This Christmas, my really good friend / business partner / older sister, Riko was (finally!) getting married to a really great guy (Tim) that I can finally approve of. In true Riko-fashion, she held the wedding on the farthest place possible; in Melbourne, Australia. And asked me to DJ it! I couldn’t say no, so I made the 30+ hour trip down under for this special day for her. Other than the wedding, I had a great time in Melbourne. It’s a chill laid back city with some little pockets of energy sprouting up.
Getting to Melbourne is no easy feat. It involves a 15hr flight from NYC-Tokyo. A 5 hr layover in Narita. Then a 10 hour flight to Sydney. Then another hour layover before a 1 hour flight into Melbourne. Not to mention a bitch of a hike from the domestic to the international terminals at Sydney. All in all, over 30 hours from Point A to B. This is about as much of Sydney as I got to see. If you look close, you can spot the Sydney Opera House. There seems to be this Sydney vs Melbourne beef that reminds me of NY vs LA. Wonder if they have rappers from each city shit talking each other also?
Melbourne has one casino. The Crown…its quite good actually and they’ve built an impressive complex around it with shops and restaurants. Australians are pretty timid when it comes to their poker game.
This is the view from my hotel room. The impressive Melbourne Cricket Grounds aka MCG aka The ‘G. Every December 26th (aka Boxing Day), they hold a huge cricket match where everyone and their grandmothers comes out to watch. I had to partake as well and check out my first cricket game. I had a hard time understanding what was going on, but from what I could gather, The Aussies kicked the Indians ass. And I don’t mean the team from Cleveland.
I’ve been to a couple of different countries and have seen many different currencies. I’m trying to think back, but I think Australia, quite possibly, has the best designed currency I have ever witnessed. The paper stock is crisp and slick…almost feels like it has an aqueous UV coating on it or something. Fonts, watermarks and imagery are all tastefully done. Denominations are color coded for easy usage and peep the clear watermarked window on each bill. Nice touch. These can’t be cheap to make.
One of the best cosmetic, cleanser, shampoo companies around: AESOP. Its hard to find in North America but the brand originated in Melbourne so its easy to find here. The interiors of their shops are dope and so is their product assortment and branding. If you find it…stock up!
I think NYC and Tokyo are hands-down the best overall cuisine the world has to offer. And since these are my two hometowns, I can be a bit snobbish when it comes to dining in other locations. My expectations just aren’t that high. So it was a huge surprise when I sat down at THREE, ONE, TWO in Melbourne. Some friends had recommended it so I gave it a try. I was really impressed. It’s not cheap, but it is worth every aussie penny you pay for it. Splurge on the tasting menu. Then afterwards head down to Lygon Street for some cappuccino and a second dessert.
I had some free time to stroll around Melbourne and found some cool things. One of the coolest places I found was Curtin House. Its pretty spooky walking into the building. It looks like it could be a crack house. But inside each floor is a wonderful expansive discovery. The 2nd floor features a great Thai restaurant named Cookie. Above that are a trio of great shops: Order+Progress, Someday and Metropolis. There’s also a rooftop cinema and a nightclub I think. Also stopped by the good people at Provider and All of the Above. (Thanks Kerry for the useful map!)
(Elliot and Kerry from All of the Above, The Provider crew, interior of Cookie, grown men playing grown chess on the sidewalk.)
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And of course, the whole reason for coming down here anyway! Riko’s wedding!
Again, congrats to Riko and Tim…this was one of the most beautiful weddings I have ever been to do. Simple perfection.
(Tim, Riko and friends…)
(Me, Riko and mom dukes)
