Japan's Taste Is Getting More Popular In Indonesia, Now Present In Burgers To Closing Dishes

JAKARTA - Japanese culinary has long had a place in the hearts of the Indonesian people. Fromfocus to ramen, various dishes typical of the Land of Sakura are favored because of their unique taste, fresh raw materials, and distinctive presentations.

This trend is also seen in various rapid food innovations that present Japanese flavors as part of their seasonal menu.

Like McDonald's Indonesia, which presents Japan's distinctive taste in "Taste of Japan". This menu was previously present in 2020 and received a positive response from customers, especially because it combines typical Japanese culinary elements with practical fast serving.

"Since 2020, it seems that Japan has a lot of fans in Indonesia," explained Caroline Kurniadjaja, Associate Director of Marketing McDonald's Indonesia at a press conference, in Jakarta, recently.

This year, the typical Japanese menu is realized in three variants of burgers with Yakinku sauce as a star. There are three choices, namely Beef Yakiniku Tamago Burger with additional eggs, Spicy Chicken Believeriku Burger withgal and spicy chicken meat, and Fish Frellite Yakini Burger which uses soft fish fillets.

All the variety of burgers is combined with fresh vegetables and seaweed, served in white soft burger bread with black wijen sprinkles.

Not only burgers, companion menus such as Red Skin Fries, French fries with special spices and various matchmaker-themed desserts also enrich the dining experience. Among them are Matcha Sakura Pink Waffle Cone, Matcha Top, and green tea-based drinks from McCafé's line such as Iced Café Matcha Fusion.

Interestingly, Japan's distinctive taste is not only about food. McDonald's Indonesia also inserts elements of Japanese pop culture through an anime-style visualization.

They collaborated with Martin Yap, a local animator, to create animations that introduce distinctive characters from the theme "Taste of Japan", "Samaki the ninja", ..." the witch, and "Doragon the dragon".

"This visual is part of a creative approach to enriching customer experience, especially Japanese anime and culture enthusiasts," added Caroline.

This collaborative approach has previously been carried out, one of which is by cooperating with young singer Ica Zahra in last year's campaign. The goal is to bring the nuances of Japanese culture more immersively through various media ranging from music to animation.

During the period from June 2 to July 13, customers can enjoy the Taste of Japan menu at all outlets either by eating on-site, delivery, or digital services.

In addition, there are also interesting activities such as photo sessions with the Coste of Japan character cosplayer which are present at certain outlets, as well as digital creative competition through social media with attractive prizes in the period from June 21 to July 6 which will be held at certain outlets.

This campaign is an example of how foreign cultural elements, especially from Japan, can be translated locally through menu innovation and an interesting visual approach. For Japanese culinary and cultural lovers, this can be an interesting alternative to enjoying Japan's distinctive taste in a closer and more accessible way.