Fast Food Watch: McD's New Year Special + BK Salads

New Year, new beginnings is being interpreted rather differently by two fast food brands in the Chinese market. McDonald’s is celebrating by slapping a bit of black pepper gunk on a burger and calling it a day, while Burger King is saying it cares about your health with new salad options.

Although their commitment to said health is questionable, considering it comes in a combo deal with a normal Coke – they could’ve at least offered a diet option! The real question is, though, are these salads as dry and unexciting as the burgers they churn out?

McD’s Prosperity Black Pepper Beef Slab Thing

Expectations vs. reality really hit the nail on the head with this one, the Prosperity Beef Burger, which comes at RMB 26 on its own or RMB 36 as a combo with fries, nuggets, and a Coke. In advertising and on delivery apps (see lead image), the sandwich is glistening in a vibrant black pepper sauce with a layer of lettuce atop. While the black pepper sauce is there, the lettuce is sparse, which makes it look rather less than prosperous.

Concerning flavor, there’s nothing that makes this stand out compared to McDonald’s previous New Year specials. The black pepper sauce has a hint of black pepper, and doesn’t meld at all with the dry beef patty it attempts to elevate. We give it a 2/10, not much prosperity happening here.

Burger King Salads

Burger King has opted to go a healthier route with a new special – although, to be fair, we couldn’t tell if it was a special based on how hidden it was, so there could still be less than healthy New Year goodies to come -- in the form of salads. 

You can choose from a few options with the salads: plain (RMB 15.5), chicken (RMB 24), beef patty (RMB 28), or Angus beef patty (RMB 38). We tried the chicken one, which comes with a packet of kewpie salad dressing and the chicken in a separate bag. 

When everything comes together, it’s not all that bad. In the end, though, we see this working as a last resort sort of thing – say if you’re craving BK but feel guilty about eating a burger and forsaking your New Year’s resolution. Plus, seeing as the combo upgrade just includes a normal Coke (+ RMB 6), doesn’t that defeat the purpose of a salad in the first place?

READ: 2024 Year-in-Review: Places That Opened New Branches

Images: theBeijingers, Meituan