McD's in India. Three weeks without red meat, I just had to.
I remember doing a similar thing in Phuket (Thailand) years back. I stayed the whole week in the city centre and there was nothing but Veggie food (it was time of the Phuket vegetarian festival - google it...v interesting). Being on a backpackers budget and having never handled more than the odd vegetarian meal I just had to! Believe me, after more than 6-days with no meat drove me insane!
Not counting those times in which I lived overseas:
1) Went to McDonald's on my last night in Helsinki last November because I was sick of struggling to find a decent place to eat that didn't cost me an arm and a leg. Therefore, I went to a low quality place that only cost me a couple of fingers in comparison
Usually I'll try to opt for the local version of fast food, whether that's street food or a cheap kebab place but as you can imagine, there aren't exactly a ton of vendors standing outside hawking Finnish specialties during November.
2) Had Popeye's at HKG prior to a KA HKG-KMG flight in 2004. I figured that I'd be having Yunnan cuisine all week long, so there was nothing wrong with having some fried chicken.
3) Used to go to KFC whenever I went to HKG when I was younger but have since discontinued the practice. A lot of people (including my father ) say that KFC tastes better in Hong Kong and Mainland China but I don't buy that any more.
LOL, great thread! Going to Manila in a few weeks and will be heading back to the Hard Rock. The best option there though is a place called Bubba Gumps, which is a Forrest Gump tribute restaurant. Classic place, if you want a waiter at your table you flip a card to "Stop Forrest Stop" (or something similar), and if not then you leave it on "Run Forrest Run". Too funny ... oh, and they give 10% off if you pay with AMEX, which was a plus!
McDonalds almost every day in Germany...for my wife! I refused to eat there and always found a great deli or GastHaus! So we both waited for each other to eat. :-)
God, I sometimes cannot help it! I've had plenty of fast food overseas (likely more than i eat here in the US)
In Turkey, I had the McTurko at McDonald's. McD's version of the "Doner" (or gyro to those of you who don't know). I've also had Dunkin' Donuts in Istanbul but it is very different and quite good.
In Paris, I've had: Burger King, TGI Fridays (my hosts took me here on Thanksgiving because they thought I missed the US. Not).
In London, I had Starbucks nearly daily. And, I paid more than 3 Pounds per coffee, at the time that was about $6 for Vanilla Latte.
Last edited by cblaisd; Jul 29, 09 at 2:44 am.
Reason: TOS http://www.flyertalk.com/help/rules.php#q88
Only once I have....it was during my first trip to Tokyo about 5 years ago and my last day there I had to try Pizza Hut (YUCK and I can't believe how expensive and disgusting it was...my goodness), and McDonalds (Fries and McTerriaki) just to see how it compared to their conterparts in the states.
Just went into a Starbucks in Paris a couple of weeks ago when my companion needed to use the facilities. On that steaming hot day I quite enjoyed the fruity frozen tea-based concoction I ended up ordering.
And I *almost* went into McDo's to use the WiFi, though I ended up not. I passed one Paris McDo in a bourgeois neighborhood that looked relatively upscale, with sleek modern furnishings and self-congratulatory "green" signs. But I passed because there was no indication of WiFi.
The only place I will look for a McD's is for breakfast in London.
Interesting....From my experience the UK McD's breakkies taste much better compared to some other countries like Australia. I'm from the UK so probably biased!!!
My father, at 78, went on a three-week Elderhostel trip centered in rural China. He reported in his first postcard that everything was great, except for the fact he was served nothing besides Chinese food.
He later confessed that when he hit Hong Kong on the way home, his first stop was a McDonalds, a chain he seldom patronizes in the US. He said he just had to have a decent "American" cheeseburger.
Programs: Diddlysquat on Dividend Miles and Mileage Plus...but my father is a Marriott Gold!
Posts: 101
I went to four Starbuckses (sp?) in Barcelona, because Spain doesn't do iced coffee, and I do iced coffee between April and October no matter what, especially when the temperature is approximately 35 C. I occasionally had my coffee hot, but I couldn't survive without iced coffee for 10 days.
I passed two Dunkin' stores - one in the Metro station at Plaça Catalunya, and one on Las Ramblas, but I prefer Starbucks.
) say that KFC tastes better in Hong Kong and Mainland China but I don't buy that any more.
