For the third year running, Michelin unveils its picks for the best restaurants in Brazil’s two biggest cities: Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo. Its “2017 Michelin Rio & Sao Paulo Guide” includes 19 starred restaurants. The guide is now available on all download platforms (IOS and Android) and in hard copy, in English and Portuguese.
This year’s selection includes 19 eateries—18 restaurants with one star, including three new ones—but only 1 restaurant with two stars. The former is Alex Atala‘s “D.O.M.”, which is is the only restaurant to earn the two-star “worth a detour” designation—a distinction the restaurant has since the guide debuted in 2015.
The three new restaurants singled out with one star this year are: the contemporary “Laguiole”, located in the Museu de Arte Moderna in Rio de Janeiro; Oro, the modern Brazilian cuisine hub run by the media chef Felipe Bronze; and lastly, “Picchi” in Sao Paulo, by Chef Pier Paolo Picchi, which serves “Italian cuisine that respects the produce, tastes, and tradition without renouncing a few touches of creativity”.
Also included in the final cut are 33 Bib Gourmand restaurants, including eight new ones, selected for their excellent value for money as they offer a complete menu for a maximum of 90 RS. In Rio de Janeiro, “Bottega del Vino” has been awarded this distinction, as have the “Bistrot de Paris”, “A Casa do Porco”, “Niaya”, “La Peruana Cevicheria”, “Più”, “Tanit” and “Ton Ton”, which are all in Sao Paulo.
The new Casio MRG-G2000HT is a 500-piece limited edition release from the flagship MR-G collection. It reflects both the brand’s updated expertise in smart/connected watches and its relationship with traditional artisanal crafts.
The first highlight here is the new module (i.e. movement) powering the watch — the Connected Engine 3-Way. As its name suggests, the module is capable of receiving three different types of signals to keep accurate time. The previous iteration of the module could already receive terrestrial radio waves (in selected locations) and GPS satellite signals to automatically update its time, wherever the watch’s wearer goes. The new module builds on this by being able to also connect to a smartphone via Bluetooth, both to receive the time from the telecom network (indirectly), and to download the latest information about time zones and Daylight Savings Time. The watch can be updated via its companion phone application: MR-G Connected. Like its predecessors, the module also has a host of other functions/complications, including a chronograph, countdown timer, alarm, and solar charging system.
Aesthetically, the MRG-G2000HT features tsuiki, a traditional Japanese metal-hammering technique that creates decorative indentations on the treated surface. In this case, the bezel and centre link of the bracelet have been wrought with tsuiki to create a textured finish. Despite using identical techniques, the timepiece is a stark contrast to the MRG-G1000HG, its predecessor. In lieu of yellow gold, the new watch has an indigo DLC-coated bezel, with the case and bracelet given an oboro-gin (silver-grey) finish to create a far more restrained air. The indentations here are also ellipses and not the circular patterns seen on its predecessor.
Specifications Movement Casio Connected Engine 3-Way module with 23-month operation in power saving mode on a full charge Case 54.7mm by 49.8mm in titanium Water Resistance Up to 200 meters Strap Titanium bracelet with titanium deployant buckle
In a market saturated with beauty products promising to deliver results, it is difficult to figure out which product is a sound investment and which will sit amongst your collection, never to be used after the first swatch. However, when you find one that ticks all the right boxes, you will wonder why you ever bothered with any others in the first place. This season, YSL Beauté tempts us — and convinces us— that the latest line-up is the one to have with the relaunch of its Vernis à Lèvres collection. All set to hit our shores in July, the collection was first launched in 2012 and is now a popular product by the brand — though none can surpass that of the famous Touche Éclat. Working as both a gloss and stain, the promises to give you the perfect pout. We count down the reasons make these new additions oh-so-good.
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Apart from representing how old this collection is, the number also happens to stand for the number of new shades that will join the Classic Vernis à Lèvres range. Joining the line-up of classic lip stains is ‘Rouge Fusain’, ‘Carmin Tag’, ‘Orange Graffiti’, ‘Fuchsia Filtre’ and ‘Encre Nude’.
Classic Vernis à Lèvres
Classic Vernis à Lèvres
Classic Vernis à Lèvres
Classic Vernis à Lèvres
Classic Vernis à Lèvres
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Alongside the Classic Vernis à Lèvres range, are new additions to the Vernis à Lèvres Vinyl Cream and Vernis à Lèvres Pop Water ranges. Those in favour of aquatic colours, the Vernis à Lèvres Pop Water range welcomes the ‘Red Spray’, ‘Orange Mist’, ‘Fuchsia Drops’ and ‘Nude Steam’. For more intense shades, YSL Beauté has added ‘Bourgogne Alternatif’, ‘Rave Orange’, ‘Fuchisa Beats’ and ‘Psychedelic Chili’ to the Vernis à Lèvres Vinyl Cream range.
Vernis à Lèvres Pop Water
Vernis à Lèvres Pop Water
Vernis à Lèvres Pop Water
Vernis à Lèvres Pop Water
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Bold is beautiful and YSL Beauté certainly agrees with us. Forget those deep dark shades and opt for one of the three new shades that have caught our eyes in the Vernis à Lèvres Primary Colour Edition. From the Magenta Amplifier that is the perfect shade of pink to the Blue Amplifier that would make an ice queen proud and the unexpected Yellow Amplifier, the new shades help your personality shine.
Vernis à Lèvres Vinyl Cream
Vernis à Lèvres Vinyl Cream
Vernis à Lèvres Vinyl Cream
Vernis à Lèvres Vinyl Cream
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Use the new shades in the primary colour edition on its own for a powerful statement or apply it as a base before adding a layer of your chosen Vernis à Lèvres gloss. Versatility is the key to this collection as we have seen and we admit that we love it.
YSL Vernis à Lèvre Primary Colour Edition Amplifier
YSL Vernis à Lèvre Primary Colour Edition Amplifier
YSL Vernis à Lèvre Primary Colour Edition Amplifier
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With one swatch, it’s clear that this is the only item you need. Thanks to the “Lifeproof Colour Emulsion”, lips are left pampered and looking their best. Better yet, the collection allows you to match your mood to your preferred shade and even lets you switch up your look from day to night, with the wave of a wand.
When Australia defended the America’s Cup yachting trophy in Perth and its port Fremantle in 1987, the largest hotel in town was the eight-storey Hilton, which had a “Chinese Suite” in its upper reaches. An ornate lacquered screen was the pièce de résistance. The general manager explained to visiting media that Perth needed such a fancy hotel because a mining boom was taking place “up north”, and the miners needed somewhere to “kick off their boots”.
The modern metropolis that has emerged in the 30 years since is due in no small part to the America’s Cup kick-start it received then. Nobody had taken “the auld mug” off the New York Yacht Club in 132 years when Australia 11 won in 1983, and it seemed the world had descended on sleepy Perth and Fremantle to try to get it back, which Dennis Conner duly did.
It wasn’t just Australia Vs U.S.A., Europeans could compete too, and Fremantle was rapidly transformed from a very basic fishing port into a lively big village in which the Gucci-backed Italians were particularly prominent. Superyachts arrived, some owned by wealthy Japanese, also in the AC hunt. It was the decade of the entrepreneur. Australian syndicate boss Alan Bond personified the moment, with his Southern Cross superyacht and lavish properties.
Bond’s fortunes nose-dived in the 1990s, and he served four years in gaol for financial fraud, but it should be noted that his Dalkeith bolthole sold for AUD 39 million (approx. USD 29 million) in 2011. This was the second highest property deal in Western Australia after mining magnate Chris Ellison’s Mosman Park property, which notched AUD 57 million (approx. USD 41.3 million) in 2009. Bond died in 2015 aged 77, and his real estate agent daughter Jody Fewster recently sold his original swish seaside Cottesloe abode for AUD 3.95 million (approx. USD 2.94 million), down on the AUD 4.75 million (approx. USD 3.54 million) asking price.
Perth, now full of highrises, but retaining some charms of an earlier era, is the same distance from Singapore as it is from Australia’s East Coast, giving rise to a trans-Australia “them and us” notion that persists today. It’s easy access has led to, for example, Singapore and Malaysian- owned golf courses. One Singaporean is presently building an 84 meters superyacht down the coast.
Apart from “in between” Swan River frontages, Fremantle is now a city in its own right, only 20 km from Perth’s Central Business District (CBD). It has activities, markets and properties that one could equally describe as quaint, funky or ultra-modern. Located three kilometres from Perth’s city centre, Echelon River Residences is a new development by award-winning architecture studio Giorgi Exclusive. Offering 12 ultra-luxury riverfront residences, the project features two “Sky Residences” (one now sold), and is priced from AUD 5.25 million (approx. USD 3.9 million) to AUD 7.5 million (approx. USD 5.6 million).
View of Perth CBD
Further south, the Margaret River wine region, is forging a formidable reputation as a home, or home-away-from-home, for wealthy Western Australian dwellers. Really, the whole coastline is open to all comers, bearing in mind that this is where eastbound gales, known as the Roaring Forties, first hit the Australian continent.
An analysis of Perth real estate last year by PerthNow found that AUD 218 million (approx. USD 162 million) worth of properties had been sold in only 10 streets over 12 months “as Western Australia’s elite continue to splash out for prestige Riverside Road interior addresses. Despite a slowdown in the general market, sales are still booming in select streets, with Mosman Park’s Wellington Street the top performer. Nine homes sold at an average price of AUD 3.68 million (approx. USD 2.74 million), according to independent government authority Landgate”.
Perth agent William Porteous comments that “in Sydney, London and New York, the luxury market has reached levels where AUD 30 to AUD 40 million (approx. USD 22 to USD 30 million) is no longer uncommon, so for those with the cash to spend, the opportunity is here. While luxury homes around the AUD 7 to AUD 8 million (approx. USD 5.2 to USD 6 million) mark have retracted from previous highs, buyers are still coming out of the woodwork for select properties. These are young professionals making their way into the tightly held streets”, he said.
An East Perth penthouse has been offered at AUD 27.5 million (approx. USD 20.5 million), making it Australia’s biggest and most expensive if sold for the asking price. An AUD 25 million (approx. USD 18.6 million) penthouse in Melbourne bought last year is the present record holder.The Western Australian vendor is property developer Ian Johnson, whose marketing is largely done through Chinese websites with Chinese-subtitled videos. “Bondy” would have applauded his enterprise, but given the sophisticated analysis done by most foreign buyers today, such a strategy seems hopeful.
ON THE MARKET
ECHELON RIVER RESIDENCES,
SOUTH PERTH
With just two units on each floor, this luxurious 12-residence development offers sweeping vistas of Perth City and its surrounding areas. This riverfront site features offices and a restaurant on its lower levels, with two unique top floor “Sky Residences” bearing four-metre ceilings and first-class furnishing. These units range from 2,690 square feet to 2,777 square feet in internal floor space.
PRICE: AUD 7.5 million (approx. USD 5.6 million), CONTACT: Prestige International www.prestigepg.com.au
4/2 RIVERSIDE ROAD, EAST FREMANTLE
This luxurious riverside penthouse offers spectacular views amid a vibrant cafe culture on the Swan River. Stroll to restaurants, the Left Bank, and the bars and shops on George St. Superbly appointed home has top quality fittings with natural stone and timber detailing.
For a city where sumptuous spa treatments are at every turn and cost next to nothing, Bangkok is ironically chaotic. The bustling Thai metropolis usually isn’t the first to mind for a relaxing short break from Singapore; its beachy, peaceful neighbours like Phuket and Koh Samui would be. But the COMO Group — the brand behind some of the most outstanding wellness-focused properties in the world — could build amazing, tranquil sanctuaries even in the most hectic of places, and they sure did with COMO Metropolitan Bangkok.
Situated along South Sathorn Road within Bangkok’s busy business district, the gorgeous minimalist hotel first opened in 2003 and has recently completed its year-long facelift in February this year. All 169 rooms have been refurbished, and include walk-in rainforest showers, smart TVs, and wireless BOSE SoundTouch music systems. To celebrate the hotel’s spanking new look, COMO Metropolitan Bangkok rolled out a new ‘Wellness A La Carte’ package for city-slickers seeking renewal and nourishment.
Priced at 35,700 THB (or 21,500 THB until 22 December 2017), the two-day retreat includes accommodation in the Metropolitan Room, breakfast for two at glow restaurant, three 60-minute private wellness sessions (choose from yoga and pilates to Thai boxing), two 60-minute spa treatments at COMO Shambhala Urban Escape, a cookbook, and a yoga mat to take home. Whether you’re in Bangkok for an eat-shop-repeat trip or for business, this holistic package is perfect if you wish to pause and recharge amidst a busy schedule.
Como Metropolitan Bangkok’s front desk
Como Metropolitan Bangkok’s lobby; staff wearing Comme des Garcons
View of the pool at Como Metropolitan Bangkok
Metropolitan Room at Como Metropolitan Bangkok
The bathroom in Como Metropolitan Bangkok’s Metropolitan Room
Penthouse Suite, Como Metropolitan Bangkok
Como Suite, Como Metropolitan Bangkok
We arrived at COMO Metropolitan Bangkok in the morning — admittedly a bit broken (no) thanks to multiple late nights leading up to the trip. But the sleek, calming space and the warm hospitality of the staff (uniformed in Comme des Garcons and Calvin Klein footwear) had us leaving our frantic mood behind as soon as we stepped foot into the hotel. Everything has been designed to de-stress guests, from the neutral colour scheme and the distinct scent of COMO to the luxurious furniture. In the hopes to jump-start our Bangkok getaway on the right note, we opted for yoga and a rub-down before checking into our digs.
If you haven’t been diligent with your wellness routine, worry not that you can’t keep up – COMO’s team of experienced instructors will tailor your sessions according to your fitness level and goals. The yoga class gave us an incredibly good stretch (one of us is now eager to going back to it regularly after years of non-practice), and the mind-melting massage that followed at the seriously beautiful COMO Shambhala Urban Escape was a much-needed fix for our beaten bodies. The 1,200-square-feet wellness centre, consisting of 10 treatment rooms, a yoga studio, a fully-equipped gym, hydrotherapy pool and a 25-metre outdoor pool, is also worth revisiting for more fitness sessions, facials and two-hour spa treatments. Who can say no to that?
COMO Shambhala Urban Escape’s reception
The changing room at Como Shambhala Urban Escape, Como Metropolitan Bangkok
Inside Como Shambhala Urban Escape’s treatment room
Get pampered with the Como Shambhala massage
Yoga at Como Metropolitan Bangkok
The breakfast buffet line at Glow Restaurant, Como Metropolitan Bangkok
Nahm Restaurant at Como Metropolitan Bangkok
Met Bar at Como Metropolitan Bangkok
Another reason to pop into COMO, even if you’re not a hotel guest: To dine at Nahm, one of world’s best restaurants (voted top spot in Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants List in March 2014 and placed 13th in World’s 50 Best Restaurants List). Created by Australian-born celebrity chef David Thompson, the dining temple puts out big, bold Thai flavours with fresh local produce and traditional cooking methods. (Watch this space for an in-depth review of Nahm Bangkok coming up.)
With amazing culinary options, top-notch facilities, phenomenal wellness programmes and attentive service, you don’t have to leave the property during your stay. But if you’ll like to visit some of Bangkok’s best attractions, COMO’s concierge can help arrange day tours around the city or recommend a free-and-easy itinerary based on your preferences. We recommend ending each day (in or out) with a nightcap at the swish and moody Met Bar (go for special martinis like the Tom Yumtini), before retreating to your stylish, zen-inspired room for a nice, long bath and a good night’s rest. By the time you check out, you’ll be glowing, with a sense of lightness and a spring in your step.
The decades-old equipment that power performances beneath the iconic white sails at the Sydney Opera House are ageing and will be updated to improve the experience for artists and audiences. Backstage engines, rigging and hoists that have supported the lighting and props for hundreds of ballet and opera productions will be replaced.
A “state-of-the-art acoustic enhancement system” will also be installed to address the building’s notoriously poor sound quality. The work in the Joan Sutherland Theatre, to begin on May 20, kicks off an Aus$273 million (US$201 million) project at the heritage-listed landmark, one of the world’s most famous buildings.
“All of this machinery and the technology we use… was used in the 70s, and we installed it back in the 60s to be ready for that, so it was actually designed in the 50s,” technical manager Philby Lewis told AFP Wednesday. “So we are really using here at the moment, and trying to keep alive, 1950s technology.”
The Austrian company that first constructed the backstage equipment installed before the Opera House opened has been called on again to carry out the work. The other five venues within the Opera House will remain open during the seven-month renovation of the Joan Sutherland Theatre. More than 1.5 million people attend performances at the Circular Quay building each year, with over eight million visiting it annually.
