Scruffy Murphy's Goose Garden - Sydney

Uncork the Dom Perignon, Krug, and those 1980 Châteauneuf-du-Pape you've been saving for when the POPE drops by, lovely people!!! It's time to CELEBRATE - for Erique finally caved in and tried his FIRST EVER $6 steak in Sydney! Huzzah!

Yes, you heard it right. After years and years of being a pretentious a-hole ("$6 steaks are NOT food!!") ("$6 steaks aren't made from beef, they're just grilled dirty used flip-flops!!") ("If it's not wagyu porterhouse or aged fillet mignon, it's not beef!!"), I finally had my first taste of a true-blue (albeit not uniquely) Sydney dish, the $6 steak!! (on some places, it's $5 and on others it's $9, but usually no lower than $5 *shudderr*)

The venue of choice - Scruffy Murphy's. A Sydney institution, a beloved Irish bar. The very venue which has seen many, many drunken St Patrick's days. Don't be shocked - during my 6+ years in Sydney, I've never even once stepped into this famed establishment before this time. When I'm in a mood for some Guinness (or to accompany Mark my drunken Irish chum), I always go to Paddy Maguire's (another Irish bar in the City). The idea of going to Scruffy Murphy's always scared me. I mean I'm just a vulnerable Asian kid (oh, boo-hoo!) - what if I get taunted by those brash, intoxicated 7-feet tall Irish lads? What if they want to make conversations? What if some guys ask me stuff about er, football (or rugby? whatever you call it?)?? I can't even distinguish between the Sydney Swans and St. Kilda! I mean, I'm practically Niles Crane from "Frasier"!

But ho-ho-ho. What a surprise. The place was, at the time of visit, packed with mostly ASIANS. Koreans, to be exact. I mean, there were no drunken, brash, 7-feet lads! And it was a footy night! Just some occasional roars and screams not more than...I'd say...80 decibels or so.

I love Sydney.

Guinness

-> Pint o'Guinness. Ireland's greatest gift to the human race. A sip of this wondrous concoction will make life not worth living without it. If there's just one type of beer I am allowed to drink for the rest of my life, it'll be this one. As my lips touched the thick, creamy head, the unmistakable aroma of hops, malt, and barley enters my nose, and when you thought that it doesn't get any better than this - a refreshing, bubbly, delicious liquid streams from your throat and gets straight to the heart - truly a blissful, unforgettable experience.

Rating: 10/10

Rump Steak with Mushroom Sauce

-> Here we go...the verdict. Hm...what should I say, what should I say. Hmm. Oh, all right, I LIKE IT, okay!! There, I SAID IT!! It's NICE! Please don't make me come back there! (or make me. I mean, whatever). *scoffs*

Rating: 7/10

Rump steak with Diane sauce

-> Slightly better than the mushroom sauce. Grilled perfectly to my order (medium rare). Rich, tasty Diane sauce which is heavy on the garlic

Rating: 7.5/10