Photo by Behance
Unfortunately for us Singaporeans, A&W (which stands for Allen & Wright) can no longer be found here. In 2003, it closed for good and just like that, the waffles, curly fries, coney dogs and root beer floats disappeared. We now have to visit foreign lands just to sink our teeth into all those sinful goodies we miss so much. How depressing. C’mon guys, get back here!
2. In-N-Out Burger | USA
Photo by Flickr user Root777
Hailing all the way from California, USA, In-N-Out Burger is one of America’s biggest and most popular burger chains. Did you know that in July last year, the famous beef patties made an appearance in Singapore? An In-N-Out Burger pop-up store was set up for a few hours at Golden Grill restaurant on Circular Road, but everything was sold out in less than five minutes after opening!
3. Nordsee | Germany
Photo by Flickr user JaBB
Steamed fish as fast food? To the Germans: heck yes! With over 400 outlets across Europe, Nordsee is the continent’s largest fast food chain specialising in seafood. It’s odd but it’s a refreshing concept and a much-needed break away from all the meat the fast food industry has to offer, don’t you think?
4. Lombardi's | USA
Photo by Flickr user timpossible
New York is the only place in the world that does pizza right – there’s no doubt about that. So how bout’ a slice of perfection straight from the Big Apple? Lombardi’s is known as America’s first pizzeria, and that’s a pretty honourable title to hold. Oh, what we’d give for a fresh, coal-oven cheese pizza right now...
5. Wienerschnitzel | USA
Photo by Flickr user Tom Spaulding
Love hot dogs? Then like us you’d be welcoming Wienerschnitzel with open arms. Established in 1961 in California, this fast food chain’s chilli cheese creations (the chilli is a top-secret recipe) are da bomb. And it’s not just the hot dogs that are smothered in this glorious concoction – it’s the hamburgers and fries too. Yum!
6. Hungry Jack’s | Australia
Photo by Flickr user Ku5hi
If you’re thinking Hungry Jack’s logo looks similar to Burger King’s, you’re not very far off. What happened was: when Burger King first tried to set up in Australia, the name ‘Burger King’ was already taken, so ‘Hungry Jack’s’ it was.
You might be wondering if there’s a difference, and you might be surprised to know that many have compared the two and actually prefer the Australian brand for its quality, quantity, as well as the unique ‘Aussie’ burger – based on the traditional Australian fish and chips creation.
7. White Castle | USA
Photo by hoodburger
White Castle’s so good that it’s earned Hollywood status with the comedy film Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle. While we wait for White Castle to come to us, we can keep dreaming about those lovely mini slider burgers they make so well – after all they’re the original creators of the “slider”!
8. The Melt | USA
Photo by Carroll County Times
“Grilled cheese happiness” – that’s what The Melt is all about. Made from aged all-natural cheese paired with fresh bread, there’s something so comforting about this crunchy, cheesy treat and we applaud founder Jonathan Kaplan (pictured above) for establishing such a wonderful franchise. Now please, bring it to this country.
9. Al Baik | Saudi Arabia
Photo by Flickr user Muhannad Aldajan
Famed for its juicy, tender chicken and addictive garlic sauce, Al Baik is one of Saudi Arabia’s leading fast food chain restaurants. Another reason why it’s so popular is in the price – it’s extremely affordable compared to McDonald’s and KFC; in fact it’s a 30 percent-less amount.
10. Jumbo King | India
Photo by Flickr user WCities
Fancy some vada pav? Vada pav is India’s well-loved vegetarian burger; its ‘patty’ is essentially batata vada aka spicy deep-fried potato fritters, and Jumbo King specialises in this “Indian burger”. With an average of 40,000 vada pavs sold daily, it’s clear the locals just adore Jumbo King, and we’re sure Singaporeans would as well.
See Also:
Try out these recommended Western food
American food scouted by our foodies