The start of the year brings with it the same routines: New year’s resolutions broken in the first month, the concomitant joy and horror of angbaos coming in from relatives curious to ask if there’s anyone new you’re seeing, and of course, an update to the McDonald’s menu.

I am talking, of course, about the seasonal Prosperity Burgers that re-emerge during every Chinese New Year-period.

Though not one to chase seasonal culinary trends (not because I think I’m above them, by the way; it’s more because I’m lazy/a creature of habit), my curiosity had been piqued last week during a spontaneous McDonald’s visit with the team after a recce for a shoot. Alas, when I saw the numbers staring at me back from the screen, I could hear my wallet screaming out to me making a more sensible decision - and I chickened out towards a Double Cheeseburger meal instead. 

The weekends somehow always trigger extra weakness for indulgence, though. And on Sunday afternoon, upon finding myself very hungry all of a sudden at 1:30pm (this was after a couple of minutes of exercise plus a couple of hours of doomscrolling), I decided to head on down to the McDonald’s near my place. Do it for work, I told myself. This isn’t just to satiate my own hunger, but also to remedy that throbbing headache from worrying about what I should write about next.  

Here, I must caution that I am as far as can get from even an amateur food critic or reviewer. 

Nonetheless, I’d like to think I have a good enough grasp of the English language to determine whether a product has been sold to me truthfully (or not). 

As such, here goes my honest review of the Prosperity Feast, based on the McDonald’s team’s own marketing language. 

(I realise now I am exposing the mountain tortoise in me by revealing that I am not well-acquainted enough with the Prosperity Burgers to truly know what lies in wait with one of these meals. If anyone finds my lack of prior knowledge to the following food items pathetic, this is me apologising in advance.) 

(Additional note, in case the poor reviewing style does not show it, let it be written in black and white again - this is not sponsored in any way whatsoever.)

1) The Prosperity Chicken Burger®:

“Prosperity awaits in every bite! Juicy chicken patty dipped in a savoury kick of black pepper topped with fragrant onion slices and soft glazed buns.”

I must admit - I was slightly disappointed when I unwrapped the waxed paper. Cheeseburgers are far more appealing to the eye when standing alone, thanks to the sprinkling of extra colour from a loose pickle, or from tomato sauce. 

Nonetheless, McDonald’s wasn’t lying when it used the term “juicy”. Considering its size, the chicken patty was tender and - yes - quite juicy throughout, without any of the dryness or blandness that larger pieces of meat are sometimes plagued with. 

The black pepper sauce also packs sufficient, well, ‘kick’ by fast-food standards. And just when you think the one-two punch of the patty and sauce comes across as too oily or overpowering, the crunch of the onions - clearly cooked slightly, yet still also raw/fresh enough to retain some level of bite - comes in to balance things out. Overall rating: Better than you’d expect. 

2) Prosperity Twister Fries™:

“Crispy, curly and a classic favourite that needs no introduction: the Prosperity Twister Fries™!”

The ‘needs no introduction’ part is not oversold - and it speaks volumes that the McDonald’s team didn’t bother with an outsized description here. 

Savoury, crispy, and even mixed with crumbs, Twister Fries will always remain one of the cornerstones of the McDonald’s seasonal menus. It helps that you can get them outside of the Prosperity Feast meal, too (you should). 10/10. 

3) Pink Guava McFizz®:

“A bubbly, tropical sip that brings about a gentle spring breeze. A guaranteed refresher.”

This is where the marketing starts to get a bit ahead of itself. To my disappointment, wind did not start blowing in my face after I took my first sip, and this unfortunate outcome sadly held across subsequent attempts. 

On a more serious note, however, ‘tropical’ actually works as a great descriptor for the Pink Guava flavour - which is just as delightful as you’d expect when served up in a carbonated package. Extra points for the fact that it’s not as sweet as Coke. Considering all the salt and heaviness from the burger and fries, this is, as marketed, a refreshing drink to accompany the meal. 

(Fun fact: I checked the McDonald’s website and this even has ‘scientific’ backing. A cup of Original Coke (with less sugar) is rated with an 8% sugar level. Pink Guava McFizz? 6%. Nice.) 

4) Pineapple Pie:

“Let the Huat roll with warm luscious pineapple filling in crispy, flaky pastry shell.”

Finally - the dessert.

As an individual with a temperamental appetite, I must be very frank to admit that by the time I had finished the burger and fries and was halfway through my drink, it was spectacularly clear that I did not have any room left for the pie. As such, I only got round to eating an air-fryer reheated iteration of the pie for supper later that night. 

Nonetheless, McDonald’s should be commended once more again for not going overboard with the descriptions. How it manages to get the pastry shells of its pies so crispy remains a mystery (actually, we probably know the answer: lots of oil), and pineapple, as a filling works as a wonderful counterpart to apple too. Executed in this form, it was rich, gooey (in a good way), and sweet. Helps too, that the dessert, on the whole, is certifiably auspicious. Huat ah!

A general conclusion 

In case it hasn’t been clear thus far, I ended up really enjoying the Prosperity Feast - and can surmise that McDonald’s, to the most part, was quite on-point with the way it marketed the meal. Every single component was competent on its own; I’d just caution that those with smaller appetites might do better to remove the Pineapple Pie, and save themselves some money. 

On that note, however, by far the most misleading part of the menu descriptions is the repeated suggestion that prosperity awaits. This is an outright delusion - considering that the entire Prosperity Feast will set one back… a good $12.25. 

I want to be objective that $12 for a full meal - considering that dessert and drinks are already bundled in - is not entirely deplorable in an economy where the Mains off a standard cafe menu will already set one back between $25 to $30. 

Still, $12 is not chump change, and I happen to hail from an era where $5 could secure a Double Cheeseburger meal in full. As such, it will forever remain dissonant to me to see a McDonald’s meal breaching the $10 mark. 

All jokes aside, however - happy Chinese New Year everyone! May the dragon year be filled with abundance, strength, and of course - lots of prosperity 🐉🐉🐉

- Matt