National Day face-off: Which fast-food chain nailed its limited-edition offering?

Every year, fast-food restaurants put their own spin on local flavours for National Day. This year, it seemed like everyone was spinning their take from the same thread - or maybe chilli crab sauce suppliers were offering an irresistible deal.

The New Paper tried limited-time offerings from five fast-food restaurants, from laksa fish to chilli crab prawn.

Guzman y Gomez: Burrito Bowl with Laksa Barramundi

Guzman y Gomez is serving up a new limited-edition filling this National Day - the Laksa Barramundi.

This new addition features pan-seared barramundi fillets topped with a laksa sauce made from dried shrimp, candlenut, laksa leaves, spices, and coconut milk from The Coconut Club.

We tried it in a Burrito Bowl, which came with fragrant white rice, black beans, salsa, and corn chips. Maybe it's the Singaporean in us, but the whole thing gave off major cai png (mixed rice) vibes - like the lovechild of a cai png stall and a Mexican taqueria.

The laksa sauce added a flavourful, coconut-rich depth to every bite of the barramundi, which was tender and generously portioned.

The black beans had a soft and creamy texture, and the chips provided a nice crunch.

Overall, it was an inoffensive fusion with each element complementing the others, although we did raise an eyebrow at the cheese sitting on top of the laksa barramundi.

Rating: 4/5

McDonald's: Chilli Crab Sauce Prawn Burger

You could say McDonald's pioneered the trend of controversial National Day specials - from the iconic Nasi Lemak Burger to interesting inventions such as the Crispy Hainanese Chicken Burger and the Laksa Delight Burger.

This year, the chain was the first among many quick-service restaurants to bring chilli crab sauce burgers to the table.

The Chilli Crab Sauce Prawn Burger comes stacked with fluffy scrambled eggs, chilli crab sauce, a prawn patty, lettuce, and coleslaw dressing, all packed into a bun.

For some reason, the chilli crab sauce leaned much sweeter than spicy - almost reminiscent of Thai sweet chilli sauce.

Perhaps they're continuing the Thai theme after last year's Thai Milk Tea Frappé.

Though the sauce did taste a little like chilli crab sauce, it felt like a watered-down, family-friendly version that lacked a kick to it.

The brioche bun was a bit questionable, too, giving the burger an odd buttery finish.

We did enjoy the scrambled eggs, though, but we think we'll stick to having them in our breakfast burgers instead.

Rating: 2/5

KFC: Chilli Crab Mantou Zinger

Swapping out the usual sesame buns for a fried mantou, this new Zinger burger pairs the brand's signature fried Zinger fillet with chilli crab sauce and lettuce.

The chilli crab sauce here was much more flavourful than the version from the Golden Arches - sour and spicy, without being overly sweet.

The fried mantou was crisp on the outside and soft on the inside. However, that also meant that the burger felt extremely sinful and a tad bit salty. The few slices of lettuce were not enough to balance it out.

Then again, it's fast food, so no one's expecting heaps of greens.

Rating: 3.5/5

Long John Silver's: Chilli Crab Alaska Pollock Mantou Burger

With lettuce, tomato slices, cheese, and battered Alaska pollock tucked between a fried mantou, the Chilli Crab Alaska Pollock Mantou Burger turned out to be a pleasant surprise.

This unassuming burger ended up being our favourite as the fried mantou was perfectly crisped, with a crunchy top that made every bite extra satisfying. The vegetables also helped cut through any greasiness, which we appreciated.

That said, the chilli crab sauce tasted more like a mildly spicy generic sauce than what it claimed to be.

So even though we enjoyed it a lot, we were left a little puzzled by what we had eaten.

Rating: 4.5/5

Burger King: Rendang Tendergrill Chicken Burger

Though Burger King's rendang series isn't new, it was a welcome break from all the chilli crab-themed burgers this National Day.

The Rendang Tendergrill Chicken Burger came with a juicy, grilled chicken thigh patty and onions that were lathered with a generous amount of nutty, spiced rendang sauce.

We felt that it was a little too jelak (cloying) after a few bites. Some greens besides just onions would've helped cut through the richness.

Overall, nothing mind-blowing - they played it safe here.

Rating: 3.5/5

Conclusion

There were a few hits and misses - as expected each year.

We just hope the chilli crab sauce craze sits the next one out.