Our competitions for The Langham Hotel Jazz Festival drink vouchers and Fashion Palette tickets giveaways have now closed. Thank you to everyone that entered we had an overwhelming response. The winners are below and your prizes will be sent this week. Thanks again to The Langham Hotel and Fashion Palette for your generous support!

The Langham Hotel Jazz Festival drink vouchers

E. Bakkalis – Dingley Village, VIC
N. Horman – Essendon North, VIC
J. Armstrong – Greensborough, VIC
K. Dinsdale – Kilsyth, VIC
N. State – Macleod, VIC
R. Chapman – Armadale, VIC

Fashion Palette tickets

P.Lawrence – Ryde, NSW
A.Doremi – North Bondi, NSW
R.Ritchie – Turramurra, NSW
W.Sam – Hornsby, NSW
A.O’Reilly – St George, NSW
B.Black – Smithfield, NSW
A.Bell – Gosford, NSW
H.McGrath – Newtown, NSW
M.Ulta – Katoomba, NSW
M.Creighton – Campbelltown, NSW

BoozeMonkey is the social network for lovers of NZ & Australian wine. Whether you’re an Aussie Shiraz fan or a New Zealand Pinot enthusiast, with detailed profiles of vineyards & winemakers, tasting notes, wine reviews, competitions, special offers and events, BoozeMonkey’s got the lot. And it’s all free!

While the wine world is a-twitter with blogs and online commentary, one wine site is fast achieving cult status as the central point for winemakers and wine lovers alike: BoozeMonkey.com is an online wine community that is attracting followers from both wineries and wine consumers at a rapid rate.

BoozeMonkey is a community of wine-lovers, a central source of information about all things wine (“Google for wine”), and a meeting place for wine-lovers to discuss their passion (“FaceBook for wine”), to make friends, to chat with Australian and New Zealand wineries, to learn more about the wine in their glass, and to discover new wines. Interaction between companies and wine consumers are proving one of the significant attractions.

The website has all the social networking features which FaceBook and MySpace users will recognise (profile pages, chat, blogs, messaging, groups, forums, etc), together with tasting notes, wine reviews, and regular updates from the wineries and competitions. Launched only recently, the BoozeMonkey wine reviews feature has proven particularly popular, with wine-lovers avidly adding reviews and commentary about their favourite wines.

“The idea for BoozeMonkey was born from the frustration we had in not being able to find decent information about Australian wine on the internet — sure, there’s information out there if you know exactly what you’re looking for, but if you want to ‘discover’ a new wine or browse information about wineries from a particular area, you will struggle”, says The BoozeMonkey Team.

In the lead up to his solo exhibition of mixed media artworks at Oh Really Gallery on the 23rd to 29th April 2009, Australian graffiti artist Phibs, will paint a wall in Leichhardt.

Oh Really Gallery have partnered up with Look Print, a large scale printing business in Leichhardt, who became instant patrons by erecting a 6m by 3m billboard on the side of their building for Oh Really Gallery artists to utilise.

The ongoing partnership has been dubbed ‘Project Ugly’ by Oh Really Gallery Director, Dan O’Toole. “An old lady walked past the wall which had a new artwork going up and she said ‘that’s ugly’. The name stuck.”

‘When Phibs showed interest in exhibiting in Sydney, we were eager to have him do the Project Ugly Wall.’ Says Dan O’Toole. Phibs is a graphic designer originally from Sydney, who now works full time as an artist in Melbourne. His recognisable graffiti style has a tribal feel with an intricate exploration of bold characters and patterning. Phibs is a traditional graffiti artist who has been commissioned by corporations to do large signs and murals.

Previous Phibs works can be viewed at http://www.phibs.com

Phibs just got back from a trip to India. He was there to paint the biggest wall he has ever painted for something called ‘techfest’.

Melbourne is buzzing at the moment, if you didn’t notice; the Melbourne International Comedy Festival for 2009 is in full swing. There is plenty of comedy on offer including the show Jokey Joke Time.

Jokey Joke Time stars Eric Hutton who has done a bunch of stuff with other people before such as MC-ing for Mark Watson in Sydney, being in Sam Simmons’ 2008 festival show (winner of the Festival Director’s Choice Award), and filling in for Roy and H.G. on Triple J.

“Now it’s time for me to jump off coat tails and start being a real man. A real man with real feelings all bottled up inside, waiting for the kill. Jokey Joke Time starts at the intellectual end of the spectrum and slowly descends into puerile sludge, with a lot of fun-time detours along the way. So if you like high middle, or low-brow humour, come along”, says Eric Hutton on his show.

You can catch Jokey Joke Time every night from Tuesday to Saturday up until the 25th April 2009 at the Old Melbourne Gaol. See you there!

Gyroscope is an Australian band hailing from Perth. The band was formed in 1997 and comprises vocalist and guitarist Daniel Sanders, guitarist and back up vocalist Zoran Trivic, bassist and back up vocalist Brad Campbell and drummer Rob Nassif.

Their music can be described as melodic, intense, intricate and smooth. Gyroscope has released three studio albums in their eleven year career, all recorded with their current line-up. In 2000, they released their first two EPs (Scalectrix and Means to an End), followed up by the Take Time EP in 2002. The guys released a further two EPs, Midnight Express and Driving for the Storm / Doctor Doctor, the later brought Gyroscope’s first appearance on Triple J’s Hottest 100 list, with the song “Doctor Doctor” featuring at number 92.

Gyroscope’s first album, Sound Shattering Sound, was released in 2004, seven years after forming. The debut album peaked at number 37 on the ARIA charts. A year later, Are You Involved? was released, debuting at number 20 on the ARIA charts. The second album was followed by the release of the split single “Fast Girl / Beware Wolf”; both songs appeared on the Triple J Hottest 100 in 2005. The band’s rise in popularity continued, striking significant commercial success with their fourth album late in 2008 titled ‘Breed Obsession’.

You can catch the band on they’re ‘Raise The Alarm Tour’ touring all around Australia during May 2009. You can hear some of the bands music right here.

Two Flat Whites in conjunction with our friends at The Langham Hotel in Melbourne are giving six (6) lucky people the chance to win a twenty five dollar drink voucher to enjoy while listening to the smooth sounds of Jazz during the Melbourne International Jazz Festival (26th April to 2nd May 2009).

In celebration of the Melbourne International Jazz Festival 2009, official hotel partner, The Langham, Melbourne has announced an exciting program of enchanting jazz performances taking place around the hotel. From the 11th to 29th April 2009, The Nick Marks and Ben Anderson duo will be performing gentle jazz standards interweaving classic piano and melodic alto saxophone in Melba restaurant while The Berish Bilander and Andrew Brooks duo will perform energetic, vibrant modern jazz on an electric Rhodes piano and alto saxophone in the stylish ARIA Bar & Lounge.

If you would like to sit back, sip a cocktail and enjoy the smooth sounds of jazz at the Langham Aria Lounge, please email your name & postal address to info {at} twoflatwhites(.)com

Competition closes Sunday, 19th April 2009.

The Langham, Melbourne
1 Southgate Avenue
Southbank VIC 3006
Rest.res {at} langhamhotels(.)com
Ph. 03 8696 8888

Two Flat Whites dined at one of the best restaurants in Australia recently, Tetsuya’s. Located in the heart of Sydney in a stylish refurbished heritage listed building, Tetsuya’s Restaurant is more than a fantastic meal; it’s a full dining experience.

Walking through the gates you seem to escape the hustle and bustle of the big city and you enter a calm and relaxed atmosphere. Open spaces, gardens and trees swaying in the breeze. The friendly staff greets you at the door with class and professionalism. In fact, you will not find a more efficient group of staff to see to your every need.

Tetsuya’s have won plenty of awards, including being named in most circles as Australia’s best restaurant for close to a decade. It has also been listed as the fifth best restaurant in the world over the last two years. Tetsuya Wakuda was born in Japan. He is mostly a self taught chef through hard work and a real passion for cooking. He made the trek to Australia and learnt his trade with Tony Bilson, the ‘Godfather of Australian cuisine’.

Tetsuya’s renowned degustation set menu changes frequently. Tetsuya Wakuda enjoyed experimenting with food from an early age, often catching hundreds of fish, taking them back to his restaurant in Japan. He would eat half of them and then give the remainder to the staff. This flair has continued with his top class menu today.

Why not try chilled cold corn soup with saffron and vanilla ice cream, delicious scampi, Tetsuya’s signature dish the confit of Petuna ocean trout served with konbu and fennel, followed by terrine of Queensland spanner crab with an avocado soup. Then grilled fillet of barramundi with braised baby fennel and finally twice cooked de-boned spatchcock with foie gras and gobo and wagyu beef with lime and wasabi.

Tetsuya’s offers one of Sydney’s most remarkable wine lists, and will match the ten course meal with some of the best wines in the country. It is not a cheap meal and will set you back $200 to $400. However, this is a once in a lifetime experience not to be missed. Bookings are essential, as there is up to a six month waiting list.

Tetsuya’s Restaurant
529 Kent Street, Sydney
Ph: 02 9267 2900

Article written by Liam Gibbs

The Sydney Underground Film Festival is dedicated to nurturing an alternative film culture through the promotion of independent and experimental films. The festival seeks to support filmmakers who operate outside established film industry infrastructures, by providing a platform for exhibition, exposure and critical discussion.

Have you made a film? Made several? Or are you currently in the midst of making one? It’s time once again for filmmakers everywhere to submit their films to the annual Sydney Underground Film Festival. Working hard to provide a suitable arena for screening the artistic, the subversive, the experimental, the entertaining, and the politically ground-breaking, the festival welcomes all film submissions with no restrictions on genre, style, length, or year of production.

Early deadline: Friday 24th April 2009
Regular deadline: Friday 29th May 2009

Two Flat Whites caught up with Academy Award winner Adam Elliot. Adam has won an AFI award for his Short Animated Film ‘Uncle’. He also won his Academy Award in 2003 for his Animated Short Film, ‘Harvie Krumpet’. Adam’s films have participated in over 500 film festivals and they have won over one hundred awards. You can catch his new film ‘Mary & Max’ which he directed at cinemas from the 9th April 2009.

Where did you grow up & where do you hang your hat?

After 5 years on a prawn farm in outback South Australia we moved to the suburb of Mount Waverley in Melbourne. But now I hang my hat in Windsor.

In your own words, what do you do?

I tell stories……and never let the truth get in the way.

Where did you learn your craft?

My kindergarten teacher, my Art teacher Graham Bennett at Haileybury College, Sarah Watt and Robert Stephenson at the VCA and all the wonderful lecturers at the Brighton Bay Art and Design School.

Who inspires you?

My pugs, Barry & Kevin.

Childhood Memories:

TV Show – The Muppet Show
Hobby – Drawing & making things out of egg cartons & pipe cleaners
Food – Lolly gobble bliss bombs & sweetened condensed milk
Fear – The Werewolf from the film The American Werewolf in London
People – The Two Ronnies & Dame Edna
Defining moment – When my friend Brett Krueger told me there was no such thing as Santa.

Schooling memories, chore or cherished?

Cherished.

Where is the most beautiful place in Australia you have visited?

The Pinewood Independent Cinema in Mt Waverley where I went every Saturday as a child.

From the hours of 9am to 5pm, what do you get up too?

Immersing myself in all things Plasticine.

Who are your favourite film personalities? And is there anyone we should keep a look out for in Australia?

Jan Swankmayer, surrealist stop-motion genius in Czechoslovakia. In Australia, our Mary and Max cinematographer Gerald Thompson, also a brilliant writer.

Where can people see your work?

Check newspapers for details! – In cinemas April 9.

For love or money?

Depends how drunk I am

What future endeavors are in the pipeline?

Finishing drawing my kids book. So far it’s taken me 15 years!

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

Raising pugs on a farm in Daylesford

If you could invite 3 people to chat over coffee, who would they be & why?

Barry Humphries, Michael Leunig & Marcel Marceau – to ask their thoughts on iphones.

Coffee or Tea?

Earl Grey.

Two Flat Whites in conjunction with our friends at Fashion Palette are giving ten (10) lucky people the chance to win a double pass to Fashion Palette on the 1-2 May 2009.

From the outside, the world of fashion can appear glamorous, mysterious and impossible to break into. Watching leading Australian designers show their collections at fashion week can be an inspiring and exhilarating experience for the few lucky enough to get their hands on a ticket.  Now the Australian fashion community will have the chance to soak up the skills and knowledge of some of the worlds most prominent fashion figures at this new and exciting event.

As the last of fashion week models stomp down the runway on 1st May 2009, the inaugural Fashion Palette Event will open its doors to the public at the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre, running from 1–2 May 2009.

If you can see yourself rubbing shoulders with the echelon of fashion and would like to win the fashion passes, please email your name & postal address to info {at} twoflatwhites(.)com

Competition closes Sunday, 19th April 2009.