jayr

Ate in an RSl at Caloundra, cheap and noticeably so, but still better than Sizzler. We saw huge queues at Sizzler around Christmas/New Year, God only knows why, and I hate the way you walk in and have to choose everything you're eating and pay for it before you get a table.

dotty

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Kiwipaul
Thanks, but no thanks, if it dosn't come with chips I don't want to know.

That post was not intended for you. Just funny how they came up, I was suggesting a good restaurant to Jayr.

jayr

[QUOTE]Originally posted by dotty

Dotty

Will definitely look it up next we're up in Maroochydore, been searching for a decent Indian since we got here. Ordering one in tonight from our favourite so far, looking forward to it. At about $50 for two it's expensive relative to other types of takeaway but definitely worth it. Coming from Birmingham we were spoilt for choice, would have some imported if we could.

Have a good weekend

pommie bastard

The only steak I have enjoyed here was at Hogs Breath Cafe which is a group all around Australia , count on over $100 for two but they know how to treat a steak.

http://www.hogsbreath.com.au/launch.htm

Mandy Bale

mmmm hogs breath cafe steak is to die for!!! good service in the one here too, and great cocktails.

I have to admit though that the steak I get from the butchers here is far superior to the steak from the butchers in the UK. My mum used to breed Dexter cattle back in England and that was the best steak I had ever tasted, until I came here and tried the local butchers. Its not a bad price here either, I paid $14 last week for a whole beef fillet and it was absolutely gorgeous. I don't mind paying if it is good. The chicken is nicer too and you can buy double skinned chiken breasts here by the kilo and they are huge. One double breast is plenty for 4 of us. It usually costs around $8 a kilo.

We don't eat out much so not sure what the going rate is for a decent meal. Not sure what we paid at the hogs breath as hubby took care of it so didn't see the bill. We do get a lot of takeouts though and our favourite is Dominos pizza - $12.95 for two large pizzas (pick up only). Delivered is extra $5. We have a decent chinese just down the road too and $30 would buy plenty for a family of 4. We have found a nice Indian near here too (Mother India in Middle Dural) and they will cook you a Chicken Tikka Masala if you ask them. We had a takeaway from them a while back but can't remember how much it was, but it was delicious and good quality. There are some poor places out there too, there is another indian round the corner and its horrible, everything tastes the same, but its cheap so I guess you get what you pay for. Cafe's and restaurants in the shopping malls seem to be very over priced but there are some nice cafe's in the garden centres around here that are reasonable. I get a nice Chicken Salad and a large coke for $12.

We spend about $180 - $200 per week on groceries for a family of 4, but it really depends on what I'm buying. I tend to buy my meat in bulk, weigh it out into protions and freeze it, so some weeks our food bill is less, some weeks more. Cheapest apples I've seen in the fruit market have been $2.98kg. But most of the fruit and veg is local procuce so very fresh and delicious. and you can drive up the road and buy straight from the grower too. What is expensive here though is the packaged ham (can't stand the stuff anyway) and the packaged bacon.

I suppose your food bill depends on what sort of food you like. We eat a lot of veggies and fruit, and don't overdo it with the meat, I don't tend to buy crappy expensive stuff for the kids lunches or any crappy snacky stuff, I keep meals simple and easy.

Oh and I haven't managed to find a decent sausage that I like yet! they seem different to the ones in England, probably less crap in them!!

Mandy

PeteY

Good post Mandy, very informative.

Any i agree on the sausages.....they were all pretty naff when we were over there The only ones that we liked were homemade jobbies by the local butcher.

One thing that struck me in oz was the lack of water that comes out of the meat when its cooked. It was great .
Fry/grill a chicken breast over here and the thing is boiling itself after 2 minutes when the all water comes out. It also shrinks to half its original size !

Im gonna miss fish and chips too when i get over there. They seem to have a very different flavor in oz. I suppose they much use a different oil or somthing?

Cheers

Pete.

pommie bastard

You bought a whole fillet for $14 , rubbish you steal it?

Mandy Bale

Gods honest truth. Told you our butcher was good!

Mandy

pommie bastard

Must be the wrong side of Australia here we pay $30-$40 and its not that great but better than the rest of the shoe leather sold here , Hogs Breath Cafe is good because they Marinated it 24 hours before they cook it makes the steak here taste like meat.

dotty

Mandy what are you doing to the butcher to get meat that cheap?

Muad'Dib

Why a cow is like a chicken

Kiwipaul

Sanity prevails, so you see you can good food here without taking out a mortagage. Good on you Mandy

And as no one has yet slagged off the Hogs Breath, let us assume this is a Good Steakhouse (as I def agree with that).

If you look on their web site you can see the price of their meals.

Hogs Breath

You'd have to try real hard to spend more than $50 per person here for a meal.

PS I ignore cost of drink as that could be anything from $0 (iced water free) to champayne $$$ and dosn't give the people in the UK a fair comparison.

pommie bastard

You are a tight arse ? a two course meal with drinks cost us $110 at the Hogs Breath Cafe at the weekend , everything is an extra.
Price of extras and drinks count not all of us have your mean attitude , by the way the service is slow in order to make you drink more , works for me.
The meat is good as I have pointed out because they marinate it for 24 hours to get some taste into it .

Muad'Dib

I Was A Nike Marketing Victim

Jess Land

'aspirational reasons and desire to fit in with a reference group'

Kiwipaul

Just because you spend as much on Alcohol as you do on food (maybe more), don't expect everyone to do the same.