How To Order A McDonald's Big Mac Japan-Style

While the first CEO of McDonald's did betray the original founders in a spectacular fashion, he also set in motion the machinery that would see the burger chain cover pretty much every square inch on this planet (an exaggeration, but only slightly). With over 41,000 locations across the globe, McDonald's dominates in the U.S., and has well-established footholds abroad, in Europe (though not Iceland), parts of Africa, and Asia, including a popular presence in Japan. Naturally, the menu is quite different in Japan; McDonald's makes a point of catering to regional tastes in other countries, but there is at least one recognizable cross-over: The Big Mac! It's a little different in Japan, a bit beefier, but if you wanted to recreate it Stateside, you can do it in the app.

The Japanese Big Mac, also called a Bai Big Mac, actually has four — yes, you read that right, four — burger patties, and while that might sound like an insurmountable amount of beef, it's easy to add two. Go in the app, navigate to the burgers, and select Big Mac. Then select "Customize," scroll down to the "⅒ Lb Beef" part, and add two more patties. It should cost you between $1 and $1.50 each (depending on your location), so no more than $3 total to recreate a taste of Japan here at home.

If only recreating the rest of McDonald's Japan's menu were as easy as going into the app and adding more beef. Unfortunately, it's just not that simple for the rest of the sandwiches, and it's a shame because there are a handful that look mighty tasty. For example, the McPork is a super-affordable sandwich that was recently brought back to the menu, and which has an intense flavor profile and 15 grams of protein. The McPork is an incredibly rich bite, so much so that Japanese diners are coming up with hacks to help temper the powerful taste sensations, like adding a little apple jelly. Now that's a bite we'd like to get our mouths around.

There's also the Bacon Lettuce Burger, which comes with a beef patty, bacon, cheese, lettuce, and a special sauce. This one actually sounds like it might be possible to recreate here in the States, except that we'd have to substitute the sauce for something that's available in the U.S. (perhaps the Big Mac sauce?), so it wouldn't be exactly the same.

There's also the infamous Shrimp Filet-O, which should be on any seafood fan's radar. It's a Japanese take on the Filet-O-Fish (which McDonald's restaurants over there also sell), but this truly unique "burger" is made of whole shrimp encrusted in panko, and served up on a bun with lettuce and a tangy thousand island-esque sauce. While there is no recreating the Shrimp Filet-O at a typical McDonald's, you could try the rotating menu at the Global McDonald's in Chicago, where it has been spotted before.