Paddington's Tequila Mockingbird has transformed into TQM, a golden-yellow restaurant led by a Michelin-rated Venezuelan chef
Jose Garcia, whose Buenos Aires restaurant Fogón Asado was ranked the 36th best steak restaurant in the world by Michelin, has just landed in Sydney for the gig. At TQM, Garcia will be drawing on memories of cooking with his mum and grandmother, and will be serving up the flavours of Venezuela, alongside other dishes found throughout South America.
Opening menu highlights include XO prawns with rice and lemon aioli; fried green plantain with smoked fish – a riff on a classic dish usually enjoyed by the beach in Venezuela; and blood sausage croquettes with a tamarind chutney – similar to ones Garcia enjoyed on road trips with his dad as a child. And of course, you can't spend six years at one of the world's best steakhouses and not put premium meat on the menu, so there's a cracking Wagyu enhanced by flames and served with grilled seasonal veg, too.
In good news, fans of the Tequila Mockingbird Margarita (hello, most of Sydney) will be pleased to know it's staying on the menu, alongside punchy new cocktails including the Caribbean Queen (Plantation pineapple rum, Rhubi, Averna, strawberry and lime). Plus, wines by the glass start at $15.
Fegent says: 'When opening Tequila Mockingbird almost a decade ago, I drew on experience gained from venturing through South America. Over the course of many trips, where I visited 30+ local restaurants, Jose's restaurant Fogón Asado was the absolute standout. I've never experienced anything like it before or since and striking up a friendship with Jose during my visit the conversation started about getting him over to Australia.
I wanted to bring back the same passion and excitement I'd had opening Tequila Mockingbird ten years ago and I knew Jose was the right person to help me do that. I can't wait to showcase his extraordinary, world-class cooking from our little part of Sydney and give our customers something truly unique and special," he added.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
24 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Lily Allen confirms she's moving out of her New York townhouse following split from David Harbour as she reveals decorating her new London flat has 'helped me' amid her 'hard time'
Lily Allen has confirmed she's moving out of her New York townhouse following her split from husband David Harbour. The former couple moved into the art deco home in Brooklyn in 2020 shortly after their Las Vegas wedding, with the beloved property even featuring in Architectural Digest. It was then revealed last December that their relationship was over, with reports soon following that the Stranger Things actor, 50, had cheated on the singer, 40. And in a bid for a fresh start amid her marriage woes, Lily has purchased an ex-council flat in London, and recently told how she's thrown herself into decorating which has 'helped' her through her 'hard time'. The Smile hitmaker told The Mirror how she's been taking inspiration from interior design magazines, remarking: 'I'm really enjoying those at the moment. I've obviously had quite a hard time and that's really helped me'. Speaking on her Miss Me? podcast back in March, Lily opened up about her new property, which she'll live in with her two daughters, as she chatted to co-host Miquita Oliver. She shared: 'This flat that I've bought, is in a social housing building, I have kind of given myself a 'get out' clause because it is slap bang in the area which I grew up in, so I don't feel like I am coming from outside and coming into the area and gentrifying it.' Lily added: 'I have wanted to live in this building since I was a baby, it's been a dream of mine forever and finally a flat became available in here and I was in a position to buy it and I did. But I know people have got judgement around it.' Elsewhere, the stunning New York abode Lily is leaving behind features an eye-catching tiger-print media room and a luxury kitchen inspired by The Godfather. While it also boasts floral Parisian-inspired rooms and a stunning walk-in wardrobe filled with designer goods. Lily and ex David completed renovations on the property in 2023 with the help of interior designer Billy Cotton and architect Ben Bischoff, with the then couple giving a tour to Architectural Digest. However, in May, Lily admitted she felt 'feeling incredibly low' and lonely in her New York City home as she candidly opened up following her break-up. The songwriter who confirmed her split from David in January, explained that she has been feeling 'extremely heavy' as she 'doesn't have that much to do here' in the city. She moved to Brooklyn in 2020 to be closer to David, enrolling her daughters in local schools. The stunning New York abode Lily is leaving behind features an eye-catching tiger-print media room and a luxury kitchen inspired by The Godfather Revealing she was taking a break from social media, the Smile hitmaker said there is 'nothing filling the gaps' as she is no longer doom scrolling. Their separation came after Lily turned amateur sleuth after speculating that David had 'cheated' on the same dating app on which they met. Lily was left in 'agony' when she allegedly discovered the actor had a secret profile on the celebrity dating app Raya. The pop star joined the app herself, pretending to be 'looking for women' – and allegedly found that David had already set up a dating profile. He was reportedly listed on the app as being active for at least a month. Meanwhile, in a bid to help her through her woes, Lily has taken to puffing away on stage amid the stress of the split. The pop singer and actress is currently playing the beleaguered Hedda Gabler at the Theatre Royal Bath. And she's convinced the play's director, Matthew Dunster, to let her vape on stage because she's 'going through some stuff' in her own life, too. She told Daily Mail's Richard Eden: 'When we were in rehearsals, I just said to Matthew, "What about her vaping?" And he was, like, "Yeah." 'I think Matthew is just being generous to the fact that I might be going through some stuff: give her a little vape, give her a little time just to make her life a little bit easier.'
Time Out
3 hours ago
- Time Out
French boutique hotel chain Mama Shelter opens its first Asian outpost in Singapore
Here's yet another new hotel at Orchard Road, but Mama Shelter isn't quite like your typical sleek city hotel in the heart of the shopping district. Bursting onto the scene with a flurry of colour and quirky design, this unfussy Parisian boutique hotel is meant to make guests feel right at home, with dining at the centre of the experience. Currently, there are 19 other Mama Shelter hotels worldwide, with Singapore's outpost marking the brand's debut in Asia. The 115 guest rooms at Mama Shelter are compact, with Small Mama bunk rooms at 15 square metres and Medium Mama rooms with double beds at 17 square metres. Almost half the rooms come with private terraces, and the decor is maximalist with a hodgepodge of bold patterns all around, and Bugs Bunny masks fitted over the bedside lamps for playful effect. In-house dining options are similarly vibrant. There's a restaurant and bar with a stage for live music; Mama's Kiss with bakes and coffee; and a chill rooftop area with cocktails, Mediterranean-inspired bites, and live DJ sets. The rooftop is also where you'll find two swimming pools – one for adults and a shallower one for the kiddos. Other highlights include arcade games and board games, as well as pet-friendly spaces. Mama Shelter officially opens in September at 110 Killiney Road, near Somerset MRT station. As part of its opening promotions, room rates start from $190 per night, inclusive of breakfast for two, for stays between September 23, 2025 to February 28, 2026. Find out more and make your booking via the hotel's website.
Wales Online
6 hours ago
- Wales Online
Strictly Come Dancing's Karen Hauer admits split with Kevin Clifton 'got really nasty'
Strictly Come Dancing's Karen Hauer admits split with Kevin Clifton 'got really nasty' Strictly Come Dancing pro Karen Hauer has split from her third husband, fitness professional Jordan Wyn-Jones, just 16 months after they tied the knot Karen Hauer and Kevin Clifton (Image: Karwai Tang/WireImage) Strictly Come Dancing star Karen Hauer has separated from her husband, fitness expert Jordan Wyn-Jones, following a 'difficult' period in their relationship. The surprising development emerged after the professional dancer was spotted without her wedding ring at the Pride of Britain Awards last year, merely 16 months after the pair exchanged vows. A source revealed to the Mirror it's 'deeply saddening for both parties' but emphasised there is 'absolutely no animosity between them', stating: "The split is amicable, and they wish each other the best." Jordan represents Karen's third marriage, following her initial union with former dance partner Matthew Hauer and her subsequent relationship with fellow Strictly professional Kevin Clifton - who began dating his current partner, Stacey Dooley, five years ago. Karen admitted she felt 'completely blindsided' by the speed of Kevin's new romance in 2018, leaving her 'battling to get out of bed'. The performer characterised the separation as the 'most challenging time of her existence' and credited her rescue dog Betty with helping her persevere through her ordeal. The couple, who wed in 2015, first encountered each other whilst performing in the New York production of the long-running live dance spectacular Burn The Floor in 2011, reports the Mirror. Karen Hauer has opened up about the collapse of her marriage to Kevin Clifton (Image: WireImage) During that period, Kevin remained married to his second wife, ballet performer Clare Craze, whom he encountered at a London salsa venue in 2007 before marrying at St Mary's Church in Clare's native Wivenhoe, Essex. However, their marriage deteriorated after relocating to the UK with the production, and Kevin - who had previously married amateur Latin world champion Anna Melnikova in 2003 - began his relationship with Karen shortly afterwards. Kevin once revealed Venezuelan professional dancer Karen was everything he had been searching for. He admitted: "I wasn't myself - a lot of friends and family were telling me that. It was just a bit of a weird time. When I met Karen, I could get on with her on a completely different level." In 2015, he popped the question on stage during a performance of Burn The Floor on Karen's birthday, and they tied the knot in London later that year. However, reflecting on their whirlwind romance, Karen told Closer magazine it might have been too much, too soon. She admitted: "I don't think we were ready for marriage. We were still growing as performers, as people, as lovers, and sometimes you just can't find the right way to fix things." Kevin proposed while the pair were on tour By 2016, whispers of trouble in their relationship began to circulate, and Karen recently disclosed their relationship "got really nasty overnight" as she grappled with escalating jealousy. "It's six years down the line and things started going wrong, just little things, like a phone call, like, 'You didn't call me the whole day','" she shared on The Divorce Club podcast. Speaking about Kevin's response to her concerns, she added: "Sometimes I would get the 'You're not very kind, you're not very nice' and I was like 'What do you mean? I don't understand.' There were little attacks that we would do to each other." But according to Karen, the deterioration truly began when she held on more desperately to the marriage due to her own feelings of insecurity - a decision which only sparked further arguments. She explained: "Then the fights, I was getting jealous, but I was only jealous because I wasn't getting the attention that I wanted from my husband and then I didn't understand why so I started gripping, trying to pull him. 'Why are you not doing this? Why are you not doing that?' Exactly what you're not supposed to do, I just wanted answers. And then it just got really nasty overnight." Kevin and Stacey share daughter, Minnie, born in January 2023 (Image: They attempted counselling, but Karen said there was "too much anger and emotional baggage" for it to be effective. Eventually, they awoke one morning, glanced at each other and 'knew' it was finished. "Eventually we both couldn't take it anymore," she added. Kevin and Karen announced their separation in early 2018 but carried on working alongside each other on Strictly, which naturally made moving forward more challenging. Particularly as Karen confessed she'd hoped to rescue their marriage. "I would have never let go of it. I wouldn't have never, never let go of it," she continued. "I would have liked to have fought for it and it took me a year after we separated to actually let go of him. It took me a long time to cut the umbilical cord that I had connected to him. Because it was connected for such a long time and at a completely different level than my first marriage, because this marriage was what I was always looking for." Karen and Jordan have now also split (Image: Instagram) Article continues below While couples therapy didn't work for them, Karen underwent her own therapy following the relationship breakdown and mended her broken heart. She revealed to the Mail Online in 2018: "I've taken a big hit. I had to realise that I'm 36 years old. I'm not a kid and it has taken me a lot of therapy and life coaching to get through this. I have found it really difficult." At the time, Karen explained she attended therapy twice monthly and received hypnotherapy to address her anxiety. Kevin subsequently began dating his 2018 Strictly partner Stacey, whilst Karen moved forward with opera singer David Webb. The duo have remained mates and consistently champion each other's professional endeavours, with Karen amongst the first to praise Kevin and Stacey on their 2018 victory, whilst he supported her and celebrity partner Jamie Laing in 2020.
