Malaysia's McDonald's Will Give You Serious FOMO

There are more than 4,000 McDonald's locations in the world, but only 320 restaurants can be found in Malaysia. That means if you don't reside in or at least visit Malaysia, you'll never get to sample what McDonald's in the country is really like. Although Malaysian McDonald's stores still serve the burgers, fries, and chicken nuggets the brand is famous for, there are many additional products that directly suit the taste of the area's locals. 

Like in every country, McDonald's in Malaysia offer a range of limited-edition promotional items such as a Mango McFlurry, White Chocolate & Strawberry Pie, and Hawaiian-inspired burgers. These sandwiches can be ordered with chicken or beef and include a pineapple ring, vegetables, and a tropical special sauce. 

McDonald's also offer regional mainstays unique to Malaysia. Among these is Bubar Ayam — a chicken porridge with ginger, chilies, shallots, and onions — and a Foldover Ayam, which is essentially a folded chicken flatbread. Malaysian locations also have Nasi Lemak, which is coconut rice with egg, anchovies, and cucumber. Additionally, it has fried chicken (Ayam Goreng), a grilled chicken burger, and a cup of corn as a side item. To understand why these selections were made, you'll have to dig into Malaysia's love for chicken.

A quick glance at the Malaysian McDonald's menu is all you need to gauge the country's love of chicken. According to Statista, Malaysia was named one of the top consumers of chicken in 2022, with the average local eating around 110 pounds of poultry per year. More often than not, the country's national dish, Nasi Lemak, is paired with fried poultry. This combination is so popular that McDonald's once sold a Nasi Lemak burger with a chili bun, fried chicken, fried egg, cucumber slices, caramelized onions, and sambal sauce. 

According to McDonald's, it always tries to create a menu for each country that's reflective of each country's cultural tastes. That's why it often offers unique items for each country while still offering staples like the Big Mac. As for customers in the United States, they couldn't help but share their FOMO over some of the country's McDonald's offerings, specifically fried chicken. One person wrote on Reddit, "I want some Ayam Goreng McD (even though I live in the U.S.). Looks better than KFC." Another offered their own review for those missing out, "Tastes better than nuggets but not as good as KFC."