McWorld

Quentin Tarantino popularized the discussion about the worldly variety of McDonald’s. I hear that McDonald’s in India doesn’t have hamburgers and I know that the North American health craze has given birth to salads and wraps at the headquarters of fat. Well, I have discovered that the Philippines is no exception to the influence of local culture on the McMenu.

If there is one thing that people here eat at practically every meal (and that’s including breakfast, Granny) it is rice. It’s not surprising then, that the McMenu here contains fried chicken and rice. It’s strange that it contains pasta and tomato sauce with a few sections of unidentified sausage, but that’s another story. What does surprise me, however, is the McRice Burger. No, it’s not a warm, soft rice cake. It’s not even a veggie burger held together with sticky rice. The rice-patty portion of the burger takes the place of the bun! Sandwiched between the two rice-patties is the usual hamburger or chicken burger.

I’ve decided that I can’t let my stay in the Philippines pass by without giving this one a try. It’s so alluring; it draws my attention like a highway accident. I want to know what the texture of the “bun” is like. Does it stick together or fall apart? Will I end up eating it in phases, the inner patty first and then afterwards a plate of rice made of fallen bun-bits? Will my fingers get sticky? Will I love it so much that I’ll never be able to eat a regular burger again? Will the McRice Burger be the food I miss the most when I return back to Canada? I’m McDying to find out.