I tried the menu at the rebranded McDonald s in Russia. The first bite of my cheeseburger wasn t as exciting as it used to be – and the fries seemed sadder
I decided to pair them with two sauces: barbecue and sweet-and-sour (40 rubles, or 73 cents). I noticed a strange little black dot on the package: these were still McDonald’s sauces, and somebody had just manually covered up the golden arches logo with a marker.
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At McDonald’s, we take great care to serve quality, great-tasting menu items to our customers each and every time they visit our restaurants. We understand that each of our customers has individual needs and considerations when choosing a place to eat or drink outside their home, especially those customers with food allergies. As part of our commitment to you, we provide the most current ingredient information available from our food suppliers for the eight most common allergens, so that our guests with food allergies can make informed food selections. However, we also want you to know that despite taking precautions, normal kitchen operations may involve some shared cooking and preparation areas, equipment and utensils, and the possibility exists for your food items to come in contact with other food products, including allergens. We encourage our customers with food allergies or special dietary needs to visit Contact Us for ingredient information, and to consult their doctor for questions regarding their diet. Due to the individualized nature of food allergies and food sensitivities, customers’ physicians may be best positioned to make recommendations for customers with food allergies and special dietary needs. If you have questions about our food, please reach out to us directly at Contact Us.
Percent Daily Values (DV) and RDIs are based on unrounded values.
** Percent Daily Values (DV) are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
The nutrition information on this website is derived from testing conducted in accredited laboratories, published resources, or from information provided from McDonald’s suppliers. The nutrition information is based on standard product formulations and serving sizes. Calories for fountain beverages are based on standard fill levels plus ice. If you use the self-service fountain inside the restaurant for your drink order, see the sign posted at the beverage fountain for beverage calories without ice. Variation in serving sizes, preparation techniques, product testing and sources of supply, as well as regional and seasonal differences may affect the nutrition values for each product. In addition, product formulations change periodically. You should expect some variation in the nutrient content of the products purchased in our restaurants. Beverage sizes may vary in your market. Our fried menu items are cooked in a vegetable oil blend with citric acid added as a processing aid and dimethylpolysiloxane to reduce oil splatter when cooking. This information is correct as of May 2020, unless stated otherwise.
At McDonald’s, we take great care to serve quality, great-tasting menu items to our customers each and every time they visit our restaurants. We understand that each of our customers has individual needs and considerations when choosing a place to eat or drink outside their home, especially those customers with food allergies. As part of our commitment to you, we provide the most current ingredient information available from our food suppliers for the eight most common allergens, so that our guests with food allergies can make informed food selections. However, we also want you to know that despite taking precautions, normal kitchen operations may involve some shared cooking and preparation areas, equipment and utensils, and the possibility exists for your food items to come in contact with other food products, including allergens. We encourage our customers with food allergies or special dietary needs to visit Contact Us for ingredient information, and to consult their doctor for questions regarding their diet. Due to the individualized nature of food allergies and food sensitivities, customers’ physicians may be best positioned to make recommendations for customers with food allergies and special dietary needs. If you have questions about our food, please reach out to us directly at Contact Us.
Percent Daily Values (DV) and RDIs are based on unrounded values.
** Percent Daily Values (DV) are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
The nutrition information on this website is derived from testing conducted in accredited laboratories, published resources, or from information provided from McDonald’s suppliers. The nutrition information is based on standard product formulations and serving sizes. Calories for fountain beverages are based on standard fill levels plus ice. If you use the self-service fountain inside the restaurant for your drink order, see the sign posted at the beverage fountain for beverage calories without ice. Variation in serving sizes, preparation techniques, product testing and sources of supply, as well as regional and seasonal differences may affect the nutrition values for each product. In addition, product formulations change periodically. You should expect some variation in the nutrient content of the products purchased in our restaurants. Beverage sizes may vary in your market. Our fried menu items are cooked in a vegetable oil blend with citric acid added as a processing aid and dimethylpolysiloxane to reduce oil splatter when cooking. This information is correct as of May 2020, unless stated otherwise.
I tried the menu at the rebranded McDonald’s in Russia. The first bite of my cheeseburger wasn’t as exciting as it used to be – and the fries seemed sadder.
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- McDonald’s in Russia has been rebranded as “Tasty and that’s it” after it was sold to a Russian.
- Big Macs, Happy Meals and McFlurrys are gone but cheeseburgers, nuggets and fries are still on sale.
- The new packaging is now mostly plain white and the Golden Arches are nowhere to be seen.
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There is one restaurant in Moscow that every single Muscovite seems to know and have visited: the flagship McDonald’s on Pushkinskaya Square, where thousands lined up for hours for a taste of the West when it first opened in 1990.
In March, following Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, McDonald’s suspended operations in Russia and the legendary restaurant closed its doors.
But the venue was so symbolic that when a Russian investor reopened it earlier this month, promising to serve food that was “the same, but better,” people lined up again.
McDonald’s is called Vkusno i Tochka, which means “tasty and that’s it”. The place that had represented Russia’s openness to the West now underscored its sudden isolation.
So it seemed strangely fitting that just a few hours before moving out of the country, after five years as a Moscow correspondent, I made this one of my last meals in Russia.
The place was packed on Friday afternoon. I placed my order on a greasy touchscreen, as usual. The menu was largely the same, with a few notable exceptions: gone are the Happy Meals, the Big Mac and the McFlurry.
The cheeseburger
I am not a regular at McDonald’s, but I have very vivid childhood memories of their food. I decided to recreate my standard order from back in the day and started with my go-to fast food essential, the cheeseburger (59 rubles, or $1.08).
The bun and cheese are clearly identical to the original version – McDonald’s was using 85% locally produced ingredients – but the meat patty seems slightly less salty, making that first bite a little less exciting. I also noticed the absence of the pickle slice, which I liked.
The cheeseburger came wrapped in a white and orange paper sheet. One of the most notable changes is the packaging of all products, which is now plain white, or white with just a pop of color and the product’s name. No logos, thanks very much.
The Filet-o-F… sorry, the fish burger
Moving on to the replacement for the Filet-o-Fish, I was pleasantly surprised. The fish burger (168 rubles, or $3.08) may now lack its iconic McDonald’s name, but otherwise it hasn’t changed a bit. The bun, the fish, everything’s the same, even down to the slightly mysterious white sauce.
The box the fish burger came in does look a bit awkward, however, with its plain text and a band of color, as if it was a prop for kids playing at their make-believe restaurant.
The fries
The fries (55 rubles, or $1) to me seemed a bit sadder, less salty and crispy than I was expecting. I couldn’t quite tell whether that was actually the case, or it was just the depressing white box they were served in.
My cup of Coke (also (55 rubles, or $1) was equally plain and white. They were out of regular Coke and now only had Diet Coke. But it was still Coke. As Coca-Cola also pulls out of Russia, the chain seems to be using up their stocks before switching to a different, probably Russian, brand.
Chicken nuggets
The chicken nuggets (59 rubles, or $1.08) are high up on my list of comfort foods from childhood.
I grew up in an Italian family that is quite serious about food, so going to McDonald’s was a big concession made to unappreciative children. Somehow, an exception was made for the Chicken McNuggets.
These Russian nuggets didn’t disappoint: They are crispy, the chicken is tender, and they have the same weird shape as always.
I decided to pair them with two sauces: barbecue and sweet-and-sour (40 rubles, or 73 cents). I noticed a strange little black dot on the package: these were still McDonald’s sauces, and somebody had just manually covered up the golden arches logo with a marker.
The ice cream sundae
This was a disappointing finale. The ice cream (84 rubles, or $1.53) now comes in smaller cups than it used to.
The ice cream itself was creamy and delicious but was partially melted, with the strawberry sauce pooled toward the bottom. I ate a few spoonfuls while watching people lounge in the sun on the busy Pushkin square.
My verdict? The new “fake” Russian McDonald’s might look almost the same, but much of the taste and fun have disappeared – just like Ronald McDonald himself.
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