This is actually my second visit to a McDonald’s in India (I previously tried the Maharaja Mac, India’s version of a Big Mac); the menu here is such a treasure trove of international McDonald’s weirdness that I couldn’t help but come back. There might even be a third visit!
Sometimes you have to roll with the punches. The plan was to check out a well-regarded dosa joint, but when I went inside, it was almost completely deserted. The only customers were obvious tourists. So I pulled a Grandpa Simpson and got the hell out of there.
Beef isn’t really a thing in India. It’s outright illegal to sell it in some parts of the country, so obviously, McDonald’s here is a beef-free zone.
This makes it difficult, if not impossible, for McDonald’s to sell some of its most iconic creations.
The biryani at Kayees Rahmathulla Cafe comes with a spoon, but I’m pretty sure that’s just for serving. If I really wanted to eat it the right way, I should have been eating it with my hands — that’s what everyone around me was doing.
Paneer is a fresh, Indian cheese (it’s a bit cheese-curd-esque, only without that cheese’s gooey meltiness) that’s apparently pretty delicious when you grill it. Because I just had the paneer tikka at Radhey Shyam Bhatia Paneer Wale, and it was extremely satisfying.