On chain/fast food restaurants in foreign countries

                When I went to a foreign country (Japan) for a short amount of time, many people told me to avoid eating at Mcdonald's, or the Japanese KFC. This was so that I could experience the local food more. But I have my own view. First off as my rule for around the world (off of Japan now), YES eat at foreign restaurants and cafes. It is very beneficial in learning about the culture and also in the eating customs as every country usually eats a little differently. Generally the differences center around utensils and table manners.

               On the other hand, you can also learn just as much from fast food or chain restaurants. If the food tastes significantly less salty, then you know they don't eat that much salt in their food in general. Another major difference to be observed is the portion sizes. If you see that the small for a drink is drastically smaller then the one from your home country, an important fact becomes apparent about their culture. They may avoid over-indulging at most meals and probably value health because of the small sizes of soft drinks, which I found to be in Japan (and through research Australia) compared to the United States.


            950ml : 650ml             675ml : 500ml            500ml : 300ml           375ml

https://www.flickr.com/photos/okinawa-soba/6004485662/
                   
                If the portion sizes are smaller in general then you know you may need to keep a stash of snacks if you are usually very hungry. If people make a group by the cash register or if they make tidy lines this can help with boarding trains or subways or anything in the future that has to do with organization or ways of doing general activities. In  other words, orderly society vs. chaotic society.

                 By noticing the way people eat their food (but not in a creepy way), you can learn the basics of what is appropriate and what isn't such as burping, blowing your nose, or other basic manners which are still observed in fast food restaurants. So if you know those, you won't make those mistakes that can be considered very rude and even worse if done in a formal restaurant, and that a foreigner should learn to avoid before going there (but many do not.) Along with having a crash course in another countries' culture and eating habits, it is also fun to just try the food and compare it to the food from your home country.

                 In conclusion, most of the time, go to local restaurants because you can also experience the culture, the best food, and have a much more friendly language-learning  environment. Don't just shove fast food aside, make it a scarce occurrence, but it can be a very helpful introduction to a foreign society.