The fast-food giant modifies its menu to appeal to fans all over the world and sometimes that means offering something very bold.
When you enter a Burger King — whether you’re in Boston or Beijing — you expect certain things. The menu will offer flame-broiled burgers, the Whopper, french fries, and other classics. If, however, you do find yourself in one of the Restaurant Brands Intentional (QSR) – Get Restaurant Brands International Inc Report chain’s locations outside the United States, you might find some flavors you’re not expecting.
This can range from variations on the classics that use local twists. Perhaps you’ll see more soy sauce or wasabi mayo used in Asian countries. Or, you might find the chain’s Mushroom Veggie Burger, which makes the menu in some countries where, for some reason, it’s listed on the menu under salad.
Or, you can visit Burger King in Malaysia and try something entirely unique.
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Meet Burger King’s New Sandwich
Fish has a limited place on the menu at U.S. fast-food chains. It’s usually relegated to a fried patty and, at some chains, it’s only offered for part of the year. Burger King, in its home market, has only one fish sandwich on the menu, its knock-off of McDonald’s (MCD) – Get McDonald’s Corporation Report Filet-O-Fish, the Big Fish.
Made from “100% White Alaskan Pollock, breaded with crispy panko breading and topped with sweet tartar sauce, tangy pickles, all on top of a toasted brioche-style bun,” according to the company’s website, The Big Fish seems pretty pedestrian.
Its latest fish entree — which you have to fly to Malaysia to try — takes everything you know about fast-food fish sandwiches and throws it away. The new Japanese Curry Salmon sandwich “features a crispy salmon patty coated in Japanese curry sauce, plus lettuce, onions, and American cheese on a toasted sesame seed bun,” Chewboom reported.
Burger King also offers a Japanese Curry Whopper and Japanese Curry Chick’N Crisp sandwich in Malaysia. All three curry-covered sandwiches are limited-time-offers.
Will U.S. Burger King Get a Salmon Burger King Sandwich?
While curry sauce may not make the menu at an American Burger King, it’s not out of the question that a salmon sandwich could hit U.S. menus as a limited-time offer.
Overall American consumption of seafood has steadily ticked up between 2010 and 2019, according to data from IntraFish. Shrimp leads the way in the U.S., but salmon actually takes second place, according to the most recent data.
“Salmon was the second-most consumed species by U.S. consumers during the year, and saw the largest increase, continuing its steady infiltration of the market with a 5.8% percent rise to 2.55 pounds per capita,” wrote IntraFish’s Rachel Mutter.
Americans may not have embraced curry, but salmon has become more popular, and adding a salmon sandwich in the U.S. would give Burger King a non-fried seafood menu item to add to its menu. It would be a logical seasonal addition during the Lent period in March and April where many Christians don’t eat meat on Fridays.
A number of fast-food chains offer seasonal fish offerings during Lent and the Filet-O-Fish was actually created to give McDonald’s an option for customers abstaining from meat on Fridays.
