Drinks and Food, Sydney

Lamingtons are little square spongcakes covered in chocolate and sprinkled with shredded coconut. I first tried these Australian confections in 2010. I'm not a fan of coconut so I picked of the flakes to enjoy the cake. The cake is very good, moist and just the right size for a snack.

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Yes, Kanagaroo are cute creatures but boy do they taste good. From the moment I first tried some Kangaroo loin; I was hooked. The meat is very tender almost a filet quality and has a gamey taste on the back end. So when you are in Australia try some...you might just like it.

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Pure Blonde is an Australian Beer that my wife has come to love. Every visit to Australia she looks forward to her first glass of this frosty brew. It's light, crisp and very refreshing; I rather like it myself. She like to joke that she like her beer like her men....Blonde...

When in Rome et al. When in Australia it seems to be that a pie on the move is the norm.

The best I sampled was from Shakespeare's Pie Shop, located in the Corso, Manly(they have other outlets) For a pretty reasonable price you get a hefty pie with some magic fillings, my personal fav being Thai Chicken, it was sublime, especially to round off a heavy nights boozing. I remember hefty chunks of chicken breast oozing out in a tasty sweet thai chilli sauce. They even have a Pie of the Week, usually coming with some bizarre filling.

Please Note: This is a tradition where you should'nt really worry about the number of calories involed.

My friend Jackie told us we had to try a "Lamington" when in Australia. Lamingtons are little sponge cakes coated in chocolate and topped in shredded coconut. We found Lamingtons in every bakery since it is such a popular Australian treat. I thought they were good but Liz is no fan of coconut so she picked the flakes off her cake.

Yes I know its from Victoria. But even in NSW I prefer this beer. VB. It is a favorite of mine when I travel.

There are many other fine Australian beers to try out too. Go forth and find your favorite.

If you're going to somebody's house they will probably tell you BYO. So you should know this means that you have to take something to drink. Of course buy something to share, don't take just a beer for you alone!

The Australian BBQ is world famous, not exactly sure why, but it probably has something to do that aussie's love meat and that it's ALWAYS nice weather (well that's stereotypical) and thus great to sit outside, and what better than a bbq outside in the sunshine with a cold beer?

When in Sydney many hostels in the summer season organise roof top bbq's. If not organise one yourslef, like we did one night at the Harbour City Backpackers. Just get some money off everyone to buy the meat and some sauces and salads and start cooking! To see the view from the rooftop of Harbour City backpackers see my accommodation tip.

From a foreign perspective, it seems to me that Aussie pies are the best-known example of Aussie cuisine. For the benefit of those from Roxboro, Aussie pies hand-held savoury pastries made with all manner of meat, carrots, English peas, potatoes, and possibly other vegetables. It's rather like the American pot pie, but this can be hand held. Mind the filling as it could be hot.

If you see this sign on a restaurant window, this means that a patron can bring along their favourite plonk to the restaurant. However some restaurants charge corkage. Most Sydney restaurants are BYO.