Fish and Chips at McDonald’s!

McDonald’s added Fish and Chips to its menu, albeit temporarily, as part of their “Great Canadian Tastes” menu. They announced their catch of the month on May 14th and it’ll be gone by June 17th.

The promotion comes following a successful pilot project in Atlantic Canada last year, which saw 86,500 fish & chip meals sold in just three weeks. This time around, McDonald’s is estimating it will use around 260,000 pounds of haddock.

Considering the poor reputation of the Filet-o-Fish, this is an interesting move by McDonald’s. But contrary to their fish sandwich, which is made of Alaskan pollock, McD’s Fish and Chips hails from Nova Scotia: Atlantic haddock. Not cod. Haddock. Another interesting move, considering cod is usually seen as best for Fish and Chips.

I stopped by the Golden Arches in Stittsville and gave them a try, for $7,29.

First, let me point out that the contents comes in a cardboard box, similar to the ones you’d get from a fish and chips wagon. Second, let me add that this menu item is considered sustainable, having received a certification from the Marine Stewardship Council.

Two pieces of very golden fish were sitting on top of McDonald’s regular fries. On the side, in a plastic cup, came the tartar sauce. No fresh lemon wedge here. Of note, the Fish and Chips box doesn’t come with a drink.

Don’t expect a flaky, buttery batter here. What you get is a very crispy, crunchy coating instead. If at first bite, you are thinking you have tasted this before, it is because you have: the fish is supplied by High Liner Foods, out of Lunenburg, Nova Scotia.

It feels and taste like similar High Liner products. If you were served fish sticks as a kid, this is in the same vein, but a notch higher. Perhaps the Signature Cut?

The flavour is quite mild, inoffensive, familiar. It certainly is a tad more fishy than the Filet-o-Fish. It is definitely more crispy. Dryer? I’d say that.

The side of tartar sauce is a typical, industrial mixture of relish and mayonnaise. Nothing revolutionary here. A lemon wedge would be nice. Too much to ask?

All in all, this was not the most satisfying thing ever. For the price you pay, the quantity you get and the lack of flavour experience, you might as well buy yourself a box of your favorite frozen fish filets.