OK, first let’s be clear about something. If you want coffee in the morning, and you’re in China, “local” is irrelevant because there is no “local” morning coffee-drinking ritual here. Just trying to rationalize an American going to an American place while in China instead of taking in something culturally Chinese.
Clearly, if the Chinese don’t do coffee in the morning, they have no culture. 🙂
Yesterday, on the way back from the Terra Cotta Warriors, we found a Starbucks imitation here, King Coffee. Only it was better! They knew exactly how to prepare coffee, each cup personally as if it were special and not just another Mocha Latte. Sadly, the King Coffee locations aren’t open in the morning, forcing me into something from the Twilight Zone. A totally-empty Starbucks. At what would be rush hour back home.
We need King Coffee in the US. Give Starbucks some real competition!
Greetings, Mike.
I’m also in China … in Shenzhen, and for a month here.
Brought my Trek 6.5 … riding is ok once you get out the city.
Enjoy your time here.
And remember everytime when you question normalcy, logic or common sense here: the answer is always ‘TIC’ … ‘This is China’.
Stefan
Stefan: You’re in Shenzen? Did you see my post regarding the iPhone5 in the Beijing Pearl Market? I really wish I’d bought that thing as a souvenir now. I think it would get past customs providing I didn’t include the packaging with it; otherwise it just looks like a iPhone3G case.
China’s a pretty amazing place. Very friendly, very curious people (as in, they want to know what’s going on in the outside world, and they’d kill for Tiananmen Square photos and stories, but it was one of those things where I really didn’t feel all that comfortable talking about things that might get someone in trouble). Shanghai is a lot more “western” than Beijing or Xi’an, but everywhere you go you get this feeling that it’s unfortunate they couldn’t be a bit pickier about what parts of our culture they want to beg borrow & steal. –Mike–
(For those wondering why I brought up Shenzen and the iPhone together, it’s because Shenzen is home to Foxconn, one of those city-sized factories that makes iPhones & iPads and such)
Hey Mike, more than a few of your coffee-snob customers will tell you that there are plenty of coffee outlets that put Starbucks to shame! Of course, if you want a caffeinated candy bar in a cup, Starbucks has it. Now that you have tried something better, perhaps you will enjoy trying some other places.
Cheers,
Jeff
Jeff: Locally, Main Street Coffee is far superior to Starbucks, and if I have the time I’d rather go to Peets (but they are so slow there… beautiful baroque music playing in the background, but if I want caffeine, am I really for a bucolic experience?). I enjoy visiting smaller places, and can appreciate a carefully “pulled” cup… if I want to go into coffee mode, no problem, I’m there. Just don’t have the time these days to hang out and really enjoy a great cup of coffee.