So obviously, when Texas Chicken Malaysia announced the return of the amazingly-named Fire Dragon Burger not long ago, we knew we had to give it a go.
The posters carry a promise of spicy goodness, so we wanted to see if the burger lived up to the hype.
You can opt between a burger or a wrap, so we did the obvious and tried both.
Our order included a Fire Dragon Burger, Fire Dragon Wrap, Spicier Spicy Fried Chicken, fries and Sprite.
Smells nice, tastes better?
Even before unwrapping the Fire Dragon Burger, the aroma alone let us know that we are getting the good stuff. Sandwiched between the toasted buns were a red sauce-coated chicken thigh, coleslaw, tomatoes and cheese.
The crimson colour of the concoction clamours the combination of eight peppers and chipotle ranch.
Fire Dragon Burger derives all its heat from the sauce, in a good way, as it impressed from the get-go.
The heap of slaw did little to tame the heat but added a textural interplay.
The meat was juicy, tender and crispy, perfectly complimenting the sauce that came to the fore in each mouthful.
This burger definitely ticked all the boxes when it comes to a legitimate spicy dish, as we found ourselves reaching for our cup of Sprite more often compared to the other dishes (more on that in a bit).
Next, the Fire Dragon Wrap had all the similar ingredients, only for crispy chicken tenders in place of chicken thigh.
Sure, it was a well-rounded flavour, but our first thought was - why so skimp with the spicy sauce?
Following a fiery aftertaste from the burger, our tastebuds reconciled to the baseline of a regular, savoury wrap.
It could be the inherent concern of fast-food chains since the taste can vary by the individual preparing it, so we would suggest that you give the wrap a skip and go directly with the burger.
The flavours were there, but sadly, the spicy wasn't.
The final piece of the combo was the Spicier Spicy Fried Chicken.
Tender, crispy and aromatic, but the meat was bereft of the given name. We had to reach up to the chilli sauce for additional heat.
The fried chicken is a far cry from the Fire Dragon Burger if lip-smacking spiciness is what you seek.
Our verdict
In our opinion, the Fire Dragon Burger edges out its rivals’ heat-centric sandwiches as it tasted one dimensional from start to end – spicy and savoury.The pedas-ness was the real deal, and the aftermath of having the set left us with a burning sensation in our stomach long after the burger was digested.
It was not a tear-jerking experience right away, rather the heat kept scaling up one bite at a time. The rich sauce was on par with its bold colour, as the fiery aftertaste lasted a few hours on the palate and a little longer in the stomach.
We only took occasional sips of the iced drink because why would anyone “rojak” the heat that you crave?
The Fire Dragon Wrap was just alright, as we felt that the lack of spicy sauce took the oomph out a bit from the whole experience.
As for the Spicier Spicy Fried Chicken, it will not move the pedas meter one bit if spicy is what you're looking for.
The wrap and fried chicken have a lot to learn from the big brother.
All in all, we definitely recommend the Fire Dragon Burger if you're into torturing your stomach with spicy food, as it definitely did justice to its luring posters!
Try it out and let us know if the burger awakened the dragon within you?
Final score:
