Complete Disclosure
This post is written based on twenty five Be-Our-Guest cards and a $20 McDonalds Gift Card provided by McDonalds Canada
I was looking back at my old posts. It seems like I have a lot of McDonalds related posts. Many of them are coupons giveaways. Previously, the coupon giveaways were good only in the US because they were issued from Illinois.
This time it is different. This time, it is McDonalds Canada who gave us the Be Our Guest coupons. The BOG coupons is good for Canada and we are giving every single one away. All you have to do is just ask.
Come to think of it, I had not have a McDonalds for the longest time. Don’t get me wrong. I like McDonalds — especially the Big Mac which I find it tasty. What stops me is the calories in it.
When McDonalds Canada launched the new McMini, the first thing that came to my mind was my 1-on-1 interview with Executive Chef of McDonalds, Chef Dan Coudreaut. During that interview, I confronted Chef Dan on the health aspect of McDonalds food. It was an awkward interview I must say because McDonalds did not expected me to pose hard questions. But I am glad I did. Here is an excerpt from the interview:
I also conveyed what a chowtimes reader wanted to say to Chef Dan … that she “likes to see McDonalds keep moving towards healthier food and continue to stop pushing supersize fries; and it doesn’t have to be soy burgers.” Chef Dan said that they continually listen to what the customer wants and they do try to promote healthier options.
That is why when I saw the McMini my thoughts was instantly on what Chef Dan said about trying to promote healthier options. Holding the McMini in my hands, I was rather amused with the size of the McMini.
It is so small! For a fast food company who used to coin the words Super Size, it is a step in the right direction.
Size does matter. It is just about 5″ in length and 1″ wide.
I was particularly interested in the baguette. Too bad I forgot to take a picture of the top view of the bread. When I read that the bread was a baguette I was excited thinking that it would be very much like the French baguette and was curious how McDonalds are able to keep the crust crisp.
While the McMini baguette has that tell tale slit, the “baguette” is more of a … normal McDonalds sandwich shaped like a baguette. It is soft and does not have that crisp crust of a French baguette.
The McMini actually tastes very good. McDonalds offers a choice of crispy or grilled seasoned all-white chicken breast. You can also chose to have it with Pesto or Spicy Thai.
I ordered just one sandwich just to taste. The above is the crispy chicken with Spicy Thai sauce.
It tasted very good. I particularly like the Spicy Thai sauce which give it a slight spiciness and moist. There were so much sauce that it drips onto my hands.
The McMini costs $2 each.
I think they use real chicken breast and not breaded.
On the calorie side, I found out from mcdonalds.ca website that the McMini has 280 cal. In comparison, the Big Mac contains 540 cal. So basically, McMini is like half of the Big Mac.
Would you like to try a McMini for yourself? We can send you a couple of coupons if you will just send a mailing address to suanne@chowtimes.com.
We will only use your address to mail you the BOG cards and will not use it for any other purpose or forward it to anyone.
Remember, the BOG cards are good for any McDonalds outlets in Canada. You can’t use it in the US … they don’t know what a McMini is.
I found the ads for the new McMinis kind of weird, with them showing the half chicken patty! LOL
I haven’t been to McDonalds for a long, long time, partly because I feel that their food has actually gotten worse over the years. (I’m talking just flavour here, not bothering with the “healthiness” of the food.)
I remember going to McDonalds as a young’un and I loved their Quarter Pounder with Cheese, with fries. Their french fries used to be the best, when they fried the potatoes in beef tallow! Those were good times. 🙂
What! They don’t have mcminis down in the states? Sweet. Do you know if the minis are staying or just a limited time thing? I asked someone and they told me it was just limited. But they wouldn’t make coupons for a limited item would they?
Hi Julie:
I was told that the McMini was “launched nationally” and so I guess that it will stay on the menu for some time to come. This had been tested in some market before this was launched worldwide.
Ben
I don’t think the smaller size is a step in the right direction. It will only make you want to order fries to fill yourself up.
As long as it’s not a supersized meal, it is all right. It doesn’t have to be smaller because if it’s small, people order fries. That’s even more unhealthy.
I find that if the burger or sandwich is big enough for me, I only order the burger without the fries. If it’s a small burger or sandwich, I just have to order more like fries. That’s worse than just having a decent size of burger. Fries can’t be good for you at all. It’s just tons of white carbs with oil.
Ben, you got me all excited with that KFC no-bun burger and then I found out they don’t even have it here!
The McMini bread was pretty good, the time I tried it. Perhaps I have low bread standards. But, it had a good chew to it. I got the pesto version and it was pretty pesto-y.
How interesting, especially the shape! But it’s so pricey compared to McDonalds in the US. However it does seem like a “premium” sort of sandwich and not something that is for budget.
Send me a coupon please!! Have tried the Thai grilled version..less calories with grilled vs fried chicken. It’s a great size for a light meal or a snack. I don’t finish the whole roll..saves a few calories! McD is much healthier here than in the US..better choice of salads, muffins etc. Also, in the US they are taken aback when asking for milk in your coffee…cream is always served.
Hmm this is interesting. At $2 a piece, and it appears you need at leasty 2-3 piece to be full (as a guy), it will cost you about $6 and you have no drink or fries. Might be a hard sell in the long term, but I’m still curious.
Interesting that KFC is moving in the OPPOSITE direction by offering the Double Down: http://www.kfc.com/doubledown/. Basically, instead of a bun, you have more chicken LOL.
Regardless, McD’s is still the best place to get chicken nuggets at late hours when you have cravings.
Anyways, I’ve sent an email to Suanne for samples.
It’s just a chicken strip in a bun. Not that special but a nice addition to the menu, just like the Chicken Jr. I’m all for eating smaller portions of fast food.
For nuggets, it’s a toss-up between McD’s and Wendy’s. A soggy McD nugget is way worse than a bad Wendy’s nugget IMO.
I tried the McMinis; very disappointed; very normal; lack of creativity meaning it is either spicy thai, teriyaki etc. I noticed that there is generally lack of creativitiness in this part of the world. To elaborate why I was disappointed; the McMinis served was totally different from the ad. The McMinis will definitely taste better if one prepares at home. Nice baguette rolls from Tim Hortons and homemade chicken breast cooked to perfection prepared from home. Portion wise, they are fine size. I would love to have those McDonald’s coupons; probably I will go to another place and try.
Haven’t tried the McMinis yet…might have to try it soon. Have you tried the KFC Double Down yet?
He he he … no I have not tried the KFC Double Down yet. The next time I am in the States, the first place I will head to is KFC.
haha…I think I’m actually quite “scared” to try it…
If you’re interested, A&W now has the Supreme Sirloin Burger…essentially a Sirloin Burger with two cheeses (I believe one mozzarella and one processed), two onion rings and the regular sauces…Tried it yesterday and thought it was pretty good. The onion rings was a nice addition.
Hmmm. If you had time to cook at home (a) you probably wouldn’t be grabbing a “fast food” sandwich; and (b) you probably wouldn’t be eating a sandwich.
Looks good as a snack when you’re on the go – probably would serve the same market as the Snack Wrap – or are they getting rid of the Snack Wrap?
It’s not only about portion size. I mean, no one is going to be full off that…