KFC

[Matthew Grant]

Much excitement before Christmas when I found the Addiscombe High Street was to get its very own proper Fast Food Restaurant. KFC was coming to town baby! Woo Hoo! You can take you crappy Morley's chicken and stuff it up your…

Ah the thrill of waking up on a Sunday morning with a sore head and being able to wander down the road, pick up the paper and then pop next door to grab a 3 piece variety meal to soak up the excess alcohol, fantastic. Last night needing a little sustenance after lunch I chose a Zinger Tower burger which was surprisingly spicy for once, the Chicken fillet topped with cheese, salsa, lettuce and a hash brown all comig together in a lovely gooey mess. Chips have never been a strong point at KFC and this was no exception Coleslaw was gloriously cheap, vinegary and lovely. Don't give me any of this nice expensive coleslaw I want the cheap crap. Is that wrong? Hot wings were Fresh out the fryer, crispy and juicy withing. Corn plump and artifically coloured. Fantastic. A quick word about the service which came with a pleasant smile and happily swapped my drink for a side.

KFC you rule!

Edited February 20, 2006 by Matthew Grant (log)

[Radio7]

Coleslaw was gloriously cheap, vinegary and lovely. Don't give me any of this nice expensive coleslaw I want the cheap crap. Is that wrong?

No sir, not wrong t'all. I think KFC coleslaw is the bee's knees - I wonder if yours is as garlicky as the kind they serve in American locations. I have gone there often solely to buy it. Yum

Edited February 20, 2006 by Radio7 (log)

[thom]

It's quite a buzz isn't it?

We, the denizens of Glossop, thought we had it made when a Mcdonalds appeared in 2002 a mere four miles away, but last month a KFC (drive-through no less!) appeared on a new retail park right off the main High St.

Joy.

I'm sure Conran will be moving in any day now, and doubtless Selfridges and Harvey Nichols will be locking horns over the old Co-op store site on Norfolk square...

Cheers

Thom

[Champagne Sadie]

Corn plump and artifically coloured.

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How do they do that? Inject each kernal with colour? Or could it be that corn is just naturally bright yellow in colour?

[Matthew Grant]

Tongue firmly in cheek

[Bapi]

Matt, have you been smoking something you shouldn't?

Edit: Just seen your last post

Edited February 20, 2006 by Bapi (log)

[alexhills]

Well, at least there you are guaranteed a bird that has never had the slightest sniff of fresh air, unlike at Wyndham's... The smell of their cooking fat is what really does for me, I used to live near one that seened particularly rancid and stunk its entire block. ewwww.

[Matthew Grant]

In all seriousness i do think it depends on which KFC you go to, some are pretty poor, others pretty good. No smell of rancid fat from my local!

[Champagne Sadie]

In all seriousness i do think it depends on which KFC you go to, some are pretty poor, others pretty good. No smell of rancid fat from my local!

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As you say, it's new.......fat's still fresh.

[Grub]

A young Californian college student once asked me (upon hearing that I'd lived in England for a few years), whether it was true that there weren't any McDonald's in England... I could tell he hoped I'd say yes -- that there might be a place somewhere, that he might escape to (without having to learn a new language) -- unspoilt by gharish, American pop-culture, junk food, etc... People seem to love (and hate) America for all the wrong reasons, methinks.

These visiting Japanese customers would always eat in a single group, and the senior dude would always decide where to go, and had control of the group's only car, so the young guys never got to pick where to eat... After a couple of weeks, we asked one of them what he missed from Japan -- KFC, he said.

What on earth is it with KFC abroad? Is it made according to a higher, local standard than in the US? KFC seems pretty big in Japan. One time I got to go to Tokyo, I found a young lady outside a KFC selling a promotional deal that consisted of some sort of a KFC happy meal along with a Hello Kitty lunchbox. I kept thinking of "Unlucky Fried Kitten."

Is there still a chain in the US called Kansas Fried Chicken? I must admit going there a few times, for the post-booze meal, but mostly because it was the only alternative to the multitude of Indian places, and a single Chinese chippy.

[Raj Banerjee]

What on earth is it with KFC abroad? Is it made according to a higher, local standard than in the US? KFC seems pretty big in Japan.

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KFC in Tokyo was absolutely immaculate when I visted about 3 years ago. It was the only fast food place I went to cos I had been told by a Japanese friend that I had to try it over there to appreciate the difference between here and there.

And he was right. The lettuce is green. And crisp. The chicken looks smells and tastes fresh. The floors/tables etc are immaculate. The meal you get looks better than the pictures of the food next to the menu. And as such the tastes are cleaner.

Friends from Hong Kong have told me that McDonald's fries in HK are better than London...anyone got any word on that?

I have possibly opened a debate about the difference in work ethics between Europe/USA and Asia, or I've just had a good fastfood experience (oxymoron hunters out there??)

Raj

[Grub]

Is there still a chain in the US called Kansas Fried Chicken?

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Em, that was supposed to be, "Is there still a chain in the UK called Kansas Fried Chicken?" (sorry, posts can't be edited after a certain period of time here)... Again, I meant UK, not US. There was a fast-food chicken place by that name in Rusholme, Manchester, UK.

[Matthew Grant]

There are numerous chicken places with a play on the KFC name, Kansas Fried Chicken, Krispy Fried Chicken, Southern Fried Chicken etc. etc. but none can come close to the beauty of real KFC

Edited February 22, 2006 by Matthew Grant (log)

[Ducky]

There's a chain we came across in Georgia (I forget the name) that markets itself under the slogan:

"If the Colonel had made chicken this good he would have been a General!"

[SBonner]

Friends from Hong Kong have told me that McDonald's fries in HK are better than London...anyone got any word on that?

Raj

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We never attempted to eat McDonald fries in HK but the locals told me they were better than the ones in Australia and I thought the whole concept was for a global uniform flavour

Stephen

Vancouver

Edited February 23, 2006 by SBonner (log)

[Raj Banerjee]

We never attempted to eat McDonald fries in HK but the locals told me they were better than the ones in Australia and I thought the whole concept was for  a global uniform flavour 

Stephen

Vancouver

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Global uniformity of flavour is certainly intended, but how stringently are work practices in any franchise standardised? Even Starbucks, which if nothing else, is I would say at least is to be congratulated from raising the standard of the 'average' high street capuccino and delivering a consistent product, manages sometimes to make me a super-watery Frappucino...

Also, we're never likely to get Maharaja Macs or Chicken Tikka McSandwiches (staples in Indian McDonalds where ppl of course don't eat beef) in England are we? Or maybe we should...

Incidentally, a friend of mine assures me that Chicken Cottage in Tooting is the unofficial capital of Tooting, having as it does, a flag.

Raj

ps I recall seeing the Colonel/General comment somewhere else in the States, but can't recall where, may have been Baltimore.

[adt]

US protesters claim they've managed to bring about closures of branches of this delightful chain:

www.kentuckyfriedcruelty.com

The animal welfare statement on KFC's own website is good for a laugh, reminiscent of the 'Yes Minister' civil service:

"KFC has developed and is implementing a plan of action to evaluate the current state of technology and conduct research into best practices"

"KFC's guidelines call for transport crates to be in good repair... enough space should be provided to allow all birds to lie down".

"KFC's policy prohibits suppliers from using antibiotics to promote the growth of healthy chickens where such antibiotics are significant to human health"

[Tim Hayward]

Anybody got a decent working recipe for proper fried chicken?

I lived in the North Carolina for 4 years and never managed to successfully extract the secret from the in-laws.

Proper chicken at a family reunion by the creek tastes like nothing on earth. Each cook in the vast extended family vying to outdo each other. Everybody would let go some secret - marinading in milk, cornflour in the breadcrumbs, some unspeakable process involving a hypo full of RC Cola but I've never been able to replicate it.

I have a horrible feeling it has to involve four things...

1. Unbelievably cheap and crappy chicken parts

2. Gallons of fat

3. A ton of salt

4. Eating south of the Mason Dixon line in 100% humidity

Any suggestions?