Australian Food Journey by Wang Xiaomei Zizi

Hello everyone, I am Wang Xiaomei. Sina Weibo: @WangXiaomeiZizi http://weibo.com/wangxiaomeizizi Travel photos will be first released on Sina Weibo, welcome to follow! This Spring Festival, I took my family to the Southern Hemisphere and visited four major Australian livable cities and the Red Centre. Actually, when I was planning the itinerary, I didn't make any food plans. Only after returning and organizing did I realize that Australia has so many great flavors! I recommend them to you through this food event, hoping you won't miss them. Sincere recommendations for Australian cuisine: 1. Australian Lobster – the ultimate delicacy of the Southern Hemisphere (Western Australia vs. Eastern Australia) 2. Australian Burger – the amazing "Number One in Australia" burger (Uluru specialty kangaroo meat burger, Cheeky Monkey, Grill'd) 3. Fish and Chips – the globally popular British fast food (at least you have to try it once in a British-style country) 4. Wine Tasting – a wine tour full of Australian style 5. Australian Desserts – century-old shop with long queues, English afternoon tea at Hopetoun Tea Rooms 6. Australian Chocolate – century-old chocolate HAIGH'S 7. Flavorful Pork Knuckle Meal – Australia also has a German village, Hahndorf 8. Airline Meals – free gourmet food even on budget airlines, Virgin Australia

Australia is located in Oceania in the Southern Hemisphere, bordered by the South Indian Ocean to the west, the South Pacific Ocean to the east, and the Southern Ocean to the south. It can be called a maritime nation. For ordinary people, one advantage of this geographical condition is the abundant supply of high-quality seafood! First stop of Australian cuisine: Sydney Fish Market. Sydney Fish Market is the third largest seafood market in the world after Japan and Spain, and also the largest seafood market in the Southern Hemisphere, combining wholesale, retail, and dining. It opens at 5:30 every morning, starting with a seafood auction, where seafood buyers from all Sydney restaurants come to check the day's catch. Along the way, many Chinese people asked me for directions, all looking for Sydney Fish Market. There are quite a few Chinese staff, some can speak a little Chinese, and most signs have full Chinese translations. Tourists can choose from various seafood delicacies: from king crab, Australian lobster, abalone to oysters, scallops, sushi, fish and chips, squid, seafood salad...

Here are various delicacies inside the fish market~~~ The biggest focus is of course: Australian lobster! And of course, all kinds of fish, crabs, oysters... all local Australian specialty seafood. The vendors have already processed them into ready-to-eat portions for easy purchase.

Various cooked foods, such as assorted seafood skewers, guaranteed to make your mouth water.

Of course, it's a seafood market, so there are also essential Japanese sashimi, which looks very fresh, and sushi with nice texture.

However, because this is a famous tourist attraction, the prices are high. I saw that almost every table of Chinese customers ordered a lobster. There are many small portions of fresh prawn platters, sashimi, fish and chips, various skewers, and salads. A chilled lobster costs about AUD 40 each, ready to eat, cooked but cold. If you want it prepared in different flavors and heated, there is an additional processing fee of AUD 10.

Live lobsters and king crabs cost AUD 159/kg, with each at least 1.5-2 kg (over RMB 1000). Only Chinese tycoons can afford that.

Of course, Sydney Fish Market is not just about seafood; there is also a large fruit and vegetable supermarket. The items in the supermarket are neatly arranged by the staff with bright colors. Doesn't it make you want to touch them?

We first ordered a lobster, then a few platters and salads. Actually, we wanted to heat it by steaming, but the processing fee was also AUD 10... so we chose the closest option, scallion and ginger flavor. The chilled lobster wasn't as fresh and tender as the one I had in Boston. Then came the Western-style platter, prawn platter, lobster platter, sashimi platter, fish and chips, etc. A seafood feast, total cost AUD 270 (about RMB 1350).

The main purpose of coming to Australia was to fulfill my father's dream of seeing Uluru. In the Spring Festival of 2016, the whole family flew to the Southern Hemisphere, from Sydney to the heart of Australia – Uluru! At sunset, we raised our glasses of champagne in front of the great rock, celebrating that we had finally arrived in Australia!

At the Kings Canyon rest stop, there was also a specialty dish: kangaroo meat burger. Australian supermarkets sell kangaroo meat, and the indigenous people eat it, but kangaroo meat is quite dry and tough. I wonder if you can get used to it? Price: AUD 15 each.

Speaking of burgers, I have to mention Australia's burger chain – the famous Grill'd. It can be found in almost every major city. Here's a look at their thick beef burger. It tasted good. Beef burger: AUD 13 each.

The two burgers above are representative of Australia: kangaroo meat and a chain restaurant. But the real deal is coming soon~~

Next is the highlight of this article! CHEEKY MONKEY – my favorite restaurant in Western Australia because: Great environment (lake, vineyard, and children's playground), fantastic atmosphere (decor style, small bar counter, and long tables suitable for gatherings), and delicious food (amazing – I, who usually refuse junk food, fell in love with Australian burgers).

The outdoor environment, though not as grand as a winery, still has mountains and water. Let's take a look inside the restaurant. The key point is it's a restaurant. ~~~ Notice the two rows of certificates on the wall! Sorry I didn't climb up to take close-ups of the content.

I always thought burgers were junk food, but the few burgers I had in Australia amazed me. The best one was at the [Cheeky Monkey] restaurant in Perth, Western Australia. The three of us ordered the signature burger (well done), Mexican salad, seafood pizza, and a special beer flight. 1. Signature burger: It is said that this burger won first place in an Australian burger competition, and it truly lives up to its name! I especially liked the crispy fried bacon inside, and the thick beef patty wrapped with vegetables. 2. Mexican salad: Although it's a salad, it can be eaten as a main course. The taste is great, and it can be used as a diet meal. 3. Seafood pizza: In comparison, this was just average, suitable for filling the stomach. 4. Beer: 8 different flavors, very interesting! We ordered three dishes and beer. Total: AUD 110 (about RMB 550).

If you are interested, you can study the beer flavors.

After talking about burgers, I should also mention another globally popular British fast food – Fish and Chips! On Kangaroo Island in Adelaide, there is a fish and chip shop that claims to be "the best fish and chips in the world."

Notice the ending: "The best fish and chips in the world."

The difference with this fish and chips is the type of fish used; the fish meat is very tender.

On the way to the Great Ocean Road, there is a nice George's Food Store in Apollo Bay, whose fish and chips set is also quite popular.

Fish and chips set, prices range from AUD 13 to 18.

In Western Australia, there is also a major activity – visiting the Lobster Factory. Let me recommend a foodie travel app here – the Dream Travel app. It has very detailed recommendations for local specialties and many expert reviews to refer to. For me, a foodie with decision-making phobia, it's literally a "life-saving medicine." Moreover, this app can also check attractions, plan itineraries, etc., which is a blessing for travel newbies. I was recommended by my bestie and have been hooked ever since because it's so useful. I use it every time I travel abroad.

Visitors line up to enter, first watching a promotional video to learn about lobster farming and sales channels. There are many Taiwanese staff here, all very dedicated. The best part: this time I got to eat fresh lobster!

Nitrogen-inflated "lobster balls" are transported daily by large trucks to transfer stations, then air freighted worldwide.

Seeing so many live Australian lobsters, don't you want to eat them? Below is my lunch: a lobster set meal for each person! Half a lobster + a few large prawns, AUD 35 per person, AUD 105 for three. Very fresh, much better than at Sydney Fish Market. The lobster fork is very interesting; you use the curved end to hook the meat, and the whole piece comes out. Enjoying a feast, isn't it satisfying?

Australian wine tour: The winery owner also has a huge warehouse storing various vintage cars.

If Chinese people abroad tend to build "Chinatowns" and open restaurants in city centers, then Germans abroad often establish their own villages away from the city. For example, in Adelaide, South Australia, there is a famous German village – Hahndorf. Having never been to Germany, I finally got to taste authentic and delicious German pork knuckle.

The restaurant's specialty is a family set meal with German sausages and bread (AUD 99), but the portion was truly too large, so I only tried the pork knuckle rice. Price: AUD 50 (about RMB 250). The pork knuckle meat was delicious, but the fatty part was very greasy. Eating some sauerkraut helped cut the grease. So sauerkraut and potatoes became the ideal match for the pork knuckle rice.

Australian-style winery: At first glance, isn't it a great wedding venue? The scenery is picturesque. Many wineries seem to have such a small lake (reservoir), with vineyards in the distance! The grapes were very sweet.

Let's go inside to see the interior.

There are many wines; this is just a small part.

Wine tasting begins; the staff will introduce different wines one by one, starting with champagne and ending with red wine.

But I'm not good at tasting wine; I basically just took a sip of each. Actually, I was more interested in the owner's collection: a room full of vintage cars! If these were displayed at a car show, they would outshine many luxury cars!

In Adelaide, at the junction of Rundle Mall and King William Street, there is a building with a golden egg on its roof. This is a century-old Australian chocolate shop – HAIGH'S. After a hundred years of changes, Haigh's is loved by Australians of all ages for its mythical history and nearly perfect handmade chocolates. From the ranking on the foodie travel app Dream Travel, you can see how much tourists love it.

The last city we stayed in – Melbourne, the capital of Victoria.

When visiting Melbourne, besides the Great Ocean Road, Phillip Island, the gold mining area, and the forest train, I highly recommend visiting two famous arcades in Melbourne's CBD: Block Arcade and Royal Arcade.

At the famous Block Arcade, I saw a long line of people at the entrance, with many elderly people waiting. It turned out to be a century-old English afternoon tea (dessert shop) in Melbourne. Seeing the crowd, I didn't join the queue.

I just took pictures of the cakes in the window – each one was tempting! No wonder so many people were lining up... Unfortunately, I didn't get to taste them this time.

This is an English tea house established in 1892, the oldest English afternoon tea in Melbourne. It is said that reservations are required, and it closes early, with huge crowds daily.

Finally, I have to show the airline meal from [Virgin Australia]. On this trip to Australia, we took 4 domestic flights, all with Virgin Australia. Virgin is a budget airline in Australia, but it has a high on-time rate and includes one piece of 23kg checked luggage, making it my first choice. I thought budget airlines wouldn't have free meals, but surprisingly, Virgin Australia not only provided snacks and drinks but also served a decent main meal once. Excited, I took photos to share.

Flights under 2 hours: one drink + cake (+ yogurt or nuts). Flights around 3 hours (with time difference): a full meal.

Writing up to here, thank you for reading. If you like it, please give me a "like." Recommended Australian dishes: fresh Australian lobster, Australian hamburgers.