Is the cuisine so boring or just bad that you have to ask for alternatives?

[Duppie]

I have done my fair share of traveling in Asia,Europe and Latin America and have found that there was never enough time or resources to fully appreciate the cuisine of any country I visited.
Yet I come across threads weekly asking for the best Tacos in Paris, Southern Fried chicken in Japan,Cheese burgers in Mumbai. Pulled pork in Tel Aviv. Of course I exaggerate for the sake of making my point but my question is , were you so bored or disgusted with the local cuisine that you have to seek out totally foreign food for that country and did you expect it to look and taste even close to what you were used to back home?

[buttertart]

We usually structure our trips so we don't get sick of something - vary levels of restaurants in France for example, the occasional splurge with bistros and various regional cuisines and non-French places for a break (usually Asian, Vietnamese or Thai/Laotian). We do the same thing in Asia, different regional cuisines in China and throw in the (very) occasional non-Asian meal for variety (there are very good French restaurants in Kyoto for example). We stick to things that we expect to be done well because of cultural or colonial backgrounds of the countries we visit. Wouldn't look for a taco in Tokyo or Lyon, but see no reason if someone needs a fix that they shouldn't do so.

[soupkitten]

hungarian-chinese is interesting. . . so is anglo-indian. indian-anglo just sucks big time (my traveling companion's fault, thank god it was only breakfast). many times when i've traveled i've been on a very limited budget where i could really only eat cheap ethnic eats and street/market food, and reserve my big splurge for *one* really good "best italian restaurant in florence" etc meal-- or sometimes i couldn't afford the big spurge at all. sometimes it feels a little better to check out what a greek restaurant in bulgaria might be like, if your other choice is a cheap and wan execution of local cuisine-- when you simply can't afford to eat as well as you'd like to and the price points in the 2 restaurants are the same.

[soonerhound]

Interesting post. My husband and I just returned from a trip to Europe (still meaning to write up the restaurants on the Italy and France boards). We had carefully researched and planned for several special dinners at local places, and happily ate street fare and groceries most of the rest of the time. Since we were visiting the typical touristy sites for much of our trip, however, we found that most of the places open for lunch were the typical touristy lunch places- and they were expensive! In Rome, we learned a trick of stopping by a Chinese restaurant near our hotel at mid-day for a dirt-cheap and tasty snack and a couple of drinks to tide us over until our dinner reservations. Also there was just something funny about eating Chinese food in Rome- and vacations are about having fun :)

[ipsedixit]

Here in Southern California, and in particular the San Gabriel Valley, you'll often see busloads of tourists from either China or Taiwan flock to local Chinese restaurants for meals.

While no doubt the San Gabriel Valley offers some of the finest Chinese restaurants in the Western Hemisphere, it is a bit odd that visitors from half-way across the globe would want to eat what they could easily get back at home rather than, say, sample a good taqueria or hit up a decent pizza joint. [shrug]

[Tripeler]

I think those people who are used to Chinese food have trouble digesting pizza and tacos.

[ipsedixit]

That maybe. Do you think it's the cheese? While many Asian folks are lactose intolerant, even those that are not find the taste and aroma of cheese of any kind very off-putting.

That said, I know bunch of Chinese teenagers who would rather have pizza over a Taiwanese rice roll and spaghetti and meatballs over a bowl of beef noodle soup.

Go figure.

[Tripeler]

It's the combination of beans, corn tortillas, usual (to them) spices and lots of fatty meat. I don't know about China, but in Japan most all Mexican restaurants are fully qualified bean-free zones.

I think the Chinese teenagers you know are likely American raised ethnic Chinese.

[Will Owen]

The tourist who wants to limit his experiences to the familiar is an odd duck indeed, but he or she certainly exists. Mrs. O and I have both encountered acquaintances back from overseas trips who complained that nobody spoke English and you couldn't find a decent steak anywhere, just weird local crap. By far the ones least interested in local cuisine tend to be those not there by choice, mostly Armed Forces personnel; my sister and her children adored the food in Italy, but her husband, a career Air Force NCO, couldn't stand any of it because it wasn't what he's grown up on in Ohio. Well, he did enjoy the pizza, but it had to be from one of the few large places that catered to tourist tastes... which is why for my farewell dinner we drove all the way from San Vito dei Normanni to Matera, because the big restaurant there was where all the Americans hung out.

[beachmouse]

Though there's a subgroup of military folks who do indeed eat their way around the world. I've met a good number of AF people down here in Florida who still pine for that perfect Korean BBQ they discovered while stationed over there and get so very excited when someone down here comes moderately close to getting it 'right'.

[lulubelle]

Where I live there is one company (who shall remain nameless) whose employees are famous for trying to set up a little USA right here in South Asia. The frequent the American Club, the Pizza Hut etc, but you never see them at the local restaurants. They are also the people who complain that the school is not "American" enough, whatever that means. I think that for people who are pushed into a life overseas, as opposed to going willingly, the food is something east to control in an unfamiliar place.

[hannaone]

The military is what introduced me to cuisines other than "American".
While there is a large portion of military folks that rarely, if ever, leave the post or the nearby "American Town", there were also quite a few that would try anything and everything the host country had to offer.
The adventurous types were the ones who consistently volunteered for overseas postings, and considered stateside assignments as a "hardship" duty.

[emilief]

During a two week stay in Athens we had breakfast sandwiches from McDonald's almost every day- about $6. It sure beat the aporx $30 per person that the hotel was charging for breakfast. Eggs, bacon, sausage, english muffins sort of the same everywhere.

[queencru]

My parents and sister had a similar experience in Tokyo- breakfast at the hotel was this gigantic buffet for $25-30 while the McDonald's was considerably cheaper. I know when I travel I try to find hotels that include breakfast or provide inexpensive options, but if that's not a possibility you'll probably find me at the local McDonald's or Starbucks.

[Steve]

I haven't been to Athens,but I think that's pretty sad. No markets around? Nothing? I've done a fair amount of traveling, plus I'm a cheapskate, but I have never been in that position.

Where did you stay? If I were staying in a city for two weeks, I'd think about figuring out a way to cook. I love shopping in the local markets.

[emilief]

Not really sad- just practical. Since we have many friends and family in Athens, we had lunch and dinner with them at local tavernas or at their homes, so breakfast was the only issue. Themarkets are not close by the Athens Hilton and I have no desire to cook on vacation. The other alternative is to pay more for your room and stay on the concierge floor where there is gratis food all the time.

[thew]

there has to be some option between the 2

[Mestralle]

Like some other American posters, I lived abroad for several years (five years in London), and I often craved things that just weren't available (or if they were, I couldn't find them because this was long before the Internet was ubiquitous). I once spent the equivalent of about $25 on a small bag of Oreos that some shop had important, and I don't even particularly crave Oreos.

Not terribly related, but I remember one night it was my turn to cook for our regular "dinner parties," but I was running really late and could really only manage to throw together a Mexican meal (make-your own tacos, rice, beans, that sort of thing, not fancy at all). I was prepared to be very apologetic, but it was a huge hit. With there being at that time only one arguably Mexican restaurant in London (a very mediocre Americanized chain-type place) and being so geographically distant from Mexico) it really never occurred to anyone there to make Mexican food at home.

With a good American friend living in Paris, we ate at a lot of "unusual" or at least "non-French" places there constantly. I particularly remember this fantastic little Guatemalan place right in the heart of the city - go figure.

[linguafood]

And that reminds me of another reason to not always seek out the native cuisine -- immigrants! Paris has quite a bunch of very good tagine places, that I'll take over any mediocre, overpriced bistro any time.

Same with Berlin, and its Turkish & Middle Eastern immigrants: obviously, you can get some pretty excellent Turkish and Middle Eastern food.

[janetofreno]

well, maybe, but the Indian food I've had in Paris has been awful....not sure why we even tried, except that DH had to have his fix!

And in reply to Mestralle: Your Mexican meal reminds me of a very successful party we threw years ago (in fact, it was for my 16th birthday) in Mexico City. My mother decided that she would serve "American Style" tacos (you know: crispy shells, lots of cheese, lettuce, ground beef, etc) to show folks that what passed for tacos in the US (at least in the late 1960s) was very different than what was served in the DF...She got together all the fixins' and had people make their own. At the time I remember thinking something to the effect of "my crazy mother is at it again.." , but the "tacos" were a hit with all of our friends...go figure....

[susancinsf]

I must have been even more worried about crazy Mom than you, because I don't remember that party at all! Blanked it out I suppose :-)

The Indian food in Paris may be awful, but I had the best char sui bao I've ever eaten at a little place in Paris years ago. I still dream of them as one of my top travel-related food memories (and it has nothing to do with bad or boring local cuisine, since French cuisine is anything BUT bad or boring)... and it is true that the influence of immigrants can have a very positive influence on eating experiences in some areas, including Paris (as well as San Francisco).

[lulubelle]

I just want to chime in as another expat who occasionally wants a taste of home. Or at the very least, a taste of something that isn't local. Usually I end up cooking it myself, because the one Mexican restaurant here makes "nachos" that resemble curry, but I do eat the local pizza and Chinese food. It doesn't taste like Italy, or like China, or even like Chicago, but at least it's not curry. (for the record, I do love curry.)

[hannaone]

Some of the posts are event specific, such as someone looking for a place to celebrate cinco de mayo, others are American/Foreign living in the country with a craving, some are from local nationals looking for the same things we here in the states look for, good ethnic cuisine from other lands.

[Jetgirly]

I've spent three of the last seven years living outside my home country, in significantly different cultures. I don't really crave that "taste of home", as most of the things commonly associated with North American dining are not part of my regular diet (I'm a vegetarian), but I often crave a taste of something different. Being a vegetarian often means limited eating choices when sticking only to "local" cuisine. I developed a huge love of Indian and Middle Eastern food when I lived in Italy. When I lived in Mexico I would constantly order pizza from a Bolivian restaurant nearby (thin-crust pizza with the lightest brushing of sauce, the lightest sprinkle of cheese, and then about a pound of mixed fresh herbs... mmmmm...). I also had stand-out Indian and Thai dishes in Honduras not too long ago.

This summer I'm off to Turkey, Romania and Moldova for seven weeks. I have a feeling that after a few days of authentic Moldovan vegetarian cuisine I'll be ready for a vegetarian burrito!

[mpjmph]

I think there a lot of issues at play. For starters, people want variety in their diets, even when the native/local cuisine is amazing, otherwise "ethnic" restaurants would be far less common. There is also the comfort food factor - sometimes you just want to food you grew up with. Finally, there's the "I can't get it anywhere else" factor. A lot of places just don't have access to certain cuisines. I don't always have access to good North African food at home, so when I'm in a city with a significant N. African population I take advantage. Then again, there are times when the local cuisine just isn't that good...

[anakalia]

I think, too, when most people on these boards ask these questions, it is because they are expats or are living abroad for a prolonged period of time.

For example, as a vegetarian living in France last year, I was constantly seeking out Indian or veg Middle Eastern food because (other than in the peak of fresh veggie season) the veg food in France was a) horrible or b) nonexistent.

That being said, if I am visiting a place for a week or two, I try to sample as much of the local food as possible, even if it means eating things I normally don't care for (sometimes even relaxing on the vegetarian thing a bit). But months on end? Not so much.

[Steve]

There's a lot of great food in Paris from all over, especially North or West African, Caribbean, Lebanese, and Vietnamese. Many others, too. But I think seeking out Mexican is pretty wierd.

[Passadumkeg]

Not if one is from the southwest.
What about being an American Bolivian saltena junkie in DC?

[Steve]

There may very well be good Mexican food in Paris, but as a visitor I think I'll stick with the stuff that is well-represented by a large community. I also think I'll pass on the Parisian BBQ scene.

Hey, the Bolivian community here is huge. But I still think they are holding out on me.....

[Passadumkeg]

But what if you're a 'Merican from Truth or Consequences, New Mexico and you've been living in Paris for 10 years and you git a craven for a taco or real Q? Foi gras just doesn't cut it any more.

[Steve]

True, but I think the OP was just talking about people visiting for a normal vacation. Though I could have misunderstood.

For folks who are there for an extended period, I imagine anything goes. Except KFC.

[Passadumkeg]

Yeah, I remember living in Norway for a couple of years and it dawning on us that we hadn't eaten a hamburger. So we cooked some.

[Duppie]

Yes Steve, It amazes me to see obvious vacationers line up in Mc Donalds in Lisbon,Brussels,Paris,Hong Kong and Rio. Cities which IMHO offers some of the best cuisine around while we can't wait to experience our next local meal and was one of the primary reasons we chose to spend our hard won vacation weeks there.
I recognize that some people only eat to live,and others don't possess a curious pallet but why would I fly in this day and age to visit an exciting new land and eat something I can get in any suburban strip mall in New Jersey?

[Passadumkeg]

We went to Seoul last June for 3 weeks to visit family. It dawned on me when we got on the plane and they gave us plastic utensils that I hadn't used a knife and fork in 3 weeks. I don't even eat fast food burgers in the US.

[lulubelle]

I went to the McDonalds in Bangkok almost every day for an ice tea and a chance to use the western style toilet. I never ate any food there, but the bathrooms are dependable.

[bdachow]

Lol, that's too funny and I'll have to keep it mind next time I'm in Asia and looking for a western toilet.

[Striver]

People travel for lots of reasons , and - strange as it may seem to 'hounds - many of them are not particularly interested in local cuisines, preferring the familiar to the foreign. We here are obviously interested in food; I think we tend to project our own passions onto others.

Indeed, plenty of American tourists come to NYC, where there's a plethora of interesting and varied food choices at all price points - and head straight to Olive Garden or Red Lobster or Applebees. Go figure. :)

[Duppie]

I am not naive to this fact but coming from a long line of eaters,marrying into another long line of eaters and having eater friends, it still strikes me as strange.
In retrospect there must be quite a lot of these folks because this type of restaurant seems to be proliferating here and overseas. Please, I like a whopper every once in awhile but it never crosses my mind abroad or in North America when I am on vacation,that IMO would just dull the whole idea of Vacation.

[bdachow]

Short vacation, probably not (couple days to a couple of weeks) but I've gone traveling for 3 months in Asia and boy, did I need a fix of western food every so often. The irony is that I'm Chinese and grew up eating Chinese food most of the time but what I craved while in Asia...a great steak, burger and eggs benny.

[queencru]

My guess is that you're one of those lucky people who experiences no digestive issues when traveling. There are plenty of people who feel ill from even the slightest change of diet. I know I feel out of sorts all day if I stray too much from my typical breakfast, so it's not worth it to me to try to be more authentic at the expense of my health and enjoyment of the trip. I still try my best to try to enjoy the local food when my stomach allows, but when I'm having issues you can bet I'm going to stick to familiar food.

[Duppie]

You would be correct, I am blessed with a very forgiving stomach. By familiar food do you mean toast and cereal for breakfast,perhaps salads, pizza or burgers for lunch or dinner?

[queencru]

I tend to have problems when I go to countries where the food tends to be more rich/heavier than what I'm used to eating at home. As a result I try to eat one lighter meal or two when I am traveling so I don't get overwhelmed. For other people it might be something different that causes issues.

[Duppie]

To be honest I was not entirely immune, while on a contract in Portugal I developed a extreme reaction to their white and green wines after perhaps imbibing a little too much. Even today I tend to stay away from overly acidic wines.However when it comes to acidic prone foods{Thai,Philippino} I have no problems.

[soupkitten]

there was *just* a paris thread seeking tacos. i thought something quite snarky to myself and clicked on it. the op was on an extended stay, perhaps studying, and was thinking to celebrate cinco de mayo. . . so that made sense to me, and i held my snark for a future occasion :)

[gfr1111]

I assume that you are talking about Americans and other nationalities that insist on eating their home cuisine to the exclusion of all others. I've certainly seen Americans do it abroad. However, it happens with other nationalities, as well. A friend of mine hosted in Tampa a group of Indians who were being trained to work in an American company with branches in India. While in Tampa, the Indians insisted on eating in the same restaurant every night: an Indian restaurant!

Certainly, when traveling, you should eat the native cuisine of whereever you happen to be. You've spent a lot of time, energy and money getting to that place, so why wouldn't you immerse yourself in the culture? On the other hand, when you are not just a casual and brief visitor to a country, the situation is a little different. I ate Chinese, Indian, and Malay food continuously for about the first six months I worked in Singapore and it was absolutely delicious! But one day, I felt an overpowering urge for a Burger King Whopper with extra mayonnaise and pickles. I ate one. After that, I found that I had to have an American food fix--one or two meals every two or three weeks.

[tatamagouche]

Granted, that likely speaks well of the Indian restaurant.

[Passadumkeg]

Having lived a substantial number of years out of the US, I can agree w/ some of the sentiments already expressed. But sometimes you just miss an American food, from home, that is not part of the local cuisine. I can remember using lefsa to try and make Mexican food in Norway. We taught our maid, in Bolivia, to make and pronounce Philadelphia cheese steak sandwich. We found a Bolivain BBQ ribs & burgers that "were just like home". In Finland, we'd ask visitors to bring hot Italian sausage because we missed it. The Greek salad at our favorite Greek rest. was made from cabbage, but we got to eat middle eastern style lamb, which we missed.I see you are from Jersey. We bring back to Maine Taylor's Pork Roll, because we miss it. One can not live on lobster alone.
Our 2 eldest sons work in Seoul. One, who also worked in Thailand, will be back for a visit in October. He can't wait to eat American Chinese and Thai food. All the local Chinese and Thai restaurants in S. Korea, have a very heavy Korean influence, just as our does American.
Move out of NJ/NYC and see how much you look for NY style pizza in the southwest.
I've given up trying to find good Mexican food in Maine; we just cook it ourselves.

[Veggo]

Passa, you don't get out enough. Take a field trip from Ellsworth, ME to El Cafecito in Grants, NM, for a good fix of green, and sopapillas.

[Passadumkeg]

The owner is one of my old students. The "Christmas" burritos are great. Sooner than ya think.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5UondG...

LOL

[NellyNel]

Oh yes - actually I forgot to write in my above post - what I originally started to!

There were definitely things that I craved while living abroad... Pizza being numero uno!

I lived in an area heavily populated by English Italians, and was able to enjoy good pizza - excelllent pizza, in fact...but it wasn't a New York slice!!!
Man I used to crave it!!
That ......and a good burger!

So yes, I know what you mean

[Duppie]

Sometimes late at night I too crave a NY slice like the ones in my old Washington Heights hood. and I only moved across the river.

[Passadumkeg]

In Norway, mussel and asparagus pizza, in Finland, reindeer 'za and in Bolivia, llama and corn pizza, yum! In Maine, convience store pizza. Gimme reindeer!

[NellyNel]

"convience store pizza"
BLEH!

[shaogo]

My situation's kinda similar to the situation of people on extended stays overseas. Our restaurant's menu contains -- literally -- over 200 items. They're all Chinese and Japanese. Hey, sometimes I just get the hankering for a burger, mac 'n cheese (recently I made a batch of baked beans and a ham).

I guess that, as much as I really like Asian food, sometimes the stuff I grew up with shouts my name so loudly I have to answer.

[1sweetpea]

When I travel for 6 weeks, I try to stick to what that country does best, mostly to immerse myself in that culture. I'm usually quite happy to stick to that country's specialties, but occasionally, especially in countries with really meaty cuisines, I'll desperately crave something lighter and more vegetable-oriented. That's when I start hunting down vegetarian or macrobiotic restaurants and buying produce in markets. I never seek out chains that I can find at home or pizza (unless in Italy). Why bother? The only country that offered such bland and bleak cuisine that I broke down and went for their version of Chinese food was in Honduras. It was really bad. I learned my lesson and will never attempt that again in any country that does not have a sizeable Chinese community.

[NellyNel]

I agree that when I travel I do tend to stick with the county's cuisine. (Why would I go for Chinese when I am in Spain??!)
But normally, I only have at most 2 weeks to spend in one place.

However, I did have the oppertunity to live in the UK for six years, and I really did find it fascinating to try their versions of other cuisines.
For instance a standard Chinese menu there is almost completely different to what we would see here in the US.
My English hubby never heard of an egg roll before he met me!
And on every Chinese menu in the UK you will find "Crispy Seaweed" -
Most Americans have never heard of that! (BTW - it's delicious and I LONG for it and wish some English Chinese fellow would move here and start a trend!!)

Anyway the same thing applies to Italian menus, Greek menus and the like so sometimes now when I travel I do tend to at least look into other cuisines to see what they got! Just out of curiosity...
I did have some awesome Greek food in Paris one night...and yes it was a bit dfferent than what I am used to.

[viperlush]

<And on every Chinese menu in the UK you will find "Crispy Seaweed" -
Most Americans have never heard of that! (BTW - it's delicious and I LONG for it and wish some English Chinese fellow would move here and start a trend>

So with you on that. It's been years since I've been to England and I still crave it.

Sometimes people look for familiar food for comfort.

[EWSflash]

That sounds yummy. i'm going to look for it.

[librarianjen]

I don't think finding out how Parisians interpret Mexican food = boredom or disgust with the local cuisine. Yes, I *love* learning about local foods when I travel, and trying new things, but I would be interested in trying something that isn't indigenous to that region just for curiosity's sake.

[Duppie]

I would be also...Eventually. But are these posters expats,frequent visitors, political exiles,displaced travelers or all of the above? I jest but am still curious.

[linguafood]

As someone who travels overseas every summer and spends *significant* time there, I guess I can only echo some of the sentiments already expressed. I don't WANT to eat 'German' food the whole time I am there, especially given the large number of other cuisines not available to me in the boondocks I live in the rest of the year; specifically, great Italian, Greek, Middle Eastern, Korean, Turkish, etc. come to mind.

But if I were only visiting a country or region for a week, I'd probably try to sample mostly local foods. I'm not gonna get Chinese food while in Athens for a w/end.