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Showing posts with the label fine

Review: Fine dining at Melbourne izakaya Ototo

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Address 349-351 Flinders Ln Melbourne , VIC 3000 View map Opening hours Tue-Sunday Dinner Feature Accept reservations, Bars, Licensed, Events Price Medium ($20-$40 electricity) Payment eftpos, Visa, Mastercard Phone 03 9620 1343 Before we ordered drinks or looked at the menu or even sat down, we had been told our time was limited. “You have an hour and a half,” said the hostess in a tone between apologies and accusations. It’s not the most welcoming way to greet people, but I’m not sure that welcome is a top priority at Ototo, a new, mixed-use izakaya in the basement of Flinders Lane. Ototo is an extension of Akaiito, a more formal Japanese restaurant that occupies the ground floor. Continue down to find this sleek dark room with rows of semicircular cubicles, the ceiling of which is decorated with lighting ...

Review: Humbug represents the best fine dining in Newcastle at the moment

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Address 87-89 St . Hunters Newcastle , NSW 2300 View map Opening hours Lunch and dinner Wednesday-Saturday Feature Licensed, Accept orders Price Medium ($20-$40 electricity) Payment eftpos, Visa, Mastercard Phone 02 4044 4803 Disclaimer: I was born in Newcastle and I love the city like Novocastrians love rugby league and complain about light rail. Whenever a savvy young operator opens a new restaurant in my hometown, I’m vulnerable to the wild claim that Newcastle is a foodie’s paradise and Sydneysiders should put down their macchiatos and get the highways ready. But I’ve been on fire: an inspired restaurant turns heads in Coal Town every few years, but rarely starts a trend that’s bigger than new places that go beyond tandoori chicken on pizza. And while some amazing bars have launched in Newcastle over the...

Webb captures the dying star's final 'performance' in fine detail

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Credits: NASA, ESA, CSA, and STScI Some stars save the best for last. The faint star in the center of this scene has sent rings of gas and dust for thousands of years in all directions, and NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has revealed for the first time that the star is shrouded in dust. Two cameras aboard Webb captured the latest images of the planet’s nebula, cataloged as NGC 3132, and informally known as the Southern Ring Nebula. The distance is about 2,500 light years. Webb will allow astronomers to unearth more specifics about planetary nebulae like these—clouds of gas and dust ejected by dying stars. Understanding which molecules are present, and where they are located across shells of gas and dust will help researchers refine their knowledge of these objects. This observation shows the Southern Ring Nebula almost facing upwards, but if we could rotate it to view it from the edge, its three-dimensional shape would mo...

New rules rolled out to help protect Australians from text message scams

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The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has rolled out new rules to protect Australians from text message fraud. Key points: Australians lose more than $2 billion to fraud in 2021 Telecom providers could face fines of up to $250,000 if they fail to comply The frequency of fraudulent SMS increased sharply after crackdown on scam callers Starting today, cellular providers will be required to identify, track, and block text message fraud, share information about fraudulent messages with other providers, and report fraud to authorities. According to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), Australians lost more than $2 billion to fraud in the last year, with about $10 million lost via text messages. Data from Scamwatch shows more than 67,000 text message frauds were reported during 2021. Federal Communications Secretary Michelle Rowland said the new rules would disrupt the scammers’ business model. “Most Australians have received a fraudulent t...