The Impulsive Buy

REVIEW: Starbucks Chicken, Maple Butter & Egg Sandwich

February 29, 2024February 26, 2024 Tiffany 8 Comments

Guess who’s back? Back again?

Not Slim Shady, but Starbucks’ Chicken, Maple Butter & Egg Sandwich! It officially joined the permanent menu this past January after a brief week-long stint in June 2022.

I tried it when it debuted and have similar thoughts about it this time around. So basically, it’s the same sandwich – breaded white meat chicken, eggs, and maple butter spread on a toasted oat-biscuit roll – just with all the undisclosed kinks figured out.

This breakfast combo of chicken, egg, and biscuit seems so familiar, yet there’s distinctiveness. There is nothing quite like it at other quick service establishments or on Starbucks’ current food menu. Plus, a toasted oat-biscuit roll just sounds unique and fancy.

As I pulled my freshly heated sandwich bag from the hand-off counter and peered at it while making my way to a table, I was immediately hit with a sweet honey smell. My Pavlovian response to the sweet and savory breakfast was, “Oooh, McGriddle!”

Visually, though, it was pale and almost looked underbaked, which was unsurprisingly unlike the golden tones of the re-touched menu photography. The chicken looked like an oversized chicken nugget, which gave me grade school cafeteria food vibes. I noticed and appreciated that the egg layer was equal in size to the chicken patty. It was a plus to me because it seemed like it would be more filling and, thus, worth the nearly $6 price tag.

I was disappointed to find just a thin layer of maple butter on just one side of the sandwich. It was impressive that such a small amount packed such big smells but meh flavors. This, unfortunately, made me think that maybe it was just artificial flavoring. This realization detracted from my perception that it was a premium sandwich made with high quality ingredients. Boo.

All put together, it was really dry. Also, like in grade school, the chicken was a touch rubbery with no crispiness whatsoever. The oat biscuit roll didn’t do the sandwich any favors. It had the dryness of a biscuit and biscuit-ish flavors (see: butter) without actually being one. After a few bites, I ended up deconstructing it and just eating the chicken and egg together. I solved the dryness issue and still got the sweetness of the maple butter because it attached itself to the chicken breading.

The bright side to all of this was that at least it was heated thoroughly. I’ve unfortunately had many Starbucks sandos and wraps that were still cold in the middle.

Does this dethrone my latest bacon gouda sandwich kick or the chain’s outstanding Potato, Cheddar & Chive bites? (Pro tip: ask for hot sauce.) Nope. But I can understand why some folks looking for something with more protein or sweet and savory flavors might be into this.

Purchased Price: $5.45
Rating: 6 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 sandwich – 150g) – 450 calories, 24 grams of fat, 8 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 160 milligrams of cholesterol, 1040 milligrams of sodium, 42 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 6 grams of sugar, and 17 grams of protein.

SPOTTED: 2/29/2024

February 29, 2024February 26, 2024 Marvo 1 Comment

Here are some interesting new products found on store shelves by your fellow readers. If you’ve tried any of them, share your thoughts in the comments.

Afters Ice Cream Cookie Monster Ice Cream Bars

Afters Ice Cream Strawberry Cookie Crunch Ice Cream Bar

After Ice Cream Madagascar Vanilla Ice Cream Bar

Afters Ice Cream Cookie Butter Ice Cream Bars

(Spotted by Amanda Y at Market Street.)

Baskin Robbins Jamoca Almond Fudge Ice Cream Bars

Baskin Robbins Pralines ‘n Cream Ice Cream Bar

Baskin Robbins Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Bars

Baskin Robbins Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Bars

(Spotted by Amanda Y at Market Street.)

Fatboy Caramel Cookies ‘N Cream Cookie Sandwich

(Spotted by Amanda Y at Market Street.)

Alden’s Organic Mint Fudge Twist Greek Yogurt Frozen Dessert Bar

Alden’s Organic Chocolate Fudge Twist Greek Yogurt Frozen Dessert Bar

(Spotted by Amanda Y at Sprouts.)

(Spotted by Amanda Y at Sprouts.)

If you’re out shopping and see new products, snap a picture of them, and send them in via an email (theimpulsivebuy@gmail.com) with where you found them and “Spotted” in the subject line. Also, if you want to send in photos and are wondering if we’ve already covered something or if they’re new, don’t worry about it. Let us worry about it.

REVIEW: Limited Edition Space Dunk Oreo Cookies

February 28, 2024February 27, 2024 Ann 6 Comments

Ground Control to Major Tom.
Ground Control to Major Tom.
Eat Space Dunk Oreos; one has a helmet pattern on.

Oreo’s newest cookie launch seems to combine all its most recent innovation tricks into one cookie — two layers of colorful marshmallow flavored crème filling, popping candy, unique cookie designs, and a partnership sweepstakes that could send you to (near) space with Space Perspective. One thing that was not clarified is whether you are given Space Dunk Oreo to eat on the Space Perspective ship while you gaze out upon the perimeter of space, a trip that, if you chose to purchase it outright, would cost you $125,000 (not including cookies).

Right out of the package, my immediate response was, “Oooooooh, pretty.” The chosen galactic colors are vibrant pink and bright blue. These colors against the dark traditional chocolate cookie fit the galaxy motif on the pack and are a well-rounded design choice.

It doesn’t taste like the pink and blue crème have individual flavors, but both are distinctly different from the traditional Oreo filling. It’s more like marshmallow or even cotton candy. This is especially true as the included popping candy melts and explodes in your mouth. I don’t know why popping and exploding things further convince me of the “design fit” to the galaxy theme because, theoretically, you’d very much NOT want things to explode or pop in space, but it’s undeniably effective.

I’ve tasted the Trolls Oreo and Firework Oreo, which both had chocolate cookies and popping candy, but I find the marshmallow crème flavor to be a better fit with these candies.

The final element at play is the five space-themed designs imprinted on the cookies. I’m not sure if this is the case with everyone’s Oreo packages, but mine seemed to be in a distinct order. Maybe I’m a nerd, but this makes me envision a little rotating wheel of space patterns printing out cookies in a predetermined design order a la Willy Wonka, and that just sparked delight. I like the astronaut helmet one the most.

Overall, I was surprised at how much I enjoyed Space Dunk Oreo. They aren’t just gimmicky tricks thrown together, but instead really seem to have been thought out and designed to fit a theme, which they do very well. The flavor, color, and texture offer enough of a different experience from the traditional Oreo that the seasonal option upcharge is nearly negligible.

Purchased Price: $4.00 (on sale)
Size: 10.7 oz. package
Purchased at: Target
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (2 cookies) 140 Calories, 6 grams of fat, 2 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 90 milligrams of sodium, 21 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 13 grams of sugar, and less than 1 gram of protein.

REVIEW: McDonald’s Savory Chili WcDonald’s Sauce

February 28, 2024February 27, 2024 Marvo 6 Comments

What is WcDonald’s?

Well, in Japan, it’s Wakudonarudo, and it’s been a part of anime and manga culture for many years to, I imagine, skirt trademark laws. But McDonald’s decided to transport all of us to the WcDonald’s universe by offering the Savory Chili WcDonald’s Sauce.

Here’s what McDonald’s had to say about it:

So savory and bold! The new Savory Chili WcDonald’s Sauce is a delicious, sticky sauce straight from the WcDonald’s universe. It gets its unique characteristics from the unmistakable aroma and fiery warmth of ginger, lingering umami from garlic and soy sauce with a little punch of heat from chili flakes. It’s the perfect dipping sauce for a 10 piece Chicken McNuggets and our World Famous Fries.

While I didn’t try it with McDonald’s fries, I dunked six McNuggets into it and it is definitely not wiggity wiggity waku, I mean, wack. While I enjoyed it and would probably get it again, something about it bothered my taste buds.

The ginger and soy sauce stood out the most, with hints of garlic. All those flavors were nice, but by the fourth or fifth McNugget, it started to get too salty, which I imagine was caused by the soy sauce and miso. It’s similar to when I dip my sushi into soy sauce for too long, creating a salty bite that takes away from the flavors that should stand out. Even the sauce’s sweetness didn’t help temper the saltiness enough. As for its heat, it didn’t kick my taste buds as hard as last year’s Sweet & Spicy Jam or Mambo Sauce, but it was significantly hotter than my usual Hot Mustard. Although, it wasn’t even spicy enough to make me forget about the saltiness.

Along with the sauce, McDonald’s also created a manga surrounding this new sauce that you can read by scanning the QR code on specially marked bags or in the photo above.

This Savory Chili WcDonald’s Sauce is good enough that I see myself getting it again while it’s still around. The flavors are there, but I thought its saltiness brought it down. Maybe folks like it salty in the WcDonald’s universe.

Purchased Price: $4.69 for 6-piece McNuggets
Rating: 6 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 container) 50 calories, 0 grams of fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 260 milligrams of sodium, 11 grams of carbohydrates, 9 grams of sugar (including 9 grams of added sugar), and 0 grams of protein.

SPOTTED: 2/28/2024

February 28, 2024February 26, 2024 Marvo 1 Comment

Here are some interesting new products found on store shelves by your fellow readers. If you’ve tried any of them, share your thoughts in the comments.