Café South Yarra

Welcome to Cafe South Yarra!
I have always liked good food and can’t do without several mugs of coffee to get me through my day. When the cafe culture picked up in my area, I must have been the most frequent visitor. I liked the idea of getting a bite to eat and my favourite coffee under one roof! Cafe South Yarra is an attempt to trace the Australian cafe culture and to act as a guide to those who, like me, enjoy trying out new cuisines in different restaurants.

I was curious about where it all started and my quest took me to strange places and stranger people! Would you believe that the cafe culture in Melbourne gathered momentum only in the mid 1950s? Since then, cafes have become not just coffee houses but a place to relax and read a book, conduct business, or do your regular work, while munching on your favourite food and sipping on that all important mug of coffee.

I enjoy visiting all kinds of cafes. I’ve even had the pleasure of enjoying a coffee pub ambience in an internet cafe! The best I think was a beachside cafe that was positioned right on the beach in a gazebo. The tables and chairs were placed in such strategic spots that every table had an unhindered view of the ocean. The breakfast buffet was something to die for. The smell of fresh toast, frying eggs, bacon, and ham would waft out from the chef’s corner, where you could stand and see it being made just for you.

Roadside cafes are another attraction for me. Nothing can beat the slow movement of time that invariably accompanies chilling out at a roadside cafe. Slowly forking mouth-watering delicacies into my mouth, and watching the world pass me by is an unforgettable experience. Although Paris is famous for its roadside cafes, there are several in Australia that can offer stiff competition.

In Cafe South Yarra, I hope to capture the true essence of eating out, which combines the pleasures of good company, tasty food, soothing ambience, and courteous service. I will be writing about different aspects of dining at restaurants and cafes. I will also be compiling some authoritative links to sites that are geared to give you important information on restaurants. You will also find here several articles by experts on what to look for while selecting a good restaurant or cafe and how to make bookings. I have also managed to find some interesting stuff on the Yarra Valley Region’s wineries. What is good food if it is not accompanied by good wine?

I have several friends who have immigrated from different countries, and always had difficulty in understanding our culture. They had several questions about restaurant etiquette and when it is acceptable to tip in a restaurant, hotel, etc. I have included a tourism section to answer all the queries that might pop up for anyone who is particular about doing it the right way.
I will also be bringing to you several restaurant reviews, based on experience I have gained in my travel all over the world. There will also be a section on the different cuisines, including Korean kosher Latin American Lebanese cuisines, that have made inroads into Australian restaurants and what dish I found to be the tastiest in each cuisine be it Indian, Indonesian, International, and the price range, which restaurant serves takeaway and provides fast food delivery, etc. There will be a few exotic and continental European cooking recipes too that you could try out at home.

I have also interviewed some of our local chefs and restaurant owners to bring you a wealth of information on what goes on behind the scenes. I am also contemplating a section on careers in the restaurant sector and will try to give regular updates on the latest in anything related to eating out. I will also share with you easy steps on how to book restaurants cafes.

You will not be disappointed with what you find in Cafe South Yarra, as each article and post that has been put together comes from authoritative sources and you can be sure of finding exactly what you are looking for in these pages. It promises to be a one-stop resource that packs a lot of useful information.

Enter into the world of Cafe South Yarra, the best restaurant guide to find the best restaurants cafes that serve good food wine in your locality and in your city without having to scour the internet.

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Cafe South Yarra, in this section, brings to you all you need to know about tipping at restaurants and cafes in Australia. Ever felt confused about what is expected of you? This section will clear all your doubts on tipping and also share some valuable guidelines on restaurant etiquette.

Tipping is not generally considered to be a part of Australian culture although there are a few exceptions. Waiters earn a minimum of $15 per hour and all tips are generally shared amongst themselves. As such, tips don’t really occupy much importance other than perhaps as a way of gauging a customer’s satisfaction with their service.

Tipping is usually at about 10% in average in high-end restaurants when the customer is part of a large group that has taken up a lot of time or has run up a huge bill. It is not a required practice and many people don’t approve of tipping. Compliments and suggestions are usually welcome but rude comments or arguments with the waiters are discouraged.

Australian service is often more casual than in many countries, even in expensive restaurants and hotels. You will very rarely get fawning service in keeping with our relaxed national character that usually seeks to treat everyone as equals. We also don’t generally complain about service in restaurants. However, if you have received rude or incompetent service, you should complain, politely, or just never go back to that establishment again.

There are no compulsory service charges or gratuities relating to restaurants other than the GST, which is mandatory. A few restaurants may include a service charge for big groups or a public holiday surcharge at 10%. These additional charges are actually illegal under Sec.53c of the Trade Practices Act. Adding an amount, instead of a percentage, is legal provided the customer is told about it before they place their order.
However with credit card payments, especially Diners and AMEX that are not as accepted as Mastercard or Visa, percentage surcharges are pretty common. You will have to look for the fine print as card surcharges are not usually advertised but are included even in petrol stations, cafes, bars, etc.

Apart from restaurant tipping, even in cafes and bars tipping is not expected but there is a general practice of leaving coin change behind on the bar or putting it in a ‘tip jar’. Similarly, with home delivery, it is generally acceptable practice to tell the delivery person to ‘keep the change’. As far as tipping in hotels go, it is not common to tip concierges, luggage porters, or housekeeping staff.

Being rude or aggressive is generally not tolerated in restaurants and you are likely to achieve desired results by just being courteous and polite.

Even if the food at the next table looks very appetizing and you cannot resist taking a peek, make sure you don’t make an obvious display of your interest! Instead, discreetly ask the waiter to tell you what it is that is smelling or looking so good on the next table.
Snapping your fingers to get the attention of your waiter is also not acceptable behaviour. In good restaurants, the waiters are usually trained to hover in the background so it should be easy to catch their eye without making a production of it.

Eating out is not just about eating any more. It is about having a good time and enjoying different cuisines in a pleasant environment. Being waited on does have its pleasures and to make the most of it, always be polite and courteous. Even if the waiter gets your order wrong, it is not the end of the world, and you can express your displeasure without raising your voice.
Make sure you always compliment the waiter on the service and if you enjoyed the meal, there is no harm in conveying that too. If you plan to go back to the restaurant, it would help to be on good terms with everybody to enjoy good and speedy service.

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This section of Cafe South Yarra is a collection of excellent articles on how to choose a good cafe in Chapel Street to visit any time of the day for coffee and snacks.

Choosing a Great Cafe to Dine At

By Janes Taylors

Dining out for breakfast, lunch and dinner is becoming increasingly popular in both metropolitan and regional areas. There is something so relaxing about a cafe experience that Australians are just falling in love with. However, sometimes if you are new to an area and are unsure of what your local cafes have to offer, it can be a bit confusing to try and find a great little cafe haunt without running into disappointment after disappointment. Here is a simple guide to discovering ways to weed out the bad cafes and find a little gem that will always serve a great coffee and offer a place for you to escape.

Is there anybody in there?

The best place to start when looking for a great new little coffee shop or cafe is to keep an eye out for local spots that are busy. This is the first sign that the cafe is doing something right. If there is a line up for coffees, people are sitting at the tables and the staff look super busy, this will start to give you an idea of just how much demand there is for the place. While it’s not ideal for a cafe to be crowded as it can become quite claustrophobic, the beauty of a eatery like this is the gentle hum of hustle and bustle that can be heard while you sip on your latte or nibble on a scrumptious cookie.

Can they make a good coffee?

OK, so if you’re not a huge fan of coffee, that is not a problem. The question can be broadened to “can they make my favourite drink?” Great Baristas are hard to come by and everyone has their own preferences when it comes to how they like their coffee or beverage. If they can’t make your favourite drink well, your relationship with the cafe won’t last all that long. (Unless they do something else that is really appealing and impressive!)

How’s the seat?

After you’ve gotten over the hurdle of finding a cafe that is busy and if they can indeed make a great coffee, the next thing you will need to do is take a seat! Now this is an important one, because if you’re not comfortable sitting in the cafe how are you going to spend countless hours watching the world go by and enjoying your espresso? The best way to figure out if the furniture is comfortable is to sit and read a book. If you find yourself wiggling around in your seat, that’s when you know that you could be taking your next coffee to go!

A favorites cafe doesn’t usually win your heart just by having great coffee or lots of people coming and going, or even comfy chairs – it is a combination of them all! Once you find that great little spot that has all three you’ll be “sitting pretty” in a fantastic cafe that you can spend hours in alone or with friends.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Janes_Taylors

Healthy Eating Out: 9 Strategies for Controlling Your Inner Pig at the Restaurant

By Debbie David

Healthy eating out is possible and can be really satisfying. Healthy fast food and healthy restaurants are out there. But even when you don’t get to pick where you’re eating out, you can still eat healthfully. Here’s how…

Eating out is great – no one has to cook so everyone can enjoy the meal. You know pretty much that you’re going to like the food. The waitress is there to make your dining experience whatever you want.

But eating healthfully in a restaurant requires some new habits because there is so much that can undermine our good intentions. Because restaurants are designed to get us to buy more food. The colors, the music, the lighting, what’s printed on the menu, how the server greets you… all these are tools the restaurant uses to get you to eat more. It takes cunning to escape with your good intentions intact. They want you to eat more than you want to eat.

When you go into a restaurant you’re already programmed to expect a huge meal. So what can you do about it?

The fundamental idea in eating well at a restaurant is to control what’s on your plate. Order something that fits your idea of healthy food. If you can order a healthful meal, and just eat that, there’s nothing to go wrong. Get the salad, or have two healthful appetizers instead of an entree with sides, or split a dinner with someone else.

You may feel that low calorie meals when eating out are aren’t appealing or that the healthiest dinner on the menu may just be too big. In that case, you need to reduce the amount of food on your plate.

• Eating a healthy lunch comes from less on your plate…Do some planning and control your fate
• The easiest approach is: when the food arrives, decide how much of it you want to eat, and move the part you’re not going to eat aside. You can be subtle; no one else at the table has to know what you’re doing. Then when you have eaten your goal amount, call the waitress and have her put the remainder in a takeaway container
• If you find that this strategy doesn’t work for you because you end up eating the take home share too, you can advance to strategy two. That’s to call over the waitress as soon as the food arrives to bring you a takeaway container; you can put the part you don’t want to eat out of sight.
• If that doesn’t work for you, the next strategy is to ask the waitress to put half your dinner into the takeaway container BEFORE she brings your plate to the table.

It’s harder eating a healthy lunch…When you’re sitting with the pig out bunch

What about eating in a family-style restaurant where people share food served on communal dishes – like pizza or Chinese food? What you intended to be a healthy lunch out can become a nightmare if you end up eating too much just because it’s available.

Restricting what gets to your plate is still the key.

• It can also be really helpful to just slow down. If you slow down, other people are going to help you out by putting the food on their plates or in their stomachs.
• If you know the group, sit next to the slowest eater.
• Once you have your meal, be the last one to start eating and then eat at the same pace as the slowest eater. Most people tend to eat at the speed the group is eating.
• What about all-you-can-eat places, or family style restaurants where your group always orders too much? You should avoid them if you can. But if you have no choice, you can still eat healthy. The first few times after you’ve decide to change the way you eat, you’re going to need to be especially aware of what you’re eating. You need to form a plan before you put the first thing on your plate. Take time to prepare!

Eating out – Diets sinking…Overcome with a little thinking

• Don’t drink soft drinks with meals.
• And if you’re drinking wine, alternate a glass of wine with a glass of water.
• Never eat a whole dessert.
• If you really want to taste something, arrange to share a dessert with someone and then allow them to have the lion’s share. And if you really are ordering just to taste it, there is no harm in leaving some of it on the plate; those last few bites aren’t of any benefit to you. You should choose the size of dessert you want to eat, not let the cake cutter in the kitchen decide for you.

If you are eating out and choose to order something that’s more food than you want, which of the strategies are you going to use get food off your plate? Are you going to separate out the take home portion when it arrives, or have the waitress bring you a takeout container as soon as she serves you, or are you going to have her take half of your meal off the plate before it arrives?

The restaurant’s goal is to make money, not for you to eat healthy. And they use the latest research to encourage you to eat more.

But if you choose the strategies above, you’ll stay on track for healthy eating out.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Debbie_David
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