# Americans visiting Sydney; How different will the food be? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 5, 2015, 12:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-visiting-sydney-how-different-will-the-food-be/730000 "2015-09-05T12:18:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Nars\_Glinley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nars_glinley/32/8177_2.png) [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2015, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-visiting-sydney-how-different-will-the-food-be/730000/41 "2015-09-07T17:20:25Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > I would not expect to find good Tex-Mex anywhere except certain regions of the US. We Americans are absolutely mad about Mexican food, in general, but I would never expect to find that in a country half-way around the world. I eat good Tex-Mex at least once a week. I suppose I can go a week without it. ---
**Author:** ![Nars\_Glinley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nars_glinley/32/8177_2.png) [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2015, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-visiting-sydney-how-different-will-the-food-be/730000/42 "2015-09-07T17:23:34Z")
I don’t want to insult anyone but are meat pies anything like our pot pies? And the peas that come with them, are we talking covered in peas or just as an ingredient? ---
**Author:** ![Motorgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e36b37/32.png) [@Motorgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Motorgirl)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2015, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-visiting-sydney-how-different-will-the-food-be/730000/43 "2015-09-07T17:57:39Z")
> [@Battle\_Pope](#): > > If you do, this is the way to start: > > [ol] > [li]White bread, toasted however way you like it - still hot.[/li][li]Spread butter or margarine on the toast.[/li][li]Put a thin _scraping_ of vegemite over the toast - seriously: **Make. It. Thin!** [/li][/ol] And then throw on some scrambled egg. Yum yum yum. ---
**Author:** ![Motorgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e36b37/32.png) [@Motorgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Motorgirl)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2015, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-visiting-sydney-how-different-will-the-food-be/730000/44 "2015-09-07T18:03:07Z")
> [@Nars\_Glinley](#): > > I don’t want to insult anyone but are meat pies anything like our pot pies? And the peas that come with them, are we talking covered in peas or just as an ingredient? The form factor is the same. Pastry crust, savory filling, usually meat, occasionally vegetarian. Less saucy though. The filling is much thicker. And the pastry is usually more like a puff pastry (flaky) than like the short crust on American pot pies. ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2015, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-visiting-sydney-how-different-will-the-food-be/730000/45 "2015-09-07T18:22:26Z")
Where would I go to find some good Tandoori Platypus? ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2015, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-visiting-sydney-how-different-will-the-food-be/730000/46 "2015-09-07T19:11:17Z")
> [@Nars\_Glinley](#): > > Thanks. That looks perfect. This trip is for our 30th anniversary and that looks like a nice place for it. The Gardener’s Lodge is great, and it’s also only a two-minute walk from Glebe. Note, if you’re planning an anniversary _ **dinner** _, though, that it’s only open for breakfast and lunch. ---
**Author:** ![araminty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b5e925/32.png) [@araminty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/araminty)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2015, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-visiting-sydney-how-different-will-the-food-be/730000/47 "2015-09-07T21:28:50Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > Likewise beans on toast, or canned spaghetti on toast, as a breakfast item. Forgive me, friend, but it doesn’t sound like you’ve been to Australia in a long while. I can assure you that you won’t find beans or spaghetti on toast in any currently operating cafe in Sydney, and if you do, it won’t be Heinz baked beans from a tin on white bread, it’ll be artisanal toast and small-batch braised beans. ---
**Author:** ![Motorgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e36b37/32.png) [@Motorgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Motorgirl)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2015, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-visiting-sydney-how-different-will-the-food-be/730000/48 "2015-09-07T22:47:07Z")
> [@Nars\_Glinley](#): > > I don’t want to insult anyone but are meat pies anything like our pot pies? And the peas that come with them, are we talking covered in peas or just as an ingredient? I neglected the peas question. I’m not entirely sure, but if they’re like English peas that come with meat pies they’re starchy peas that have been simmered and mashed. You have to like peas, I think, to like them, and they’re optional - you can get a pie without peas. ---
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2015, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-visiting-sydney-how-different-will-the-food-be/730000/49 "2015-09-07T23:06:42Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > I would not expect to find good Tex-Mex anywhere except certain regions of the US. We Americans are absolutely mad about Mexican food, in general, but I would never expect to find that in a country half-way around the world. Years and years ago, I ate at a really good Mexican restaurant in Madrid, but it was owned by two Mexican guys from Texas. ---
**Author:** ![bmoak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9dc877/32.png) [@bmoak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bmoak)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2015, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-visiting-sydney-how-different-will-the-food-be/730000/50 "2015-09-08T03:34:27Z")
Some Australian food questions. 1. What does a pie floater float in? 2. What are the intricacies of ordering coffee in Australia? I’ve seen people on shows order something like “tall, flat, white”, but what does it mean? 3. What is the proper condiment doe a meat pie? ---
**Author:** ![Blake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@Blake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blake)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2015, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-visiting-sydney-how-different-will-the-food-be/730000/51 "2015-09-08T04:02:45Z")
> [@bmoak](#): > > 1. What does a pie floater float in? [A sea of mushy peas](https://www.google.com/search?q=pie+floater&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0CAgQ_AUoAmoVChMI4-K3tcTmxwIVYZSmCh0Ukgda&biw=1920&bih=946). > [@](#): > > 1. What are the intricacies of ordering coffee in Australia? I’ve seen people on shows order something like “tall, flat, white”, but what does it mean? I’m not a barista, but it’s essentially a US latte. White = with milk. Flat = not foamy like a cappuccino, tall = in a mug. Ordering a latte can be a bit of a crapshoot in terms of what you get. It will contain milk and variable amounts of coffee in some form, but the temperature can vary from tepid to scorching and the amount of coffee can vary from half an espresso shot to the equivalent of several. > [@](#): > > 1. What is the proper condiment doe a meat pie? No one will question either black sauce or tomato sauce. Which black sauce is a matter of debate, but HP and Worcestershire are the most common two I’ve seen used. ---
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2015, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-visiting-sydney-how-different-will-the-food-be/730000/52 "2015-09-08T04:54:58Z")
US fries = AUS chips US chips = AUS crisps You may want to try an [Aussie BBQ](https://youtu.be/v-B4GS2CVC4) while you’re there. Do NOT try the “Swim With The Box Jellies” attraction. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2015, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-visiting-sydney-how-different-will-the-food-be/730000/53 "2015-09-08T05:00:37Z")
> [@Ranger\_Jeff](#): > > US fries = AUS chips > US chips = AUS crisps Actually, that’s sort of wrong in two ways. First, you can find thin-cut, french-fry style potatoes in Australia, and they are often referred to as fries, in order to distinguish them from the thicker-cut fried potatoes that are generally known as chips. And not many Aussies, at least in Sydney, refer to the thin fried potatoes in bags as crisps. That’s much more of a British thing. What the Americans call chips, most Aussies also call chips. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2015, 6:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-visiting-sydney-how-different-will-the-food-be/730000/54 "2015-09-08T06:49:22Z")
> [@araminty](#): > > But the Chili’s-Boston Market-Applebee’s-IHOP-Denny’s-Ruby Tuesday’s segment just doesn’t exist. This isn’t _strictly_ true - I know the South African Spur restaurant chain has several Australian outlets, including Sydney, and it’s very much in that ‘casual dining’ market segment. ---
**Author:** ![araminty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b5e925/32.png) [@araminty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/araminty)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2015, 7:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-visiting-sydney-how-different-will-the-food-be/730000/55 "2015-09-08T07:07:37Z")
> [@mhendo](#): > > Actually, that’s sort of wrong in two ways. > > First, you can find thin-cut, french-fry style potatoes in Australia, and they are often referred to as fries, in order to distinguish them from the thicker-cut fried potatoes that are generally known as chips. > > And not many Aussies, at least in Sydney, refer to the thin fried potatoes in bags as crisps. That’s much more of a British thing. What the Americans call chips, most Aussies also call chips. Yes, sometimes the two can be distinguished by context (e.g., a packet of chips vs. an order/serve of chips) or by appending “hot” to freshly fried potatoes of various form factors. There’s also potato wedges, which came to prominence in the early 90s in Australia, often seasoned before cooking (usually fried, but roasted is also seen) and served with sour cream and sweet chili sauce. Mmm. My Australian cafe coffee order is a flat white, and I was happy to see it introduced here in California. I don’t like to order a latte in Australia as it’s often served in one of those stupid glasses (e.g. [here](http://www.drinkstuff.com/productimg/72278.jpg).) ---
**Author:** ![6ImpossibleThingsB4Breakfast](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/6/e19adc/32.png) [@6ImpossibleThingsB4Breakfast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/6ImpossibleThingsB4Breakfast)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2015, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-visiting-sydney-how-different-will-the-food-be/730000/56 "2015-09-08T12:09:04Z")
> [@mhendo](#): > > The Gardener’s Lodge is great, and it’s also only a two-minute walk from Glebe. > > Note, if you’re planning an anniversary _ **dinner** _, though, that it’s only open for breakfast and lunch. Thanks for pointing out the no dinner thing, **mhendo** - perfect for an anniversary breakfast or lunch though **Nars Glinley** , and congratulations on your tri-decaderage! What **Mr Dibble** says about _Spur_ isn’t exactly right - it does have two or three outlets in New South Wales (the state in which Sydney is) but they’re all an hour or more from the city, in not very exciting suburbs. Which is probably why they’re there. You’ll be glad to know **araminty** , that the trend for stupid glasses for lattes has extended to mason jars. Fuck. Me. Put it in a coffee cup. It’s coffee. ---
**Author:** ![Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slow_moving_vehicle/32/291_2.png) [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slow_Moving_Vehicle)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2015, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-visiting-sydney-how-different-will-the-food-be/730000/57 "2015-09-08T20:09:23Z")
> [@6ImpossibleThingsB4Breakfast](#): > > Ah, yeah - it doesn’t, **Slow Moving Vehicle**. It means not being direct and straight to the point. Apparently “irony” has a different meaning in Australia, as well. > [@Battle\_Pope](#): > > Vegemite is used by many Australians in much the same way the D’regs of Discworld use sheep-eye soup. I KNEW it! ---
**Author:** ![GreedySmurf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a698b9/32.png) [@GreedySmurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreedySmurf)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2015, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-visiting-sydney-how-different-will-the-food-be/730000/58 "2015-09-08T21:54:49Z")
> [@mhendo](#): > > Actually, that’s sort of wrong in two ways. > > First, you can find thin-cut, french-fry style potatoes in Australia, and they are often referred to as fries, in order to distinguish them from the thicker-cut fried potatoes that are generally known as chips. > > And not many Aussies, at least in Sydney, refer to the thin fried potatoes in bags as crisps. That’s much more of a British thing. What the Americans call chips, most Aussies also call chips. I wonder if use of ‘fries’ might be a generational thing. Personally, outside of a Macca’s I can’t think of a single instance where I’ve ever heard anyone use ‘fries’. At least not up here in Bogan-ville ;). Agree with araminty, that they’re all chips. If you’re in a situation where you need to distinguish between them, its usually ‘hot’ chips (fries) and a packet of chips. My wife uses ‘crisps’ but that’s the influence of her British parents coming through. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2015, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-visiting-sydney-how-different-will-the-food-be/730000/59 "2015-09-08T22:09:55Z")
> [@GreedySmurf](#): > > I wonder if use of ‘fries’ might be a generational thing. Personally, outside of a Macca’s I can’t think of a single instance where I’ve ever heard anyone use ‘fries’. At least not up here in Bogan-ville ;). It might be. I know that, on my most recent trip to Australia (July/August this year) i saw and heard the word “fries” used quite a few times in Sydney, and not in the context of McDonald’s or some other big fast-food chain. In each case, the food in question was thin-cut like fries, and the menu sometimes described them like that too. The term “chips” is still far more common, but i did notice that “fries” had made inroads in Sydney since my last visit. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2015, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-visiting-sydney-how-different-will-the-food-be/730000/60 "2015-09-08T23:04:55Z")
> [@Battle\_Pope](#): > > If you do, this is the way to start: > > [ol] > [li]White bread, toasted however way you like it - still hot.[/li][li]Spread butter or margarine on the toast.[/li][li]Put a thin _scraping_ of vegemite over the toast - seriously: **Make. It. Thin!** [/li][/ol] > > It should look like this [http://static1.squarespace.com/static/549daccee4b0be677c05bc2d/t/55c4f905e4b083cf1fbffda8/1438972166576/](http://static1.squarespace.com/static/549daccee4b0be677c05bc2d/t/55c4f905e4b083cf1fbffda8/1438972166576/) > > Don’t spread it on in a thick layer - you should be able to see most of the toast. Umm. No. Take one small corner, and try it. I can stand it, but many hate it. I can even take Marmite. Note tha peas come in a lot of things. If you like peas- you _won’t_ like these. Start with crappy peas- Boiled to a mushyness. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-visiting-sydney-how-different-will-the-food-be/730000.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-visiting-sydney-how-different-will-the-food-be/730000.md?page=4)