What's your country's "national" specialty that is mostly exported?

[Duque de Bragança]

I wonder if people in Switzerland put Nestle Quick in their milk.

No, they put Nesquik 

[citizen k]

They're not familiar with teppanyaki?

I think that was the problem.  They already had teppanyaki joints so Benihana's wasn't any big deal.

Ah so, it was so mundane, they were unimpressed.

[MadImmortalMan]

Our biggest export is actually inflation.

[Tonitrus]

Our biggest export is actually inflation.

Hah, with our debt level, I was going to say U.S. treasury bonds are our biggest export. 

[Syt]

Austria: Politicians.

And another one for Germany: Tourists.

[Malthus]

I've told this story before, but who cares.

When they tried to open a Benihana's of Tokyo (one of those places where the chef cooks your food at your table and flips his knives around) in Tokyo it bombed.  So they renamed it Benihana's of New York.

Heh, reminds me of another point I've mentioned before: restaurant chains in Canada often use American names to indicate that they serve plentiful fare (Montana's, Boston Pizza, etc.)

So add "a reputation for huge portions" to the US list of exports. 

[Barrister]

I've told this story before, but who cares.

When they tried to open a Benihana's of Tokyo (one of those places where the chef cooks your food at your table and flips his knives around) in Tokyo it bombed.  So they renamed it Benihana's of New York.

Heh, reminds me of another point I've mentioned before: restaurant chains in Canada often use American names to indicate that they serve plentiful fare (Montana's, Boston Pizza, etc.)

So add "a reputation for huge portions" to the US list of exports. 

I knew Boston Pizza was a Canada-only chain, but didn't realize that Montana's was the same.

[Malthus]

I knew Boston Pizza was a Canada-only chain, but didn't realize that Montana's was the same.

Yup - headquartered in good old Mississauga, Ontario. 

The reasons for these names are that the selling-point of these places (particularly Montana's) is that they serve US-style portions - that is, huge. The association is: US name = lots and lots of food.

[Barrister]

I've never associated BPs with huge portions.

Incedentally I was amused that during the Vancouver-Boston Stanley Cup series BPs was advertising on the rink boards with the word "Boston" stroked out, and calling themself Vancouver Pizza instead.

[BuddhaRhubarb]

I've never associated BPs with huge portions.

Incedentally I was amused that during the Vancouver-Boston Stanley Cup series BPs was advertising on the rink boards with the word "Boston" stroked out, and calling themself Vancouver Pizza instead.

I hadn't either until my recent trip to TO... My cousin was in a newly developing area, very few restaurants, we ended up a BP a couple of times. I found the portions huge, and the food itself was reasonably decent for the price.

[Malthus]

I've never associated BPs with huge portions.

Incedentally I was amused that during the Vancouver-Boston Stanley Cup series BPs was advertising on the rink boards with the word "Boston" stroked out, and calling themself Vancouver Pizza instead.

I dunno, whenever I've been to BP the portions have been big. It's a sort of somewhat upscale "strap the pizza feedbag on the whole family" kinda place. 

Not, admittedly, to the degree of Montana's. That place is just obscene in terms of the amount of food they lay out.   

[Barrister]

I've never associated BPs with huge portions.

Incedentally I was amused that during the Vancouver-Boston Stanley Cup series BPs was advertising on the rink boards with the word "Boston" stroked out, and calling themself Vancouver Pizza instead.

I dunno, whenever I've been to BP the portions have been big. It's a sort of somewhat upscale "strap the pizza feedbag on the whole family" kinda place. 

Not, admittedly, to the degree of Montana's. That place is just obscene in terms of the amount of food they lay out. 

I've also never, ever associated the word "upscale" with Boston Pizza either.

[Malthus]

I've also never, ever associated the word "upscale" with Boston Pizza either.

Sure, in relation to fast-food type places.

[Crazy_Ivan80]

Belgium exports surrealism.

Ceci n'est pas un pays. And yet it's on the maps! And a vacationdestination!

[Ideologue]

Man, I can totally read French.  I'm putting that on my resume.  Of course it won't matter because I never raped a Pathan girl in the Khyber Pass.