Vegas in Sydney: Great Steak at a Sports Betting Bar
Thanks to my friend, I got a free tour learning about the history and present of important buildings, and before I knew it, the sun had set and it was time for dinner. We first headed back to the hotel to drop off our shopping. As we were heading out, Yong-wan mentioned that despite living in Sydney for five years, this was his first time in Kings Cross. He said he'd only ever heard of it as a place where incidents happen just when you start to forget about them—like an Asian student being beaten to death a year ago—and never even thought about coming here. Have I been wandering around such a dangerous place without a care in the world...?
Since we had never been to this area, we obviously didn't know any restaurants. Without overthinking it, we went to a place in front of the hotel that looked like a large Korean-style pub. But what in the world? As we tried to enter, a security guard took our photos and copied our IDs. I wondered if it was some kind of shady establishment despite its exterior, but it turned out it was because it's a bar that also does sports betting.
According to Yong-wan's explanation, Australians really love gambling. It goes beyond just liking it; it's serious enough to be a social issue. Australian citizens receive unemployment benefits even if they don't work, so making a living isn't a problem, but it's common for many people to blow that money on gambling and end up on the streets. It's a bit surprising that a love for gambling is a national trait. I could understand it in an economically struggling country, but they don't seem to lack anything here... I guess human greed truly is endless.
Vegas
After entering with the feeling of having just passed through airport immigration, we decided, "We're in Australia, so we have to eat steak," and placed our order. We just ordered a T-bone steak assuming the portion would be big, but wow! It tasted incredibly good. Honestly, since it's a sports betting venue, the TVs were endlessly broadcasting horse racing and cricket, and the atmosphere was loud and rowdy, so I didn't expect much in terms of taste. But out came a steak that shattered my prejudices in one blow. It looked like they just roughly grilled a steak and squirted on some store-bought sauce, but to have this level of flavor... It's amazing.
Eating dinner at a pub like this is common in Australia. You could say it's the equivalent of us going out for samgyeopsal (pork belly) in Korea. Even so, coming from a country where restaurants and bars are strictly separated, it's a bit hard for me to wrap my head around. Plus, a steak feels like something you should order at a fancy restaurant after taking a deep breath, so ordering one here like a casual home-style meal feels really awkward. Personally, within the category of culture, food seems to be the part that people perceive most sensitively.
Australia: where a T-bone steak from a place not even on the map tastes as good as a famous restaurant in Korea.