The Asia Trip: Seasonal Curry Soup at Studio Ghibli

Since I'm out of fast food posts from the Asia Trip, I hope you guys won't mind making due with "regular" food, as some readers exhibited some interest and it would be a shame to let all the pictures I took go to waste. First up, a warm, curry soup with autumn vegetables that I ate at the Studio Ghibli Museum in Mitaka, Tokyo, Japan.

News: Jack in the Box - New Really Big Chicken Sandwich

Jack in the Box's newest menu promotional item is the descriptively-named, Really Big Chicken Sandwich, which features two crispy chicken patties topped with cheese, bacon, lettuce, tomato, and mayo onion sauce on a toasted bun.

Review: Chick-fil-A - Fire Red Chicken Sandwich

A variant to Chick-fil-A's regular Spicy Chicken Sandwich made by yours truly, the Chick-fil-A Fire Red Chicken Sandwich is simple awesomeness, but just a wee bit on the messy side.

Review: KFC - Extra Crispy Strips

KFC's new Extra Crispy Strips are, as far as I can remember, mostly the same as the old Crispy Chicken Strips before they discontinued them in lieu of the Original Recipe Strips (which, in turn, have been discontinued in favor of the new Extra Crispy Chicken Strips. What's old is new again, huh?). I purchased them in a $5 Big Crunch Box which includes three Extra Crispy Strips, Potato Wedges (substitutable for whatever side you like), a KFC Biscuit, and a medium drink.

Sunday Funny: Wendy's - 4-Alarm Spicy Chicken Sandwich

Apparently, this is a proposed Wendy's commercial back in '07 that never made the cut for one reason or another. I think it's pretty funny though it seems more like something BK or Carl's Jr. would run.

You can check out the ad they ended up going with after the jump.

News: The Coffee Bean - Free Iced Drink on June 29th

The Coffee Bean is giving away complimentary 12-ounce Iced Americanos, Iced Coffees, or Iced Teas to visitors on June 29th.

When: Tuesday, June 29th, 4-7pm
Where: Participating Coffee Bean locations
Why: Your choice of a free 12-ounce Iced Americano, Iced Coffee, or Iced Tea.

Details: "Only valid at participating The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf® store locations in CA, AZ & NV. Excludes San Diego county, Texas, Hawaii, Ralphs stores, casinos, campus or airport locations. Valid only on June 29th, 2010, from 4pm to 7pm. Offer applies to 12oz. Iced Americano, Iced Coffee or Iced Tea beverage only. No substitutions. Limit one complimentary drink per customer. Check your local store for details."

Review: Capriotti's - Capastrami Sandwich

I tried Capriotti's (a chain with locations in 11 states) upon a recommendation by a friend who said it was really good and she liked it better than Langer's. Gasping at her heresy and questioning her mental sanity, I nonetheless tried Capriotti's Capastrami Sandwich which uses roughly the same formula as Langer's and features hot pastrami, melted Swiss cheese, russian dressing, and cole slaw on a submarine roll.

News: Taco Bell - The Return of the Bacon Club Chalupa!

After a late night run to Taco Bell for a $2 Meal Deal, I saw in the window that the Bacon Club Chalupa was back on the menu. It is now available at Taco Bell for $2.49 by itself or in a $5 Buck Box (which also includes a Crunchy Taco, a Bean Burrito, Cinnamon Twists, and a medium drink). The Bacon Club Chalupa contains southwest marinated white meat chicken, bacon, lettuce, their 3-cheese blend, diced tomatoes, and club sauce in a Chalupa shell.

The Bacon Club Chalupa $5 Buck Box is exactly the same as the Big Bell Box they had a couple years ago (and which I reviewed). Well, almost. It costs a penny more now and you get a slightly smaller drink.

A Cheesy Gordita Crunch $5 Buck Box is also being promoted and contains a Cheesy Gordita Crunch, a Supreme Burrito, a Crunchy Taco, Cinnamon Twists, and a medium drink.

I also noticed that they added the snack size bag of Doritos from the $2 Meal Deal to their value menu.  It's priced at 79 cents.

Nutritional information on the Bacon Club Chalupa after the jump.

News: Burger King - Tendergrill Chicken Now on Whole Wheat Ciabatta

In a move toward making their healthier fare healthier, Burger King recently announced a new whole wheat ciabatta bun for their Tendergrill Chicken Sandwich. The touted benefits of the new bun are 9 grams of whole grains, fewer calories, less sodium, and less fat (but interestingly, more saturated fat). The sandwich sells for a retail price of $3.99

Inexplicably, according to the Burger King website, the new bun contains 15 grams of protein. Check out the full nutritional comparison after the jump.

Review: Jack in the Box - Egg Roll

Out of all the major food chains, Jack in the Box probably offers the most variety. They can dish up a reasonable facsimile of whatever it is you're craving, from their mainstay of burgers and fries to tacos to egg rolls?! Yup. Egg Rolls. Jack in the Box serves Chinese-style Egg Rolls fried crispy and filled with diced pork, cabbage, celery, carrots, and onions with sweet and sour sauce to dip it in.

Review: Wienerschnitzel - Jalapeno Poppers

I love Jalapeno Poppers.  Especially, when they're cheap.  Wienerschnitzel's Jalapeno Poppers are priced three for 99 cents as part of their "UnDer $1 Menu."  For those of you not in the know, Jalapeno Poppers are jalapeno peppers stuffed with cheese and then breaded and deep-fried. They usually make for a crispy, spicy, cheesy snack.

The Asia Trip: Delifrance Hong Kong - Jumbo Sausage Croissant

Delifrance is an international French bakery/cafe chain that I came across while in Hong Kong.  It's actually in over 50 countries, just not the U.S.  It looked pretty interesting so we ate there for breakfast.

Since it is located in Hong Kong, the menu had several popular local favorites along with more French-style items like pastries, sandwiches, and something called a "croque-madame," which is a hot ham and cheese sandwich with a fried or poached egg on top.  Pasta also seems to figure in the menu somewhere.

Review: Wendy's - Homestyle Chicken Fillet Sandwich

Wendy's Homestyle Chicken Fillet is a premium step up from the value menu chicken sandwiches that a lot of fast food restaurants carry on their menus. It features a boneless chicken breast fillet, seasoned and breaded, iceberg lettuce, a slice of tomato or two, and mayo for $3.99 (price varies with location, I usually use a two chicken sandwiches for $5 coupon though).

Review: Popeyes - Wicked Chicken

Popeyes' Wicked Chicken is a limited-time, slightly different, thinner take on their Louisiana Tenders. Basically, they are long, thin strips of battered chicken breast meat. You'll notice that my particular order is a bit smaller than the advertised box and comes with Mashed Potatoes instead of Cajun Fries.

News: Panda Express - Free Orange Chicken after 9pm with Any Purchase

Panda Express is doing a late night special (I didn't even know Panda Express was open after 9pm!) where with this coupon, you can get a free single serving of Orange Chicken with any purchase (say a drink or an egg roll if you're really hard up on cash) after 9pm.

Mmm... Orange Chicken... just an FYI, if you think regular Orange Chicken is good, fresh Orange Chicken is SO much better, so find a Panda Express with a lot of traffic.

Details: One coupon per person. Valid at participation locations. Not valid at airport, theme park, or stadium locations. Cannot be combined with any other coupons, discounts, or promotions. Expires July 11, 2010.

Sunday Funny: Burger King - "I am Man"

I loves me some jingles and Burger King loves hitting the "Young Hungry Guys" demo. This ad for the BK's Texas Double Whopper a couple of years back shows you such manly acts as punching each other in the stomach (i.e. the gut punch) and throwing vans off of bridges.

Local Review: Tokyo Grill - Chicken Bowl - Montebello Mall

There seems to be quite a few Tokyo Grills around the U.S. but they don't seem to be related. The Tokyo Grill I went to was located in a mall and featured meat grilled in front of you as you ordered.  A Teriyaki Chicken Bowl will run you $4.99.

Review: McDonald's - Snack Size Reese's McFlurry

I tried McDonald's new Snack Size Reese's McFlurry on a recent trip to San Francisco. A McFlurry is McDonald's answer to DQ's popular Blizzard, which is to say it is vanilla soft serve blended with a topping (in this case, Reese's Peanut Butter Cups). I paid $1.69 for my Snack Size McFlurry (a full ten cents cheaper than the $1.79 charged at my local McDonald's).

News: Church's Chicken - New Wild Wings

Church's Chicken is now serving up traditional (read: actual wings) or boneless wings (read: boneless chicken breast pieces) with a money-back guarantee if customers are dissatisfied with the product.

Dubbed "Wild Wings," the wings are hand tossed in a choice of five different sauces: Buffalo Hot, Buffalo Medium, Honey BBQ, Chili Lime, and Sweet & Spicy.  They can be ordered in a set of six for $2.99, two for $1, or five for $2 with the purchase of a Family Box meal at regular price.  A pretty good bargain matching Pizza Hut's Wing Wednesdays.

Nutritional info after the jump

Review: Taco Bell - Taco Party Pack

So Taco Bell has replaced its Grande Meal with the Taco Bell Party Pack which features 12 tacos for $10 in a sturdy cardboard box.

The Asia Trip: McDonald's Hong Kong - Green Tea Lamington

I had never even heard of a Lamington until I went by a McDonald's McCafe and saw it advertised in the window. Intrigued, I eventually tried one for 7 HK or roughly about a dollar.

News: Whataburger - Free Breakfast on a Bun - June 22, 2010

Whataburger is giving away free Breakfast on a Bun sandwichs to customers on June 22 from 7-10am in the morning.  For those wanting a bit more TexMex, you can get it "Ranchero Style" with jalapenos and picante sauce for free.

When: Tuesday, June 22, 7-10am (i.e. breakfast time)

Where: Participating Whataburger locations

Why: Free bacon or sausage Breakfast on a Bun (your choice of meat, egg, and cheese on a toasted burger bun)

Details: One per person at participating locations only. Valid for dine-in or drive-thru. No purchase necessary. No substitutions.

News: Jamba Juice - $1 Superfruit Smoothie Day - June 16, 2010

Jamba Juice is kicking off the summer and promoting their new Yumberry, Pomegranate or Acai smoothies AKA their "Superfruit Smoothies" by offering them for $1 on June 16th.

When: All day, Wednesday, June 16th, 2010

Where: At participating Jamba Juice locations nationwide

Why: $1 Superfruit Smoothies (16 ounces) loaded with antioxidants and Vitamin C (Choose from five options)

Review: Jack in the Box: Deli Trio Grilled Sandwich

Jack in the Box's Deli Trio Grilled Sandwich features Genoa salami, sliced ham, roasted turkey, Provolone cheese, pickles, and a creamy Italian dressing on grilled artisan bread for $3.99.

Review: Wendy's Strawberry Frosty Shake

A Wendy's Strawberry Frosty Shake features a base of their Vanilla Frosty blended with strawberry syrup, topped with whipped cream and a maraschino cherry.  The price at my local Wendy's is $2.39 for a 12-ounce small or $3.19 for a 20-ounce large.  But I bought a small for a $1.10 upcharge with a combo.

Sunday Funny: Burger King Germany - "Long Chicken"

A German Burger King ad with a bit of sexual innuendo. The sandwich is called the "Long Chicken." It might be too racy to air on TV here in the States for what is being suggested. But I guess if your audience is mostly "Young Hungry Guys," it's right there with some Carl's Jr ads. But at least the Carl's Jr ads shows people enjoying the food being advertised.

Review: Ono Hawaiian BBQ - Chicken Katsu Plate

One Hawaiian BBQ's Chicken Katsu Plate features two chicken cutlets breaded with Japanese panko bread crumbs and deep-fried until crispy. The chicken is served on a bed of steamed cabbage with two scoops of steamed white rice and a scoop of my favorite macaroni salad on the side. I can usually make two meals out of one plate which costs $6.49.

Review: Wendy's - Spicy Chipotle Boneless Wings

Wendy's Spicy Chipotle Boneless Wings feature all-white meat chicken breast pieces, breaded, deep-fried, and then hand-tossed in a sauce made with a blend of chipotle peppers, dark chili powder, and honey. I haven't tried it myself (haven't really had the desire really... really) but I got a guest review from the Sister!

Review: The Coffee Bean - Ultimate Caramel Ice Blended

The Coffee Bean's Ultimate Caramel Ice Blended is new to The Coffee Bean menu this summer and features buttery caramel, blended with coffee, non-fat milk, and chocolate-covered espresso beans. Yes, in Coffee Bean speak, "Ultimate" means chocolate-covered espresso beans. A 16-ounce "regular" cup will set you back $3.95.

News: Hardee's - New Hand-Breaded Chicken Tenders

Hardee's Hand-Breaded Chicken Tenders are the newest item to hit the Hardee's menu and feature fresh, all-white meat chicken tenders (short for "tenderloin"), hand-dipped in egg and buttermilk and lightly breaded with seasoned flour (by hand of course!).  The Chicken Tenders are served with your choice of honey mustard, buffalo, or buttermilk ranch sauce.

Apparently, Hardee's is doing a staggered rollout of the Chicken Tenders; some restaurants are already serving them while others will have them by the end of June.

Hardee's Hand-Breaded Chicken Tenders are available in 3-piece and 5-piece orders, retail-priced at $2.99 and $4.49 respectively.

Nutritional Info after the jump

The Asia Trip: McDonald's Hong Kong - McCafe Cappuccino

The McCafe at the McDonald's I went to in Hong Kong had a separate more cafe-like counter from the rest of the McDonald's. And, as I found out late one night, it keeps different hours than the McDonald's (which stayed open 24 hours like Denny's or IHOP).

Review: Chick-fil-A - Spicy Chicken Sandwich

After much ado and free sandwiches (by reservation only!), Chick-fil-A's Spicy Chicken Sandwich has finally landed on the Chick-fil-A's menu. Of course, since they were test-marketed in southern California, I've tried several of them before the official launch.

News: Dunkin' Donuts - New Blue Raspberry Coolatta

Today, Dunkin' Donuts introduced their newest Coolatta frozen slush drink for this summer, the Blue Raspberry Coolatta.  Dunkin' is also bringing back the Watermelon Coolatta citing popular demand.  The suggested retail on a "small"16-ounce Coolatta is $2.29.

You might be thinking, "But raspberries aren't blue!"  That's right.  Raspberries are not blue.  So why the blue color?  It's food coloring, so you don't confuse it with the more common cherry and strawberry flavors.

Nutritional info after the jump.

News: McDonald's - New Snack Size McFlurry

I stopped by McDonald's today and saw a poster advertising a new "snack size" McFlurry for $1.79 (in southern California; price varies with geography) available mixed with Oreos, M&M's, and Reese's (mix-ins probably vary with location).  The Snack Size McFlurry comes in an 8-ounce cup which is slightly larger than Dairy Queen's "mini" size coming this August.

Nutritional Info After the Jump.

Review: Burger King - Ham Omelet Sandwich

Part of Burger King's BK Breakfast Value Menu, the Ham Omelet Sandwich features an egg omelet, a slice of cheese, thin-sliced deli ham, and honey butter sauce on a sesame hamburger bun for $1.

Sunday Funny: Jack in the Box - "No Coffee"

Jack makes a persuasive argument for orange juice for breakfast over coffee.

Review: Dairy Queen - Oreo and Snickers Blizzard

There aren't any fast food serving Dairy Queens in the southern California area as far as I know. However, there are Dairy Queens at the malls that only serve their frozen Treats including their trademark Blizzard of which I tried the Snickers Blizzard and Oreo Blizzard pictured above.

Review: Porto's Bakery - Carrot Muffin

I'm a big fan of carrot cake, so it's not surprising that I tried the Carrot Muffin from Porto's Bakery in Burbank.  I think a big reason for Porto's popularity beyond the Cheese Rolls, is the relative affordability of their baked goods and the huge selection. Items that would normally cost $2 to $4 dollars at other comparable bakeries or cafe cost $1 to $2 at Porto's. Also, the make a great cup of coffee, especially their Dulce De Leche Latte.

News: Wienerschnitzel - New Double Chili Cheeseburgers

Der Wienerschnitzel (which does not serve is eponymous dish, but instead specializes in hot dogs) is serving up two new items this summer: the Double Chili Cheeseburger and the Ultimate Double Chili Cheeseburger.  The Double Chili Cheeseburger just doubles up on the regular Chili Cheeseburger by adding a patty and another slice of cheese while the Ultimate Double Chili Cheeseburger adds to that tomatoes, pickles, chopped onions, and mustard (sounds like Tommy's to me).

The pricing on the Double Chili Cheeseburger is a retail of $2.29 while the Ultimate Double Chili Cheeseburger is 30 cents more at $2.59.

Nutritional info after the jump ("Yikes!" on the sodium, but not really surprising).

Review: Wendy's - BBQ Bacon Double Jr. Cheeseburger Deluxe

The small burger with the really long-winded name, Wendy's new BBQ Bacon Double Jr. Cheeseburger Deluxe features two hamburger patties, onions, pickles, honey BBQ sauce, two slices of bacon, and a slice of American cheese on a toasted hamburger bun. I'm told by a reader (PulledPorker) that the chicken version sandwich by itself costs $1.69, so I'm assuming the double cheeseburger version costs the same.

Buffet of Buffets: Lago Buffet

Part Four of Four - Lago Buffet - Caesars Palace

For the last buffet in our 24-hour window under the Buffet of Buffets, we went to Lago Buffet at Caesars Palace. I'd actually never heard of this one before the Buffet of Buffets but I'm glad I got to try it.

News: Friendly's Free Ice Cream Day - June 5, 2010

Friendly's is hosting their third annual Free Ice Cream Day on June 5th in celebration of their 75th anniversary.  I don't have a Friendly's anywhere near me (They're mostly in the Northeastern United States) but that doesn't mean you have to miss out!

Where: Any participating Friendly's restaurant location.

When: Saturday, June 5, 2010, from 12pm to 5pm

Why: Free One-Scoop Ice Cream Cone or Dish (26 flavors to choose from)

News: Philly's Best - $5 Hoagies All Summer

This one's for my southern California readers: Perhaps to pry away some customers from Subway, Philly's Best is offering $5 Hoagies for the whole summer (i.e. for the months of June, July, and August).  They're calling it the "Five Dollar Endless Summer Hoagie Jam.

I've tried their Italian Hoagie before and it is super great!  They give you a good amount of Boar Head's deli meats (you know... the good stuff!) on an Amoroso roll (for those Philly fans). The available $5 Hoagies are the American, Italian, Cheese, Tuna, Ham, or Turkey Hoagies.

Details: At participating locations only. Excludes cheesesteak and chicken cheesesteak hoagies.

Buffet of Buffets: Le Village Buffet

Part Three of Four - Le Village Buffet - Paris.

Le Village Buffet at Paris is a regional French buffet and features mostly regional French cuisines with the occasional oddities.

Out of the four buffets sampled, I like the atmosphere of Le Village Buffet; it's a bit of an extension of the Paris casino and shops. As the name suggests, the interior looks reminiscent of a village complete with a sky-painted ceiling.

The buffet itself is divided into sections by name (Provence, Normandy, Brittany, Burgundy and Alsace), with each section aping the architecture of its named region and serving the regional cuisine of each place.

News: Church's Chicken - New Strawberry Shortcake

New to Church's Chicken menu this summer is their Strawberry Shortcake.  The Strawberry Shortcake is basically their honey-butter biscuits covered with strawberries, strawberry sauce, and whipped cream.  It sounds pretty tasty and pretty messy unless you have a knife and fork.  The price per cake is $1.29 or four for $3.99 with the purchase of any regular-priced family box.

Nutritional Info after the jump.

Buffet of Buffets: Carnival World Buffet

Part Two of a Four - Carnival World Buffet - Rio.

For second dinner, we sprinted (literally) over to the Carnival World Buffet at Rio to make it before closing.  Have you tried running through a smoky casino?  I don't recommend it.  My lungs were burning.

The Carnival World Buffet (not to be mistaken with the more popular and more expensive Village Seafood Buffet) provided even more variety than Planet Hollywood's buffet with more made-to-order stations.