The years go by so quickly, and with fast food, it seems that they go by even faster. 2013 was a year that saw a product debuted right here in Beijing, along with some fairly tasty ideas, and some quite bad ideas. Let's super-size the year that was and revisit 2013 in fast food

McDonald's Debuts Pork McNuggets in China

In November McDonald's finally did for pigs what it did for chickens many moons ago: nuggetized the leftovers into a frankly irresistible combination dubbed Spicy Pork McBites, or 脆辣猪猪球 (loosely and perhaps unappetizingly translated as Piggy Balls). Done in a McNuggets style, these porky spheres of goodness have a crispy coating like their poultry counterparts, but the added bonus of a delicious, mildly spicy bite to them courtesy of that wonderful salt-pepper-MSG combination known as 椒盐, technically salt and pepper but so much more.

Are These the Worst Mooncakes Ever?

Mooncakes are a traditional food served during Mid-Autumn Festival, and we may have found the worst ones ever. At, on average, 1,000 calories a pop, mooncakes are the heavyweights of the Chinese pastry realm, with rich fruity fillings and the likeness of a round brick. Around the holiday, these things are consumed en masse. Traditionally, it was the effort that went into making the delicacy that made it so special to share, but nowadays, the cakes are produced on a macro level and everyone from 7-11 to Starbucks is selling them by the truckload. In 2014, stick to tradition: don't buy them from fast-food outlets or convenience stores.

McDonald's Beef Rice Wrap

When McDonald's announced the introduction of rice dishes at its China restaurants in June, there was a sudden cold snap in hell and a spate of pigs flying across Beijing skies. Whereas KFC and its parent company Yum! Brands have become experts in localizing fast-food favorites (except for the miserable failure of Taco Bell in Shanghai), McDonald's have been a bit more pure in their presentation of burgers and fries. We declared it airline food, and by the end of the summer, the rice experiment had disappeared from McDonald's menus

McDonald's Adopts Airline Pricing Model for Value Meals

We give McDonald's credit for trying the hardest to be innovative this year. But when it comes to classics like the Big Mac, we'd like to know how much it costs. That became a problem when the price of Extra Value Meals started varying from hour to hour, like seats on a bargain airline. Things have settled down now, but diners will still face at least two different prices for tao can depending on the time of day.

Starbucks Opens a 24-Hour Location in Taikoo Li South

Insomniacs, night owls, and vampires unite: your prayers for an all-night coffee venue in Sanlitun were answered in mid-September, with Starbucks reopening its Taikoo Li South location, not in its previous, submarine-like site, but in a new, two-story, 24-hour space. One of two new "flagship stores" the coffee giant opened in Beijing -- the other is a "coffee tribute store" opened in the Kerry Center -- the Sanlitun outlet was done in "eclectic chic,", as it was dubbed in a Starbucks press release.

Beijing KFC, Kung Fu Ice Dirtier Than Toilet Water

It wouldn't be a year in fast food if some watchdog weren't calling attention to sanitary conditions at chain restaurants. According to lab tests run by CCTV, the KFC Chongwenmen branch’s ice cubes had a bacterial count 18 times higher than the national standard and 13 times higher than toilet water. Ice from a nearby McDonald’s and the Chinese chain Kung Fu were also tested and were also found to be hosting bacteria in levels well above national hygiene standards (although McDonald’s ice was not as bad as toilet water. Way to go!) which can cause dysentery and diarrhea. This is why we only drink Yanjing.

This Fruit Sandwich Went Horribly Wrong

Disclaimer: we still don't understand why one of our colleagues decided to buy, eat and review a fruit sandwich. It's a fruit ... sandwich. Regardless, it didn't work. Thank the sandwich gods that some miserable chef decided it was a better idea to use whipped cream instead of the Kewpie mayonnaise that commonly accompanies fruit salads in Chinese restaurants. Still, the serving of the saccharine condiment was nowhere near enough to warrant paying RMB 2.4 per sandwich. In fact, the fruit itself doesn't even span the entire length of the crustless bread. This won't happen again in 2014.

Burger King's New So-Called Dragon Burger

The Dragon Burger tastes like...a bacon cheeseburger from Burger King with some spicy salsa. The first lesson, therefore, is don't buy only a single patty. Get at least a double. Heck, for a limited edition product, just get the big one with four patties and cut it in half or quarters depending on the size of the patty. Despite wanting to be a big, spicy, beef conflagration, the Dragon Burger would be more appropriate for a Chinese Zodiac year like the rabbit, not snake or dragon. A proper Whopper will be more satisfying than this flame-broiled flop.

Starbucks' Banana Java Chip Frappuccino

On a hot day, it's refreshingly cool.The banana crystals are a nice summer edition, they taste more like dried banana chips or flakes that would be encountered in a breakfast cereal than, say, the always-unripe bananas that end up in commercial smoothies. They're a nice counterbalance to the java chips, which would otherwise make the mocha frappuccino too chocolatey.

We Try KFC's New Dessert

On a hot day, ice cream is awesome, no matter where you are. That being said, ice cream in a shopping mall KFC, the air conditioning blasting fried-chicken-smell all over you, is pretty far down on the list of where we would like to be. But KFCs are hard to avoid, and they’re offering two special ice cream sundaes (RMB 10 each), shown on the promotional posters wrapped in ribbons and tissue and looking so nice and delicious. we tried them both to see what they’re all about.

Photos: Mostly from the Beijinger