Memories of Food Down Under

As part of a work assignment this week, I was looking through a stream of Flickr photos captured by a random assortment of tourists who had traveled all over the world. From Alaska to New Zealand, my eyes were darting all over the globe in a matter of minutes, but came to a painstakingly abrupt halt when I landed on a picture of Sydney.


I recently visited Australia for a week with my boyfriend and had the time of my life; I guess it was too soon to see a picture of the city I fell in love with taken from a stranger's camera. Maybe that sounds like a bit of an overstatement, but spend any amount of time in Sydney and you will relate. Everything you hear about the land down under, from the picturesque scenery to the out-of-this-world shopping, is no mere myth.



Phenomenal cuisine is also one of Australia's claims to fame. Fusions of multicultural culinary influences produce taste altering experiences, while traditional staples like fish and chips and sausage rolls provide a taste of everyday life as a Sydney-sider.

Meat pies from Harry's Cafe de Wheels near Chinatown.

Frog tarts from Sydney Guylian Belgain Chocolate Cafe in Circular Quay.

Bar food from Martin Place Bar: potato wedges, barracuda, squid, and chicken curry egg rolls

My most fond memory of dining in Australia was lunch at the Cafe Sydney, a restaurant on the rooftop of Customs House that overlooks the Harbor Bridge and Opera House. It was a long relaxed meal surrounded by a crowd of easy-going Sydney-siders, sipping wine over light gourmet food. The flavorful peppered beef tenderloin -- perfectly complemented by Swiss brown mushrooms, baby spinach and Bearnaise sauce -- almost made me forget that I half-heartedly swore off red meat at one point in my life. Great food makes me do that sometimes; forget an at-the-time Earth shattering idea I propose to myself. The best food however, like the type I enjoyed daily on this trip, creates memories that will forever remind me of the places I have been and the loved ones I've shared those experiences with.