Welcome back for another Macca’s post from around the world! This time I am in Japan! The usual rules apply: I’ll try a burger that is not available in Australia and I’ll have fries for comparison; if there is something else quite different on the menu, like gazpacho in Spain, or the Kaprao Crispy Chicken and Rice & the Samurai Burger in Thailand, I’ll grab that too. Today I am trying the a Teriyaki McBurger, alongside a serve of regular fries from McDonalds here in Japan.
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I skip a heavy burger and go for a McHappymeal style choice: the Teriyaki McBurger with fries and a coke. It’s McDonald’s take on Japan’s teriyaki classic, sweet, sticky, and bold, yet delicate.
Let’s start with the fries. McDonald’s Japan really nails them. Unlike many other McDonald’s outlets around the world that fry only in vegetable oil, here they use a blend of beef tallow and palm oil, giving the fries an irresistible crispiness and extra depth of flavour.
So why did I settle on the Teriyaki McBurger? Simple, rule number one, I always have to try a burger that isn’t available back home in Australia. Rule number two, I absolutely love anything and everything teriyaki flavoured!
This is what the Teriyaki McBurger looks like online and in advertising…
…and this is what it looks like in real life…The glossy sauce leans more toward barbecue than true teriyaki, but it’s indulgent, tasty, and exactly the kind of cheeky twist you’d expect. It is noticeably sweet, perhaps a little too sweet for my palate, yet I still polish it off in no time.
The fries were outstanding, perfectly crispy and full of flavour. The burger, while enjoyable enough, isn’t something I’d rush to order again. In hindsight, I really should have chosen the Ebi (prawn) McBurger instead!
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Matty Somewhere 
Definitely a good idea to try something you can’t get elsewhere! Sounds like they really nailed both the fries and the burger 🙂
The comparison between what’s advertised and what actually turns up in the box felt very relatable, and I didn’t know McDonald’s Japan used beef tallow in the fries — that explains a lot. The Teriyaki McBurger sounds decent but not life-changing. Honestly, I think you’re right… the Ebi McBurger probably should’ve been the pick. but you can also check McDonald’s Surf N Turf burger.