I'm an American who tried Vietnamese McDonald's for the first time. Here's what surprised me and how it compared to the US version of the chain.

There are only about 20 McDonald's in Ho Chi Minh City, and I visited one near Ho Chi Minh City's Bui Vien Walking Street, an area popular with backpackers. It had four stories towering into the sky and massive floor-to-ceiling windows.

Complete with outdoor seating, this McDonald's had a much more laid-back environment than the crowded street-food markets I'd grown to love in Vietnam.

The inside of the franchise was so pristine that it actually made me miss the lovable wear and tear I'd gotten used to seeing at many McDonald's in the US.

Vietnam's food culture is centered around sharing and hanging out at roadside food stalls — two things people can't really do at McDonald's.

I also didn't pick up on a huge burger culture in Vietnam, which made me wonder if Big Macs are a hard sell.

Eventually, I saw a big group of foreigners place orders, followed by some local teens and young adults.

The ordering process was really easy because the touchscreen gave me the option to translate the entire menu into English.

For entrées, I chose a McRoyal Deluxe, a Big Mac, an order of fried chicken and rice, and a McSpicy Deluxe.

I paired them with sides of sweet corn and french fries plus a salted calamansi apricot juice, an iced matcha latte, and a Coca-Cola.

The total came out to 480,000 dong, or about $20.

I tried to order as many local specialties as I could while still trying the Vietnamese versions of my favorites.

The McRoyal Deluxe with cheese shares some similarities with the Quarter Pounder with cheese, but they're really different burgers.

For one thing, the McRoyal Deluxe's bun was darker in color and less soft than the one that comes with Quarter Pounders.

The McRoyal Deluxe also had iceberg lettuce, which isn't on Quarter Pounders, and a thick slathering of mayonnaise instead of the Quarter Pounder's combination of ketchup and mustard.

The biggest difference was the McRoyal Deluxe's patty, which tasted drier and less juicy than the ones in Quarter Pounders.

Before taking my first bite of the Big Mac, I noticed that it looked hastily prepared and a little sloppy. So, I put it back together before snapping a photo.

The bun was darker than I expected, with a similar hue to the McRoyal Deluxe's breading. It also looked thinner than a typical Big Mac bun, which made the Vietnamese version seem small in comparison.

I also noticed that there seemed to be more Big Mac sauce and lettuce on the Vietnamese version, though that could've been specific to my burger. Overall, this Big Mac was a little sad and didn't compare to the ones I've had in the US.

In the US, the Spicy Deluxe McCrispy has McDonald's Southern-style fried chicken, shredded lettuce, tomatoes, and spicy pepper sauce on a potato roll.

I tried ordering what seemed like a very similar sandwich in Vietnam called the McSpicy Deluxe, but it ended up being a little different. 

The Vietnamese version had a chicken filet that seemed thicker and juicier, and it came with a slathering of mayonnaise in place of spicy pepper sauce.

Not even the McDonald's "M" written in the rice was enough to make up for this meal's dry, overly spicy pieces of chicken. I was also confused to see iceberg lettuce (the kind that goes on Big Macs) as a side. 

I found the white rice to be bland and overcooked. To put it kindly, I wasn't blown away. 

I ordered the dish after seeing an advertisement for it by the counter, but I don't think mine didn't end up looking like the one in the picture.

It felt like a sad attempt at what could've been an interesting meal, and I wouldn't have chosen it as one of the few Vietnamese dishes on the menu.

In Vietnam, you can order a side of sweet corn at McDonald's instead of the brand's french fries. I ordered it as part of my Big Mac meal, and it came in a small plastic container. 

I thought the McDonald's corn would be buttery and sweet, but it had a plain taste and dull texture.

Calamansi are a hybrid citrus plant also known as Phillippine limes, and the salted calamansi apricot juice tasted salty, tangy, and sweet. If the beverage was a bit sweeter and a little less tangy, it might've tasted like sweet tea.

The iced matcha latte was also a delicious, refreshing addition to my meal.

The cheapest meal I ordered during my visit to the McDonald's in Ho Chi Minh City was the fried chicken and rice with a medium Coca-Cola for 84,000 dong, or about $3.60.

It was by no means a bad deal, but Vietnam has a strong street-food culture with many popular choices that cost a fraction of McDonald's prices.

You can find a delicious bánh mì, a Vietnamese sandwich on a baguette, for just 15,000 dong, or about $0.64, from street vendors. They can also make phở in seconds by ladling together noodles, meat, vegetables, herbs, and broth. Usually, the soup costs roughly 20,000 dong, or about $1.

I'd love to see the McDonald's locations in Vietnam feature more options inspired by the country's famous street food, like phở, bánh mì, and bún chả (grilled pork and noodles).

I'll definitely try McDonald's again at my next destination, and I can't wait to see how its menu compares to this one and others around the globe.