• Matty_r@programming.dev
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    29 days ago

    I’m an Aussie, and had landed in America for a holiday. Was really hungry and figured I’d just get a Quarter Pounder meal from Maccas at the airport. Order a Large meal because that’s what I’d normally get at home. They bring out like a litre of coke, a gigantic box of fries, and the burger. It was absolutely atrocious.

    • r00ty@kbin.life
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      29 days ago

      Many many years ago. I did some work in Texas. We go into this sit down place. Now, having been caught by the huge portions a previous evening I’m cautious. I just order a chicken burger. The waitress is all like “Oh are you sure, just the chicken burger on its own?” I’m thinking, oh well maybe things are normal size at this place. I order some fries to go with it.

      Some time later the chicken burger arrives completely filling the full size plate it came on, and the fries came on an entirely separate plate.

      I’m not a small guy, but I could not eat all that.

      • spongebue@lemmy.world
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        29 days ago

        It’s funny, because usually when the fries aren’t included at a sit-down place it’s because the restaurant is trying to squeeze a couple extra dollars out of you (maybe the sandwich is $2 cheaper than you’d expect but then you pay $5 for the fries because of course you want fries!). That stinginess mentality seems to go hand in hand with a smaller than average sandwich. But maybe my fat American ass can’t scale portion sizes.

        • r00ty@kbin.life
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          29 days ago

          No, this is the thing. Compared to UK prices it was ridiculously cheap. In fact even when you add the higher expected tip it was cheap. And it was actually very nice. Just, so much food!

      • state_electrician@discuss.tchncs.de
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        29 days ago

        I once got a burger at South of the Border or smth like that in New Jersey. It was fucking huge and everybody including the waitress commented on how I ate with a fork and knife because it was just impossible to eat otherwise. And I ended up only eating half of it, because I was absolutely full. Insane portion sizes.

        • rumba@lemmy.zip
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          29 days ago

          smth like that in New Jersey.

          Jersey knows how to sandwich. Cannot f with Hoagies.

          We went into a Jersey Mike’s chain there. Have the same chain at home (not New Jersey)

          I ordered a whole sub, they just piled the meat on. More and more. The sub cost $26. It was amazing though.

          I went to a location in my home state, it was the same sub but like normal portions of meat. “Wait, I just had one of these in Jersey and it was like massive, what do I have to do to get one like that?” “Ohh you want double meat?” “double, triple, whatever they do up there, that was amazing”

    • Ricky Rigatoni@lemm.ee
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      29 days ago

      What is atrocious here is your ungratefulness for the generosity of the American food industry.

      • jballs@sh.itjust.works
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        29 days ago

        Yeah I’m reading this Aussie orders a large meal, received a large meal, and was ungrateful. When you’re in America, you accept your diabetes and say “thank you may I have another?”

        • frayedpickles@lemmy.cafe
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          29 days ago

          Don’t Australians all hate America for having figured out how to make actually good beer?

          • Smokeydope@lemmy.world
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            29 days ago

            Nah australians are too busy with other things to be hating. Surfing, smoking pot, hanging out with sasquaches, partying at the indigenous peoples sacred islands, and shooting the local wildlife. At least, thats what I learned from watching The Big Lez Show.

          • boonhet@lemm.ee
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            28 days ago

            I thought it was young Albert Einstein who figured out how to make actually good beer by splitting the beer atom and therefore introducing bubbles in an otherwise flat beer?

          • psud@aussie.zone
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            25 days ago

            Australia adopted American innovations in good beer. What we complain about is that your mainstream beers are weak and boring, where ours are strong and boring

            What I didn’t like is in some states (such as New York) when I was last there don’t require beer to carry alcohol content information, so buying good beer I had to trust that the beer was going to be about the right strength for the style

            One thing I liked about Amtrak is they sold good local beers on board, though I only experienced Amtrak in the north east (having been told that that was the best way to arrive in New York City)

            • frayedpickles@lemmy.cafe
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              24 days ago

              Ah, so you’re Belgian? That’s the only country allowed to throw shade like that

              Wow, one Belgium-hater in the crowds.

    • droans@lemmy.world
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      28 days ago

      So you knew all the stories of American food portions and you still chose to order a meal that even we call “large”?

      • Matty_r@programming.dev
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        28 days ago

        Not everything you read and hear is true, either way - I was not prepared for that much of a difference. This was like 10 years ago mind you, so the difference is either far less or much worse.

      • BarbecueCowboy@lemmy.world
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        28 days ago

        I always find it interesting that people outside the US think this is a complete joke when really it’s just… only slightly exaggerated.

        Many gas stations have 64oz cups by default. I haven’t seen it in awhile, but the 128oz soda was real and used to be widely available.

          • frankpsy@lemm.ee
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            28 days ago

            I am a ‘big’ man and I would say that where things peaked in American culture as far as ridiculous sizes go was when a Starbucks-like chain operating in Florida was offering a 42-ounce version of a frappucino-type drink that Starbucks only provided a 24-ounce version of, this was shortly before Super Size Me came out which started to change the culture on those things.

          • JackbyDev@programming.dev
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            28 days ago

            I realize most of these are from gas stations, but most fast food sodas are like a third to a half way filled with ice lol.

      • Revan343@lemmy.ca
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        28 days ago

        I didn’t click the link, but I’m going to go ahead and assume that’s Super Troopers, with Farva trying to order a litre of cola

  • manny_stillwagon@mander.xyz
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    29 days ago

    > Be me

    > American college kid by himself in Italy for a week

    > Staying at hotel with Italian hottie at the front desk

    > Hell yeah, love this country

    > Eating all the pizza cause that’s Italian food, right?

    > The pizzas are so goddamn thin

    > Like eating a sheet of paper

    > Eat an entire pizza and still hungry

    > This goes on for like three days

    > Tired of being hungry

    > New pizza place, order three entire pizzas

    > “They’ll just think I’m picking up for my friends”

    > Get my pizzas, hell yes

    > Walk back to hotel

    > Walk past the front desk carrying three pizzas

    > Front desk hottie knows I’m there alone

    > Cover blown

    > Go up to my room and eat all three pizzas in shame

    > Finally fucking full

    Worth it.

  • don@lemm.ee
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    29 days ago

    Anon is a complete fucking idiot for not simply walking into a random Filipino’s house and politely asking for some homemade Filipino food. Idiot anon goes to the McD’s of the Philippines, and calls it a day. Filipinos have many insanely tasty dishes, and dumbfuck anon chooses garbage. Dinuguan (AKA chocolate meat) is my absolute favorite.

    • Hanrahan@slrpnk.net
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      5 days ago

      Do this and get what looks like boiled eggs, crack open and it’s an aborted bird inside.

      https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balut_(food)

      Run screaming in terror to Jollibee :) get spaghetti with so mich sugar you gag and can’t get it down.

      Go back to Australia next day because hungry af, get a box of Tim Tams and vow to never travel again.

      • don@lemm.ee
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        5 days ago

        Hard pass, balut is goat. Sorry, mate, I eat balut every day they come by, just like taho in the mornings. It helps if you have locals teach you how to eat balut, but some can’t deal.

        And hey, all aussies love marmite, yeah? No true aussie hates the taste of a bit of marmite and buttah on toast, right?

        Taho in the mornings and balut in the evenings makes the world go round. ;-)

    • sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.works
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      29 days ago

      IUm, dinuguan is blood soup (root word is literally blood). I like it, but it has a pretty niche appeal, and you’ll be hard pressed to find someone that’ll serve it to a westerner.

      But yeah, do yourself a favor and find a “carinderia” (or karinderya, depending on region) which roughly translates to “cafeteria” but is usually run by a sweet lady making as close as you’ll get to homemade cooking. Some dishes to try:

      • bicol express - spicy dish with coconut and pork
      • tokwa’t baboy - literally tofu and pork
      • adobo - classic chicken dish

      Or branch out! It works kind of like Panda Express where you point to the dish(es) you want (called ulam) and they’ll add rice (I recommend asking for extra). It’s cheaper than any fast food chain and way better.

    • OsrsNeedsF2P@lemmy.ml
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      29 days ago

      Yup. It’s like people who go to Starbucks when they tour Asia. removed, you’re on vacation, go see something new.

  • sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.works
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    29 days ago

    If you’re ordering burgers in the Philippines, you’re doing life wrong. If you must go to Jollybee or McDonald’s there, order fried chicken and thank me later.

    Better yet, don’t go there and instead find a carinderia. They often look sketchy, but it’s as close to home cooking as you’ll get and way cheaper than fast food. Nobody can afford fast food there, so all the locals eat at these little “cafeterias” and the food is fantastic.

  • Lurkinney@lemmy.world
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    29 days ago

    Lol they have been waiting weeks for you, they know your training schedule better than you do before you got off the plane. I traded a few goods in Thailand, they were like cookie monsters for American made knives, I traded a Kershaw leek for a khukri that was almost definitely melted Pepsi cans but it is still worth it

  • Sprokes@lemmy.ml
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    29 days ago

    I was in some European city and there is one Chinese restaurant serving hot pot. So I wanted to try it. I ordered and selected the items I want for around 50€. The waitress asked me : “is that all? Do you want the menu?”. So I was wondering if I didn’t order enough. At the end, what I ordered was enough for at least 3 people. I was in a table for 4 people and it was full with all the dishes. The waitress then asked me if she need to bring a bowl of rice!

    They brought the sauces and there was garlic on the plate. The odor ruined the whole meal for me. I couldn’t eat most of it and I was disappointed as I don’t like wasting food.

    • Cethin@lemmy.zip
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      29 days ago

      The smell of garlic ruined your appetite? Do you have some kind of disorder? The smell of garlic is amazing!