I Tried McDonald's KPop Demon Hunters-Inspired Meals

After a successful awards season, KPop Demon Hunters is back for another friendly competition. This time, it’s at McDonald’s. For the brand’s first-ever dueling meals, Mickey D’s is dropping menu items inspired by rival KPop groups from the movie, HUNTR/X and Saja Boys.

The limited-time meals are available starting March 31, and include photocards that unlock exclusive content. Netflix and McDonald’s are asking fans to pick a side with their meal, but Saja Boys’ fans are at a bit of a disadvantage. If any Pride wants to pick up their boys’ menu item, they’ll need to wake up early. The Saja Boys meal at McDonald’s is only available during breakfast hours and comes with a Spicy Saja McMuffin, a hash brown, and of course, soda pop.

The HUNTR/X meal is available the rest of the day, and comes with a 10-piece Chicken McNuggets, medium soft drink, Ramyeon McShaker Fries, Hunter Sauce, and Demon Sauce. The fries are inspired by Rumi, Mira, and Zoey's favorite snack, ramen, and each of the sauces also take inspo from the “Golden” singers. The Hunter Sauce is a sweet chili mix with garlic and pepper, while the Demon Sauce is a purple bold mustard.

If you can’t pick a side — or just want something sweet — McDonald’s also has a Derpy McFlurry for a limited time. This dessert is inspired by the Derpy Tiger from KPop Demon Hunters, and is a vanilla soft serve with berry popping pearls and wild berry sauce. I was fortunate enough to try each of these new menu items on launch day, and below, you’ll find my honest review of what’s worth ordering first.

The Saja Boys Breakfast Meal (~$13)

If you’re looking to really wake up not just yourself, but your tastebuds as well, this really is the perfect breakfast meal. The Spicy Saja McMuffin has a peppery Spicy Saja Sauce that the press release says is “inspired by the fire of Gwi-Ma,” and it truly does bring the heat. While stronger than I expected, the kick from the spice was delicious and really elevated the simple sausage and egg McMuffin. I was so relieved to have a Coke on the side, and it could not have been more fitting for the Saja Boys, who sing one of my favorite songs from the movie, “Soda Pop.”

This may not come with as much as the HUNTR/X meal, but it’s is a solid breakfast with just enough uniqueness to make it worthy of trying.

Rating: 4.6/5

The HUNTR/X Meal (~$15)

Just like in KPop Demon Hunters, HUNTR/X wins this battle. It’s a little unfair since they do have so many extra fun elements to their meal with the ramen fries and themed sauces, but they’re both executed perfectly. The Ramyeon McShaker Fries are so delicious and taste just like ramen. I was worried the flavors might be too intense on the fries that got extra seasoning, but I found myself wanting more. It was a nice subtle ramen flavor that didn’t take away from the iconic McDonald’s fry taste.

As far as the sauces go, they were both interesting, but the Hunter Sauce was the clear winner for me. It was a delicious sweet and tangy sauce that reminded me of a very mild hot honey. The Demon Sauce didn’t hit as hard for me, and it might have been that I was thrown off by the creaminess of the purple mustard. Overall, both sauces were not as spicy as I was expecting. They’re, at best, mild with a slight tang. I will definitely be ordering this again, especially for the fries and Hunter Sauce.

Rating: 4.9/5

The Derpy McFlurry (~$5)

A McDonald’s McFlurry is always a good idea, and this Derpy-inspired flavor is no exception. The wild berry sauce and popping pearls mixed with the vanilla ice cream taste just like a blueberry pie à la mode. It’s really refreshing, and even though it’s cold, the pearls remain soft and poppable. If you’ve got a sweet tooth like me, you’ll definitely want to order this to finish off your meal. The only thing I might add to make it perfect is a crunch for an additional flavor and a bit of a cobbler effect.

Rating: 4.9/5