A question about Australian cusine

11 Dec 2014

I had dinner last night at an Australian-themed chain restaurant here in the States and came away with a question- Is the food 'Down under' characteristically very spicy or is this a poor attempt? Everything was heavily seasoned with various peppers, to the point of scorching. Sure would tend to up the volume of beer sales!

12 Dec 2014

Did you go to Outback? I'm sure their menu is tilted to American tastes. I enjoy the grilled salmon at Outback. Spicy? It could all be much spicier and I'd like it even better. Heap that pepper on.

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12 Dec 2014

I travelled a little in Australia after school. The craziest thing I ate was a kangaroo burger when I did a bus trip in the Northern Territory. It tasted a lot like beef. Anyway, back to the question in hand, I don't remember anything being excessively spiced while I was there unless you deliberately went for Indian or maybe Mexican cuisine.

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13 Dec 2014

Buz mentioned Outback which is the only Australian-themed restaurant that comes to mind. I was listening to an interview with Australian comedian Will Anderson the other day and this very question came up. He said the only thing authentic about Outback Steakhouse is that there is a place called the Outback. Everything else is a result of the great American marketing machine. Aussies may like spicy food, but if that's where you ate, I wouldn't place a lot of stock in the authenticity of the food.

13 Dec 2014

Thank you all for your responses. To be honest, what I am hearing is exactly what I expected and while there I got the impression that the only authentic Aussie items on the menu were the Foster's and a few wines on the list. Yes, it was an Outback and all aside, the meal was more enjoyable than the one I had at a Texas Roadhouse. At least the server didn't attempt a fake down under accent thank goodness.

13 Dec 2014

Traditional Australian food is not spicy at all. Heaps of flavour, but no spice. That's not to say that we're adverse to it, and there's plenty of chilli making its way onto the plates down here, largely as a result of the Asian influence in our cooking. We're big on fusion, you know, the whole prison colony thing... Historically it's big British comfort food, slowly evolving with the warmer climate and abundance of fresh ingredients, with the odd ripped off Italian favourite thrown in for good measure.

As for Fosters...you won't find any self-respecting Aussie touching the stuff. I'm not actually sure you can even get it down here. It's bloody awful.

Outback's all right for a big feed, but there's nothing authentically Australian about it. It's an American theme restaurant, and a pretty tacky one at that. The half dozen or so times I've stopped by down here, I can't remember anything even approaching spicy, including the chicken breast slathered in mustard sauce. I'd say your local must have been a little heavy-handed with the pepper.

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13 Dec 2014

isn't it all just variations on kanga and gator? biggrin

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13 Dec 2014

Quote by Wilful
Traditional Australian food is not spicy at all. Heaps of flavour, but no spice. That's not to say that we're adverse to it, and there's plenty of chilli making its way onto the plates down here, largely as a result of the Asian influence in our cooking. We're big on fusion, you know, the whole prison colony thing... Historically it's big British comfort food, slowly evolving with the warmer climate and abundance of fresh ingredients, with the odd ripped off Italian favourite thrown in for good measure.

As for Fosters...you won't find any self-respecting Aussie touching the stuff. I'm not actually sure you can even get it down here. It's bloody awful.

Outback's all right for a big feed, but there's nothing authentically Australian about it. It's an American theme restaurant, and a pretty tacky one at that. The half dozen or so times I've stopped by down here, I can't remember anything even approaching spicy, including the chicken breast slathered in mustard sauce. I'd say your local must have been a little heavy-handed with the pepper.

Well said.

Australia has possibly the most multi-cultural menus in the world. Possibly the worst comes from the US e.g deep fried food and the Golden Arches et al Overloaded servings are rare.
There is not a cuisine that is not available somewhere, and some vary from excellent authentic, to poor representation. Quantities never approach those served in the US. Our Indian, Chinese and other Asian cuisines are world class. Genuine Pizza is hard to find - we have unfortunately created an Aussie style which is overloaded with topping.
Unfortunately many Aussies live on Take away(out) so I believe we are the second most obese people in the world.
I have traveled the world and a lot of countries have brilliant cuisines, e.g France,Italy,Spain,Thailand and particularly Japanese. etc. I believe we have left behind the British comfort food mentioned by Wilful' although our Beef and Lamb are world class. We do have brilliant Fish and Chips but that is because we know how to serve it - not Cod covered in horrible greasy batter. Our food AND wine are in my opinion some of the best in the world, and my job has allowed me to travel and try many of the various cuisines available in many leading hotels and restaurants around the world.
I have never heard of 'Outback' and from the description I don't want to. Our Road Houses all have the same menu's unfortunately - frozen food deep fried. Fosters beer -YUK if you can find it. Millers and Cors (?) likewise. We have some brilliant boutique beers available now.
Kangaroo - it is brilliant but MUST be served rare. Crocodile - depends on what it was fed - farmed it tastes like chicken - wild, like fish or mud. Emu and Camel are just beginning to emerge and be recognised, Goat is an emerging favorite among our European communities. Horse Meat is banned for human consumption.
Australia has probably the most diverse and best international food in the world - it a result of Multi-cultural immigration.
Coffee is real Italian coffee made with fresh beans and not some horrible percolated 'Americano'. I always order double espresso overseas which approaches the Aussie - Long Black.
Yes Australian food is some of the best in the world and I am proud to say so.

21 Dec 2014

Quote by Meggsy

Australia has possibly the most multi-cultural menus in the world. Possibly the worst comes from the US e.g deep fried food and the Golden Arches et al Overloaded servings are rare.

Not at all disputing that Australia has one of the most multi-cultural menus in the world. But the USA, which is one of the most multi-cultural nation's on the planet, has available virtually every cuisine from all over the world. If you visit here avoid the disgusting fast food places and try the real local cuisines which vary greatly within the USA. This is a migrant nation and just within a few minutes of my house I can eat Thai, Vietnamese, German, Italian, Spanish, French, Greek, Egyptian, Ethiopian, Russian, Japanese, Mexican, Korean, Chinese, Indian, Columbian, Jamaican, as well as New York style, Chicago style, West Coast, New Orleans, Southwestern, as well as real Southern and others I can't think of at the moment.

I do hope to sample authentic Australian cuisine as I have Australia as one of the places on my 'most want to go visit' list.

23 Dec 2014

Quote by Meggsy

Crocodile - depends on what it was fed - farmed it tastes like chicken - wild, like fish or mud.

I tried crocodile tail when I travelled in South Africa after leaving school. I remember it having a texture not unlike scampi/large shrimp. It was also really tasty! eat

I never saw it on the menu when I was in Australia. Is that everywhere, or just in the Northern Territory?

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23 Dec 2014

Predominately NT and maybe FNQ. It is normally found where they actually have a permit to farm Crocodiles. The meat is really a bye product, usually its the skin they are farming the animal for.

24 Dec 2014

I would gladly try crocodile meat. I've eaten alligator quite a few times, as well as rattlesnake... very tasty.

27 Dec 2014

Quote by Thefisherman
I had dinner last night at an Australian-themed chain restaurant here in the States and came away with a question- Is the food 'Down under' characteristically very spicy or is this a poor attempt? Everything was heavily seasoned with various peppers, to the point of scorching. Sure would tend to up the volume of beer sales!

Everything that Meggsy and Wilful posted.. awesome posts.. ... u have to go to Australia for authentic Australian food.. I don't think it can really be exported..

recommend Darwin .. for both our Australian cuisine AND .. don't forget .. genuine Bush Tucker ...

Australian best at Pee Wee's and Pavonia Place. Pee Wee's do a wild croc tail in crusted coconut as a house speciality.. it is rumoured the chef wrestles each croc daily on the beach .. so salt water crocs ... special taste.. they also serve wild pork cheek and a NT Buffalo steak... nothing like a bison .. giggles

both places r great with seafood but I think Pavonia have the better dishes.. their local banana prawns r a must .. wild barramundi [not farmed] crusted in macadamia nuts .. and they have a trademark dish of wallaby shank [awesome].. Pavonia also have weekly special menus of indigenous foods.. kangaroo, emu, possum, ostrich.... and turtle..

BUT ... the NT [Northern Territory] has basically five Aboriginal peoples, plus two more if u count the offshore islands .. so when u visit you MUST do a cultural tour that includes food.. genuine Bush Tucker.. each people/tribe has a speciality dish .. awesome.. but common items will be witchetty grubs of course, lizard, frogs and an assortment of bees, ants and termites.. u will have to try damper with billy tea.. but have both the Aboriginal way not our "European" way .. the recipe is different .. and the tea drunk black and sweetened with wild bee honey or .. better .. with acacia seeds and flowers.. these r also used to make an Aboriginal acacia cake which is great with the wild honey.. no one cooks emu like the Aboriginals...

if u r game .. giggles.. ask to go see them harvesting the honey.. prepare to be stung ..

as for Fosters Lager .. I have only seen this stocked in one hotel [pub] in Australia.. that was in Sydney and it was stocked for British tourists ... of course London and NYC is chokker full of both ...

soooo hope u see why what u had was way off the mark as we say ... so hurry down.. DON'T fly Qantas unless u must .. angel7

30 Dec 2014

I have a friend in Australia, so if I ever get there I am sure she will take me for some authentic cuisine