Erin go blech

My first experience with western food in Guangzhou was a bit of a disappointment. The burger was not really great, had a puffy anemic bun, sweet picked stuff, a garlicy flavor emanating from somewhere unidentifiable. Not terrible, but not my cup of tea. When the server asked what I wanted on it I said I wanted everything to which he replied "even pineapple?". I then noticed a burger on the list with all kinds of unusual ingredients on it and in retrospect I think that I should have gone for it, it probably would have gelled better with the overall flavor.

The problem was the price. I've been told that western food was more expensive and it was no joke. The burger and fries, one of the cheaper things on the menu, was 60 rmb, or about $9.25, the pint of Guinness was the same price. This doesn't seem like much in New York, though I'd say that the pint was a bit overpriced, however if you take into consideration that most of my meals are absolutely delicious and in the 10 - 25 rmb range, and I can buy a 22oz Tsingtao at the corner for 4 rmb, and you start to see why I might balk at the price.

However, I'll probably venture back into the expat ghetto of Taojin Lu and do it again. After two weeks here it was a nice change of pace to:

• be able to speak with relative ease with anyone in the place
• read the menu
• guess roughly what the food will taste like before I put it in my mouth
• eat with my hands
• not have to bring my own napkins
• feel like an insider with a group of other outsiders
• use a western toilet