We put the McDonald's potato scallop - or is it potato cake - to the test

The fast-food giant debuted "potato scallops with chicken salt" on January 11 and Australia is arguing about what it should be called.

Victorians are adamant it's a "potato cake", in NSW and Queensland it's a "scallop". Apparently in South Australia things get fancy and it's a "potato fritter".

But a slice of oval-shaped potato deep-fried in batter by any other name is nothing if it doesn't taste good.

The on-duty manager of a Canberra store said the scallops had been selling like, well hot cakes.

"On almost every second order, people are adding the scallops," she said.

"They've been really popular, we've been a bit surprised."

In our quest for the truth we decided to put the McDonald's version up against an old-school takeaway option.

Con Castrissios from Watson Takeaway in North Canberra has been frying potato since the late 1980s. He was more than happy to put his - and he has them on the menu as "potato cakes" - product up against the global competition.

The takeaway version tastes like potato because inside the golden batter is a 5mm slice of our favourite vegetable. You can't mistake it for anything else. The McDonald's version is thinner, there's less potato and while it looks like a genuine slice you can't really tell. Is it a slice? Is it reconstituted potato?

When it comes to the batter, McDonald's says it's a "crunchy tempura coating", but it's tougher than the takeaway's. It's kind of like the coating on their nuggets. There's none of that (okay, slightly greasy) mouth feel that an old-school scallop delivers.

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McDonald's serve is $2.75 for two scallops and a little sachet of chicken salt. Takeaway scallops are $1.50 each, chicken salt optional but free. A good takeaway, such as Con's, always throws in an extra scallop for free I've found.

Potato is one of my desert island foods. Most versatile vegetable there is. You can even make vodka out of potatoes when things get desperate. In my opinion, if you're looking for a potato option from McDonald's, go the hash brown. There's more "potato", and they're just a bit fluffier.

A colleague believes that everything tastes better between two slices of bread. Think the chip butty, but he's also been known to turn meat pies into a sandwich. How about a scallop in a burger? This was actually a hit. A Quarter Pounder with a scallop shoved in the middle of it. The burger actually added a little more moisture - if we're allowed to say that word in a "food review" - to the scallop. Definitely recommend this upgrade.

The scallops are on the Maccas' menu for a limited time only - alongside a couple of new burgers, the Aussie Angus Deluxe and a McSpicy Deluxe, and a Hokey Pokey Thickshake made with honeycomb and vanilla. While we're thinking of boycotting the fast-food chain after its decision to take Diet Coke off the menu, it occasionally serves a purpose.

But when it comes to scallops - and they'll always be scallops to me - support your local chippy. A much tastier option.