The totally off-topic thread

[markis10]

We just bought some single malt for the youngest son. His requirements? 10 years + and starting with Glen. The oldest son wanted some Bacardi with the weirdest name but alcohol around that 58% mark too. Rocket fuel.

Both ridiculously cheap in Singapore. Moët for me? Prices not all that great.

Fire quenched with some Balnaves! Singapore is cheap, until you try Langkawi, if I lived there I would last 6 months and my liver would surrender.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I'm going to the Melbourne cup for the first time this year. Really looking forward to it any restaurant recommendations from anyone I thought I'd go to Nobu one night then a really good steak or Italian would be good

france soir (toorak road south yarra) is good for steak. they do it well. mid priced at about $40 from memory. it's always packed, two sitting a night, so book well in advance.

 

[Mal]

france soir (toorak road south yarra) is good for steak. they do it well. mid priced at about $40 from memory. it's always packed, two sitting a night, so book well in advance.

$40 is mid priced? Shows how inflation is affecting Australia. Glad I now live in London.

 

[TheRealTMA]

Enjoy it. Have you seen the hotel prices in London?

 

[The Rok]

Ha ha, $40 for a steak is at the lower end of the Perth restaurant scene... Be luck to get HJ's for they here.

 

[Mal]

Enjoy it. Have you seen the hotel prices in London?

Indeed. But I'm not a tourist. My monthly rent including bills is less than 3 nights in some of the hotels. Granted I don't get room service (but do have a weekly cleaner) and I do have to share the place with my flatmate ... And all this is within 10 mins walk from the Hilton tower bridge.

 

[amaroo]

$40 is mid priced? Shows how inflation is affecting Australia. Glad I now live in London.

But it's mad free!

 

[anat0l]

$40 is mid priced? Shows how inflation is affecting Australia. Glad I now live in London.

$40 is mid-priced indeed. Went to the ol' institution Brekky Creek today; my wagyu rump was $36 (including sauce, roll, chips and veg). Of course we're not talking about a pub steak here. Handing over a price like that, that steak had better be cooked to perfection to my liking. Even more so if I have to hand over $50 or more that can feature at some high end steak places (which should also feature very good meat).

Expensive on the world stage? Probably. You could do a lot worse. Even in Europe.

One thing in Australia I miss that I get in London (or England in general) is that when you get served food in England, the establishment actually cares about giving you a quality product. Doesn't matter if it's a few quid for a pub meal or a few twenty quid for a nice lunch, they actually put in the effort and care about the product. Can't blame them; in a city of a few million people, if they don't try hard enough, they'll easily go out of business.

In Brisbane especially, a cafe can be set up as long as you have a fridge / display case, a sandwich press and a microwave. Oh, and a barista machine. Only reason why some of them stay in good business is because they are supported by business people prepared to pay a smaller amount for slightly inferior food that can be rolled out in a few seconds (or grabbed then go).

Of course, something that takes some getting used to in England is the 12.5% optional tipping at service restaurants. That is, it is added to the bill and only removed if you say so. And you don't tend to get a pleasant eye if you request to remove the tip. Probably not as bad as the US where you can get spat on, or lectured, but still awkward. (Note: this is not an argument against tipping in general)

Overall, in many places apart from Australia, if food prices are more expensive, in many cases it represents better value for money in terms of quality of food and service.

Enjoy it. Have you seen the hotel prices in London?

Yep. You can get some really good deals (i.e. value for money, not necessarily lower prices), but the major chain hotels in London are naturally rather high end-ish. Which is not really to anyone's surprise.

Look at Brisbane and Perth hotel rates. They can be a nightmare to get a good rate at times (let alone at short notice), and sometimes you really question whether you want to part with the rates offered for the room product you get in the end. And no, the mining traffic is not completely to blame for the "inflation".

 

[Mal]

But it's mad free!

Steak is generally better in Australia than the UK... I agree. And yes. Mad cow free (although iirc there are only very rare outbreaks here these days. More risk of having donkey substituted for beef ).

I'm used to paying late 20s to early 30s for a main in Australia. Hence my comment....

 

[anat0l]

Steak is generally better in Australia than the UK... I agree. And yes. Mad cow free (although iirc there are only very rare outbreaks here these days. More risk of having donkey substituted for beef ).

Depends on what is left after we send most of the good stuff for export. You can get some good UK beef for sure, although mad free would be a good idea!

And geez, they've gone from horse to donkey now? Gives a whole new spin on a rump steak (or is that a**.....)...

(The previous remark is a bit facetious as I'm sure people give little about whether their steak is from a donkey, horse or cow unless they've specifically handed over money for that animal)

I'm used to paying late 20s to early 30s for a main in Australia. Hence my comment....

Mind you, at most pubs now, at dinner time (not lunch), a steak will cost within that range. Go during lunch time specials and paying about $12 for a 200 g rump steak with sides is normal (perhaps with drink included, or a special only if you buy a drink as well).

But I would strongly consider whether I would want to pay about mid-20s for a pub steak. By that time, might as well go to a decent steakhouse and pay a little more for something which they should be able to do well.

 

[Mal]

Aah yes. Horse not donkey. But substitutions happen in all parts of the food chain. Seafood is particularly affected.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Steak is generally better in Australia than the UK... I agree. And yes. Mad cow free (although iirc there are only very rare outbreaks here these days. More risk of having donkey substituted for beef ).

I'm used to paying late 20s to early 30s for a main in Australia. Hence my comment....

lucky to get grilled chicken or vegetarian for late 20s or early 30s these days. the botanical hotel, also in south yarra, has steaks well into the 60s and 70s (my friend (who is in banking) took me there... I think I ordered the minute steak out of sheer embarrassment)

 

[amaroo]

Steak is generally better in Australia than the UK... I agree. And yes. Mad cow free (although iirc there are only very rare outbreaks here these days. More risk of having donkey substituted for beef ).

I'm used to paying late 20s to early 30s for a main in Australia. Hence my comment....

Bound to happen when cooks get a couple of hundred grand on MUA jobs and truck drivers 100K+on mine sites.......but that's another thread.

In the mean time - I'm happy knowing I'm eating cow rather than horse or whatever else was slaughtered on the day.

 

[Mal]

Mining boom is dying off. Hopefully Perth returns to a semblance of normality soon.

 

[JohnK]

Karma is a myth....

 

[basso]

Karma is a myth....

Karma is a vengeful elephant.

 

[TheRealTMA]

Indeed. But I'm not a tourist. My monthly rent including bills is less than 3 nights in some of the hotels. Granted I don't get room service (but do have a weekly cleaner) and I do have to share the place with my flatmate ... And all this is within 10 mins walk from the Hilton tower bridge.

You provide the room in September and I'll bring the steak!

 

[Pollywaffle]

Depends on what is left after we send most of the good stuff for export. You can get some good UK beef for sure, although mad free would be a good idea! ...

There was plenty of excellent Aussie meat at at Smithfield Meat market when I was last in London and at reasonable prices while we get the leftovers.

 

[whatmeworry]

There was plenty of excellent Aussie meat at at Smithfield Meat market when I was last in London and at reasonable prices while we get the leftovers.

I heard the Japanese also get our good meat whilst we get the leftovers.

 

[Mal]

I heard the Japanese also get our good meat whilst we get the leftovers.

Yep. Australia's best seafood and meat is exported or served only at certain high end restaurants.

I always laugh when I can buy kiwi lamb in London for less than I would pay in NZ. Don't really see Australian meat in supermarkets or markets (have only had a cursory glance at smithfields though) but I'm sure it is cheaper. Australia also supplies beef to Asia extensively. Most burger king or McDonalds patties (as one example) are imported from either Australia or new Zealand.

As I heard in a documentary recently... It is cheaper to send a shipping container from china to the UK than it is to ship the same container to the closest UK town from the wharf.