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Eating at chains while traveling abroad
It's springtime and it almost time for Easter. Which means it's Cadbury Egg time.
As a general rule of thumb, DH and I don't eat at chains while traveling in another country, and we try to avoid restaurants similar to what we have here in NYC (which is pretty tricky because this city has f'ing everything).
Anyway, the exception we made while traveling in Ireland a few years ago was McDonald's, for two reasons:
1) McDonald's in Dublin sells apple pies that are fried, not baked. A long time ago (if you remember) McD's fried their apple pies and they aren't as good now as they were then
2) McDonald's in Dublin sold Cadbury Creme McFlurries. I love Cadbury Creme Eggs and I like soft serve ice cream. Eating the two combined was fabulous.
So..... If there is a different menu offering at a chain, will you go to the chain just for that? or not?
Re: Eating at chains while traveling abroad
this sounds better than Girlscouts Tagalong Ice Cream! Yum!
I try to avoid chains when traveling, too. But, I probably would try things that were completely different on the menu. Sometimes even certain McDs in the states have different items- does anyone remember the low-fat chicken fajitas that used to be on the menu? Man, I loved those things and if I found them somewhere else I'd get one in a second. DH used to love McD's pizza- I've never even seen that. So yeah, if it was something different than what we can get around here that still sounded good, I might try it.
I admit to being curious about if the food at McDs or KFC in other countries tastes the same as it does in the states or if there are little variations. I haven't yet broken my rule but I would like to order a Royale with Cheese when I'm in Amsterdam next month (based solely on the facts that I love Pulp Fiction and like dipping my fries in mayo).
An American Girl's Travels
I like to look at the McDonald's menu, but I rarely see anything exciting enough to bother ordering it.
However, if I'm ever back in China, I guarantee I'll hit up KFC for the Lao Beijing Wrap! They should make that thing available worldwide!
I do visit a few chains when I travel, but they're mostly just things I like or miss that aren't available here. For example, whenever I'm in the UK or Hong Kong, I try to grab a Krispy Kreme.
That is one of my favorite scenes in one of my favorite movies!
I also like dipping my fries in mayo, but I mix a little ketchup in there too.
We don't eat a chains a lot either but will pop in just to see if there are menu changes. If we see something amusing we may eat that. So I find your proposal amusing. People I know who have been abroad for extended periiods tell me they go to McD's when they are feeling nostalgic & longing for home.
If you told me you were eating a chain because it was "safe" or you don't like local cuisine, that would garner a different reaction. For example, I will never understand why anybody goes to NYC & eats at TGIF or the Olive Garden.
Generally, I do not avoid chains -- fast food or otherwise. There is something to be said for consistency. And often, for me anyway, the experience of sharing the meal with someone is more important than what is actually eaten anyway.
That said, I do like to pop into a McDonald's at least once in each new place, just to see what the menu differences are. The first time I was in Montreal, the McDonald's offered pizzas. In Tallinn, there was a McFarmer, a ground pork burger. Here in Australia, there is a McOz with beetroot. Even the standard ingredient bacon changes with the countries as well. I fine it interesting to see the differences.
Also, sometimes the cute little restaurants you find are actually chains, only you don't know it. In Quebec, the "everything on a belgian waffle" place my family discovered walking around is actually a local chain. So is the popular Le Cochon Dingue. In NOLA, Cafe du Monde wasn't a chain until it was bought by investors who wanted to expand the business. And EVEYRONE who visits NOLA says to you must have beignets and coffee at Cafe du Monde. It's a chain, folks.
I'm pretty much the same as publius. I couldn't tell you the last time I ate fast food in the States, and I try to avoid chains as much as possible.
But, on rare occasion, I liked going to McD's for an ebi-burger when I lived in Japan. I even didn't judge the folks who would go to Ruby Tuesdays or Outback on their trips into Tokyo, although we always used those trips to get good Indian food. For me, "home" feels like good ethnic food, and for them it's probably an American chain.
If I just need a quick snack or drink I have no problem running into a fast food chain, local or American. In Hong Kong I ate breakfast at McD's almost every day just b/c it was cheap, fast, and easy (that's what she said). I just needed to be not-hungry to get my day going rather than immersing myself.
I rarely eat at chain restaurants or fast food so I can't really think of any favorites I have that I would look for abroad. I cook most nights, and we usually do one nicer dinner out on the weekends. We do stop at chain restaurants sometimes on road trips because as pp said, at least you know what to expect.
Abroad, do I really try to get into the local food and drink. My husband and I are both pretty adventurous. I will say this, however...on our last trip (week in Lisbon), we ate lunch and dinner every day at great little casual local places. On the second to last night, we walked past this fast food ramen place, and I had this huge craving. So we ended up doing these 5-dollar ramen bowls and soda at a chain restaurant in the middle of a city full of amazing food and wine. (It was really good, though).
If I lives abroad I would probably do this weekly! Oh, and about different states and McDs, DH loved seeing a lobster roll when we lived in Boston and he still talks about the spam in Hawaii. The fun y thing is my BIL grew up in and lives is England (DH grew up in England and they lives 5 years in HK), when DH and BIL went to HK a few months ago BIL ate at KFC a few times.
As for us, we have done McDs one or twice and the now closed Ruby Tuesday's in Kowloon overlooked Hong long Harbour, an amazing view and they had many chinese items on the menu and my other English BIL did not know it was an American chain. But I will let everyone know how 10 days in the UK with the kids goes and if we wins up at McDs, I promise to try something different if I do.
We try to avoid it when travelling but sometimes it's the only thing around. e.g. We ate in Chilis when we were in Quito, Equador becuase it was a Sunday night and everything but the hotel restaurant and Chilis were shut, we should have eaten in the hotel we will never eat in a Chilis again.
The only place i go out of the way is In and Out burger when in the states.
We never eat at chain sit-down restaurants in the states, so it's not something we would do abroad.
We do like an occasional fast food restaurant meal and being abroad is no different. We do not actively search them out, but are known to stop in one if convenient. I particularly enjoy a quick McD's english muffin on the way to some early morning tour.
We don't normally eat at chain restaurants while traveling abroad, but we have hit up McDonalds a few times...
We did in Italy because my husband had to had to have a McBacon, which he had tried while on the road on a prior to trip to Italy. We were at a train station so it isn't like we missed a great, authentic Italian meal because we ate at McDonalds.
We went to McDonalds for breakfast in China...we just wanted a quick, inexpensive and familiar breakfast and McDonalds hit the spot. Chinese breakfast just isn't my thing. I will say that my Egg McMuffin didn't quite taste the same as it does here.
I can't think of any other time we ate at a China while traveling around. We did stop at McDonalds in Paris to use a bathroom and then purchased a soda, but I don't really count that.
H and I are not chain-restaurants fans (with some exceptions). However, when traveling abroad, he gets so curious to see how McDonald's changes their menu in other countries.
OP, I had the Cadburry McFlurry when I was in London during Easter. I know Italy had it with Baci chocolate as well. We've also tried ice cream in Santiago that had chirimoya fruit and most recently, H ordered a burger from McDonald's in barcelona that had pan de pueblo (bread from the village) and Spanish cured ham.
I swear we actually eat at local places abroad, but sometimes we give in to curiosity
I also heard supposedly the McDonalds in Argentina grill all the burgers. We were so stuffed from the steakhouses there, we never gave into curiosity.
I don't eat at McDonald's in any country as I typically only eat meat from sustainable, free-range suppliers and am trying to stick to organic as much as possible. But I am fairly notorious for running into Starbucks while travelling - particularly if I'm somewhere hot. I miss frappuccinos a lot since it's never hot enough to want them in Scotland.
After a week in Japan, eating amazing sushi and miso soup, I was actually really excited to see a Starbucks and have a frappuccino and blueberry muffin. Sometimes you just need a break from adventures!
BFP Apr 2012, EDD Dec 19 2012 * twin h/b at 6wk, 9wk scan * Baby A lost at 12wks, Baby B was my rainbow born at 36wks
I don't really eat at chains while travelling, but while I was living in London I definitely popped in for a fried apple pie every now and again.
And Chili's was great for an American food fix.
And we had a Krispy Kreme in Enfield.
And I worked at Outback and ate there often (and gained about 25 lbs.)
There was (is?) also a candy shop in or near Covent Garden that specialized in American snacks - we all went there after a London GTG once.
Yeah that's right my name's Yauch!
Cybercandy! It is still there, and I think there are 3 others in London, and in Brighton and Birmingham.
Chili's is now gone.
Hey guess what? There are a couple of Wagamama's in the US, so I guess you DO eat at American chain restaurants abroad. I guess you don't need to be quite so snotty about it, do you?
Man, there are a lot of really high horses in this thread.
I like seeing and sometimes trying the regional items offered at various McDonald's. It's not a 'must do' by any means, but if we happen to pass by one, I'll pop in for a minute to check it out. The only time I went out of my way to do so was to try the spam breakfast in Hawaii.
Oh, OP -- the McDonald's in Hawaii still fry their apple pies too. Our friends clued us in about that.
What's the Japanese for "is the fish in this sushi from sustainable fisheries?"
Wow, do you own stock in a group of chain restaurants or something? WTF do you care so much whether I eat at them or not? There are 3 Wagamamas in Boston, which is 2,000 miles away from me. Also, it's not an American chain, it's a British chain.
Mc Donald's in India: McSpicy Paneer. Totally unhealthy but man is it good. Whenever we visit the ILs I always make it a point to have a couple. I wish McD's had a veggie offering in the US; I know BK does. I'm a vegetarian married to a meat eating Hindu, btw.
The only time I've eaten U.S. based fast food overseas was on a recent trip to Trinidad. On Carnival Monday, our hosts served us KFC for a quick lunch prior to heading back out to the streets. I usually find KFC to be the most disgusting food on the planet, but in Port of Spain, it's really good. The spices are different and it's not as greasy. I was exhausted, dehydrated and ravenous from the J'ouvert and I swear that chicken saved my life, lol!
I am well aware it is a British chain, I lived in London. I care because you had such a snotty response that I thought it was funny the one place you mentioned you ate overseas does in fact have restaurants in the US.