I tried McDonald's 'remastered' Quarter Pounder with Cheese that's back after 5 years, but is it better?

Guess who's back, back again.

It's the return of McDonald's iconic Quarter Pounder with Cheese, and for good this time.

After a hiatus of over five years, its reintroduction to the menu from tomorrow (Feb 2) will definitely have many feeling excited.

Not to burst any bubbles but I was not one of them.

Before anyone starts bringing out the pitchforks, let me explain the beef (pun intended) I have with McDonald's beef burgers.

For me, the patties aren't juicy enough and this just leads to a completely unremarkable eating experience.

If it ain't juicy enough, there isn't even a debate to be had on whether it tastes good.

But it seems that McDonald's has taken note and made small changes to their range of beef burgers.

They call it the remastering of the Classics (McDonald's has also tweaked the cooking methods for their Double Cheeseburger and Big Mac) and it got me intrigued.

Could they really "elevate the taste experience" of its beef burgers? I wasn't exactly sold on the idea but I tried to keep an open mind.

At McDonald's menu innovation centre, I opted for the Quarter Pounder with Cheese (from $8.10 for an Extra Value Meal).

After a couple of bites, I realised that I might just have to eat my words too.

Size-wise, it didn't seem like there's been much of a change but for once, polishing off a McDonald's beef burger was easy enough.

As a devoted McSpicy lover, that's an achievement in itself.

Of course, it could just be a matter of me feeling hungry at 4pm after not having a proper lunch, but I will choose to give the burger some credit.

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Firstly, the buns deserve a shout-out. Glazed, tender and moist, these upgraded buns had an almost caramelised taste to them. 

I mean, they weren't exactly rich and buttery brioche buns but I'll let that slide. This was definitely not a regular McDonald's bun and I liked it quite a lot.

As for the beef patties, it was nothing too mindblowing, unfortunately.

This was a bit of a bummer as I had rather high hopes, especially after a few McDonald's staff mentioned how juicy these patties would be.

I was hoping the improved cooking methods would pay off but I'd be lying if I said I noticed any stark difference in flavour and juiciness.

Other elements of the burger — pickles, onions, cheese — came together well enough. 

One point to note is the melted cheese sitting atop the patty.

The conscious effort to thaw the cheese to a specific temperature in order to create that optimum melt was greatly appreciated.

Looking back, I may have made the mistake of not also trying the remastered Big Mac (from $8.40 for an Extra Value Meal) and Double Cheeseburger (from $7 for an Extra Value Meal).

Chances are, these two burgers would fare better by my tastebuds.

While they too, boast reformulated bun recipes with a glaze coating, the Big Mac now benefits from having 50 per cent more Big Mac sauce. Who could resist a sloppy burger?

Caramelised diced onions are also added to both burgers. For me, this could have been the game changer for the Quarter Pounder with Cheese.

All in all, the Quarter Pounder with Cheese was decent enough if I'm completely honest.

But at this juncture, it might be a bit of a stretch to label me as a McDonald's beef burger convert.

However, during my next trip to McDonald's, there is still a chance that I'd order something other than my regular McSpicy meal.

McDonald's remastered Classics are available from tomorrow (Feb 2) onward.

ALSO READ: I tried McDonald's new laksa-inspired burger and was actually quite impressed

amierul@asiaone.com

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