McDonald's coming to Vietnam

I think it's great--although i'd prefer a burger king. VN people should be able to enjoy western things if they chose. It's selfish to say Vietnam should remain locked in the past just for the enjoyment of tourists who want to see the "authentic vietnam" that's in their head. Try eating VN food 3 meals a day all year long and you'll appreciate some outside variety once in a while.

My friend just returned from Saigon, which was her home until she moved to California.

She said she could not adjust to the poor cleanliness in the cafes she used to frequent. She was sick in matter of days due to some stomach issue, i dont know if two years in the states changes ones immune system or not, but she said it was wreaking havoc on her...

It was funny cause she lives in Sacremento, and she complained about how far she had to go to buy the traditional VN staples she liked to cook, then gets to VN craving the home cooking, but found the places disgusting after living in the States. She hates fast food though.

She also was afraid she would offend the her friends families when they all went to dinner at the those local huge buffet places, where they seat 400 people, she would not eat, instead of saying she didnt like the food...she felt terrible, like she would come off as a person who now snubs VN as she in the States...she kept it to herself, too embarrassed to mention her feelings to her friends...she was happy once they made it to the beach though...and she could have more seafood.

Just thought I would share that with everyone. I found the conditions in 90% of places standard for the region.

>>She said she could not adjust to the poor cleanliness in the cafes she used to frequent. She was sick in matter of days due to some stomach issue, i dont know if two years in the states changes ones immune system or not, but she said it was wreaking havoc on her...<<

Oh, geez, what hypochondriacs! I've heard there are overseas females who bring their own rice and utensils from the US for use back in their home country to promote their "queenly hygiene", and that is for people who have been here a decade or more (not that this changes anything)--but 2 years?! I notice that more women tend to have this type of problem than men, and I haven't seen any men like that, I wonder if anyone else is having a different experience from mine? I need more data to conclude a thesis in psychology (it's not for institutionalized purposes, mind you).

I think most tourists are over cautious, but there's no reason to throw caution out the window. While I don;t have any serious illnesses - yet - that I know about - nasty communicabales like TB and hepatitus are very common in VN, not to mention herpes, worms and other parasites. Food hygene is terrible in VN. If you are eating family-style with everyone dipping chopsticks in the same food, sharing bowls etc, as is customary, you greatly increase your chances of getting sick. Also, water glasses are commonly not rinsed, uneaten food on plates may be re-served, etc. That's not to say those things don;t happen back home--but there it's against acceptable practice--here its the norm.

#41 very interresting. I guess acclimation goes both ways.

Lotteria and KFC are all over the place in Saigon and elsewhere in Vietnam. I personally entered a couple of each of them just to see who was the clientele. It is Vietnamese, mostly younger ones, NOT western tourists. Even the Lotteria in the backpacker ghetto of Saigon had more Vietnamese than Europeans in it whenever I walked by, Trust me, Mc D's is not opening a franchise to cater to the American tourists as they are are probably less than 5% of the total tourist population. However, ANY low priced fast food restaurant will probably do good in the affluent Dong Khoi area as ther just are not any there yet. We're talking about a neighborhood where you can easily pay more for a danish and capucinno than you would in Seattle, Odds are it will not be as good as the capuccino from Seattle either. While Vietnamese love their coffee, they are far from espresso afficionados.
I do not think McD's is anymore out of place in SEAsia than all the English branded Watlow drugstores from Singapore, to Bangkok to mainland China.

Agree with you #44

I have lived in Saigon, Vietnam, for the last year. For those of you who have never been here, it's not what you expect. It has all the symbols of Communism, plus all the signs of Capitalism, with the exception of free elections.

As far as a McDonald's coming here, it would be welcomed. I am not the biggest fan of Mickey D's but I do miss good American fast food. The two hamburger chains here (one Filipino and one South Korean) use seasonings that don't taste all that good to me. I have special ordered hamburgers at both chains without the seasonings, but I know they hated doing it.

I am 5'10" and 180 pounds, down from 225 pounds when I arrived in the country. I was fat when I came here but compared with the Vietnamese, I am still fat to them. I agree with the poster who said he/she was tired of being called fat. I remind my English students, if they ever go to America, not to stare at large people, because there are so many obese people in America. I have actually broken restaurant chairs with my weight (at 180!)

There is good pizza at a local place called Cappuccino and there is also the Texas Bar BQ on Pasteur Street in District 3.

Lotteria originated in Japan.

Try the pizza at Pendalasco's on Nguyen Hue. And for a good burger, try Black Cat at 13 Phan Van Dat in D1 (just off of Mac Thi Buoi). Best in Saigon.

True it originated in Japan, but the company is based in Korea, even though it, too, started in Japan.

I always find it amazing how the Vietnamese don't like Americans and don't really want Americans in their country, but they sure as hell all want to go to America.