The Luxurious Wendy's Burger You Could Only Find In Japan

When it comes to dining out, decisions must be made that have to do with vibe, budget, and convenience, among other factors. That means that while you may be looking for opulence, sometimes you have to opt for fast and affordable. But once upon a time in Japan, those with such conflicted needs could actually have it all.

When Wendy's opened the doors to its second location in Tokyo (and the country at large) back in 2012, the fast food chain rolled out a few speciality options including a burger that combined two of the most iconically luxurious culinary items out there: lobster and caviar. The original Wendy's square burgers were a marketing scheme that almost backfired, and some may consider this gourmet one to have been a gimmick, too, but it's hard to argue that presenting those two ingredients into the humble burger format wouldn't be appealing either way.

To be clear, Wendy's calling it the Lobster and Caviar Burger was a bit of a misnomer, as it was simply a lobster sandwich with caviar (no beef to be found). However, the chain did have another entry to the menu that featured a burger patty topped with lobster and lobster salad made with mustard mayonnaise and caviar. At the time, those items were going for around $16.

These special handhelds were all part of a program Wendy's Japan called the Ocean Premium line. If you weren't up for a sandwich though, you could opt for an Ocean Premium Salad. This greens-forward fast food dish was a mix of egg, cherry tomatoes, red onions, and lettuce, and yet despite the absence of any beef or bread, was the most expensive of the bunch at around $20. 

Seafood wasn't the only luxurious option at Wendy's in Japan during those days, though. One could also find chicken sandwiches topped with truffle, beef patties buried under foie gras, and even Iberico bacon chili (that's certainly one of the tasty ways to upgrade Wendy's chili).

Today, Wendy's Japan has a subsidiary known as First Kitchen, which offers more celestial-inspired options, with burgers quite literally made for moon-viewing (or the tradition known as tsukimi). They feature mochi rice cakes, bonito and kombu, miso, as well as a decidedly more American option that includes bourbon barbecue, bacon, and potato. So although the Ocean Premium line is no longer available, if you're going to work these special Japanese offerings into a ranking of every Wendy's burger, you might have to grade on a curve.