Don't Take Tim Turi To An Outback Steakhouse In Japan

Outside of a trip to England, I had never traveled outside of the country until this last week. That’s why I was thrilled to learn that Tim Turi and I would be going to Japan for the Tokyo Game Show. I was excited about experiencing such a radically different culture, especially when it came to culinary options. To say my diet in America is limited would be generous, as I exist on a diet of frozen pizzas, macaroni & cheese, and peanut butter sandwiches. I knew things would be substantially different in Japan, and I told myself that I’d be willing to try any and all food options available to me. For the first several days, we ate miso ramen, curry, sushi, and other Japanese favorites. Then Tim Turi saw an Outback Steakhouse and LOST HIS ****ING MIND.

I knew Tim’s previous job before Game Informer was waiting tables at an Outback in Roseville, Minnesota for eight years, but I had no idea how much of the restaurant’s Bloomin’ Onion sauce was running through his veins. We were walking around Shibuya when he spotted it at the end of the street, and immediately flipped out and started taking pictures of it.

It’s understandable that seeing a Japanese version of his former employer would be an interesting novelty, but it went much, much further than that for Tim. His reaction upon entering the restaurant would have been appropriate if he had discovered an exact replica of his childhood home, complete with Japanese versions of his parents and favorite toys.

There wasn’t a single item in that place that he didn’t go crazy about. “Oh my god…this is the exact same linen we use for our napkins! Oh wow, the menu is pretty different here…that’s insane! The bread is spot-on! Wait…they have nachos here?!? I want to work a shift here!”. He must have looked like an insane person as he took pictures of everything and recorded a video of the wait staff singing “Happy Birthday” to a kid.

Seriously, look at his face in the above picture. That’s not a “hey, look crazy while you stare at waiters’ uniform colors” type of thing, that’s a totally candid shot of him soaking the place in. I’ve seen Tim geek out about a lot of things over the last couple of years. He’s obsessed over the special stage music from Sonic Colors, was thrilled to interview Shigeru Miyamoto, and was blown away by the ending of Castlevania: Lords of Shadow, but I’ve never seen him this hyper and worked-up over anything. If I ever win the lottery, I hope I can muster half the excitement Tim Turi displayed over a ****ing Outback Steakhouse.