It's been a good 6 years since I've left Perth, and I'm missing it just a bit more today. Thought of the things I used to eat there. Mmm.. The memories come flooding back...
1. Sausage Sizzle
We used to have these almost every Thursdays at Bush Court at uni. Selling at 2 dollars a pop, these were probably seen as a staple for most students. We usually had actual hotdog buns, but sometimes they were served with slices of white bread. Those were good too. Being the kiasu Malaysian, I'd sometimes wait till the evening when they'd give 2 sausages for each bread! Mee-Wow!
2. "Chinese" Food
Another popular, everyday treat was the Chinese food stall at the campus food court. Apart from sounding and looking like Chinese food to the unsuspecting eye, they were anything but. They had things like "Satay Chicken" and "Mongolian Beef", the common fried noodles and/or fried rice, served with a spork. I'd have these when I was missing home, then miss mommy's cooking even more later.
3. Pizza Shapes
If you watched an Australian channel, you may have seen their commercial. They'd zoom in on one of the pizza-flavoured snack to find a mini cartoon operatic tenor character à la Pavarotti standing on the biscuit, singing his lungs out. These things were super tasty, and really addictive!
4. Tim Tams
Ahh. The World-renowned chocolate biscuits. Forget the flavoured or double-dipped ones. The originals always win. I used to bite off two corners, directly opposite from each other, then dip one end into cold milk, and suck on the other; using the cookie as a straw. Don't really know why I did it; the milk tastes the same, and the insides of the Tim Tam gets soggy. Hmm. I do like soggy things.
5. Cherry Ripe
Usually anything "cherry flavoured" tastes like bad cough syrup. But not these. The inside of these chocolate bars consist of the perfect blend of juicy cherries and coconut, covered with chocolate. I do believe they're an acquired taste, as not many of the people I've introduced them to likes it. Totally underrated.
6. Anzac Biscuits
One thing I regret is not actually being in Australia during Anzac Day, though I'd have some friends save me some of these biscuits upon my return. If I'm not mistaken, they're basically oatmeal cookies with a hint of sugar & desiccated coconut. I've tried making them on my own once.. Need more practice.
7. Fairy Bread
These are one of the weirdest, yet happiest foods I had there. My friends made these during our LGBT parties.. Wait. All our parties were LGBT parties. LOL. These were colourful and fun! All the better for the occasion. It's really just white bread with butter and hundreds & thousands.
8. Weet-Bix
It started with a half-box of leftovers my housemate had. She thought it was gross and wanted to throw them out. I asked to try some, and after my first bite, I was in love! I had a constant supply of these in my pantry. It has a whole-wheat bran kinda taste. Some people eat it with milk, honey, and fruits. I eat it on its own. Yes, it's really dry, flaky, crumbles easily, and if you talk while munching on them, it kinda sprays out in wheat-y puffs. I usually grab a few and chomp them while I walk to uni so I don't have to worry about the mess.
9. Golden Gaytime
Umm... They were good.
I want a Gaytime now.
10. Jesters Pies
Jesters make great pies. I used to swear by them. But at around 5 dollars each, they're a costly affair. Only when I felt like indulging, I'd get 3 or 4 of these, inhale them at one go, then feel bad about myself later.
11. Kailis
I used to go to Fremantle a lot, 'cuz I lived nearby. Fremantle is a port city, Southwest of Perth. There's a constant battle between two fish markets/restaurants there; Cicerello's and Kailis. Some of their customers are fiercely loyal *rolleyes. If you happen to drop by Fremantle, I'd suggest trying them both and rate them for yourself. But if you can only pick one, choose Kailis!
12. Little Creatures
Speaking of Fremantle, it's also home to one of the best microbreweries beer in Oz! Naturally, they're a bit pricier than the big manufacturers but it's worth it (every now and then). There's also a tavern at their microbrewery, which serves bar food & snacks. I can't remember much as I've only been there a few times, and it's always packed. You can find a variety of their bottled brews from most local bottle-O's. My favourite's the Pale Ale. Mmm...
13. Passion Pop
Since I'm already talking about alcohol.. Here's the cheapest way to get wasted down under. And by cheap, I mean affordable AND trashy. Haha. These 750mL bottles of fruit pop cost only 4 to 5 dollars each, and contain about 10% alcohol (I think?). But hey, it's bubbly, so you can pour it into a plastic champagne flute and look classy... And if you're in your mid-twenties onwards, say hello to Mr. Hangover.
14. Masters
You know what makes me really happy?
I love a nice tall glass of chocolate fucking milk.
Not just chocolate milk.
Chocolate fucking milk.
It's sex in a glass.
15. Dim Sims
There's this 'fish and chips' shop near where I live, and I used to go there for a fix of heavily-battered deep fried fish, squid, prawns, fries, onion rings, and... dim sims. I saw it on the menu, and I couldn't resist ordering them to find out what the hell they were.
Deep. Fried. Dim Sum.
Dim Sims.
It's kinda like deep fried shumai, but not exactly.
I'd always tell myself to never order that again, but whenever I'm back at that shop, it's what I'd do.
"One seafood platter. A side of onion rings. Yes, that's all. Fourteen-fifty? Can I have dim sims with that?"
Oof.