Category: Reviews

REVIEW: McDonald’s Special Grade Garlic Sauce

Marvo 4 Comments

McDonald’s in the US is dipping its toes again in the pulling from the international product pool with the release of its Special Grade Garlic Sauce, inspired by the Black Garlic Sauce offered by McDonald’s Japan. Or, perhaps I should say dipping its fingers? If you’ve watched the anime Jujutsu Kaisen (or read the manga), which is the tie-in with this sauce, you’ll understand why fingers might’ve made more sense.

The only way to obtain it is through the McDonald’s app. Why? To encourage you to download the app. But, if you do order it, you’ll get a free 30-day trial of the anime streaming service Crunchyroll, which has Jujutsu Kaisen in its library.

McDonald’s says the limited time offering is a savory and tangy black garlic sauce with hints of black pepper. Another description says it contains notes of garlic and soy sauce, balanced with a slight tangy sweetness. With its combination of black garlic, black pepper, and soy sauce, I thought its color would be tar black or Black Flash black, but it has a clear reddish hue.

As expected, the sauce has a strong garlic smell, and the garlic and soy sauce flavors are the most prominent. I can’t say I’ve ever had black garlic, so I can’t compare. The ingredient list includes black garlic puree and regular garlic, but I didn’t taste anything about the garlic notes that made me think something was different. However, the whole thing tastes a bit too umami-y to me. (Try to say umami-y 10 times really fast.) Even the sauce’s slight sweetness was not enough to cut through that. There was also a peppery warmth that built up, but it stayed quite mellow.

McDonald’s Special Grade Garlic Sauce is okay enough that if I had to eat one of Sukuna’s fingers (or anyone’s), and if it was my only option, I’d be fine with using it. But I won’t be getting it again with my McNuggets.

Purchased Price: FREE (comes with order of McNuggets)
Rating: 5 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 45 calories. No other nutritional information is available on McDonald’s website.

REVIEW: Dunkin’ Mike’s Hot Honey Sandwich

Erin 1 Comment

Ever since Mike’s Hot Honey debuted in 2010, it’s been oozing its way onto pizza, ice cream, and everything in between. Dunkin’s menu is the latest to fall into Mike’s sticky fingers with its new Hot Honey Bacon Sandwich, Wake-Up Wrap, and Snackin’ Bacon. The sandwich stacks hot honey bacon, a fried egg, white cheddar, and a hot honey drizzle on a brioche bun. Honey seems like a perfect condiment for a breakfast sandwich, so this collaboration is a no-brainer, and I’m surprised it didn’t happen sooner. Dunkin’ might be a little late to the game, but there’s no reason this shouldn’t be a slam dunk.

Upon unwrapping this sandwich, I took note that it looked like a lot of buns and not much else. The cheese was visible, but that was about it. I don’t typically feel the need to dissect my food before eating it, but sometimes it can be helpful when reviewing to make sure you actually have all the correct ingredients since (this will come as no shock to my fellow fast food purchasers) plenty of times – you don’t.

Opening the sandwich revealed everything that was supposed to be there, albeit none of it looked very appealing. The cheese wasn’t well melted, the bacon mediocre, and the egg looked squishy, perhaps due to sitting on the bottom bun that was soaked in the hot honey glaze. I reassembled things, which did make for a more complete picture. Although unfortunately not a better eating experience.

For having both hot honey bacon and a hot honey drizzle, there is zero heat present in this sandwich. I couldn’t detect any whatsoever, and if I hadn’t seen the employee who made it using a bottle with a Mike’s label, I would have thought it was regular honey, and maybe the location ran out of the real stuff. My dad is the kind of spicy food-averse person who starts coughing if they look at a red pepper flake, and I think he could eat this with no problem. Dunkin’ must have mellowed out the pepper content in hopes of a more universal appeal to its sweet-leaning fanbase, but it’s disappointing to expect a sweet/hot combo and lack half of it entirely. Trying the bacon on its own, I found it to be serviceable fast food bacon with a honey flavor, but the heat is still missing. The egg was as unpleasantly squishy as its appearance promised. I didn’t expect a great fried egg in this situation, but a spongey, sweet one does not help things. Perhaps if a more viscous honey drizzle was used or if it was placed elsewhere on the sandwich, it would work better, but as it is things just get soggy.

When I tried this, there was a deal in the app to get it for $3, and it’s definitely not worth more. Fans of hot honey and good breakfast sandwiches should get their fix elsewhere because Dunkin’ dropped the ball on this one.

Purchased Price: $3.00 (app offer, normally $5.99)
Rating: 5 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 600 calories, 29 grams of total fat, 12 grams of saturated fat, 0 gram of trans fat, 265 milligrams of cholesterol, 1210 milligrams of sodium, 61 grams of total carbs, 2 grams of dietary fiber, 23 grams of total sugar, and 24 grams of protein

REVIEW: Mtn Dew Infinite Swirl

Marvo 2 Comments

I’ve enjoyed every Dew blasted with pineapple flavor, from Maui Burst to Baja Gold. Although, I enjoyed the former more than the latter. And that adoration extends to the 7-Eleven exclusive Mtn Dew Infinite Swirl, a Dew with a blast of pineapple berry flavor.

Its Smurf blue color brings to mind other recent Dew varieties, Liberty Chill and Summer Freeze. That blue hue looks good with the soda’s yellow and red-colored label.

Infinite Swirl has a pineapple-forward taste with some berries on the back end. At first, the blue color made me think it was blue raspberry. But, as always, the label artwork gives a clue. The red ribbons with seeds on them seemed to indicate strawberries, and when I realized that, I began to taste that berry more prominently. The two flavors make a delicious fruity combination. As someone who is a fan of pineapple and strawberry-blasted Mtn Dew varieties, this is definitely a favorite. In fact, I love it as much as the Dollar General-exclusive Maui Burst, one of my favorite Mountain Dew varieties.

Unfortunately, like Maui Burst, it’s a store-exclusive product. But 7-Eleven locations (and sister stores, like Speedway and Stripes) I think are a bit more plentiful than Dollar General locations, so this might be easier to come by. (UPDATE: Did a quick Google search to fact-check, and it turns out there are as many 7-Eleven locations the US as there are Dollar General locations, which is very surprising.) Also, for those of you wondering if there’s a zero sugar version, there isn’t one at this time. But I’ll try to buy enough of it to perhaps give PepsiCo a reason to make one because this pineapple berry Dew is that good.

I hope Infinite Swirl’s time on shelves is infinite. I read that this is a permanent flavor, and I really hope that ends up being the case because it’s a DEWlicious tasting Dew.

Purchased Price: More than one should pay on eBay
Size: 20 fl oz bottle
Purchased at: eBay
Rating: 9 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 280 calories, 0 grams of fat, 85 milligrams of sodium, 76 grams of carbohydrates (including 76 grams of added sugar), 0 grams of protein, and 94 milligrams of caffeine.

REVIEW: Limited Edition Campfire S’mores Cup Noodles

Mark 3 Comments

Ah, summertime: that period of the year for road trips, pool parties, outdoor concerts, and stuffing marshmallows, graham crackers, and chocolate into every conceivable sweet. Like cereal, cookies, and ramen.

Wait. Ramen?

Yes. Ramen.

In recent years, Nissin’s Cup Noodles have provided us with unusual sweet and savory mashups: pumpkin spice, breakfast, and everything bagel. And now s’mores have joined the noodley family. I was pleasantly surprised by the pumpkin spice variety, so I was eager to try this one.

When I remove the lid, I see the usual dry noodles with mini marshmallows on top. It’s an amusing and tantalizing sight: I enjoy s’mores-flavored treats, and the marshmallows remind me of what is supposed to be coming. There’s also a brown and tan powder, which I presume is the chocolate and graham crackers.

I pour water into the cup to the fill line, then microwave it for three minutes as instructed (I’m very good at following rules), and it still bubbles over.

Unlike an actual s’more, there are no gooey marshmallows to enjoy after cooking. Instead, they have dissolved with the rest of the ingredients. Oh well, that means the flavor will just incorporate with the other ingredients to taste like a delectable campfire treat, right?

Unfortunately, it is difficult for me to taste any s’mores flavor. I don’t taste graham crackers or chocolate, and marshmallows don’t really have a flavor. There’s just a generic sweetness mixed with a generic savoriness. The list of ingredients includes garlic powder and onion powder. I don’t detect those (thankfully), but I still taste a bit of a usual Cup Noodles umami.

This product is weird because what else would you expect from s’mores ramen? But more than anything, it’s disappointing. The noodles don’t really taste like what they’re supposed to. If I want a sweet treat, I can grab one of the million other s’mores items. If I want something savory, there are better options.

Look, these noodles won’t ruin your summer. They’re better than a sunburn or a mosquito bite. Instead, they’re more like that one book you read one day during summer vacation but can’t remember what it’s about or that nondescript snow cone you got at the amusement park. Campfire S’mores Cup Noodles just aren’t that interesting or memorable.

Purchased Price: $1.18
Size: 3.07 oz
Purchased at: Walmart
Rating: 5 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 container) 400 calories, 14 grams of fat, 6 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 800 milligrams of sodium, 61 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 9 grams of sugar (including 9 grams of added sugar), and 7 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Post Limited Edition Frosted Chocolate Cake Cereal

Julie 4 Comments

I’m curious. The last time you ate chocolate cake for breakfast, were you:

a) Enjoying a donut with sprinkles
b) Digging into your birthday cake early
c) Having a rough week and running out of hoots to give
d) Actually enjoying a chocolate cake-inspired cereal?

Maybe the more important question is, what will you do NEXT TIME you have run out of your typical breakfast or personal quota of hoots? While other actions are certainly acceptable, Post Limited Edition Frosted Chocolate Cake Cereal makes choice d) possible and just as appealing as buttercream at dawn.

It’s a shredded wheat-style cereal consisting of cocoa-flavored biscuits made with chocolate chips and topped with sugar coating. The product offers a decadent twist on the shredded wheat you may pair with fruit or yogurt. However, it still boasts the whole grains and fiber absent from the layered cake you were dreaming about hours earlier.

Typically, the Venn Diagram of Frosted Chocolate Cake and shredded wheat cereal do not overlap much. While I can be critical of products that do not live up to their flavor inspirations (seriously, not every strawberry-flavored product needs to be named Strawberry Shortcake!), this cereal does justice to its namesake while remaining a palatable breakfast option.

The crunchy biscuits have a strong cocoa flavor with a dusting of extra sweetness from the solid white icing. Within the layers of wheat, chocolate chips add delicious pops of texture and taste. Not every biscuit is blessed with a chocolate chip, which might be a metaphor for life. But when they are present, the chips have just a hint of fudgyness that is never overwhelming or cloying. Like many shredded wheat products, the biscuits soak up milk like a sponge and soften quickly, but the chocolate flavor doesn’t diminish.

For those keeping score, we have flavor, layers, and, if I’m reaching, spongelike properties. The cereal ticks one more box of a good chocolate cake: it is satisfying in large or small portions. One serving is 26 biscuits, a solid breakfast, and now feels like the right time to sneak in how much I love that these pillow-shaped pieces of shredded wheat cereal are called biscuits.

Post Limited Edition Frosted Chocolate Cake Cereal tastes almost exactly like the now-discontinued Kellogg’s Chocolate Frosted Mini Wheats Little Bites, even down to the chocolate chips embedded within the wheat. While the Kellogg’s product consisted of smaller biscuits (and less sugar per serving), the Post product is an excellent dupe. Whether you were a Little Bites fan or simply appreciate a quality chocolate cereal, consider snatching up a few boxes of Post’s limited edition product while you have the chance.

Purchased Price: $3.98
Size: 16 oz box
Purchased at: Walmart
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (per 1 serving of 26 biscuits) 210 calories, 2.5 grams of fat, 1 gram of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 40 milligrams of sodium, 48 grams of carbohydrates, 6 grams of fiber, 18 grams of sugar, and 5 grams of protein