Here's what it's like to eat at McDonald's in a city that bans beef

The McDonald's was off a hectic shopping area for pedestrians.

Ronald McDonald beckons us inside. He looks the same in India.

Right away, I'm presented with Mumbai's answer to the Big Mac: the Maharaja Mac, which it calls "The Social Burger."

There's also something there called a "Pizza McPuff."

But I decide to go with the signature sandwich, which comes in chicken and corn/cheese. I go with the latter since I'm a vegetarian.

The massive burger is nearly the size of my head.

I regret my choice. The corn and cheese combo don't sit well, especially after a nauseating day of Mumbai traffic.

I leave most of my meal untouched ...

And decide to skip dessert, even though it looks appealing. I've never seen cheesecake in a US McDonald's.

While I'm tempted to linger and sample desserts, I decide to head out and see what else the city has to offer.

For the rest of my trip, I stick with traditional Indian food — like this papdi chaat I from a street vendor. It's India's answer to nachos, and I eat it up.