who spent hours reducing the perfect lobster bisque. And thirdly, I don't give a toss about awards, stars and hats, including those given by Michelin guides. Their idea of good food, foie gras, steak tartare, edible flowers, etc., is not my cup of tea. So when I was invited to review Yen Social, the new Bali chapter of Yen Yakiniku, a Japanese steak restaurant in Singapore and Michelin Plate awardee, I was like, 'meh'. But when I was told the invite was for a special event, a seven-course wine pairing dinner in collaboration with Penfolds, my arm was twisted. I'm not the kind of guy who ever turns down a good bottle of red. Yen Social is set in a quiet back lane of Canggu, Bali's most popular restaurant and nightlife hub. The moment you walk into the place you know it's not going to be cheap, with thick marble benchtops, bottles of wine costing thousands of dollars adorning the walls, well-coiffed customers and two dozen staff members yelling 'Irasshai mase' — welcome — at you in Japanese. It was followed by an orgy of meat and wine: an Angus tenderloin with garlic butter sauce, Australian wagyu ribeye and Australian wagyu short rib with a clear barbecue sauce, among other cuts, with each dish matched with different Penfolds blends that culminated in a couple of glasses of Bin 389. This drop is known as baby or poor man's Grange because it costs about $100 or more at your local bottle shop compared to $600 or more for Grange Hermitage. There was also silky fried rice cooked in wagyu beef fat and a spectacular dessert: flaming tiramisu served in a chocolate Easter egg. After dinner, I had a chat with the general manager, a Frenchman called Marius, and asked him if this was the best Japanese restaurant in Bali. His reply surprised me. 'No,' he said. 'We don't do sushi, we don't do sashimi and we don't do ramen. Several places in Bali do sushi as good as the best Japanese restaurants in Paris or Tokyo. What we are,' he continued, 'is the best steak restaurant in Bali. No other place that I know of goes to the lengths that we do when selecting and ageing premium beef.' That's the hard sell. All I can say is that it was bloody delicious. Plus one more thing. Remember when I said dinner at Yen Social would cost you an arm and a leg? Well, our meal, seven courses paired with seven glasses of wine, cost $108 per person, including GST and a 10 per cent service charge that substitutes a tip. Tell me of one restaurant in Australia where you can get a meal like that for that money and I'll eat my hat and write a food review on it, too. For bookings, see @ on Instagram. Ian Neubauer was a guest of Yen Social. They have not influenced, or read this story before publication
Sydney Morning Herald
6 days ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
The Studio is a new wine bar and bakery that's a must-visit in the Southern Highlands
Maloney's teenage passion for food technology at Chevalier College in Burradoo led to a CV encapsulating Michelin-starred London dining room The Ledbury and a year at Josh Niland's original Oxford Street Saint Peter. But her heart is in the Highlands. The What If Society, which started with a Saturday street stall 150 metres down the road, turned four in July. In five weeks or so, The Studio's sibling venue, The Exchange – a grocery store selling bread, preserves, pickles, jam, cultured butter and local produce – moves from a nearby street to two doors along. Meanwhile, Maloney's indefatigable vision for ethical, sustainable and considered food draws in ever more converts. 'I see the same customers every single day because they don't want to spend their money anywhere else,' she says. 'They've bought into our business and this lifestyle, and they feel so good for it. That feels so rewarding. It feels like I've played the part that I was meant to in the world.' Three more to try in the Southern Highlands Moonacres Kitchen Chef Stephen Santucci uses the organic fruit and vegetables from Phil Lavers' world-renowned Moonacres Farm up the road for masterful salted cod and potato hash browns, a fruit-loaded bruschetta with ruby red rhubarb and much more. 81 Illawarra Highway, Robertson, Eschalot Set in a converted 1840s inn on the main street of Berrima, Eschalot's Mediterranean-ish focus on seasonal and local produce hits a high with the restaurant's popular Chef's 'Feed Me' barbecue of wintry meat and vegetable dishes and ambitious desserts. 24 Old Hume Highway, Berrima, Paste Australia It's easy to drive past Mittagong in the weekend flow to Bowral's tulips, wineries and main street shopping, but leave the path for chef Bee Satongun's lauded Thai food, a hatted inclusion in the Good Food Guide.
