Week 4, Post 1: KFC

Kentucky Fried Chicken just isn’t the same here. The best thing KFC had going for the in the U.S. was there mashed potatoes and gravy. I was very disappointed to see that here, in the UK, they don’t serve mashed potatoes and gravy. I have had two encounters with KFC in the UK, both of which have been about the same. The first time I went with a friend, stood in line for about 4 minutes before ordering, then waited another 2 minutes to get my food. This time though, the process was a lot faster. Between my classes I had about an hour break, so I decided to head over to Gloucester Road to see what I could grab to eat before my next class. Obviously, I chose KFC. Now, I’m not regretting this decision because I knew what I was getting myself into. No mashed potatoes, :(. Anyway, I got one of the cheapest items on the menu, the “Lunch Box.” I soon noticed, they don’t call chicken strips, chicken strips, they call them chicken filets. The first time I went to KFC I noticed the difference because I looked for the word chicken strips on every part of the menu. Thankfully the picture next to the description of the meal was of a chicken strip, that was when I learned it is called a filet. **I made the mistake of ordering “chicken strips” at Burger King, within the first couple weeks of getting to London. It came out as a chicken sandwich, with everything on it and since I’m kind of a plain/picky eater, the sandwich went to waste, and I went hungry.** Back to the real story, I got my Lunch Box and asked for some ketchup, then headed down stairs where the tables are located. It was so packed there was barely any room, but I did find a nice table next to the trashcan. Before even opening my Lunch Box, I emptied all of my ketchup packets on to my brown paper bag, making a huge pile of ketchup. Finally, I opened my Lunch Box and found two chicken “filets” and fries piled for days. Now the true question stands, do I go straight for the chicken or have some fries? I chose to have some fries since they give you so many compared to the amount of chicken. The fries weren’t salted like in the U.S., they seemed to be more healthy, less greasy and everything. After a few fries, I finally cut the anticipation and picked up the chicken strip. The chicken was completely different from your average KFC, it actually reminded me of chicken you would get at Chick-fil-a. It almost makes me wonder if the KFC’s here fry their chicken in peanut oil. Either way, the chicken here is absolutely amazing compared to the chicken at the U.S. KFC, the fries are on the iffy side. I actually found a eye lash/brow hair on one of my fries at KFC, but I try not to think about it too much when that happens. I just threw that fry and any touching it away and enjoy the rest. The fries just aren’t my thing here though, I enjoy the chicken way more. Next time I might just get chicken instead of fries, is the healthier way anyway, right?