Japan’s favorite domestic hamburger chain is known for higher quality than other fast food burger joints, but higher prices too, so our team searches for the optimum 1,000-yen Mos Burger meal.

Welcome back to another episode of Japan Super Budget Dining, where each of our reporters has 1,000 yen (US$6.90) and a dream, a dream of a delicious meal they can put together at one of Japan’s favorite restaurant chains within that budget.

When last we saw them, our team had just finished up their visit to Matsuya, one of Japan’s big-three gyudon/beef bowl chains. Beef is back on the menu today, as they get set to hit up Mos Burger, Japan’s favorite domestic hamburger chain, but as we’ll see, Mos has plenty of other great meaty meals and sweet treats to tempt us with.

▼ Masanuki Sunakoma’s Luxurious Morning Set (980 yen)

● Morning Vegetable Cheeseburger (drink combo) (580 yen)
● Onion rings and French fries (330 yen)
● Barbecue sauce (40 yen)
● Mustard sauce (40 yen)

1,000 yen is a surprisingly tough budget for Mos Burger, but I could still put together a satisfying meal by utilizing their morning menu. Just like the name says, the Morning Vegetable Cheeseburger is stuffed with vegetables, and it’s really filling too.

Since I still had some extra room in the budget I added two different kinds of dipping sauce, to help draw out the maximum potential of the fries and onion rings.

▼ Yuichiro Wasai’s Trio of Talent (990 yen)

● Chicken Burger (390 yen)
● Cheeseburger (280 yen)
● Mos Chicken fried chicken (320 yen)

Some of Mos Burger’s deluxe sandwiches cost close to 1,000 yen these days, but I don’t think they really have the impact of a genuine gourmet burger. But on the other hand, the quality you get for the cost of their less expensive burgers is really outstanding. I still catch myself thinking ‘Whoa, they’re this good, even at those prices?’ So if you ask me, the best way to use 1,000 yen is to load up on tasty lower-priced items like these.

▼ Takashi Harada’s Fully Charged with Deliciousness from First Thing in the Morning Set (1,000 yen)

● Morning Vegetable Burger (drink combo) (540 yen)
● Teriyaki Burger (460 yen)

If you’re looking to get the biggest return on investment at Mos, you’ve gotta go for the morning sets. The Teriyaki Burger is a great choice at any hour of the day, though, so I can’t leave that out either. Putting my two choices together works out to exactly 1,000 yen, and gets you the full charge of refreshing veggies and rich teriyaki first thing in the morning!

▼ Seiji Nakazawa’s Macho Tower Burger Set (980 yen)

● 2 Double Cheeseburgers (880 yen)
● Jalapeno cup side order (100 yen)

Right now Mos Burger has a special dinnertime-only hamburger with three patties, but I’ve created something beyond even that. Dock one double cheeseburger inside another, and you’ve got four layers of beef! Stuff in the jalapenos, then bite into a meaty mouthful with a spicy kick. With Mos using a milder cheese than other burger chains do, the heat of the jalapenos really comes through.

▼ Takamichi Furusawa’s Family Set (990 yen)

● Mos Burger (470 yen)
● Mos Chicken (320 yen)
● Pepsi (small size) (200 yen)

When I was growing up, my family would often swing by the Mos drive-through on the way home from a day out, and this is the meal I’ve been eating ever since I was a kid. My parents, my sister, and I would order this almost every time, and I’ve got a lot of happy memories of giving into temptation and chowing down right there in the car instead of waiting until we got home. There’s just something special about the standard Mos Burger and Mos Chicken, so even now, this is my go-to order, and it always makes me remember those family moments.

▼ Mr. Sato’s All You Need is Chicken and a Shake Set (1,000 yen)

● 2 pieces of Mos Chicken (640 yen)
● Vanilla Mos Shake (medium size) (360 yen)

The place might be called “Mos Burger,” but make no mistake, it’s a legitimate chicken chain too. And when it comes to choosing a drink, the best choice is a shake. The idea of ordering anything else instead is, frankly, ludicrous. Chicken and a shake are all you need…Okay, actually I would like a burger too, but that’s not in the budget.

▼ Mariko Ohanabatake’s Mos Burger’s Shakes and Onion Rings are Unbeatable Set (980 yen)

● Chicken Burger (390 yen)
● Onion Ring and French Fry Drink Set with Amaou strawberry shake upgrade (540 yen)

Out of all the hamburger chains, Mos has the best shakes. Drawing from my fierce desire not just to eat a burger, onion rings, and French fries, but to drink a shake too, I assembled this set.

Aside from their standard flavors, Mos has special seasonal shakes, with a vanilla base that has a touch of iciness to it and a generous amount of fruit sauce on top that you stir as you drink. I recommend only giving the Amaou strawberry one a quick stir or two, so that you get surprising tart bursts from the sauce and strawberry bits. And even if the chicken burger is the cheapest burger on the Mos menu, the breading is crisp, the shredded cabbage sweetly fresh, and the tartar sauce just about perfect. The onion rings and fries are delicious too, but you could already guess that, right?

▼ Yoshio’s Addiction Set (1,000 yen)

● Waiwai Mos Cheeseburger Set (with toy) (590 yen)
● Mos Natsumi Chicken (410 yen)

The Waiwai Set is aimed at kids, but adults can order it too. You get to choose from a selection of toys they have at the register, and this time I chose a pen. I also added a Mos Natsumi Chicken, which is like a chicken cutlet burger, but with a lettuce wrap instead of a bun, and stuffed it in between the buns of the cheeseburger that comes with the Waiwai Set! This gives you a giant burger with both beef and chicken inside! It’s so meaty, and all the lettuce means you get a great crunch too. It’s the absolute best, and even if some people might not think it’s an elegant, mature choice, I’m addicted to it.

▼ Ahiruneko’s Thank You, P.K. Sanjun Set (960 yen)

● Three pieces of Mos Chicken (960 yen)

I never knew Mos Chicken was so good until a few years ago when my coworker P.K. was working on an article about it and he handed me a piece, saying “Dude, it’s good so just try it.” When I bit into that crispiness, it was like my eyes had been opened. Since then, I buy it all the time, and my daughter loves it too. So thank you, P.K., for being a fatherly guiding figure to me on the Mos Chicken path.

▼ Go Hatori’s Mos Beginner Set (960 yen)

● Mos Cheeseburger Set (960 yen)

Actually, I’ve only been to Mos Burger like two times in my entire life, and those were both so long ago that I can’t remember anything about them. So I really don’t know what to order, but since I love cheeseburgers, I went with the Mos Cheeseburger Set, which comes with a medium order of fries and a medium soft drink.

Biting into the burger with no prior notion of how it was going to taste, I was really happy with the flavor! Ah, so this is what Mos Burger is like! The thick tomato slice and meat sauce combine for a really interesting tomato-y effect.

▼ P.K. Sanjun’s Can’t Help It, It’s Just so Good Set (830 yen)

● Mos Cheeseburger (510 yen)
● Mos Chicken (320 yen)

Some people say that Mos Burger’s chicken is even better than their burgers, but I think they could call the place ‘Mos Cheeseburger.’ That’s how good their cheeseburgers are, so obviously I was gonna start my meal with a cheeseburger and a piece of Mos Chicken, and then…ah, wait, that’s pretty much used up my budget. Maybe I could have added an extra 40-yen order of dipping sauce, but I’m pretty much tapped out for actual food items. I suppose I could have carved out a little extra space and gotten a third item by going with a less expensive sandwich like a teriyaki chicken burger, but you know what? I just can’t say no to Mos’ cheeseburger or Mos Chicken, and while I feel a little frustrated at leaving 170 yen of my budget unused, I’ve got no regrets about how my choices taste.

That wraps up our recommendation for this time, but it’s only a matter of time until our panel gets hungry and embarks on its next 1,000-yen-or-less culinary quest, unless they make another Daiso detour first.

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