Lala's Kitchen

Not long ago I read this article about how over on the east coast McDonald’s stores were trialing freshly cooked gourmet style burgers (here’s the article). I thought, ‘What an interesting concept; it’ll be great if Perth had something like that!’ Next thing you know I get invited to its launch in Perth (on 12 February), at the Forest Lakes McDonald’s store south of the river. I was stoked! Especially what happened to the huz earlier on in the week.

Essentially the huz went out with a colleague to a local gourmet burger joint, waited 20 or so minutes for a burger, small bucket of chips and a bottle of water. Now, he didn’t say his meal tasted bad or anything because we like their burgers, but it was a bit of a rip. $30 for a burger, small bucket of chips and bottled water??? Jeepers!! So anyway, back to Maccas…

Forest Lakes McDonald’s store.

We walked through the doors to be greeted by a host who showed us how to order our ‘Create Your Taste’ burgers using the massive touch screens at the entrance of the store. Much like using an iPad, the huz was choosing the components of his burger like a pro; the man knew what he wanted in a burger and by ordering this way, there could be no way the cooking crew could mess it up. It was quite user friendly too.

Our host explaining to us how the ‘Create Your Taste’ system works. 

The huz building his ‘Create Your Taste’ burger like a boss. 

Components of the ‘Create Your Taste’ burgers that deserves special mention:

• Angus Beef Patties – while beef was the only meat patty option available at the time (I’m sure they’ll expand to more), I like how they offered the best quality beef patty they had. And you had the choice of having two beef patties!
• Crispy Bacon – you have the choice of putting bacon rashers or crispy bacon in your burger. The crispy bacon was cooked to perfection and as described – crispy!
• Cheese and Sauces – so many damn choices! Swiss, vintage cheddar and colby jack for the cheeses; while we were offered so many condiment choices with chipotle, aoili and chilli jam just to name a few.
• Extras – Do you want caramelised onion or grilled mushrooms in your burger? OK! No problems. Add it to the order…
• Would You Like Fries With That? – Nothing beats Maccas crispy chips but if you’re not up for that, there’s also sweet potato wedges to choose from too.

Once you’ve ordered and paid, you’re assigned a number and given a RFID locator which you’ll put at the centre of your table. You see, by ordering a ‘Create Your Taste’ burger and meal, you won’t have to stand around the front counter waiting for your order to be assembled. You can chill out at a table and with the help of the locator, the crew will serve your meal to your table. It took no more than 10 minutes for our burgers to arrive and they were pretty damn tasty!

Our RFID locator that sits in the middle of our table. 

I must admit I was impressed with the taste and quality of the burgers; they stood tall and were upright too! Not badly presented either, even if it does look a little familiar from other burger joints we frequent. I also liked the choices I was spoilt with in making our burgers and I liked the fact that these burgers are made to order so they’re gonna be fresh. The only qualm I had about the burgers was that I felt my brioche bun had a bit too much glaze and it seemed a bit oily. I don’t know if they’re all made like that or if it’s a one off but for the purposes of research, I’m willing to go back and check to see if it was a one off thing or not. Everything else about the brioche bun though, like taste and size, was perfectly fine.

My ‘Create Your Taste’ burger with a basket of chips – Brioche bun, aoili sauce, tomato slice, lettuce leaf, Swiss cheese and grilled mushroom.

For two ‘Create Your Taste’ gourmet burgers with one medium chips and two drinks coming to about $25, this outing isn’t going to break the bank. Then there’s the fact that, being Maccas, it’s a family restaurant. So you could enjoy your gourmet burger in peace in the restaurant while the kids can burn off some energy in the playground after inhaling their Happy Meals.

The huz’s ‘Create Your Taste’ burger – Bakery bun, sliced pickle, leaf lettuce, Swiss cheese, crispy bacon, grilled onion and chilli jam.

While we aren’t frequent McDonald’s eaters, the huz and I left the restaurant keen to go back to see what other burger creations we can come up with. I wasn’t a big fan of their previous offerings, such as the Healthy Choices menu, but I don’t mind this one. I hope this latest offering by McDonald’s takes off and does well for them – good luck Maccas!!

To find out where you can find your closest ‘Create Your Taste’ menu or when it’s coming to your local store, visit the McDonald’s website here.

* My LaLa Life was invited to attend the opening of ‘Create Your Taste’ and all meals featured in this blog entry was paid by us. *