No-holds-barred review: McDonald’s new Black Pepper Cheese Filet O Fish

It’s hard not to like McDonald’s Filet O Fish burger.

The fish patty which McDonald’s says is made with 100 per cent wild Alaskan pollock is flaky, not overly battered and doesn’t taste fishy.

Sliced cheese and tartar sauce provide a nice tang to the burger.

And my personal favourite part of the burger? The oh-so-soft steamed buns. Words do no justice to describe how well the soft glazed steamed buns complete the entire burger.

Before the readers confuse this for an ode to the Filet O Fish, we’re actually going to review the McDonald’s new Black Pepper Cheese Filet O Fish.

What’s that?

The Black Pepper Cheese Filet O Fish (from S$4.50 for single ala carte, from S$6.40 for single Extra Value Meal) is kind of like your regular Filet O Fish, but instead of tartar sauce, it’s topped with black pepper cheese sauce and shredded lettuce.

At first glance, the new burger looks a lot like the seasonal Nacho Cheese Filet O Fish.

If you look closer, though, you can find specks of black pepper bits together with the nacho cheese.

It may sound like a heavy addition to the burger, but the black pepper cheese sauce provides a subtle peppery spice and smokiness to the burger which makes it more palatable and less jelak.

The shredded lettuce might seem forgettable but it helps add some crunch and freshness to the burger.

It also pairs well with potato wedges (from S$4.50), which are more flavourful than the usual fries.

As someone who eats the sides only after finishing the mains, I appreciate that the wedges didn’t turn stale and remained crispy.

Is it better than the OG Filet O Fish?

I’m the type to order the same item off the menu all the time because it leaves little room for disappointment.

And I’m glad to report that the new burger was a pleasant surprise.

I can’t decide if it is better than the OG Filet O Fish, but it is something I will definitely order more than once when it’s in season.

The Black Pepper Cheese Filet O Fish will be available at McDonald’s outlets from Aug. 31, 2023.

There’s also the Double Black Pepper Cheese Filet O Fish which retails from S$6.55 (ala carte) and from S$8.15 (Extra Value Meal).

This sponsored article brought to you by McDonald’s Singapore made the writer Google for Alaskan pollock.

Top photo by Fasiha Nazren.