Hong Kong McDonald's To Offer Wedding Packages 20
McDonald's in Hong Kong would love to super size your nuptials. Starting January 1st, couples can spend few thousand Hong Kong dollars and have a McWedding. From the article: "The package has all the details to attract a wedding banquet cynic or a Golden Arches obsessive: a baked apple pie wedding cake, dress made out of party balloons, kiddie party favors for guests, and of course, catering by McDonald's. Alcohol is banned to make sure there won't be drunk party guests acting inappropriately at the family venue, so newlyweds will have to toast their union with soft drinks instead."
McDonalds is a Big Deal in Hong Kong (Score:1, Informative)
This may sound weird for those outside of Hong Kong but McDonalds is a big deal there.
In the US, we consider McDonalds as near the bottom rung for fast food. When I had a friend from
HK visit me, the first thing she wanted to do is go to a McDonalds!
Most American "fast food" chain in Asia (Score:2)
Most American "fast food" are considered novelty food in Asia, and thus commands a higher price. Locals don't (or can't afford to) eat in those establishments regularly. A friend commented that Pizza Hut is considered a "respectable" restaurant in Shanghai. The same could be said about some of the things in the menu of Asian restaurants in the states; some of the things being served (and frankly charged a premium for) are very cheap food in Asia, that no one in their right mind in Asia would pay the sort of
In & Out wedding (Score:4, Interesting)
I was eating at an In & Out burger in Fullerton CA and a wedding couple came in, with full-on dress and everything, and a photographer with a couple of assistants. They took a lot of pictures. Pretty silly but I suppose it means something to the couple - maybe that's where they proposed.
That said McDonald's in Asia is weird. In Thailand I've only seen them from the outside (I don't eat there in the US either) but it was mostly tourists, as one might expect. They put them in the places where tourists congregate (often next to a Starbucks, also no surprise). But the thing is that there are only two types of tourists who seem to go in - western tourists with young kids, where the kids presumably forced the parents to go there, and Asian tourists not from Thailand. For some reason, middle and upper-middle class Asians seem to really like it. You do also see school kids who are interested because it's foreign (or whatever reason) - fast food places like this are actually cool among high school and middle school kids. I don't think this is anywhere near true anymore in the US.
Anyway, I can sort of understand McDonald's in the US - the food isn't very good but it's pretty cheap and you always know what to expect. in Asia, though, I can't comment on the quality but the prices are no longer cheap. It's one of the most expensive options! I suppose it is faster than most places, which counts for something I guess. But there are generally a lot of other options, all kinds of different foods, and most of which are cheaper. Doesn't make sense to me, but I suppose it'll wear off there eventually, like it did to some extent in the US.
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Snails have a great texture, kind of like mushrooms made out of meat.
The US price may or may not be worth it for one (in general it's not worth it for me), but I can see the appeal.
Also, snails are expensive in the US partly because we have (probably for petty political purposes) a strict import schedule for them and not much local demand or supply. In parts of Europe, snails (and similarly mussels) can be very cheap. In Belgium, mussels are a working class food. In Portugal, snails are a working class food
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I can sort of understand McDonald's in the US - the food isn't very good but it's pretty cheap and you always know what to expect.
It's more than that: the food makes you feel good. It's happy food. If you sit there tasting the food, you will think, "wow, this is the most bland, boring food ever. Why am I even eating it?" But then when it gets in your stomach, it makes you feel kind of happy. I swear in their taste-testing kitchens they must ask people, "do you feel happy?" after they eat the food or something.
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Wow, where in Fullerton? I live close there. ;)
In China American products are fashionable (Score:2, Informative)
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False. They actually don't care that much whether it's American or not. Though there is no such thing as "junk food" yet. McD's, KFCs, Pizza Huts, etc. are all "go-out" type of places in China. They are considered less formal sit-down restaurants. For example in KFC nowadays you can get certain traditional Chinese breakfast items.
McDs is a "date" place. Even on TV, kids in high school are portrayed to have their dates in "fast food" restaurants. It's not that surprising that HK is starting this wedding host
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Cultural differences. (Score:2)
If McDonald's in Hong Kong is anything like I've seen elsewhere in Asia it's simply a place to hang out. People aren't necessarily eating there on a regular basis but then the place also doesn't have the stigma McDonald's holds in the US. People are thinking about how unhealthy the food is or necessarily consider it a lowly place to work.
In Taiwan several years ago McDonald's started opening cafes within their restaurants in order to compete directly with Starbucks. And honestly, it wasn't half bad. But the