Just asking randomly, as I'm currently struggling with a bad bout of food poisoning for the 2nd time in the past 2 months...

Yes, we all know that if you go for street food and dingy chinese restaurants, you definitely risk giving yourself diarrhea, but oddly enough I haven't had an issue with the former 2 at all after eating it...

My food poisoning has come from eating Papa John's Pizza (I've been here 5 years, and it's happened every time I've eaten their pizzas. Doesn't matter from which store, or what kind of pizza), and most recently, eating at Carl's Jr! (by far the worst bout of food poisoning... woke up at the middle of the night and both top and bottom halves of my body were using the toilet...)

Has anyone else had issues with these 'western' restaurants? Or is it just me? I don't have an iron stomach, but am usually ok with most foods..

My observation is that often the worst place to eat is a "non-local" establishment that doesn't have as much custom, and the locals therefore don't quality-control them ...

... eating freshly cooked food at a busy local place - including street food - is probably amongst the safest things you can be doing these days.  

And if you're still worried, go vegetarian, fewer bugs of the nasties that thrive on plants will affect your gut than those that thrive on meat.

try to avoid 'already made food' on display
order 'to be cooked' food to avoid any nasties festering in already prepped food

i'm with Dartagnan, there's nothing wrong with street food provided you pick the busiest one...
chances are, the 'germs' are 99% killed off in the constant heat
and 9 times out of 10, their usually the yummiest!

Yeah, my main concern is the 2 instances of getting bad food poisoning have been at well-known, restaurant/fast-food chains (Papa John's & Carl's Jr, both have the green smiley face for 'food safety') and not street-food or local restaurants.

Just wanted to see if anyone else had issues with either these, or other 'Western' establishments

I had a bad stint with a 7/11 curry a few months back! Worse thing was I bought it for my g/f at the time and she decided she wanted something else.

I have ate a lot of 7/11 curries, it happened a couple of hours after finishing it. I could feel it not settling at all then the next 24 hours were terrible! Coming out both ends!

I have never touched one since!

Might not be the food.

Did you wash your hands before handling the pizza?

Have you seen how filthy some of these rmb notes can be??

  

@Petay: Hahaha, I didn't want to be too descriptive, but I was basically just as how you described it. Out of both ends.... Gave my Ayi a nice toilet to clean though....

@JckJr: Great point! I'm actually somewhat of a germ-a-phobe when it comes to food though, and do wash my hands whenever I'm about to eat a meal, especially any kind of food I'm handling with my hands.

Guess the worst part is that Papa John's and Carl's Jr were two of my favorite fast-food places, even back in the states... maybe the power's above telling me to eat healthier!

Carl's Jr. must be making a lot of people sick if you get it every time you eat there.  Think of the odds.  Surprising that they can stay in business.

While the green stuff is fresh and less likely to transmit food poisoning from spoilage, it can give you plenty of similar experiences (witness the recent E. Coli outbreak in Europe) and it's the most common source of parasites (pinworms, and such).  It's tough to find a restaurant that keeps things as clean as you would at home.

I actually go to Carl's once a week, and this was the first instance that I had any issue with the food (got the double western bacon cheeseburger).
I'm actually thinking it might have been something to do with the cheese? I remember pausing in the middle of eating, thinking "wow, there's an insane amount of melted cheese on this burger, more than usual"

Anyway, just a big annoyance as its effected my mongering... Dry for a week now! Hopefully be right as rain in a day or two though.

[ Last edited by  mtmtmt61 at 13-7-2011 09:47 ]

Mmm...I suspect your problem has something to do with the cheeses used at both establishments or that you are slowly but sorely getting more lactose-intolerant. As I get older, I find it is harder and harder for me to enjoy any sort of dairy-based food product. Very quickly after eating such food products, I am soon at the toilet with some serious diarrhea preceded with some serious smelly farts.


On another matter, you cannot predict if you will get food poisoning or not by looking at the establishment. It all comes down to that particular establishment management's ability and commitment to keep quality and food hygiene standards high. I have gotten food poisoning from western-branded 5 star hotels in China too. Years ago I heard a story of an expat, who ate exclusively in hotels in China, who still got hepatitis. Eating in China is like playing blackjack, you have to depend on your instincts.

[ Last edited by  doghead at 14-7-2011 13:50 ]

food poisoning can be really painful, i once had it and had to stay in the hospital for 3 days... your stomach can really feel bad. can't really avoid this stuff tho tough luc,k

@ part01: Yep. I actually ended up going to the hospital for an IV drip, since I couldn't keep any fluids down at all this time around. Worst case I've ever gotten so far (and hopefully the last!)

@ doghead: Like many Asians, I am a bit lactose intolerant, but haven't had real serious issues like this before (and I eat cheese by the BRICK, heheh). I've actually gone through a few kitchens of 4 and 5 star international hotels in China, and its definitely..... surprising, to say the least... Someone's definitely looking the other way while taking a little somethin somethin under the table (then again, this is China... maybe its not THAT surprising)

[ Last edited by  mtmtmt61 at 15-7-2011 17:44 ]

4 and 5 stars have got nothing to do with it, they're all still highering the cheapest, poorest kitchen help that they can get.  That poor lad washing your lettuce has no concept of hygiene and probably still has the extra long fingernail on his pinkie for picking his nose.  Just hope he prepped your meal before he went to the crapper for an extra sloppy big dump!

I think every traveler or expat learns this the hard way. It's usually the "foreign" establishments with low traffic that are the most risky places. I've yet to get sick from road side food. My two cases of food poisoning in China has been from a grapefruit bought from Carrefour and something I ate at the 4 seasons in SH.

LOL - at first I thought you were talking about China and/or Hong Kong/Asia .... and its actually the Good Ole You Ass of Ayeh you're talking about!! Methinks a bit ironic with all the "controls and regulations" and even signs in the eating establishments' bathrooms reminding everybody to wash their hand prior to coming back to work!

Actually, anytime I go in to China, I keep a supply of Pepto Bismol handy with me - best thing to take when you get the runs etc. - which invariably I get quite occassionally here!!

One thing though, Pepto Bismol is NO LONGER available in Hong Kong, and so when I go back to the States, I now stock up on my PB supply.

SEAJ

Funny thing about food poisoning in China. I used to live in China as a student. After 1 year, every male student lost at least 15 lbs from the almost weekly or so food poisoning occurences and diarrhea. Yet ironically every non-prc born female student gained 10 lbs in weight. There is something about the female digestive anatomy that seems so in sync with the food/water in China.

Read a report recently that the immune system of women is stronger than men, and that is also possibly why women tend to have longer lifespans.  Which means men need to be more careful about what they eat.