The best fast food to try around the world

When you think of some of the most popular fast food chains, your mind may not drift toward flavors like kimchi, churro or melon boba. But around the world, big-name brands tailor their menus to local tastes, meaning a McDonald’s menu in Rome looks a lot different from one in Chicago, Buenos Aires or Taipei. Despite fast food’s reputation for culinary homogeneity and globalization, these menus showcase surprising flavors that honor traditions and create fun twists on local and global classics.

So next time you find yourself abroad, it could be time to embark on an immersive culinary experience at…a fast-food restaurant.

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1. McDonald’s 

Best for global takes on classic burgers, breakfast and dessert

While McDonald’s in the US is nearly synonymous with Big Macs, McNuggets and fries, the international Golden Arches offer a diverse playground of flavors. 

Take the McFlurry. As a self-described ice cream connoisseur, I have never been able to find any faults with a classic Oreo McFlurry. But then I walked into a McDonald’s in Japan, and a new world opened up. 

Born in 1995 at a franchise in Canada, the dessert has become a key part of the brand’s identity, and flavors in the US rotate between the classics. But Brunei, for example, is home to a line of matcha-flavored McFlurrys, as well as a durian cheese option. On top of dessert, the tiny Asian sultanate on the island of Borneo has other menu standouts like a chicken cheese lava burger featuring a fried chicken patty and a fried, gooey cheese patty, plus a take on cakoi, the traditional Chinese breadstick snack.  

In Canada, the birthplace of the McFlurry, McDonald’s celebrated the treat’s 30th birthday this summer with birthday cake and cheesecake flavors. Locations in this part of North America also serve up poutine, a dish of fries covered in gravy and cheese curds that is often referred to as the national food of Canada. 

In Mexico, breakfast could mean McMolletes (a twist on traditional rolls with beans, cheese and salsa), while a quick soda in Korea might look like a Suncheon green plum McFizz made with local plums.

No matter where you are in the world, there just might be something new to explore at McDonald’s (even a Portuguese beer!).

Pro tip: McDonald’s often launches limited-edition items around local holidays and festivals like Ramadan or carnival. In Japan, each autumn is considered tsukimi (moon-viewing) season. In celebration, many McDonald’s spots across the country roll out a special menu, brimming with options like a pie stuffed with moon-esque mochi pearls or a soy sauce burger that features a lunar-themed fried egg.

Honorable flavor mentions: Stroopwafel McFlurry in the Netherlands, McFalafel in Israel and Egypt, Pizza McPuff in India, Cottage Cheese and Radish McMuffin in Poland.

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2. Kentucky Fried Chicken 

Best for fried chicken, reimagined 

KFC may be its name, but Kentucky Fried Chicken’s biggest market is actually China, with over 10,000 locations. The brand was the first Western fast food chain to enter the country in 1987 and has since become a fast food staple, with menu offerings ranging far beyond a traditional bucket. There are chicken and shrimp burgers, boxes of fried spicy squid, egg soup and red bean pie. Meanwhile, breakfast takes it to the next level, with Chinese favorites like shredded pork-stuffed pancakes, beef and egg drop porridge and salted egg yolk rice balls. 

KFC Ghana offers traditional jollof rice, a mix of rice, tomato paste, veggies and spice. At KFCs in Panama, the Doritos Twister sprinkles actual Doritos onto a chicken wrap, giving some extra crunch, maybe followed by a mac and cheese bowl or pineapple cake. In Japan, meanwhile, a KFC meal is even considered something of a Christmas dinner tradition. 

Pro tip: In China, head to flagship KFCs in Beijing or Shanghai for the most adventurous menu variations.

Honorable flavor mentions: Ricebowlz in Lesotho, chicken spaghetti combo meal in the Philippines, fried cookie dough in Australia.

3. Starbucks

Best for a caffeine fix with some local spice  

Coffee is a border-transcending language: espresso, cappuccino, flat white, filter, cold brew. And Starbucks is fluent.

Starbucks has capitalized on our collective obsession with coffee (the average American drinks 27,944 cups of coffee in their lifetime, according to research from Cafely) by opening locations around the world, tailoring menus to local tastes and coffee traditions. In Brazil, you can sip a brigadeiro-inspired mocha or a dulce de leche cappuccino while snacking on pão de queijo (cheese bread) and chicken-stuffed coxinha. While exploring Thailand, you can grab a muscat grape cream Frappuccino with jelly or a mooncake (if you are there during the right time of year, of course).

Certain countries like Italy proved a tougher market thanks to the deeply ingrained national coffee culture. It took 47 years for Starbucks to open in Milan, and, even then, pushback against the chain’s arrival was strong. Today, it is thriving in numerous Italian cities with over 30 cafes by offering local-leaning treats like focaccia sandwiches and fresh tiramisu. In 2023, Milan even tested the Oleato line, with coffee drinks infused with olive oil (though it was met with mixed reviews and didn’t last long).

Honorable flavor mentions: Almojábana cake in Colombia, yuan yang coffee Frappuccino in Singapore, Iberian ham sandwich on Galician bread in Spain, Asian Dolce Latte in Vietnam. 

4. And beyond! 

From Taco Bell to Domino's and everything in between, international fast food menus contain endless amounts of creativity, flavor combinations and local pizzazz.

Taco Bell (Cyprus): Try the Banurrito dessert burrito: a banana coated with hazelnut praline, wrapped in a tortilla and garnished with coloured vermicelli.

Domino’s (India): Order the Indi Chicken Tikka, which combines traditional Indian spice flavors with a pizza topped with masala-flavored chicken tikka, onion, paprika and mint mayo sauce. 

Subway (UK): The Brits love their “jacket potatoes” (otherwise known as baked potatoes), so Subway launched the Spudway Jacket Potatoes – a whole line of spuds with seemingly endless flavors.

Pizza Hut (Taiwan): Truffle, scallop, shrimp and cheese pizza is a flavor party, and this pizza topping combo is just the start of the eye-catching menu items at Pizza Hut in Taiwan. Other possible add-ons are squid and kimchi, and you can finish off the meal with mango cheese tarts.

Make it happen

When to go: Menus frequently change seasonally, so look for limited-edition flavors tied to festivals and holidays.

Tip: If you’re traveling with picky eaters, these local twists on familiar chains can be a fun, accessible introduction to a country’s flavors.

Tip #2: Check a fast food chain’s national social media accounts, since many announce new menu drops or seasonal specials there first.