No place in Melbourne has a wider array of tantalizing treats than the QV Square, a shopping arcade on Lansdowne Street. This square features an array of restaurants from casual, to sit-down. The QV Square also features an underground food court. Since Melbourne is a diverse metropolis with many cultures from around the world, this food court is an excellent representation of how cosmopolitan this Australian city is. There are stalls that sell Italian, Chinese, Japanese, Filipino, Malaysian, Vietnamese, and Indian food. Many Asian ex-pats live in Australia, and they have brought with them their national dishes. Not to mention Australia’s close proximity to the Asian continent has allowed them easy access to these unique foods. But the first thing I tried there was, get this, a bagel! Why would I travel thousands of miles to sample something that I could get anywhere? Maybe I was homesick or maybe I was eager to see how well Australia could replicate a food made famous in New York? As if a wide array of food stalls weren’t enough, this place also features a supermarket. The reason why I loved this place was because it was the first attraction in Melbourne I visited. Why did I spend a lot of time here? When I go on vacation to an foreign country, a make it a rule not to immediately visit all the tourist attractions. I want to interact with the locals, learn their ways, and perhaps make a new friend. I want to go where the locals hang out. And what could be more “local” than a neighborhood supermarket?! One thing remains clear: I’ll always look back on Melbourne’s QV Square as not just my first attraction in Melbourne, but my first meal in Australia!
