The New Stars of Food Preparation

Today I did something which I rarely do even in America, I went to Pizza Hut. Now, you may be wondering why I would abuse you to such an extent, telling you even about my most mundane trips to a fast food restaurant--wonder no more. Some of you may have heard rumors that the major fast food labels have a different sort of appeal over here on the other side of the Pacific. You may have even herd rumors of these normally "lowest of the low" being something entirely different out of the shadow of the Great American Government. This is true, but how true, I had no idea. I too had heard rumors that the American fast food establishments here were more akin to fancy restaurants than your grab and go grease-bomb food.
My first clue that things were slightly amiss was learning the location of these fast food emporiums. In Kunming, they only have a limited number of American fast food spots (KFC, Pizza Hut, MacDonalds, and I've heard but not corroborated rumors of Burger King). Imagine my surprise when I learned that these restaurants, being birds of a feather, had flocked together, but in THE major downtown square. Now you may be thinking "So what, who cares whether KFC is by the regional headquarters of the First Chinese Bank or not?" Well, let me give you the shocking details: this square, being the posh sort of place it is, has no automobile traffic. Yes, if you can imagine it, there are no drive-through's or even parking lots at KFC, Pizza Hut, or even MacDonalds!
Now, if you have recovered from this shocker, I will continue on. But I warn you, it is not going to be easy. There are things even more disturbing than a MacDonald's without a drive-through. As I said, I went to Pizza Hut. We were walking by the side of the building, on our way to the front door, and I couldn't help but notice that the place actually looked like a respectable restaurant. Looks can be deceiving however. For after we got in, I discovered that Pizza Hut in China is not a respectable restaurant--it is a palace! The interior had been done up like it was some sort of fashionable mix between the nicest Starbucks you've ever been in, and cheesily Italian restaurant someplace where there has never been an Italian.
They were even playing some brand of bad jazz music in the background. Have you ever been to a Pizza Hut which played any kind of Jazz at all? It's almost an oxymoron. But I have yet to reveal the biggest shock of all: the food was actually delicious. I understand that I am most likely suffering from some version of home-sickness which predisposes me to American styles of cooking before I even begin to eat, but the food at this Pizza Hut was genuinely good.
I regret to inform you that I in all likelihood will never frequent this fine establishment again, but this is merely due to the unhappy occasion that it's prices are the one thing which did not change for the better in the journey across the ocean. But I will never forget: Pizza Hut's, like all fast food restaurants, restaurants too. Just because they have the unfortunate title of "fast food" doesn't mean they can't dress themselves up every once in a while and go out for a night on the town. Pizza Hut's have feelings too, so next time you pass one of their more seedy little brothers in the States, remember: in a different land, in a different culture, they are the stars of food preparation.
Phil.