7 fast food items that are only available in Japan

Trigger warning for Italian food and pizza purists: please look away now.

Okay, now that we have the disclaimer out of the way, can we just talk about how wonderful this fusion dish is? Domino’s has taken two of our favourite comfort foods and combined them into one cheesy, satisfying meal. These rice bowls are essentially some of Domino’s most popular pizzas, it’s just that the toppings now sit on a bed of butter rice instead of a pizza crust.

There are seven options including Five-Cheese Pizza Rice Bowl, Garlic Master Pizza Rice Bowl and Charcoal-grilled Chiki-teri Pizza Rice Bowl (that’s teriyaki chicken), priced from ¥1,099 for delivery or ¥799 for takeout. Available from May 19 

A picnic staple in Japan, katsu sando consists of breaded and fried pork or chicken sandwiched between two slices of fluffy white bread, with shredded cabbage added for extra crunch. Sweet and sour tonkatsu sauce drizzled over the meat brings an additional depth of umami, turning a simple snack into an irresistible afternoon treat at the park or on a long shinkansen journey. While KFC elsewhere might serve classic western-style chicken sandwiches, its Japan menu offers the glorious chicken katsu sandwich slathered with an addictive combo of mayo and tonkatsu sauce.

Feeling peckish but not hungry enough for a full burger? KFC’s snack wraps are just the right size to tie you over until the next meal. A crispy fried chicken strip is rolled into a tortilla wrap with lettuce, shredded carrot and onion. A dollop of mayo and drizzle of teriyaki sauce completes the snack with some nori (seaweed flakes) for a Japanese twist – maybe that’s why they call it a ‘Twister’?

Trying to decipher ingredients labels in Japan can be a struggle when seeking out meat-free options. Surprisingly, fast food chains have been among the quickest establishments to add vegetarian options to their menus with soy patties for plant-based burgers. Burger King in other countries like the UK have recently added plant-based burgers to its menu as well, but the fresh avocado topping – which automatically improves any dish – is exclusive to Japan.

The only way to improve something deep fried is to add more carbs and make a sandwich out of it. McDonald’s Filet-O-Fish is a menu staple all over the world, but McDonald’s Japan took things one step further with a crisy breaded ebi (shrimp) sandwich, slathered with remoulade sauce and topped with lettuce. Incidentally, you can also get a Teriyaki Filet-O here, which comes with a crispy fried chicken fillet glazed with teriyaki sauce and a dollop of mayo.

Western burger joints aren’t the only guilty pleasures we have a hard time staying away from. Homegrown fast food brand Mos Burger is yet another chain serving mouth-watering shakes, burgers and fried chicken that can be more tempting than a sensible salad.

That said, the chain has a few curious (dare we say, healthful?) alternatives that set it apart from the rest. For days when you’re trying to eat clean by avoiding your favourite greasy food, Mos Burger has a special menu consisting of burgers with no bread. The filling comes sandwiched with either lettuce (think of it like a reverse salad) or rice patties instead of bread. With the extra veggies and savory fillings like thinly sliced beef sauteed with ginger and soy sauce, it’s almost as though you’re noshing on a standard bento box instead of fast food.