Oh, I’m well aware. Taiwanese people say they don’t like cinnamon, but when it’s in the form of “five spice” they are happy to ruin everything with it.
Also, this was probably already said in the other thread, possibly even by me, but Texas Tom’s sin-oh-man rolls FTW.
Thai food, Chinese food, and Indian food here (at least in Kaohsiung), tend to be also not good. I’ve asked Thai and Indian people if they can recommend a place, and they cannot. Vietnamese food here is ok, but was better in Thailand. I’ve never lived/traveled in Japan or Korea, or had a GF from there, so these cuisines might be better here.
But seriously, I talk to non-Westerners about food in Kaohsiung and they are not impressed.
I went to KFC here once because it was convenient, not a place I’ve eaten from much since I was a kid. It was so awful I didn’t finish, and never went back. I miss crispy fried chicken, ubiquitously soggy here
As for other American chains, needs to be famous, and there needs to be a market. The chains already here take up the market, there is no room for something more of the same. And no desire for something better.
Do Taiwanese people eat ice cream in the winter? Seems that would be like drinking cold water, so not surprising that didn’t work
One thing about American fast food in general is that a cheap place in Taiwan is a noodle shop or bien dang place or night market- often fairly dirty, often no A/C. Especially a few years ago, American fast food places were considered fairly upscale- more expensive, but better amenities, including clean toilets. Maybe things have changed now in the cities?
I realize this is outside the bounds of this topic (concerned with US chains in Taiwan, past and present), but it did occur to me that the most significant changes in the fastfood chain scene in Taiwan are coming from Japan, with Kura, Hama Sushi, and Sushiro all moving in with speed and precision. They are absolutely destroying their lousy local competitors such as Sushi Express.
He’s a guy in Taipei who regularly makes cinnamon rolls and some other stuff for some events. I often see him advertising on Facebook. I think he’s pretty well known.
These are also ones that are less likely to be found in Europe too. Dunkin Dognuts did expand a little recently, but the others on that list are nowhere to be seen in many places - not just Taiwan - compared to Macdonalds etc
I second this, like forcing every Italian restaurant to serve soup. FFS, not even in the dead of the winter we serve soups at restaurants. Only when u sick or broke at home u have soup. Very few actual soup dishes too.
And perversion with omelettes, although this is an Asian thing, we don’t these many eggs in Italy.