On your next trip abroad, McDonald’s may not make your list of must-visit restaurants. Founded on principles of consistency, homogeneity, and ease of preparation, the ubiquitous golden arches often seem like the most boring dining option in an exotic destination. A Big Mac in Belgium, secret sauce in the Sahara, or a McRib on the Rhine don’t sound like the best ways to experience new locales. But the fact remains: wherever you go, Ronald McDonald and his cronies will probably be there, hawking burgers, fries, and nuggets with astounding aplomb. (Speaking of plums … ume chicken nugget sauce, anybody?)
Such universal presence does, however, make McDonald’s an interesting topic of study. The Economist, for example, has come up with its Big Mac Index, and there are blogs devoted to travels through some of the world’s more remote McDonald’s. Why the interest? Well, for one thing, it turns out that the fast-food chain sometimes does break the mold to accommodate local tastes and standards. The result: some really interesting (and kind of wrong) McDonald’s menu items. Bon mac-etit!
Bacon Potato Pie
Savory pies may not be foreign to Western palates, but Japan’s McDonald’s bacon-potato pie definitely breaks from tradition. Bits of bacon are suspended in a gooey substrate that is reminiscent of potatoes but not quite there. For 120 yen (a little over a dollar), it’s hard to pass on this hearty harbinger of menus to come.
Tamago Double Mac
Egg is kind of unsettling to see on McDonald’s burgers: one imagines all the creative ways breakfast items might be reused later in the day. The Tamago Double Mac from Japan dresses up the egg and beef with bacon slices and a thick, almost-tartar sauce. It’s not bad, if you like to chew to the beat of cholesterol on arterial walls.
Prosperity Burger
Around the Chinese New Year, the Prosperity Burger sweeps through many of Asia’s McDonald’s locations. It’s basically a McRib served with a spicy black-pepper sauce and onions. It was only a matter of time before the double version came out. We’ll have ’em eating like Americans in no time.
Originally published on NileGuide
