( CNN ) -- As McDonald 's opens its first restaurant in Vietnam , take a look at some of the big breakthroughs the fast food chain has made in the past -- from its first outlet in the Soviet Union , through the Kosher Mac and MacMaharaja , to the branch at Guantanamo Bay . Russia . It took McDonald 's 14 years of intense negotiations to convince the Communist leaders of the Soviet Union to allow the chain to set up their first restaurant . Yet almost as soon as the Iron Curtain began to fall , the first McDonald 's opened in Moscow 's busy Pushkin Square -- on January 31 , 1990 . The restaurant seated 700 diners and its opening attracted thousands of people , who queued for hours to spend the equivalent of weeks ' salaries on a single burger . The company says the Moscow branch is still the largest McDonald 's in the world . Israel . McDonald 's operates around 180 branches in Israel , of which over 50 are kosher , meaning they only serve food that meets strict dietary requirements . Unlike the non-kosher restaurants , these branches stay closed on Saturdays to observe the Shabbat and boast a unique logo with the golden arches sitting on a blue , rather than red background . McDonald 's restaurants around the world cater to local demands by including their own versions of regional specialties on the menu : in Israel , that 's the `` MacKebab . '' Guantanamo Bay U.S. Navy base . The McDonald 's within the compound at Guantanamo Bay naval base is the only branch of the fast food chain on the island of Cuba . The restaurant is only accessible to the base 's personnel and the chain says it has no plans to open any other branches in Cuba . Bosnia and Herzegovina . McDonald 's spent more than four years trying to break into the Bosnian market , but opposition from local shop owners , supported by the government , was fierce . The chain finally opened its first branch in the country in 2011 . McDonald 's Arabia . McDonald 's has managed to succeed in many Middle Eastern countries , offering various culturally- and religiously appropriate specialties to its Muslim customers . The company 's first venture into the Arab world was Morocco , where it opened its first branch in Casablanca in 1992 . Most branches respect Ramadan , restricting service in fasting periods during the holy month , and offering special menus at night . Certified halal-quality food is widely available , and the restaurant tries to reflect the local tastes by offering the MacArabia Chicken Sandwich , served in folded Arabic bread . In Saudi Arabia , the chain adheres to local laws by segregating male and female diners -- much to the disapproval of international women 's rights organizations . India . The global hamburger chain is a big success in India , where it operates 300 branches . McDonald 's offers special meals to please the palates of local customers ; it does not serve any beef or pork-based burgers , reflecting the religious beliefs of many Indians . Instead , it offers the Chicken MacMaharaja and the McAloo Tikki -- a vegetarian-friendly blend of spicy potatoes and peas . Iraq . OK , it 's not really the real deal , but McDonald 's could still claim it as a win -- of sorts ... As on other U.S. military bases around the world , McDonald 's food used to be available within Baghdad 's Green Zone . And while the chain is not planning to expand into the country , a successful knock-off fast food restaurant `` MaDonald 's '' in the town of Sulaymaniyah has been popular with locals since it opened there in the 1990s . Read more : Man builds $ 141.33 'McEverything ' dream sandwich .
Morocco 's first McDonald 's restaurant opened More than 70 years . this weekend after it was founded , McDonald 's Arabia operates in more than 100 countries . But not all of its branches are without controversy : Take a look at some of them .