365days2play Fun, Food & Family

The McDonald’s Open Doors Kitchen Tours are coming up again! If you’ve always wanted to know what goes on behind the scenes, from the time you place your order to few seconds later that you receive your fish fillet, now’s the chance to sign up for the tours and find out first hand. Us lucky bloggers were invited to get a sneak preview before everyone else, but the real clincher? Being able to bring our cameras into McDonald’s kitchens! I was pretty surprised that McDonalds allowed us to do so, but if they weren’t going to object, I wasn’t going to object.

First stop, my most favourite stop of all, the FRENCH FRY station! When cooked well, don’t you think they are just lovely? These here are a bit messy. According to my friend who used to work at McDonalds, all fries should be placed upright, and the yellow strips on the back of the cardboard should not be visible or it means you aren’t getting enough fries! Hmmm, these here don’t really pass.

I really wish I knew how to cook fries like McDonalds. It’s too bad they don’t have their blue colour mayonnaise packets anymore. I love dipping the fries in mayo and pepper!

The fries frying station…

McNuggets are also fried here

The frozen fries are kept in the fridge above, and dispensed by dropping out of the fridge automatically into the metal frying contraption

Cute! Bun troubleshooting tool!

I really had a hard time trying to get a few good pictures of the guy making the burgers. Mr Fastest Fingers First was literally zooming all over the place. Before I could even snap, the burger was done. My DSLR camera can’t make it when compared to Mr FFF!

Only managed to take a picture of the McChicken after it was done. I hope he managed to get the buns toasted just right. Yeah, managed to get the Cheeseburger one. Mmmmm cheeeese.

Speaking of cheese, here’s a close up shot. I just had to, of course. I wonder what sort of cheese they use. Can’t seem to find it in the supermarkets.

Once again, Mr FFF getting nuggets out of the warming cabinet. He’s already taken 2 before I’ve managed to get a picture.

Closer look at the warming cabinet. There’s a time limit to how long the food items can be stored here before it has to be chucked out. Something along the lines of 10 – 20 minutes. If you want your food piping hot, you’re always welcome to request a fresh or customised order.

Don’t ask me why the hands on the clocks don’t match the words…

Before the patties even get to the warming cabinets, they have to first be grilled. And this clam-shell contraption here does the job. First, put the frozen patties in.

Contraption will clamp down on the patties to grill them. With this contraption, each patty will be cooked for the same amount of time and to the right thickness!

When the timer beeps, remove the grilled patties!

Voila, they are ready! I spy a few few red spots on the patty. I guess if you want yours really well done, ask for it.

Our friendly McDonald’s ambassador then brought us into the store room. They should call a box room since it was full of boxes. Didn’t know that Big Mac Sauce is dispensed from a can.

Next up was the walk-in freezer. It was very fun to be able to step into the freezer, with the freezer fans blasting cold air right into your face. I thought I would be able to see raw meat here, but it was also pretty much more boxes. Despite that, I’m sure little kids would find it exciting to be able to venture into a freezer for the 1st time in their lives.

I actually have done this numerous times as I used to temp at the airport inflight catering centre. One of my tasks was to procure frozen food from the freezers when needed. I was only 15 at that time and I found it a treat to be able to venture into the silent freezer away from the clanking of plates and dishes outside. It kind of stopped being fun when one occasion, the floor was so slippery that I couldn’t find traction while trying to pull open the huge metal door…..

Next, we got to see the staff lounge. They even had a TV in the staff lounge. Hey my company should learn from McDonalds. Free McDonald meals are provided for all staff, although I wonder if one could tolerate eating from the same restaurant every single day.

The who’s who in McDonald’s King Albert Park branch

In case the staff have problems remembering how the burgers should be prepared

Barbecue sauce or curry sauce for you, Madam?

View of the ground floor

Bloggers listening intently to the welcome briefing. Do not touch anything for hygiene and safety purposes!

And Ronald McDonald, Hamburglar and the 2 hairy ones bid us goodbye

OK I had to end off with more fries. Picture of the latest cheese fries promo…it’s really delicious…and sinful. Tastes like cheezels!

More information on McDonalds and the Kitchen Tours

This year’s Open Doors in Singapore will see 300 sessions of kitchen tours, conducted between 18 September 2011 to 19 February 2012, at 25 McDonald’s restaurants island-wide. The kitchen tours will take place every 3^rd Sunday of the month. Participants will learn about McDonald’s food from “farm to fork” system. Register online at www.mcdonalds.com.sg/opendoors. 

Did you know that McDonald’s uses 100% beef with no additives and fillers, whole-muscle chicken thigh, Grade AA eggs sanitised and oiled for freshness, 100% vegetable oil with no cholesterol and no trans-fat? NO TRANS FATS! FINALLY!

Photography or filming is not permitted.