SINGAPORE - McDonald's Singapore on Thursday (June 30) jumped on the hipster bandwagon, debuting a trio of new menu offerings that brewed up quite the social media storm.
In case you haven't heard of them: salted egg yolk chicken burger, twister fries with salt and pepper crab-flavoured shaker and gula melaka McFlurry with layer cake (kueh lapis) bites.
They are available for a limited period, while stocks last, the fast food chain said.
Adding to the local twist was the return of some items from the past, including spicy nuggets and banana pie.
While some McDonald's outlets - like the Braddell Road outpost The Straits Times visited - were quiet, others quickly ran out of the burger when it went on sale at 11am.
Lawyer Lyvia Ma, 39, was one disappointed customer. "Having walked all the way from MBFC (Marina Bay Financial Centre) to Clifford Centre for the salted egg burger, it wasn't so shiok to find that it's sold out," she added.
In its advertisements, McDonald's had promised a "confirm shiok" experience.
Long queues also reportedly formed at the outlets in town, at Bugis Junction and at Westgate in Jurong East.
And unsurprisingly, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram duly lit up with photos and reviews of the new items.
So did they live up to the hype? Here's our verdict.
Salted egg yolk chicken burger ($5.75, from $7.50 in an Extra Value Meal)
How McDonald's describes it: Inspired by Singaporeans' love for salted egg yolk, McDonald's infuses this rich, salty-sweet grainy concoction with breaded whole-muscle chicken patty, curry leaves and chopped lettuce on a black pepper and white sesame bun.
Our verdict: Pros - soft bun, crispy and juicy chicken a la a McSpicy, and scattered curry leaves that add a nice zing.
Cons - Sorry McDonald's, the salted egg yolk taste is somewhat lacking. Sweet more than salty, and needs more kick.
Twist & Shake fries with salt & pepper crab flavoured shaker ($3.40, top up 60 cents with an EVM)
How McDonald's describes it: To trigger local taste buds, the Twist & Shake Fries are amped up with a flavourful seasoning reminiscent of Singapore's iconic salt and pepper crab.
Our verdict: Terribly addictive, but also left us feeling mightily thirsty from the MSG after polishing off a medium-sized portion. Good job of recreating the spicy and peppery flavour in a black pepper crab dish though.
Is it the best shaker fries flavour? Nope, but way better than the recent truffle rendition.
Gula Melaka McFlurry with Layer Cake Bites ($2.90)
How McDonald's describes it: Combines swirls of gula melaka-flavoured syrup with velvety vanilla soft serve and tops it off with delicious layer cake bites.
Our verdict: The best of the bunch - not too sweet as compared to the chain's previous funky offerings. A strong hint of palm sugar with crunchy bits (shouldn't kueh lapis be soft though?) of layer cake that provided a nice texture to the dessert.
Have you tried the new items? Tell us what you think below.
