I'm an American who ate breakfast, lunch, and dinner at McDonald's in Japan. All 3 meals blew away the chain's US offerings.

Nickelle TilleyAug 5, 2023, 17:16 IST

I ate breakfast, lunch, and dinner at McDonald's in Japan.Nickelle Tilley

I'm an American who's eaten my way through McDonald's breakfast, lunch, and dinner menus in Japan.
The global fast-food chain offers limited-time menu items exclusive to Japan.

After moving from North Carolina to Okinawa in 2022, my family was overwhelmed but fascinated by our surroundings. One familiar monument made us feel right at home: McDonald's two golden arches.

The fast-food chain was the first place we ate after getting settled in our home here. It was so fun to see familiar menu items, like the Big Mac and the Oreo McFlurry, along with unfamiliar ones, like the Teriyaki-Chicken Filet-O and the Samurai Mac.

After eating McDonald's in five different countries, I ranked the ones in Japan in the top spot. So, I thought it would be fun to visit my local McDonald's for breakfast, lunch, and dinner and get menu items I've never tried before.

The McDonald's locations in Japan offer savory and sweet breakfast options reminiscent of the items I used to get in the US.

The exterior of a McDonald's in Japan.Nickelle Tilley

The location I visited had a McCafé, so I ordered the McFizz Tropical Blue Hawaii, a limited-time item.

McCafé are cafés located in select McDonald's locations.Nickelle Tilley

When it was time to pick up lunch, I tried out the McDonald's drive-through.

I was able to order my meal in English.Nickelle Tilley

The employees handed me my order in a clear plastic bag, even putting my drinks in a cupholder.

The bag helped me avoid spilling my drinks and making a mess of the food.Nickelle Tilley

I could choose between sour-cream lemon sauce or garlic-habanero sauce for my nuggets.

I dipped the spicy nuggets in the sour-cream lemon sauce.Nickelle Tilley

Japanese McDonald's also comes out with limited-time pies throughout the year, and this variation with lemon and cheese was my favorite.

The pie flavors switch as part of the seasonal menu.Nickelle Tilley

On a super hot day, I returned to McDonald's to try its refreshing peach smoothie.

The beverage was one of McDonald's drinks of the month.Nickelle Tilley

We also ordered the Golden-Pineapple Frappe, which we preferred to the peach smoothie.

The Golden-Pineapple Frappe was one of the monthly drinks at the McDonald's I visited.Nickelle Tilley

The nearby McDonald's released three new sandwiches for a limited time, so we decided to try all three for dinner.

Upon entering, we saw electronic displays flashing the offerings above the registers.Nickelle Tilley

After trying all three, I ranked the Tamago Double in third place.

The Tamago Double is part of the Heisei collection.Nickelle Tilley

The runner-up was the Black-Pepper Chicken Sandwich.

The chicken sandwich was packed with flavor.Nickelle Tilley

My favorite sandwich from the collection was the Roasted Sesame Filet-O Shrimp.

The bun had sesame seeds on it.Nickelle Tilley

We ordered some french fries as a dinner side.

Other side options include salads, edamame, and yogurt.Nickelle Tilley

My husband and I also paired our meal with Shaka-Chicki, fried chicken that comes with a small bag of seasoning.

The Shaka-Chicki comes with a variety of seasoning flavors, like cheddar cheese and red pepper.Nickelle Tilley

The limited-release menu items are my favorite part of eating at McDonald's locations in Japan.

I can also get familiar items, like an Oreo McFlurry, in Japan.Nickelle Tilley

My family prefers McDonald's Japanese menus, and we've found the customer service to be unrivaled there, too.

After eating McDonald's around the world, I've found that the locations in Japan are my favorite.Nickelle Tilley

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