Originally Posted By davewasbaloo Ok, most surreal McDonalds experience. I got to the conference vnue early this morning, and being a cheapskate, not wanting a $10 cup of coffee at the hotel, I popped into McD's on Kensington High street. Well, this McD's has chandelliers, leaded crystal mirrors, and baby grand player piano pumping out smooth Jazz! very different. Mind you, down the street you can buy a Kobe burger at Burger King for $140. And coffee beans digested by cats and recycled for $110. Some people have more money than sense. I'm happy with my coffee and bagel for $5
Originally Posted By X-san I've heard some Kobe burger stories, but that's the worst (AND the most expensive lol). No Japanese worth his salt would ever CONSIDER grinding up Kobe beef and grilling it up! Funny story, Dave. So the coffee and bagel were $5 after all? That seems a touch pricey for McDonalds (but I suppose the piano is extra lol).
Originally Posted By u k fan Perhaps I'll have to check it out. We had been talking about a visit to Kensington Market in the summer. Do you know what it's like now, I haven't been for years?!!!
Originally Posted By X-san Wow. And I thought Tokyo was expensive! Actually, coffee at McDonalds has recently been upgraded (competing with Starbucks, I suppose) and costs only $1. No bagels though. We have Mega Muffins though (gross...egg, cheese, bacon, two sausage patties, in a "too big to big" muffin). I gotta go back here though Dave. $140? For a burger? At Burger King? Seriously!? That being the case, a gourmet REAL Kobe beef dinner near Tokyo Disneyland complete with all the fixings AND shrimp and lobster, is cheaper.
Originally Posted By X-san Er, scratch that. The lobster course might be a bit more than $140. Definitely the steak and shrimp course is less, though!
Originally Posted By WilliamK99 Remember Mr. X, the exchange rate in England is terrible like 2.15 dollars for one pound.
Originally Posted By X-san Well, sure. But even so... $140 for a burger king burger? ANY burger king burger? ANY burger? ANY meal that isn't one of the finest on earth? Yikes. Is it all the way up to 2.15 per pound now? I remember the big hype when it hit 2 for 1! Certainly good for any Brits looking to holiday in America, eh? The yen has relaxed a bit...back up to 105 to the buck after being as low as 95! Wait a sec...William I was assuming that Dave is actually calculating the exchange rate properly though. I figured $140 was actual U.S. Dollars... But even if you halve THAT...$80 is too much a burger king burger. Or any burger. Or pretty much any meal south of "extreme gourmet experience". At least, that's my 2 cents, but I'm old. Now I'm starting to sound like my Grandpa. "SIX DOLLARS!? For a MOVIE!?" lol. I suppose in a few years we'll all just shrug and shell out our $25 for a gallon of gas and our $229.50 for a big mac "value meal" and pine for the good old days.
Originally Posted By WilliamK99 My comments were you going wow on 5 bucks for a coffee and bagel, thats only like 2.40 pounds, which is reasonable. The exchange rate is what kills it.
Originally Posted By X-san Ah. So your point is that 2.4 pounds is reasonable, or anyway standard in the U.K., but sounds extreme against the dollar with the exchange being so bad for the dollar these days. Gotcha. Still, $140 for a burger?? (still waiting to hear from Dave to tell me that was a misprint)
Originally Posted By X-san Anyway William, totally understand your point about exchange rates...I remember everyone commenting about how incredibly expensive a big mac meal was in Japan back when the Yen was extremely strong, and it ended up fluctuating quite a bit over the course of a few years (to the point where, at one point, it was quite cheap relatively speaking)... So I guess my point of a coffee and bagel being "relatively" expensive all depends on where you live (still though, FIVE u.s. dollars for a coffee and a bagel, imo, is too expensive, bordering on STUPID expensive for a McCoffee and a piece of bread imho, no matter WHERE you happen to be located on the planet). But anyway I was much more blown away by the $140 sandwich. Is this for real?
Originally Posted By sarahwithbaloo Dont know anything about the burger but just to let you know Dave does a rough $2 to £1 convertion which is around OKish. $5 is very good in London.
Originally Posted By Jim in Merced CA I haven't had breakfast a McDonalds in years. The other night, wife and I saw a commercial for the new chicken biscuit at McDonalds. Said 'Hey, how about if I pick up McDonalds in the morning.' Bought a Egg McMuffin [although I ended up with a Sausage Biscuit and Egg], Chicken Biscuit, two orders of hash browns. Bottom line: It was HORRIBLE! Salty, dry, salty, and did I mention salty? We both looked at each other and said 'Blecch!' I guess our 45+ year old tastebuds have outgrown McDonalds breakfast. Never again.
Originally Posted By davewasbaloo Sarah is right, for ease I have been using a 2 for 1 exchange. That burger was not a misprint, it is being trialled in 3 BKs in the UK (it will not sell well). Anyway, yes fastfood lunch here runs about $10. A big mac on its own is $7. a cup of coffee at Stabucks is 4. A dominoes pizza is 30.
Originally Posted By Tinkeroon Yikes! And I, cheapskate that I am, would balk at $5 for a coffee and bagel from McD's. Although I have been know to pay out for a cup at Starbucks from time to time. LOL
Originally Posted By Mary Poppins Sounds like shopping on High Kensington street takes wheelbarrows of money. That cat coffee is news to me. Some people have more money than sense. The MacDonald's sounds very classy. I would enjoy my Big Mac in there.
Originally Posted By davewasbaloo Tinkeroon - whole different set of economics here. Cheapest coffee you are likely to find in the Uk is $3. And you pay for each cup! ooops that's real coffee, Sarah paid $2.40 for instant the other day.
Originally Posted By davewasbaloo Mary Poppins - indeed. There are some very expensive places. what is interesting is I had a couple of tailored suits made in San Francisco for about $400 each. I wish I bought more. I window shopped at their Kensington branch and the same suit as I was wearing today was $800, for the same suit! Man, I think I will have some more done and sent over, it's likely cheaper. But Kensington is like the Bel Air/Beverly Hills/5th Avenue of the UK.
