Every September, as Japan celebrates tsukimi (moon-viewing) season, fast-food chains release their highly anticipated limited-edition menus. The headline act is always the tsukimi burger — a fried egg perched on top of a patty, meant to resemble the full harvest moon. McDonald’s, KFC, MOS Burger and even Wendy’s all compete to put their own spin on this autumn classic, making it the perfect time to explore where to try Tsukimi burgers in Japan.
Although I’ve lived in Japan for two years, I’d never actually tried a tsukimi burger until now. Growing up in New Zealand, my benchmark was the McDonald’s Kiwi Burger: a time-limited classic stacked with beef, egg, beetroot, tomato, lettuce and cheese. With fried eggs already a familiar part of burgers back home, Japan’s version never struck me as particularly exciting. This year, curiosity won and I finally tried a couple of tsukimi burgers in Japan. Here are my thoughts.
Are They Really Worth the Hype?
McDonald’s
Image: Kerri King
At McDonald’s, I started with the classic Cheese Tsukimi Burger (¥470), which comes with a beef patty, fried egg, bacon, cheese and creamy sauce. It’s basically identical to their Tsukimi Muffin (¥400), just swapping the sausage and English muffin for a regular burger patty and buns. Unfortunately, my first tsukimi burger was very disappointing. It was bland, unexciting and I wouldn’t order it again.
Image: Kerri King
The seasonal pie was equally underwhelming. The An Butter Omochi Tsukimi Pie (¥190) might appeal to anko (red bean paste) and mochi lovers, but I found it very dry and certainly no comparison to other limited-edition McDonald’s pies like the Ichigo Daifuku version I tried last spring.
The one tsukimi item I did enjoy was the Shine Muscat McShake (¥190 small). I wasn’t convinced that grape and vanilla ice cream would work together, but the muscat flavor was subtle and refreshing, and it ended up being my favorite item of the lot.
Other McDonald’s seasonal offerings this year include:
- Tsukimi Burger (from ¥440)
- Torouma Sukiyaki Tsukimi (¥540)
- Triple Beef Torouma Sukiyaki Tsukimi (¥780)
- Tsukimi Muffin (¥400)
KFC
Image: Kerri King
Over at KFC, the Tsukimi Cheese Filet Burger (¥540) was much more enjoyable. The crispy chicken filet worked better with the egg than McDonald’s bacon-and-beef combo, though the runny yolk may be hit-or-miss depending on how you like your eggs. For dessert, the Omochi Custard Tsukimi Pie (¥300) was ten times better than McDonald’s attempt, though the mochi itself wasn’t great.
Other KFC tsukimi options this year include:
- Tsukimi Twister (¥480)
- Triple Tsukimi Burger (¥990)
Who Else Is Serving Tsukimi?
MOS Burger
- Tsukimi Focaccia (¥590)
- Minced Meat Cutlet Cheeseburger (¥480)
- Mixed Shake Sweet Potato (¥350/¥430)
- Hot Sweet Potato Balls (¥280)
Wendy’s x First Kitchen Japan
- Tsukimi Mochi Burger (¥950)
- Truffle Tsukimi Mochi Burger (¥1,250)
- Tsukimi Mochi Burger Baconator (¥1,190)
- Truffle Tsukimi Mochi Burger Baconator (¥1,450)
- Jr. Tsukimi Mochi Burger (¥650)
Lotteria
- Japanese-style Soft-Boiled Tsukimi Zeppin Cheeseburger (¥590)
- Truffle-Scented Soft-Boiled Tsukimi Zeppin Cheeseburger (¥590)
- Japanese-style Soft-Boiled Tsukimi Shrimp Burger (¥590)
Are They Really Worth the Hype?
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© Savvy Tokyo