Posts from the ‘International Intrigue’ Category

Jul 18

Localized: 7-Eleven Singapore

Who knew that mashed potatoes from a self-serve machine could cause such a stir? Then again, when I first encoutered the Singaporean concept of mashed potato combo meals at a 7-Eleven in the flesh, I was blown away. I've always considered the unusual snack to be a classic example of International Intrigue.

And then I rekindled my love three years later.

They also serve Maggi brand mashed potatoes with gravy at movie theaters in Penang, and probably all over Malaysia and Singapore, too. But let’s stick with 7-Eleven here. Movie theater food is another post, though I'd love to know why they commonly serve caramel corn in Latin American cinemas, but not in the US.

Five items that Singaporean 7-Elevens have that we don’t:

Mango Cheese Chicken Sandwich.

Microwavable Singapore Black Carrot Cake. Carrot is colloquial; it's really daikon.

Chili crab instant noodles

Soya Sauce Chicken Rice

Longan Red Date Jelly

Photos from 7-Eleven Singapore

Share on Tumblr

Jul 4

When in Rome

I hate to admit my biases (though I just took that New York quiz and I'm totally not a mean wealthy person) but I blank out when it comes to Italian food. However, I just sat up and took notice when I read that there is ube cake in Rome?! Filipinos get around.

Today, on the Fourth of July KFCs in Japan had a "tabe-hodai" i.e. all-you-can-eat promotion. Meanwhile, Kobayashi was at Roberta's.

I'm going to be in Hong Kong at the end of the month, my third trip so I kept it brief, but now I'm wishing I had more time to explore because with only 48 hours you've got to keep it Cantonese. Yet, I'm reading about a Mexican food craze that stirs up the mumble-jumble International Intrigue lover in me (as well, as my tiny sliver of Latin American-ness). Taco Tuesdays at Heirloom Eatery, Brick House, Taco Chaca, the Mr. Taco truck, and visiting Mexican chefs at the Four Seasons? Actually, the funniest aspect is what I'm assuming to be British expats (aren't 90% of HK westerners from the UK?) freaking out on corn on the cob slathered with mayo and rolled in cheese and chile powder and deeming it inauthentic. Funny, because elotes couldn't be more Mexican, yet also register as exactly something a Chinese person would concoct and try to pass off as authentically other.

Mexican Style Sweetcorn via Brick House

Share on Tumblr

Jun 28

Localized: KFC Philippines

Some limited edition fast food novelties go untouched by the internet while others blast onto the scene begging to be blogged about. Such is the case with KFC Philippines' new "streetwise" Cheese Top Burger that, yes, inexplicably drapes a slice of what appears to be American cheese atop the bun rather than tucked away inside. So simple–some might say lazy–so unexpected.

The concept of a cheese-topped bun isn't exactly unheard of in the Philippines. Ensaymadas, though, typically use Edam, and shredded, not sliced. Perhaps, what's stranger is that the mesh of cheese blankets a coating of butter and sugar. I've yet to hear of a chicken sandwich on an ensaymada, though (yes, I'm trying to give KFC new ideas).

Instead, we'll have to be comforted by five other items KFC sells in the Philippines that we don't have:

Chicken Ala King with rice and corn.

Kung Pao Chicken, also with corn.

"Pinoy-style" spaghetti, which means super sweet sauce with cut up weiners. Spaghetti is also available as a combo with fried chicken, which is very Jollibee of them.

Cali Maki Twister is fusion to the utmost degree. They take a standard tortilla and breaded, fried chicken filet, then add Japanese mayo, mango and cucumber. I would totally eat this.

Macaroni salad, fries, mashed potatoes and coleslaw were just too reasonable, so KFC had to go and add Mushroom Soup as a side for good measure. Except that they call sides "fixins."

Photos via Filipino Desserts and KFC Philippines

Share on Tumblr

Jun 8

Can You Dunk Them In Soy Milk?

As McDonald's is the go-to for any writer talking–or more likely, posting photos–about localized fast food, Oreo is rapidly becoming the defacto snack example (Kit Kat and its Japanese insanity is also up there, for good reason). In fact, the first time I became aware of American food being adapted abroad in the '90s, it was a discussion, who knows where, about how Kraft had to take out the white fluff and tone down the sugar in the black biscuits for Chinese consumers.

This week's version about Chinese marketers' endless quest for bastardizing our food comes from Reuters. A rectangular Oreo has been a hit, but a version that switched out the white filling for gum and a red bean paste flavored middle both never made it to market.

Also off the drawing table: A Ritz cracker meant to taste like fish in Sichuan chile oil. Which sounds awesome, as does the "Chicken Feet With Pickled Chili" seasoning created at the Kraft R&D lab.

Coconut Oreo picture via Eataku

Share on Tumblr

Jun 5

Twofer Tuesday

Brooklyn Abroad

There has been an event with a charity component called Big Bite Bangkok where homemade food gets sold in a hotel parking lot (and sounds perfectly pleasant, frankly). And CNNGo reports, “’We wanted to do something like Smorgasburg in Brooklyn,’” says food writer Chawadee Nualkhair, a co-organizer of the event.”

American food trucks in Paris got the page one New York Times treatment: “Among young Parisians, there is currently no greater praise for cuisine than ‘très Brooklyn,’ a term that signifies a particularly cool combination of informality, creativity and quality.”

Fast Food Aberrations

Last week we saw mixology take hold at Taco Bells offering a morning elixir of orange juice and Mountain Dew.

And now Subway is encroaching on the taco chain’s territory with nachos. And not just any nachos, but nachos made with Doritos. With the ridiculous success of Taco Bell’s Doritos Locos Taco, it’s only a matter of times before cheese-powdered chips weasel their way into more restaurants. Kudos to the burger chain able to appropriate them first. May I suggest Wendy's taco salad as a candidate?

Share on Tumblr

May 23

From Tortas to Chicken-Fried Steak

The first time I went to Chicago Mo Rocca sat directly in front of me on the plane.

On my recent visit to Oklahoma City I was routed through Chicago, and once again trailed Mo Rocca. While still at La Guardia I spied his location via a flirtatious Rick Bayless retweet.

Soon enough, I, too, had a torta (choriqueso) for the road. Tortas Frontera is a great idea at O'Hare. It's too bad my plane was already boarding when I arrived for my return flight–even though the restaurant was right next the gate, it takes a chunk of time (15 minutes for the original sandwich) for the food to get made because there's usually a line and everything's prepped on demand. Actually, I ran over (I'm one of those freaks who pays to check my bag, so I don't need to rush the gate to snag precious storage bin space) in search of anything readymade and was able to score a poblano chile and Chihuahua cheese mollete boxed up rapido. They call them open-faced sandwiches. I've always thought of them as Mexican French bread pizzas.

Even McDonald's in Mexico has a version.

I have the suspicion that no one's clamoring for a slew of posts on Oklahoma City dining unless you greatly enjoy variations on meat and potatoes: steak and baked potato, chicken-fried steak and mashed potatoes, and ribs and fries–there were even potatoes in the Okla-Mex fajitas. It's not one of those regions that may be third-tier but still has plenty of food lore, like say, Charlotte and environs, with North Carolinian barbecue culture as a backdrop. (Chowhound had almost nothing in the way of OKC advice and Serious Eats had no more than a mention or two. The craziest thing I read about online but didn't have a chance to check out was a weekend-only honey-dipped fried chicken truck in the "bad" part of town that a pair of local, Native American, dwarf, Christian rappers had written a song about.) But here are some photos untill those posts arrive, like them or not.

McMollete photo via Brand Eating where there is currently a must-see series on all of the Mc items at McDonald's around the world.

Share on Tumblr

May 9

When in Doubt, Add Mango

Another day, another localized snack food story. May was kicked off with the Huffington Post vs. Businessweek with mango-flavored Oreos playing a role in each. And before I could even get around to posting this, The Wall Street Journal busted out a piece about Dunkin’ Donuts’ first Indian outpost. Yes, there will be mangoes–as well as a lychee Coolata and a Jerk Cottage Cheese Ciabatta sandwich.

And if Pinkberry wasn’t enough, now India and China will be the recipients of another chilly American dessert: water ices, courtesy of Rita’s. No word on the presence of mangoes.

A Jamba Juice franchisee in the Bahamas didn’t localize (mango is already on the menu, after all) but bucked tradition by adding food, which proved a huge success for the chain. He still went out of business, however, and is now going like gangbusters with a presumably mango-free Johnny Rockets in the Atlantis resort.

Chinese orange-mango Oreo pic via Kraft Foods

Share on Tumblr

Apr 24

Chain Links: Smashed Burgers and Cheeseburger Rims

Smashburger just opened its first international location—in Kuwait, naturally.

It doesn’t seem right that India will be barraged by Pinkberry and we are without a kulfi chain. Are there kulfi chains?

UK wiener crust has nothing on cheeseburger-rimmed pizza. Oh, Pizza Hut.

Ben & Jerry’s is now in Tokyo. So far the flavors (I'm not typing flavours) look all-American.

How could Puerto Rico not have an Olive Garden already?

Supposedly, in China, people only drink an average of three cups of coffee per year, so Starbucks is kind of screwed. Plus, they linger for hours and bring in outside food when they do patronize the cafe.

Photo: Smashburger Kuwait

Share on Tumblr

Apr 12

Localized: Pizza Hut UK

Pizza Hut has been causing a ruckus (I don't even know who to link to–it was all over) this week with its new hot dog-stuffed crust in the UK. Is that really so weird in the scheme of things? It's not exactly mayonnaise-drizzled squid, beef stew, or foie gras–just wait until I get into Japanese pizza.

Ok, teaser: can a demure wiener crust drizzled with mustard even compete with a pigs-in-a-blanket rim served with honey maple and ketchup? Both Pizza Hut creations.

We don't need to look to tube steaks squeezed where they have no right being to know that they do things a little differently in Ol' Britannia. See: sarnies, puds, and baps.

And with that, here are five things served at Pizza Hut UK that we don't have:

Foot Long Pastas (Classic Lasagne, Salmon Pasta Bake, Mac & Cheese and Chicken & Mushroom Bake). Um, metric system fail?

Creamy Blue (blue cheese, mozzarella, béchamel instead of tomato sauce, mushrooms, and a drizzle of balsamic) from the "Posh" selection of pizzas.

500-calorie Pizettas like the Shrimply Delicious

The Blazin' Inferno, which includes double pepperoni, jalapeños, and a trademarked chile called Roquito®, which appears to be similar to a piquillo.

Banoffee Hot Cookie Dough Dessert. This puts our HERSHEY'S® Chocolate Dunkers® to shame.

Previously on Localized: Dunkin' Donuts Taiwan

Photos: Pizza Hut UK, YumSugar, harpluck

Share on Tumblr

Apr 9

Chain Links: Kuwaiti Toll House Cafe, Colombian Chicken & Costa Rican Cosi

As I research a potential summer trip to Dubai, I'm more and more fascinated by the number of imported chains, particularly the American ones, since it seems like most of the western tourists and expats are British, or at the very least not from the US. Nestlé Toll House Café by Chip is one of those weirdo chains that I'd never even heard of until recently. The CEO, originally from Lebanon, is having great success with the brand in the Middle East.

Speaking of, Smashburger just opened its first Middle East branch in Kuwait. Halal Angus beef, of course.

Kokoriko Natural Rotisserie, a Colombian chicken chain, has teamed up with chef Richard Sandoval (the man is ubiquitous) to create a menu for the US. The first location in Miami should open any day, though I'm still not sure how this differs from the Kokoriko that's already in Miami.

Twenty-five Wendy's may appear in Georgia and Azerbaijan over the next ten years.

The Original SoupMan's first international location will be in Tokyo's Central Train Station.

Cosi is franchising in Costa Rica.

Photo via Al-Mubarkia

Share on Tumblr