McDonald's launching meatless 'McPlant' burger

NEW YORK - Fast food giant McDonald's on Monday announced it was launching a new plant-based burger named the "McPlant" to cater to the growing number of people who do not eat meat.

The group had already tested out a plant-based burger in cooperation with the company Beyond Meat, which specializes in vegan meat substitutes.

The new line will be produced exclusively for McDonald's, and will be introduced in selected markets next year.

The restaurant chain has not yet said if it will renew its collaboration with Beyond Meat, only saying it will reach out to third-party suppliers as with all its other products.

McDonald's told investors it was also considering plant-based substitutes for chicken products and for its egg and bacon breakfast sandwiches.

The brand had fallen behind in the niche market to rival Burger King, which was the first to launch a vegetarian version of its iconic "Whopper" burger in April 2019 in the United States.

McDonald's still relies on its flagship products like the "Big Mac", "McNuggets" and French fries, which account for around 70 percent of its sales in its main markets.

"As demand for the familiar in these uncertain times is more important than ever, the Company believes these core classics will continue to be significant drivers of growth thanks to both their popularity and profitability," McDonalds said in a statement.

The company also aims to put a new emphasis on chicken-based products, which are growing faster than the market for beef products.

Following the success of its spicy nuggets in the United States, McDonald's plans to launch a crispy chicken sandwich there in 2021.

To boost internet sales, which have already grown significantly since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, the group will also test a new online platform and a new loyalty program.

It will also build new drive-in only outlets and have lines dedicated to customers who pre-ordered their meals online.

Agence France-Presse

10,000-calorie challenge: Can you finish Bangkok's 'biggest burger'?

BANGKOK -- A Bangkok burger joint has become an internet sensation after YouTubers started challenging each other to eat its biggest meal -- a near 6 kg (13 pound) patty covered in fried onion rings, bacon and mayonnaise.

Chris Steaks and Burgers is offering a 10,000 baht ($330) prize for anyone who can finish the mammoth snack in nine minutes -- one baht for every calorie.

Owner Komdech Kongsuwan, who says it is the country's biggest burger, dreamed up the contest after three customers managed the feat. New challengers are coming through the door every day.

Among them was Pakorn Porncheewangkoon, who failed to finish the burderin time. "I will eat a burger at some point (in the future), but not any time soon," he said.

The beef version of the "6 kg Burger" costs 2,500 baht ($82.75) and the pork one 3,500 baht ($115.86).

source: news.abs-cbn.com

McDonald's to test veggie burger in Canada

NEW YORK - Fast food giant McDonald's is dipping another foot into the world of plant-based "meat," announcing plans on Thursday to test a vegetarian burger in Canada.

The "PLT," standing for "Plant.Lettuce.Tomato," will be available for 12 weeks in 28 restaurants in Ontario starting on September 30.

"McDonald's has a proud legacy of fun, delicious and craveable food -- and now, we're extending that to a test of a juicy, plant-based burger," said Ann Wahlgren, vice president of global menu strategy.

"We've been working on our recipe and now we're ready to hear feedback from our customers."

Plant-based protein is not a completely new pursuit for McDonald's. The fast-food giant has launched with Nestle and vegetarian burger in Germany.

This time, McDonald's plans to partner with the fast-growing Beyond Meat, which developed a patty that McDonald's described as "delicious, juicy, perfectly dressed plant-based burger" with "the iconic McDonald's taste customers have come to love."

McDonald's rivals are also making a push into the fast-growing business.

Burger King in April unveiled a vegetarian "Whopper," while KFC, also with Beyond Meat, has sold plant-based nuggets.

While meat alternatives have been around for decades, a new generation of companies including Impossible Burger and Beyond Meat have employed technologies to produce proteins with taste and texture that more closely approximate meat.

Large food companies are also becoming more active in the space, with Nestle planning on October 1 to launch its "Awesome Burger" in the United States after unveiling the "Incredible Burger" in Europe.

jum-jmb/dg

source: news.abs-cbn.com

This red burger is juicy and spicy and contributes to the fight against HIV and AIDS

And you may only get a taste of it when you’re above the clouds. AirAsia changes its menu every quarter, so people can have something to look forward to the next time they fly. This season’s star is the INSPI(RED) Burger. 10% of sales from each burger will go directly to HIV/AIDS programs in ASEAN.

Gone are the days when airline food is equivalent to tasteless and unappetizing dishes. These days, every airline company is outdoing each other in making an impressive menu for its passengers, from the luxury airlines to low-cost ones like Malaysian airline, AirAsia. The latest addition to its in-flight menu is the INSPI(RED) Burger.

In an effort to improve the dining experience of their passengers, AirAsia partnered with one of the most popular Thai chefs in the United States, Chef Hong Thaimee. Chef Hong’s role in the partnership was to create a dish that would resonate with the airline’s diverse guests.

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“We’re a regional carrier, so we want to give our customers a flavor of the Asian experience,” Gilbert Simpao, chief commercial officer for AirAsia Philippines, tells ANCX, during the launch of INSPI(RED) Burger, at the Amorita Resorts in Panglao, Bohol. “AirAsia contacted Chef Hong because she’s a very famous and successful chef. We gave her leeway, so she could use her background, experience, and passion to create something wonderful.”

The result is a juicy, tangy, homemade burger, with a chicken patty steeped in fish sauce, kaffir lime leaves, and lemongrass. The patty is flanked by two beetroot-flavored, red brioche buns. The shredded purple cabbage and seedless tomatoes add flavor to the burger. Its best ingredient, though, is the Nam Prink Noom Mayo, a green chili mayonnaise, which Chef Hong borrowed from her grandmother.

Born in Chaingmai, Thailand, Chef Hong moved to New York City 12 years ago to jumpstart her career as a chef, after gaining success as a model and business executive in Bangkok City, Thailand. In The Big Apple, she gained work experience by taking jobs at several restaurants, before she decided to open her own place, called Ngam, which served modern Thai food. Through traveling the world and being exposed to different people, Chef Hong became a humanitarian activist, inspirational speaker, and author.

When she sealed her partnership with AirAsia, she asked the almost-two-decade-old airline if they wanted to support her advocacy of supporting people with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS). She also wanted to raise awareness of the disease. The airline company happily agreed.

Coincidentally, in 2018, AirAsia already started a partnership with RED, a licensed brand that collaborates with the private sectors to support and fund initiatives that are related to HIV and AIDS awareness and eradication.

Simpao says, “Everything kind of goes full-circle. The organization RED is a partner. AirAsia’s color is red. And our new burger by our partner chef is red. We do hope this makes an impact and a significant contribution to our fight against HIV and AIDS.”  

For this initiative, 10% of the sales from each INSPI(RED) burger will go directly to the HIV/AIDS programs in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

One of AirAsia’s goals is to bring Filipino cuisine to a wider audience. For their new menu, they’ve put a twist to the classic adobo by serving it with java rice and bananas on the side.

The best-sellers include the famous beef tapa with scrambled eggs, chicken teriyaki, nasi lemak, and chicken rice. Recently, they launched the Manila-Osaka flight and coming up with more Japanese dishes is part of the agenda.

“We don’t want to settle,” Simpao says when asked what’s behind the menu upgrade. “Airlines is a very tough business. Any edge we can have over our competition—or course, low fares are important—but a great in-flight experience can also give us the edge. One part of the experience is having good meals onboard. The meals are not bundled into the price of the fare. If we want the passengers to pay extra, we have to make sure that we give them food that is worth their hard-earned money.”

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Jollibee opens Guam branch in accelerated North America push

MANILA -- Over a thousand patrons lined up for hours on Saturday to mark the opening of Jollibee in Guam, its 38th store in the US, the Philippines' largest fast food operator said Saturday.

The store's first customer, Landon Laureano waited in line for 12 hours. Located in front of the Micronesia Mall in Dededo, it can seat 205 people.

Jollibee Foods Corp recently announced its accelerated North American expansion plan, which includes growing to 150 locations in the US and 100 in Canada over the next 5 years.

The company continues to expand globally, opening stores in Manhattan in New York, Vietnam, Brunei, Singapore, and Hong Kong.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

McDonald's loses 'Big Mac' trademark case to Irish chain Supermac's

McDonald's Corp has lost its rights to the trademark "Big Mac" in a European Union case ruling in favor of Ireland-based fast-food chain Supermac's, a decision from the EU's Spain-based Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) showed.

The judgment, provided to Reuters by Supermac's, revoked McDonald's registration of the trademark, saying that the world's largest fast-food chain had not proven genuine use of it over the 5 years prior to the case being lodged in 2017.

The EUIPO did not respond to phone calls and emails requesting comment.

McDonald's was not immediately available to comment on the decision. The decision said the company can still appeal.

With the revocation, Supermac's said it can now expand in the United Kingdom and Europe. The ruling also allows the Irish chain to use the "Big Mac" name on any food items it will sell.

Supermac's said it had never had a product called "Big Mac" and that McDonald's had just used the similarity of the two names to block the Irish chain's expansion.

"Supermac's are delighted with their victory in the trademark application and in revoking the Big Mac trademark which had been in existence since 1996," founder Pat McDonagh told Reuters in an email.

"This is a great victory for business in general and stops bigger companies from "trademark bullying" by not allowing them to hoard trademarks without using them."

source: news.abs-cbn.com

'High-tech,' meat-free burgers showcased in world's biggest technology fair

LAS VEGAS -- Can a "high-tech" burger help save the planet?

In one sense, it's just a patty made from plant protein. But the founders of California-based Impossible Foods argue the product can have a big impact by reducing the amount of land needed for beef and other livestock production.

Impossible Foods, which began in 2011, chose the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas to launch its "next generation" burger -- version 2.0 -- which has no gluten, hormones or antibiotics and is kosher- and halal-certified.

With a handful of restaurateurs and chefs on hand, the company announced Monday it now has 5,000 restaurants serving its product as it prepares to begin selling in supermarkets.

Impossible Foods also brought a food truck to the large tech show to serve more than 12,000 samples of the burger to CES attendees.

Chief executive Pat Brown, a Stanford biochemistry professor and former pediatrician, said the decision to appear at CES was logical because the company is based on technology.

"To most consumers the face of the company is a food company but the soul of the company is really R&D (research and development) and technology," Brown told AFP ahead of a news conference at the Las Vegas tech extravaganza.

"What distinguishes us is we are developing a new technology platform that will transform the global food system."

The company, which has raised some $400 million, including from Microsoft founder Bill Gates, was launch to develop a plant-based product that simulates the taste and feel of beef.

It uses wheat protein, potato protein and coconut oil, and its "special ingredient" called heme which has elements of the hemoglobin in animal protein but is developed from soy.

Impossible Foods is among a handful of firms including California rival Beyond Meat developing plant-based or lab-grown meat substitutes that claim to offer products equal to or better than animal protect.

GLOBAL AMBITIONS

The Impossible Burger is served in several restaurant chains as well as the fast-food group White Castle, and is eyeing global expansion with restaurants in Hong Kong and Macau.

The company plans to launch the new recipe in Singapore within several months, with additional markets to come.

"We're doing some early work preparing for (global) expansion," Brown said.

Brown maintained that developing new kinds of protein is crucial for the environment when large areas of land -- some estimates suggest 40 percent or more of global land area -- are devoted to livestock.

Impossible Foods is "barely getting started" and hopes to be able to scale up to produce large quantities.

"Apple started with one hand-built computer," he said. "You have to start somewhere."

And he added that technology and research will help further improve the product.

"Unlike the cow we are going to be getting better every single day," he said.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Jollibee teases Manhattan branch opening with selfies around New York

MANILA -- Jollibee said it would open a store in Manhattan on Saturday and teased fans with a video of its mascot taking selfies around New York.

The Manhattan store will be launched one week after the Philippines' largest fast food operator opened a store in London, attracting long lines from homesick Filipinos who traveled to the British capital from other parts of Europe.

The Jollibee mascot stopped for selfies in Times Square, Radio City Music Hall, Central Park and the Statue of Liberty in the video, which had 88,000 views as of Friday.

Jollibee did not give an exact time for the opening. New York City is 12 hours behind Manila.

Aside from the eponymous burger and fried chicken chain that is loved by Filipinos, Jollibee also has a stake in American burger restaurant Smashburger and is eyeing a Mexican food venture.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

LOOK: Duterte-inspired burger in Cagayan de Oro

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY--The hype over the victory of President-elect Rodrigo Duterte is still on in "The City of Golden Friendship."

 Made with 350 grams of premium beef, mayonnaise, cheese, and an 8-inch customized Philippine flag burger bun, the "El Presidente Burger" is now on the menu of the Wild Onion Pub & Grub in Cagayan de Oro City.

Marco Paulo Culala, the pub's executive chef and owner, wants to personally serve the burger to the president-elect.

The burger costs P375.

A post on Wild Onion's Facebook page says the burger is good for around four to six persons and has approximately 1,950 calories.

The same post says that a portion of the proceeds from the sale of the burger will go to the House of Hope Foundation, Inc.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Burger King proposes 'McWhopper' for Peace Day

It's a burger lover's dream combo.

Burger King is proposing a new product called a WcWhopper that will be developed with rival McDonald's to promote peace day on September 21.

McDonald's chief executive officer Steve Easterbrook responded to Burger King's proposal through Facebook.


He did not reject the McWhopper idea outright but he did not accept it either. Easterbrook said only McDonald's would commit to raise awarness for peace.

Easterbrook also took a jab at Burger King for comparing their "friendly business competition" to the "real pain and suffering of war."

He also suggested Burger King should have called him first. -- ANC Alerts, August 27, 2015

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Worth the hype: The Beef at Hole in the Wall

MANILA -- The Beef serves what is arguably the best burger in Metro Manila.

There are really, only three items in the menu: the hambuger (P275), the cheeseburger (P295), and fries (P85).

But The Beef, which stands right next to Chef JP Anglo’s Liberation Shawarma at Hole in The Wall in Century City Mall, gives its diners the option to have the burgers with fries, like a meal set (starts P350). It also offers extra patty (P180) and extra cheese (P50) for heavy-hitters.

The menu should clue in the diner that at The Beef, it’s all very simple and straightforward. This is exactly The Beef’s burger philosophy: to unclutter the burger. You’ll see this as its mission on its menu board: “The best uncluttered burger on this side of the planet. No insecure oversizing. No customization. No fancy topping.”

On a slow Friday afternoon, we went to try The Beef’s cheeseburger with fries (P395 including service). We only had to wait less than five minutes, but that’s also because there were no lines. It was a slow Friday afternoon.

The order comes with ketchup and herbed aioli. The fries had a nice crisp to them. They were a bit too chunky and cut too largely for our preference, but they’re fries. Being too chunky and large is hardly a sin.

The first thing we noticed about the cheeseburger was the bun — holy hell, it was a soft and buttery brioche with a cute crackle on the toasted edges. It was then that we realized bread is an often overlooked component in the burger business. We’re just too happy to report that finally, someone remembered and paid enough attention to it.

And then comes all the pretty things in the middle —the ample amount of vegetables, the cheese that glues all of it together, lending a nice level of salty creaminess to it all, some bits of bacon that is always a good thing, and the star of the show, the beef patty.

Oh boy, the beef patty. I was told it was made with beef chuck from cows raised in the US and beef back fat from local Wagyu beef. No wonder it pulled a rich and solid flavor.

Its dripping should tell you how juicy juicy juicy the patty was. But despite that juiciness, the burger didn’t crumble. It’s a good thing that came very much appreciated — the dripping was messy enough.

If only Kalayaan Avenue wasn’t such a bitch to navigate, we’d probably have The Beef at least once a week. But that’s not the case, so we’re making a deal with ourselves to try and see if we can manage a bi-monthly trek.

The Beef, Hole in the Wall, 4/F Century City Mall, Makati. 10am-10pm

This story was originally published on Coconuts Manila.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

New branch, burgers for 8 Cuts

MANILA -- Burger restaurant 8 Cuts Burger Blends recently opened the doors of its newest branch in Salcedo Village, Makati.

Located in what’s turning out to be a street for foodies in the heart of the country's business district, this branch of 8 Cuts is more like a pub than a burger joint. It’s comfortable, inviting and an ideal place to enjoy a pint of beer paired with one of the top burgers in the metro.

Contributing to the pub feel of the new branch are 8 Cuts own versions of bar chow. Start your night with nachos, fries, chicken wings, onion rings, and a new addition, Cheeseball Shrooms.

8 Cuts traditionally comes up with burgers that are only available in certain branches. The Salcedo branch has the fully loaded Bar Burger 2.0 – bacon, onions, bleu cheese and scamorza cheese, watercress with sriracha, topped with slivers of onion tanglers, inside a toasted brioche bun. A cavalcade of tanginess, spiciness, combined with the oozing richness of 8 Cuts patty make every bite of this burger a savory delight.

Another Salcedo-only exclusive burger is the Tongue and Cheek Burger, consisting of mushrooms, green olives, onion tanglers, with house gravy smothered on 8 Cuts’ signature beef patty with slices of lengua (beef tongue) sandwiched in a sesame seed bun.

This is guaranteed to have any beef-loving gourmet smiling from ear to ear.

End the night with one of 8 cuts super thick milkshakes, or wash everything down with a beer or cocktails.

8 Cuts Salcedo is sure to be a favorite after-office hangout for the Makati crowd. Its idea of comfort food coupled with a cozy ambience make it a perfect place to hang out after-hours to watch sports events on the big screen, or just to unwind after a long day.

8 CUTS BURGER BLENDS
Infinity Tower, HV Dela Costa St. cor. LP Leviste St.
Salcedo Village, Makati

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

In-N-Out pops into PH anew

MANILA – After two years, popular American burger chain In-N-Out once again opened a pop-up store in the Philippines on Tuesday.

Filipino restaurant Giligan’s Island in Greenbelt 1, Makati has been converted into an In-N-Out pop-up store so the brand can sell its products to the public from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Tuesday, April 7.

Limited quantities of In-N-Out’s specialties are available during the event, with customers required to get a bracelet tag from organizers to obtain one burger.

Many Filipinos lined up for hours when In-N-Out opened a pop-up store at the seafood restaurant Clawdaddy at Bonifacio High Street last March 2013. The event also saw celebrities such as actress Anne Curtis and her boyfriend, Erwan Heussaff, patiently waiting in line to get a taste of In-N-Out’s burgers.

Brian Nakao, In-N-Out’s manager for special foreign events, told ABS-CBNnews.com in an interview in 2013 that they served more than 200 burgers during the four-hour pop-up event.

Noting how Filipinos have patronized In-N-Out during their short stint in Manila, Nakao said he has included the Philippines in his “personal list” of target markets for the brand.

He stressed, however, that he does not have the power to make those kinds of decisions in their company.

In-N-Out is known for its “animal-style” burgers, which include pickles, extra spread, grilled onions and mustard fried onto each patty.

The burger chain also offers “protein-style” burgers, a low-carb option where the buns are replaced with large lettuce leaves.

Last year, In-N-Out-inspired chain CaliBurger opened in the Philippines.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com