Sydney :: Bourke Street Bakery

Sunset above the clouds 35,000 feet above sea level, crossing the Pacific, hello Australia!
I love the window seat :-). 

My last day in Canada was incredibly hectic. I met my final deadline within a few hours of departure. Those few hours were spent having one last bowl of bibimbap and cramming everything I'd need into my backpack. How I managed to pack and jump in my friend's car in 40 minutes is still beyond me - or perhaps it was for the best? It left little time to debate over silly things like what clothes I'd need or go online to check things like the weather. I just shoved a few things into a backpack, haphazardly booked a hostel, and left. "I'll figure it out there" I thought as I literally ran out of the door and hopped into the car.

While neglecting Cookies & Tomatoes, I certainly enjoyed an epic Oceania trip!
I am just about to...
leave Sydney,
fly out of Melbourne,
travel south from Hervey Bay,
I am bleary eyed, ready for bed, and unsure of my next steps. Instead of doing a bit of research to figure out where I'll be 2 days from now (somewhere along the East Coast) I decided to give a quick update. I don't have time to upload and post pictures of my eats on a daily basis, so I expect these Oz posts to continue long after I return from Canada. In fact, tonight I'm just going to post my first Aussie eat then head straight to bed! I love this website, but I think it's okay to leave it on the wayside while travelling :)
depart to New Zealand
(This is where I gave up and decided to stop trying to update this website)

As I mentioned, this blog will become a mixture of Toronto and Oceania food over the next few months. My initial drafts had clumped cities together with travel photos, but the posts became monstrously big. To save bandwidth and keep posts a reasonable lengths, I'm adapting them to match the rest of this site - 1 chow/post :-).
I was beyond excited when we approached Australia and saw the beautiful ocean with the bright colours...I couldn't wait to explore what was underneath. The colours from the reefs were fantastic and tempting!

Bourke Street Bakery Verdict: Yummy fennel seed sausage roll :D Meal: Breakfast/Lunch Location: 633 Bourke Street, Surry Hills, Sydney, Australia

Oh and I was wrong - I did have one last cup of Canadian coffee before landing in the Valley of Pies (aka Australia):

Sketchy waffles, the novelty of drinking airplane Second Cup, spraying down the plane

I can't believe I forgot to pack airplane food for once. Not a fan of Air Canada food.. We also had a questionable meat dish. I was surprised when we were asked not to leave the plane until everything was sprayed. Officials milled around the aisles and spread insecticide all over the cabins while tourists stared in curiousity. Another Canadian noticed a few dead flies by his suitcase when he pulled it out, so I guess it works!

I will from now on!!

After a lo-o-o-ng flight with a sketchy Air Canada dinner and breakfast, I found my way to my hostel. The transit system is pretty straightforward in Sydney and I had no problems figuring out how to get from the airport to King's Cross. Locals have been appalled by my praise for Sydney Metro - but when it comes to public transit, it's not hard to impress a girl who relies on the TTC.

Ozzie Tip #1: If you like jaywalking, take note of the side of the road that cars drive on while travelling. I learned this when a truck driver angrily honked at me on Crown St. and slammed on his brakes. OOPS. Welcome to Australia!

Anyways, after dropping my pack off at the hostel, I hopped my way down to Bourke Street Bakery based on a recommendation given by a wonderful Australian fellow who used my Food Map on his last trip to Toronto. I was so pleased to be in the hot sun and the birds were so noisy...

It was a very busy and the cute little shop sells sandwiches, pastries, and sausage rolls. I decided to pick something less familiar. I was tempted to get one of their coffees, as I heard of "Flat Whites", however I didn't want to caffeinate myself in hopes of avoiding serious jet lag.

Mmmm...pork and fennel sausage roll was a quick and easy decision.

When asked if I wanted tomato sauce, I eagerly said yes, imagining a nice marinara sauce on top of the sausage roll. Imagine my surprise when I got a little double-binned packet of ketchup! I had no idea what to do with it, and upon closer inspection I noticed a little slit in the middle and realized that it would open if I gave it a little squeeze. Being the doofus that I am, I promptly did just that... and tomato sauce squirted on my face. Oops. Ozzie Lesson #2: Tomato sauce on face = not good.

Anyways, these packs are really convenient and I've seen them for ketchup (tomato sauce), tartar sauce, and sweet-chili sauce. Much better than ripping open our messy little bags of ketchup but probably a lot less environmentally friendly

On the plate, not my face...please!

I could definitely taste the fennel seeds in the sausage roll,and it was a pleasant snack after a long flight. I wandered a bit more around Surry Hills, spotting several cafes and shops around town and just soaked up the fact that I was in Australia!

I met a couple of nice locals here and they were surprised to find that I landed just a couple of hours prior. "How did you find out about this place? It's very local and away from the tourist spots". I told them about the awesome Australian food map that was made just for me and they gave me some suggestions for exploring the area.
A pleasantly, boring first post about my trip -no worries, things will pick up soon ;-). I'm off to the Australia New Zealand Club to meet some travellers!

Bourke Street Bakery Verdict: Yummy fennel seed sausage roll. Perfect in a little baggie when wandering the city. Meal: Breakfast/Lunch Location: 633 Bourke Street, Surry Hills, Sydney, Australia

Ozzie-Lessons:
1. Look left when jaywalking
2. Tomato sauce = ketchup. Do not squeeze it all over your face.