For the first year after I moved to Thailand, I had made a promise with myself: no American fast food! After I decided to live in Bangkok permanantly, I relaxed this rule a bit. I love Thai food so much, but every once in a while I’m just in the mood for some McDonald’s, KFC, or Pizza Hut.
One cool thing about visiting other countries is that the fast food menus at popular restaurants are different from what you are used to at home. At McDonald’s in Thailand, for example, you can order Thai-style rice dishes, such as this kraprao gai (basil chicken).
McDonald’s version of this classic Thai dish uses their delicous fried chicken and fluffy jasmine rice. Basil chicken isn’t usually fried, so even though it’s a very Thai-inspired dish, it’s still sort of a fast food fusion taste. The basil and chili sauce that is served on top of the chicken is spicy, but not nearly as hot as what you normally find at a local restaurant in Thailand. The flavors have been adapted to fit international tastes a bit more.
I’ve made it a mission to visit McDonald’s in the different countries that I visit to learn how the menu is different from place to place. It’s fun to try these fast food twists on traditional dishes, and it’s kind of interesting to see what food and specific flavors that McDonald’s thinks are important enough to the country to add into their menu.
LB convert 