Sydney Winter Holiday 2014 (Day 3): Outback Steakhouse ~ Review and A Funny(?) Story

On our way back to the city after our little adventure at the Blue Mountain (see below for pict), we headed to Outback Steakhouse for a dinner stop.

Outback Steakhouse in SG is one of the many few dining place we often visit because of my dad and little brother. Hmm what's the difference between the branch in SG and Aussie? Ambiance, interior, concept... Just about everything is the same I guess. The dimmed light and laidback feel is there. The one main differentiator that I notice though is that you get the Full Bloomin' Onion only in Australia (at least that is my experience so far) and there's probably wider option in the menu in Aussie.

I have a funny story to share about this particular dining experience...
So I was in the washroom when my Dad ordered the whole meal. For some reason, he ordered a Peach Strawberry drink in a huge jug.
The drink came and after 1 sip, he had this look in his face.
He asked the waiter "is there alcohol in this?" The guy said "yeah"
We were shocked*

*We are not shocked because we hate alcohol or anything. It's just that: 1. We are a family who cannot drink much, a little of alcohol makes us flushed so bad 2. Deep down we're (or is it just me) cheapo so we'd like to finish whatever we order. 3. I'm probably the one that can finish the drink but I just ordered 3 small glasses of Margarita -.-
My mom freaked as she imagined a car full of drunk kids.

So I asked my dad what he ordered. He showed me the menu and there it was "Peach Strawberry SANGRIA" and to make things even more funny, there was actually a description on what alcohol mix were inside the drink just below the drink's name (there was rum and something something). Had I known, I wouldn't have ordered the Trio Margarita.

Anyway, so here's what we got.

Complimentary bread loaf to start the dish with some butter on the side. I'm a sucker for warm toasted bread and this was no exception :p and it's complimentary (yeah I'm a cheapo like that)

Baked Potato Soup. It was too salty. They need to cut down a bit on the cheese, in my opinion. The texture should also be a bit more creamy. Oh, and more potato and bacon please. I've had better Baked Potato Soup so just skip this.

Trio Margarita. We (okay, it's just me most of the time) had the Original, Peach, and Mango. I especially like the Mango for its sweetness. But I have to say I really like these Margaritas. It taste so refreshing and not too strong.

Oh and the 2 red glasses, that's the Peach Strawberry Sangria we talked about. It is actually a pretty nice and sweet drink. The alcohol is a bit strong though. I shall not comment further on the drink mainly because I am not a good commentator in this area.

Fried Calamari. You can never go wrong with a fried calamari. You can definitely skip this though, it's not sensational or anything. The calamari is pretty tender but the batter is just so-so. The sauces accompanying the dish were also just so-so

The Outback Special. Yum. It was cooked medium rare and the meat was those that just melts in your mouth. The gravy was salty and savoury which accompanied the steak well. You could actually make do without the gravy just because the steak itself was already good.

The Baby Back BBQ Ribs. Hmmm... I'm a bit divided on this. Hmm.... I'd say skip and get those at Hurricane's Grill instead. The experience of eating a gigantic ribs are more fulfilling in my opinion. These at Outback were okay I mean the meat is tender but I felt the sauce needs a bit more kick - more sweet and savoury perhaps. But don't get me wrong, these ribs still taste okay.

Bloomin' Onion. The star of all dishes. I have to be honest and say this was the only dish I was looking forward to. The presentation is really beautiful as you can see the layers and cuts of different parts of the giant onion. The seasonings were also really nice - it's not too salty and I can't really put my finger into what herbs they're using, but I really like the herb-y kinda taste to it.





Overall: I would just get the Bloomin' Onion, Steak and some drinks (like the Margarita) if I'm going there anytime soon. But is this restaurant a must visit? I'd say no. You might as well spend your meal on a more authentic and unique Australian restaurant.

I am glad to say that my dad drove really well that evening although we missed an exit once and had to make a very long U-turn. The car wasn't filled with drunk people since my little brother and mom decided not to drink. However, my sister was kinda drunk and on the lift to our apartment, she kinda vomit................. anyway all is well :)

So these were the infamous Three Sisters we payed a visit to at Blue Mountain before heading back to the city.

Now legend has it that a father turned his 3 daughters into rocks to protect them from a monster with a magic stick. Sadly as he was running to save his life (by turning into a bird), he lost grasp of the stick and was never able to turn his 3 daughters back to normal. Moral of the story: Don't play with magic (please excuse my lame joke). 

8 Lessons of Life to Learn from 2048

The wave may have ended a bit but face it....... You probably came across this game called 2048.
Either you're a victim of it (I'm guilty as charge) or post about it has been flooding your Facebook newsfeed, Instafeed or screens of your MRT/bus neighbour (cause admit it, there’s this creeper side inside all of us who just like to peek at others' smartphone screen, or is it just me? *-*). 

This morning I had this weird (and silly) epiphany about the game and thought I share it with you all... 

Lessons of life to learn from 2048:

1. Don’t be afraid to dive into something new EVEN if you have no clue as to what it is. I started the game without any idea on how to play it. Though it took me quite a few trial to realize how the game works (aka you can only combine tiles together if they have the same number), I manage to understand and I learn something. Only by challenging yourself to new things do you learn and expand your knowledge.

2. Ask around. Now I would have skipped lesson no.1 had I asked my brother (the veteran in the family) how the game works and what are the tricks to reach 2048. 2048 is a free game and there's no harm diving in head first but if what you're going to tackle upon is something huge (like opening a business?), then DO ask around and learn from others who know what they're doing. You can save your precious tome from making mistake and getting confused. 

3. Perseverance is important. This game may look easy but getting to 2048 takes time, did you ever count how many moves and tiles you need to make? A LOT. I don't think this point needs more explanation because we all know nothing comes easy.

4. Related to number 3... But sometimes you just have to let go and start over. Whether it’s wrong strategy, wrong move or whatever, there are times when it is actually better to restart and work on a clean slate. Now this is something that I still need to grasp upon because most of the time, I don't know when to let go especially when there's a goal in mind which brings me to my next point...
5. Having a goal is important. Had the game gives you no aim (aka achieving 2048 tile), I'm pretty sure you won't get so caught up trying to master it. Goals are important as it keeps you focused. 

6. When you achieved your goal, look further and prepare for another one. Just when you thought the game ended, there’s a whole new level to reach called 4096... 8192.. Heck yeah, they even expand the tile into 5x5.. 

7.  There's always a lesson you can take from just about anything. Or if you don't agree with this statement.. Go to No.7

8. Everything can be fluffed up ;)

Take this post seriously or laugh it off? It's up to you. What I hope is you find it entertaining :)