Posts from the ‘International Intrigue’ Category

Jun 22

Chain Links: Reform Triangle Sandwiches

Kuwait has everything, and now they have Elevation Burger. Ok, I’ve never heard of the Virginia-based company that touts organic, grass-fed, free-range beef, but it looks like I will soon; an NYC location at 103 W. 14th is listed on their site for fall 2010. [Fast Casual]

Just because Budapest already has an established coffeehouse culture, doesn’t mean that Starbucks is staying away. Last week the world-conquering coffee chain opened their first location in Hungary. They will be serving something called reform triangle sandwiches, as well as cheese pogácsa and almond nougat cake from Gerbeaud, one of those old-fashioned coffeehouses they are trying to replace. [Starbucks]

Skipping the US altogether, Sarku Japan will be partnering with Frisby, the Colombian fried chicken chain, to bring fast food teriyaki and sushi to that South American country. [QSR]

Dairy Queen will be coming to Saudi Arabia. The soft-servers already have a Middle Eastern presence in Bahrain, Oman, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. No word on any localized Blizzard flavors; the only quirk according to the DQ blog is that Middle Eastern Dairy Queens are open 24-hours because it’s too hot during the day to sit outside. [Bloomberg]

Photo from Closed Loop Recycling.

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Jun 11

Chain Links: Yes, We Have No Banana Doughnuts

South Korean SPC Group will be adding Jamba Juice to their business.
Currently, they operate Baskin Robbins and Dunkin’ Donuts. Based on
Dunkin’ Donuts’ banana, coconut and white chocolate doughnut shaped
like the tropical fruit, some twists might be in store for Korean Jamba
Juice. [Business Wire]

Villa Enterprises Management who “started in 1964 as a tiny pizzeria next to the Ed Sullivan Theater in New York City” have morphed into a zillion different restaurant concepts and have spread all over the world. Two brands, Villa Fresh Italian Kitchen and Greenleaf’s & Bananas are sprouting up in Puerto Rico. Eh, pasta and sandwiches. [QSR]

Have you heard of Marble Slab Creamery? I had not. It sounds an awful
lot like Cold Stone Creamery, but upon further investigation the lesser
known (to me) chain opened five years earlier, in 1983. Name
recognition is not holding Marble Slab back from expanding around the
globe, though. They just opened their first Mexican shop in
Guadalajara. Too bad Cold Stone already has a presence in Mexico City,
Monterrey and are coming to Acapulco. [Business Wire]

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Jun 7

Chain Links: Turkish Delights

Once again, faraway lands succeed where New York fails. Brooklyn just got its first Arby’s earlier this year and now Turkey will be getting 50 in the next five years? The Tab Gida group already franchises Sbarro, Popeye’s and Burger King in Turkey, so maybe Beef ‘n Cheddars are no big whoop. [QSR]

Yum! Brands is popular in China, and not just because of KFC and Pizza Hut. The company was wise enough to realize that locals will only eat so much Western food, hence the creation of East Dawning, a Chinese fast food restaurant. I wish they’d import one to the states. [Forbes]

The UK doesn’t have a surfeit of Mexican fast food so new entries, Chipotle and Taco Bell might have a chance for success (even though Taco Bell already failed once). Whether or not Ruby Tuesday, which just opened its first UK location in Cardiff, will win over the Brits is up for debate. [The Independent]

Turkish Sbarro photo from Bayim Olur musun.

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Jun 1

Chain Links: Payback For the Banh Mi Onslaught

We just call them homeless. In Shanghai, working poor “McRefugees” have been treating KFC and McDonald’s as alternative bedding. As many as 30-40 men (it sounds like a male thing) show up nightly to sleep on chairs and in booths. The practice is not uncommon in South Korea, Japan and Hong Kong. [Southern Weekly via Shanghaiist]

We don’t even have Carl’s Jr. in NYC yet Ho Chi Minh City welcomed one this week. It is the first American fast food burger chain to enter the country. Twenty-five more are slated for the next six years. [QSR Magazine]

Starbucks won’t be heading to South Africa but their coffee will be served in select hotels and casinos through a licensing agreement. Just in time for the World Cup. [Fast Casual]

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May 29

Chains For Good

I was like whatever when I heard about Blue Marble Ice Cream opening the new Brooklyn Bridge Park because big shared outdoor spaces are useless to me. (Seriously, I looked at a few One Brooklyn Bridge condos, and the neighboring park as selling point backfired. The Manhattan views were lovely, but you’d have to wear blinders. I’m trying to escape the families, bikes, strollers, dogs and lollygaggers of Carroll Gardens, not have hundreds of them concentrated outside my home.)

But Blue Marble Ice Cream in Rwanda? That’s totally different. The Brooklyn-based company has been involved in a training program teaching local women how to run a business. Inzozi Nziza, a.k.a. Sweet Dreams, touted as the country’s first ice cream show, will open June 5.

The big unanswered question is are Rwandans familiar with ice cream and do they like it? And even bigger—what will the flavors be?

So Cool: Blue Marble Opens Rwanda’s First Ice-Cream Shop [Grub Street]

Photo from Blue Marble Dreams

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May 26

Operation Dessert Storm

I like keeping tabs on American chains infiltrating other countries (by the way, Taco Bell is making its second attempt at getting the UK to embrace gorditas) but the Middle East is giving me a workout. They seem to have every franchise you’ve ever heard, making the region seem more American than chain-averse NYC. In fact, the latest company to land in Dubai is called Great American Cookies.

Luckily, I just discovered a food blog, B&D Kuwait, that is a treasure trove. It doesn’t appear that they are exclusively writing about American chain restaurants, but at first glance I spy Coldstone Creamery, T.G.I. Friday’s, Applebee’s and Burger King. Also, who knew Dean & DeLuca existed in Kuwait and Dubai?

It’s notable that even when a written language doesn’t use the Latin alphabet (Thailand was rife with these beauties) you can still recognize American brands from logo alone.

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May 25

Auf Wiedersehen, Currywurst

I haven't traveled extensively in Europe; it's not my continent of choice. So far, I’ve yet to explore beyond Spain, France, England…and ok, Wales (for a familial wedding weekend). Now that I keep hearing about the sad state of the Euro and restaurant parity, my tune might change. Plus, Mexican food in Berlin?

Five real, i.e. no burritos with mayonnaise, Mexican restaurants appearing in nine months sounds like an awful lot. A taco truck is even in the works for the German capital. What's going on over there?

In Texas, there is apparently an oddity called the German taco, a.k.a. a polaco or Polish taco. Kielbasa, tortillas, sauerkraut and melted cheese are involved. I’d try one.

Berlin taco cart photo from Laurie Isola.

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May 18

In Like a Lion, Out Like a Lamb

I thought I might be the only one who wanted to know more about Israeli-style burgers, i.e. what are they? But no, based on my search logs, strangers are clamoring (ok, in my world five people is considered clamoring) for the scoop. And luckily, someone has since written about it.

Ruvy, a current resident of Israel who used to manage a Burger King in the US, claims that the only difference between Burger King and Burger Ranch is the condiments. Heinz is used by the American chain.

“Heinz catsup is not as sweet as the Israeli catsup sold here; the Heinz mayonnaise has a different flavor from the local brands; and the local mustard is sharper than the mild Heinz mustard used on the hamburgers and double hamburgers at Burger King. The result is that there is a distinctly different flavor of the Burger Ranch hamburgers compared to the analogous Burger King products.”

Meanwhile, old folks in Bay Ridge are upset that Heinz is reducing the salt in their classic ketchup. Says, Joe Oliva: "I'm 80 years old, and I haven't died yet. It's really hard for me to eat without salt. I think it's infringing on our rights!

Israeli Heinz ketchup ad from Coloribus.

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May 16

Chain Links: Chili’s Discovers Banh Mi

Do you know Nando’s, the South African chicken chain? I only do because I recently tried one in Penang (could’ve sworn I blogged about it but never did—my lunch, above). Even though they’ve been in England since 1992, The Guardian is positing that “The brand is now inextricably linked with a certain type of youthful, racially mixed, urban British pop star and, so, with modern, inner-city, multicultural Britain.” Er, if you say so. It’s a hefty article for such a subject. [The Guardian]

I often like The Wall Street Journal’s food coverage because they will take a subject like Asian flavors influencing barbecue and mention the obvious like Fatty ‘Cue and toss in a little David Chang while also getting some mainstream intel from Chili’s and posting a recipe from RockSugar Pan Asian Kitchen (a Cheesecake Factory brand with only one location in LA). While not ground-breaking for a more cosmopolitan restaurant, Chili’s is aiming to be “first to market” with Vietnamese sandwiches and Korean quesadillas. Give ‘em a couple more years, and they’ll develop a fleet of food trucks. [Wall St. Journal]

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May 15

A Knuckle Sandwich

My T Magazine blog rss feeds serve little purpose beyond adding to my future likelihood of getting carpal tunnel syndrome. I scroll and scroll, finger on the click wheel, waiting for a headline and one-line description to pounce on.

“The Curious Case of Samuel’s Button: Samuel Gassmann set out to make a documentary on men’s clothing, and ended up launching a collection of cufflinks.”

No!

“Fiddling: Fiddleheads are good vegetables with real appeal, but they’re not as flexible as some produce.”

I almost want to read this because Jurassic-looking fiddleheads creep the hell out of me. Maybe Peter Meehan will change my mind? But ultimately, no, not clicking.

“Latin Flair: In São Paulo, a young class of chefs is mixing cuisines and techniques and taking Brazilian cooking to a higher level.”

Ok, I’d like to hear more about chefs in Latin America. Do we know any except Francis Mallmann and Gastón Acurio? São Paulo’s cuisine already got The New York Times treatment last year, but I’ll admit that none of the chefs’ names stuck with me. I reluctantly click.

But what stands out in the T Magazine paragraph is only peripherally related to cooking. What to make of Bolivan chef, Checho Gonzáles? “Each of his knuckles is inked with the image of a popular local bar snack.” I don’t know what Brazilian bar snacks might be, but that’s one of the awesomest tattoos I can think of even if it sounds like something only an Asian girl could pull off. And with no photographic evidence, I only had my imagination.

Thankfully, I got my answer on Eater when they provided a photo (above) in a tangential post. Pizza and sushi! I hope one of those is a pão de queijo.

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