The Not-So-Happy Meal
Brunch|April 15, 2023
Why does the Indianised fare at international food chains taste so bad? When and why did the big chains drop their standards so terribly? Two restaurant consultants let us in on a few secrets
Urvee Modwel
The Not-So-Happy Meal

Ever since London-based sandwich franchise chain Pret a Manger announced its entry into India last year (with plans to launch by July 2023) Indians have been on high alert. Not because Pret is a much loved brand, but because the menu of every international restaurant chain in India ultimately gets taken over by "India specials": tandoori chicken sandwiches, aloo-paneer combos, a needless dusting of peri peri, corn-cheese hybrid nightmares.

It's happened with Subway, McDonald's, KFC, Starbucks, Burger King, Wendy's, Hard Rock Café, Auntie Anne's and Tim Horton's already. No one has Michelin-level expectations from a chickenpepperoni pizza or tandoori sub. But it sucks.

Restaurant consultant Parul Pratap, executive chef at Delhi's Music & Mountains, and former F&B consultant Vaibhav Goswamy, who owns Prayagraj's popular Eden Café, explain why things so often go wrong.

The India cliché: "

هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة April 15, 2023 من Brunch.

ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.

هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة April 15, 2023 من Brunch.

ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.

المزيد من القصص من BRUNCH مشاهدة الكل
Saiyami Kher
Brunch

Saiyami Kher

Actor, @Saiyami

time-read
1 min  |
January 04, 2025
Taking up happy space
Brunch

Taking up happy space

Leave the doomscrolling for next week. Here are 10 of the happiest spots on Instagram

time-read
2 mins  |
January 04, 2025
New year, new gear
Brunch

New year, new gear

Waiting in pole position? Don't make any fuel-ish decisions; these are the new car launches to get excited about

time-read
2 mins  |
January 04, 2025
This is just the beginning
Brunch

This is just the beginning

A new year is a chance for new adventures. Take up a sport, delve into a cuisine, learn a language. Just try it all

time-read
2 mins  |
January 04, 2025
The flavour has chipped away
Brunch

The flavour has chipped away

Potato chips used to be a thing of joy. Now, they're mass-produced in factories, the flavours seem artificial and, like so much else, the good stuff is branded as gourmet

time-read
3 mins  |
January 04, 2025
Great escapes
Brunch

Great escapes

How far can 2025 take you? It depends on how far you're willing to go. We asked the experts for the best road trips to take this year

time-read
4 mins  |
January 04, 2025
The scent of something new
Brunch

The scent of something new

The Indian perfume market is veering away from attars and knock-offs. Now, local perfumers are crafting signature scents. Take a whiff

time-read
3 mins  |
January 04, 2025
New activity detected
Brunch

New activity detected

A body at rest will remain at rest unless an outside force acts upon it. Be the outside force so you can navigate the year ahead

time-read
2 mins  |
January 04, 2025
Left to your own devices
Brunch

Left to your own devices

To break free from screen time, here's a trick: Spread your apps and use across more devices. It will trim distraction, if you let it

time-read
2 mins  |
January 04, 2025
This week, we're...
Brunch

This week, we're...

Watching hot men cook, calling out privilege, judging passport bros, and counting our days

time-read
2 mins  |
January 04, 2025