MEDIA INVITE

Hey everyone!

Remember when McDonald’s Ebi Burger first launched in Singapore in 2013, it was so well-received that stocks were all snapped up within days of going on sale? Well, if you missed it, you would be glad to know that it’s making a comeback but in a different identity with an improved recipe!

Called the Ebi-Kase burger (エビカセ or a chock-full of shrimps, I’d believe), it is described as a flavourful combination of succulent whole shrimp in a crunchy, cereal-coated patty (instead of the breadcrumb shrimp patty found in the regular Ebi Burger), topped with shrimp paste flavoured sauce (rather than thousand island sauce) and crispy whole-leaf lettuce, served in between soft white sesame and chive buns.

The cereal-laden shrimp patty was slightly crispy on the outside and incredibly luscious and juicy on the inside. If not for the buns, I would have probably heard a resounding crunch each time I sank my teeth into the patty. I enjoyed the chunks of plump shrimps that were infused into the patty as they added texture and richness to the burger. Apart from the listed ingredients, there were also traces of potato in the patty which acted as a paste to keep everything intact.

The sauce – a blend of onion, garlic, prawn paste and chilli padi – was savoury and a little overwhelming on the palate. The added spice is what I feel sets this burger apart from the original Ebi Burger but it may not be a welcoming change for those who can’t take the heat (although it’s not as spicy as McSpicy).

The Ebi-Kase Burger also come with double patty from S$9.10 with a complete meal or S$7.15 for à la carte order.

For a truly delightful Ebi-Kase experience, you can opt for the Cereal Ebi Special from just S$7.45. The meal includes a Single Cereal Ebi (à la carte from S$5.35), a refreshing glass of Coca-Cola (S) and crispy Sweet Potato Fries (M).

You may also choose balanced sides as options by swapping your fries and opting for a corn cup at no extra charge. If you’re craving for something healthier, you can top-up $1.20 to change your side to a Garden Side Salad (whole leaf lettuce, red and white cabbage, crunchy carrots, corn kernels and tomatoes, served with a delicious Japanese dressing).

Created to compliment the Ebi-Kase Burger, the shoestring Sweet Potato Fries were deep fried to a crispy, nice shade of golden-orange and sprinkled with very minimal salt in order to retain its original flavour. They were tasty while they were still hot. Once they cooled, they became soggy and had this doughy consistency which I hated. If you need to put out the fire in your mouth after eating the Ebi-Kase Burger, perhaps eating some of these fries can help extinguish the burn a little.

Or, you could take advantage of the 1-for-1 offer on beverages that is still ongoing. (UPDATE: Promotion ended!) Since no one was keen to share the drinks with me (*sobs*), I had both the Mango and Ribena Chill to myself!

The Chill beverages are basically slushies made with popular juice drinks that are not manufactured by McDonald’s. Two flavours are available for the Chill thirst-quenchers: Mango Peach, Sjora ice-blended, and Ribena. Both were not overpoweringly sweet because the ice melted quite rapidly (which is great too because that means I don’t have to wait very long for me to be able to slurp it through the straw).

For dessert, the new Honeydew McFlurry is a refreshing way to bridge from savoury to sweet. Apart from the Honeydew flavour, the soft-serve is also laced with cereal (another star ingredient in this new launch as you can probably tell), making it a rather unusual mashup and something you wouldn’t expect from McDonald’s. However, I felt that the sweetness of the Honeydew was too cloying and artificial that it reminded me of those Honeydew candies served to guests during Chinese New Year. I would very much prefer Matcha McFlurry to this.

As far as I know, this new burger is exclusive to McDonald’s in Singapore only! Are you excited for it? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!

Psst, look out for the second chapter of Ebi-Kase which I will be unveiling right here in mid September!

Thanks for reading! 🙂

The Cereal Ebi, Sweet Potato Fries and Honeydew McFlurry will be available islandwide from 3 September while stocks last.