Superb wine, delicious food and a restaurant design sure to impress. We’re in Melbourne, where culinary magic is a serious business. We also head to Japan, where developers and government officials are trading barbs over preparations for the 2020 Olympics. Plus: we check-in at a new luxury high-rise in Hong Kong and get the best of Singapore in 24 hours.

Can Japanese carmaker Suzuki tap into the higher end of the market in India? Plus, despite claims of an accommodation shortage, we look at why Melbourne is set to lose one of its most historic hotels. We also learn how foreign investment is spawning tiny bars in Phnom Penh. And what to do if you have just 24 hours in Bangkok.

Pouring ourselves a glass of cachaça, we ponder a bizarre Australian law preventing importation of the spirit. We also check in with our Tokyo bureau to sample some of the rotating array of puddings on offer at the city’s convenience stores. Plus: we examine efforts by Singapore to boost its national identity with beautifully designed souvenirs.

We explore the shady side of a cinema in Melbourne that’s now home to a hidden jazz bar. We then venture out for a spot of shopping at one of Hong Kong’s favourite luxury department stores. Plus, we hear about the rebirth of Sydney’s Circular Quay district and we discover the best of Tokyo in little more than 24 hours.

We hear about Mandarin Oriental’s plans for a new luxury hotel in Beijing. Barely a week goes by without a trendy burger joint popping up in Melbourne but the latest comes with an interesting twist. In Tokyo we find out why folk are waiting in queues for… ice shavings. Plus we’ll hear about some of the best ways to spend 24 hours in Sydney.

We discover that Melbourne is not the only city in the Asia PAC region garnering a reputation as a coffee lover’s capital. We also hear about the Indonesian-flag carrier’s plans for global expansion. Plus: we sample the delights on offer at Tokyo’s new cronut bakery.

We travel to the mountainous Indonesian city of Bandung to discuss architecture. In Tokyo, Kenji Hall ditches the bug spray in favour of luxury camping (or “glamping”). Plus: Brisbane architects Ingrid Richards and Adrian Spence continue the theme as they pop into Midori House to give us their take on renewal in the world of urban design.

As Thailand’s largest retail conglomerate leaps into the world of German luxury department stores, we cross to Bangkok to find out why. Plus: our bureau chief in Singapore runs through this year’s MasterCard Global Destination Cities Index and we discover why old-style cinema makes good business sense in Melbourne.

We sample some of Melbourne’s small-scale coffee roasters and stop off in New Zealand, where a fall in dairy prices is proving tough for one of the country’s core industries. Plus, Monocle’s Tokyo correspondent tries a tipple at a new brewery and we investigate the political complexities behind retirement savings in Australia.

Watch out Silicon Valley, a new hotspot for entrepreneurial tech start-ups is on the horizon. We’re also popping the cork on the emerging market for wine collectors across Asia. We hear about a Japanese city that’s turning its sewage into sought-after fuel. And fresh off a flight from Sydney, Tyler Brûlé discusses the city's harbour redevelopment.