I wouldn’t be surprised if, by the end of today, social media is going to be buzzing with feedback on the Kentucky Chow, one of the offerings on KFC’s limited-edition menu at its Kentucky Town pop-up Gateway store.
Of course, each region will have an offering, unique to the city, from December 8 to 18. Cape Town has the KFC Gatsby on offer.
Now, I’m not going to lie. The idea of KFC attempting a bunny chow did sound a bit sacrilegious to me, at first.
As an Indian, who grew up on bunny chows, I’m pernickety when it comes to what it should look like and how it should taste.
And, amid the thousand-and-one places that serve bunny chows, there are only certain establishments I would trust to deliver on the full experience of a satisfying meal.
In the build-up to the launch of KFC’s pop-up, I got to sample the offering, as did many other media and influencers.
It was packed in a box that unfolds perfectly so you can use it as a makeshift plate. In terms of presentation, I couldn’t fault it.
It came with a small side packet of carrot salad. For those that haven’t had a bunny chow or are unfamiliar with how it is served, this is a staple.
That said, I have to agree with Prev Reddy (aka Aunty Shamilla), who did a TikTok video of a Kentucky Chow tasting, admitting to not being afraid of tasting “experimental food”. It got a full score for the presentation.
The carrot salad was faulted for its lack of chillies and it was the only “shortcoming”, depending on your palate and expectations, of course.
Now for the most important part – the taste test.
It passed with flying colours. It had plenty of gravy – a must for any decent bunny chow. The bread was fresh. And it packed on the heat and then some.
I sweated a wee bit, maybe more, if I’m honest, as I was tucking it and, mind you, I can handle extremely spicy food.
As I make my way through a bunny, I generally scoff up the gravy with the white piece of dug-out bread. Then, I eat my way around the bread, sort of layer by layer.
Everyone has their own way of eating it, though.
As I was nearing the end of my bunny chow, I hit a layer of chips, drenched in the curry gravy. So, they included potatoes, but did it their way, for those that must have this starch in their bunny chow.
No utensils are needed or used, by the way, unless you wanna be posh like that.
Verdict. It ended up being a bit of a bunny chow-meets-Kota vibe. Not bad, though. Not bad at all.