JP\/19\/R00<\/p>\n
Outback Steakhouse dishes up authentic slice of home<\/p>\n
Karen Stingemore
\nThe Jakarta Post\/Jakarta<\/p>\n
One of Jakarta's leading Western restaurants (in terms of sales)
\ndoes not specialize in burgers and fries but, rather, lists
\ndishes such as Bushman 'Shrooms, Walkabout Soup O' The Day,
\nChicken on the Barbie and Land Rovers (giant steaks) as some of
\nits signature dishes.<\/p>\n
The Outback Steakhouse, an Australian-theme restaurant,
\nprovides a laid-back atmosphere -- much like the attitude of many
\nfrom the antipodean nation -- so it is no wonder that many Aussie
\nexpatriates frequent the two restaurants in Ratu Plaza and Pondok
\nIndah Mall, South Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Owner of these restaurants Prasoon Mukherjee said 40 percent
\nof the restaurant's clientele were expatriates, with the majority
\nAustralian.<\/p>\n
\"The Australians who eat at my restaurants say they like going
\nthere because it gives them a slice of home. They enjoy the
\nrelaxed atmosphere and the humorous names of our dishes, such as
\nthe Kookaburra Chicken Sandwich and, most importantly, they enjoy
\nthe range of food we have to offer,\" Mukherjee said.<\/p>\n
Mukherjee owns nine such restaurants across Southeast Asia, in
\nSingapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines.<\/p>\n
He chose to become involved with them because he liked the
\nconcept of a restaurant dedicated to an Australian theme and he
\nchuckled when he explained how the idea for the restaurant was
\nconceived.<\/p>\n
\"After watching the classic Australian movie from the 1980s,
\nCrocodile Dundee, which starred Australian \"larrakin\"
\n(mischievous) actor Paul Hogan, the American founders were
\ninspired to create a restaurant that featured everything from
\nboomerangs to Aussie beer,\" he said.<\/p>\n
\"It was obviously a winning concept because The Outback
\nSteakhouse has now taken the crown of the world's number-one
\ncasual dining restaurant and has grown from a couple of outlets
\nin 1988, when it was founded, to 1,000 restaurants dotted around
\nthe world now.\"<\/p>\n
Mukherjee believes there are three key reasons why the chain
\nhas been so successful.<\/p>\n
He said the first was because the best Australian, specially
\nbred grain-fed beef, was used for its Land Rover steaks.<\/p>\n
\"Second, every waiter is only ever assigned to work at three
\ntables at a time, thus providing more personalized and efficient
\nservice,\" he said<\/p>\n
\"Third, is the financial system offered by the company. It is
\na classic and mutually beneficial system where investors give
\nshares to the general manager and in five years can buy back the
\ngeneral manager's shares.\"<\/p>\n
The restaurants say they pull in about 7,000 customers per
\nmonth, which equates to about US$2 billion rupiah in monthly
\nturnover; Mukherjee said sales were rarely affected by outside
\nissues, although political problems occasionally caused patronage
\nto drop.<\/p>\n
Visitors to The Outback Steakhouse are mostly families and
\nentrepreneurs between the ages of 30 and 50.<\/p>\n
Mukherjee intends to continue to grow his market share by
\nboosting the restaurants' advertising.<\/p>\n
He said the outlets were currently advertised in newspapers
\nbut predominately on radio because the traffic was so bad in
\nJakarta; with people spending so much time in their vehicles it
\nwas the medium that reached the target most effectively.<\/p>\n
\"We are about to start advertising on buses, which is pretty
\nexciting,\" Mukherjee said.<\/p>\n
The most popular dishes at the restaurant are the Rockhampton
\nRib-Eye, either a 225 gram or 285 gram rib-eye steak named after
\na town in the Australian State of Queensland renowned for
\nproducing top-quality beef; the dessert, Chocolate Thunder From
\nDown Under, which is a pecan brownie with ice-cream, chocolate
\nsauce, cream and chocolate shavings; and Bushman 'Shrooms, which
\nare mushrooms breaded and deep fried and served with spicy ranch
\ndressing.<\/p>\n
For those wanting to experience a popular Aussie pastime,
\ncustomers can try The Big Bloke Draft, a big beer that is the
\nbest part of a liter.<\/p>\n
The design of the restaurant adds to its relaxed atmosphere,
\nwith its open spaces and subtle decor of light-tan-colored woods
\nand large block tables.<\/p>\n
Pictures of Australian landscapes adorn the walls, from scenes
\nof Sydney Harbor to bush settings; fluffy kangaroos and koalas,
\nboomerangs, maps and flags also add character to the design.<\/p>\n
In terms of the Australian authenticity of the restaurant
\nthere are certain things that don't quite ring true, such as the
\nBuffalo Chicken Wings, which are not really Australian food but
\nmore an American favorite; however, these small mistakes can be
\noverlooked because the restaurant successfully plays on many
\nAussie cliches.<\/p>\n
As the founders watched the playful and geneneralized images
\nfrom Australia in Crocodile Dundee the restaurant was probably
\nnever intended to be taken seriously, and its Australian
\ncustomers appreciate that.<\/p>\n
The restaurant's simplicity and humor are undoubtedly
\nAustralian and, as one Australian customer said, vital
\ningredients for a good time.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/jp19r00-1447899208",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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