Exquisitely marbled, Wagyu is the poster child for luxury beef. It’s tender, flavourful, juicy and rich. The name translates as “Japanese beef.” A single serving of Wagyu at one of Tokyo’s most revered steakhouses can run you more than $350 (¥30,000), but at McDonald’s locations in Australia, just over $10 will grant you the pleasure.
Dubbed the Wagyu Beef Burger, the attempt at opulence is a limited-time offer, News Corp Australia reports. Australian ranchers have been rearing the Japanese breed of cattle since the 1990s, and so, as a “testament to McDonald’s commitment to use local suppliers,” this is the first time the fast food chain has featured Australian-bred Wagyu on its menu.
The recommended retail price for the new menu item is AU$10.75 (approximately $10.69). The Wagyu patty is reportedly sandwiched in a “gourmet” bun smeared with “specially created” sauce and topped with bacon, caramelized onion, tomato, lettuce and a slice of cheddar cheese (from an Australian brand named Coon).
So far, customers don’t seem to be all that impressed. “Patty cooked to death sometime last week and presented with unmelted cheese, tomato, bacon, a crapton of wilted lettuce and a smear of nondescript sauce on a dry oversized bun,” David Winch posted to Facebook, rating the burger one out of five. “Inferior in every way to even a McFeast … and (charging) over a tenner is taking the piss.”
Another customer added: “Had one earlier on the back of all the hype. Haven’t had Maccas cardboard burgers for a while but thought I’d give this a shot even though I knew it was gonna be cardboard V2. It’s rubbish.”