• RememberTheApollo_@lemmy.world
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    4 months ago

    I’ve been traveling for a long time. Easily one of the worst a things I’ve seen happening culturally is globalization of brands that “dumb down” local foods and crafts. Doesn’t matter where you go, particularly the westernized world, it’s the same shit everywhere. The same brands. Even some of the food is moving towards sameness. Want to find a local gift to bring home? Good luck. It’s all the same stuff made in China, each store has the same stuff on the shelves.

    You’ll have better luck outside the metro areas, but usually if you’re traveling to see the sights they are often in more metro/touristy areas.

  • dubyakay@lemmy.ca
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    4 months ago

    When I’ve visited Lisbon last year, within five days we’ve eaten lunch or dinner at least once per day at McDonald’s. Why? It was early May and it was one of the only places accommodating to our accessibility needs in an air conditioned environment, free of cigarette smoke. Because that’s what you need when you have two children and a stroller, and McDonald’s is consistent.

    Plus some of the localized menu items were pretty amazing and the staff was super friendly.

    • boonhet@lemm.ee
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      4 months ago

      That sauce was actually good though. The WcNuggets may have been your regular ol’ McNuggets, but damn that sauce was good

  • OsrsNeedsF2P@lemmy.ml
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    4 months ago

    I refuse to go to a Starbucks or McDonald’s when I’m abroad. I also refuse when I’m in my home country, but especially abroad. Parasitic franchisees.

    • Fleppensteyn@feddit.nl
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      4 months ago

      As much as I want to avoid McDonald’s, they are (were?) often the only fair-priced food place when you’re in a large, touristic area.

      • Ms. ArmoredThirteen@lemmy.ml
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        4 months ago

        I’m going to bring up Taiwan again, specifically Taipei. Food there is amazing and cheap and I’m honestly shocked that the couple McDonald’s I saw can stay in business. There are restaurants and food stalls every 10 feet. You can get a full meal in a couple minutes (or seconds depending on the stall) for like $2usd even in the touristy areas

        • Fleppensteyn@feddit.nl
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          4 months ago

          It depends on the location. I admit I’ve been to McDonald’s in Asia, just because my stomach couldn’t take the pain anymore. The price of a small menu was the same as a full meal elsewhere, but they treat you like you’re in a fancy place.

          • BudgetBandit@sh.itjust.works
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            4 months ago

            Huh. When I’ve been to Asia, my stomach was healthier than never before, despite only eating local kitchen. I’ve been to McDonald’s too, but only to test their food.

            • Fleppensteyn@feddit.nl
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              4 months ago

              I got food poisoning at least 4 times in the couple of months I was in Asia. I even found a place where they stored their “fresh” ingredients next to the toilet. I still have stomach issues >10 years later and I think my Asia trip may be related to that.

                • Fleppensteyn@feddit.nl
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                  4 months ago

                  For me Indonesia was the worst, I had constant stomach problems. Vietnam just some light issues, other countries were mostly fine actually.

    • Jolteon@lemmy.zip
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      4 months ago

      It’s kind of hard sometimes. They’ve basically cornered the market on fast food. Local fast food places do exist, but they are rare.

      • Fern@lemmy.world
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        4 months ago

        For health reasons I stopped eating fast food more than 10 years ago. I’m still amazed so many people do. It feels like something you do when you’re a kid to me. I know it’s not that way for many. It is very unhealthy food though. I highly recommend not going. Best of luck.

        • Jolteon@lemmy.zip
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          4 months ago

          Fast food is very definitely unhealthy, but eating it in the rare instance when you have 20 minutes to find food and eat isn’t that bad.

          • OsrsNeedsF2P@lemmy.ml
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            4 months ago

            I low-key find it more expensive and slower than just going to a random grocery store and buying the first thing I see

      • atro_city@fedia.io
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        4 months ago

        Maybe in the US. Go to London and you’ll get some really good takeaway from Indian, Pakistani, West Indies, and many other nationalities that are so much better than Mc Donalds. Same goes for pretty much any place outside of the US. Walk into pretty much any bakery in France, Croatia, Lithuania, Finland or Poland and they’ll have better stuff.

  • ramble81@lemm.ee
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    4 months ago

    Rule of traveling: never eat anywhere you can back home (which is pretty much any chain restaurant)

    • gamermanh@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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      4 months ago

      I ate at the first ever Carl’s Jr in Japan right after it opened because it’d been 3 weeks since I’d been home and was dying for some home food

      Walk in and it’s themed after LA and SACRAMENTO (home) of all places, and there was a California expat family eating there so we sat next to them and raced about how the food tasted just like home but s little better

      Then the news can say and interviewed the lady and her son

      Sometimes it’s worth visiting those places lol

      • RedditRefugee69@lemmy.world
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        4 months ago

        Can confirm food in Japan is just better even at the same fast food restaurants.

        McDonald’s is the one restaurant that I will eat at internationally because they have different menu items. It is interesting to see what is popular in that country and the local interpretation of American culture. But even then it’s one and done and only if I absolutely have to eat a quick meal to make a reservation or something

        • bountygiver [any]@lemmy.ml
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          4 months ago

          it’s just funny how america known for its fast food has the worst mcdonalds menu in the world. Even the one special thing they had of having cheap items is gone.

    • ArcaneSlime@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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      4 months ago

      Tbf, I want to go to Kuwait just for the Taco Bell (and then maybe swing by the Afghan/Pakistan border to check out the market and buy some cool hand engraved shit, but,) Kuwait is the only country that has Volcano Tacos still. I want to bring home, portion out, and freeze an entire bag of that fucking sauce and then I can turn taco bell here into Volcano Tacos (without the red shell but who cares, the secret’s in the sauce.)

      • wieson@feddit.org
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        4 months ago

        Kuwait is not near Afghanistan or Pakistan. You’re mixing up two different US wars ;)

        It has borders with Iraq, Saudi Arabia and almost Iran.

  • _stranger_@lemmy.world
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    4 months ago

    China’s home grown Starbucks is called Luckin and their logo is a buck backlit by the moon.

    I find that hilarious.

  • caseyweederman@lemmy.ca
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    4 months ago

    McDonald’s owned the WcDonald’s title a few months back. They printed manga on every takeout bag.
    I’m not a fan of huge chain restaurants but that was pretty funny.