Snackspert tries the Double Chili Chicken: ‘what a creative poverty at McDonald’s’

Eke Bosman, better known as Instagram phenomenon @snackspert, ate his first frikandel as a baby, hates vlammetjes, has already devoured at least 1,500 burgers in his life, suspects there is more mayonnaise in his body than blood, and shares his best and worst snack reviews on FavorFlav. This week, he flips out over the Double Chili Chicken: ‘what creative poverty at McDonald’s.’ Luckily, he also ate a top burger at Bartine in The Hague.

Double Chili Chicken from McDonald’s

The Double Chili Chicken: what a creative poverty at McDonald’s. And they call that new, seriously. Just look at the photo in the second slide; it makes you ashamed, doesn’t it? It is literally a chicken burger on top of a chicken burger, and they didn’t even bother putting some sweet chili sauce and lettuce between the two little burgers. It’s like placing an empty tub of fries sauce on top of an empty tub of fries sauce; it literally adds nothing. Of course, it doesn’t help that the chicken burger itself is as dry as an average summer in the Netherlands, but then again, there is genuinely nothing between those two burgers. It’s like starting a football match without a midfield. ⭐️
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📍: McDonald’s
📱: @mcdonaldsnl
💰: 3.25 euros

Za’atar fried chicken burger from Bartine, The Hague

People from The Hague and the surrounding area! Look at this! Wow, that really hits your screen, doesn’t it? But I am so glad that, when I was in the city behind the dunes for the first time in ages, I went to Bartine. I had already visited the bakery of the same name before and had a delicious croissant there, but now it was time for a level up. A za’atar fried chicken burger, hatsikidee. Such a za’atar coating (a mix of roasted sesame seeds, salt, sumac and possibly other spices) is surprising, but genuinely delicious. It borders on bitter, but thanks to the presence of salt it has plenty of flavor. Very tasty. The chicken is wonderfully tender, the onions are nicely tangy too, and it is all really very good. But! One major downside: the bun itself. Two slices of brioche bread are delicious, but completely impractical to handle. They should have used a brioche bun; then you would have had a better chance of achieving the highest score here. As it stands, the eating experience is slightly less enjoyable, mainly because you have to eat it with a knife and fork. A shame, because in terms of flavor this sandwich is really, really, really top-notch. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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📍: Bartine, The Hague
📱: @wearebartine
💰: 12 euros

Cheeseburger & hotdog from Bulls & Dogs, Amsterdam

Bulls & Dogs in Amsterdam has by now become one of the most experienced food-service businesses when it comes to street food and food that has blown over from America. In the early 2010s (roughly at the same time as the opening of the Foodhallen), this specialized hot dog spot appeared, offering something different from the standard hot dogs you can get from a cart in Vondelpark, where there is a 46 percent chance that a damn pigeon will steal your hot dog—utterly reckless. But anyway, I digress; Bulls & Dogs is still going strong, and nowadays they also serve burgers! Let’s talk about those first. The burger meets the standard requirements, but doesn’t make a huge impression otherwise. It is a burger you know from most food-service businesses, with one important difference: the bun. That was surprisingly good. This pretzel bun (yes, and when I say pretzel, you know exactly what I mean, right?) is fluffy, but also wonderfully soft and pliable. Nice. ⭐️⭐️⭐️
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The hot dog itself is very good, by the way, consisting of a lamb merguez and plenty of harissa mayo and parsley. As a big sauce lover, I will even say here that there could be slightly less sauce, because it is nicely spicy and therefore you actually don’t need much of it. Less is more is the motto here. Nevertheless, a very solid hot dog, with the lamb in particular standing out. Very pleasing. Glad that Bulls & Dogs continues to make an impression. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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📍: Bulls and Dogs, Amsterdam
📱: @bullsanddogs
💰: 10.50 euros for the cheeseburger, 8 euros for the hot dog

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