I went to South Korea and ate 17 fast-food menu items you can't order in America, from Starbucks' cheese mocha to KFC's Double Down

Kate Taylor/Business Insider

• American fast-food giants like McDonald's, KFC, and Starbucks tweak their menus around the world to adjust to local tastes.
• On a recent trip to South Korea, I made it my mission to eat as many fast-food menu items not available in the US as I could.
• Standouts include KFC's Double Down, McDonald's bulgogi burger, and Taco Bell's squash soup. 
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I like to consider myself a fast-food expert. 

Having reported on chain restaurants for almost seven years, I have done a pretty good job eating my way from Applebee's to Zaxby's. But, my fast-food repertoire has been pretty focused on the US. 

Most of my knowledge of menu items outside the US has come from social media. Years of browsing Twitter and Instagram helped convince me that fast-food chains are willing to be a bit more adventurous in menu creation in Asian countries. And, South Korea in particular has some gems.

On a recent trip to Seoul, I made it my mission to try as many fast-food menu items that I could not find in the US as possible. Here are 17 of the best and most bizarre things I ate at chains like KFC, McDonald's, and Taco Bell. 

McDonald's Bulgogi Burger

This simple burger with a small, soft pork patty and sweet goopy sauce was the highlight of McDonald's South Korean menu. 

McDonald's McChicken Mozzarella

The worst thing I ate at McDonald's in South Korea was the McChicken Mozzarella. The McChicken, plus two mozzarella sticks, plus spicy Arrabbiata sauce was undone by the sauce, which was gross and ruined any other flavors that could be found in the sandwich. The mozz sticks quickly turned rubbery, with their outer fried layer growing soggy and almost moldy in texture. 

Read more: I tried McDonald's fried chicken and mozzarella stick sandwich that is only available in Korea, and it crushed my fried cheese dreams

KFC's Double Down

KFC was my favorite fast-food chain that I visited in South Korea. And, the Double Down was a definitive standout on the menu —  two pieces of fried chicken, sandwiching together a hash brown, cheese, and bacon.

The hash brown elevates the massive mount of deep-fried decadence. Hopefully if this menu item ever returns to American menus, the hash brown will provide the necessary carby counterbalance to the fried chicken. 

See Also:

• This burger is the one thing that Americans should order at McDonald's in South Korea
• I've been traveling in Asia for 3 weeks amid the deadly coronavirus outbreak, and actually catching the virus is far from my biggest fear
• I compared McDonald's to the biggest fast-food chain in Korea, and the 'McDonald's of Korea' has one major advantage

SEE ALSO: I went to McDonald's in South Korea and discovered why it's a worthy destination for any fast-food-obsessed American visiting the country