McDonald's No Longer #1

[Brazen]

I guess I should have made a distinction between traditional British food and modern British food.

What would you call traditionally British though? Fish and chips (which varies massively)? Roast beef and Yorkshire pudding? Heston Blumenthal with test-tubes steaming with dry ice?

We've had Indian restaurants here since 1812 and ate Raj-inspired food before that. As this predates and definable American cuisine, doesn't it count as traditional?

[Grey Fox]

I make it a point to go to McD's when abroad just to see how different & similar it is.

The one I went to in London was exactly the same, except it was more expensive.

The one in Genoa actually had some stuff on the menu I've never seen stateside.  For example, they had this weird Caribbean chicken sandwich.  Princesca or I got it (forget who) and shared it.  It was actually pretty good.  IIRC it was a grilled chicken sandwich with some kind of spicy-sweet sauce.

I went to the one in London's central station(I think that's what it's called?). It was extremely different for me.

1) They offered milkshakes.
2) Trios were priced by size instead of by type.
3) No Poutine.

It was also the new look McD's at a time the McD's here had the 80s look.

[Caliga]

They don't have milkshakes at Canadian (Quebec?) McDonald's outlets?

We don't have poutine here either, and I dunno what the fuck a trio is.

[Admiral Yi]

They don't have milkshakes at Canadian (Quebec?) McDonald's outlets?

We don't have poutine here either, and I dunno what the fuck a trio is.

Sounds like a trio is a combo meal.  I'm also surprised they don't have "milk" shakes in Quebec.

[Caliga]

What would you call traditionally British though? Fish and chips (which varies massively)? Roast beef and Yorkshire pudding? Heston Blumenthal with test-tubes steaming with dry ice?

We've had Indian restaurants here since 1812 and ate Raj-inspired food before that. As this predates and definable American cuisine, doesn't it count as traditional?

I guess I was thinking more along the lines of roast beef and yorkshire pudding.

I think Americans are typically unimpressed with this sort of cuisine because it's identical to our 'traditional' cuisine, for obvious reasons.

I didn't realize you have had Indian restaurants for so long, but surely one can make a distinction between Indian cuisine and British cuisine despite that fact?

[Grey Fox]

Yeah Combo. Sandwich, drink, sides.

Re Milkshakes, I have since learned that they tried but it didn't work. McD's closer to the US or other Provinces are suppose to carry it but I've never seen it.

[Eddie Teach]

Europe always seems to be a few years behind...which is good. You can still find curly fries in some parts of the continent

I guess the UK doesn't have Arby's?

[Gups]

What would you call traditionally British though? Fish and chips (which varies massively)? Roast beef and Yorkshire pudding? Heston Blumenthal with test-tubes steaming with dry ice?

We've had Indian restaurants here since 1812 and ate Raj-inspired food before that. As this predates and definable American cuisine, doesn't it count as traditional?

I guess I was thinking more along the lines of roast beef and yorkshire pudding.

I think Americans are typically unimpressed with this sort of cuisine because it's identical to our 'traditional' cuisine, for obvious reasons.

I didn't realize you have had Indian restaurants for so long, but surely one can make a distinction between Indian cuisine and British cuisine despite that fact?

Nobody really knows what traditional British cuisine is.  There's a few dishes like Lancashire hotpot or potted shrimps but not many. We have probably the best puddings in the world and possibly the best cheeses. We're good at condiments and preserves.  But really our native cuisine sucks. It's nowhere near as  interesting or diverse as American cuisine let alone Italian or Spanish.

[Caliga]

If you want to go on and declare your national cuisine to be Indian, I'll endorse it as one of the world's best.

[Brazen]

Nobody really knows what traditional British cuisine is.  There's a few dishes like Lancashire hotpot or potted shrimps but not many. We have probably the best puddings in the world and possibly the best cheeses. We're good at condiments and preserves.  But really our native cuisine sucks. It's nowhere near as  interesting or diverse as American cuisine let alone Italian or Spanish.

I have been introduced to cawl, proper Welsh rarebit and the best roast lamb ever since a Welshman dodged the crossbows to cross the borders into my territory.

[Gups]

Welsh saltmarsh lamb   

[Caliga]

Actually yeah, I had very good rarebit at Fortnum & Mason.

[Archy]

This thread made me think of this.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ayOr5wd219Q
For some reason in belgium we only have McDonalds, Quick and Pizza Hut from the international Fastfood chains. For some reason  Burger King and KFC are in Netherlands, France and Germany but not in Belgium. I always wondered why?

[garbon]

Especially in the age of the Internet, yeah, that's just crazy parochial.

I guess if you didn't want to go to Paris in the first place and were determined to extract absolutely no value from the trip, a meal at a French McDonald's would be a good idea.

Yeah that's the only thing I could think.

[Caliga]

For the record, I didn't want to go to either McDonalds.  In the case of London, my brother insisted because he was thirsty and drinks are cheaper there according to him (he had been doing a workstudy in London for close to a year at that point so I assumed he knew what he was talking about).

In the case of Genoa, Princesca wanted to go to see "how McDonald's is different here".  Aside from the Caribbean chicken sandwich, another way in which McDonald's is different is that in America--unlike Italy--50% of the patrons are not gypsies.  Getting begged from and harassed by little child thieves while eating is kind of irritating, it turns out.