'No matter what, we are not ending this night without White Castle in our stomachs' – the famous words uttered by Kumar Patel (Kal Penn) that sparked a mad burger-seeking adventure in 2004 buddy comedy Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle. Soon, you too will be able to go on a White Castle adventure of your own, as the much-loved American fast food chain is finally coming to Shanghai.
There are two locations set to open in Shanghai in the near future, one will be located at the new Raffles City Changning mall (due to open at the end of the month) and the other over on Maoming Bei Lu (also slated to open at the end of this month). Here are four reasons to get excited about White Castle coming to Shanghai.
1. The Sliders (obviously)
Via Flikr
Marketed as 'America's Original Craving' (we thought America's original craving was freedom) a Slider is White Castle's signature burger, commonly eaten in fours or sacks of ten...yep, you read that right. The classic is a small square-shaped beef patty topped with onions and pickles, but the little burger's variations are extensive – there's the Cheese Slider, the Bacon Cheese Slider, the Jalapeño Cheese Slider, the Fish Slider, the Chicken Breast Slider, the Veggie Slider. You get the idea.
Plus, these babies are good for any meal – picture the Breakfast Waffle Slider, a 'fresh cracked egg with hickory smoked bacon or savoury sausage, and choice of American or jalapeño cheese, sandwiched between two fluffy Belgian Waffles.' Tucking into a couple of those is the perfect way to start your day – if you intend to spend the rest of it in a calorific food coma, that is.
2. It's the OG of burger chains
Via flickr
Having first opened its doors back in 1921 (the first McDonald's didn't start selling hamburgers until 1948) White Castle has been feeding the US for the best part of a century. By 1930 it had opened its 100th store – Ronald McDonald was still in short trousers at this point and the Hamburgular was yet to commit his first burger-theft. White Castle was also notably the first chain to sell a million burgers, having since gone on to pass the billion burgers mark. That's a lot of beef.
3. There's an entire film dedicated to it
You know it's gotta be good if they made a whole film about two guys desperately trying to get their White Castle fix. Directed by Danny Leiner (the director of Dude, Where's My Car?) stoner comedy Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle tells the story of two friends and their eventful journey to find the burgers they crave. Over the course of the adventure they endure a rabies scare, a horny, drugged-up Neil Patrick Harris steals their car, they get arrested, they encounter a cheetah that's escaped from the zoo and even commandeer a hang glider. And if that doesn't sell it to you, we don't know what will.
4. Rockstars really love it
Did you know that rock legend Alice Cooper is in the White Castle Hall of Fame? Yep, he's in there beside other White Castle legends, such as a couple who lost 200lbs between them eating sliders and a soldier who took 50 burgers all the way to Germany. But bad boy Cooper isn't the only musician who's got 'the Crave': Hip-hop pioneers The Beastie Boys reference the chain in several of their tunes and New Jersey band The Smithereens even have a song called 'The White Castle Blues'.
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