Mcdonald’s is known for cheap and affordable food with questionable quality. Is McDonald’s gourmet truly gourmet, or is McDonald’s overcharging for a rebadged product.
Order
I got the McSpicy Premium Chicken Meal (INR 329), 6 piece nuggets (INR 144) and Piri Piri (INR 22).
Initial + Packaging
McDonald’s gourmet is so “fancy” that you can’t order it from regular McDonald’s. Swiggy has an entirely separate restaurant for McDonald’s gourmet. I was super disappointed when it came with standard McDonald’s packaging. Other McDonald’s stuff normally has special packaging, like the BTS meal, but I was super disappointed when I got normal delivery boxes.
BUT at least the burger got its own fancy little gourmet box.
McSpicy Premium Chicken Burger
I was initially wowed. Nicely packaged, with a special box. The burger had a very interesting bun, it was thinner but had more sesame. There was a noticeable quality improvement as the bread had a better texture and was whole weat. It just felt more real than McDonald’s usual buns, which have a sort of artificial taste and texture. The chicken patty was also superior, it was larger, and an improved batter coated the chicken. The improved batter was darker, had a better spice blend (more spicy) and produced crispier chicken.
This is where the “premium” ends. The regular McSpicy Chicken Premium costs INR 164, with the whole wheat version costing 174. The premium boasted a slightly larger size, more sauce, better chicken batter, and an egg. That’s right, a McDonald’s egg. I can say with confidence, that McDonald’s regular eggs don’t pair well with the sandwich, and I had to remove the egg to eat the burger. This egg is almost plastic, with a very slimy and overall unappealing taste.
The price jump is significant for a slightly larger burger with an egg. The lettuce wasn’t premium, and I felt like the overall burger didn’t warrant the price nor deserve the title of “gourmet”
Chicken Nuggets
I have no idea why, maybe it’s just a placebo, but I like these nuggets more. They cost the same and taste the same, but the texture and crunchiness were superior. Maybe just a fresher batch, I guess.
McDonald’s please add more nugget sauces, I’m tired of just mustard.
Fries
No idea why, but the meal had extra fries! I got large fries and a free small, I think that’s a great deal. Classic McDonald’s fries. Had to get that piripiri. Again crispier and warmer than usual on arrival.
Overall
Premium is a mixed bag. I do think everything I got was fresher somehow. The only difference in product anyway is the burger. In the burger, the price:benefit ratio isn’t quite as great as that of a normal Mc spicy chicken. The experience is however better with the bun and the chicken itself. I’d personally still go to regular McDonald’s, as the separate restaurant doesn’t have McDonald’s usual variety. It’s almost like you pay for a “refined” McDonald’s experience, that somehow isn’t special enough to warrant its own restaurant.
