Regular readers will know whenever I travel I usually make a quick stop at a McDonalds, I have this obsession with finding out what they offer and if the old fave’s taste the same in other countries! It just so happens that a lot of readers like my McDonalds posts from India and Spain, so here is another McDonalds review this time from Italy!

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I’m in Florence and the need to try the local McDonalds. The usual rules apply: I must have fries for comparison; and I’ll try a burger that is not available in Australia. If there is something else quite different on the menu, like gazpacho in Madrid or congee in Penang, I’ll grab that too. This time I am trying the ‘My Selection by Joe Bastianich’ ‘Speck and Asiago Burger’, which sounds great and looks fantastic for a Macca’s burger. But you know what they say… it’s whats on the inside that counts…

My Selection is a burger line at McDonalds Italy combining Italian and American flavours by Joe Bastianich, an Italian American restauranteur and American Masterchef judge. These burgers showcase a strong ‘Made in Italy’ identity, emphasising collaboration with local producers and McDonald’s suppliers.

The fries are not the best, they are barely warm and taste old. There is some salt, but barely enough. I’m quite disappointed as usually fries are the on thing you can rely on when visiting a McDonalds overseas. Perhaps it is this particular restaurant, or the time of day, I’m not sure, but it’s a sad moment for the fries and myself here.

Fries aside, the burger box looks fancy! The ‘Speck and Asiago Burger’ is described by McDonalds as 180 grams of juicy beef from Italian farms, Asiago DOP (Asiago cheese – designation of origin), Speck Alto Adige IGP (a guarantee of authenticity IGP=PGI in English, – protected geographical indication), mayonnaise with mustard grains and grilled courgettes (zucchini).

We all know the advertised burger picture rarely looks the same in real life…

But this time the burger presents quite well. The shiny bun with poppy and sesame seeds looks enticing, as does the fillings at first glance…

However, it’s disappointing to find that underneath the exterior, the experience falls short. The bun is dry, carrying a taste of days past; the lettuce is limp, the fried courgettes lack the expected crispiness, resembling steamed mush, and the meat is tasteless and cold, failing to deliver the expected flavours. I pick at the speck, it’s ok, but doesn’t redeem this sad burger.

I am mot saying that the creator of this special ‘My Selection’ would serve a burger like this, of course, this could just the day, the time and the staff on hand that has let this burger down.

Sadly, this has not been one of my better McDonalds experiences, but that won’t put me off from trying another Macca’s somewhere in the world!

Star rating…

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