We’ve taken a look at how Japan handles McDonald’s in two different articles. For Japan, it’s an interesting look; the language is different (but with enough embracement of English that you can navigate safely and sanely), but the cuisine is largely removed from ours. In many cases, a burger might include buns and lettuce, but a shrimp croquette instead of a beef patty isn’t out of the question.
Australia, on the other hand, should be easier to understand, right? Same language, similar cultures.
Breakfast
A Boston Deli Bagel includes guacamole on top of “bacon” (ham) and egg. We all know how well Boston’s known for it’s guacamole, right? The NYC Breakfast Bagel throws in hollandaise sauce. Their Bakehouse Brekkie Roll has normal ingredients, outside of the hash brown patty and onion relish tossed on (the same is put in a tortilla wrap with BBQ sauce). Everything else on the breakfast menu is is normal, outside of actually selling just a simple English muffin. Yes, you can get Vegemite on it if you want.
Lunch/Dinner
The McChicken might be a slightly different recipe, as it’s advertised in a “seasoned tempura coating” and with McChicken Sauce (just mayo in the States). The “Grand” line includes Angus patties and seared chicken, and the variety of wraps include tandoori and chilli seasonings.
Drinks And Sweets
They’re all largely the same, with the main differences being black or white tea, or different brands, when it comes to drinks. Sweets go a little overboard with the McFlurry, having Caramel Cookie, Double Choc Fudge, and Bubblegum Squash (with no actual squash, thankfully).
Serving Differences
Here’s what brought this article into consideration. While the menu may be mostly the same, or at least recognizable, the culture is a little skewed. McDonald’s generally-accepted nickname in the country has bee “Macca’s”, and McDonald’s has temporarily renamed it as such. For five weeks, a branch will actually test seated service, with crockery, glassware, and silverware, that seems to have been received well. The Australian branch of the company was the first to try and introduce McCafes, which can be found worldwide. If you’re in a rush but want to sit down with family, you can get their large Dinner Boxes that come with a preset amount of McNuggets, burgers, fries, and drinks.
Could you survive at a McDonald’s in Australia? If you could figure out that it’s called “Macca’s”, sure. There’s a surprising lack of Vegemite-infused sandwiches, and everything else seems to go the right way, even if the toilets flush the wrong way.