National Day is coming up soon, and as we all know, it is time for another of McDonald’s unique burger creations. This year, McDonald’s is celebrating the humble skewer that we all know and love. That’s right, both the Satay Chicken Burger and the Satay Beef Burger will be making their way to all McDonald’s outlets!
It has been a long time since we last saw Satay Burgers on the menu — exactly a decade, as a matter of fact! — but now the Singaporean favourite returns in burger form. Available from 25 July 2024, customers can enjoy the duo alongside Crisscut Fries, a new Thai Milk Tea Frappé drink, and a Coconut Soft Serve lineup for dessert.
We were lucky enough to try out the new hawker-centric National Day offerings at the Singapore McDonald’s HQ. So if you’re dying to know what the latest McDonald’s burgers look and taste like, read on to find out our thoughts!
Satay Chicken Burger
We start with the Satay Chicken Burger (from S$8.90 for an Extra Value Meal) which, if you still remember the original from 10 years ago, looks as though it has been deliciously resurrected back to life. It still has the generous chicken patty alongside slices of cucumber and onions before being drizzled with the peanut sauce.
But this year’s Satay Burgers are a little different. McDonald’s tells us that in keeping with Singaporeans’ tastes, they have made the burgers a little more spicy with a refreshed peanut sauce recipe. And that is immediately apparent when taking a bite out of it. There is a kick of spice from the peanut sauce when it reaches your tongue; it’s not quite as spicy as the McSpicy, but definitely adds a different dimension to the burger. Don’t worry if you aren’t good with spice, as it is very tolerable — some might even say it could be even more spicy!
The grilled chicken patty uses chicken thigh, and I appreciated the choice; it was remarkably juicy and tender. The cucumbers added some freshness to the palette, while the sliced onions provided sharpness and crunch with every bite. Overall, the combination of the ingredients and the sauce gave a profile that leaned towards the sweet and spicy side.
Satay Beef Burger
Next up is the Satay Beef Burger (from S$8.90 for an Extra Value Meal), which uses the same ingredients but switches out the grilled chicken patty for a beef one — the same one you’ll find in McDonald’s iconic Cheeseburger.
Likewise, you still get that same nutty goodness and spice kick from the peanut sauce that lingers at the back of your throat, as well as the excellent complement of the onions and cucumber. But perhaps it’s just me; the combo doesn’t hit as great as the chicken version of the burger. There’s something magical about marrying chicken with a marinade that doesn’t quite work as well with beef.
And since we are on the subject, the beef patty — while still tender — was on the dry side, which kept me from truly enjoying the burger to its fullest. My pick still goes to the chicken iteration if I had to choose between the two.
Thai Milk Tea Frappé
You may be thinking, that Thai Milk Tea isn’t really something Singaporean — it literally has another country in the name! But the reasoning from McDonald’s is understandable. They added Thai Milk Tea Frappé (S$4.70 a la carte) as a homage to Singapore’s love of travelling, with Thailand being one of the more popular destinations. Plus, given how much Singaporeans love to have Thai Milk Tea, it may as well be added to our list of national drinks!
If you’re at all familiar with McDonald’s earlier Thai Milk Tea ice creams, the Thai Milk Tea Frappé is pretty much the drink version of those. Just like typical Thai Milk Tea, the concoction is incredibly creamy and refreshing, especially considering it comes in ice-blended form. Admittedly, there isn’t much of the tea taste with this drink — it leans more towards the sweet side, which is great for someone like me who has a sweet tooth.
Coconut Cone
Last but not least, we enjoyed the latest flavour addition to McDonald’s desserts—coconut! The lineup consists of a Coconut Cone (S$1.20), a Coconut OREO McFlurry (S$3.60), and a Coconut Hot Fudge Sundae (S$2.50), with coconut ice cream, of course, linking them all together.
At McDonald’s HQ, we got to try the Coconut Cone. The ice cream itself was on the lighter side of sweetness, which people might prefer, but there was not as much coconut flavour as I would have thought. Compared to Mr Coconut, the coconut taste was more subtle. As with most McDonald’s cone ice creams, the biscuit cone provided a nice ending to the dessert.
More to try for National Day 2024
While you can enjoy the Satay Burgers, Crisscut Fries, Thai Milk Tea Frappé, and Coconut Soft Serves from 25 July 2024 onwards, there is more to look forward to from McDonald’s in the month of August!
If you’ve been missing the fragrant notes of paste dressing from Ha Cheong Gai Chicken Burger, a favourite of many when it first debuted, it will be making its return on 8 August 2024—just in time for National Day!
McDonald’s National Day Menu
🗓️Date:
- From 25 July 2024 (Satay Burgers, Crisscut Fries, Thai Milk Tea Frappé, and Coconut Soft Serves)
- From 8 August 2024 (Ha Cheong Gai Chicken Burger)
💲Price:
- Satay Burgers: from S$8.90 for an Extra Value Meal
- Crisscut Fries: S$4.70 a la carte
- Thai Milk Tea Frappé: SS$4.70 a la carte
- Coconut Soft Serves: Coconut Cone (S$1.20), Coconut OREO McFlurry (S$3.60), and Coconut Hot Fudge Sundae (S$2.50)
- Ha Cheong Gai Chicken Burger: from S$8.90 for an Extra Value Meal
In the meantime, look out on McDonald’s socials on Facebook and Instagram to see more of their National Day 2024 offerings, as well as what they are cooking up in the future!
Photos by Russell Loh of the DANAMIC Team.
