So the food here is very interesting it is a big mix of culture with ethnic food from all over; Italian, Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese, Malaysian, Thai, Indian, Greek, heavy Middle Eastern influence, a touch of Spanish and Mexican, German schnitzel, doughnuts, and DELICIOUS coffee! Then you have your "Australian" fare which usually consists of lamb (in all sorts of ways such as "lamb parcels"), some kind of meat hot pot or shepherds pie, or a dish made up of a dramatic and random mixture of ingredients (i.e. rosemary flavored risotto with pumpkin, spinach, beetroot, prawns, and a dash of coriander). You get the idea. Let's just say that Jaime eats a lot of pizza! We did have a delicious lentil soup the other day with a thick slice of homemade bread. Perfect winter lunch.
It is difficult to tell what Australians typically eat because the dishes are so random, I guess they just like a blend of tastes. I am all for it...I love tasting everything but sometimes you've gotta wonder, "Are they sure those go together?" Overall though, the food has been very good and I love the selections. They are really big on cafes here so usually during the day everyone is drinking coffee (coffee is ordered with names such as "short flat white" meaning small with milk) and eating randomly mixed paninis and sandwiches, quiche, meat pies and sausage rolls, or any kind of "baked good" (that may or may not include meat or hot veggies in the middle of it), and includes the largest and most amazing amounts of pastry and dessert displays everywhere! Every other store is an open display of sweets and it is often hard to resist! They have every dessert or pastry you can think of plus Mars Bar and TimTam cakes. We live in the Italian section of town and the dessert displays here are to die for! Then they have chocolatiers and the best gelato and NZ ice cream I have ever had. Mounds and mounds of it! Tonight, I am sipping on Belgian Chocolate Roobois tea with a tsp of Manuka Honey. YUM! Delicious and good-for-me.
Brunch is usually typical-brekkie-like but with an edge. They love crepes, waffles, and pancakes with fruit and cream. Egg dishes are usually mixed with meat and beans and all sorts of kickin spices and they always have yogurt, granola, and of course porridge, with just about any add-in you can fit in the bowl. Not very big on veggies here...so I make salad for every meal we eat at home...so weird to crave salad!?
My favorite part of all of this food business is the Victoria Market. A magical mostly open-air market open 6 days a week with unnecessary amounts of EVERYthing edible and non-edible. I can buy all sorts of local fresh produce, meat, fish, bread, cheese, olive oil, sauces, and dessert to make dinner each night for less than $10! Except the other day when I bought snapper...whoops! The fish here is super expensive. Most of it comes from Tasmania or further north and so is not cheap. But everything else is and I can literally spend all day browsing the market! They also have a whole section of non-edible goods, things you don't usually need, but are fun to look at or to buy for souveniers.
The drinks are just as fun as the food, if not more :). Each beer we try is better than the last and Carlton Draught is Jaime's new go-to beer. (Move over Coors Light!) Each state has its own brewery and they are always trying to "out-brew" each other so taste is huge. And the wine is delicious and you can taste it just about anywhere you go...at the market, bottle shops, and at the bar or restaurant! Jaime and I found our most favorite pizza place (best pizza he has ever had) right by our house and our new favorite family-run Italian restaurant, where the food was delicious (my brother always judges by the red sauce) and the wine was the cheapest ever but I LOVED it. The waiter thought I was crazy, I told him it was ok though because I've been to Napa :). This waiter just happened to be a huge 49ers fan so he enjoyed that we were American football fans and we will likely frequent this little gem.
Even with all this food around...portions are still small or actually average, usually you are given just the amount you need to feel satisfied, even with desserts. It just depends on how many you buy! In keeping with the smaller portions, we are forever thirsty as the water glasses used in restaurants and even in our apartment are so tiny!
Now....who is coming to visit!? I know my dad is (he loves porridge!).
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