China is seen by the modern industries of the world as the land of opportunity. They see it as a place where they can take their industry and carve a niche for them to contribute and grow. These industries not only see China in this way, they are helping China make it that way.

Food is one of those industries and food franchises from the United States have one of the largest presences of anyone. Whether it’s been Shanghai, Beijing, or Hong Kong, all of us on the Ball State team have been just a quick stroll down the street from something that is very familiar. But sometimes what seems familiar on the outside, is really different on the inside.

It’s our first night in Hong Kong. All of us walk down the dense streets of a city that has a Times Square on every corner. It seems impossible for any one neon billboard to stand out among the Festival of Lights that is Hong Kong, but one actually did… Pizza Hut.

We haven’t had pizza for the longest time, so we jumped at the opportunity. When we arrive at the front door we only see a podium and a host. We then walk up several flights of stairs to arrive at what seems to be a mistake. Looking around the restaurant we feel as if we took the wrong set of stairs, or maybe this is the restaurant people go through to get to Pizza Hut. Nope. The host sits us at our table and we are still in this seemingly Bizarro Pizza Hut. Mirrors cover the walls and are engraved with beautiful cursive words that say “Delightful,” “Togetherness,” and “Delicious.” The carpet on the floor has a design that gives the impression of walking on rocks. The lights give orange glows from both lamps and beams on the wall. Sitting in this seemingly chic Tuscan villa, I’m thinking to myself “When did Armani and Pizza Hut get together and make a restaurant?”

The design isn’t all that is new. Pizza feels like an afterthought in the back of the menu at this place. I didn’t even make it to the pizza section until someone put another menu in my face. Spaghetti, salad, and lasagna seem to go on forever on these menus, and everything seems so (to quote the mirror) “delicious.” Dishes such as the Seafood Spaghetti in Sicilian Soup look absolutely amazing, especially after you read that it is “an alluring combination of seafood and Sicilian soup together with Al Dente spaghetti, a perfect match to bring out the freshness.” Dishes in America such as the “Cheese Lover’s Pizza” just don’t have the same ring. I’m not saying it’s not delicious, because everyone on this trip can testify that I will eat just about anything on a plate; I’m simply stating that Pizza Hut has really raised the bar when it comes to making Italian food.

With that said, I suggest we all burn down the Pizza Huts in Muncie so we can get one of these chic ones. You don’t want to do that? It’s against the law? Ok fine. I guess we’ll have to just wait until they rot and fall over (it should only take about 50 years). I’m willing to wait.

In the meantime, check out what these Pizza Huts look like at pizzahut.com.hk. You’ll feel like your reserving a suite at the Bellagio Casino Resort.