The New McDonald’s Pokémon Sandwiches We Wish Would Come To The U.S.

There are certain things that our friends over in Japan have just nailed down. One of these things is the integration of beloved characters into everyday food items. Whether it’s just the packaging or a part of the food design itself, it feels like Japanese food culture has really embraced creativity and innovation in ways that make food genuinely exciting for consumers of pop culture and the modern culinary industry.

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Of the iconic Japanese characters, it’s hard to think of any more defining than those in the Pokémon portfolio. And so, McDonald’s has taken it upon themselves to create a new lineup, celebrating some of the most iconic and celebrated Pokémon characters that there are in honor of Pokémon‘s 30th anniversary. 

This collection is perfect for Pokémon enthusiasts, collectors, or anyone in your life passionate about the brand and its characters. But, the thing is, you have to go all the way to Japan to be a part of the Pokémon x McDonald’s fun.

The McDonald’s x Pokémon Collab

Included in this exciting collaboration are three specialty sandwiches, each of which has been assigned one of the quintessential starter Pokémon. All sandwiches in the collection have a specially developed bun explicitly made to celebrate the 30th anniversary and they are served in limited-edition Pokémon-branded paper bags.

The Roasted Sesame Tartar Shrimp sandwich uses a fried shrimp cutlet as the patty and is topped with a roasted sesame tartar sauce and white cheddar cheese. This aquatic sandwich is made to celebrate Squirtle. The Juicy Chicken with Spicy Garlic Sauce sandwich is made using a spicy fried chicken patty and it’s topped with lettuce and pepper garlic mayonnaise. Naturally, the spicy sandwich has to be associated with the Charmander starter Pokémon. And, to honor Bulbasaur, McDonald’s made a burger with a thick beef patty. It is topped with cheddar cheese, tartar sauce, and a rich demi-glace sauce. The Thick Beef with Tartar Demi-Glace Sauce is a quintessential addition to this collection as they use the sauces from this sandwich to create other food items as well.

Additionally, the launch didn’t fail to include the famous Pikachu. But, this one is only available for the breakfast meal. The Tartar Demi-Glace Sausage Muffin Set celebrates the classic yellow creature. The sandwich comes with an English muffin, lettuce, sausage, and cheese, as well as the special addition of their tartar sauce and demi-glace sauce.

A Missed Opportunity

For anyone unable to decide between their favorites during this collaboration and celebration, there’s a burger for you, too. Available only from 5pm onward is the Tartar Demi-Glace Double-Cut Beef Burger under the NightMac category. It features two patties making this burger extra satisfying and has the tartar sauce and demi-glace sauce, per the previous burger. Same as the other meals, this one comes in the same Pokémon branded bag.

Especially considering the resurgence of Pokémon over the past couple of years, this launch feels like a bit of a missed opportunity for American audiences. But, all things considered, it makes sense for the launch to stay exclusive to the birthplace of the company. So, for anyone not willing to miss out on this collaboration, maybe it’s time to expedite your plans for your next vacation. Otherwise, you’ll have to get creative with how you’re sourcing these new collector’s items. I mean, who knows if we’ll ever see Pokémon printed onto a McDonald’s bag ever again.