Review: The Flame Broiler - Super Works Plate

The Flame Broiler is styled as "a healthy choice" and features a short menu of Korean-styled plates with a combination of meat, rice, and vegetables.  They boast no msg, no skin, no frying, and no trans fats.  You can also substitute white meat chicken for $1.50 and can choose brown rice instead of white for no charge.  A friend and I shared a Super Works plate which had everything on the menu and is good for sharing. It costs $8.99.

News: New at Taco Bell - Tortadas and Limeade Sparklers

Taco Bell introduced two items today: Tortadas and Limeade Sparklers.

The name "Tortada" appears to be a combination of "torta" and "tostada." Tortadas are available in two varieties: Bacon Ranch and Salsa Roja.  They are priced at $3.29 at my local Taco Bell (price may vary with location).

Review: Burger King - BK Breakfast Bowl

One of the new items on Burger King's breakfast menu, the BK Breakfast Bowl features a smörgåsbord of your typical breakfast items in a bowl.  Specifically, it contains bits of roasted southwestern potatoes, grilled onions and peppers, scrambled eggs and sausage topped with a blend of three cheeses and a smoky cheese sauce in a black plastic bowl.  The clear plastic lid resembles a large checker piece, with the large crown on it and all.

Around the World: Burger King Philippines Offers Free Shoe Shines

Burger King Philippines offers free shoe shining at selected outlets.

I like the tag: "Black Shoes? High Heels? No Heels? We shine 'em your way."

 I guess it's an interesting way to get people in the door in urban areas with heavy foot traffic.  I wonder if they run this promotion in any other countries.

What if you were wearing sneakers?  Would you still get a shoe shine?  Can you even shine sneakers?  Only if they're leather I suppose.

The Asia Trip: McDonald's Taiwan - Chicken McCrispy

I went to McDonald's Taiwan inside the Taipei Zoo, the largest zoo in Asia, and roughly about $2 for admittance (which has to make it one of the cheapest ways to spend a day in Taiwan).  While there, I tried the Chicken McCrispy, a value item menu for about $1 if I remember correctly.

Video: Burger King's BK Breakfast Muffin Ad

In case you haven't seen it yet, here's Burger King's TV ad promoting the new BK Breakfast Muffin:

Review: Wendy's French Fries

Wendy's French Fries are sliced a bit thicker than McDonald's and don't have the same beef flavoring. For 99 cents, you get the value-sized fries which is a little bit smaller than a small but still fine for snacking.  The small (shown above) costs $1.29.

News: Hugh Jackman Dances for Lipton

Hugh Jackman is the new face of Lipton worldwide and kicks off a global campaign with a commercial entitled "Tokyo Dancing Hotel." You can check out the 1.5-minute snazzy dance number here:

News: Check out KFC's Double Down "Sandwich" Ad

As you all know by now, KFC's Double Down Sandwich(?!) is unleashed (you know, because it's a monstrosity) on Monday, April 12, 2010 but you can check out the accompanying 30-second spot now:

News: Domino's Pizza New Pizza Holdout Ad Campaign

Dominos is continuing its documentary-style ad campaign which started with the story behind redesign of their pizza focusing on lackluster consumer feedback.

The follow up to that campaign is Pizza Holdouts which uses the same documentary-style type ads to follow their over-the-top efforts to get three people who hadn't yet tried their new pizza to try it.

The full video centering the campaign is a little over 4 minutes and you can check it out after the jump.

News: Dunkin' Donuts Serves New Bagel Twists

Today, Dunkin Donuts unveiled their new Bagel Twists.  It's a cross between the twist donut and a bagel.  The shape is purported to make the bagel easier to eat when you're on-the-go.

Their exact words were: "The new Bagel Twists feature Dunkin' Donuts' famous bagels, twisted into a more portable, easy-to-eat shape, perfect for busy people on-the-go seeking a delicious snack to keep them running throughout their day."   I can't say I've ever had trouble eating a bagel while walking though but maybe I'm just talented.

Review: Burger King - Smoky Cheddar Steakhouse XT

Burger King's Smoky Cheddar Steakhouse XT burger is a limited time item and part of Burger King's recent premium Steakhouse XT line which go head-to-head with similar premium offerings in McDonald's Angus Burgers and Jack in the Box's Sirloin Burgers. The Smoky Cheddar Steakhouse XT (The XT stands for Xtra Thick) features a flame-broiled, almost-half-pound beef patty (7 ounces), barbecue sauce, lettuce, and tomatoes, four strips of bacon, and two slices of Cheddar cheese on a special cornmeal-dusted bun for $4.49.

News: Cinnabon Giving Free Mini Cupcakes on Tax Day - April 15, 2010

Attention mall-goers! Cinnabon is giving away two bite-sized cupcakes to celebrate Tax Day. You can choose from chocolate-, vanilla-, carrot-, and Cinnabon-flavored mini-cupcakes.

Local Review: Louis Burgers - Torrance, CA

Louis Burgers is a random burger joint that I stopped by one day for lunch on a rare occasion when I happened to be in Torrance.  The restaurant offers a full fast food menu ranging from pancakes, sandwiches, and omelettes for breakfast and hot dogs, burgers, salads, and Mexican food for later in the day.  Basically, they have enough variety to please everyone.

Review: Zankou Chicken - Chicken Tarna Plate

Zankou Chicken is a popular family-owned chain in southern California specializing in Middle Eastern / Meditterean-style food and is quite famous for their chicken and garlic sauce.  Zankou's Chicken Tarna Plate runs for $9.99 and features slices of marinated chicken served with hummus, sesame sauce (tahini), tomatoes, lettuce, pickled turnips, peppers, pita Bread and garlic sauce.

News: Wendy's Testing New Premium Salads

Wendy's is currently testing a line of four Premium Salads at participating locations in the following markets: Columbus, OH; Nashville, TN; Salt Lake City, UT; Richmond, VA.  The four salads are: the Apple Pecan Chicken Salad, the BLT Cobb, the Baja Salad, and the Spicy Chicken Caesar.

The Apple Pecan Chicken Salad features tender grilled chicken and real blue cheese crumbles mixed with fresh, hand-picked apples and sweet, dried cranberries.  It also appears to have walnuts or pecans.

Review: Panda Express - Orange Chicken

Panda Express' Orange Chicken is my favorite dish at the largest Chinese fast food restaurant chain in the U.S.  The dish features battered boneless chicken pieces stir-fried in a wok with a sweet and tart orange sauce.  I usually get a 2-entrée platter for $5.99 and choose Orange Chicken for both entrées!  You can also buy it a la carte in a single size for $3.00 or a family-sized large for $9.00.

News: Starbucks Reveals "Plenta" and "Micra" Drink Sizes

Starbucks announced on their company blog today that in response to customer requests, they are introducing two new and groundbreaking drink sizes in the fall: the 2-ounce Micra and 128-ounce Plenta.  The new sizes are the result of a year's worth of research and direct customer feedback through MyStarbucksIdea.com.

Okay, not really... Starbucks is getting in on April Fool's this year and perhaps mocking their Trenta test a bit.

News: KFC Double Down Sandwich Coming April 12th?

As we all know, today is April Fool's Day so it's with a bit of skepticism that a visit to KFC's homepage revealed a mysterious countdown timer with the words: "Countdown to Double Down."

Clicking on the timer revealed, KFC's Double Down Sandwich, a grotesque monstrosity of two original recipe (or grilled) chicken breasts sandwiching two pieces of bacon, two melted slices of Monterey Jack and pepper jack cheese, and (the dubiously named) Colonel's Sauce.

Review: Jack in the Box - Bacon, Egg, and Cheese Biscuit

Jack in the Box's Bacon, Egg, and Cheese Biscuit is exactly as described.  They are currently running a promotion where you can get two for $3.  Jack in the Box serves breakfast all day for us late sleepers.