McDonald’s caught us by surprise once again this year with a new burger, shaker fries, and other delicious exclusives! First launched on April 29, 2021, the Pizza McShaker Fries, Ha! Chicken Drumlets and Chick ‘N’ Cheese Burger are available islandwide while stocks last, at the starting prices of $3.50, $2.40, and $6.40, respectively.
Pizza McShaker Fries
Who does not love McDonald’s fries? From curly fries and criss-cross fries to Seaweed Shaker fries and Mala Shaker Fries, McDonald’s seasonal fries are always something to look forward to! I had especially high hopes for the Pizza Shaker Fries.
As usual, the fries came with the classic paper bag and a cute seasoning packaging which reminded me of the Poppin’ Cookin’ DIY kits that I used to play with when I was younger.
(PHOTO: @chillhouse, Carousell)
(PHOTO: McDonald’s SG)
Unfortunately, the Pizza McShaker Fries was a letdown – in spite of the copious amount of seasoning, the fries tasted bland and uninspiring. Did someone tell McDonald’s that the seasoning tasted more tomatoes than pizza-flavoured? What could be worse? This batch of fries I had was exceptionally dry, not crispy the way I remember Mac fries to be.
Rating: 1/5
Chick ‘N’ Cheese Burger
Meant to pull at your “cheese” strings, the “duo-combo savoury cheesy mozzarella and crispy chicken patties” paired with sweet tomato chilli jam, would seem to be the perfect fit for cheese lovers, except that there is not much cheese, to begin with. The thin slice of cheddar and the “cheesy” mozzarella only added up to a subtle cheesy taste with a non-existent cheese pull.
I tasted more of the McChicken Burger, rather than the cheesy chicken burger that I had expected. Personally, I found the taste of the tomato chilli jam overpowering as compared to the rest of the flavours in the burger which just ruined it for me. The saving grace – the bite was decently soft and chewy.
Rating: 3/5
Ha! Chicken Drumlets
The returning item was meant to be a new take on their previously launched shrimp paste chicken wings. The chicken drumlets came in a paper bag that had the sticker, ‘Special Order’ on it. I would have honestly been more hyped if it were not for tasting the other two exclusives prior to tasting the drumlets. Having said that, it came as a surprise to me that the chicken drumlets exceeded my expectations.
As I took a bite out of the caramelised chicken, the savoury salty flavour came rushing into my mouth. The smoky taste with a hint of shrimp paste was the highlight of the chicken drumlets. Moreover, the texture was close to perfect – crispy on the outside and soft and meaty on the inside. It definitely had me craving for another bite and was thus far, the best out of the other two exclusives.
Rating: 4/5
Ultimately, the new McDonald’s menu might not be everyone’s cup of tea or just not really worth the hype. Regardless, if you would still like to try it out for yourself, the Ha! Chicken Drumlets is definitely a must-try!
Overall rating: 3/5
