Fast Food, Hong Kong-style

In the US, I make a habit of avoiding fast food chains.* Eating horrible food, wasting mounds of plastic and styrofoam, and sitting somewhere with less charm than a high school cafeteria is not my idea of dining out.

In Hong Kong, fast food is a different story. Famished after an afternoon of shopping on Kowloon island, Jacob and I almost ran to the nearest Café de Coral outlet. Café de Coral has over 100 branches in Hong Kong and dozens more on Mainland China, but still manages to produce consistently good and fresh food. The menu changes regularly and is full of food a person would normally eat, instead of artery-clogging mounds of preservatives. The entrees, both Chinese mainstays like roast duck over rice and Western pasta plates, come with veggie sides. If Morgan Spurlock spent a month eating here, he may even lose weight.

The food does come out fast...nicelhy presented on reusable dishes. As for atmosphere, I've seen a Guangzhou branch packed on a Friday night with young couples and groups dressed for a night out. America may have popularized fast food (some may even say "invent"), but other countries understand that fast food doesn't mean sacrificing the eating experience.

*In 'n Out Burger is the exception.

Café de Coral
Numerous locations around Hong Kong and Mainland China
www.cafedecoral.com