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Photo: Erik R. Trinidad
It's that time of year again, the 40-day Christian season of Lent, a time when fast food restaurants ramp up their seafood menu selections to capitalize on religious dogma -- hell, even KFC plays up their Fish Snacker. The rules of the season mandate that no meat is to be eaten on Fridays -- vegetarians need not change their eating habits -- but to the observant carnivorous fast foodie, this usually means replacing those burgers and fries with fish and chips. Wendy's heeds this call, and has jumped back on the bandwagon this year, offering a Premium Fish Fillet sandwich to fill this religious niche. Here's how it rates:
The Claims: Wendy's Premium Fish Fillet is 100% North Pacific cod breaded with panko crumbs, served in a bun with a leaf of lettuce and tartar sauce (500 calories). A slice of American cheese is optional (for an additional 40 calories).
The Price: $3.99 for the sandwich, plus an extra 30 cents if you want cheese. Add their natural-cut fries to make it a "fish 'n chips" combo with a drink for $5.99. (Prices may vary at participating locations.)
The Verdict: C+. Cod is a very mild-tasting, flaky white fish, which intrinsically makes the core of this sandwich mild and very bland. The panko crumbs, which are usually used as breading in Japanese katsu, give the fillet a nice crunchy texture, but really do nothing to enhance the flavor. The crisp lettuce and soft bun add their contrasting textures to the sandwich, but they too don't add anything to the overall taste either. What's left is the cheese, which helps -- get it with cheese if you have the means -- and the tartar sauce, which is good, however Wendy's only uses a light smear of it. With everything else very mild, I wanted more of that tanginess; it's the only thing in it with a distinguishable taste. I'm not saying smother it in tartar sauce like McDonald's sometimes does with their Filet-O-Fish sandwiches, but perhaps use twice the amount. (I'm willing to take in the extra calories for a little more flavor.)
Unless you're looking for something light, the overall taste, in addition to their natural cut, sea-salted fries (Grade C; see our separate review), makes for a bland albeit self-proclaimed "real" fish 'n chips offering. If only they served it in the traditional way, with more salt and malt vinegar...
- Read what people are giving up for Lent at AOL News.
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Fast Food Reviews
Arby's Angus Three Cheese & Bacon Sandwich
Grade B
Our tester said: Arby's is no stranger to roast beef sandwiches, so rather than introduce something completely new, they've decided to improve upon something they're already known for. The beef is sliced and piled into a decent portion that delivers a good texture per bite, without being too sloppy. The bacon is decent; chewy with a slight crispness that goes well with the soft Italian roll.
Domino's Chicken Wings
Grade: D
Our tester said: The revamped Chicken Wings are definitely not worth getting (at least the ones I got fresh at one particular New York City location), unless you really want to serve wings at a pizza party and don't feel like going to a separate place for them. They are small, subpar and not meaty at all.
Domino's Boneless Chicken
Grade: C
Our tester said: The new Boneless Chicken comes in nuggets similar to those at Wendy's -- only smaller -- and they are decent, with soft white breast meat lightly breaded in a coating of breadcrumbs, a few herbs, salt and pepper.
Wendy's Asiago Ranch Chicken Club
Grade: A
Our tester said: While these three sandwiches are merely enhancements of existing sandwiches, the new combination of toppings makes all the difference. At its core, the chicken breast fillets are as good as Wendy's gets; the Homestyle variety is breaded and seasoned like a KFC fillet, the breaded Spicy one packs decent heat for a national fast-food chain, and the Grilled version is lighter in taste and texture. All three are tender, plump and juicy. And, typical of Wendy's chicken sandwiches, the fresh tomatoes and lettuce take the edge off of the chicken's saltiness, while the soft bun complements them all.
Taco Bell's Quad Steak Burrito and Quesadilla
Grade: C+
Our tester said: This "new" burrito and quesadilla may pack more meat, but it is not inventive on any other front. It is what it is, and "what it is" is an obvious attempt at damage control, a food item to remind the public that you can get actual beef chunks -- and plenty of them -- at Taco Bell. Sure, the Quad Steak items are filling and have that familiar fast-food Mexican-inspired taste you expect from Taco Bell, with a spiciness you can control via your preference of thier Mild, Hot, or Fire Sauce. To be fair, the abundance of steak pieces does alter the texture of the burrito, with more beef per bite during your eating experience, rather than the mouthfuls of mostly rice you get with the regular steak burrito. But apart from that, this "new" burrito is nothing new at all. Taco Bell may claim to "think outside the bun," but they didn't think much further than that in this one.
McDonald's Angus Chipotle BBQ Bacon & Cheese Burger and Snack Wrap
Grade: C+
Our tester said: This "new" version of the Angus Third Pounder is really nothing new at all -- and it boasts the highest calorie count of any burger on the menu (at the time of writing). Sure, it will satisfy your hunger, and the beef is tasty, but the sauce flavor is lacking. My gripe with this sandwich is that when trying to analyze its flavor, I was searching for the chipotle taste in the BBQ sauce, but couldn't find the deep, smoky spiciness that chipotle peppers are known for. In fact, when I sampled the sauce by itself, it was rather familiar: It tasted exactly like the brown barbecue sauce served with Chicken McNuggets, and more recently, in the McRib sandwich.
Burger King's Jalapeno & Cheese Stuffed Steakhouse Burger
Grade: B-
Our tester said: For a fast-food chain known for the "heat" to come from flame-broilers, not spices, this new burger actually packs a lot of kick and is quite spicy -- when you find it, that is. The distribution of the jalapeño bits in the patty isn't always even and there is no "bite" in every bite. The saltiness of the cheese takes down the heat a tad, just as the lettuce and tomato attempt to offset the mild spiciness of the poblano cream sauce (which only has a hint of spice above what seems to be plain mayonnaise).
Chick-fil-A's Spicy Chicken Biscuit
Grade: B+
Our tester said: While we expected this breakfast biscuit to be on the way-too-buttery side, we were surprised it wasn't too salty or greasy. The biscuit is soft and firm yet moist enough that it doesn't crumble when being handled. By itself, the biscuit has the right amount of salt, and is actually a bit sweet, with the flavor of sweet cornmeal, as in a good piece of cornbread or the batter around a corn dog. The spicy chicken filet packs a bite, more than expected, with a satisfying aftertaste of pepper – and if it's not hot enough for your morning palate, you could always add a packet of Texas Pete's Hot Sauce. The chicken's spiciness is offset by the sweetness of the biscuit, giving it a nice overall balance. It's the perfect part of Chick-fil-A's complete breakfast, which also includes tater tots, plus orange juice or coffee.
Starbucks Veggie, Egg, & Monterey Jack Sandwich
Grade: B-
Our tester said: Although the sandwich was fresh, and the bread was a better quality than the Dunkin' Wake-Up Wraps' tortillas (which were kind of hard), our panelists thought there was just too much bread, not nearly enough vegetables (we only had two or three peppers buried in each sandwich's egg), and it was bland. "More salt," begged one panelist. "More flavor!" When it came to the cheese, though, the Monterey Jack of Starbucks had an edge over Dunkin's low-cal cheese, which, said one panelist, "tasted like fake cheese food." Starbucks, add more vegetables and amp up the spice, please.
Dunkin' Donuts Wake-Up Wraps
Grade: B+
Our tester said: Everyone on the panel agreed this wrap (which isn't really a wrap at all) had the kick you want in a breakfast sandwich. It was more highly spiced than the Starbucks Veggie ABS, and the sausage had good flavor. The tortilla, though, could use a remake. It tasted just a touch stale. Dunkin', we'll come back for the spice, and the low-cal ease, but freshen up the tortillas, please.
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3-14-2011 @8:05PM greg belter said... Wendys needs to get more "heart healthy". But not likely to happen for us less fortunate people who have had heart problems. I can see then using fresh fish, broiled or baked, not saturated in whatever it is. They use to serve chili on Tuesdays, all you can eat! I think they thought too many bums were abusing the privliage.
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3-14-2011 @8:33PM Gar said... Reviewing a fast food restaurant fish sandwich?...Which is sadder? A review of fast food or me reading it..." The Panko Crums usually used in Japanese katsu..." hahaha and Fries? Reviewing fries?ITS FAST FOOD! And to show calories is a joke...its fried fast food!
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3-14-2011 @8:39PM Trebor said... Does this sandwich come with a side of toilet paper?
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3-15-2011 @10:16AM jeremiah said... Thank you, Erik R. Trinidad for your informational research article on Wendy's Fish Fillet. I appreciate the nutritional education on what our fast food restaurants are serving up.
However, I would like to address the comment in the opening sentence, "40-day Christian season of Lent". Although, there are several denominations classified under "Christian" that do celebrate this particular observance, there are also several denominations classified under "Christian" that do not celebrate this particular observance.
Therefore, to state Lent as a "Christian season", is inaccurate, for many individuals that are Christians do not acknowledge this season.
I think more appropriately when speaking of Lent, an opening sentence to more accurately describe this season, would include the following classification: "Lent, a practice which is observed by serveral denominations within Christendom."
Thank you for your time.
p.s. On a side note, I agree with "Andy" in the above comment, that the "Hell" pun was noticed in your article and is inappropriate. Seriously, Mr. Trinidad, if you are assigned to write an article on someone else's religious beliefs, be respectful. Treat others how you would want to be treated on your own personal religious beliefs (whether you have them or not).
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3-19-2011 @6:33PM ava said... Wendy's fried fish has been on my radar for two years now. I do the drive thru every year at this time-I don't buy anything usually, just look for the fish fillet sign to go up. I skipped my usual drive thru search for a week and missed the Grand Lenten Appearance of the fillet. I was soooo sad. The fillet is the best ever! What a treat! the panko coating is so deliciously crunchy and the tartar sauce is perfect-both the amount and the flavor. I"m thinking that if you don't like it so much you may be so used to the bad stuff...well you can finish that thought.
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4-01-2011 @7:04PM fishies said... lol my friends made a video where they go in and randomly sing the song like a flashmob at a mcdonalds
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-kvxLdiSLc&feature=fvst
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