The McDonald's in Yangshuo just opened four months ago. I decided I ought to try it, for the sake of anthropological research. So I dragged Leo there with me and I ordered the cheeseburger combo meal.
The combo meal consisted of a cheeseburger (topped w/ pickle, ketsup, mustard and mayo), a small order of fries, and a medium drink (I chose Coke). Also, one packet of ketsup for the fries. Unlike most Chinese ketsup I've had, this was dark and tomatoey, very similar to Heinz in the US - while other ketsups are lighter and sweeter and more like duck sauce.
Pippy (the poodle) was with us, and Leo was asked to take her outside (this is so far the only establishment that hasn't allowed her to come in and sit next to us while we ate). So we ate at a table outside - Leo and I split the burger and fries. He didn't like the burger very much.
Everything tasted pretty much how it tastes in the US. The burger was tasty, but gave me that weird post-McDonald's feeling I often get after fast food - kinda blah. The fries were too salty, but again this pretty much matches their taste in the US. The coke was good - not sure if it is made with sugar or corn syrup here. This meal cost 18 yuan, which is a bit less than 3 US dollars - not very cheap considering that a noodle soup breakfast costs 3 yuan.
Before leaving, we noticed a poster advertising banana pies - 2 for 7 yuan. So we bought two. I haven't had the apple pie at McDonald's in a really long time, but if I remember correctly, this was quite different. It was deep fried instead of baked. And it was actually really good. The pie was fried perfectly - not too greasy, and a nice crispy crust. Inside, the banana filling wasn't too sweet, and was nice and hot - the whole thing tasted quite fresh. If someone at a fancy dim-sum restaurant had served me this same dish, I probably would have been impressed. I have no idea how natural or unnatural the ingredients are, but this is certainly a McDonald's item I've never seen in the US and it was well executed. I'd eat it again.
I felt weird eating at McDonald's. But it is really interesting to see how the phenomenon can spread all over the world, and be so successful in a place like Yangshuo. With so many tourists all the time, I'm sure they will do very well.
You should try the apple pie in the States when you're back for comparative data, since everything but the flavor sounds similar (and lack of super-sweetness inside). I'd eat one with you.
ReplyDeleteFried apple pies (which they stopped serving at US McDonald's in the late 80's) were among the best-ever fast food treats. I loved them when I was a kid, and when I visited London in 2001 and noticed they still had them on the menu there, I probably ate 5 of them during my trip. Baked apple pie = the grossness.
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