Sometimes when I pass by an American fast food chain, I will stop just to look at the menu. The reason for this is because I'm always curious to see what things they have on the menu to be able to be more suited to Taiwanese tastes. It's always a constant evolution, every few weeks some things are taken away while others are added. It's really quite fascinating. I know in the west the menus are a result of years of research and brand imaging, but I can't help but think they could be better served by being as adventurous as their Taiwanese branches.
Granted it's not always a good thing. Too often it seems like somebody I know will complain that something they like is now gone. Also nothing is sacred. I mentioned in a post last month, that KFC a few years ago stopped selling biscuits. Perhaps this is all part of their secret plan though. If you like something and don't want it to go away, you need to tell everybody you know to buy it, so that it won't go away. Granted I never eat at fast food restaurants so this doesn't really bother me, but it extends to pretty much everything in Taiwan. Whether it's a supermarket, restaurant, electronics store, whatever; if they have something you like, you'd better make sure other people buy it, otherwise there is no guarantee that place will continue to sell it. I've honestly seen places stop selling everyday necessities like milk. Nothing is safe!
Pictured above is picture of some of the foods they sell at KFC. Of course chicken and salad. You can also see meat skewers. These are very popular in night markets, so I guess they are trying to draw in the late night night market eaters. Different kinds of "pasta." Here in Taiwan any restaurant that says they have western food must have "pasta." It's in quotes cause for most places in Taiwan their "pasta" is very very far from being pasta. There is a plate of sausages. Sausages are immensely popular here. They come in all different flavors and people will either slice them up and eat them with their meal, or just put it on a stick and eat one whole as a snack.
There is also ribs. Which i'm curious about. I love ribs, but ribs are not popular here. You can only get them in the chain restaurants here like Outback and Chili's. I'm guessing KFC in America now has ribs and that's why they are here. I may give them a try, not because i'm expecting them to be good, but because I'm more curious to see if they are just good enough that it could be something I eat in those few times when i'm sick of all the things i normally eat. But maybe I should wait a few weeks to see if they are still on the menu, don't want to actually think they are good enough to be a choice to eat once every few months, only to discover a week later that they are gone for forever.
But the big seller, the iconic item of KFC in Taiwan, are the things in the top right corner...the egg tarts. These warm crispy sweet treats are like a tiny little egg pie. I had a guess that they now sell them in American KFC's and looking online, it seems true. However they've been a staple of Taiwanese KFC's for as long as I've been here. Actually in an odd twist even though egg tarts are big part of chinese dim sum and are extremely popular in Taiwan, for the most part you can only really get them in American fast food restaurants.
So go out to KFC and get yourself an egg tart for a little taste of Taiwan. Yes egg tarts are actually a European food, but like most food in Taiwan, if it becomes popular enough, they assume that it is actually a Taiwanese food. And while you're out, please go over to a Popeye's and get a biscuit and enjoy it for me. I'd kill for a Popeye's here.
