Why TikTok Is Roasting A Chef's McDonald's Meal Makeover
Everyone loves a Chicken McNugget Happy Meal from McDonald's, but have you ever considered what the menu item would look like if it were taken to the next level? Well, wonder no more: TikTok user @dannygrubs recently took his Happy Meal to Amy Brandwein — a Washington, D.C.-based chef with over 20 years of experience (via LinkedIn) and recognition from the James Beard Foundation — to see if she could rework McDonald's Chicken McNuggets, french fries, sweet and sour sauce, and apple pies into a fine dining experience. "Hey, chef! Can you turn my Happy Meal gourmet?" he asked.
Brandwein happily accepted the challenge and quickly began preparing a tortelloni dish. She started by transforming the fries, first by making pâte à choux with milk, water, salt, butter, flour, and eggs. Then Brandwein blitzed the fries in a food processor and added the pâte à choux, along with some Parmesan cheese, to fry up pommes dauphine, a French dish of tiny fried potato balls.
Next up, Brandwein whipped the McNuggets and apple pie filling in the food processor to make a smooth filling for the pasta, shaped into tortelloni and topped with buttery breadcrumbs made from the apple pie crust. The chef served the pasta over sweet and sour sauce (first reduced in a skillet with butter) and topped each piece with fresh apple and pommes dauphine.
TikTok isn't so happy with this tiny Happy Meal
As of this writing, 1.5 million viewers have tuned into Danny Kim's video detailing the deconstruction and reconstruction of a Happy Meal, which Chef Brandwein deemed "tortelloni 10.0." While Kim gave the meal a "10 out of 10," the rest of TikTok isn't quite so sure about the dish. Many commenters were put off by how tiny the portion was, which is kind of the opposite of what you expect when you indulge in a combo meal from a fast food restaurant.
"No one gonna talk abt how much went into that and how little it was," commented TikToker @amazingguy6942, while @slide.d.kilo chimed in, "bro all that food turned into 3 pieces of pasta." Other users said they'd rather just skip the whole ordeal and enjoy their fast food as-is. "I think [I'd] rather have the happy meal tbh," wrote @daylin101310v2, while @groomingmars4 shared, "Or and hear me out... you buy the McDonald's and then just eat it."
If, like other users, you're intrigued by these gourmet makeovers, check out the rest of @dannygrubs' account: The TikToker has had a variety of chefs make meals from other fast food restaurants, including Dunkin' and Wendy's. If anything, it's certainly creative.