Eating Challenges

[Mo-Nercy]

I assume we all know of a few places in our respective local areas that offer eating challenges. Usually they take the form of finishing a massive amount of food in a limited space of time, and you get the meal for free and sometimes your name/picture on the wall or a free t-shirt or whatever.

So I really want to do this. xD

My friend and I have looked into two possibilities:


Jack's Challenge at Outback Jack's. 1kg rump steak with potato wedges and steamed vegetables and it needs to be finished under half an hour. By completing the challenge, we would get a t-shirt and the meal for free.



The Ramen Challenge at Komachi Japanese Restaurant. No specifics available on the website (http://www.komachi.com.au/2012/04/06/the-ramen-challenge/), but the bowl looks massive. Have to finish both the noodles and soup in one hour. By completing the challenge, we would get a $100 meal voucher and the meal for free.


I'm leaning towards the ramen. Mostly because I think half an hour for that much steak and sides is impossible, but also because $100 seems more useful to me than a t-shirt.

Anyone ever attempt something like this before? Any advice/tips? Anything I haven't considered?

[Shorty]

No thank you. :stare:

[Ergroilnin]

Actually no, I don't know any restaurant challenges in my country but I have always wanted to try some.

[noxious.sunshine]

I want to try the BWW wing challenge too, but I've tried that inferno whatever sauce. Ain't no way in Hell I could do it.

[Araciel]

those two challenges are weak sauce. try DA Ultimate at big chris bbq in my hometown -

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[Mo-Nercy]

I once tried a teaspoon of chilli sauce that was "rated 13 out of 10 in hotness" at the local produce market. It was bad. Definitely the chilliest thing I've ever had in my life, but relatively tolerable. I feel I could do a chilli-based challenge.

That was only a teaspoon though. I imagine salivation would become an issue in larger amounts.



And that burger looks smurfing awesome, but I'd never be able to do that.

I think my strength will be in speed rather than sheer quantity. I can scoff food down pretty well. Our tactics talks has mostly been around the need to eat as much as we can in 20 mins, before the stomach starts communicating to the brain that we're full.

[Ergroilnin]

I think my strength will be in speed rather than sheer quantity. I can scoff food down pretty well. Our tactics talks has mostly been around the need to eat as much as we can in 20 mins, before the stomach starts communicating to the brain that we're full.

Do you chew on your food? Because if you do, then it's not all that good. I know that most speed eating contests people just gulp it down chewing maybe once or twice real fast.

[noxious.sunshine]

Someone go eat a ghost pepper.

Report your findings to me.

[fire_of_avalon]

I have had sauce made from ghost peppers. Purportedly.

Still have dead spots on my tongue

[Mo-Nercy]

Do you chew on your food? Because if you do, then it's not all that good. I know that most speed eating contests people just gulp it down chewing maybe once or twice real fast.
Well, I'm not attempting actual competitive level speed eating. Of course, I can't do 60+ hotdogs in 5 minutes or whatever, but I think for a single (albeit massive) plate or bowl of food, I can get a good pace going.

Those guys also dunk their food in water to soften it up before eating. That's just grosses me out.

[Nate]

I did the Blazin' challenge at BWW. It's no big thing. The heat lingers a little while, but it goes away.

The Quaker Steak and Lube Triple Atomic Wings are worse. I can't do that again.

[sharkythesharkdogg]

The food challenge thing is fine on it's own (I like spicy foods. I'd have to build up my tolerance again, but I've taken down a few hot wing challenges in my time.), but I don't like the way I feel it affects the rest of the menu.

Especially when it comes to portion size, there seems to be this theme of " a 12oz of angus ground beef patty with half a wheel of smoked cheddar sandwiched between a mountain of onion straws, 3 jalapenos, tater tots, and 8 strips of bacon. This monster is drenched in a cup of our very own honey maple ranch kickin cajun drizzle marinade. The cage for this beast is a beer bread bun, toasted and lined with our jerk spice butter spread. Served with a pound of sweet potato fries! Dig in, fatties."

I'm left wondering if maybe the sheer volume of food has started to replace the combinations of food. I like the idea of trying new things, like craft burgers, and the interesting flavor combos. I just don't need it to feed 4 people. Give me something unique, and in a reasonable serving size.

[Nate]

I think we can all safely separate food challenges into three categories, with hybrids of both:

Spicy: Can you eat all the hot food/drink here?

Gorging: Can you eat all the food/drink here?

Time: Can you eat all the food/drink here in a certain period of time?

After watching Man vs. Food enough, he tends to suck at the second too, and average at the first.

I think spicy's are the easiest.

[Formalhaut]

I like to enjoy my food slowly, so speed eating challenges do not appeal to me in the slightest!

As for the other type of challenge, the 'eat this huge meal in [x] time' one, again, I like to enjoy my food, and frankly I don't know how someone's stomach could fit all of that in, let alone the consequences afterwards...

I imagine I could probably eat that Jack's challenge one, if I had unlimited time, and plenty of water, and took it reaaally slowly. I wouldn't enjoy it though.

[Iceglow]

These sort of things aren't hugely popular in the UK. However, it is growing in popularity with the rise of shows like Man Vs Food and also YT channels like Epic Meal Time.

That being said, most of the challenges you get in the UK are way out of proportion to that which the average Brit can manage due to the fact that our portion size on average is a lot smaller than the USA. I remember Paul linking to one in particular about steak. However, the steak was so huge that it didn't even look cooked properly. It looked burnt on the outside, raw in the middle and was described as "medium rare" by the papers. It wasn't medium, it was just cooked badly.

Ultimately, some of them look amazing, especially some of the crazier stuff that actually could work done on shows like Epic Meal Time. However, I barely manage to eat a plate and a half in your average all you can eat China Town buffet. I doubt I'd ever be able to do one of these.