Foodies all across the country can treat themselves to the summery taste of sunny Spain and Cyprus - all thanks to fast-food giant McDonald's.
The high-street food chain has been on a bit of a mission with its summer menu this year, as it decided to spice things up a bit with a range of Mediterranean themed treats.
This menu shake-up recently led to their exciting new Taste of Italy menu which landed in stores for fans to try out back at the start of June. Featuring the 'game-changing' Lasagne Burger and surprising coffee flavoured Tiramisu McFlurry, McDonald's new items gave their menu the shake-up it needed.
And now it is time for our taste buds to take a bit of a travel, as McDonald's Taste of Spain and Cyprus officially landed in stores across the country yesterday, Wednesday, July 27.
The new summer menu has brought with it four new items for fans to try out, including two new burgers, the Chicken Fiesta and Spicy Spanish Stack, and a summery fruit punch drink.
But, let's face it, the one item that has been on everyone's minds since it was officially announced, and that is the halloumi fries which have officially landed in stores as part of the new menu. With this being the first time that the cheesy based fries have been on the menu, the hype has been unreal.
Naturally, since I am such a huge fan of food, I decided to try out McDonald's new summer menu to see how it compared to the previous Italian themed range of delights - I also just really wanted to get my hands on those halloumi fries.
Of course, I decided to give the viral new fries a go to see if they really lived up to the expectations created by the public, and I managed to pick up the new Chicken Fiesta burger as well. Unfortunately, I was unable to get my hands on the Spanish Fruit Punch, as it looked to be a popular choice and was completely sold out in my local branch.
Nevertheless, here is how I got on with McDonald's new Taste of Spain and Cyprus menu.
The Halloumi Fries
If there is one item on the menu that I couldn't wait to try, it was these deliciously golden halloumi fries, which is exactly why they were first up on the list. They come in a portion of four (£2.49) or in a sharebox (£6.49) and are coated in a light batter and served with a pot of tomato dip.
First things first, these are an absolute game-changer for McDonald's and they were worth every ounce of the hype they have received on social media.
I was literally blown away by the taste from my first bite. The cheese was warm, gooey and had the right amount of salt to give you that halloumi tang. The batter coating wasn't too heavy and gave the fries a nice crispy coating that just added to the bursts of flavour. Combined with the tangy tomato dip, I could have easily polished off a sharing box by myself.
Honestly, I was slightly wary and worried that McDonald's weren't going to be able to pull this one off, but they have surprised me here. If there's one thing I want McDonald's to take away from this, it's that these halloumi fries need to be made a regular menu item.
Rating: 5/5
The Chicken Fiesta
Next up, I decided to give the Chicken Fiesta burger a bit of a whirl. Now, I was a huge fan of the previous Lasagne Burger, so I was really excited to try out another exotic themed burger.
The chicken burger is priced at around £5.39 or £6.89 for a medium meal and it features a crispy chicken fillet topped with chorizo, chilli cheddar, spicy tomato sauce, red onion and lettuce served up in a warm toasted chilli and paprika topped bun.
When you mention all of those flavours, you have to admit that it does sound fairly exotic and exciting for McDonald's - which it certainly was.
First up, it was actually presented fairly neatly and was surprisingly easy to eat, so I'll give them points there for presentation. We also need to talk about the bun itself, as the paprika and chilli was never too overpowering and gave the burger a nice kick.
That being said, I do feel like this burger was just a little lacklustre when compared to the lasagne burger from the previous Italian menu. With all the ingredients, I expected it to be bursting with different Spanish flavours, but I really only got the taste of a spicy chicken burger with chunky tomato sauce.
Was it a bad burger? Absolutely not. I still enjoyed it, and, despite not living up to my expectations, it is still a fairly decent burger and offers you a more exciting choice than a Big Mac or a cheeseburger. Just don't expect it to live up the hype created by its Italian predecessor.
Rating: 3.5/5
Overall thoughts
Honestly, I think McDonald's have once again outdone themselves with a range of exotic new items that certainly spice up their menu for the summer. It is nice to have something else on the menu that isn't the standard burger or chicken nuggets.
Let's be real here, the absolute star of the show is those halloumi fries, which deserve to be made a regular item. If McDonald's don't make this decision, there will definitely be some broken hearts - mines included.
The Chicken Fiesta might not exactly be a worthy successor to the outstanding lasagne burger, but it was still a decent burger that offered a bit more spice than usual.
Overall, I would say the new Taste of Spain and Cyprus menu is worth giving a go - well, what I tried of it anyways.
You can try out McDonald's Taste of Spain and Cyprus menu until September 6.
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