Protest in Guangzhou: Why would you burn garbage?
Barbie Spa: For the cosmopolitan plastic beauty in you
Obama in China: Long gone, and still headlinin'
Lot o' Hotpot: Three Travellers
Cinematheque: Mulan is finally Chinese again! (and other film news)
Those who have passed by Jing'an Temple this week have doubtlessly noticed the mighty Whopper swaying in the breeze, ready to fatten up a populace already hip to the featherless chickens of KFC and bottomless troughs of McDonald’s fries. The closed-to the-public opening ceremony of China’s first Burger King was a sight to behold on Monday -- slick industry fat cats (many of them quite large) mingled in the shiny new space, cutting ribbons and espousing the virtues of that fantastic flame-broiled taste. (The media was there, too.)
Their concession to locals? A spicy Sichuan mala burger that tastes like a mean trick your friends pulled on you while using the dirty toilet in the BK back home.
With a free "I choose, my taste" visor and a BK wristband to wipe our sweat-stained brows, Shanghaiist dug into the first Whoppers ever flipped in the Chinese mainland. After cleaning off a mayonnaise stained viewfinder we snapped some photos, and a glorious revolution in choose-your-own fast food had begun. Now if we could just get that waiting-in-line thing down ...
Did you know there are 1,024 ways to make a Whopper?
(More photos here.)
Burger King opened to the public today. Did you go? Leave your thoughts below.
Also on Shanghaiist: I like the Whopper. F**k the Big Mac!
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I live right near Jing An' and I tried to go there twice on the opening day, once around lunch and again around dinner. Both times there were so many people that you really couldn't get past the top of stairs, so I just turned around and left. This BK seems way too small for the location, I get the feeling it is going to be packed constantly. I have seen two signs one saying in Chinese Burger King "Han Bao Wang" and another that says Burger Emperor "Han Bao Huang". I like Burger Emperor to attract more Little Emperors, they are so cute when they are fat and whiny...
I haven't had a Whopper in years, but gotta say that was a better sandwich than the Big Mac. Still, I don't each much fast food so it really doesn't matter. Interesting, and not terribly convenient a space they chose for the restaurant. Awkward stairs in the entry, and awkward stares among the many laowai not sure if it was 'cool' to be checking the place out. Nice booths if you could grab one but otherwise the square tables didn't fit well against the rounded wall. Those chicken tenders are gross, and the sweet sauce tastes like jam, maybe it tested well among Shanghainese palates. What will I do with the little wristband they gave me? Wear it jogging as I try to work off the calories?
So I dropped by BK for dinner tonight and found that you can order cheese on your Whopper. It costs RMB 1 per slice. Mad props to the first person who orders (and gets the staff to serve him/her) a Whopper with a dozen slices of cheese. And documents it.
d@mn... I didn't see this. Despite living just down the road, I went for my first taste of HJ's/BK tonight, and did ask for cheese on my spicy whopper. It was grand experience. Cheese was gooooood!
Hello lost kilos...!
Couldn't throw a chip and not hit a westerner in that place. Reminded me of Xintiandi! ;)