The 5 best things I ate in Australia

One of my favorite features to write on this site is my monthly food review — which, for those who are new, is where I list and review the five best things I ate in the past month.

Because I started the series only a few months ago, so far I’ve only covered cities in France and Ireland. But I’ve had the great joy of eating in far more countries than that, so today I begin my mid-month installments: on the 15th of each month, I’ll be posting “The 5 best things I ate” for a city or country I visited previously. (The posts on the last day of the month will remain focused solely on food I’ve indulged in in the last 30 days.)

I’m excited to go on an expedition through the external hard drive I have dedicated solely to travel photos, and in the coming months you can expect 5BTIA posts from places like Bali, southern Thailand, and of course, Singapore. But today we focus on Australia. 

I spent five weeks in Perth and Sydney, but I’m condensing Australia into just one post because I was (lucky enough to be) hosted by friends during that entire time — meaning nearly all my meals were home-cooked. And while some were extraordinarily delicious (like one very memorable Christmas lunch), I think it will be more useful and practical for readers if I focused on food that was more easily accessible to all.

1. Oysters — The Sydney Cove Oyster Bar, Sydney

While I have yet to try American oysters, I would consider these the best oysters I’ve ever tasted. Incredibly fresh, perfectly briny, and locally sourced, we sampled both the Natural, which are served with a red wine eschalot vinegar (pictured), and the Kilpatrick, which are grilled with julienne bacon and dressed in the bar’s Kilpatrick sauce. Even better, the bar is located right along the water’s edge at Circular Quay, just steps away from the Sydney Opera House. Relaxing along the water’s edge, enjoying these oysters and a glass of white wine while facing a gorgeous view of the Harbour Bridge — that’s how you make a memory.

2. Kangaroo Satay — Little Creatures Brewery, Fremantle

A bit clichéd, perhaps, but it had to be tried. Tender and juicy, I would definitely recommend kangaroo satay; especially accompanied by a beer at Little Creatures Brewery in Fremantle, home of the famous Australian craft beer. Besides being full of flavor, kangaroo meat is also meant to be a better alternative to beef for both health and environmental reasons. I enjoyed it so much, I can understand why kangaroo has become the protein of choice for some Australians and expats.

3. Korean BBQ — Sinabro, Perth

I first met my good friend F, who was hosting me in Perth, when we were both study abroad students in Dalian, northern China. There was a heavy Korean influence in the city, and it was there I first discovered and fell in love with Korean food. To relive our Dalian days, F took me to Sinabro, a somewhat hidden joint in Northbridge. I loved it: the food was authentic and properly spicy, the soju was cheap ($12 a bottle), and everyone around us was Korean. If you need a bulgogi or kimchijeon fix in Perth, definitely come here.

4. Avocados 

I wasn’t an avocado enthusiast until I went to Perth, and discovered how delicious (and gorgeous — look at that color!) they could really be when not constantly found hanging out with their guacamole cohorts. I became a bit obsessed with the fruit while in Australia — usually on a bed of lettuce with a drizzle of balsalmic vinegar; or my favorite, which I often made for breakfast: on toast with a thin layer of vegemite. 

5. Coffee

Australia is known for its coffee culture, and everywhere I went, not once was I disappointed by a flat white or short black. I was disappointed in some dry cappuccinos I ordered, where the lack of foam qualified them more as lattes than caps — but when the quality of the coffee is this good, you honestly don’t mind having a little less foam and a little more coffee in your cup. But be careful: once you’ve been sucked into the Australian coffee scene, you won’t be able to tolerate a bad cup of coffee ever again.

Other Australian staples I’d recommend trying: Vegemite, beetroot on burgers, meat pies, and pavlova. What Aussie foods are your favorites?