Going to the Taipei 101 food court, I noticed there was a good share of US fast food joints - KFC, McDonald's, and Subway (Burger King is in Taipei, but not at the food court). The first thing you notice is that the non-Asians flock there. People can do whatever they want, but I think it's kinda silly that someone would potentially pay $1,300 to fly some where and eat Subway where it's the exact same menu. I mean it's not like they're serving cobra heart in the food court. There's fried rice, noodles, dumplings - nothing really crazy but hey...I guess to each their own.
The interesting thing about fast food joints is some cater to the region. KFC serves pork wraps and little egg tarts for dessert. McDonald's serves fried chicken and something that looks like a McRib (pork is big in Taiwan). Only BK and Subway seem to have the same exact menu as they do in the US. I must admit, the next time I go to Taipei I may pick up a pork wrap at KFC.
7 Eleven
Like food courts, the mention of 7 Eleven will mean different things to different people. For me, it was a great place for a red cherry Slurpee after a slice from my local pizza joint. In Taipei, there is some decent quick food to be had - no joke. Not the standard 7 day old hot dog and 5 day old sandwiches that we're used to. Again, cheap and variety is the theme. You can get some killer onigiri (triangle shaped rice, stuffed with fillings, and wrapped in seaweed), bento boxes (rice, protein, and veg), good sandwiches, and killer pastries. Sadly, no slurpees though...
Costco
The one thing that is upsetting is that there's a Costco in Taiwan. Again, I don't mind Costco for the one year supply of paper towels or the two gallons of mayonnaise. But, it was very sad to see Costco opening up shop in Taichung, Taiwan near an area where people were selling fresh vegetables and meats. I guess it's kinda like Whole Foods opening right next to the Union Square Greenmarket. The Greenmarket will still continue to flourish, whereas I'm not expecting the same fate for those farmers I saw in Taichung.
No comments:
Post a Comment