McDonald’s (Vista Point)

It's good not because of the extra custard but because it tasted almost exactly like a standard apple pie hahaha.

With the trend for bagels going strong, it does seem like the fast food giants are pretty aware of what has been catching on in the F&B scene recently — and perhaps that is how we found ourselves now having the Breakfast Bagel from McDonald’s as a limited time-only special for now. We personally have a preference for the Breakfast Bagel over the Honey Soy McCrispy; the Breakfast Burger perhaps feeling like a bigger “innovation” than the former, considering how McDonald’s had never officially carried the bagel in their main brand — always more of a McCafe item instead, thus bringing in more “surprise” factor than the Honey Soy McCrispy.

Made a beeline for the Breakfast Bagel at the nearest McDonald’s within our vicinity during breakfast service hours which the Breakfast Bagel is only available in the day — there was quite a crowd at the outlet which we visited and it did take us quite a while to get the Breakfast Bagel delivered to our table. McDonald’s didn’t really reinvent the wheel with the Breakfast Bagel here; the bagel does seem like a familiar offering to that of the ones served with cream cheese at McCafe, but the condiments included did make it feel like a rehashed Egg McMuffin in general. Expect the same “fresh round egg” with chicken ham and melted cheese in between the wholemeal bagel bun — the only noteworthy addition that seems to give the Breakfast Bagel a slight twist from being a total McCafe bagel-Egg McMuffin hybrid would be the sautéed mushrooms that sit atop the melted cheese. Taste-wise, the Breakfast Bagel is a pretty decent offering though came rather well within expectations — we liked how the ham provides a slight hint of savouriness amidst the cheesiness and the earthiness of the sautéed mushrooms; the highlight was how the bagel carried a firm and chewy texture as it should.

While the limited time-only Breakfast Bagel is not a must-try in our opinion, it does make for a good-to-have option that we wouldn’t mind to have if it ever gets pushed to the usual breakfast menu of McDonald’s. Despite the fact that the Breakfast Bagel does not quite differ much from that of the Egg McMuffin, one thing is for sure — it does answer to those raging cravings that one may have for bagel sandwiches served at a convenient location; bet this is one plus point that pretty much works in the favour of the Breakfast Bagel against the many artisanal bagels that we have been seeing all around in recent years.

Pretty late to the game, considering how quite a number of people have made the mad rush to ever since its return as a permanent item on their menu, but better late than never?

As far as how the Chicken McCrispy was an item that is well-missed by most during its absence and sporadic comebacks as a limited-time only item, the Chicken McCrispy is something that I can’t really resonate to — it belonged to an era for me where my parents dictated what I should be eating, and pretty much also a time where I hadn’t formed a basis of wanting to try something new (have always been that weird McChicken sandwich kid), so I haven’t actually had a taste of it until now.

Ordering the 2pcs Chicken McCrispy Treat is an “upgrade” over the Chicken McCrispy (2 pcs) Extra Value Meal — it comes with the Blueberry Cream Cheese Pie which I hadn’t tried either. It would be really unfair to bear expectations that the McCrispy would be anything else but fast food — but given the fast food item it is, its a pretty decent item that I would probably ditch my McChicken for. The outlet that I went to did it justice; it’s crisp enough, while the meat was actually still juicy and tender — nothing overly oily and came with a slightly less than moderate level of spiciness that kept things going. Sure, the chicken pieces aren’t quite as big as what some other fast food giants serve up, but the Chicken McCrispy does hold itself pretty well against certain joints where consistency may be a big concern. Some have quipped about the lack of the sweet chili sauce that used to come with the Chicken McCrispy previously; but since I had no connected memories with the item, I guess I am pretty fine with what I had.

If you are wanting to hear about the Blueberry Cream Cheese Pie, its probably a one-off for me. The cream cheese is fairly familiar — the same one used in the Yuzu Cream Cheese Pie some time back; it’s execution is really similar being a half-on-half of each filling inside as well. The blueberry jam bears a similar consistency as the breakfast grape jam; almost jello-like, and whilst it’s sweet and slightly tart, it just felt a little unnatural to say the least.