KFB in Australia - Zinger Tower Stacker review

It’s all about the hash brown. No, really. Somehow this unassuming potato-based delight has the power to elevate a burger that’s already a solid 8/10 into the heady realms of 9s and 10s. 

Regular followers of this blog will know just how much we love the UK’s Tower Burgers. To our minds, the perfect combination of taste, size and value. So you can probably imagine our deep sadness upon realising that Towers weren’t an option over in Australia. In fact, and to add insult to injury, they were removed from the menu shortly before our arrival down under. Thankfully though, the Colonel has seen sense and has recently brought Towers back. This ain't no ordinary Tower though - eagle-eyed readers will know that the Stacker monicker refers to the presence of TWO chicken fillets. Yes, you read that right: TWO.

The Zinger Tower Stacker did not disappoint. In fact, it was one of the finest KFC offerings we've ever had the pleasure of sampling. The overly-sweet tomatoey sauce from the regular Stacker has been replaced here with something more savoury and far less overpowering. The chicken was juicy and tender. The hash brown was truly wonderful. If we're nitpicking, there was a construction issue that we had to address: you'll notice in the above photo that the hash brown was placed at the top of the assembly rather than between the two fillets. This was quickly addressed with our nimble fingers:

Taste: 10
Value: 8
Innovation: 5

Overall: 9

To make sure we weren't being overly swayed by the hash brown's ability to transport us back to the familiar KFCs of London, we recruited two Aussie reviewers who had the following to say:

Dave 'Gainz' G:

Cluck cluck cluck- That’s the sound of one happy chicken. A tender, juicy fillet combined with fresh, crisp lettuce, a zingy mouth-watering sauce and not to forget the addition of the humble potato made for one pretty delightful combination. I was blown away by the flavours unravelling in my mouth. Its safe to say that this was a meal fit for a king. I don’t think I’ve ever actually left a dining venue with a smile as big as the one I had spread across my face… In  fact- I’m still shaking my head, grinning at the thought of the entire experience. KFC- I’ll see you soon. You nailed it!!! 5/5

D 'Mafioso' Libs:

The combination of zinger patty and hash brown is an eclectic mix of flavours that combine to satisfy any chicken aficionado 4.5/5

KFB in Australia: Zinger Stacker review

Welcome, KFB readers, to the land down under. I've been sent on special assignment to the other side of the world so expect a special series of Aussie KFB posts coming your way. And be sure to check out our previous Australia write-up here.

Upon arrival in Melbourne I was excited to find not one but two special edition burgers on the menu. The intriguing sounding Kentucky Jack (complete with coleslaw and crispy fried onions) will be covered in a separate review but for today our focus is on the Zinger Stacker. Let's address the elephant in the room first: yes the Zinger Stacker features TWO Zinger fillets in one burger, bringing it up to Double Down levels of chicken provision. But unlike its well-known American cousin, this bad boy is sandwiched, quite literally, in a bun. Other ingredients include 2 slices of cheese, spicy salsa, lettuce and Supercharger sauce. I opted for the combo meal which set me back $10.95 (about £5.90 at current exchange rates)

As you can see in the above photo, construction was solid, with the white cheese binding the fillets to both each other and the bun. 

The first bite was a good one - this is a whole lot of chicken. Compared to the UK Zinger fillets though I couldn't help but find the chicken slightly lacking in flavour and kick. The Supercharger sauce is the same as has been found in the UK and is a kind of richer, tasty mayo. The lettuce was unremarkable. 

The spicy salsa, as seen in the above photo was less chunky than the UK equivalent and mustier in taste. It was also quite sweet but not in an unpleasant way. Sampled by itself it had a decent kick which was sadly lost in among the other ingredients.

Overall, and as we've frequently noted, this burger was missing something and that something was a hash brown. In fact, I'd go as far to say that I'd rather they swapped the additional fillet with a hash brown or in some kind of dream wonderland, added a hash brown to the two fillets on offer here. That variety in texture and flavour is very important. 

A quick word on the fries: it was as if I'd gone into some kind of time machine and emerged in the UK back in the depths of 2013, for the fries on offer in Australia are of the thicker and slightly floppier variety we were so accustomed to in the UK. They were hot, fresh and came in a strange carton rather than a paper packet but were nothing to get overly excited about. 

Taste: 6/10
Value: 7.5/10
Overall: 6.5/10

A Bun deal

The Kaiser is dead.....Long live the new bun.

It is with great joy that I report upon the barely noticed phase out of the Sesame Kaiser bun that has graced UK burgers since 2003. It has been replaced by the as yet un-named 3 striped variety as seen in the below picture sporting a rather sexy Zinger tower interior.

I did not want to report upon this phenomenon, first witnessed in the closing months of 2011; in case it was a temporary measure due to supply issues, but I now feel confident enough to herald its arrival as a staple of both Fillet and Zinger burgers.

The new bun crucially maintains its sprinkling of Sesame seeds which really offer a touch of class to KFC burgers above and beyond their rivals at other well known burger chains. On the 10 or so occasions I have tried a burger with the new style bun, it has not disappointed; remaining soft and fresh even on Sunday's, the day I was statistically most likely to be disappointed. My amateur photography does not really do it justice in comparison to the artistically captured second picture this is a good looking bun.

Although it has served us well since the great burger overhaul of 03 the Sesame kaiser seen here in the second picture could really let down a meal.

A sunday lunch was often ruined by its tendency to become stale and break apart, making the already messy ZT a nightmare. In fact I have been known to turn my ZT's into open sandwices by the removal of the top layer altogether such was the effect of a stale bun!

Here's hoping the new bun continues to shine and suffers a better fate than its predecessor, quietly consigned to the annals of history recorded only here as another footnote in the greatest story ever told .........KFC

The KFB Festive Tower Burger

For many years we at KFB have had a dream. A dream so beautiful and so potentially delicious that we've been afraid to put plans into motion to make that dream a reality. Well my chicken-loving readers, the time has come.

We for many years have felt that KFC are missing a huge trick by not offering a festive-themed burger over the Christmas season. In fact, we went as far as to share the idea for the burger you are about to witness with the head of product development during our famous HQ visit a couple of years ago (has it really been that long already?). Sadly, and some might say foolishly, they just weren't willing to listen. KFB believes the only man who would have been willing to take note of such a radical and genius idea would have been our Lord Sanders himself.

The idea is simple: take all the core elements that make a traditional Christmas dinner so fantastic, remove the bland items such as dry turkey or soggy sprouts and combine with all that makes KFC so wondrous. Our ingredients list was as follows:

• Chicken fillet pieces
• Stuffing
• Roast potato
• Gravy
• Cranberry sauce
• Spinach
• Buns

And now the construction could begin in earnest. Our first job was to prep the potatoes which were to function as a hash brown replacement. These were cut into 8mm thick slices, covered in oil and seasoned before being roasted in a hot oven. To accompany them in their fiery furnace was stuffing and of course, the chicken. Top tip: be sure to use chicken fillet pieces rather than the far inferior reconstituted pieces that are so prevalent in our supermarkets and often coated in a deceptively tempting sounding 'southern fried coating'.

Next up came the all important assembly - an exercise that has turned so many otherwise delicious Zinger Towers into a sticky, uneven mess. We started by spreading cranberry sauce on the top bun half and carefully laying spinach leaves on the bottom. This was followed by the chicken, roast potato slice, stuffing patty and a generous helping of gravy. Disclaimer: We did in fact use the Colonel's own wonder-liquid in our burger, if only because we have never tasted a home-made gravy that could match the consistency or taste.

All that was left to do now was to place the top bun upon our mound of lip-smackingly succulent sustenance. Et voila!

And so onto the tasting. The most immediate problem we faced who how on earth to eat the thing - our mouths sadly only being the size of an average human's rather than some kind of huge monster's. Once we'd overcome this issue with some gentle squashing, we took our first bite. A rush of festive flavours immediately brought to mind Christmas trees, snowy scenes and glowing stars in the night sky (though this was perhaps something to do with the Christmas music in the background). It was highly enjoyable, the stuffing providing a nice texture contrast with the crispy potato and the saltiness of the chicken being balanced by the sharp, sweet cranberry. 

Not everything was A1 though - the chicken was of course nowhere near the standards we've come to expect from the Colonel and though certainly yummy, the stuffing was slightly bland and sloppy. Had we had more time, creating our own chicken coating and sausagemeat-based stuffing would have alleviated such concerns.

The verdict: 7/10

But could have very easily nudged its way up to a supreme 9 with home-made chicken coating, sausagemeat stuffing and perhaps even a little bacon.

For other home-recreations be sure to view our Toasted Twister, Double Down and Zinger Tower recreations.

KFC Thailand: a review

Thai food has become a major institution in the UK over the past couple of decades, with even the dodgiest of boozers offering up plates of Green Curry or Pad Thai. On a recent trip to Thailand then, KFB needed to try something totally different in order to satisfy their culinary urges. We wanted to sample Thai KFC. After a day of searching, a branch within a shopping centre was stumbled upon. It was time to dine.


First impressions were good - the restaurant was packed and the smells eminating from inside were certainly alluring. We made our way to the front of the queue and snapped a pic of the menu (which we were promptly told wasn't allowed). We were excited to see most of the usual mainstays alongside some delicious looking new additions. Fish donuts, anyone?


It was only upon closer inspection though that we noticed a serious problem: there was no Zinger Tower on the menu. Zinger burgers yes but the hash brown and cheese was sadly absent. Determined not to give up, we ordered a selection of treats from the menu. First up was a Zinger meal with an accompanying shrimp donut.

Zinger burger meal and shrimp donut
Disappointing. That is the sad sad truth about the Zinger burger at Thai KFCs. With careful scientific analysis we were able to quickly arrive at the reason for the let down - no breast meat. Yes you heard that right folks - it's all dark meat in this here burger. Now I know what you might be thinking - 'But KFB, everyone knows dark meat has the most flavour - surely the Thai Colonel has struck gold with this idea'. Unfortunately if you were in fact thinking along these lines you'd be wrong - very wrong in fact. We could tell from the first bite that something was amiss - namely: flavour and texture. This was one chewy burger. And the lack of a flavour hit as a pay-off was most disappointing. In fact, the act of consuming this burger might best be described as similar to masticating a stringy piece of cardboard.

Onto the shrimp donut then. What a concept this is - breaded mozzarella cheese stuffed with shrimp and deep fried until a crisp golden brown. A great shame then that this too was a let down. The problem here was again in the lack of flavour - mozzarella is at the best of times a mild cheese but combining it with tiny shrimps and tasteless breadcrumbs and it's a bland result all round. Still, there is some novelty factor in telling people you've eaten a shrimp or fish (which we didn't sample) donut.

New Orleans Chicken Fried Rice

Not to be confused with American Fried Rice which I would strongly encourage you to read about, this seemed a concoction of egg fried rice with vegetables and a side serving of chicken glazed with something akin to Teryaki sauce. I am very pleased to report that it was very tasty indeed and suffered from none of the dryness that commonly afflicts similar dishes. Again the

meat was brown rather than white but we'd wager that it would make a tasty burger nonetheless if they ventured down that path.


Shrimp balls/Popcorn shrimp
Our final accompaniment came in the form of small round fishy balls but don't let the description put you off. Actually, scrap that, do let it put you off. These round morsels suffered from the same issues as the shrimp donut in that they were filled with cheese and basically tasteless.

So overall, something of a disappointment. We here at KFB love KFC because of the hugely flavoursome food with a perfectly balanced mixture of textures. This simply wasn't the case over in Thailand. It might have all sounded intruiging on the menu but in the eating was as bland as an old shoe. Their one saving grace? You can order your chicken (or shrimp!) online using the KFC Thailand website. Now that is an idea we need to see over here in the UK immediately.

KFBloggin's KFC HQ trip - Part 3

We left you previously with the appalling revelation that DG does in fact NOT EAT CHICKEN ON THE BONE. If you think you’re shocked, imagine what our good hosts for the day were thinking. I’m almost certain I saw a small gravy coloured tear emerge from the head of HR’s eye. But undeterred he was not. Within mere moments he had left the room in order to ensure Zinger Towers were on the menu for our test kitchen lunch. Time passed slowly while he was out of the room. Minutes dragged on like hours. Just as we were about to give up all hope, he returned.

"It’s ok guys, I’ve secured some Zinger Tower burgers for lunch"

Relieved, we all sat back in our chairs.

"There was one hitch though. We're out of buns"

Good lord! Surely the Colonel’s own test kitchen shouldn’t have run out of buns, what was to happen? A bunless burger? Perhaps we could use hash browns in place of the bread?

“But don’t worry, we’ve sent a very senior finance director down the road to pick some more up for you from the local branch”

This right here my readers is what it feels like to be chicken royalty. So, the meeting was up and we made our way to the test kitchen with a pool of drool trailing our every move.

"Welcome to the kitchen guys, I’m Chris Fells, Product Excellence Director"

And so it was that we met the man whose job it is to eat KFC multiple times a day (look out for a further post on this incredible individual soon). As soon as we entered the facility the smell hit us like a fried chicken punch to the face. How on earth the office workers sat just outside the doors managed to ever get any work done is beyond us. Lunch was awaiting us in a boardroom situated within the test kitchen itself, giving us a whole new appreciation for the notion of working lunches. As we sat down to we were informed that the room was lit with special lighting to ensure that the product could be inspected as if being eaten in a glorious summer’s cornfield. This was surely true dedication on HQ's part?

Before even a bite reached our quivering lips, a group of people entered the room. It was at this point that we were introduced to none other than the UK KFC managing director himself, Mr Martin Shuker, as well as Luis Perl, Senior Brand Manager and Jenelle Tilling, VP of Marketing. I myself had the distinguished honour of being seated next to Martin and striking up a fascinating conversation about the history of the Zinger Tower Burger (launched in 1998 dontchaknow), a product launch he personally oversaw. Martin also informed me that he visited at least 25 branches a week, a feat even Obad himself is yet to equal.

Yes, the chap in the shirt to the right of the photo really is the KFC UK MD.

Lunch was served. Piping hot OR chicken and fries were carried in on lavish serving plates by Nicola Fenn, Quality Assurance Technologist and the UK’s greatest KFC chef. Describing the food as delicious doesn’t even begin to do it justice and yet just as we were thinking this couldn’t get any better and DG was running out of skin to pick from the meat, the Zinger Towers arrived. We can safely say that these were the greatest ZTs we had ever tasted, even surpassing the famed Fleet Services branch’s offering.

DG had previously and never again will be this happy

Ladies and Gentlemen, we had truly arrived in chicken heaven.

Join us next time for a guided tour of the testing facilities.

Zinger Tower Home Recreation: Attempt 1

You know how it is. You've had a hard slog at the office, headed back to the house for an evening in front of the TV and a sudden KFC hunger pang strikes. Trouble is, your nearest outlet is far from easily accessible and your utter lack of energy prevents you from taking the walk into town. The solution: create your own Zinger Tower burger.

Ingredients for attempt 1 (all Sainsburys brand unless otherwise indicated):
Southern fried chicken breast pieces
Processed cheese slices
McCains hash browns
Hot salsa
Iceberg lettuce
Soft, sesame seed topped white baps

Construction Poor construction is an all too common problem with the Zinger Tower. Start with the buns. Spoon a small amount of salsa onto the bottom bun, place the chicken on top and quickly add the cheese - you'll want it to start melting slightly. Next: hash browns (we had to use 2 of this variety). Top off with lettuce and a moderate spoonful of Mayo for the lid of the bun.

The verdict: 6/10
Don't get us wrong, this was a tasty burger indeed. However, without the secret blend of 11 herbs and spices it just wasn't quite right. The hash browns were slightly too thick, causing their flavour to overpower the burger. We also found the buns slightly too noticeable. In the real deal, the bun's main function is to hold the other ingredients in place. Here, it was too large.

For the inevitable next attempt we'll be using the finest quality Marks and Spencers ingredients we can lay our hands on