Business
10 Insane Domino’s Menu Items Only In China
Domino’s was founded in 1960 and in February 2018, the Domino’s chain became the largest pizza seller worldwide in terms of sales. They have expanded outside of the US to many countries including one that is not very traditional when it comes to pizza, China! Fast food and pizza chains are still a relatively new concept among China’s billions of residents. Now with over 40 locations in China, they are climbing their way up in the Chinese market. As is to be expected, Dominos wanted to offer some menu items specifically catered to their budding market in China. So let’s order up the top 10 Domino’s items only found in China.
10. Black Truffle Mushroom Chicken Or Black Truffle Beef Pizza
Have you ever had a black truffle pizza? Well, at Domino’s in China you can try the black truffle pizza – with chicken or beef. What’s so special about black truffle? If you are thinking about the chocolates melted over the meaty pizzas you’ve got the wrong idea, it’s quite the opposite. Black truffle is a subterranean fungus that grows in the shadows of oak trees. There are over seven different truffle species found all over the world, from the Pacific Northwest to China to North Africa and the Middle East. Naturally, it’s popular in the areas it grows in, China being one of them. The black truffle mushroom chicken pizza includes flavored black truffle sauce, white mushrooms, smoked chicken, bacon, green beans and cheese. The sister of this pizza; the black truffle beef pizza has black truffle sauce, beef slices, ham, mushrooms, corn, broccoli and of course, cheese! Originally when Domino’s entered China they wanted to come into the market with its standard North American menu but they quickly realized their business would suffer if they did not adapt to the flavors of China! They needed to be not only strategic with location but also the menu! So, they adopted their menu to meet the Chinese taste buds and thus the black truffle flavored pizza was born amongst many other menu items.
9. Teriyaki Beef And Potato Pizza/ Teriyaki Octopus Shrimp Pizza
Teriyaki is one of the most famous and incredibly popular flavors of Asia! The word, teriyaki is a combination of two Japanese words “teri” meaning luster and “yaki” meaning grill or broil. Even though this flavor does not originate in China it is a commonly used amongst Chinese dishes like beef or chicken teriyaki. At Domino’s China, you can find this Asian sensation flavor on a pizza! There are two teriyaki choices, either teriyaki beef and potato pizza or a teriyaki octopus and shrimp pizza. We all know the Chinese love their meats and seafood! So, it’s no surprise they have a seafood version of the teriyaki pizza. Might seem a little eccentric to have octopus and shrimp on pizza but it is exactly the type of pizza this population would go for. The seafood octopus and shrimp pizza is topped with teriyaki flavored octopus and shrimp, mushrooms, onions, cheese and mayo. Whereas the beef and potato pizza includes teriyaki flavored beef, bacon, potato wedges, cheese, green beans and a savory sauce drizzled on top.
8. Korean Style Sauce Barbecue Pizza
Korean BBQ is known all over the world for its flavorful meat barbequed to perfection that’s a little soft and very juicy, and of course, topped off with Korean barbecue sauce! The sauce is what makes the flavor of the perfect balance of sweet and spicy. Many Asian sauces or dishes have an equal balance of sweet and spicy – they really know how to hit that mark! The Koreans aren’t the only ones who love Korean style BBQ, from this pizza you must have gathered that it’s also very popular in China, along with other Korean dishes as well. Chinese food is equally as popular amongst Korean people, they enjoy the Chinese fried dishes, hot pot and dumplings. Korea and China share a long-standing history that goes back centuries, so it’s no surprise that there is an exchange of culinary traditions over all this time. In China, Korean BBQ restaurants are all over the cities, therefore, to adapt to the flavors and favorite food items, it was a smart move by Domino’s to turn this sensational flavor into a pizza! This pizza includes Korean-style roast pork, Italian sausage, diced tomato, green beans and cheese.
7. Orange Crispy Duck Pizza
If this pizza combination doesn’t scream China then we don’t know what does! Chinese people love duck meat, a very popular Chinese dish is Peking Duck originally from Beijing. They enjoy meals and snacks made with duck and eat everything from duck meat to duck blood! Duck blood is a popular item to cook at hot pot. Duck is eaten in meals or in dried or packaged snacks. Peking duck is known for its thin and crispy skin and is most often eaten with pancakes, sweet bean sauce or soy with mashed garlic. Duck is a slice of meat the Chinese enjoy with a touch of sweet and is somewhat savory, similar to the sweet and spicy balance we mentioned they like in many meals. So, a pizza with their favorite crispy duck with a touch of sweet orange, and some savory spices, all melted together by cheesiness is surely a regularly ordered item. Traditionally cheese is not part of the Chinese diet mostly because many Chinese are lactose-intolerant and it has been considered an American food for a long time. Introducing pizza was a new concept that not many adhered to at first. As soon as Domino’s included a menu with pizza flavors that the Chinese love, cheese has now become a part of many of their diets! The orange crispy duck pizza includes orange duck, corn, parsley and none other than cheese!
6. Colourful Fruit Pizza
Desserts are big in China! According to traditional Chinese medicine, sweetness that comes from fruits, jams or honey can “tone the body”, alleviate illness and can also improve mood or increase joy. They are notorious for fruit desserts that include mangos, peaches and pineapples, red bean buns, egg tarts or green tea cakes. Combine dough (which they also love) with some of their favorite tropical fruits and you’ve got a pizza that’s on back order! Have you ever had a fruit topping pizza? If you’re in a city in China that has a Domino’s you could try the Colorful Fruit pizza! This sweet pizza has large pieces of yellow peach, sweet coconut and pineapple, melted all together with cheese and finished off with a drizzle of blueberry fruit sauce. Are you drooling yet? Peaches are a very common fruit to have on cakes or pastries in China, mostly because peaches symbolize immortality and/or the wish to live a long healthy life. Long live the Colorful Fruit Pizza!
5. Coco Brownie Pizza
So, in case the colorful fruit pizza wasn’t sweet enough then there’s also the Coco Brownie pizza to hit the sweet spot! Soft and chewy, this pizza is sure to satisfy your sweet tooth any day of the week! The pizza consists of brownie cake, cocoa powder and cheese… yes cheese! It’s a warm and sweet pizza, full of decadent smoothness! Not your typical pepperoni pizza, after all, the pepperoni has been replaced with brownie chunks and cocoa melted with cheese, a strange combination but do you wonder if it’s good? Chocolate and cheese, perhaps all you need is a glass of red wine! While red wine is not on the menu, you could avoid a major sugar rush by sharing and enjoying this sweet chocolatey pizza with friends by dining in at China Domino’s locations. A key difference between Domino’s in China and North America is the North American Domino’s is only for takeout or delivery, whereas China Domino’s offers a dine-in option as well. This is one of the keys to Domino’s success in China, in addition to providing these exotic and sweet menu items. The Chinese find it important to be able to dine in and have the option to sit at the restaurant if they’re going to pay for a prepared meal. Since being social is part of Chinese culture they like to be able to sit down to eat, where they are then able chat and share a meal with family or friends.
4. Pork and Shrimp Balls Pizza
One of the newest items on the menu at Domino’s China is a pizza loaded with pork and shrimp balls, the best of both worlds for the Chinese. The pizza is full of all kinds of spherical food: pork balls, shrimp balls, bolognese, cherry tomatoes and green peas. J. Patrick Doyle, Domino’s CEO said “The joy of pizza is that bread, sauce and cheese work fundamentally everywhere, except maybe China, where dairy wasn’t a big part of their diet until lately and it’s easy to just change toppings market to market. In Asia, it’s seafood and fish”. This is why you’ll find seafood in many items on the menu or at least a seafood version of the meaty version as well! Chinese people basically eat all animals’ meat like pork, beef, duck, crocodile and many others but pork is the most commonly consumed meat along with seafood, and it appears in very many meals. Domino’s created this pizza to be the pizza of all pizzas, seafood and beef together as one in harmony on a round piece of dough, served hot with all the tastes China loves.
3. Squid, Shrimp, Seafood Or Curry Sirloin Risotto
The menu isn’t all just pizza with wings or fries on the side, they have some savory meals too! From pasta and noodle dishes to risotto. Noodles and rice are staples in any Chinese meal and any Chinese home, so go figure they would have a noodle and rice option to offer to customers in the Domino’s China locations. We mentioned the Chinese people love their seafood right? That’s why they offer a super loaded seafood risotto, and not only is this dish served with 3 types of seafood but also has 2 types of meat! The “squid, shrimp, seafood risotto” has squid, shrimp, mussels, chicken and pork! Now that’s a lot of protein! They also have a curry sirloin risotto, curry is not just home to Indian cuisine but Asian as well. This risotto dish has curry sirloin chunks, green peas, pineapple pieces and cheesy greatness. Noodle pasta or risotto dishes are offered in many restaurants, Chinese or Western, with the competition out there they need to include something that screams a little bit different!
2. Sea and Land Platter
If you want to have the best of both worlds of meat and seafood then there’s a pizza for that, a risotto for that, or you could just get the sea and land platter! It is a combination of well-known meats and seafood. The platter is served with hot dog rolls, merlot tender chicken, crispy tender fish and crispy potatoes. They also offer just hot dog bread rolls on their own, a very popular item all over China, you can find hot dogs or weiners almost anywhere. The hot dogs are wrapped in a golden fluffy bread roll – it’s a classic idea of fast food and one that they really enjoy. If you want to upgrade the sea and land platter you could also add a menu item like the egg-flavored chicken rolls. These rolls are a wrap with thick egg paste, diced smoked chicken and green beans. Otherwise, you can add crispy roasted shrimp!
1. Crispy Narrow Squid Sticks
For Domino’s to succeed in China they knew they had to heavily focus on adding seafood items to their menu. They almost failed in China because they opened locations offering a North American menu and also offered a 30-minute delivery guarantee not taking into consideration the Chinese tastes or heavy gridlock traffic in each of the cities. Once they made the changes they also offered a guaranteed winning menu item with the crispy battered squid deep fried with herbs. Squid is not a new food to the Chinese, it has been a part of the Chinese culinary tradition for hundreds of years. Way back, squid was considered to be an important delicacy. In Chinese culture, they wouldenjoy squid in any way really: fresh, salted, dried and fried! Rather than chicken or fish sticks ,would you try squid sticks? They seem to be a finger-licking menu item in China! There are some additional honorable mentions to the Domino’s China menu that include the crayfish crispy chicken pizza and the American style potato bacon pizza. They tend to label anything with potatoes and bacon as “American” and it includes crispy potato wedges, bacon slices, mayo and cheese. Lastly, there is a French Snail pizza. This pizza has fat fresh snails, broccoli, tomatoes, potatoes and cheese. Even though snails are a big part of French cuisine, the Chinese love them as well because they are low in fat, high in water and protein and they find the little snails tasty! Needless to say, coming in to dine at a Domino’s location in China would be a different feast than what you might be used to!