McDonald's (Parklane)

Never really meant for the two McDonald’s posts to be posted so near to each other — guess I just sat on the McCrispy post for too long that they had the time to release yet another item that actually pique my interest.

Glad that there is always a McDonald’s that is extremely near for me so it is always quite convenient for me to wind up in one whenever they release specials like these — the Crispy Hainanese Chicken Burger being a collaboration between the Golden Arches and local celebrity Ben Yeo that is launched for National Day; what’s more apt than a locally-inspired burger anyway?

To set the records right — this isn’t a burger intended to replicate the local classic hawker dish entirely; the namesake being pretty obvious. Coming with mixed greens (including purple cabbage and carrot) and a fried chicken patty, the obvious differences will be the lack of cucumber and the usual steam or roasted chicken — that being said, the Crispy Hainanese Chicken Burger fared pretty well being a locally-inspired McDonald’s burger (which is essentially what it is); a familiar chicken patty with a distinct flavour of ginger coming off from somewhere within that replicates that of the fragrant rice that comes with the hawker dish. The special Dark Sweet Sauce carries a deep, earthy note; all that without being too sweet — it is actually pretty good on its own, though the garlic chili tends to wipe out much of its flavour somewhat. Be warned though; it’s a fairly messy burger to have with all the sauces added — your hands are likely going to get down and dirty with this one given the gloopy sauces if one chooses to go all the way out with them.

Still a fan of the original fries from McDonald’s (the oldie is a goldie), but I would pick their Crisscut Fries over their Twister Fries anytime — the Crisscut Fries being sliced more completely and also thus carried much more oomph against the short curls that the Twister Fries have become over the years; flavour-wise they were pretty similar though.

Ordering the Crispy Hainanese Chicken Feast also adds the Banana Pie to the spread — not a new item; think their standard Apple Pie featuring caramalised bananas which I prefer over the rather artificial blueberry jam used in the Blueberry Cream Cheese Pie. A colleague mentioned it was pretty reminiscent of Goreng Pisang — never saw it in that way but there is some truth in that, though somewhat sweeter (though still manageable) in a McDonald’s sort of fashion. A little bummed that I didn’t get to try the Kopi Frappe since it isn’t available at the outlet I went to — so there’s the standard McCafe Iced Latte for me.

There has been some talk and comparisons of the Crispy Hainanese Chicken Burger against the Nasi Lemak Burger some years back — both being locally-inspired flavours that McDonald’s have introduced in recent years. There is no doubt that the Nasi Lemak Burger is a better, integral package that was an eye-opener; in comparison the Crispy Hainanese Chicken Burger was something that worked, but still distinctively McDonald’s at it. Still, I must say that the Crispy Hainanese Chicken Burger is one of the better specials that they have released in recent times — something that I would say that works well enough to give a try at least once to find if it works to your tastebuds.

Ran out of lunch ideas so thought why not do with McDonald’s for the day — after all they did launch yet another one of those limited-time items that sounded to be all the rage; Chick ‘N’ Cheese, Pizza McShaker Fries and Ha! Chicken Drumlets.

Sadly the Chick ‘N’ Cheese felt more like a glorified McChicken — don’t get me wrong; I am that boring guy who often find myself ordering that McChicken for something more predictable when visiting McDonalds (which is something I don’t do often), but the Chick ‘N’ Cheese is something that one would order for the sheer novelty of the item rather than the overall composition of the item. More of a glorified version of the McChicken, the Chick ‘N’ Cheese features the same sesame seed buns and the same chicken patty, though comes with a special sweet tomato chili jam and a cheesy mozzarella “patty” that sits above the chicken patty. Best to be had whilst hot, the mozzarella comes melty and gooey with its stringy texture; rather soft and fluffy, but the savoury touch seems to feel rather standalone from the entire burger, whilst overpowering the slice of processed cheese that sits between it and the fried chicken patty. The sweet tomato chili jam was almost akin to a sweeter, more tomato-y version of a Thai chili sauce, though its spiciness was also seemingly overwhelmed by the fried mozzarella patty itself too.

The Pizza McShaker was probably more disappointing than the other items introduced this round; whilst the slight hint of tangy tomato does hint so ever lightly within the seasoning when coated with the fries, there wasn’t otherwise much correlation with an actual pizza. The Ha! Chicken Drumlets fared better though; some may lament on how there isn’t much umami punch for the chicken drumlets but it’s probably already a commendable attempt by a fast food chain on a locally-inspired offering — not to mention that the ones I had were still crisp and freshly-fried without being dry.

More of the Pancakes with Sausage guy at McDonald’s rather than the sort who would go for a McMuffin or a Big Breakfast, so the McGriddles is a thing for me whenever it makes its guest appearance on the limited-time menu all-day — it’s the go-to whenever I am in a situation when I am craving for Pancakes with Sausage, but just don’t really want to deal with cutlery for how its almost the same thing in a sandwich format.

Not sure if the McGriddles here wasn’t prepared quite as properly as it should have been, but this time the syrup-laced “bun” does feel a little less sweet and molten overall; felt a tad cakey and a little dense given the lack of dimension — perhaps one of the reasons why some folks just simply detest the McGriddles. But otherwise, it’s the same old deal with sliced cheese that comes slightly melted if one is ever so lucky, sunny side-up and sausage patty that’s almost a breakfast staple for an early morning meal at McDonald’s for me.

PS: I hadn’t been to McDonald’s that much to notice it, but their McCafe Iced Latte actually comes sweetened by default? Hmm ...

Was intending to get something else but getting McDonald’s seem to be most convenient option — I think I am one who quite easily falls for the non-burger options whenever they make their appearance on the limited time only menu.

The Crispy Chicken is no doubt a crowd-pleaser; that’s what a good piece of fried chicken should be minimally — fried till golden brown on the exterior that hints of light note of garlic powder, the batter is crisp without being greasy, while the meat comes tender and juicy. Not a fan of the accompanying Coconut Pie though; a little too sweet, too creamy and too artificial; not to mention it’s less than aesthetic physical appearance when the filling reveals itself once one takes a bite into the pie ...

There’s something about the Chocolate Pie that isn’t quite like the Apple Pie — it’s crisp, but the pastry seemed to lack the firm bite of the Apple Pie’s pastry, while the Chocolate Pie also looks a little taller and slimmer than the Apple Pie. That being said, the chocolate within is less sweet than expected — perhaps done intentionally so to avoid a mad sugar rush afterwards; it’s actually surprisingly light and not overly jelak, nor did it seem to feel overly sweet. Maybe it’s just me being not so much of a chocolate lover who often goes for the non-chocolate option when it comes to desserts, but I would probably still stick to the Apple Pie instead.

Had to make a point to McDonald’s for this because it’s rare to see McDonald’s introduce anything new mains that ain’t burgers. The Fish & Fries might come in rather small portions, but I do find it filling enough after having the soft drink so it’s pretty much well-sized. The fish is pretty decent; no doubt not the most flaky pieces of fish and that the fish did come off from the batter at times — that being said, the batter maintains crispiness though a little thick for some. Fries aren’t the most stellar; the Parklane outlet isn’t one that does them particularly outstanding especially when compared to other outlets, but you get the flow. My order also comes with two tubs of tartar sauce; you know, the same ones that come with Fillet O’ Fish and it’s more than enough to dip both fish and fries into it.

(PS: tried to be funny by dipping the fish into a tub of curry sauce just to make a point that I was having fish curry but I actually liked it even more — but McDonald’s curry sauce works with anything and everything; you know now 😉)