Serious question: what exactly makes it so famous? Am I out of the loop on all the happenings in "Fast Food Chicken TMZ" or something?
This was actually the first time I'd even been to a KFC in... lets say almost ten years. When I worked at Pizzeria Libretto on Ossington there was a KFC location (still there? No clue) on the south side of Dundas just east of Dovercourt. I was probably in a rush leaving home, and not wanting to endure the torture of working an entire shift hungry while surrounded by tasty pizzas hot from the oven...
KFC was a huge treat when I was a kid, but as I advanced through my teens I found it progressively less appealing. It just didn't taste the way it used to. This past decade I've not once felt a craving or temptation to go out and get KFC, not once! The closest would've been when the obscene Double Down sandwich appeared, and that would've been just to satisfy gluttonous curiousity.
So, dear reader, I am really only doing this for this weekly feature, the Tuesday Taste (like and subscribe etc etc!). It seems worthwhile to compare it against that Popeye's chicken sandwich still fresh in my mind. Here we go!
First off, this photo probably makes it look way more delicious than it was. It is an appealing shot and you should give me... er I mean, whoever took the photo some credit. Isolated from anything else I've ever eaten... this sandwich is not bad, but nothing special. Rather than go through it bit by bit, I think a direct comparison of the elements with Popeye's would be more effective (and enjoyable to read):
Bun! -- Neither are noteworthy. It's a fast food bun, and top of my head only Hero Burger seems to at least attempt something beyond the generic. It's a wash... both are meh.
Spice! -- I ordered the spicy option from both places, and here Popeye's definitely wins. Their spicy option seems to be doused(?) in something (perhaps just their hot sauce in those packets) which gives it a slightly redder colour. It's nothing tongue-melting, but you can taste something different there at least regardless of your spice tolerance. KFC gives you the same chicken, just with a spicy mayo on there (this is exactly what the chit said). Spicy mayo can be a winner, but this wasn't that at all. It is a decent sauce, honey sweet and creamy, but is more like a dip for tenders than the lynchpin of a "spicy" sandwich. Weird.
Pickles! -- KFC wins this one. I complained about Popeye's droopy, soggy pickles before... while these KFC ones are thicker, have that nice touch of sourness and some decent crunch to them. I mean, nobody goes to these places for their goddamn pickles, so it's a minor victory.
The Actual Chicken! -- Yeah enough frills dancing around the headliner. Well to be honest... neither are really that good... but I'll take Popeye's. It's way greasier, which I don't like, but it also has more flavour (spice), the breading crumbles off instead of being seemingly painted on... and is considerably juicier. Plus it's cheaper too (by a dollar) and is bigger! The KFC breading (the famous "herbs and spices") just doesn't jump out at all... and this isn't a "I remember it being better than it actually was" thing, it genuinely has a numb level of flavour. There's crunch but no crisp, texture but no substance. One bite I caught a fleeting hint of that classic KFC taste with those secret herbs/whatever bobbing up above the surface, a distant ship on the horizon. I cannot put my finger on it now, the child is gone, the dream is gone.
I wonder if people keep going back for that reason, because maybe once in a while it tastes as good as you remember. It was busy in there when I was waiting. Well, I won't be one of those people. It doesn't taste bad, and I found the experience of trying it again after so long rather fun, but this "famous" chicken sandwich was to me like a B-list reality show celebrity: no lasting impressions whatsoever.
Burnt Ends -- Got another East End Eats article, um... 'cooking' up at the moment, plus that Star Trek thing I hinted at previously should be free of the neutral zone later this week! Uh, that means ready to go. Don't want to give too much away but it'll be Next Generation based.
March Munching -- Last year I went vegetarian for the entire month of March, which was certainly successful enough (lots and lots of vegetarian chili) that I'm going to try it again this year. This obviously means I'm going to have to get creative with these weekly Tastes since it limits what I can do, but not to worry I've got a few ideas that should be engaging and fun.
Tuesday Tune -- Been listening to Elvis Costello and the Attractions a lot this past week, so here's a good one off the fifth album Trust (featuring Glenn Tilbrook from Squeeze!)
That's it for this week. Stay tuned for next time, as Veggie Month begins and I try to perfect that chili recipe in the meanwhile. Take care all and don't spill the mustard.
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