McDonald's — Review by TabiEats
Tokyo, Japan — Fast Food, Japanese Seasonal Special
The reviewers explored McDonald's Japan's special tsukimi (moon viewing festival) menu items, including egg-themed burgers, a grape milkshake, special sauce chicken nuggets, and a standout tsukimi pie. While most items received positive to neutral responses, the tsukimi pie with anko, mochi, and butter was a clear favorite, and the sukiyaki burger impressed with its complex flavors despite some unnecessary cheese.
What was great: Tsukimi pie with anko, mochi, and Hokkaido butter was the standout favorite. The sukiyaki burger had complex flavors with seared beef pieces and sukiyaki sauce. The shy muscat grape milkshake was refreshing and well-flavored. The golden egg tartar sauce on the chicken McNuggets was unique and tangy.
What could improve: The tsukimi burger's egg wasn't runny enough compared to competitors like Zetteria. The cheese in the sukiyaki burger was seen as unnecessary and interfering with the sukiyaki flavor. The reviewer preferred mustard or barbecue sauce over the new golden egg tartar sauce.
The Dishes
The tsukimi menu at McDonald's Japan centers around egg-themed items celebrating the moon viewing festival. The tsukimi burger features a cooked egg patty, bacon, and a thousand island-style sauce on a sesame seed bun. The cross-section reveals a fully cooked egg with visible yolk and white, though one reviewer wished for a runny egg like competitor Zetteria offers. The seared guiyaki sukiyaki burger takes a different approach with thin slices of sukiyaki beef, cheese, and a sukiyaki sauce on a softer, chewier bun that feels distinctly different from the standard McDonald's texture. While the sukiyaki flavor impressed with its complexity, the added cheese was debated as potentially masking the pure sukiyaki taste.
The chicken McNuggets five-piece comes with a new golden egg tartar sauce, a signature item for this celebration. This sauce is distinctly different from standard tartar sauce, featuring a custard-like appearance with peppery specks, delivering a complex combination of tangy, creamy, sweet, and umami flavors with prominent egg notes. However, the reviewer preferred traditional mustard or barbecue sauce options.
The standout item was undoubtedly the tsukimi pie, a deep-fried pastry filled with anko (red bean paste), Hokkaido butter, and mochi. The pie crust achieves a perfect flaky, crispy texture that contrasts beautifully with the sweet anko, rich butter, and soft, squishy mochi interior. The butter addition elevates the dish significantly, creating a memorable flavor combination.
The shy muscat grape milkshake, themed with a special grape variety from Nagano Prefecture, delivered a light greenish hue and refreshing taste with pleasant grape aroma and flavor profile.
The Experience
The visit to a local McDonald's in Tokyo during the tsukimi festival season showcases how this annual event is a major celebration across the fast-food industry in Japan. The reviewers noted that nearly every establishment, from convenience stores to burger chains, participates in the moon viewing festival with special menu items, with Burger King being the notable exception. The atmosphere captures the seasonal celebration spirit, and the convenient tab on the tsukimi pie packaging allows for mess-free consumption.
Value & Pricing
Price range information was not explicitly mentioned in the transcript, but the items represent standard McDonald's offerings with seasonal premium additions. The special sauces and limited-time items suggest slightly elevated pricing typical of seasonal fast-food promotions.
Notable Moments
Moon means egg. Really?
This humorous exchange perfectly captures the thematic connection between the egg yolk and the moon in Japanese moon viewing culture. The reviewers also discussed how other traditional moon viewing foods like dango (rice dumplings) could theoretically inspire future seasonal menu items, though some suggestions like purple yam seemed less aligned with Japanese preferences.
The Verdict
McDonald's Japan's tsukimi menu successfully celebrates the seasonal moon viewing festival with creative egg-themed offerings. The tsukimi pie emerges as the clear winner, combining traditional Japanese flavors with McDonald's convenience and innovation. The burgers offer interesting takes on Japanese flavors but have minor execution issues, with the sukiyaki burger being more successful than its basic counterpart. This menu is best for visitors to Japan during autumn season or anyone curious about how fast-food chains incorporate local cultural celebrations into their offerings. The limited-time nature of these items makes them worth trying while supplies last.