Review: Arby's - King's Hawaiian Sweet & Spicy Luau Chicken Sandwich

Arby's King's Hawaiian Sweet & Spicy Luau Chicken sandwich features a buttermilk crispy chicken filet, pit-smoked ham, Swiss cheese, tomato, lettuce, and new pineapple habanero mustard on a King's Hawaiian bun.

I paid $5.49 for one.

With the crispy chicken filet, ham, and Swiss cheese, the sandwich felt a lot like a chicken cordon bleu--there's a nice crunch from the chicken, salt and smokiness from the tender ham, and creaminess from the Swiss. But then the new sauce came in and they clashed.

The pineapple habanero mustard added a fruity sweetness, a sharp vinegar tang, and a good amount of heat. There was a lot going on with it but the overall effect was weird if not off-putting. It's definitely it's own thing, as I wouldn't say it's like a Polynesian sweet and sour sauce, a teriyaki sauce, or a Thai sweet chili sauce. It's not bad per se, but I didn't like it. I think the sauce might have gone over better with a simpler sandwich (maybe just chicken and a bun).

As to the rest: the lettuce was crisp and the tomato was ripe but firm. Both were pretty fresh. The bun was soft, lightly sweet, and fairly dense compared to your standard bun.

Unfortunately, Arby's King's Hawaiian Sweet & Spicy Luau Chicken didn't feel much like a luau for me. There was just too many disparate flavors between the sauce and pretty much everything else. I found myself wishing it was just a plain chicken cordon bleu-type sandwich (which is also a sandwich at Arby's).

Nutritional Info - Arby's King's Hawaiian Sweet & Spicy Luau Chicken sandwich (347g)
Calories - 710 (from Fat - 260)
Fat - 29g (Saturated Fat - 11g)
Sodium - 2050mg
Carbs - 69g (Sugar - 22g)
Protein - 45g