When is a burger not a burger? And is there such a thing as too much cheese? Fast food fans in Thailand found themselves pondering both those questions recently, when Burger King unveiled their latest menu offering. Featuring up to 20 (yes, 20) slices of American cheese layered into a burger bun (and not a meat patty, or any other ingredient in sight), so baffling is the concept of the Real Cheeseburger that Burger King Thailand took to their official social media pages to confirm that: “This is for real."
Priced at 109 Thai baht (around £2.49), compared to 380 baht (£8.50) for a regular cheese burger, the limited edition, exclusive-to-Thailand behemoth had a very brief turn as the most talked-about burger around, available from 11-13 July only. Despite its temporary existence, it caused quite the stir on social media, with fan responses ranging from delight to disbelief to downright disgust. Given the social media campaign that followed, this may well have been the intended reaction from the outset.
On Monday, 17 July, a series of tongue-in-cheek posts appeared on the brand’s Facebook page, introducing the likes of The Real Pickle Burger (just pickles and a burger bun), The Real Tomato Burger (slices of tomato and bread only) and The Real Bun Burger (bread and yet more bread). All images were accompanied by the caveat that these options were very much "Not for real".
The Real Onion Burger may have been a thing of fantasy, but there are plenty of bizarre items on fast food menus around the world. Read on for our round-up of some of the weird and wonderful items you can taste in different countries.
Burgers and fries are timeless fast food classics for good reason, but that doesn’t mean that's all there is. There’s a whole host of more unusual options gracing menus around the globe. From dishes created to cater to local tastes to obscure desserts and pungent, durian-based snacks, here we look at the world's weird and wonderful fast food items, counting down to the most unusual option you'll find on a menu. Feast your eyes on this lot, and decide which ones you’d be willing to actually feast on...
If you think chicken tikka should only be served with rice or in a flatbread, think again. A popular choice on the Domino's menu in India, the Indi Chicken Tikka pizza combines juicy tandoori masala-spiced chicken tikka bites with onion, red pepper and mint mayo. Similar versions have also been available in the UK and Australia as part of a limited-edition summer menu, but there are no known plans to bring this rather delicious sounding pizza to other markets just yet.
Nordsee, a German fast food chain that specialises in seafood, is heaven for seafood fans, and anyone who loves a little pickle and tang. The menu includes soused herring sandwiches, fish-filled baguettes and salmon with potatoes. Those less enamoured by the ocean’s bounty may want to give this one a miss.
Another breakfast item to divide the crowd, this curious McMuffin is found on McDonald's menus throughout Poland. Instead of the usual suspects (sausage, egg, bacon and American cheese), this breakfast bun is filled with sliced radishes, cottage cheese and rocket leaves. Although quite a classic combination across Eastern Europe, it's still not quite what many people might expect from a McMuffin.
While most items on this list feature somewhat overwhelming flavour combinations, this fast food offering in Norway stands out because of how underwhelming it is. Introduced to offer a healthier option to diners, it's nothing but the usual beef patty and burger toppings wrapped in a salad leave. Pretty disappointing if you've been dreaming about a classic cheeseburger, but a decent option for anyone avoiding gluten.
If you love McDonald’s signature crispy apple pie shell then the Thai version of the dessert, which sees the apple filling replaced with sweet and salty creamy corn, might just tempt you. After the sweet snack became a favourite treat with Thai customers, it was also introduced in South Korea and later Malaysia.
Originally launched in the US in 2015, the finger lickin' Double Down garnered a cult following at KFC outlets across the world. This bun-free beauty featured two Extra Crispy Chicken Fillets encasing two slices of cheese and two pieces of hickory-smoked bacon. The much-hyped dish has since made several returns to menus in the UK, Australia and the US, most recently delighting American fans with a short-term reappearance in March 2023.
Rather different to the McDonald's meals we're used to, this combination of crispy fried chicken leg served with spaghetti topped with minced beef in tomato sauce is a hugely popular order in the Philippines. Introduced more than a decade ago, the pairing might initially seem like an odd one but, as legions of fans will attest, it really does work.
If you love McDonald's Filet-O-Fish, the Ebi Filet-O might just appeal. Instead of the signature square of breaded and fried fish, the Ebi Filet-O showcases a crispy, breadcrumb-covered prawn patty topped with lettuce and Thousand Island dressing (think prawn cocktail in burger form). What’s not to like?
Crispy chicken cartilage is a common bar snack throughout Asia, and with their Deep Fried Chicken Cartilage offering KFC Hong Kong brought nose-to-tail dining to mainstream fast food menus. Introduced for a limited time in 2021, it was said to be chewier than KFC's Original Recipe pieces, but nonetheless remained perfectly seasoned and nicely crunchy.
Sold by the popular Japanese fast food chain MOS ('Mountain, Ocean and Sun') for more than 15 years, rice burgers are hugely popular across Asia, with McDonald's even offering their own version. While the idea is simple – two fried rice patties replace the usual bread bun – it's what you put inside that counts. MOS's offerings include the Pork Cutlet with Curry and the Big Appetite Yakiniku, packed with barbecued meat.
First introduced in 2013 and regularly making a comeback appearance, this special-edition option from KFC Indonesia brought fans a regular glazed doughnut topped with shredded Cheddar and Swiss cheese, for what was described as a salty, savoury sensation. Paired with a cup of coffee, we think this one might just work.
On the subject of unusual deep-fried treats, how does a dried pork and seaweed doughnut sound? Offered on the speciality menu at Dunkin' China, the classic glazed doughnut is topped with dehydrated pork and sprinkled with seaweed for an extra flavour hit. The outlet also offers its popular Munchkins (doughnut holes) in variations you won't see elsewhere in the world: spicy, roast and pizza.
Struggle to nail down your choice of toppings when ordering pizza? Domino's Japan's 34-topping pizza might just be for you. Unveiled last year, the limited-edition, everything-but-the-kitchen-sink Best 34 Pizza was divided into quarters to accomodate the many, many toppings, and finished with three different sauces. Ingredients piled on included octopus, mussels, teriyaki chicken, asparagus, corn, Hokkaido camembert, rice cakes, beef ribs and more.
One for the pickle juice fiends out there, Sonic’s Pickle Juice Slush first launched in 2018. The divisive drink combined Sonic's classic sweet slush with a salty pickle brine in a beverage that, according to the brand, "tastes just like you're sipping out of the pickle jar". Sweet yet tangy, the fluorescent green beverage turned out to be quite the hit with customers and made a brief comeback in 2022 due to demand.
Offered on and off as part of a limited menu since 2018, Bonito Fries are definitely divisive. A Singaporean take on loaded fries, and looking more than a little like poutine, the dish consists of golden, hot-out-the-fryer fries drizzled with lashings of katsu sauce and mayo, finished with a generous sprinkling of bonito flakes (made from dried, fermented and smoked bonito fish). While the salty, savoury flavour of this dish is a hit with many, others are put off by the strong aroma.
First introduced in 2018 as part of a 'Taste of Asia' campaign, KFC’s Salted Egg Chicken matched a crispy fried chicken thigh burger with salted egg yolk dressing. A national delicacy, the rich, savoury gravy was said to complement the juicy chicken perfectly. Riffing on the success of the dish, in April 2023 a seasonal special known as the Goldspice (Hot & Crispy Chicken coated in a blend of salted egg yolk, curry leaves, chilli and sweet basil) made its return to menus for just a few weeks.
Pasta for breakfast, anyone? The morning menu at McDonald's Hong Kong might just raise an eyebrow or two. Featuring twisty pasta served with grilled chicken, sausage and egg or ham and egg, all orders come with a hash brown (there's nothing like double carbs to start the day) and a hot drink. It's basically a hybrid of a pasta dish and the contents of a McMuffin, and we're on board with that.
Introduced in Singapore in autumn 2020, Pizza Hut’s limited-edition Cheesy 7 Durian Pizza turned out to be a big hit with customers. Known for its pungent smell, durian fruit brought a sweet and slightly savoury tang to the creamy, cheesy sauce base made with mozzarella and six other types of cheese. Given the success of this particular pie, we reckon it may well make a reappearance in the future.
KFC introduced Golden Durian Mochi to menus in Malaysia in 2020 and, due to popular demand, brought the item back again in both 2021 and 2022. The fruity dessert features crispy, deep-fried shells filled with D24 durian – a much-loved variation of the fruit. However you feel about the pungent ingredient, its popularity is undeniable, with the item selling out every single time it's featured on the menu.
Perhaps the most divisive herb around, coriander is famous for tasting like soap to around one in five of us. Even those with a soft spot for the herb might feel challenged by this dessert from McDonald’s China, which fused the brand's classic vanilla soft serve with bright green coriander syrup and a generous scattering of finely chopped fresh coriander leaves. Tempted to try it? Unfortunately (or fortunately, for some) it was only available for five days last year.
The list of quirky McDonald’s desserts doesn’t end with coriander ice cream. Taking things in an even more unusual direction was the Chilli Paste Pork Ice Cream that launched in Thailand in April 2022. It saw the ice cream base garnished with chilli paste sauce and light and fluffy shredded pork floss. This one might just be a case of ‘don’t knock it until you’ve tried it’, though, as intrepid tasters reportedly loved the combination of sweet and savoury flavours.
Does everything taste better with chocolate? At Burger King Thailand they certainly seem to think so, as the Chocolate King menu returned to outlets across the country for the third time earlier this year. The delicious collaboration between Burger King and Hershey's featured Hershey's Choco Pies, Iced Chocolate, Milkshakes and even a Whopper Jr., served in a chocolate bun with Choco Fries (fries drizzled with Hershey's Premium Chocolate Sauce).
A limited-time option introduced in 2023 for Chinese New Year, Pizza Hut’s range of seafood-inspired pizzas showcased toppings such as shrimp, calamari, diced octopus, salmon and mackerel. Combining scallops, mullet roe, XO sauce, pork and cheese dumplings and the prized delicacy abalone, the Luxurious Scallop & Abalone Pizza could be considered a stroke of genius or an acquired taste.
Is it a burger? Is it a pizza? Who knows, but diners keep coming back for this wacky invention. Krave It’s World Famous Cheeseburger Pizza sees a pizza base covered with 16 mini burgers, a fried egg, French fries, bacon and chipotle mayo. You'll probably have to enlist a group of friends to help polish off this mega meal, but that's exactly what Krave It is known for; it's three-course pizza was another talk-of-the-town creation, with three courses consisting of fries and onion rings, cheeseburger sliders and (for dessert) fried Oreos.