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Man of Many’s Staff Favourites is back to brighten up your weekend as we celebrate the products, services, entertainment, and experiences that have caught our eye over the week.
We get to try so much of the cool, novel, and curious on a daily basis, but these encounters don’t always result in full write-ups or reviews. So we collect them here in the hope you’ll find something new and exciting to give your week a lift.
This week features a cult-favourite restaurant, a kids toy, a great pair of running shoes and a blanket, of all things. Here we go!
1. ASICS Gel Kayano 33 – My New Go-To Running Shoe
Ally Burnie – Staff Writer
It feels like there’s a new running shoe dropping every other week, and I used to wonder how different they all actually feel underfoot. After all, a long run can be a slog no matter what shoe you’re wearing. But since nursing a stubborn running injury (a metatarsal plate tear, if you’re curious), I’ve come to realise that not all running shoes are built equally. Some allow you a comfortable run, and others help you find out exactly where your second metatarsal joint is.
On my quest to heal from this injury, I’ve tried a few highly cushioned options, including the Nike Vomero Plus and Brooks Ghost Max 3. My Brooks have been my go-to for a few months, but since trying the ASICS Gel Kayano 33, the Brooks have been relegated to the back of my cupboard.
I shouldn’t be surprised by how much I’ve enjoyed running in the ASICS Kayanos. I ran my first half marathon last year in the ASICS Gel Nimbus 27 without any issues.
Since my injury, my long runs haven’t been particularly long, but with the Kayanos, I managed 12km pain-free, which is a massive win. The standout feature for me is the structural rigidity through the front of the shoe. It provides a super supportive platform right under the ball of the foot, meaning my toes didn’t over-flex every time my foot hit the pavement. Despite that stiffness, it still had a nice bounce that stops the shoe from feeling dead or clunky.
If you’re interested in the tech, what makes this iteration different from its predecessors is how it handles stability. Older Kayanos used a rigid support post on the inner side of the shoe to correct a runner’s stride. The 33 model drops that for two layers of foam stacked on top of each other, with soft foam on top for cushioning, sitting on a firmer, wider layer underneath that keeps your foot stable without a hard structural piece. There’s also a slight curve through the forefoot that helps push your weight forward as you run, so it feels less clunky than older versions.
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2. Firepop Restaurant
Frank Arthur – Co-Founder
Started by husband-and-wife duo Raymond Hou and Alina Van, Firepop built a massive cult following slinging gourmet skewers out of a food truck before opening their permanent Sydney spot in Enmore, and taking out Good Food Guide’s 2025 New Restaurant of the Year. Their style is modern, fire-driven dining built around charcoal-grilled skewers (or ‘pops’). It draws inspiration from Asian street food, alongside local Australian produce and global influences.
I’ve had them on my list to try for a while, so when my wife and I had a rare kid-free date night with zero plans, simply walking past the restaurant was all the sign we needed. You can see them cooking over the open fire right through the front window, and luckily, we managed to snag a walk-in table.
We went with the set menu (they do an $80 and a $140 option), and honestly, it’s a ridiculous amount of food. Every course was an absolute banger. A surprising highlight was the sugar snap peas with spring herbs and rhubarb that practically melted in your mouth. But the star of the night was definitely the Fullblood MBS 9+ Wagyu beef ‘cube’ steak with sea salt blossoms, leek crisps, and herb salsa.
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3. Bitzee – The Digital Pet Replacing The Tamagotchi
Scott Purcell – Co-Founder
My niece pulled a little purple pod out of her bag at a family lunch a few weekends ago and I genuinely did not see her look up again for two hours. I asked what it was, she showed me, and then I made the mistake of having a go myself. Twenty minutes later, I was feeding the thing, losing its mini-games, and getting weirdly filthy when it decided to go to sleep on me. I’m 38.
Bitzee is Spin Master’s answer to the Tamagotchi, except the pet floats on the screen in a way that looks a lot closer to 3D than it has any right to at this price. You tilt it, shake it, poke it, and the little animal reacts. The bit that got me is that one pod holds fifteen different characters, so you’re not up for a new toy every time the kid gets bored, and each one evolves from baby to adult depending on how much attention it gets. It won Toy of the Year at the London Toy Fair back in 2024, which explains why every kid at that lunch knew exactly what it was, and I was the only one who didn’t.
Fair warning on where to buy it. The original pod is sold out on Amazon right now and the ones still listed there are resellers charging well over the odds. Big W has it for $29 at time of writing, which is the price I’d actually pay.
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4. Comfrt – The Blanket I Can’t Stop Talking About
Hannah Maher – Sales & Partnerships coordinator
Like everyone else, I probably spend a little too much time scrolling on my phone, but at least now I can say it’s for work and research purposes.
A few weeks ago, while doomscrolling, I came across an influencer talking about the Comfrt blanket, and let’s just say… I was intrigued. Even through the video, I could tell this was going to be one seriously soft blanket. And boy was I right.
So, naturally, after spending a solid hour tossing up what colour to get (Teddy Bear Brown), and I was absolutely right about the it being soft and comfortable. It arrived a few days ago, and it hasn’t left my side since. I even thought about bringing it into the office.
This blanket absolutely lives up to the hype, and I’m not alone in this. A quick search of TikTok reveals that this the Comfrt blanket is definitely having a moment.
I didn’t know I could be this passionate about a blanket, but here we are. If it couldn’t get any better, it’s also slightly weighted, which is something I never knew I needed. It honestly feels like one big, warm hug. As a single queen, this thing is an absolute game changer. Treat yourself and thank me later.
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