Taste Taste: McDonald’s Jjang! Jjang! Burger

Do you enjoy Korean fried chicken but are too lazy to get through wings and drumettes? Or do you swear by the McSpicy every time you drop by McDonald’s? 

Well then, McDonald’s latest limited edition item is perfect for you. The Jjang! Jjang! Chicken Burger is, in my opinion, the best limited edition meal McDonald’s has put out in quite some time. Somehow, it even overshadows the McSpicy; other than the higher price, the Jjang! Jjang! Chicken Burger is clearly the better choice.

The arrival of the Jjang! Jjang! Burger was felt right at the door — or at least at Toa Payoh Central’s McDonald’s. The outlet was playing a whole playlist of K-Pop hits ranging from TWICE to BIGBANG, which definitely added some zest to the experience.

Not that the burger itself required any more help though.

The burger is immensely flavourful thanks to its aromatic sauce. The sauce’s spiciness is perfectly balanced out by its sweetness. It would be best to have a few serviettes and tissues ready because the sticky sauce will be all over the place. 

The flavours that aren’t spilled onto your face and clothes are further absorbed and heightened by the crispy McSpicy patty we all know and love.

I found myself desperately dabbing the patty against the packaging to salvage as much of the sauce as I could. Every bite simply craves for the next. Even now, hours after my first taste, it’s growing increasingly difficult to resist ordering another meal. 

What I would do differently, if I was to succumb to the convenience of McDelivery, is to leave out the lettuce and tomatoes. Both ingredients hardly add anything to the burger other than to make eating it an even messier affair, thanks to the generous helpings of its sauce. 

I do wish the meal comes with a better deal. 2017’s Seoul Spicy Burger Meal, probably the closest comparison to the Jjang! Jjang!, at least came with Kimchi Shaker Fries. This time around for $9.20, we only get medium-sized fries and the Yuzu drink.

Perhaps, the abundance of sauce is meant to be paired with the fries to create your own special concoction of sorts.

McDonald’s is also offering a 2x Value Meal featuring the Jjang! Jjang! and McSpicy, which seems rather puzzling and almost cruel. Why put anyone in the terrible position where they have to watch someone else enjoying their burger while they themselves are stuck with something mundane? Who gets the better burger in that meal for two? The choice might break a few friendships and relationships. 

There have been petitions to make the Twister Fries and Nasi Lemak Burger permanent items on the menu. 

Someone should start one for the Jjang! Jjang! Burger. I will sign it immediately.