McDonald’s Japan renews the Samurai Mac, but not everyone will be happy with the new warrior

Stripping a samurai of one vital ingredient is like cutting Samson’s hair.

Back in 2020, McDonald’s caused a stir in Japan when it added a brand new burger called the Samurai Mac to its menu. The thick beef burger turned out to be one of the heftiest on the menu, making it a popular option for customers wanting to fill up fast, but this year, McDonald’s put a spanner in the works by announcing it would be changing its taste.

Interestingly, this announcement has gone largely under the radar outside of press circles, so many customers may not be aware of it. Being fans of the original Samurai Mac, we decided to pick up one of the new burgers for ourselves, to see just how much the flavour has changed.

In order to properly evaluate the difference between the original version and the “renewed” variety, we picked up a burger one day before the change and one on the day of. Starting with the original, the flavour and ingredients were just as we expected — grilled soy sauce, two thick and juicy beef patties, two slices of rich cheddar cheese, plenty of onions, and a bun topped with poppy seeds.

All the ingredients melded beautifully together to create an exquisite balance between salt and sweet, with the large-cut onions adding a tasty accent in flavour to the cheesy meatiness of it all.

After savouring every last bite, and fighting back tears as we farewelled this fallen samurai, we headed home and gathered our strength for the next day’s battle.

▼ Hello, new warrior.

After picking up the new burger, we didn’t notice anything different in its appearance at first, but as soon as we lifted the top bun, there was one glaring omission.

▼ Where the heck are the onions?

Taking a look at everything else in the burger, this appeared to be the only difference, with the thick-cut onions now replaced by teeny, tiny shredded pieces. Still, this didn’t seem like a big change so we bit into it expecting to find a familiar flavour, but we ended up stopping mid-chew, as it tasted entirely different.

The lack of onions was barely noticeable, but the taste was undoubtedly meatier. That’s when we realised that without the thick-cut onions, there was less standing in the way between taste buds and cheesy meat, allowing these main ingredients to shine on the palate in a way they didn’t before.

For diehard fans, stripping the Samurai Mac of its onions is like cutting Samson’s hair, diminishing its strength and appeal. For lovers of meaty burgers, though, the change will be welcomed, while occasional eaters, on the other hand, aren’t likely to notice the difference.

In our opinion, McDonald’s is risking a lot by messing with a good thing, but in the current climate of rising costs, changes like these are sadly inevitable. As for whether or not the change was worth it, well…only time will tell.

Photos © SoraNews24
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