Latest news with #Merivale
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Pedro Pascal has made a Sydney restaurant world famous after naming his favourite meal in Australia
Pedro Pascal has just dropped a foodie bombshell while Down Under, and fans are already scrambling to make dinner reservations. The beloved Last of Us and Narcos star, who has been in Australia promoting Marvel's upcoming Fantastic Four reboot, was stopped for a red carpet interview where he casually revealed the one Aussie meal that stole his heart. Interestingly it wasn't a classic parmigiana, but the oysters at Sydney 's iconic Mimi's restaurant in Coogee, NSW. In a now-viral TikTok, that now has amassed over 2.9million views, Pedro didn't hesitate when asked about his most memorable meal in Australia. 'My favourite meal are the oysters that I had at Mimi's yesterday,' he said. 'You can never eat too many oysters,' he added in the clip, solidifying his love for the luxury shellfish. Pedro, 50, was in the country for the press tour of Fantastic Four, where he plays Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic. And while the global press have their eyes on his red carpet appearances, Aussie foodies are now more laser-focused on Mimi's, the chic coastal restaurant tucked inside Coogee Pavilion in Sydney's Eastern Suburbs. Mimi's, part of the Merivale hospitality empire, has long been a go-to for Sydney's elite and A-listers alike. Known for its refined seafood dishes, breathtaking ocean views, and opulent fit-out (think white linen tablecloths, marble details, and a champagne trolley), the restaurant has cemented its status as the place to be seen. And now, Pedro Pascal has given it the ultimate celebrity seal of approval. TikTok creator Tom, who was behind the viral video, even rushed to Mimi's to try the dish for himself. 'The oysters are on their way. I think Pedro put in a call. I'm scared,' he joked from Mimi's exclusive private dining room. Before the oysters arrived, he was served a jaw-dropping entrée of Blue Fin Toro Confit Tomato on a warm crumpet - another one of Mimi's signature viral dishes. 'Look at this - I could get used to this,' he said, holding up the meticulously plated starter. 'Let's help the oyster find a way to its home,' he quipped before taking a bite. 'Wow, that could be the best oyster I've ever put in my mouth. Mimi's in Coogee, it can't be anything less than a 10.' 'Great rec! So glad you loved them,' Merivale group commented on the video review. 'My favourite meal is Pedro Pascal,' another fan joked. Their signature oysters are far from your average seaside snack. Sourced from the finest Australian farms, they're shucked to order and often served with a delicate mignonette or creative topping. Presentation is everything, and so is quality. Reviews frequently rave about the freshness, flavour and theatrical flair of the seafood offering. In addition to oysters, Mimi's has built a cult following for dishes like the hand-cut pasta with spanner crab, Baked mud crab with caramelised hollandaise, the lobster served tableside, and of course, that viral Blue Fin Toro crumpet. The restaurant is no stranger to A-listers and has even hosted intimate celebrity events, but with Pedro Pascal's unexpected endorsement, it might be hard going getting a booking. This isn't the first time Pascal's love for food has gone viral. Fans may remember the now- iconic video of him ordering six espresso shots at a New York café. But it seems Sydney has made a lasting impression on him. As Pedro himself said himself: 'You can never eat too many oysters.'
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Billionaire pub baron Justin Hemmes touches down in Sydney with his newborn son and girlfriend Madeline Holtznagel after family holiday
Justin Hemmes was every inch the doting dad as he arrived back in Sydney from an overseas holiday with his newborn son and girlfriend Madeline Holtznagel. The billionaire Merivale owner, 52, touched down at Sydney Airport on Tuesday after a family getaway with Madeline, 28, and their newborn son Jaeger. The Australian restaurant mogul was instantly recognisable as he stepped out of his private jet with his long hair slicked back into a bun. He kept comfy for the flight in a white oversized hoodie and matching tracksuit pants. Justin looked like the proud dad as he carefully carried his one-month-old baby while making his way down the stairs of the jet. From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. Just like his dad, Jaeger boasts a full head of hair in the pictures and was dressed in a neutral babysuit. Meanwhile, Madeline also opted for comfort as she exited the jet in a matching pink tracksuit set. The model wore a fluffy sweater over a matching pair of pants. She attempted to go incognito, wearing oversized sunglasses as she followed her beau and newborn son. The new mum slicked her blonde locks into a ponytail as she excitedly approached an awaiting car with a giant smile on her face. Madeline announced the birth of her son on Instagram on June 15 alongside a gallery of sweet photos. 'Jaeger Justin Hemmes 1.06.25,' she captioned the post, which has received over 3,000 likes since being posted. This is the model's first child with the billionaire Merivale owner. He shares two daughters - Alexa, nine, and Saachi, seven - with his ex-partner Kate Fowler. The sweet photo dump included an array of snaps showing the couple's newborn baby wrapped up in a blanket. One picture showed the new mum proudly holding her first child as she donned a matching pink pyjama set. She was positively glowing as she beamed at the camera while her precious newborn wore a smile on his face. Another picture showed Justin and Madeline looking windswept and content as they enjoyed a beach walk with their little one. One adorable snap showed Justin leaning down to kiss baby Jaeger, who was tucked into his jumper to keep warm during the windy outing. Madeline announced the sex of their baby in an interview with Stellar magazine, and said she was thrilled because she wanted a 'new journey' with Justin. 'I always thought I was going to have a boy. I knew I was going to be a boy mum,' she said. 'Justin has two beautiful little girls, so having a boy, it's like a whole new journey together. '[The baby] is going to be his little best mate.' The businessman, who has a net worth of $1.39billion, began dating Madeline in 2019 when she was 22 and he was 47, after his split from Fowler in 2018. Justin and Madeline have gone from strength-to-strength since going public and even sparked engagement rumours in June 2023.
Sydney Morning Herald
18-07-2025
- Business
- Sydney Morning Herald
Merivale to close popular Manly Wharf restaurant Queen Chow
On Friday, Sydney hospitality group Merivale announced it will shut its Cantonese restaurant on Manly Wharf, Queen Chow. 'After seven unforgettable years, Queen Chow Manly will be closing its doors on Tuesday, August 5, due to the upcoming redevelopment of the Manly Wharf precinct,' it said via a statement on Instagram. Manly Wharf is going through big changes, led by the Artemus Group. Artemus reimagined Brisbane's Howard Smith Wharves and has made no secret of plans to do similar in Sydney, splashing out $110 million last year to buy Manly Wharf. It then made an offer to Hunter St. Hospitality, leading it to close Sake, El Camino and Bavarian.
The Age
18-07-2025
- Business
- The Age
Merivale to close popular Manly Wharf restaurant Queen Chow
On Friday, Sydney hospitality group Merivale announced it will shut its Cantonese restaurant on Manly Wharf, Queen Chow. 'After seven unforgettable years, Queen Chow Manly will be closing its doors on Tuesday, August 5, due to the upcoming redevelopment of the Manly Wharf precinct,' it said via a statement on Instagram. Manly Wharf is going through big changes, led by the Artemus Group. Artemus reimagined Brisbane's Howard Smith Wharves and has made no secret of plans to do similar in Sydney, splashing out $110 million last year to buy Manly Wharf. It then made an offer to Hunter St. Hospitality, leading it to close Sake, El Camino and Bavarian.
The Age
03-07-2025
- The Age
We have a great law to tackle workplace sexual harassers. Pity it's never been used
Two important events concerning sexual harassment took place this week. Australian female-led hospitality advocacy group Sorry Not Sorry toured the United Kingdom, raising awareness of sexual harassment in the hospitality industry. Last year, its founders, along with other former staff for hospitality giant Swillhouse, reported being sexually assaulted at work, rostered alongside their assailants, pressured to take drugs, encouraged to have sex with customers, harassed, discriminated against, and their reports to management ignored. Just days later, this masthead published an explosive exposé about the Merivale hospitality empire, alleging that its VIP customers routinely engaged in lewd and unwelcome sexualised behaviour towards its female staff. Swillhouse and Merivale have denied any wrongdoing. In this same week, a new report by the Australian Human Rights Commission was released, highlighting the ongoing and seemingly intractable problem of sexual harassment. The problem is not confined to hospitality, but includes mining, media and the retail industries. Allegations against mining giants BHP and Rio Tinto include men urinating on women colleagues, sexual groping and masturbating in front of them. But there is one glaring omission in the AHRC report. It is silent about what it, the relevant regulator, is doing about this endemic problem. In late 2022, the Albanese government gave the AHRC significant responsibilities for preventing sexual harassment. It introduced a law which, for the first time, imposed a positive duty on employers to prevent sexual harassment and sex discrimination at work. At the time of its enactment, Kate Jenkins, the then-sex discrimination commissioner, hailed the positive duty law as 'the single most revolutionary change that will impact sexual harassment'. Loading Since December 2023, the AHRC has been able to prosecute employers for failing to comply with that positive duty. To date, there has not been a single prosecution. It would be a tragedy if the positive duty law became a 'dead letter' – a law that sits on the statute books both unloved and unused. Without either a carrot or a stick to motivate them, even the most committed – or the most problematic – employers are free to ignore the laws without consequence. A law that is on the books, but able to be routinely ignored, might as well not exist. In a time of continuing, serious allegations of sexual harassment, we need this positive duty more than ever. Yet it took an inquiry by The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, not the regulator, to reveal the alleged conduct at Swillhouse. It is taking the dedicated efforts of the individual women who reported it to try to raise enough funds to take legal action against their former employer.
