A Surprising Taste Experience
Konnichiwa 今日は! The seasonal ebi burger from McDonald’s has hit the shores of Singapore once again in 2015. As you might see in the picture above it says “A surprising taste experience” which is what you can expect from this 3rd rendition of the ebi burger.
True enough, the taste is something you wouldn’t have expected from McDonald’s as you will find out as you read further into this post. Did you notice the word ebi anywhere in the picture as well?
We had the privilege of being amongst the first few in Singapore to try out McDonald’s newest shrimp burger. Some ingredients that go into the making of this version of the ebi burger includes shrimps (duh), cereal, and other spices like garlic, onion and and chili, all amalgamated into the patty and a unique shrimp paste flavoured sauce.
First, before we start on the main highlight of the day, we indulged in a refreshing frozen Mango Peach Chill. Wah, this drink really very chill, I like. A concoction of two Asian fruits in the form of an ice-blended drink, hardly anyone would say no to it in our sweltering Singapore weather.
The portion is definitely just nice for me as anything more than that might be too sweet for some to handle.
McDonald’s also has the Ribena Chill too, which introduces crowd-favorite blackcurrant flavours that’s just as easy to drink. It’s a tad sweeter than the Mango peach though.
Fries have been one of the most consistent and best product from every McDonald’s meal. But how about Sweet Potato Fries instead of your normal ones? Sounds good doesn’t it. This is the first time sweet potato fries have been served in McDonald’s, and I have to say it’s on par with many way more expensive cafe versions.
I’m sure you already know, but do be reminded to eat these as soon as it is served (or once you are done with your photo-taking) as it loses its crispness after being left out too long.
The sweet potato fries were mildly sweet and not too dry to chew on as well. They were chunky in the sense that you actually bite into more sweet potato mash rather than just tasteless flour. This makes a good accompanying sides to the upcoming mains with a pretty distinct sweet potato taste.
Now, the main highlight: introducing the Cereal Ebi Burger. Anyone remember that cereal was mentioned as part of the ingredients used? This was definitely an improvement and good Asian adaptation made compared to it’s previous incarnation.
Boasting a crunchy cereal-coated patty and accompanied with a customized spicy shrimp paste flavoured sauce, this patty will entice your tastebuds for sure. Chili was also added into the shrimppaste flavoured sauce, which gives you a spicy kick to make things less monotonous. In my opinion, the mix of cereal taste and spiciness really compliments each other and draws parallels to our local cereal prawns dish – It’s an obvious reference to our shrimp paste based Singapore dishes as well.
For those who can’t take spicy too well though, do not fear as this is not overwhelmingly spicy and rather just a hint to add more dimension. The whole-leaf lettuce wedged between adds additional crunchiness and serve to tamper the entire oiliness and spice level a fair bit as well.
Each patty contains real whole shrimps – just look at the intersection of the patty, can you see the juicy succulent shrimps seeking your attention?
The sweetness of the shrimps and the potato blend together to balance out this patty.
The mildly sweet cereal on the surface also adds more bite and gives a great mix of spicy, sweet and salty all in one patty.
Even the buns are different from usual; the ebi patty is enveloped between 2 soft white sesame and chive buns that are lightly toasted to bring out a subtle yet fragrant aroma.
Now, what’s for dessert?
End your satisfying meal with McDonald’s Honeydew McFlurry ($2.90). No regrets spending precious calories on this, trust me. You might feel that this soft serve dessert is overly sweet, but after the first mouth it changed my mind totally – after all that intense flavour from the ebi burger, you’ll want something on the cold and sweet side to cleanse your palate.
The Honeydew McFlurry actually blends in biscuit bits from broken ice cream cones – Crunch factor checked. It’s a way more convenient way of eating a honeydew-flavoured cone soft serve all in one cup. The little bits give your mouth some work rather than just licking on plain ol’ boring ice cream.
I personally never was a fan of McDonalds’ previous Ebi Burgers, but having said that, I actually liked the new burger way better because the spicy kick that came with each bite excited my appetite a lot. The Cereal Ebi Burger together with a Small Coca-Cola and Medium Sweet Potato Fries will be available from $7.45.
Overall the cereal ebi burger combination exceeds what I would have expected of McDonald’s, although the shrimp-paste sauce was playing a bit on the safe side though, not being overbearingly strong. The original recipe from Japan was used for the patty of this Ebi Burger in Singapore, and you can always trust the Japanese to come up with precise quality.
Psst, before you continue salivating, there will be a second launch of another Ebi burger flavour coming up later on the 17th of September The flavour has yet to be revealed, but in the meantime check out the Cereal Ebi burger first!
Expected Damage: $8-$10
The Cereal Ebi Burger will be available in all McDonald’s outlets island wide from 3rd September 2015 onwards for a limited time only.
*This post was brought to you by McDonald’s Singapore
