As an American living in Japan, I often get asked, “Do you miss McDonald’s?” This always strikes me as a strange question, as living near downtown Tokyo puts me in closer proximity to more outlets of the Golden Arches than I ever had growing up in the suburbs of Los Angeles.

Plus, it’s a little hard to get homesick for McDonald’s when you’ve got access to mouth-watering okonomiyaki and sushi joints, not to mention delicious Indian and Chinese restaurants. Being surrounded by the culinary delights of Asia means it takes something pretty special to coax you into a Big Mac run.

McDonald’s cashiers in Taiwan dressing up in frilly pink maid outfits definitely qualifies.

The dissemination of Japan’s maid café culture seems to be far from over, as on December 24 customers at the McDonald’s branch in front of Taipei Station had their orders taken by dolled-up girls in anime-style maid outfits.

Not only did the cashiers have model-quality looks, their outfits were officially sanctioned by McDonald’s Taiwan, a revelation that means the corporation just might be our god now. Since we haven’t been able to get away from work long enough to make a pilgrimage affirming our new faith yet, we’ve had to settle for religiously reviewing videos of the frilly phenomenon which have been posted by diners on the Internet.

The ribbon-accented outfits aren’t the only thing inspired by the maid cafes that have proliferated in Japan over the last decade. As has become the norm for maid-based dining, customers are referred to as “Master,” with the pretty-in-pink cashiers handing over burgers while chiming, “Master, I have finished preparing your order.”

Predictably, the McMaids proved to be a big hit, with Taiwanese Internet users singing their praises.

OK, that settles it. Lunch at McDonald’s today.

What branch is this? Someone give me directions!

What an awesome Christmas present.

Some of the girls have white socks, and others have black. I really like the variety!

Can we get one to-go?

▼ There’s even a maid with pigtails, for maximum cuteness

Unfortunately, the world’s biggest hamburger chain hasn’t decided to institute the maid uniform at all of its locations worldwide, or even all of them in Taiwan, for that matter. According to Taiwanese media outlet ET Today, the outfits are part of an annual competition among McDonald’s branches in the country.

Between December 27 and 31, the cashiers at competing restaurants dress up in costumes of their choosing. Oddly enough, the winner isn’t chosen by which branch sells the most on their day in special duds, but rather by a panel of McDonald’s managers, with the winning team receiving an unspecified prize.

The Taipei Station branch jumped the gun just a little in performing a dry run of its maid outfits on December 24. For those of your who didn’t spend your Christmas Eve in Taiwan’s capital, or those of you who did but opted for more gourmet dining, the McDonald’s maid outfits will make their second and last appearance on December 31.

We recommend heading over well before you get especially hungry. Fast food or not, we have a feeling the lines are going to be very long on New Year’s Eve.

Sources, images: YouTube, ET Today
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