Food Trippings » Australian

Last Decent Dinner in Melbourne – Blue Train Cafe

Sharlyne Ang — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 14:00:47 +0000

It took me more than 2 months to finish all my Australia related blogposts and so now I come to the end of it. My last decent dinner in Melbourne.

Coming home from work at 5:30, I decided to go out and treat myself to a fancy dinner. I would usually buy something to go and eat dinner in my hotel room. My boss urged me to go have dinner in Southgate, Yarra. I know there are lots of nice restaurants there overlooking the Yarra River so I rushed to ride the tram to Southgate.

Southgate Mall

The tram was filled with people (it was rush hour), I guess they’re headed home or they’re going to have some night caps. The sun was still up at 6 pm so it’s still safe to wander around the city streets.

There were plenty of restaurants to choose from. I had a hard time to decide. I wanted to have the view of the Yarra river while I’m dining and didn’t want to just eat inside the food court of Southgate Mall. Then I stumbled upon this restaurant which was at the mid level of the mall with a perfect view of the river. It’s called Blue Train Cafe.

Seared Salmon Fillet @ AUD 18.90 (around Php 855 +)

The restaurant was filled with people. The waiter led me to a table with a nice view. He probably thought that I am a tourist (well, yes I was). There were so many dishes to choose from so I asked for some help on their best seller. He suggested for me to try the Seared Salmon Fillet. The salmon was served with soba noodles and soy dressing. This was the best meal I had in Melbourne! The salmon was so tender and juicy. It was cooked just right! I loved the soy dressing.

Strawberry Beret @ AUD 8.00 (around Php 430+)

It was so hot during that day (up until now ) so I first ordered their lemon iced tea but I already finished that before the salmon came so ordered another drink. I love strawberries so I decided to order the Strawberry Beret. It’s made of fresh strawberries, raspberries, fresh lime and lemonade. This was the best mocktail I have ever tasted! The berries were abundant and it’s served in a big glass.

Bridge going to Flinders Street Station from Southgate (over the Yarra River)

After dinner, I decided to stroll around Southgate and watched the sunset. Just sitting in a bench staring at the people pass by was truly a wonderful experience. I was wishing that I could’ve stayed longer and just savor the view and the dining experience in Melbourne. I would love to go back to this beautiful place and probably bring Karla with me to share the beautiful city.

Simple Joys in La Cusina Del Caffe

Sharlyne Ang — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 13:57:41 +0000

La Cusina Del Caffe is just opposite the building where I worked in Melbourne. This is where I always get my lunch (usually a pita sandwich or quiche) because I don’t need to go very far. I know there are other cafes to choose from but I’d prefer to buy here.

This is just a very small cafe in Stead Street South Melbourne. They are only open during the weekdays (like most of the cafes around the area) and closes at 3 or 4 pm. They serve sandwiches, pasta, quiche and many more. As you all know, Australians don’t really eat heavy during lunch time. A sandwich for them is already enough.

What I liked in this cafe is that they’re really cheap. You can already be full with only AUD 4.00-8.00 in your pocket. They also have a very friendly staff so I didn’t have a hard time to understand them. Well actually, most people I’ve met in Australia were really warm and friendly. People who work in restaurants and cafes show you a smile and they’re not hesitant to help you if you’re having a problem choosing from the menu.

Now this was the last lunch I ate hours before I left Melbourne. A slice of lasagna and a bottle of Pomegranate and Green Tea drink. This only costed me around AUD 10.00 – 12.00.

I Got Curious About Australia’s Favorite, Vegemite

Sharlyne Ang — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 19:41:46 +0000

I once watched a feature on Australian cuisine in the Travel and Living channel and part of it, they talked about Vegemite. Many say that this is a favorite among Australians but never a favorite among non-Australians. I became curious about this spread and wondered if it really tasted good. When I learned that I was about to go to Australia for my training, I immediately thought of tasting this Australian delicacy. I got to taste it when I was having breakfast in Seasons Botanic Gardens, the hotel where I was staying at.

Vegemite is an Australian food paste made of yeast extract so basically it’s a spread for biscuits, crackers, toasts and many more. It’s dark-brown, looks like molasses but it’s a far cry from its taste. This spread has been around since 1922 and was bought by Kraft in the 1990’s. Now, how does it taste like? Well, it tastes like Chinese ham, it’s very salty. I took the advice of my boss in Australia to combine it with butter so that it wouldn’t become too salty.