In Lima, Peru, the Outback Steakhouse lost its franchise after an unfortunate choking incident. The owners walked outside, pondered their storefront for a while, then changed the name to "Backcow" -- undoubtedly one of the finest restaurant names since Say Seng Pig's Organ Soup.
Unfortunately in Jakarta we just have a plain old Outback. It's in the Ratu Plaza electronics mall, so it's a convenient place to collapse with a Diet Coke when, in the words of the great Frank O'Hara, you have been practically going to sleep with quandariness while trying to figure out which gizmo you need for your computer.
4 comments:
I gave up eating red meat after my endo surgery. No red meat at all, only white (chicken, fish). Not sure if this actually helps me health-wise but to have the excruciating pain every month is not fun at all. Sometimes I was so tempted to go inside when I passed by the steak house ...*sigh*
I'm sorry to hear that, Elyani. At least one has a fair number of alternatives here, since Indonesians are chicken-obsessed, plus there's plenty of fish, and the amazing tempe and tofu. If you're craving a steak, though, tempe just doesn't cut it, eh?
If I am correct, the incident involved some WWF wrestler and a big piece of cow. A week after that, the restaurant name changed. In the same block you can find also a Hardley Davidson store, a Starbucks and a Friday's. I wonder what could happen if they loose their franchise names....."Let's have a burger at Thursday's!!"...I think I'll pass
The number of times an Indonesian (or American, when I was in the US) has said to me, "Hey, I know a great Australian restaurant -- you know Outback Steakhouse?" makes me want to scream, or cry, or possibly both. I feel they need a disclaimer: "This restaurant is an American venture based on the 'Crocodile Dundee' stereotype of Australians and Australian culture that bears no resemblance to any genuine Australian restaurant that has ever, or will ever, exist."
PS. I like your other comments on prostitution and the Lapindo mud. You've been busy... wondered why we never see you around!
Shelley
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