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Japan lines up for Taco Bell

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I just walked by there to see what its all about. No more having to go to the military bases for Taco Bell. Prices are a bit expensive though. Its near Love hotel hill, good location for late night eating I guess. It has a shrimp avacado burrito and taco rice( taco meat on top of rice) so far are the only unique things I saw.
 
Yep.

Was in Nagoya last week and there was a massive line in the station for a new variety popcorn store. At least an hour. People were hauling massive carriers containing half a dozen large bags in each hand.
Omg still? I was there after Xmas and there were crazy queues in the morning. Garretts popcorn I believe.
 
People camped outside days in advanced and 14 000 joined the Facebook event for when Dunkin' Donuts opened near where I live. Even though the donuts are made in another part of Europe, frozen and just reheated at the store. Also even though there are much better places for donuts in that specific town.

Now there has been a successful grassroot petition to get KFC to open in my country. I think it's wise not to underestimate the brand recognition of crappy US food chains.
 
I dunno. Taco Bell really kept me going during college. And then they tore that location down and I had to spend more money on food (and less time on the toilet). Sad times. :(
 
Japan has the most high tech toilets in the world, they will now get upgraded to have a taco bell clean up button on them.
toilet.jpg
 
My question is do they have the mexican pizza. If so am there.

Burger King had the same stupid lines in the beginning to when they came back a few years back.

These days its easier for folks to find out about stuff via twitter which pretty much almost everyone with a smartphone uses.
 
OP should say that Taco Bell opened again in Japan, they were already there once in the eighties.

Yeah was a long while back thats for sure.

Also you would think that their marketing folks would have a HP ready by now instead of just this...

http://tacobell.co.jp/

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They do like mexican food here, but most places outside of like El Torrito which is cheap and serviceable tex-mex is either shitty, out of the way or expensive. So will be interesting to see how they do now. Its not that tacobell is exactly "mexican" food but for all Japan knows it sure is. Shibuya is a pretty good place to test it out thats for sure due to the concentration of younger folks.

You know what to do Japan marketing people...

bIDn5oA.png


At least now I dont have to go to Yokota AB lol.
 
Japanese versions of western chains love their crazy menus. Holy shit. I don't want to think what kind of crazy ass, fucked up shit Taco Bell will come up with.

Korea usually gets a lot of crazy menu items too, but the few Taco Bells here (pretty sure they're only in Seoul) don't do anything special.
 
looking forward to the japan taco bell reviews

i'm always interested in how american fast food differs in other countries. often times the quality is much higher due to higher food standards abroad. that and the workers in places like japan are probably treated better and take their work more seriously so you'll actually be served something properly prepared. try getting that at most of the US joints, especially in urban areas where they every worker seriously acts like they give zero fucks.

pretty pathetic how lax our food situation is here.

Hey, found some footage of what it's like inside the Japan Taco Bell

https://youtu.be/vL4YbfIUNt4?t=17

Would you eat at taco bell a lot more if yours were like this? I sure as hell would.

*edit* a video of the line... complete with a guy in a taco costume

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kiUvpJw1Qhw
 
While I can't deny Taco Bell is awful, Mexican food isn't really found all that much outside the Americas. So there is the novelty factor.

I know that while taco food stores like Tabo Bell etc. are very scarce here, people in Sweden absolutely love taco dinners and often cook it themselves.
 
I know that while taco food stores like Tabo Bell etc. are very scarce here, people in Sweden absolutely love taco dinners and often cook it themselves.

In Japan lately the Old El Paso brand has been pretty strong selling taco kits in grocery stores and such. So apparently there is a market for it which I always found interesting.
 
This article is in Japanese but the pictures within give a good idea what it's like in Japan. It really looks like they're going for the upscale look. The menu is incredibly limited.

IMG_20150421_184241.jpg


They only offer 6 main menu items, including 2 Japanese originals, taco rice and shrimp avocado burritos. They sell seasoned fries and nachos as well but man the prices are a bit much.

IMG_20150421_184229.jpg


What really is spoiling it for me is that it looks like they're being stingy with cheese and greens. Subway Japan does the same thing. It's cheese for goodness sakes not a rare resource like Californian water. Real cheese is priced as if it's a luxury item here...

IMG_20150421_184214.jpg


Just one regular hard or soft taco will put you back 320 yen - $2.60. Combos are between 750 and 800 yen. Expect to spend around 1000 yen there if you want to get full. They're really pushing to sell mostly combos so don't expect to stumble in after a long night of binge drinking for a cheap bite to eat. You're better off hitting a kebab cart for that price.

I still plan on going just because it's familiar and I have been out of the US for 3 years straight now. I need some corporate American food to fill my nostalgia hole.

IMG_20150421_184255.jpg
 
It looks like they got the international market with their salsa. And I'm grateful. It makes taco nights a lot easier as I used to have to import or drive 2hrs to the nearest Costco.
 
This article is in Japanese but the pictures within give a good idea what it's like in Japan. It really looks like they're going for the upscale look. The menu is incredibly limited.

IMG_20150421_184241.jpg


They only offer 6 main menu items, including 2 Japanese originals, taco rice and shrimp avocado burritos. They sell seasoned fries and nachos as well but man the prices are a bit much.

IMG_20150421_184229.jpg


What really is spoiling it for me is that it looks like they're being stingy with cheese and greens. Subway Japan does the same thing. It's cheese for goodness sakes not a rare resource like Californian water. Real cheese is priced as if it's a luxury item here...

IMG_20150421_184214.jpg


Just one regular hard or soft taco will put you back 320 yen - $2.60. Combos are between 750 and 800 yen. Expect to spend around 1000 yen there if you want to get full. They're really pushing to sell mostly combos so don't expect to stumble in after a long night of binge drinking for a cheap bite to eat. You're better off hitting a kebab cart for that price.

I still plan on going just because it's familiar and I have been out of the US for 3 years straight now. I need some corporate American food to fill my nostalgia hole.

IMG_20150421_184255.jpg

Its most likely based off of internal taste testing, think focus groups cept for food. And then went with that. Less ingredients that would need to be imported the better also.
 
Ah yes, the weak stomach, diarrhea crowd is out in full force.

You people never get it. It's not that GAF is populated with weak stomachs. It's the fact that Taco Bell is terrible for you and your immune system should and would expel it (forcibly, at times).

Go ahead and eat healthy for a month. Then try a meal at Taco Bell. Report back!

edit: Fuck, I'll do it.
 
I like Taco Bell. But last time I had it, specifically their new crunchy chicken quesadilla, I woke up with intense abdominal pain to the point I could barely walk. Went to the hospital and vomited before passing out during X-Rays because of the pain. I was placed on a "Mediterranean Diet" for 2-3 weeks because the GI surgeon said I needed to clean out my system. I'm kinda scared to eat greasy oily foods now but it's good to drink soda again. Lol luckily I see a GI specialist in a couple weeks. Sigh. It was nice eating at Taco Bell.
 
Its most likely based off of internal taste testing, think focus groups cept for food. And then went with that. Less ingredients that would need to be imported the better also.
Maybe but the price? McDonald's is even better than its US counterpart and it is the same price. I just want fast food in Japan that's priced as fast food is all.
 
Just one regular hard or soft taco will put you back 320 yen - $2.60.
That's ridiculous.

You people never get it. It's not that GAF is populated with weak stomachs. It's the fact that Taco Bell is terrible for you and your immune system should and would expel it (forcibly, at times).

Go ahead and eat healthy for a month. Then try a meal at Taco Bell. Report back!
Done that plenty. It's really no problem. Taco Bell isn't anymore terrible for you than your other average fast food places. I can only guess the main difference comes from the ability to throw hot/fire sauce on all sorts of things, which probably doesn't sit well with many, though that's no different than eating at a real Mexican place, or Thai or Indian for that matter.
 
To be fair, Japanese line up for everything.

I witnessed a 40min line for popcorn. Just some varieties of popcorn man...

No popcorn is worth waiting 40 minutes for.

I saw this shit at DIsney Sea, lol.

The funniest part was I walked a bit further into the park and found another stand selling the same variety of popcorn with no line.
 
If Taco Bell follows how other fast food franchises work in Japan, it will be a great experience and the food will be significantly better than whatever you guys get in the States. It makes sense for them to line up and try it.
 
You guys don't understand. Mexican food outside of the Americas is absolutely dreadful. Taco Bell is good in comparison. Plus, the food will be tailored specifically to their palates. Fast food chains taste different depending on the country.

There is good American-Mexican food in Japan. I'm a San Diego boy so I'm plenty familiar with it, and I've been to a few places that have amazing burritos and enchiladas in Tokyo. Only problem is the ridiculous price. A nice burrito costs upwards of $10 when you can get an equally delicious one in SoCal for like $4.

People are just lining up for the novelty anyway, since it's new and they probably want to be there to tweet photos of the opening to their friends. I'll definitely try it this week after the hype has died down a bit.
 
Different people react differently to foods? I've heard the same thing about Chipotle but I always feel comfortably stuffed and have glorious shits the next morning after a big Chipotle burrito. Taco Bell has never given me stomach problems, but Jack in the Box is a surefire diarrhea barrage.
 
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