Being an Indian vegetarian the first thing I do when I visit another country is to try and locate an Indian restaurant or stall – just anything Indian or if not Indian, at least vegetarian. Sydney was no different. To my surprise, despite the percentage of Indians being less when compared to Indian populated Singapore, Malaysia, London etc, Indian food was quite accessible. You would find Indian restaurants aplenty in the city and you were certain to find one in almost every suburb. I was overwhelmed to find “veggie” food in every restaurant n food court unlike Jakarta or Singapore where you had to literally hunt to no end for vegetarian fare n then not finding any you would eventually have to request them to make you some rice with “no fish-no meat-no chicken”
You will find a wide array of cuisines in Sydney. The multi culturalism has contribute
d to specialty cuisines, the most popular being Italian, Lebanese, Thai, Korean, Chinese, Vietnamese. You will find every possible fare-Japanese, Indian, Singaporean-I reckon there isn’t a single speciality cuisine that you can’t find in this wonderful city.Pasta is found in almost all food courts and so are kebabs (the Indian version are the frankies)…the kebabs are lip smacking {wrap which has rolled in it hummus(a Lebanese sauce), taboulli (parsley & tomato), tomato slices, onion rings, barbeque sauce, cheese, falafel (red lentil patties) & fries on request}.its juicy yet dry and just scrumptious to say the least. Thanks to its addictive don’t be surprised to find yourself parked at the kebab shop every week!
The range of eateries span the food courts, burger shops, kebab shops, specialty restaurants, Thai take aways, numerous cafes, the gourmet restaurants at the wharfs and of course the luxury ones.
Cafes are a hallmark of Sydney and can be spotted almost around every street corner. Café fares are quite interesting the food being absolutely fresh not to mention healthy. Fresh sandwiches with a variety of breads and fillings to choose from, along with rich wholesome crunchy salads, pasta, milk shakes in flavors of vanilla, strawberry and chocolate, juices, smoothies, chai (tea is called chai) and coffees are the most common items on the menu. Most cafes have street seating and you can enjoy the sun on your face and the warmth of its rays or you can cup your palms around warm coffee on a chilly autumn day…the ambience is relaxed and friendly
Some uniquely Australian fare are chai latte(a spiced tea mixed with milk that’s steamed from an espresso machine), banana bread/muffins, banana smoothie, raisin bread, hot cross buns, berry chocolate pastries, strawberries dipped in chocolate fondue to name a few.
Orange juice tops the charts and is consumed like water. Wine is another major competetor. Infact orange juice is cheaper than bottled water and wine costing just as much as water serves as an excelent substitute!!!Breads, jams, spreads are the freshest. Raspberry is another local favorite and so is ice cream…tiramisu…rasberry…peppermint are some of the unusual flavors and one scoop of ice-cream for 3$ is equivalent to 4 scoops in India…how good is that ?
Never have I had to think that too many choices can be not so liberating…..shelves and shelves of sauces, tinned/canned food, and who would have thought that cheese can pose such a variety, from ricotta to parmesan to cottage to mozzarela to fetta to goats cheese to French cheese…triangles…shredded…blocks…slices…(oh I’m tired)
And if its cheese you’re after then wine cannot be far behind…The Shiraz is a popular variety as is the Merlot… A visit to the vineyards @ Hunter Valley is a must and the wine tasting, cheese tasting and chocolate tours will whet your appetite for more…
After all in a land where farming is the backbone of the economy what else can you expect…fruits, fresh vegetables, dairy products and confectionery …it’s a package deal …no wonder there is a channel dedicated just to food and all this is nothing but good news to us Indians who like the Aussies simply live to eat!
