I WANT my syrup

[Ruth]

Maybe this should be in the rant section, but I'll try to control myself. I already threw a hissy in the restaurant, so I'm mostly over it.

We recently had the luxury of eating breakfast in McD's on our trip to the big city of Beijing. I had been anticipating pancakes with butter and syrup - you know McD's style. Not quite like homemade, but better than anything I've found in China - or so I thought. I got to the table and discovered that they hadn't included a syrup packet on the tray. I did taste the 'whipped spread' just to make sure they hadn't figured out a way to combine the butter and syrup into one. Nope. Straight fake butter. So I went to the counter and waited my turn again. Using my wonderful communication skills, I pointed at the syrup, clearly depicted on the picture with which they tempt you to order this menu item. She offered me another packet of butter. No, no, no, says I pointing to the butter AND the syrup. I want THAT. She says 'sugar'. I say 'yes'. She says 'mayo' (or however it's spelled). I got the message: They don't have any. Back to the table I go, irritated beyond belief. My dearly beloved had jam as part of his breakfast. I took the empty jam packet back to the counter and received two upon request - hey, it's better than eating pancakes with just whipped spread for topping. By this time my pancakes are cold and it's not the breakfast I wanted without the syrup. Really and truly, I would have ordered something else had I known about the 'mayo syrup' deal.

So my question is this: Was this restaurant simply out of syrup that day, or do McDonald's in China not serve syrup with their pancakes?

If they don't, they need to change the picture.

Nate: before you start gloating, I know you have syrup because I just read your cinnamon thread. You were given great advice to have your cinnamon ground at the market. I never thought of this option. We bought a grater and have been building muscles doing it ourselves.

[Nate M]

What? Me? Gloating, you say? Why, I'm offended at the very suggestion.




;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

[Raoul Duke]

City Supermarket at Shanghai Centre has maple syrup. As far as I know, the only place in China selling it. Otherwise you must cart it from home, buy it in Hong Kong, or make friends with Canadians.

[wOZfromOZ]

The only place in China ......

Jiading has it at.......................
(i) Le Gou - the High mall and
(ii) Auchan - the new French Hyper market in Bo Le Road

......but then again,
we're just out in the countryside and wouldn't no nothin'!


wOZfromOZ

[Raoul Duke]

It must be a new addition...I looked in Le Gou/Hymall when I lived in SILC's fabulous deluxe suites at the PanMen Hotel, and they dinna hae.

I didn't even know Jiading had an Auchan when I lived there...it must have been hidden behind all the stacks of big wheels of cheese that line Jiading's rutted, weedy, manure-strewn streets. I've seen it since but haven't been in it. The Auchan in Suzhou is a pretty good store but, sadly, they haven't yet made the leap to maple syrup. They now have Campbell's New England-style clam chowder, so it can only be a matter of time. They also now have fresh flour tortillas...if I ever get paid, there will be one Mexican-style cookoff of Biblical proportions. Right now I subsist on Ramen noodles. The scurvy hit a week ago, and I think beri-beri is coming on now.

Ruth, I hope you left welts at that McDonald's. However, I think many of the McD's and KFCs here don't serve it...it costs money, and the homeys have no concept of what to do with it. I shudder to think what they might improvise around it.

This is the land where bread is often eaten plain and dry; it's the land where Plain White Stuff is considered fittin' for human consumption. Take plain rice congee, for example...my reaction to this is "OK, I can eat this...but why do I want to?" I see stands in Suzhou selling what amount to small thick pancakes; these are eaten without even butter. Anyway, given all these trends it isn't inconceivable that a lot of people are wolfing down those Mickey D's pancakes bereft of proper adornment.

In other cases it's possible that someone on the staff is simply absconding with all the little packets of maple syrup. They end up being sold at extortionate prices to desperate foreign junkies in the dark, dank bars haunting the remains of Sanlitun and Maoming Lu.

[Raoul Duke]

Ruth's story (and Wokka's Changyu brandy-and Coke-mmmm!) dredged up an old memory.

Some years ago the National Lampoon instigated a (MOCK!) campaign to have people go to their neighborhood McDonald's and heave through the window a brick, with a note attached reading "You Deserve A Brick Today!"

They eventually ended the campaign with a thank-you letter from Ronald McDonald, explaining that their research scientists had developed a way to make crushed brick look, smell, and taste more like ground beef than did the stuff they'd been using all along.

[wOZfromOZ]

Raoul said:

.......................................
I didn't even know Jiading had an Auchan when I lived there...it must have been hidden behind all the stacks of big wheels of cheese that line Jiading's rutted, weedy, manure-strewn streets. I've seen it since but haven't been in it. ..........................
They also now have fresh flour tortillas...if I ever get paid, there will be one Mexican-style cookoff of Biblical proportions. Right now I subsist on Ramen noodles. The scurvy hit a week ago, and I think beri-beri is coming on now.

You're on pal ...I'll supply the Brandy, coke, Maple Syrup and you do the Tex Mex impersonation OK!

wOZfromOZ

Ps = Raoul, the wheels of cheese quote was CLASSIC
and will remain with me forever! ;D

[Ruth]

Thanks for the support. So am I to understand that McDs in China DON'T serve syrup with their pancakes? If I had multiple examples of this for proof, perhaps I could sue for false advertising.

I saw Log Cabin syrup in the Friendship Store on Changan Jie in Beijing. It never occured to me to buy it and take it to McD's with me for breakfast. I should have bought it, however, because we didn't find syrup on our shopping expedition at Carrefour and we didn't make a return trip to the Friendship Store. Now I have pancake mix and no syrup.... It's okay, though, we've been enjoying bacon and cheese since our return from the big city. You folks who live near stores where western food can be purchased just don't understand what it's like out here in the sticks.

[Raoul Duke]

ruth said:

You folks who live near stores where western food can be purchased just don't understand what it's like out here in the sticks.

Oh, yes, we do. That's why we don't live there.

[George61]

Hey, Ruth. Be adventurous and daring....try HONEY on your pancakes!!!! It's not the same, of course, but the murple surple is most probably made from plastic anyway.

[Nate M]

You might also want to talk to ChinaGurl. She had a pretty good homemade substitute for maple syrup.

[ChinaGurl]

It was pretty good, wasn't it?!

And a snap to make.

1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 1/4 cups of water

Mix together and boil for 5 minutes. Then refrigerate.

[Ruth]

Chinagurl - thanks for the recipe. I'll try it.

George - we had pancakes with honey the other day. It's an acceptable substitute.

Raoul - touche' (That's supposed to be French, but I don't know how to get the little sign over the e.) Anyway - great comment. I really do like it here in the sticks of small town China, but sometimes I just miss regular stuff. Now that I've been to the big city, I know how others live.

[Raoul Duke]

So, it seems that two of our members are sharing breakfast. Let me please remind you that in the event of romantic interludes arising from the forum, The Brains are entitled to a cut of 20%.

Ruth, in all seriousness rural China does have its charms. But I'm not sure I could take it all the time...

[Ruth]

I have to say that checking into the saloon and with friends 'back home' keeps me sane. What I'd be without the internet I don't want to imagine.