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I am presently in Asia, sitting under those good old golden arches, eating a fish filet sandwich with french fries and a medium sized Coke. I'm also considering the possibility of getting myself a twist cone very soon.

It seems to me that a lot of travelers would be ashamed to admit this openly, but I happen to be fine with my current dining choice. Just because I choose to stop by and say 'howdy' to the yellow-and-red clown, (literally, they have one at the front door,) does not make me any less of an avid globe drifter. Ronald McDonald and I go way back, and I am not about to forget an old friend now.

Too many times I've seen fellow travelers turn their noses up at 'western' franchises. “Why would you fly halfway across the world to eat something you can get at home?” they say. Or, “I hate it when people give in so easily. That's not experiencing a new culture!” And they're right, chowing down a double cheeseburger is no way to experience the local cuisine, but at the moment I'm not interested in local cuisine, I'm jonesing for something comfortably familiar.

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Of course, that's not to say that I don't enjoy indulging in the local cuisines of the places I visit. On the contrary, there's something excitingly invigorating about having your first taste of pungent, saucy 臭豆腐 chou doufu, or burying your chopsticks into a steamy bowl of fried pig intestines. It makes you feel like an authentic traveler, braving the world head on and embracing all things foreign. When you experience the local cuisine, you learn that things usually taste better than they initially sound, and some things that seemed strangely unpalatable at first could even become a part of your regular diet given time.

It's true, getting a taste of the local dishes wherever you are is always a highlight of any trip. This is definitely a big part of the reason why we travel. But does this mean that we are restricted to solely enjoying the local cuisine? As globe drifters, should we be expected to completely deny ourselves of any food that is comfortably familiar just because it may be considered too 'western' by our traveling comrades?

When I am home, I eat hamburgers and french fries, hotdogs, pizza and deep fried foods. But I do not always eat these things. In fact, I usually don't. Coming from Hawaii, we actually have a very culturally diverse and extensive cuisine.

In Hawaii we eat white rice for breakfast, lunch and dinner, literally. We commonly use sauces like shoyu, bagoong and kimchee in our every day dishes. We have lunch-plates called locomoco, mochiko chicken and pork tonkatsu. And everyone in Hawaii knows that a big fat bowl of saimin noodles with fishcake and wontons is the perfect accompaniment to a rainy day. At home I am accustomed to having a vast majority of dining choices, western or otherwise, and my appetite at the time governs my decisions.

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Sometimes other travelers will assume that the only reason you would go for a basket of fish and chips while cruising in Tokyo is because you just can't stand the thought of stomaching a big bowl of slimy natto. And this may actually be true for some. But as for myself, you can see that the art of eating has always been a multicultural experience, whether at home or abroad.

So, why am I sitting here at a western food chain? Well, simply because it's what I feel like eating at the moment.

I eat hamburgers because they make me think of backyard barbecues, and pork adobo because of its sweet, tangy flavor. I eat hotdogs because they have always been a cheap, quick meal, and bibimbap because my friend loves to cook it. I eat pizza because I love the taste of salty pepperoni and tangy tomatoes smothered in cheese, and fish-head soup with eyeballs to suck on because it reminds me of my dad. And I eat fried chicken with white rice and macaroni salad because I love mixing those crispy, crunchy golden flakes with rice and mayo.

I eat what I eat because I enjoy it when I'm eating it, and not because I'm too afraid to step out of the cuisine box. This globe is peppered with a plethora of scents, flavors, dishes and bowls of foods, all fantastically mixed, stirred, baked and fried to be eaten and enjoyed. 


Personally I feel that as long I'm always open to experiencing the local cuisine, than there's nothing wrong with me falling back on the old familiar every once in a while. When it comes to eating, I choose not to limit myself to just foreign or just familiar. I choose to go with what I feel like enjoying at the moment.

And at the moment I think I'm ready for my McDiggities twist cone.
And now we'd like to ask you: What do you think when it comes to dining out in other countries? Are you open to trying out other flavors, do you stick more towards familiar dishes or a little bit of both?
 


Comments

giuliadventures

06/15/2010 2:09:00 am

I also noticed how many people feel like they "can't" eat something familiar if they're far from home.
I'd say them: relax just eat what u want:)
But for sure trying new things is a must! If u traveled for miles to see a new place it must mean u r curious, right?:)
And if you try something u don't like, just don't come up with things like "this sucks".
I am Italian and this is a very important subject to Italians: we are used to good food (can't deny!) so many of us have problems abroad. But that's also because many Italians are narrow minded and spoilt!
I always find something I like.
Another point is: pizza or pasta (for instance) can be different in other countries, so I don't really see why looking for them.
But McDonalds is the same everywhere so no bad surprises and no disappointment :)
Am I right?

 

Earl

06/15/2010 2:26:38 am

While I don't eat fast food myself, I don't see a problem with doing so while traveling. Of course, if that's all you eat during your overseas adventures, that's a different story. But when you clearly have an open-mind and simply want a taste of something familiar, why not dig into a burger and fries?

After all, I'd skip a meal of local cuisine anywhere in the world for a chance to bite into some Chicken Katsu!!

 

scottie doo

06/15/2010 3:20:37 pm

and since it can be hard to find a good cuppah joe in china...mickey dee's is a winner! (and they honor the free refill!)...same in taiwan?

 

Julian @ CornerParadise

06/17/2010 6:03:04 am

For me, as I wrote also on my blog these days, one of the most exciting aspects of visiting a specific destination is trying out new food and drinks...

 

Denise Bird

06/17/2010 10:19:03 am

I tend to be a chicken when it comes to trying out exotic foods. I wish I was more daring. I am getting a little better, trying to check out different cuisines within my local area. I was wondering if the Mc Donald's are not somewhat different in other parts of the world. I know I ate at a Mc Donalds in Scotland once and the burgers tasted different than in the USA. Scotland is hardly exotic compared to USA, but still it was slightly different.

 

JR@TheDriftersBlog

06/19/2010 6:25:31 pm

Thanks guys for sharing your thoughts.

@Giulia and Scott - You guys are right about McDiggities standards across the board (for the most part), which is why it works for me when I'm looking for the familiar

@Denise - I know they'll sell destination specific dishes under the golden arches around the globe, like corn soup in Taiwan, spam and saimin in Hawaii, and lobster rolls in Maine. Is that what you meant? For the most part I've found things generally taste the same. I think the sweet and sour sauce here for the nuggets are a little different tho, more pineapple flavor.

@Earl Mmmm...katsu. My personal Japanese favorite is Tempura Ebi Udon. I'm a noodle enthusiast. And yeah, no worries, my trysts with the clown are kept limited, I almost never see him back at home since there isn't any on my island.

 

rachel

06/23/2010 1:25:41 pm

hmmm... mcd's must be different in Taiwan if you believe you got a basket of fish n chips there. (gotta love the, 'gimme that filet o fish sandwich' jingle, but not the 'filet'. and Scott, come on! 'a good cuppah joe' - at mcdonalds!!!

 

Davisa

06/24/2010 9:22:20 am

ok, i have to admit that mickey d's is one of my favorite places for a quick bite. its neat to notice the slight differences in macdonald menus around the world.

that being said, have not problem trying new foods & actually enjoy it.

at the end of the day, like you jr, i let my stomach decide whether to stick with something familiar or experience the unknown.

 

Caroline Makepeace

06/29/2010 12:34:08 pm

Yes. I always sneak in some Western food, sometimes you just need a taste of what once was- most of the time it served as a great reminder to me of why I don't eat that food much anymore!!
We used to always sneak in a Sizzler's trip when living in Bangkok. Now all I do is crave some Thai food and movement away from Western junk. Now that I'm a vegetarian Macca D's is thankfully not on my radar- but you enjoy it JR. Life is to be lived your way!

 

joe sylvester

08/27/2011 11:51:54 am

Howzit JR,

Fun article. I bet you miss pork adobo or a good loco moco.
Stay cool
Aloha from Kauai :)

 



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