Korea's take on Mickey D's

I honestly can't believe I haven't yet told you all about Lotteria, Korea's answer to McDonald's.  While a cursory glance in the window would reveal a menu of regular set meals similar to those at any McDonalds in the States, a closer examination would reveal some of the wackiest versions of fast food you could every hope to find.  Whacky if you're a westerner, that is.

Among these are spicy fried squid burgers, fried shrimp burgers, kimchi burgers (kimchi is fermented cabbage with hot sauce, fish sauce and garlic), and squid rings.  One of my favorites  (not to eat,  just for oddities' sake) is this beauty: the vegetable rice kimchi burger.

And these tastes aren't confined to Korea,  apparently.  When I was in Ho Chi Minh City in October, there, big and bold in the middle of the backpacker's district, was Lotteria.

Don't get me wrong, though.  Despite the strange menu items, Lotteria makes a mean bulgogi and bulgalbi burger.  Their chicken and cheese sticks aren't half bad either.  It doesn't taste like home, but it definitely affords a look into just how different -- yet somehow similar -- our tastes can be.