Chains of Love | Goodies First

Apr 26

The Pinkberry of Pasta

It would be one thing for NYC to get two new pasta chains, but two French pasta chains? That's just weird.

Hello Pasta is planned for a midtown, 640 Lexington Avenue, opening in June with nine more locations to follow. Third Avenue at 44th Street and Maiden Lane at Water Street are listed on their website. No clues about the menu.

Nooï, an already existing French chain, will also be opening on Lexington, 340 Lexington Avenue to be precise. "Indian and Mexican sauces" will be among their 15 offerings. I do see a Bollywood sauce on their French menu, which appears to combine curry powder, chicken, yogurt and lime.

I'm not really much of a pasta eater. Flam's, the French flammkuchen chain from the Nooï folks, sounds much more interesting. Alsatian pizza is definitely a wide open market in NYC.

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Apr 25

Kim Gary

Kim Gary serves Hong Kong-style cuisine in Malaysia and Singapore. Chinese with last-century Western touches like the cheese-baked rice dishes on many tables. So many layers, so completely un-American. We ate in the middle of a mall in Penang.

You are handed like five different laminated photo-filled menus. It’s overwhelming; the food is nonsensical as it is. I’m still not clear if the diner is supposed to mark off the items they want on the black and white order sheet or if the waitress is supposed to. We let her do it.

“Borsch” comes with the combo meals. Bastardized Russian food, the product of mid-century émigrés, still lingers in Hong Kong. I don’t think a beet had come anywhere near this soup. This was tomato-based and had a few soft carrot coins floating around.

Shanghai ribs were nothing special, tough meat in sweetish soy sauce atop rice with corn and broccoli.

Meat fries because why not?

Kim Gary * Gurney Plaza, Penang, Malaysia

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Apr 23

MOSDO!

Today marks the birth of a mind-blowing Japanese hybrid: MOSDO! A combination MOS Burger/Mister Donut. We only have Taco Bell/Pizza Hut, a pathetic duo not even close to competing with the Japanese capacity for novelty (though it is the perfect subject for a ridiculous catchy song).

From what I can visually deduce, sets are being offered: three burgers that can be paired with three doughnuts and a drink. They also have something called Hot & Cool, a doughnut cut in half and topped with ice cream and a fruity sauce, which I did not see at any of the Bangkok locations last month. (It’s hard to believe that CentralWorld, home to MOS Burger and Mister Donut, and countless hotels are currently closed due to the political unrest in Thailand. This time it’s red shirts. Bangkok was essentially shut down during my originally planned visit late 2008 by yellow shirts. I did find an email from one of the hotels I had booked kind of charming, “Your money has been refunded due to the political.” I have referred to this situation as “The Political” ever since. And yes, I realize there are more serious subjects than burgers and doughnuts in the world but this is a food blog.)

You know that this is a Japanese venture because they don’t mingle the two brands too closely. It’s still pure. We would take the next logical step and put a MOS Burger inside a Mister Donut. Duh. It only took a week before the Double Down got Krispy Kreme’d. [Japan Today]

Photo from Yomiuri Online.

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Apr 23

MOS Burger

MOS Burger is so civilized. Sane portions, sodas served in real glasses with coasters, food brought to your table, spotless. I didn’t feel guilty or dinner-wrecking by stopping in for a late afternoon combo.

I’m not terribly adventurous because the first and last time I tried MOS in Singapore, I ordered the same thing: the spicy cheeseburger. Strange, because it’s mayonnaisey and that’s not a condiment I normally tolerate. The burger is so foreign that I just have to suspend my prejudices and enjoy the small patty doused in mild chopped onion chile sauce, and bolstered by cheese, a fat tomato slice and yes, that mayonnaise.

If I ever find myself near a MOS Burger again, I will try one of the rice burgers using pressed rice spheres for buns. Ebi or unagi?

MOS Burger * CentralWorld, Bangkok, Thailand

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Apr 22

Feeling Good in Certain Neighborhoods

Chain restaurant queries that lead searchers here range from:

The typical
jose tejas coupons woodbridge nj

To the thought provoking (it doesn’t take much to provoke me). I never associated Cheesecake Factory with cheese.
cheesecake factory cheese platter

To the distressing. I tried Tyler Florence’s now-gone menu a few years ago at the Linden Applebee’s and will now associate this misbehavior with him.
semen in my food at linden applebees

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Apr 14

Fictional International Intrigue

I can only wonder if Hugo Reyes' fried chicken chain, Mr. Cluck's, is more Popeye's, KFC or Pollo Campero. Whatever style they serve, it's clearly a global hit in the alternate universe.

Baguettes not biscuits.

You know they serve teriyaki-glazed chicken.

A halal bucket of chicken?

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Apr 13

Chain Links: Oolong Blizzards

A Q&A with Unnat Varma , director marketing-KFC, Yum! Restaurants India reveals that KFC is trying to target “non-sensitive vegetarians,” the estimated 50% of Indian vegetarians who don’t eat meat but don’t mind eating in a place that serves it.

Yum! Brands already has a presence in Brazil and Chile, and they’ll be getting ten more KFCs and Pizza Huts this year.

CNN’s recently re-tuned living section has a piece on localized fast food menus. Angry commenters complain that this isn’t news and dub the author “dumbest writer ever.” Jeez, what did the Maharaja Mac ever do to you?

Localizing menus is a fine balance. Dairy Queen is expanding to Macao where they’ll serve Green tea Blizzards (oolong is being tested) of course, and no bacon for Egypt.

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Apr 8

Un-American Activities: Sizzler Bangkok

I had recently been thinking how I never ever think about Sizzler. It's a non-entity in the casual dining universe of New York City suburbs. The chain's prominence in Thailand really threw me for a loop. At prime dinner times, groups were actually crowded around the entrances waiting for seats. Maybe this merited a visit?

Of course it did. We hit the end of a lunch rush, lots of office groups and predominantly Thai, if you must know. No Malibu Chicken, the caloric charmer of my youth. The lure appeared to be the salad bar (which I didn't realize until later was all-you-could-eat). Iced tea so sweet it makes its southern relative taste like a health tonic, was also unlimited.

The salad bar wasn’t wildly different than an American one, but there were certainly differences like the pumpkin cashew salad and spicy pork. I don’t imagine we have tom yum soup in our buffets either.

The blue cheese, however, was nearly thick and unspreadable as refrigerated peanut butter.

Portions were very un-American, completely reasonable yet petite. The Texas toast cut into halves was meant for two.

I was certain they'd bungle my medium-rare request, and the steak, which I only ordered out of duty wasn't bad. I was expecting the dull, blandness that you get from places like Outback Steakhouse. This little filet actually had flavor and a pleasant texture. I have no idea where the meat comes from. Obviously not Australia since imported beef from down under is a special weekend promotion. Bangkok, only, though.

I was owed a dessert so I picked up the mauve fluff instead of the brown fluff. It just tasted like artificial raspberry-flavored (oops, it’s supposed to blueberry—see? It’s impossible to tell) whipped cream.

Sizzler * CP Tower, 313 Silom Rd., 2nd Fl., Bangkok, Thailand

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Apr 8

Croissan’wiches Are From Mars, McMinis Are From Venus

McDonald's Canada has taken to promoting their McMini chicken sandwiches in a most un-Burger King-like manner. Men wanted showering ladies, of course.

Women, however, are unable to eat whole sandwiches, want a man to hold yarn for them while they knit and they love babies, especially Hollywood babies.

Makes me even hungrier for a Double Down.

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Apr 5

Everyone Loves New York

Sadly (or not—being destitute sucks) I have a day job, hence little time to attend to breaking news like McDonald’s Germany producing a line of cupcakes named after NYC neighborhoods.

Frankly, I was more interested in Tapei’s Neihu district Costco, the second most profitable store in the Washington state-based chain (the highest grossing is in South Korea).

There a few nods to local tastes like peking duck pizza in the food court and packaged meats being sliced thinly for hot pot usage, but bagels made from dough shipped from NYC are the most popular bakery item. How many bagels are sold each week? 54,000.

About Chains of Love

Photo from a random, nameless Japanese blog.

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