I was rushed Thursday night. With an appointment between newscasts I didn’t have time for a real dinner. There was only time for fast food. I stopped at KFC.
Someone please tell me if this entry makes me sound out-of-touch like George H. W. Bush with that supermarket scanner. I seldom eat fast food. I probably haven’t been to KFC since the Colonel was alive and “fried” was still part of the name!
I ordered a two piece box of grilled chicken. There are two choices. Mine was a leg and thigh.
Kentucky Grilled Chicken is marinated and seasoned with a savory blend of six secret herbs and spices and slow-grilled to juicy perfection. The cooking process includes a blend of spices that is proprietary to KFC and utilizes custom-designed, patented ovens, making it KFC’s second secret recipe.
Yeah, yeah… whatever. It was really good. The chicken was nicely spiced and quite juicy (though I wondered after the fact exactly when and why “juicy” entered the picture). If there’s a taste advantage to fried I didn’t miss it.
Where I felt KFC flopped was presentation. I hear this all-the-time and I agree: presentation is an integral part of a meal.
To me this meal seemed more manufactured than cooked. Everything was served in a box packed as if it’s a nightstand from Ikea. A general purpose “spork” was included saving me the trouble of wondering whether I’d need a spoon or fork. I often get Subway subs in a plastic bag yet they somehow lack this aura of Soviet style utility!
Though the grilled chicken is numerically healthier a look at the KFC website shows the fried chicken isn’t that bad for you either. That was a surprise.
If rushed I’d get KFC’s grilled chicken again. I’d just make sure I had a plate (paper or otherwise) waiting. I’m just not ready to eat from a box.
KFC mashed potatoes are really awesome. I still haven’t tried the grilled chicken.
Try Popeye’s sometime – it’s FAR better than KFC’s. : )
Just make sure you stick to the grilled chicken. 🙂
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tfan5MacmsI (NSFW audio but OMG so so funny)
Wow, just stopped at KFC earlier today. Potatoes are great; chicken is pretty good. Slaw used to be the best anywhere (sweet style, no vinegar allowed), but today it was very dry. Maybe they forgot something. Think I need another visit soon.
Ironic- the Colonel had 3 genius ideas- the spices, the pressure cooking (which was new)- and the “bucket”! He knew presentation was important- and getting a bucket of chicken, as opposed to a junky box, was more appealing. In the old days, no ugly plastic either. There was a great CNBC bio of Sanders that told this whole story.