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/ck/ - Food & Cooking

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5526512 No.5526512 [Reply] [Original]

Hey Aussie /ck/suckers. What is restaurant culture like in Australia? I look at the prices on your average restaurants in Melbourne and it seems like you can't eat in the city under $25. I specifically looked for budget restaurants and still found some shocking results, like tacos going for $6 per each taco or burritos costing $16. I realize you guys have high wages but those prices still seem ridiculously high.

So my questions are, how often on average do people go to restaurants? Are take aways popular? Is going out for dinner seen as a special occasion? What's the go to budget food in restaurants?(not counting fast food) And I heard a long time ago that you guys don't take leftovers home for later, is that true?

>> No.5526523

We pay people decent wages so they dont have to rely on tips which is built into the cost.

Also a mains for $23 - $30 is pretty average for a decent restaurant.

Of course you can get a lot cheaper if you know where to look. Asian food courts are very cheap and often have top food

>> No.5526568

>>5526512
>restaurants in Melbourne
Well you already fucked up.

>And I heard a long time ago that you guys don't take leftovers home for later,
Well people expect quality and a smaller portion over quantity more often. That doesn't mean Parisian portions though, it's more of a nice middle ground.

Plenty of people take 'doggie bags' if they think the food is/was good enough to take home.

>> No.5526573

Everything is incredibly expensive compared to what you could get in the US but when compared to capitals like London or Amsterdam it's probably about the same. A plus is that the quality of the food is generally excellent, even in comparatively shitty little family-owned places that have their own unique charm. People probably go to take-out style restaurants specialising in either an ethnic cuisine or fish and chips and the like far more than ritzy inner city places, probably around once every two weeks or so. Going out for dinner isn't really that special but a place like the one in your pic probably would be. There is great variety in the types of restaurant available so I'm not really sure if there is a particular /budget/ food to order, but dish prices are fucking ridiculous so even some appetisers will set you back nearly $20. Not sure about the leftovers, no one would think of it as strange if you asked for something to put the food in for home if you asked. Remember that there is no tipping culture, so you don't need to bring a calculator and work your percentages out when you want something to eat. Waitresses are paid at least $16 an hour and you'll probably be served just as equally as anyone else since they are not rewarded individually for quality of service via tips like in the US.

>> No.5526578

>>5526568
>Plenty of people take 'doggie bags' if they think the food is/was good enough to take home...
to their dogs. But it isn't. There's a reason why it's known as the worst cuisine on earth.

>> No.5526581

>>5526578
Which cuisine is that exactly?

>> No.5526586

Street food only really exists in the places too hip for anyone to actually know about.

There's the $~15 good burgers/pizza/noodles bracket which is probably the usual eating out but not a special occasion food. Small two or three location chains.

My mum often asks to take leftovers home when we go out as a family and while some places have been completely unprepared for it she's never been turned down or treated rudely for it. That's normally at places in the $~30 mains bracket.

I really haven't had a lot of high end meals so who even knows about that.

There's food everywhere in the city centres and most of it is better than not bad.

>> No.5526604

>>5526568
>restaurants in Melbourne
Well you already fucked up.

Well, it is my understanding that restaurant food is more expensive in smaller cities. I understand that restaurants in centres of the major Australian cities will be expensive as well. But even looking at some of the cheaper "ethnic" options I still see the prices as really high.

I live in Canada actually, not the States. I'm used to higher prices for food here compared to the States but even with that, everything I looked at is between 1/3 to 1/2 if not more expensive than here. I ask these questions as I'm about to head down there for a vacation. Food is one of the things I look most forward to in each place I visit but I might be forced to cook for myself while I'm down there :p

>> No.5526629

>>5526604
>but I might be forced to cook for myself while I'm down there
Just limit the actual sit down restaurant visits, street food/market food should be much cheaper so you could indulge more often.
There are probably a few cheap but good places around. For example there is a really nice Asian restaurant in the nearest town to me. Mains start at $10 and the seafood is only about $17, the portions are even too much for me, and I'm a heavy 6 foot stoner. This is in the most expensive state/city in aus also.
They definitely exist, just look for them.

>> No.5526649

>>5526512
Major cities will always have more expensive of everything. I moved from a farm town in the US, to Gold Coast, now to Brisbane. Hell, even groceries and getting waxed is more expensive up here.

A lot of people can go to restaurants every day of the week. It's expensive, but depending on your work it's not that uncommon. I personally only go once a week as it's just too expensive for me.

Take away is everywhere. Pies, chinese, bar food, anything you want. Especially if it's late at night after drinking, kebabs are pretty much a go to.

I wouldn't go as far as saying it's a special occasion, but I guess to a person like myself it might be as I don't do it often (I prefer cooking.)

A normal restaurant will run you anywhere between $12 upwards. You can go to a sushi place and easily spend $40. Fast food is anywhere between $5-12

I don't know about strayans not taking food home. I live with one and they always take theirs home with no issue. I can't speak for myself as I'm an amerifat so I always take mine home. We make huge meals so we can have lunch for a few days as well, so there's leftovers as well.

>> No.5526681

>>5526512

Melbourne anon here

I have lived and visited many places and Melbourne has really excellent food and bars. This is a food city and probably the restaurant capital of the Southern Hemisphere.

However, as you stated, it is pricey. Life in Australia in general is pricey. Expect to pay $10 or more for a drink at a bar, for example, and around $18-20 for a cocktail.

For Australians it balances out, as our wages are pretty high, a waiter for example will earn around $18 per hour or more I believe. But for visitors it really sucks.

The good news is you don't need to tip, at all, ever.

It is possible to get a meal at a cafe/pub/casual restaurant/asian restaurant (we have a really good chinatown and large chinese population in the downtown area) for like $18-25 dollars

At a normal restaurant expect anywhere from $25-40 for a main course (the food will probably be top notch too)

At a five star restaurant bump that up to like $35-60, and more expensive options like tasting menus/degustation for $100-200 per person

I will be around for an hour or so if anyone has questions

>> No.5526732

A lot of you seem to be talking about mid to high end restaurants. There's plenty of casual dining to be had in Melbourne (admittedly mostly Asian) and it's usually a lot cheaper.

It also depends on how far you go out. Take a 10 minute train to Richmond or Box Hill and you can get a big serving of pho or dumplings for 8 to 10 bucks. You can find similar deals in the city, they're just harder to come by.

>> No.5526804
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5526804

>>5526681
>Expect to pay $10 or more for a drink at a bar,

>mfw come across an old country pub that sells pints for $8

>> No.5526848

>>5526568
>restaurants in Melbourne
>fucked up
.....
The former applies only... Melbourne is the best Australian city from a culinary perspective. You cannot find the quality and sheer diversity of what we have here elsewhere in Australia.

>> No.5526851

>>5526681
This anon is correct

>>5526732
Also correct.

>> No.5527059

>>5526848
For quality Melbourne is not remotely special. For value and sheer number of eateries Melbourne is the place to be.

>> No.5527066

>>5526848
melb has best sushi au

>> No.5527069

>>5527066
yeah, like better than japan.

>> No.5527075

>>5526848
Victorian detected

>> No.5527097

>>5526512

The cost of living in Australia in general is much higher than the USA. You'll pay more for pretty much every product compared to what you would pay in the states.
Take the holden commodore for example. I think its cheaper to buy the equivalent model in the USA, even though the car is produced in Australia and exported to America.

As for all you questions, they kind of depend of the individual.

In general take aways are quite popular.
To most middle-class families, going out wouldn't be seen as special, unless it was to a very upmarket place. In my experience budget food would normally mean small asian restaurants. You can get a good feed for under $20 easy.
It depends on where you are to take left overs home. Personally, I never would, but it is fine if it is a cheapish place (a pub or whatever)

Most decent places expect to pay around about 16-22 $$ for entree. About 32-40 for main.
And 12-15 $$ for dessert/

>> No.5527137

the cost of living in Australia is higher than the US unless you live in a big city, we make more money though

>> No.5527168

>>5526804
>mfw i an buy a beer at a bar for $1 in the US of A

>> No.5527192

>>5526512
Are you looking to eat in a nice place or are you looking to eat well?

Melbourne suburbs have some of the best food in Australia, and its cheap.
But if you're into more fine dining then no shit its going to be expensive, especially in the city. China town *Actually* Doesn't have the best Chinese, you should probably go to box hill for that.
Want Thai/Vietnamese? Look to St Albans.
Want to have a good Pub meal? Maybe head north to Brunswick or Carlton.
South Yarra $$$ but really good french cuisine.
Inner Melbourne is probably the best for Japanese/Korean food... and that's about it.
Euro food is good North Melbourne.

As for Italian... come on, its like the most simple thing to make, wtf are you doing ordering a $30 of risotto, its like a $8 meal.

Melbourne is expensive as shit, but if you look around we have some of the best food down here.

>> No.5527196

adelaide is pre cheap and n2b aye we wont stab u either cunt

>> No.5527224

>>5526512
I'm a frugal American who travels for business. I've been to Australia several times for business. It's expensive, but not nearly as bad as Switzerland or Scandinavia. When in Melbourne I only hit nice restaurants on the company dime.

The good places are generally world class, and priced accordingly. Posh coffee is a worthwhile indulgence, because they take coffee seriously, and it's generally very good. It's worth splurging on seafood, because Australia has generally excellent seafood, especially oysters.

For cheap eats I'd recommend a pie shop. Meat pies, Cornish and sausage rolls may not be healthy in quantity, but they are tasty, and inexpensive. Asian food is also a great bet. Last time I was in Melbourne I remember finding a joint that had the most amazing Asian pork sandwiches (in a banh mi vein), and they were cheap. You can find really cheap Chinese joints if you're feeling adventurous. Also some pubs do a Sunday roast dinner, which will be moderately priced, but a sturdy plate full of meat, potato and two veg. Worth doing at least once.

>> No.5527433

Thanks for all the replies guys.

>>5527192
I'm not looking for fine dining or anything. Just regular causal restaurants. I live in Vancouver so I eat a lot of Asian food as it is so it's probably what I would eat a lot of down there as well. How much would casual iTalian or Greek meals cost? What about a roast lamb dinner? Is lamb pretty cheap for you guys? Cause lamb meat is very expensive here in Canada, usually imported from NZ or even Australia and goat meat is almost non existent outside of a few Middle Eastern or Indian restaurants.

>>5527137
I see this argument a lot but the food prices I see online are often times more than double of what it costs in the states and 1/3 to 1/2 more expensive than what it costs in Canada. You guys don't make double of what Americans or Canadians make. It's why I was wondering how the restaurant culture works there. Here in North America people, even teenagers, go to restaurants all the time because they're incredibly affordable. On the other hand, in many European countries people only go out to eat a few times a month.

>>5527224
We don't get good savoury pies on this side of the world. Actually, in Vancouver the only meat pie place that I heard anyone talk about is a food truck run by an Aussie...

>> No.5527518

>>5527168
>mfw I buy carbonated piss at a bat for 1$ in the US of A
ftfy