MOS Burger
Encyclopedia
, doing business as is a fast-food restaurant chain (fast-casual) that originated in Japan
. It is now the second-largest fast-food franchise in Japan after McDonald's
, and owns numerous overseas outlets over East Asia
, including Taiwan
, Singapore
, Hong Kong
, Thailand
, Indonesia
, and until 2005, Hawaii
. It is also the name of the standard hamburger offered by the restaurant, being its first product when the restaurant was founded in 1972. Its headquarters are in the ThinkPark Tower in Ōsaki
, Shinagawa
, Tokyo
. At one time its headquarters were in Shinjuku
, Tokyo.
The publicly-traded company also runs 80^C stores, MOS's-C, Mother Leaf, Shanghalichiba, Mamedori, and Stefan Grill outlets. The company had 1327 stores in 2005, down from 1458 in 2001. One slogan used within its stores is "Japanese Fine Burger and Coffee".
In April 2011, MOS Burger opened its first store in Sunnybank, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
MOS Burger will enter the South Korean market starting October 2011.
mixed with barley
and millet
.
Rice was first used as a bun in 1987, when the restaurant served the Tsukune
Rice Burger, filled with ground chicken and daikon
, and seasoned with soy sauce. The Tsukune Rice Burger is no longer on the menu in Japan
.
The MOS Rice Burgers currently include the 'kaisen kakiage rice burger' (fresh seafood shrimp fritter rice burger), the 'kinpira
rice burger' (fried burdock
and carrot
rice burger), and the 'buta shōga yaki rice burger' (grilled pork and ginger rice burger). There also used to be a 'yakiniku
rice burger' (grilled strips of beef rice burger) (available in Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan and Brisbane Australia branches).
The MOS Rice Burger has been imitated by the Taiwanese division of McDonalds, where the rice bun was pan-seared, but it remains a MOS-exclusive item in Japan and other markets.
, and other gourmet, seasonal ingredients. It was available for a limited time and cost 1,000 yen (9.14 Euro
s or 11.72 USD), making it one of the most expensive burgers offered by a fast-food chain.
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. It is now the second-largest fast-food franchise in Japan after McDonald's
McDonald's
McDonald's Corporation is the world's largest chain of hamburger fast food restaurants, serving around 64 million customers daily in 119 countries. Headquartered in the United States, the company began in 1940 as a barbecue restaurant operated by the eponymous Richard and Maurice McDonald; in 1948...
, and owns numerous overseas outlets over East Asia
East Asia
East Asia or Eastern Asia is a subregion of Asia that can be defined in either geographical or cultural terms...
, including Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
, Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
, Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
, Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
, and until 2005, Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
. It is also the name of the standard hamburger offered by the restaurant, being its first product when the restaurant was founded in 1972. Its headquarters are in the ThinkPark Tower in Ōsaki
Osaki, Tokyo
is a primarily commercial district in the northern part of Shinagawa, Tokyo, Japan. By today, this district has completed several urban renewal programs around Ōsaki Station of Yamanote Line, which include Ohsaki New City , Gate City Ohsaki , Art Village Osaki , Oval Court Ohsaki , and ThinkPark...
, Shinagawa
Shinagawa, Tokyo
is one of the 23 special wards of Tokyo, Japan. In English, it is called Shinagawa City. The ward is home to nine embassies.As of 2008, the ward has an estimated population of 344,461 and a density of 15,740 persons per km². The total area is 22.72 km²....
, Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
. At one time its headquarters were in Shinjuku
Shinjuku, Tokyo
is one of the 23 special wards of Tokyo, Japan. It is a major commercial and administrative center, housing the busiest train station in the world and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, the administration center for the government of Tokyo.As of 2008, the ward has an estimated population...
, Tokyo.
The publicly-traded company also runs 80^C stores, MOS's-C, Mother Leaf, Shanghalichiba, Mamedori, and Stefan Grill outlets. The company had 1327 stores in 2005, down from 1458 in 2001. One slogan used within its stores is "Japanese Fine Burger and Coffee".
In April 2011, MOS Burger opened its first store in Sunnybank, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
MOS Burger will enter the South Korean market starting October 2011.
Unique burgers
MOS Rice Burger
The MOS Rice Burger uses a bun made of riceRice
Rice is the seed of the monocot plants Oryza sativa or Oryza glaberrima . As a cereal grain, it is the most important staple food for a large part of the world's human population, especially in East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and the West Indies...
mixed with barley
Barley
Barley is a major cereal grain, a member of the grass family. It serves as a major animal fodder, as a base malt for beer and certain distilled beverages, and as a component of various health foods...
and millet
Millet
The millets are a group of small-seeded species of cereal crops or grains, widely grown around the world for food and fodder. They do not form a taxonomic group, but rather a functional or agronomic one. Their essential similarities are that they are small-seeded grasses grown in difficult...
.
Rice was first used as a bun in 1987, when the restaurant served the Tsukune
Tsukune
is a Japanese chicken meatball most often cooked yakitori style and sometimes covered in a sweet, soy sauce....
Rice Burger, filled with ground chicken and daikon
Daikon
Daikon , Raphanus sativus var. longipinnatus, also called White Radish, Japanese radish, Oriental radish, Chinese radish, lo bok and Mooli , is a mild flavoured, very large, white East Asian radish...
, and seasoned with soy sauce. The Tsukune Rice Burger is no longer on the menu in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
.
The MOS Rice Burgers currently include the 'kaisen kakiage rice burger' (fresh seafood shrimp fritter rice burger), the 'kinpira
Kinpira
is a Japanese cooking style that can be summarized as a technique of "sauté and simmer". It is commonly used to cook root vegetables such as carrot, burdock and lotus root, seaweeds such as arame and hijiki and other foods including tofu and wheat gluten ,and even meat .The dish features the use of...
rice burger' (fried burdock
Burdock
Burdock is any of a group of biennial thistles in the genus Arctium, family Asteraceae. Native to the Old World, several species have been widely introduced worldwide....
and carrot
Carrot
The carrot is a root vegetable, usually orange in colour, though purple, red, white, and yellow varieties exist. It has a crisp texture when fresh...
rice burger), and the 'buta shōga yaki rice burger' (grilled pork and ginger rice burger). There also used to be a 'yakiniku
Yakiniku
Yakiniku , meaning "grilled meat", is a Japanese term which, in its broadest sense, refers to grilled meat dishes. The present style of yakiniku restaurants are derived from the Korean restaurants in Osaka and Tokyo which were opened around 1945....
rice burger' (grilled strips of beef rice burger) (available in Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan and Brisbane Australia branches).
The MOS Rice Burger has been imitated by the Taiwanese division of McDonalds, where the rice bun was pan-seared, but it remains a MOS-exclusive item in Japan and other markets.
Takumi Burger
In 2005, MOS Burger introduced an ultra-premium Takumi Burger (meaning artisan taste), a hamburger made with Tasmanian beef and ten different toppings, including sliced avocado, grated wasabiWasabi
, also known as Japanese horseradish, is a member of the Brassicaceae family, which includes cabbages, horseradish, and mustard. Its root is used as a condiment and has an extremely strong flavor. Its hotness is more akin to that of a hot mustard rather than the capsaicin in a chili pepper,...
, and other gourmet, seasonal ingredients. It was available for a limited time and cost 1,000 yen (9.14 Euro
Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
s or 11.72 USD), making it one of the most expensive burgers offered by a fast-food chain.
External links
- MOS Food Services, Inc., official English page (English)
- Mos Burger Japan (Japanese)
- Mos Burger Taiwan (Chinese)
- Mos Burger Hong Kong (Chinese)
- Mos Burger Singapore (English)
- Daily Yomiuri interview with MOS Burger president Takao Shimizu
- Story on Mos Burger in Hawaii