BANGKOK, Thailand – Some Burger King restaurants in Thailand are trying a new take on the classic cheeseburger.
Cheese, lots of it. But no meat or condiments between two halves of a sesame bun.
Burger King Thailand announced on social media this week that it was promoting the “Real Cheeseburger” as a new menu item.
“Not for fun, this is for real! Real cheeseburger from Burger King! 🍔,” reads a translation of a Facebook post from Burger King Thailand. “Carrying up to 20 slices of American cheese!!! 🧀”
USA Today found an online menu description that described the sandwich as, “The real one, real cheese, full of flavor for those who love cheese,” the online menu description reads. “Full of cheese flavor with 20 sheets of American cheese!!! The Real Cheeseburger If you don’t come to play, order now.”
Burger Kings in Bangkok were selling the sandwich this week for a reduced price of about $3.10 (109 Thai baht), CNN reported. The usual price is about $10.90 (380 baht). It quickly went viral on social media in Thailand, with many users on TikTok posting videos of them trying the new sandwich.
At one Burger King branch in Bangkok on Tuesday, a shift manager was overheard saying the outlet had to stop taking delivery orders so they could have enough stock left for walk-in diners, CNN reported.
Reaction from customers posting on social media ranged from horror to grim fascination, NBC’s Today said, citing responses on Twitter.
“You should mark this as sensitive content,” Twitter user Ron Jon posted in response to CNN’s description of the sandwich.
But user kate bush’s husband expressed approval: “I could put down like 10 of these no sweat.”
The new offering is an example of how competing fast food businesses are rolling out options, sometimes wild and bizarre, to try to gain attention, CNN said. The hope is they will catch on and spread from market to market.
Burger King doubled down in the United States on the Whopper, a flame-grilled signature beef burger that has also taken off on platforms such as TikTok through a catchy commercial jingle that came out late last year.
Restaurants around the globe also tailor their offerings to suit local tastes in different countries. In Thailand, cheese is especially popular among young customers, and it is common for the dairy product to be sprinkled on all kinds of dishes.
Burger King’s menu in the country also includes salmon katsu burgers, an apparent nod to consumers’ preference for a healthy alternative to beef.
