According to an online restaurant guide (Dining in Perth), there are more restaurants per capita in Perth than anywhere else in Australia, with at least 32 different styles of cuisine. I don't count Mexican because I haven't yet found a "Mexican" restaurant that serves anything faintly resembling those delicious south-of-the-border offerings we love so much. But that's another story.
I could not find out how many restaurants there actually are in Perth, but they do seem to be everywhere. The average restaurant is small and homey (about 20 tables) and with a delicious, specialized menu. Haven't seen any Cheesecake Factory-style menus here - most places have less than 15 main dish courses. Which reminds me - they have a different dining vocabulary than we do.
Entree: this is what Americans call an appetizer. Paté, prawns (shrimp), soup, etc.
Main: The main course
Salad: Salad is generally served with or after the meat
Dessert: sometimes called a Sweet.
Cheese: Many Australians prefer cheese to sweets after dinner
You can order an entree as a main if you want to eat a lot of it, and you can occasionally get a main in entree size if you ask. Portion sizes are small in comparison to the average American belt-busting ones, and it is considered bad form to ask for a doggie bag. You'll be met with a blank stare, and when you explain what you want, you will often be told that "we just don't do that here." If pressed, they will probably do it for you, but don't expect a warm welcome the next time you visit.
That sounded rather negative, but in fact, eating out in Perth is quite delightful. The food is super-fresh and well flavored. All the produce is from local farms, and there is a plentiful local meat, fish, poultry and seafood. The coffees are fabulous, and the desserts are too. There are some interesting favorites, like sticky date pudding (a rich, chewy cake often served with caramel or butterscotch sauce), pavlova (a soft, billowy meringue with marshmallow consistency), and chocolate cake, which tends to be dense and flourless. Guess which course is my favorite? There are many wonderful fish to try like emperor, pink snapper, barramundi (Perth's answer to tilapia), salmon, and something called dhufish which sounds strange but tastes mild and good.
In spite of this abundance of lovely restaurants, we don't eat out much. It's just too expensive. Dinner for two usually costs well over $100, including dessert or coffee (people usually choose one or the other) but without wine. If you eat out 3 or 4 times a week like we used to do in Houston, you won't be able to afford much else. A nice alternative is to try one of the bajillion little cafés for breakfast or lunch. There's almost always one or two within walking distance, and they have a way of making an omelet and toast look and taste fit for a king. Or just have a coffee. This seems to be a favorite pastime of Perthians. Cafés are perpetually occupied with small groups of people having a coffee or a "cuppa" (cup of tea) and a chat.
There is a special procedure to follow when eating in a restaurant. I prefer to think of it as a restaurant's rhythm or style, but it can be overwhelming at first.
1. Make a booking (a reservation). If you don't book ahead, you might get a table but it will be accompanied by a look that says "you got lucky this time, but don't try it again."
2. Arrive at the restaurant, give your name to the host or hostess, who will seat you.
3. Within 5 minutes (usually), a "drinks waiter" will come over and ask if you would like anything. Chilled tap water is served on request, in a large corked bottle and small glasses (no ice). If you don't order wine now, you may not get another opportunity.
4. 5-10 minutes later, depending on how busy it is, another person will come and ask for your order. This is the "entree waiter." Don't ask about the specials of the day. That's the job of the "mains waiter."
5. A few minutes later your "mains waiter" will visit, describe the day's specials (there are usually 2 or 3) and answer your questions about the menu. Main dishes generally come a la carte, so don't forget to order the sides like vegetables, potatoes, rice, etc.
6. Your entree will be brought to you by yet another waiter. If you require more water or drinks, let this waiter know and they will summon the drinks waiter back for you.
7. 10-15 minutes later your main will arrive. It might be brought by the same server who brought your entree, but not always.
8. The "mains" waiter will probably stop by and ask how your food is. At the end of the meal, they will return and ask if you'd like any dessert or coffee. In some restaurants, the owner or night manager may do this. Gives them a chance to talk to their customers and make the restaurant experience more personal.
9. Coffee. A beautiful ending to the meal. Almost every restaurant we've tried makes not only coffee but latte, cappucino, macchiato, espresso shots, but... they don't do decaf. You'll have to get by with herbal tea if caffeine isn't for you.
10. All those waiters, and none of them will bring you a bill. You have to go up to the front of the restaurant (or maybe the bar), tell them your name or summarize your order, and they will find your order ticket and charge the appropriate amount. You can linger a moment longer with coffee, but you'll be expected to leave once your "docket" has been paid.
When eating out, no tipping is required! For the reasons mentioned in yesterday's blog, waiters do not receive tips. We kept forgetting this at first, and Vince would get some funny looks from the employees. Then they would hear his accent and nod their heads -- "they're American, they don't know." (But they would still smile and say thank you!) When I found out how much a server earns ($20-25 per hour), I stopped tipping. It is logical to assume that without the incentive of earning a tip, service would be poor. Not so. Because these jobs pay so well, they are highly sought after. And the restaurant community is a close one: if you mess up at one restaurant, word will get around and it will be hard to find another position. Traditionally you start at a small café and work your way up to the more upscale restaurants, with pay going up accordingly. I suppose the exorbitant prices we pay for restaurant meals goes to pay all the charming and efficient waitstaff. So... even though it costs an arm and a leg, it's still worth it. We are helping the economy (unemployment is 5.8% here) and making Australian memories to take back with us.
I could not find out how many restaurants there actually are in Perth, but they do seem to be everywhere. The average restaurant is small and homey (about 20 tables) and with a delicious, specialized menu. Haven't seen any Cheesecake Factory-style menus here - most places have less than 15 main dish courses. Which reminds me - they have a different dining vocabulary than we do.
Entree: this is what Americans call an appetizer. Paté, prawns (shrimp), soup, etc.
Main: The main course
Salad: Salad is generally served with or after the meat
Dessert: sometimes called a Sweet.
Cheese: Many Australians prefer cheese to sweets after dinner
You can order an entree as a main if you want to eat a lot of it, and you can occasionally get a main in entree size if you ask. Portion sizes are small in comparison to the average American belt-busting ones, and it is considered bad form to ask for a doggie bag. You'll be met with a blank stare, and when you explain what you want, you will often be told that "we just don't do that here." If pressed, they will probably do it for you, but don't expect a warm welcome the next time you visit.
That sounded rather negative, but in fact, eating out in Perth is quite delightful. The food is super-fresh and well flavored. All the produce is from local farms, and there is a plentiful local meat, fish, poultry and seafood. The coffees are fabulous, and the desserts are too. There are some interesting favorites, like sticky date pudding (a rich, chewy cake often served with caramel or butterscotch sauce), pavlova (a soft, billowy meringue with marshmallow consistency), and chocolate cake, which tends to be dense and flourless. Guess which course is my favorite? There are many wonderful fish to try like emperor, pink snapper, barramundi (Perth's answer to tilapia), salmon, and something called dhufish which sounds strange but tastes mild and good.
 |
| Sticky Date Pudding with Butterscotch Sauce - yum! |
1. Make a booking (a reservation). If you don't book ahead, you might get a table but it will be accompanied by a look that says "you got lucky this time, but don't try it again."
2. Arrive at the restaurant, give your name to the host or hostess, who will seat you.
3. Within 5 minutes (usually), a "drinks waiter" will come over and ask if you would like anything. Chilled tap water is served on request, in a large corked bottle and small glasses (no ice). If you don't order wine now, you may not get another opportunity.
4. 5-10 minutes later, depending on how busy it is, another person will come and ask for your order. This is the "entree waiter." Don't ask about the specials of the day. That's the job of the "mains waiter."
5. A few minutes later your "mains waiter" will visit, describe the day's specials (there are usually 2 or 3) and answer your questions about the menu. Main dishes generally come a la carte, so don't forget to order the sides like vegetables, potatoes, rice, etc.
6. Your entree will be brought to you by yet another waiter. If you require more water or drinks, let this waiter know and they will summon the drinks waiter back for you.
7. 10-15 minutes later your main will arrive. It might be brought by the same server who brought your entree, but not always.
8. The "mains" waiter will probably stop by and ask how your food is. At the end of the meal, they will return and ask if you'd like any dessert or coffee. In some restaurants, the owner or night manager may do this. Gives them a chance to talk to their customers and make the restaurant experience more personal.
9. Coffee. A beautiful ending to the meal. Almost every restaurant we've tried makes not only coffee but latte, cappucino, macchiato, espresso shots, but... they don't do decaf. You'll have to get by with herbal tea if caffeine isn't for you.
10. All those waiters, and none of them will bring you a bill. You have to go up to the front of the restaurant (or maybe the bar), tell them your name or summarize your order, and they will find your order ticket and charge the appropriate amount. You can linger a moment longer with coffee, but you'll be expected to leave once your "docket" has been paid.
When eating out, no tipping is required! For the reasons mentioned in yesterday's blog, waiters do not receive tips. We kept forgetting this at first, and Vince would get some funny looks from the employees. Then they would hear his accent and nod their heads -- "they're American, they don't know." (But they would still smile and say thank you!) When I found out how much a server earns ($20-25 per hour), I stopped tipping. It is logical to assume that without the incentive of earning a tip, service would be poor. Not so. Because these jobs pay so well, they are highly sought after. And the restaurant community is a close one: if you mess up at one restaurant, word will get around and it will be hard to find another position. Traditionally you start at a small café and work your way up to the more upscale restaurants, with pay going up accordingly. I suppose the exorbitant prices we pay for restaurant meals goes to pay all the charming and efficient waitstaff. So... even though it costs an arm and a leg, it's still worth it. We are helping the economy (unemployment is 5.8% here) and making Australian memories to take back with us.
No comments:
Post a Comment