I sure wish I'd have had a McDonalds anywhere in sight when my "chicken and fungus" in Guilin, China came with the toes and the beak. I was thinking the fungus would be like recognizeable mushrooms, but it was like thick seaweed, almost like leather. I ended up across the street where I bought a Snickers ice cream bar. I think I needed some USA comfort food at the point when culture shock overwhelmed me. After a good nights sleep I was back on my feet and ready to explore Chinese cuisine again.
Except for In And Out Burger in California and Dick's Hamburgers in Seattle, I avoid eating at fast food restaurants.
However, when I am overseas I eat at KFC, Burger King and McDonalds every so often. And I also check out the McDonalds in whatever overseas city I happen to be visiting, more out of curiosity than anything else.
I think it is called the Mc Aloo chicken burger, in New Delhi, which uses a kind of Rice Cake in place of the bun. It is not bad, something different.
I think it is called the Mc Aloo chicken burger, in New Delhi, which uses a kind of Rice Cake in place of the bun. It is not bad, something different.
McAloo is a potato burger. With fries, of course. McMaharaja was the chicken one. Not my favourite McD of the world I have to admit, but what do you expect in a country where the majority doesn't eat beef.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jackal
Ah, yes...Aussie burgers with beetroot (pronounced bee-troot, not beet-root )!
The best hamburger I think I've ever had in my life was on the Sunlander train from Brisbane to Cairns. Wow. And yes, it had beetroot.
(Can't stand pickles, so I wish someone over here would try throwing beets on a burger!)
mmmmmmmm, once in a while I make an Aussie style burger here at home. Though I still can't quite match the one I had on the beach in Mooloolaba.
Australia may be the only place that "gets" the cheeseburger they way the US does. Its all about beef quality. Everywhere else in the world tends to season the meat far too much to try and hide poor quality. I remember having an especially bad burger at the bar in the Caledonian hotel in EDI. Tasted like it was 90% seasoned salt and 10% beef. So sad considering Scottish beef typically rocks.
when i was in korea, i couldn't resist trying McD's kimchi burger.
when i was in russia 16 years ago, McD (and pizza hut) were just starting out. the story i heard was that McD actually had to import the beef into russia, because local meat wasn't up to their standards.
for me, the main allure of McD in russia was that it was my first chance after almost a month to eat beef. yes, i had been eating meat up to that point. no, don't ask what animals it came from.
on my way out of russia, i was in finland for a few days. i walked into a McD in helsinki, saw that a plain hamburger cost 25 mark, and walked right back out. US$5 for a hamburger!
So.. do you darken the door of american fast food places while traveling abroad?
Yes. I've been to a McDonalds at least once in every country I've been to outside the US, except for Canada. It's my favorite place to get breakfast (here or abroad), and if I'm tired and need something in the late evening, it's generally a lot cheaper than hotel food.
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I guess the closest I've come is last October in Paris, I just wanted a coffee to take down the street with me. Not a 30 minute production in a cafe, just a mid-morning jolt. Snuck into a Starbucks for a latte, and ordered a danish as well. Still kind of ashamed, as there was a wonderful-smelling boulangerie a block later!
Personally, I think it's fun to go to a McDonald's at least once on an overseas trip just to see the local "specialties", like the kimchi burger and McAloo already mentioned. I've also seen an "Ebi Filet" in Japan and I'll never forget once in Paris when a friend who hated croque monsieurs ordered the "Croque McDo" not realizing what it was and promptly took a bite and spit it right back out like it was poison!
I've been to McD's in Munich after a nt at Oktoberfest.
I've been to PizzaHut in Glasgow, Scottland, just because we were starving. We made up for it with a nice Scottish pub crawl afterwards.
I've had Starbucks in Paris, because the person I was with is a partner @ SBUX.
I used to try some local dishes, but I always come back to KFC and McDonalds. So I mix them, sometimes I try something else, something I just wanna have a big mac.
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does SBARRO count as fast food? I dined at the one in Moscow near the train station about5 years ago. the occasion was that it was still very early and we had been deposited at the station in late afternoon to take the RED ARROW overnight to st petersburg. When the urge arrived, i couldnt face the pay toilets at the train station- holes in the ground- so off we went in urgent search of a 'real " rest room when , in cyrillic letters, a familiar sign loomed.
I sounded it out as "SBARRO" and it was!!!
the manager immediately pointed me to the spotlessly clean toilet , and i was so grateful and had such good karma aloft that me and my S.O spent the rest of the evening slowly dining there. it turned out to be interesting as there were exclusively locals who saw this as a night out and were well dresssed , mostly a hip crowd,but all ages represented.
The prices were somewhat higher than in the US so it must have been expensive for the locals.
Anyone find any other SBARRO overseas?
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Never had US fast food in China in all the years I had been going....but I had a heavy session in Chongqing with some guys I know. The next day flew to Shezhen absolutely dying....couldn't face regular food so I succumbed to KFC
Really, really good, but I was back on hard core Chinese stuff that evening
I've only eaten at US based fast foods in Dubai... here are my thoughts:
1) Chilis: Much better than states..no drinks though
2) Mcdonalds: Most products better, the bigger burgers (Big N' Tasty) Have a weird flavor to it
3) Burger King: Same
4) Dunkin Donuts: What kind of weird place opens a DD at 2pm? Morning coffee anyone?
5) KFC: kind of meh, only two options.. none of the great stuff like back in the states
6) Pizza Hut: the most disgusting thing in the history of time..
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