Japan super budget dining Whats the best way to spend 1000 yen at McDonalds?

Nine meal combo suggestions cover everything from burgers through to fries and desserts.

Recently, our Japanese-language reporters have been visiting various chains around the country, seeing what type of meals they can come up with for 1,000 yen (US$7.05).

This week, the team decided to take their yen-savvy skills over to McDonald’s, where each person selected a combination of menu items that they believed to be the most effective use of their limited funds.

The result is nine different meal ideas, and each one has been given a name by the reporter who suggested it. So let’s get straight to it and see what they came up with below!

▼ “The Popular Person’s Double Serving Set” by Seiji Nakazawa

Hiru Mac Double Cheeseburger Set: 620 yen
Teriyaki McBurger: 370 yen
Total: 990 yen

“Hiru Mac” (“Lunchtime Mac”) is a special lunchtime menu deal that Seiji is particularly fond of, as it allows him to enjoy his favourite burgers at a great price during the day. For him, McDonald’s is synonymous with Teriyaki McBurgers, which are exclusive to Japan, and the combination of sauce, mayonnaise, and juicy patty in these burgers is so addictive he can never resist them.

With money to burn after ordering the beloved Teriyaki McBurger, Seiji reckons one should order another good burger – the Double Cheeseburger. With fries on the side and a drink to wash it all down, Seiji thinks these menu items would suit someone with a fun, outgoing personality — if you dare to eat two burgers in one sitting, there’s no telling what else you might do!

▼ “The Royal Road Set By Adults For Adults” by Takashi Harada

Teriyaki McBurger Set (with a drink and large fries): 670 yen
Side Salad: 300 yen
Total: 970 yen

Takashi is also a fan of the Teriyaki McBurger, saying, “When I think of McDonald’s, I think of teriyaki. No matter when you eat it, it’s always delicious and reliable.” While the child in him loves fast food, the adult in him also thinks vegetables are important, which is why he recommends adding a side salad for a more balanced meal, and the large-sized drink and fries will help to fill your belly and ensure you feel full.

▼ “Mmmmmm….teriyaki!”

▼ “Double Shrimp Filet-O Set + Fries” by Mr Sato

Double Shrimp Filet-o Set (with a side salad and a medium drink): 800 yen
Small Fries: 190 yen
Total: 990 yen

Mr Sato is a man of refined tastes, because when it comes to McDonald’s burgers, he says he doesn’t really like their patties. What he does like, however, is the Chicken Tatsuta burger, which is only available periodically, and since it’s not on the menu now, he chose to go with the equally crunchy Shrimp Filet-o instead.

The Double Shrimp Filet-o is available as part of the “Yoru Mac” (“Nighttime Mac”) menu, and he reckons it’s great for filling you up. With the burger playing the starring role, the fries, salad and drink help to balance out the meal, and will lessen the guilt that comes with eating such a massive burger.

▼ “Prison Break’s Bellick’s Eats” by Go Hatori

Large Fries: 380 yen
Medium Vanilla McShake: 220 yen
Double Cheeseburger: 400 yen
Total: 1,000 yen

Go says, “When I think of McDonald’s, I think of fries. The best way to eat McDonald’s fries is by dipping them in a shake, just like prison officer Bradley Bellick does in the American drama Prison Break“.

That was the thinking behind Go’s fry-heavy order, although the striped top and eyewear he was wearing made him look more Hamburgler than Bellick. Still, he’s pretty proud of what he came up with, because not only does this meal include a burger to fully indulge Bellick’s love of fast food, it also comes to a grand total of exactly 1,000 yen.

The clerk behind the counter actually told Go that he could save 330 yen by ordering all the items as a set, but he wasn’t going to be fooled by such a trap, requesting to purchase them all individually for 1,000 yen.

▼ The clerk must’ve thought he was crazy, not only for wanting to pay more for his food, but for the way he chose to eat it.

▼ “This is the Supreme Yoru Mac Drinking Set” by Ahiruneko

Large Fries x 2: 760 yen
Chicken McNuggets (15 pieces): 710 yen
Total: 950 yen (regular retail price: 1,470 yen)

“If I was asked to choose just one item from McDonald’s, I would choose fries without hesitation. But I’d order two of them, in large sizes.”

So says our fry-loving reporter Ahiruneko, who doesn’t blink an eye at the thought of spending 760 yen on fries alone. While that doesn’t leave him with a lot of money in the budget to spare, he knows a handy hack — when you order two large fries you can add a 15-piece pack of McNuggets to your order for just 190 yen as part of the nighttime Yoru Mac menu. That gives him more food for his yen, and it’s a combination that goes perfectly with a beer or two in the evening.

▼ “Morning Mac Supremacy Set” by P.K. Sanjun

McGriddle Sausage Egg Set: 540 yen
Egg McMuffin: 240 yen
Apple Pie: 140 yen
Total: 920 yen

“Even if people from all over the world disagree with me, I’m a ‘Morning McDonald’s person’.” That’s a bold statement from P.K., who says he gets a rush of excitement from being able to eat McDonald’s in the morning.

He’s chosen a hearty meal to start the day with as well, with not one but two muffin burgers, and a dessert to finish. The only downside to this meal is it’s only available until 10:30 in the morning, but with none of our other team members choosing anything on the morning menu, which was a surprise to Go, he was able to monopolise this corner of the competition for himself.

▼ “Like A Gourmet Burger Set” by Yuuichiro Wasai

Yoru Mac Double Big Mac Set: 950 yen
Upsize to a Large Fries: 50 yen
Total: 1,000 yen

Yuuichiro is here to pooh-pooh the naysayers who believe there are hamburger joints in the world better than McDonald’s. Their main argument seems to revolve around the glories of the voluminous gourmet burger, but Yuuichiro believes the Yoru Mac menu, which gives you double the patties on some of the chain’s popular burgers for a more filling nighttime meal, is a bit like ordering a gourmet burger.

▼ Take the Yoru Mac Double Big Mac, for example, which has four meat patties and is positively overflowing with ingredients.

▼ By upsizing his fries, Yuuichiro was able to use every last yen in his budget, which made his Double Big Mac taste even more delicious.

▼ “Bride, Triple Cheeseburger of Joy. Full Stomach Full Dreams” by Yoshio

Hiru Mac Double Cheeseburger Set (with medium fries and a medium iced coffee): 620 yen
Cheeseburger: 200 yen
Chicken Crisp: 180 yen
Total 1,000 yen

If this was a contest for the best meal name, Yoshio would win first prize with the poetic moniker he came up with for this selection, and it’s an homage to his muse — his cheeseburger-loving wife.

“My wife loves double cheeseburgers and always orders them, no matter what other fancy, limited-time burgers are on the menu. However, one day, I put a single cheeseburger on a double cheeseburger, making it into a triple cheeseburger, and fed it to her. She was overjoyed — she’d never dreamed that there could be such a burger topping!”

With the epic cheeseburger fulfilling dreams, the Chicken Crisp helps to fill the stomach, and Yoshio believes it’s no exaggeration to call this “a perfect set for married couples.”

▼ “My Strongest Burger & Sweets Set” by Masanuki Sunakoma

Yoru Mac “Double Eguchi Set”: 640 yen
McFlurry Super Oreo Cookie: 310 yen
Total 950 yen

“At McDonald’s, I only ever order the ‘Eguchi Set’ (‘Egg Cheeseburger Set’), but ordering it on the Yoru Mac menu gives me two times the patties, making it the strongest version of the absolute champion of an egg burger.”

There’s a lot of variety to this set, which includes a drink, fries, and a McFlurry, the latter of which is currently available in a “Super Oreo” version that gives you even more Oreos, creating the strongest sweets and the strongest burger combo.

So there you have it — the best way to spend 1,000 yen at McDonald’s Japan, according to our seasoned reporters. There’s a lot of variety in the meals presented, with selections from the morning, lunchtime and evening menus as well, but the big question is…which is your favourite meal?

Let us know in the comments below, and if you’re looking to explore the menu a little more, there’s always this limited-time Lemon Cheese Pie to entice you!

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