Around the World: McDonald's Taiwan - Jalapeno Spicy Chicken Sandwich

The second leg of McDonald's Taiwan's World Food Tour lands it in Mexico with the Jalapeno Spicy Chicken with fresh jalapenos featuring prominently in the promo shot.

Unfortunately, fresh jalapeno slices are nowhere to be found in the actual sandwich. Instead, there is a spicy Mexican chili sauce that curiously looks creamy and not-very-spicy. In addition to the sauce, there's a thigh meat battered and fried chicken patty, onions, lettuce, and tomatoes. The bun seems interesting with a smattering of various grains atop (sesame, oats, flax seeds, and a few others it looks like).

News: McDonald's Offers Cafe con Leche to New York Tri-state Area

In a nod to Hispanic/Latino guests in the New York tri-state area, McDonald's now offers "new" Cafe con Leche for a limited-time this holiday season in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut.

Cafe con Leche literally translates to "coffee with milk." At McDonald's, it means espresso with steamed milk i.e. a latte. According to this NBC report, the "new" drink is essentially the same as a Latte, which basically means this is a re-brand to better appeal to the Hispanic/Latino market.

Review: Wendy's - Bacon Fire Roasted Burrito

Wendy's Bacon Fire Roasted Burrito is part of their "fresh made" breakfast test and features applewood-smoked bacon, roasted poblano chilies, red peppers, and onions with natural shredded cheddar and pepper jack cheese and scrambled eggs wrapped in a multi-grain tortilla and pressed. It's served with hot sauce on the side.

I picked up a burrito for $2.69.

News: KFC Teases an Original Recipe Cookie

KFC wants you to know that they've tested and come up with a recipe for Original Recipe cookies.

Basically, the gist is since they already paired chocolate chip cookies with Original Recipe chicken in their new Festive Meal, why not just take it a step further and combine the two into a cookie?

Around the World: KFC Now Offered on Japan Airlines

Japan Airlines (JAL) is offering an exclusive KFC meal on a select number of outbound flights from Tokyo Narita Airport starting December 1, 2012 through February, 28, 2013. They're calling it "Air Kentucky Fried Chicken." It comes during the holiday season where Christmas in Japan pretty much means a meal from KFC.

The meal includes two pieces of the Colonel's Original Recipe fried chicken (a boneless filet and drumstick), a piece of flat bread made especially for the promotion, a cup of coleslaw, lettuce leaves, and "special" mayo (I would guess the sweeter Japanese mayo).

Around the World: Subway Japan - Food of the World: America

The latest in Subway Japan's "Food of the World" promotion lands them squarely in the Big Apple.

For the taste of America, and more specifically New York, Subway Japan offers two sandwich based on the Reuben and on bagels and lox.

The first is Subway's Japan's take on the classic Reuben. Of course the term "Reuben" might not mean much in Japan, so they're calling it the Beef Pastrami & Pickled Cabbage. It might not roll off the tongue as easily, but it's very descriptive!

Review: Wendy's - Sunny Side Burger

Wendy's Sunny Side Burger is part of their current breakfast test and features a fresh-cracked egg, natural Asiago cheese, your choice of Applewood Smoked Bacon or all-natural sausage, Hollandaise sauce,  and a Jr. burger patty served on a toasted honey-wheat artisan ciabatta.

I went with bacon and the sandwich cost $2.79.

News: KFC - New Festive Feast with Cookies

KFC is offering chocolate chip cookies as their nod to the holidays with the new Festive Feast.

Suggesting "peace this holiday" in the TV spot, the meal is your standard 8-piece (mixed) meal which comes with two large sides, and 4 biscuits, plus 12 chocolate chip cookies. The cookies are fresh-baked at each location.

News: Sonic - New Chocolate Mint Holiday Shake

While there was no Pumpkin Pie Shake this year, through December only, Sonic offers a holiday treat in the new Chocolate Mint Holiday Shake.

The shake features chocolate ice cream blended with crushed holiday mints, garnished with whipped topping, more crushed mints, and a requisite maraschino cherry on top.

Review: Wendy's - Seasoned Home-Style Potatoes

Wendy's Seasoned Home-Style Potatoes are the offered in the same slot occupied by hash browns and tater tots at other fast food chains. They feature skin-on, half-wheels of battered and fried potatoes, seasoned with sea salt, cracked pepper, and garlic powder.

It's part of the breakfast value menu and an order cost me 99 cents. The container is about the size of a small fry box.

Feature: Wendy's Breakfast Test 2012 Update

Wendy's Breakfast Test has gone through several iterations now, and apparently, it's still not getting the results they want to go nationally yet.

It's been over a year since I tried the previous version of the test, so I thought it was time to once again check out how the breakfast test is going. Be sure to check in throughout the week as I will be posting reviews of the test items daily.

Here's a full list of the items I've tried:

News: Panda Express - Firecracker Chicken Breast Returns

November 28, 2012 marks the limited-time return of Firecracker Chicken Breast to the Panda Express menu.

The 240-calorie-per-serving dish features chicken breast pieces, sweet yellow and red bell peppers, and onions tossed in wok with whole and crushed chili peppers in a black bean sauce.