Food Does this describe your choice in restaurants? It absolutely does mine.

If you enjoy cooking, how often have you finished a dinner at a restaurant and been disappointed?
We generally only eat "out" foods that we can't or don't want to bother cooking, Pad Tai, Indian Chicken Machini (?), Sushi....

 

While it may seem a little weird to live in South East Asia and want to go out for burgers... I can tell you that sometimes, you just want to eat Western. I kept reading about a little stall in an HDB Hub near my house that makes amazing burgers. I took my son there last week and they made some of the best burgers I have had in ages.

All they serve is burgers (about eight styles of beef, a couple pork, a couple lamb and crab), fries and salads. Like most stalls here, they don't have complicated menus. You get your drinks at the drink stall. While the burgers were pricey (S$12 to S$17), they were worth every penny (and they are just at the top end of average price for this type of burger). I can guarantee that without living here, you wouldn't know where to look for this type of food in Singapore.

That said, I wouldn't take a visitor here. If they want burgers, they'd have stayed in the West. Here I get to take them out for things like Pork Belly Satay, Hokkien Mee, Char Kway Teow, Chili Crab, Pepper Crab and Roti Prata.

 

There are too many good local independent food places in East Vancouver for me to ever consider a chain sit-down place. However, Vera's Burger Shack is too damn good and we go there from time to time for our 'fast food' cravings.

 

When it comes to grabbing lunch during the work day, I usually end up at a chain. There are a handful of locally owned places to get a quick inexpensive take away lunch, but not enough to visit exclusively. When it comes to dinner, I prefer to go to local establishments, but don't always. I rarely find myself sitting at home just before dinner thinking I want to go to a chain. But if I am out all day and dinner time rolls around and I can't think of something in the area I'll visit a chain out of convenience.

 

I'm overly picky about my dining out. I tend to avoid chains like the plague. I live in a small town that is blessed by some amazing food, both sit-down style and counter service. For lunch you are more likely to find me at the local burger joint, or my favorite hole-in-the-wall that makes their own bread and pastrami. Dinner? There are a handful of places here that outshine the chains here too. The only chain restaurants I've been to in the past year are Hooters (friend dragged me there for lunch, first time I've gone since they opened about 3 years ago) and Outback Steakhouse (wife was craving one of the big onion things, and I had a pork chop that was actually pretty good). Otherwise I always support the local joints that always seem to turn out better food and service in a better atmosphere, all for a comparable price.

 

I never really eat fast food. Except the occasional (once/twice a year) retardation at Burger King. Can't help but love their Big King XXL's with all the grease, and the cheap fries.

Though, I'm more of a fine dining person. God knows, I've spent a lot of dinners in some very, very good restaurants.

For burgers and such, I really liked the Hurricane burger and meat restaurant at Bondi Beach in Sydney. They have a separate window for people to order burgers on-the-go. A$14 for a cheeseburger, but what a freaking burger it was. Unbelievably delicious.

For a really good steak, I love the Butcher & Grill at the Mall of the Emirates in Dubai. Some very nice meat you get there, and you pay US$30 for a sizable cut (incl. sides).

Also on the matter of McDonald's: Gotta love the chicken nuggets.

Two months ago I found a very nice, small Japanese restaurant in Sydney. The food was excellent and way under-priced compared to other restaurants with food of similar taste and sophistication.

Overall, I'm very much in agreement with Borla.

 

That looks like a really good place for a steak, uncle phil.

I'm getting hungry for the bacon-wrapped fillet mignon and for the rib-eye.

Holy mama, that looks delicious.

*goes into meat rage*

 

I discovered Panera when I was driving through the US a couple of summers ago. I thought the concept would do well up here in Ontario. I should check it out. An American chain that I did like was Bob Evans in Akron. BIG plate 'o' food. But I've found that most American places are like that.

 

Water's Edge menu looks mighty appetizing.

What did you have?

 

Very, very nice choice. I actually selected the Fettuccine Alfredo as my imaginary Entrée. Saw the Vegetable, Chicken and Seafood combos and picked the seafood one.

I love to be vindicated.

 

See, I would love to try the place. As much as I love eating the local food I can't get back here in the states, I love seeing how other countries interpret American food. Though the food in Singapore was pretty amazing when I was there, so I wouldn't consider it a big lose not having a burger.