Monday, September 05, 2011
Backstory: in 2010 my bff Penny came up with the idea of eating McDonald's in every country across Europe (because she had a fleeting thought the food o/s wouldn't be up to standard) - but we got there and she changed her mind. No-one else in our group was game so I carried it through. For most of these samplings I was on a Topdeck tour.
I first felt like Morgan Spurlock in Super Size Me because I was eating it so regularly - at least every second day while on the tour - and hoped it wouldn't affect my health too much. Actually... that was a slight lie. I wasn't too concerned.
I should add, I went on this odyssey only to discover the specialties - the 'limited time only' specials, or something unique to the country. No Big Macs for me. So now to the photos.
FRANCE: Paris
After six months of not having a bite (okay so I had a hash brown at Athens Airport when I first got over there) I had my first 'McDo' meal, as they call it in France, in the restaurant that's part of the Louvre complex. I discovered that the French don't eat small and I was forced to buy a medium meal. To be blunt, the chips weren't great (however they were less salty than ours) and the burger appears rather plain. The bread was interesting, but the filling was merely beef, cheese, tomato and actual slivers of onion (not the tiny chopped up things in a lump). For its similarity to a cheeseburger, I give it (and the meal) 5/10. Good to taste the familiar beef again but an average start.
SWITZERLAND: on the road
On the way to Swiss Alps town Lauterbrunnen, we had a pit stop where I knew in my gut it'd be the only chance to get Maccas in Switzerland. 15 minutes to eat and go. I decide to go for the CBO and couldn't believe it when I opened the box and found actual bacon pieces on top of it. A McDonald's cheese and bacon roll? The chicken was different too, not the same herbs or coating. With a touch of mayo and more bacon on the inside, I skipped getting money out of the ATM and almost missed the bus for this because I didn't want to eat it so fast. Cooked well, one of the tastiest fast-food burgers I've ever had. 9/10.
ITALY: Rome
After a long hot morning in Rome - seeing the Pope in St Peter's speak to 70-80,000 people and not being able to find a metro station anywhere we all agreed on Maccas for lunch (yesss). The il Mac looked appealing, esp. since it has Swiss cheese in the picture. I like Swiss cheese. But I still found myself unable to order a small meal, even when I asked ('Piccolo?' No.). The chips tasted better by this point (more like ours, but not too salty) while the burger had nice thick beef. But the thick bread cancels out half the taste. 7/10.
AUSTRIA: Vienna
Although we couldn't really do that much in Vienna because it was a Sunday (aaargh), I still only found little time to find myself a Maccas lunch because everyone else had already eaten. Although I only picked a snack as such, what a snack it was - Cheesy Broccoli Nuggets. The pack gave me six bites of gooey goodness - warm and indeed cheesy on the inside. Never seen anything like it before. Perfect snack, but six wasn't enough! 8/10.
The Mango Passion McSundae came as tour-mate Sally and I went hunting for apple strudel following dinner (as you do in Austria, no?)... no McCafe so I settled for this. Not huge on their toppings, but the mango taste was incredible and in no way sickly. Like mango yoghurt but so much sweeter. 9/10.
SLOVAKIA: Bratislava
Bratislava was only a day-stop; we only spent 60-90 minutes there - and 3/4 of that was in rain. But it cleared up by the time we ventured from coffee to continue my quest, and it was so worth it. Complete with delivery to your table, this Maccas offered a taste of Greece (the food I missed so much at this point) with a Beef Tzatziki burger (and crinkle-cut herbed wedges). This is my style. With the usual culprits as well as fetta cheese, tzatziki and a herbed bun, this was unbelievably tasty even after having eaten a decent amount of the stuff over the past week and a half. With the mouth-watering wedges, I'm going to say this was perfect, if a bit messy. 10/10.
HUNGARY: Budapest
By the time I got to Budapest I'd seen these on a few menus, with different meats. And heaps of the tour peeps had seen my photos and were aware of my quest... which made me more persistent to explore the menus. I went with the beef McWrap, and although small it had a lot of flavour. The tangy yellow sauce went well with the beef and the strange mix of stuff (is that mango in the picture? It's been a while, I don't remember that...) packed a punch. On the run this worked easily, 7/10.
POLAND: Krakow
You may be able to tell by the first picture that we had been out before embarking on the Polish leg. At 2am, time for a feed before heading back. This restaurant had a slight HJ's feel to it with its New York-inspired menu. I skipped a New Yorker burger in favour of this snack combo - wedges with sour cream (that tasted more like aioli and felt so fatty in your mouth it was good) and a mini apple crumble. OMG. First McDonald's dessert I'd encountered and it was incredible with its fresh-tasting apple chunks and creamy interior. Wedges/sour cream: 7/10, crumble 8.5/10 - too small!
CZECH REPUBLIC: on the road 
We stopped through on the way to Prague at this McDrive (although we sadly didn't fit through the thing being on a bus and all - but to be fair the seats inside were fairly accommodating). Notable for its similarity to the Slovakian menu (Beef Tzatziki burger and all) - I wonder why... oh and according to Irishman Chris it was the first along his travels to have Double Cheeseburgers. Well spotted. I went for prawns and their 'special sauce.' Point lost for having to pay extra for the sauce, and another for the prawn itself being miniscule in relation to all the (badly amazing) crumbing around it. But the sauce was between tartare and aioli and suited, and the prawns tasted fine from what was there. Fine as a really light snack but fair average. 5/10.
GERMANY: Berlin
The most fun I've had at McDonald's in a long time. Probably since I used to play 'the pickle game' with my brother and cousin, trying to see who'd step and possibly slip on our dropped cheeseburger pickle... ah those were the days. ANY-way, after 3:30am we found this open on our way home... and the menu was SO impressive. I settled on a two snack burgers; the first an Italian-style chicken burger, crumbed and with Napoli sauce. Something similar was once released at home as a proper burger and this was just as tasty. Then... the Nurnburger. Three small sausages and mustard in a flour-dusted bun, a likely homage to their apparently famous currywurst. Definitely an acquired taste, but good quality meat. I managed to polish off 1.5 of these. Italian: 9/10. Nurnburger: extra point for most patriotic, fun item I've ever seen. 8.5/10.
THE NETHERLANDS: Amsterdam
We had about half an hour so I couldn't savour this for all it was worth. A Chicken Sensation indeed, with really fresh-tasting filling, nice mayo and beautifully seasoned crunchy chicken. And this is definitely my bread of choice. 9.5/10.
***
We hit a slight stumbling block here. Next stop was Brugges in BELGIUM for a daystop... I wander aimlessly alone frantically trying to find it - and find out from a chocolatier lady that they don't have one in the town centre, only a Quick, which is a Western European fast-foodie. Shattered. Didn't even try Quick because the lines were too big and the menu didn't look that great.
Then... oh it hurts to say this... the UK. There for a week before Topdeck and two days after. Too focused on lots of pub meals I left it until the last breakfast (on the way to my Valencia flight) because I knew they had bagels. Leave it before the Tube ride, get to Gatwick all hungry and ready - and I was falsely told they had one. Felt like crying. Kicking myself to this very day. I have unfinished business with London.
SPAIN: Valencia
I was now not the only one on a McDonalds quest: my new La Tomatina buddy Maddy was a McFlurry hunter. So we enjoyed our conquest together on the first night there. Brownie points for the cup with water, but the Californian Grill burger instead of the as-yet-untried pork option was a letdown. Really just a mix of things I've seen so far - thick meat, bacon and herbs on top and a 'special sauce.' My recommendation of the CBO, which they had, served trumps for Irina at least. I had one again in Majorca the next week that unfortunately wasn't as good. Grill: 6/10.
GREECE: Athens
After being in Athens for five days I manage to come around full circle and try something which I thought was completely crazy at their airport. The picture above shows a burger. This particular burger contained a prawn pattie. Yes, a prawn pattie. It didn't have an overpowering fishy taste but with the regular fillings and sauces eating it still had a strange feel. Was neither here or there. 5/10.
***
I ended up having Maccas brekky back in Melbourne Airport on the final stopover with one of their wraps (new for the time, seems the local menu shook things up too). Lament the missed op of trying a pork, a breakfast and a UK option. And I should probably go a Big Mac too on my next run. But the quest in 2010 was a lot of fun. I can only imagine the possibilities of what I'd do next.
2011
Didn't think I'd get a chance to continue so soon. Between the 2010 and 2011 trips I only had Maccas once - on a (drunken) Saturday night. Okay, point the finger, naughty me! Six months off, 1.5 months on could’ve be a perfect system... but 2011 has been less of McDonalds and more of worldly cuisine. Doesn’t mean I didn’t try some excellent new spins on the fast food giant’s golden menu though!
SINGAPORE: Singapore City
Walking down Orchard Road for the first time, even at night the humidity was getting to me. There's a LOT of McDonalds stops along the shopping mecca, and I was rather intrigued by one of their dessert cafes just off the main strip. I've still never seen anything like it! First treat of the trip (and definitely not the last) was a Supreme Milo McFlurry. An explosion of chocolate goodness, Milo and ice-cream have always gone together. Perfect mix, and the last time I would see Milo for a fair while. 9/10.
TURKEY: Istanbul
Sick as a dog on the last day in Istanbul after an excellent ANZAC Day tour, I discovered Middle Eastern influence within their menu. The (beef) McTurco I ate allowed me to spread sauces at my disposal and introduced flat bread into my quest for the first time. Was rather ravenous with this one - tomato sauce and mayonnaise together made for a great mix and added to the wrap's taste. Props for an awesome name too. 8.5/10.
EGYPT: on the road
***
The UK was last in my new McDonalds journey. I finally had a Big Mac in Birmingham where it tastes just as good as anywhere else. But new stuff between the regions was rare as the UK and Ireland effectively have the same menu. So I stretched what I could...
SCOTLAND: Glasgow
I needed chicken. And I needed it good. Looking in hindsight, the Chicken Legend is pretty similar to what I had in Amsterdam but I didn't have many options. It was tasty as chicken/lettuce/mayo can be, but nothing mindblowing. 6/10.
NORTHERN IRELAND: Belfast
My meals in Belfast had no room for McDonalds so I settled for a Drifter McFlurry. Now, I'd never heard of the chocolate before so thought it sounded safe enough. Turned out to be too safe for my liking - wafer pieces and a 'toffee' sauce (*cough* caramel) didn't do enough to make a strong flavour for the ice-cream. Bored. 3/10.
REPUBLIC OF IRELAND: Galway
Gosh I loved Galway. First stop there was McDonalds as I still hung out with tour-mates before they continued back to Dublin without me. The UK had the wraps you see here, but while Scotland and England had them as daily specials, in Ireland you could pick what you wanted whenever. Win! Vegetarian wrap with chickpea pattie was my healthiest McDonalds meal so far. Sweet chilli sauce complimented the packed flavour of the pattie while cucumbers evened out the spice factor. Rather full, I was happy as Larry. 8/10.
ENGLAND: London
Still feel like I have unfinished business with this place. Trying one of the other wraps was purely for mealtime, but the Chicken Caesar Wrap was pretty good. Crispy chicken, decent bits of bacon. Well prepared. 8.5/10.
The cheesy nuggets on the other hand soured my English experience. Got my food only to see the 'special sauce' was missing and on asking was told they'd run out. So this can't be reviewed 100 per cent accurately. And tomato sauce wasn't going to make up for it. The cheese was rather chewy and not gooey as you'd imagine. Besides my disgust with being misinformed, they tasted like rubber. Not enjoyable. 1/10.
***
So I'm done for a little while. Who knows where my next destination will be? I hope it's sooner rather than later...
***
5/12/2011
Not so long after all... turns out Maccas celebrated 40 years in Australia earlier this year with some celebratory returns to mark the big occasion.
My big move to Dubbo meant I was eating a bit more junk than desired as I settled in and found a place. But what I ate was nothing short of substantial. It's been a while since these came and went but the memory forever lingers...
***
5/12/2011
Not so long after all... turns out Maccas celebrated 40 years in Australia earlier this year with some celebratory returns to mark the big occasion.
My big move to Dubbo meant I was eating a bit more junk than desired as I settled in and found a place. But what I ate was nothing short of substantial. It's been a while since these came and went but the memory forever lingers...
AUSTRALIA: Dubbo
The birthday McMuffin was a bonanza, with a big bacon layer, hash brown, egg, meat pattie and cheese. I personally thought I wouldn't be able to get through it even though it wasn't any bigger than a normal McMuffin. Just more packed. But I loved it. Perfect start to that day - I found my car online as I ate that so it had to be a good omen. For taste, definitely up there. 9/10.
The McFeast Burger and Shaker Fries had been a huge hit back when they were first released (I think in the 80s)... the McFeast was a good mix of everything and felt very Aussie strangely enough. The mix of different sauces is testament to that, but otherwise merely what a Maccas fix provides. Saturated goodness. 6/10.
The Shaker fries took a while to flavour after said shaking. I rather enjoyed that action for the novelty though - was too afraid to put all the powder in for fear of overload but the chips did warrant it. Once 'marinaded' for a bit, the seasoning was lovely and added to the chips. They just weren't the best chips ever on that day. For novelty and nice flavour, 7/10.
2012
NEW ZEALAND: Auckland
Like the Czech Republic and Slovakia, Australia and New Zealand have similar, if not identical, menus. I hadn't visited an Aussie Maccas in some time before heading over the ditch so I remain unaware if the Chicken Scorcher was also a limited edition burger at home.
This came after a four-hour bus trip and I was so grateful for it. It was a chicken burger with a difference. Same crispy coating but like a KFC Zinger in that the spices are in there instead of a sauce. Difference here was that it was BOTH. The mayo was an orange colour with flecks of chilli, and with the spicy chicken it actually really packed a punch. Wolfed this one down. 9/10.
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