This is actually my second visit to a McDonald’s in India (I previously tried the Maharaja Mac, India’s version of a Big Mac); the menu here is such a treasure trove of international McDonald’s weirdness that I couldn’t help but come back. There might even be a third visit!
First up on visit number two: the McSpicy Paneer, which consists of fried paneer (a fresh Indian cheese that doesn’t melt) topped with lettuce and a spicy sauce.
It’s decent enough. The paneer itself doesn’t have much of a flavour, so most of the taste comes from the breaded fried exterior.
Honestly? If I ate this blindfolded and didn’t know what it was, I’d probably think it was a spicy McChicken. There isn’t a huge difference between the fairly meaty texture of the paneer and the vaguely spongey reconstituted meat that you can find in a McChicken.
The meat in a McChicken has never particularly resembled an actual piece of chicken; eating this paneer sandwich and realizing how close it gets throws that into sharp relief.
Otherwise, it’s fine. The spicy sauce has a mild kick, but it’s not going to get anyone too hot and bothered.
The other thing I tried was the Veg Pizza McPuff, a fried pie featuring a filling of tomato sauce, carrots, peas, green beans, and little white bits that I guess were supposed to be cheese?
The exterior was completely different than your typical McDonald’s pie, which was interesting — it was closer to pizza crust. Other than that, this was not good. It was basically like the worst pizza pocket that you’ve ever had — but so much worse. The sauce, in particular, was sharp and horrible.
It might have been the worst thing I’ve ever had at a McDonald’s, and that’s saying quite a lot.