JP/19/R00

JP/19/R00

Outback Steakhouse dishes up authentic slice of home

Karen Stingemore
The Jakarta Post/Jakarta

One of Jakarta's leading Western restaurants (in terms of sales)
does not specialize in burgers and fries but, rather, lists
dishes such as Bushman 'Shrooms, Walkabout Soup O' The Day,
Chicken on the Barbie and Land Rovers (giant steaks) as some of
its signature dishes.

The Outback Steakhouse, an Australian-theme restaurant,
provides a laid-back atmosphere -- much like the attitude of many
from the antipodean nation -- so it is no wonder that many Aussie
expatriates frequent the two restaurants in Ratu Plaza and Pondok
Indah Mall, South Jakarta.

Owner of these restaurants Prasoon Mukherjee said 40 percent
of the restaurant's clientele were expatriates, with the majority
Australian.

"The Australians who eat at my restaurants say they like going
there because it gives them a slice of home. They enjoy the
relaxed atmosphere and the humorous names of our dishes, such as
the Kookaburra Chicken Sandwich and, most importantly, they enjoy
the range of food we have to offer," Mukherjee said.

Mukherjee owns nine such restaurants across Southeast Asia, in
Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines.

He chose to become involved with them because he liked the
concept of a restaurant dedicated to an Australian theme and he
chuckled when he explained how the idea for the restaurant was
conceived.

"After watching the classic Australian movie from the 1980s,
Crocodile Dundee, which starred Australian "larrakin"
(mischievous) actor Paul Hogan, the American founders were
inspired to create a restaurant that featured everything from
boomerangs to Aussie beer," he said.

"It was obviously a winning concept because The Outback
Steakhouse has now taken the crown of the world's number-one
casual dining restaurant and has grown from a couple of outlets
in 1988, when it was founded, to 1,000 restaurants dotted around
the world now."

Mukherjee believes there are three key reasons why the chain
has been so successful.

He said the first was because the best Australian, specially
bred grain-fed beef, was used for its Land Rover steaks.

"Second, every waiter is only ever assigned to work at three
tables at a time, thus providing more personalized and efficient
service," he said

"Third, is the financial system offered by the company. It is
a classic and mutually beneficial system where investors give
shares to the general manager and in five years can buy back the
general manager's shares."

The restaurants say they pull in about 7,000 customers per
month, which equates to about US$2 billion rupiah in monthly
turnover; Mukherjee said sales were rarely affected by outside
issues, although political problems occasionally caused patronage
to drop.

Visitors to The Outback Steakhouse are mostly families and
entrepreneurs between the ages of 30 and 50.

Mukherjee intends to continue to grow his market share by
boosting the restaurants' advertising.

He said the outlets were currently advertised in newspapers
but predominately on radio because the traffic was so bad in
Jakarta; with people spending so much time in their vehicles it
was the medium that reached the target most effectively.

"We are about to start advertising on buses, which is pretty
exciting," Mukherjee said.

The most popular dishes at the restaurant are the Rockhampton
Rib-Eye, either a 225 gram or 285 gram rib-eye steak named after
a town in the Australian State of Queensland renowned for
producing top-quality beef; the dessert, Chocolate Thunder From
Down Under, which is a pecan brownie with ice-cream, chocolate
sauce, cream and chocolate shavings; and Bushman 'Shrooms, which
are mushrooms breaded and deep fried and served with spicy ranch
dressing.

For those wanting to experience a popular Aussie pastime,
customers can try The Big Bloke Draft, a big beer that is the
best part of a liter.

The design of the restaurant adds to its relaxed atmosphere,
with its open spaces and subtle decor of light-tan-colored woods
and large block tables.

Pictures of Australian landscapes adorn the walls, from scenes
of Sydney Harbor to bush settings; fluffy kangaroos and koalas,
boomerangs, maps and flags also add character to the design.

In terms of the Australian authenticity of the restaurant
there are certain things that don't quite ring true, such as the
Buffalo Chicken Wings, which are not really Australian food but
more an American favorite; however, these small mistakes can be
overlooked because the restaurant successfully plays on many
Aussie cliches.

As the founders watched the playful and geneneralized images
from Australia in Crocodile Dundee the restaurant was probably
never intended to be taken seriously, and its Australian
customers appreciate that.

The restaurant's simplicity and humor are undoubtedly
Australian and, as one Australian customer said, vital
ingredients for a good time.