Peking Duck and China's fascination with McDonald's

(written in June of 2010)
On our last night in Beijing a few of us joined my roommate Joleen and her friend Lynn (an international student at St. Thomas home for the summer) in a traditional Peking duck meal at an upscale private restaurant owned by a friend of Lynn's father.

We had a private room with 3 wait staff dedicated to our table, a private wash room and very personal service.

Lynn ordered for us. In addition to the Peking Duck we had some amazing food that was fit for the season-including a special plant that is cooling for the summer- and the very best kung pao shrimp I've ever eaten as well several varieties of fresh juices (melon, papaya and tamarind). I also enjoyed another beer! It is not 'lady like' to drink shots, so our shot glasses were removed!

As many of you know China was closed to the outside world for a long time. In the 1970s China began what is referred to as the 'Opening.' This is the Socialist Market economy that has opened China up to private ownership, international investment and acceptance into the World Trade Organization. All together, this has created quite a change in China including a growing middle class that likes to travel and eat out. Which brings me to McDonalds and KFC.

Before the 'Opening,' the only restaurants in China were either associated with hotels or were private and used for visiting dignitaries and business dinners. Almost everyone else ate at the 'canteen' associated with their work unit (danwei). In the danwei system every person was guaranteed a job, a place to live and enough food to eat (usually all in the same area too). The canteen, also a danwei, provided the food as a part of someone's job and not what we would associate with 'dinner-out.' Customer service was not a part of the feeding-the-masses job description.

Believe it or not, this helps explain why McDonalds and KFC are so popular in China. These were two of the first fast food restaurants to open in China and among the first non-canteen restaurants to be available to the emerging middle class. Both built huge stores here, some of the biggest in the world.The service is fast and friendly (you know the standards, "would you like fries with that?"). The spaces are well lit and clean and you can even take a tour of the kitchen! So, the Chinese love McDonalds and KFC not because the food is all that good, but because it's clean, well lit and they get good service. Another major reason is that it's 'modern.' Another blog would have to ensue for that discussion. But as 'food for thought,' imagine that you've been told your culture, your traditional ways are backward and outdated...

This very fancy meal gave me the feeling of being a dignitary in China before the Opening. It also reminded me that I wanted to tell you why China is so infatuated with KFC and McDonalds.