Day 17: McDonald’s McDelivery and the Bulgogi Burger!^^

When I came back home from the National Museum of Korea and told my aunt about the lunch fiasco, she wanted to call the place up and give them an ear full.  Hahaha, don’t mess with my maknae aunt!^^  I told her it was OK and to forget about it.  It was getting close to dinner time and I had been putting off having McDonald’s for 17 days now and coupled with the mediocre lunch today, it seemed like the right time to spring for it.  There were opportunities to try McDonald’s earlier in my trip as I had passed the one in Jongno a couple of times and actually entered one to have an ice cream but I always put it off for something more local instead.  At home, I also tried to refrain from suggesting McDonald’s out of consideration for my aunts.  While they would have it, it’s not like they like fast food and McDonald’s in particular as I do.  They would probably be more content with eating a bowl of rice and some kimchi because that’s what they grew up on.  Back in the day after having fast food, my mom use to always have a small bowl of rice afterwards saying she didn’t feel full or satisfied until she had at least a spoonful of rice.  She never saw fast food as like real meal food but more like a snack.  It’s just one of those generational differences that I never fully understood I guess.

Before coming to Korea, I had heard about the Bulgogi Burger so that’s something I definitely wanted to try out.  I had also heard that McDonald’s delivered in Korea as well, calling it McDelivery.  So having McDonald’s at home instead of at the restaurant was actually going to be a double bonus for me.  I still think it’s just so crazy that everyone in Korea delivers.  Just the thought that McDonald’s delivers still brings a smile to my face.

Every time I bused it to Gwanghwamun Square from my aunts, the bus always passed a McDonald’s where I could see the delivery phone number displayed outside.  On one of my last trips out there, I made sure to add the phone number to my cellphone (1600-5252) for future reference which now came in handy.  My mom and aunts all agreed to have McDonald’s for dinner so I was happy.  My aunt mentioned that she preferred McDonald’s to Lotteria which was surprising and to which I would have to agree with her.  While my aunt had all these flyer menus for BBQues, Domino’s Pizza and other restaurants, she didn’t have one for McDonald’s but that was OK since we were going to stick with the usual items.  I had my aunt place the order and we ended up ordering a Bulgogi Burger combo, a Big Mac combo, a McChicken and Cheeseburger.  So long as your order is over 7,000W, they’ll deliver.  7,000W is easily attainable by ordering a Big Mac combo and a Cheeseburger.

I went out to the veranda/balcony to watch and wait for the deliveryman like a child waiting for Santa Claus to come down the chimney on Christmas.^^  I have some serious good memories of McDonald’s as a child and while I try to not eat McDonald’s with any regular frequency now as an adult, it’s still exciting to have it.  In the distance, I heard the motor of an incoming scooter and got my camera ready to make the McDelivery guy the star of my video. Dressed in all black and uttering hardly a word at our door, he seemed a little scarier than the usual smiley service I’m use to at McDonald’s.
Alas, the Bulgogi Burger!  It’s a sauce sensation.^^

The drinks that came with the combo were more like a cross between the medium and small cups I’m use to in Toronto.  The Bulgogi Burger has one single patty and the texture reminded more of a sausage as oppose to a beef patty found in a Big Mac.  I had thought the Bulgogi Burger was made of beef but looking it up now on the net, I think it might actually be pork.  It didn’t really remind me of that bulgogi taste I’m familiar with.  The sauce that comes with it is quite sweet, almost like a teriyaki type of sweetness.

Chomp, chomp, chomp, mmmmm...

I actually split half the Bulgogi Burger with my mom and also had a portion of the Big Mac, McChicken and the Cheeseburger so I got to taste all of them.^^

And as expected, McDonald’s tastes exactly the same as it does in Toronto.  I’m glad I tried the Bulgogi Burger but I much prefer the taste of a Big Mac.  We had fries too and my aunt had a bottle of ketchup and the one thing that tastes different and better in Korea is ketchup.  When I have ketchup in Korea, it reminds me of what ketchup use to taste like when I was a kid.  It’s hard to explain but it seems to have more flavour and texture to it.  In comparison, ketchup nowadays seems more darker, refined and less tangy.

I envisioned making a tribute video to McDonald’s McDelivery and the Bulgogi Burger while taking these clips so here it is!

Blogging about McDonald’s has put me in the mood for it.  I think it’s time for a McDonald’s run for lunch, see ya!