Japanese meals traditionally include a main dish, rice, soup, and two sides. Basically, you get to enjoy eating a little bit of everything. But in Sydney, your food typically comes all on one plate—just a simple combination of a main dish with a side of potatoes or salad. Coming from a food culture that prizes subtle, complex flavors, I have to admit that I sometimes find Australian food a bit simplistic.
How I became an eat-at-home person
Since coming to Sydney, I’ve solidly become a make-food-at-home person. The reason is simple—eating out is expensive. Of course, you can get some great food if you’re willing to pay for it. But with lunches costing around 3,000 yen, it’s hard to find a place that’s good enough that you can’t wait to go back.
Meanwhile, the food you can buy at grocery stores is excellent. The price of avocados, fruit, and meat isn’t much different than that in Japan, and everything tastes amazing. You can even get sushi rice for probably cheaper than it is back home.
So I’ve resigned myself to the fact that the most satisfying thing I can do is make things myself.
But I still go out occasionally
When I do go out to eat, it’s probably Asian food 80% of the time. There are so many Thai, Korean, Vietnamese, and Chinese restaurants here. I sometimes go out for Japanese food too, but when you compare the quality and price of the different options, it’s usually better to go with something else. Of course, I still end up going out for an authentic Japanese meal sometimes and paying three times what I normally would.
Fish and chips is of course an Australian staple. You’d have a hard time finding a pub that doesn’t have it on the menu. And it’s just what it sounds like—fried fish and fried potato wedges. It’s a really simple dish, but every place does it a little differently, changing up the type of fish or substituting sweet potato fries. Finding a place that makes a version you love is definitely a thrill.
Australia also offers an endless array of meat dishes. Their steak menus feature lamb, pork, chicken, beef… the list goes on. Pork ribs have become one of my favorites, and they go great with beer. A plate of salmon will cost you 40 dollars, but you can count on it being delicious, so I sometimes treat myself. A hamburger costs 30 dollars, so I don’t eat them often, but it’s incredibly satisfying to enjoy a good one from time to time. I probably do that once every couple of months.
Great pub vibes
I usually go with friends when I eat out, and eat at home when I’m by myself. But the good times I spend getting pub food with friends at a place with great vibes are one of the highlights of living in Sydney. There’s just something glorious about getting to enjoy food and beer under blue skies overlooking the ocean.
Sydney’s food culture is completely different from Japan’s. You get one plate of simple food, there are all kinds of meat dishes, and eating out is pricey. But you also get access to an abundance of high-quality ingredients that make it possible to eat really well if you cook at home. My goal is to enjoy the differences and find a way of eating that works for me.
That’s one of the true pleasures of living abroad, I guess.
