Asia's Busiest Restaurant Is A Colorful, Nostalgic Outpost Of This Familiar American Burger Chain

Nothing says "Hong Kong" like McDonald's, right? Forget the dim sum, fish balls, siu mei, char siu, or any of those other traditional dishes that make Hong Kong one of the best destinations in Asia for foodies. It's time for Big Macs, Sausage McMuffins, Happy Meals, Chicken McNuggets — all the usual menu items you'll find at pretty much every McDonald's, everywhere. The McDonald's in Hong Kong's Admiralty Station has the distinction of not only being the busiest McDonald's in Hong Kong, but the busiest restaurant in all of Asia. Considering that Asia consists of two nations home to over 2 billion people (India and China), plus the world's most populous city, Tokyo, that's quite the feat.

After years of astronomical foot traffic, this busiest of McDonald's has gotten a stylish, retro-meets-contemporary makeover. Undertaken by Australian agency Landini Associates, the new Admiralty McDonald's design is part of Project Ray, launched in 2015 to modernize McDonald's look. The project set out to "make McDonald's cool again," per the project brief's description on Architizer. Landini Associates intended to overhaul the 85-year-old franchise's interior design, logo, packaging, uniforms, and more in an effort to strike a chord with Millennials.

Hong Kong's Admiralty location provided a special challenge. Serving one customer every three seconds, the location's flow had to be as flawless as its style. Judging by photos, it's been a resounding success. Slickly decorated with wooden accents and yellow lighting reminiscent of classic McDonald's, the Admiralty restaurant evokes a sense of newness as much as it does the franchise's history — and with an abundance of digital kiosks, it serves the same volume of customers with no troubles.

In some respects, Hong Kong's Admiralty McDonald's represents a flagship, modern experience for the nearly century-old franchise. A spot like the McDonald's in Welshpool, Wales, may have the tastiest options in the world — according to Michelin Star chef, Gareth Ward, at least — but Admiralty station arguably boasts the coolest decor. We mentioned the lighting and wooden paneling, but there's also the Mood Engine stretched across one wall. A floor-to-ceiling curved screen that changes patterns and colors in accordance with the restaurant's daily cycle of business, plus a few nostalgic McDonaldland characters, the Mood Engine is meant to represent McDonald's ability to adapt to its customers' needs.

Even though visitors to Admiralty station will find a menu that's long-since familiar, there are a few items that stand out and speak to regional tastes. There's the Korean-styled Banana Milk Dual Pie, which, no, isn't Hong Kongese, but at least tells us about local preferences. Another popular dessert item is the Iced Okinawa Brown Sugar X Bubble Milk Tea.

Perhaps best of all, visitors to Hong Kong can easily incorporate a stop at the Admiralty McDonald's into their itinerary. The location is the busiest in Asia for a reason: It's in the heart of the action on Hong Kong Island. For instance, on the way to McDonald's, you can even drop by a spot like Hollywood Road, which was voted the world's second coolest street in 2024. Just use the Island Line and you can get from the street to Admiralty station in less than 15 minutes.