Isn't Half The Fun Trying New Food ?

[webbo3]

Do other countries pander to the British palate. (other than the British owned cafes etc in places like Benidorm etc)

Personally I love trying new food when I travel and wouldn't consider the food a problem as I would find something I like.

http://news.sky.com/story/1628507/menu-makeover-to-keep-chinese-students-satisfied


Dave.

[Old_Geezer]

Depends on the food.
What's the other half ?

[bookbinder]

If I saw a 'British Cafe' when I was abroad, I would walk in the opposite direction. The whole point of going abroad, for me, is to see something of how the locals live.

[mikey4444]

I met some Chinese students last summer and they were very polite about our food, but it was fairly obvious what they thought of it !

[Islay]

The students are over here paying for an education, they also pay a lot more than our students therefore they expect some home comforts.

The University is a business therefore they are providing a service that is required. It is not pandering!!

[Mamyalynne]

Exactly, that's the answer and it's all there in the article


//Almost 90,000 students from China are enrolled in UK universities, they make up 20% of the overseas student body, and in some cases could be paying more than £30,000 for a course every year.

In total, overseas students' tuition fees amount to almost £4bn annually.

That means Chinese students make a big difference to the bank balances of British institutions.//

[Retrochic]

It also has to be said these are young people a long way from home and a little bit of 'comfort food' will help them settle in. I often buy stuff from a site in uk that supplies USA products and Canadian stuff I can't get in the UK -and wince at the price- but it just reminds you of 'home'. My daughter went to boarding school with quite a few Chinese girls and they used to stock up on pot noodles as they found the school meals terrible (which they were)

[douglas9401]

The school meals were worse than Pot Noodles? Ye gods! :-)

[Islay]

The Chinese bought pot noodles?

OK

[retrocop]

The vegetarian Korean version is Not Poodles.

[Buenchico]

Since it won't only be the Chinese students eating the Chinese food, it will hopefully give other students (and university visitors) the chance to sample some proper Chinese food (rather than the westernised stuff the Chinese restaurants tend to offer). The best Chinese meals I've ever eaten were served in the Asian food canteen of the University of Adelaide!

[retrocop]

My wife and I were invited to a buffet reception at the Chinese Embassy in Portland Place. The dishes were placed on two full sized snooker tables.No dish was anything like atake away here and all were served cold. Best Chinese food I ever ate and never to be repeated I suppose. :-(

[Retrochic]

islay -yes they did buy pot noodles - young girls 13+ missing home and having to endure English boarding school meals. One of them stayed with us frequently at Exeat and we took her to a chinese restaurant -at this point we realized 'Chinese' restaurants in the UK have very little to do with real Chinese food.

[tonyav]

Those Chinese know how to get them hooked.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/chinese-restaurants-shut-for-seasoning-food-with-opium-a6826971.html

[retrocop]

How long will my order for Mushrooms with Black Bean sauce take waiter?
Four minutes sir!
Magic!
That will be extra!!

[Islay]

Sorry retrochic but having lived some time in Hong Kong the Chinese I know would not be seen dead eating a pot noodle. Obviously you know a better class than I do!

[retrocop]

If the Chinese were in Hong Kong they would have no need to resort to a Pot Noodle!!!

[Mamyalynne]

Doubt the young teenagers had much choice at the nearest village store.

[237SJ]

"The Chinese I know would not been seen dead eating a pot noodle" I beg to differ. Offer a pot noodle option as a snack on a flight to China or Hong Kong and they will be gone in minutes.

[Retrochic]

islay . I am talking about a couple of chinese kids in a rural boarding school 15 years ago, not the whole chinese nation. I am sure there are plenty of English people who would not be seen dead eating a Greggs pastie -for others its a staple. The point I was making was that children away from home like to search out 'comfort food' even it is isn't EXACTLY what they get at home.

[Islay]

Right well we will just have to beg to differ won't we!