Wine, Beer and Food in Austrlia!
 

How are things served in Australia? Is beer served cold? Are soda's served with ice? is red wine served room temperature and white served chilled? Are eggs on ALL hamburgers, or just if you order it that way. Please share all the little facts I need to know to eat and drink well on a two week trip! Details are appreciated!

Sorry about the typo!

Hi again moneygirl.

Beer is VERY cold, soda (soft drinks) are often served with ice but if not you can ask, always served cold. You buy one soda at a time, Australians don't generally do unlimited (or any) refills. Red wine is served at the correct temperature for the wine, some light reds or new vintages can be served lightly chilled, most reds are served at less than Australian room temperatures. Eggs on hamburgers depends on the shop, I just say. I hate pickled beetroot and always say "no beetroot" just to be safe. Sometimes in Oz a hamburger with the lot will have pineapple on as well. Australians are not used to the concept of things served "on the side" so you might have some difficulties getting that idea across if you are an "on the side" person. Cookies in Australia are buscuits , biscuits as you know them are (closest we use) scones. A fag is slang for a cigarette so don't be surprised if someone tells you they are dying for a fag, although the word cigarette is the most common use. Candy are sweets. Salad is eaten with the main course. Australians call an entree a main course and a starter an entree. You generally have to ask for water at the table. Coffee is drunk after the meal but with the meal is fine if you want to, especially at lunch. It is always drunk with the breakfast meal. Tipping is not generally required, up to you. I usually tip but rarely over 10% and only in restaurants. Cab (taxi) drivers I take up to the nearest large amount (5,10, 15, etc.) Doggy bags are not customary and in some states (maybe all) are now not allowed to be given by law. Smoking is not allowed in most states in most restaurants or public buildings. If you want to smoke you have to go outside so lots of sidewalk (footpath) tables have all the smokers at them. Australian attitudes to food are pretty relaxed so just ask if you are in doubt.

LynnP you are terrific! Thanks so much, I can't imagine anything you left off, but if Liz, Alan, John, Prue etc... are around, hopefully they will add their two cents!

Hi, moneygirl!
Well, Alan can't think of anything to add to that! I think I will just save it for future reference! On the subject of hamburgers, I can add that the concept of the Aussie hamburger (I would have asked for EXTRA beetroot, LynnP!) "with everything" is just about extinct, and the ones you will be offered most often will have familiar names like "Big Mac" -- and have familiar tastes, too! Do yourself a favour and give them short shrift -- but, if you're coming to Sydney, do stroll down to Woolloomooloo to Harry's Cafe de Wheels and have a meat pie with peas -- a Sydney tradition, and it leaves Mr McDonald's for dead!

Ketchup is different in Australia than N. America--it's called tomato sauce, and it tastes just like the stuff that comes in the little Hunts can here in the US.

McDonalds - no way
I had a hamburger at a cafe the other day and didn't eat for 2 days after that. It came on a large Italian bread bun with a full salad, egg, bacon, pineapple, meat, lots of lovely beetroot, pickles, onion, ham then there was more salad on the side with curry rice, different pickles, and something else I can't remember. It was at least 6" high and 10" across and I felt like porky pig after eating it. BUT IT WAS SOOOOOOO GOOD!
You can ask for anything on your sandwiches and a nice light meal is a salad roll with whatever you like on it. You should try an Australian Iced coffee which is quite different from the US type and actually is advertised and served in Hawaii. Iced tea never took off here because I think that we have too many nice soft drinks - Sars or sarsparella( not to be confused with the disease and pronounced SARSSSS )being one of my favourites together with ginger beer, root beer and if you are in Queensland then Horehound. With hamburgers you can also request anything you want. Fish and chips is an easy, cheap and lovely meal and you can have vinegar or not on your chips which have either plain salt or chicken salt on them. Fish usually comes fried in batter but you could have it either grilled or done in breadcrumbs. Fish and chips costs about $4US for one person and will fill you up.
Take Alan's tip and try Harry's meat pies. Even if I am not talking to Alan anymore it was a good suggestion. "with everything" may be extinct in Sydney but in more sophicated parts of Australia " the works" hamburger is still No 1.

PS
Alan should also tell you about the Pubs and Clubs too. It's more a NSW thing.

LizF, at what cafe did you get those hamburgers? Sounds fantastic.

Mmmmm beer. We have great beer in Australia. Try James Squire for something a bit different and a lot of the pubs around the Rocks have some boutique beers which are really grand.

Our wine is pretty special too.

Thanks everyone! Is beetroot the same as beets which we (in the USA) buy canned in the grocery store? Please compare if possible. Why are Liz and Alan not speaking anymore? Alan, please do give me the scoop on pubs. We will be in Brisbane, and then driving north to Port Douglas. Any must stops for food and drink? Any specialty drinks I need to know about?

money...you are a classic. you are going to get into no end of trouble once you get into the back country in queensland.

yes the beetroot here is the same as beets in the states.When you are in emerald go into the take away cafe and order a hamburger with the works...good luck in eating it! Then do a pub crawl around town...walk on by the pub with all the dark faces around.

Stop at the the big pineapple at Nambour..get yourself some macadamia nuts. Buy yourself a stubbie cooler...forget the trendy beers from down south..drink fourex and vb..and start talking about cockroaches and the maroons and the state of origin football...we don't call it the deep north for nothing.

Thanks for all of the information... you all have helped me so much with my planning. I promise to write a great trip report and give you lots of details! We leave on the 28th from LA and arrive on the 30th in Brisbane. Can't believe after months on this board, that we'll actually be in Australia!

Liked the Victoria Bitter beer. Love Australian reds!

Hey Clifton - they don't called VB the big green vitamin pill for nothing.

I hadn't heard it called that but it sure seems appropriate!

Thanks! We're leaving on Wednesday and I can't wait! I think I'll skip the beetroot, but the beers sound great!

well good luck...
You are going to the rotary conference right?
Friends of ours are going up next Friday...think they are staying on the gold coast.

I don't know if you are staying long in sydney but if you are interested in an afternoon/evening sail on pittwater drop me a line at [email protected]

Johnj
Is that an open invitation to Fodorites when next they are in Sydney?
You lucky Duck moneygirl if you have an invitation like that.

Money, your enthusiasm is contagious!
I remember the first time I went to Australia, it was very exciting. I cant wait to go back, maybe next year. Next time I think I'll concentrate more on SA and Victoria. Have a great trip, its hard not to!
Jon-Eric, New Orleans

G'Day Moneygirl,

Thanks for your input reg Mt Shasta view from Shasta Lake.

We were in Australia during March 2002. Forget about having burgers, etc, concentrate on the seafood. Fish & Chips or a Combo of any 2 seafood for lunch from a shack along the Eastern coastline is A$6.00 = US$4.00.

Try their Steak & Mushroom Pies at any Shell gas station, somehow their brand is very yummy.

If you're into Indian cuisine, try the chain of Indian cafeterias in shopping malls and the one near the University in Sydney, inexpensive and delicious. Must try their Cheese Stuffed Paratha and Tandoori Chicken. Sorry can't recollect their name.

Have a good one Moneygirl!

Godrejk