2 ms·

Well, generally speaking all big chains have better quality of food in Japan, even McD (I don't eat that personally but numerous acquaintances confirm it). It

Well, generally speaking all big chains have better quality of food in Japan, even McD (I don't eat that personally but numerous acquaintances confirm it). It likely has nothing to do with production but rather with sourcing - shitty components are not readily available in Japan as they are in the US.

Larrikin 2y ago
No there's plenty of terrible and subpar food in Japan. Basically all cheese and non butter or yogurt dairy products not from a specialty store, anything from Akafudado, any food establishment run by an elderly person you weren't specifically recommended, most foreign food you randomly find walking around that isn't from China, Korea, or India. Spend more than a couple weeks there eating from the best places you found on the internet and it's very apparent. Quality of chain food is usually down to how fresh it is, mostly from high turn over, and workers actually caring. Some of it is culture, but I taught college kids and many of them expected and got promotions to manager or corporate after working part time jobs during college. Pizza in Japan usually sucks unless it's Italian style because they can't charge a premium on specialty buffalo mozzarella cheese and it's hard to get anything else of quality in bulk. I've had the discussion with Japanese living abroad about how there are obviously lots of dairy farms in Hokkaido producing quality milk and butter, but everything else is over priced and/or terrible. Pizza Hut, Domino's, and Costco can use their global sales to import or buy domestic in bulk. Sometimes the chains completely rework the product for the market. Domino's and KFC basically taste nothing like their US version. McDonald's is the same just often times fresher
- dcrazy 2y ago
  Thanks for the deep dive! Having tried other burgers in Japan, but not McD’s, does McD’s Japan use fluffy milk-bread-style buns? When confronted with a pillowy burger bun surrounding an otherwise flavorful and juicy meat patty, my mouth really wanted more bran flavor and gluten in the bun.

Larrikin 2y ago

No there's plenty of terrible and subpar food in Japan. Basically all cheese and non butter or yogurt dairy products not from a specialty store, anything from Akafudado, any food establishment run by an elderly person you weren't specifically recommended, most foreign food you randomly find walking around that isn't from China, Korea, or India. Spend more than a couple weeks there eating from the best places you found on the internet and it's very apparent. Quality of chain food is usually down to how fresh it is, mostly from high turn over, and workers actually caring. Some of it is culture, but I taught college kids and many of them expected and got promotions to manager or corporate after working part time jobs during college. Pizza in Japan usually sucks unless it's Italian style because they can't charge a premium on specialty buffalo mozzarella cheese and it's hard to get anything else of quality in bulk. I've had the discussion with Japanese living abroad about how there are obviously lots of dairy farms in Hokkaido producing quality milk and butter, but everything else is over priced and/or terrible. Pizza Hut, Domino's, and Costco can use their global sales to import or buy domestic in bulk. Sometimes the chains completely rework the product for the market. Domino's and KFC basically taste nothing like their US version. McDonald's is the same just often times fresher

dcrazy 2y ago
Thanks for the deep dive! Having tried other burgers in Japan, but not McD’s, does McD’s Japan use fluffy milk-bread-style buns? When confronted with a pillowy burger bun surrounding an otherwise flavorful and juicy meat patty, my mouth really wanted more bran flavor and gluten in the bun.