Why Melbourne's at the Top

Rays of Light

I was sitting in my beginner yoga class the other day. We had just finished chanting the opening prayer, which bears uncanny similarity to Madonna’s lyrics, and I was quietly focusing on my breath. My attention wandered and I was suddenly aware of the heavy steps from the players’ feet on the hardwood floor of the billiards hall above. Rhythmically pounding, there was techno music emanating from the aerobics studio a floor below. Amber rays of the setting sun filtered through the windows and gently lifted the dim light from the candles of the yoga centre. As I opened my eyes, I managed a single thought: “Where the bloody hell am I?”

Each year, some obscure organization publishes a list of the worlds’ best and worst places to live. Three cities regularly compete for top on the list of desirable locations. I’ve been living on and off in Vancouver for several years, taking advantage of the incredible surrounds and relaxed lifestyle. I’ve spent time in Zurich where my family originates, sampling the high standard of life and chocolate. Now, after being here four months, I can easily see why Melbourne, Australia will forever hold a spot at the top.

It’s Bustling at the Top

The evolution of the City has resulted in some pretty interesting places. Melbourne is, hands down, the coolest city I have ever had the pleasure of visiting. Granted, I have not even been to any of the outer suburbs where most of its 4.2 million people live, but I don’t care. In and around the City (aka Downtown), are dozens of areas unique in residents, style of foods, shops, and ambiance. For one month I lived in St. Kilda, the yuppie-filled Caucasian capitol of Melbourne beach culture. A short stroll from the beach, I had access to cake and pastry shops, good cafes, and no less than four gelato stores. The weekly night market attracted backpackers, dogs, families, and patchouli drenched hippies. Here, for $5, you could buy a cup of organic chai, a small sarong, or a small teepee to house your ‘crystal’. I don’t know what they are either – it’s some hippie thing.

Now, I’m living on the other side of the city where the real people are. Fitzroy is grungy, groovy, cheap, and varied. Like Vancouver’s Commercial Drive, only with more patios, better coffee (yes, I freely admit this), and less smelly people. Bars are open late, clubs even later, and there are people relaxing any time of day, every day of the week. My favourite hang is a place called Bimbo Deluxe. They have meal-sized pizzas for $4; try the Nicoise, topped with sardines, a tuna steak, olives, beans, tomatoes, lettuce, and dressing. Across the street is a colourful little place called Trampoline. My all-time favourite gelato is from Mondo in Vancouver, but this stuff comes pretty close. They make this amazing sesame seed and burnt caramel that is unlike anything I’ve ever tasted. And the people serving it are all pretty. This makes a difference.

Ten minute’s walk from my house is Victoria Street or, as I call it, Little Saigon. Produce is cheap and Asian. Smells are similar. Food is amazing and quick. I ate crocodile in XO sauce. Didn’t taste like chicken. Tasted like XO. Red bull is plentiful as are those weird Asian sweets made with red bean and taro and stuff.

Dense Breads and Heavenly Beans

Anywhere you go in this city, there are restaurants, eateries, good bakeries making European style breads (Wonder bread, eat your heart out!) and people enjoying all of these. Café culture has been taken to an extreme. Over the past few years, several thousand patio licenses have been issued in Melbourne and people will happily chose to eat on the street under the warm sun. These people know their coffee and they can make an awesome cuppa. I’ve worked at Starbucks for a year or so and applied as a barista in a café in South Melbourne. Let’s just say that my supposed “coffee making skills” didn’t quite froth the clients the right way. Melbournians have refined the art of making coffee to a full-time profession. Every cup of delicately prepared java is served in the same style of small glass (yes, I said glass). Mugs are for the uncivilized. Drip coffee, the standard at Tim Horton’s and Joe’s Grill, is considered a waste of beans and isn’t served. Not even at Starbucks.

As for food, I’ve never seen a culture so eager to sit, eat, and drink on a regular basis. There are people lounging in cafes, restaurants and bars at all hours. Sometimes, I wonder if anyone actually works. Alas, they do enjoy the spoils of their labour. Food is amazingly variable in price and spice. However, quality is high and presentation is always top. Menus are directed at any and all palates, from those looking for a quick grease trap in a meat pie, to someone who actually knows the difference between pancetta and proscuitto. It’s enough to make a seasoned food experimenter like myself shudder at the thought of all the possibilities that this city holds.

The only complaint I have regards the sushi. Maybe I have been spoiled in Vancouver, where all-you-can-eat is the way to go, but a lunch can cost you $5 with miso soup. Melbournians have embraced sushi in a bastardized form. That’s the only way I can put it. Sushi rolls are sold as a roll. Not cut into pieces. If you eat in at a restaurant or café, they serve it to you on a nice plate. As a whole roll. If you’re in a hurry and choose takeaway (to go), expect them to place the rolls into a paper bag. Apparently, you’re supposed to eat the sushi as if it were a hot dog. This is really stupid. And gross. And messy. And totally unnecessary. Wasabi, by the way, costs extra. The Japanese would do well to Kamikaze this little habit.