• First look: chef Aaron Turner’s Geelong fine diner Igni reopens as casual Thai barbeque joint Songbird.

• First look: the historic Hawthorn East pub The Auburn Hotel’s $4.3 million expansion.

• First look: line up for lobster bisque ramen at South Yarra’s new casual corner restaurant Snow Monkey.

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• First look: Find $12.50 omurice and bustling Japanese nightlife energy at Tokyo Motto in the CBD.

• First look: from late night discos to the Italian coast, it’s a new era for Fitzroy’s Gertrude Hotel.

• First look: the new Johnny’s Green Room opens with Italian snacks by Karen Martini and “spritzy and smashable” cocktails from Matt Bax.

• First look: UGO Burrata Bar, a new shop where the divisive blob is served in a bagel, on a piece of toast, as part of a caprese salad and even for dessert, opens at the South Melbourne Market.

• First look: Jeff Koons balloon dog cakes, surrealist mandarin entremet and more playful desserts at Le Yeahllow in the CBD.

• The Cinema Nova team opens Fomo Cinemas, a new dine-in movie theatre in East Brunswick Village.

• Monforte Viennoiserie pastry chef Giorgia McAllister Forte tells us where to find the best bready things in Melbourne.

• Three new American-style diners with big comfy booth seating and US staples.

• Sheet cakes are everywhere right now. Here’s why (and where to find the best in Melbourne).

• Four to try: summer is here and (ice-cream) spiders are taking over.

You might have missed

• “Get the lawyers on stand-by”: Totti, an Italian restaurant in Paris, looks mighty similar to Merivale’s Totti’s.

Listen up

• This week on Broadsheet’s podcast Around Town, we hear from chef Jerry Mai.

As seen on the web

• Can the “sleepy girl mocktail” actually help you fall asleep? – via the New York Times.