KFC World Tour, Part 1: Intro and Slovakia

It's true that 2010 was a quiet year for the KFB team. Looking at the stats, we posted a meager 17 times in 2010 compared with a mighty 84 posts in 2009. "What's up with that?" I hear you ask, "Have you guys just given up on chicken, given up on life??". Well the answer, clearly, is no. Chicken IS our life, and to give up on chicken would be to give up on...LIVING. The reason for our lull in activity is that we were planning something big, something that would bring KFC from the four corners of the world straight to our loyal readers. This, my friends, was the KFC World Tour.

After months of intricate planning including detailed analysis of locations, restaurants and menus, the route was set and every last penny was saved and deposited into an offshore bank account, which was ultimately used to purchase one Round The World ticket - and I was the lucky blogger who would be sent out in search of the answers to so many questions. What is KFC like on the other side of the world? Does the secret recipe taste the same? What innovations are being made that we could learn from in the UK? ...and is UK KFC the best in the world?? It was time to answer these questions, so on August 24th 2010, I set off.

First stop would be in Europe, but where? Here at KFB we have already explored what's on offer in our neighbouring countries; previous field reports from Germany and France are still available for your perusal. So it was time to go further afield, into the beating heart of Central Europe and pay Slovakia a visit - and more precisely, the capital city of Bratislava.

On arrival at the city's most central branch, I was immediately struck by the buzz and hustle bustle of people around the entrance and seating areas. It was lunchtime, and as far as I could see KFC in Bratislava is a popular destination for hungry Slavs.



The branch was small but with a pleasant outdoor seating area, and brisk but cheery counter service. After studying the Slovakian menu for a while, it was clear that the long-standing classics were present; namely the Fillet Burger, Tower Burger, Twister, Buckets, Strips etc., but in addition to this there were some local delicacies, including the "Longer Menu" (essentially a smaller Fillet Burger in a torpedo roll), the "Fuller" bowl and a Tiramisu dessert.



I opted for the Fuller as it looked very interesting: a bowl of mashed potato, chopped Crispy Strips, sweetcorn and covered in the Colonel's finest gravy and melted mozzarella cheese, all topped with a sprinkling of herbs. Sounded delicious...and it was!



The chicken and mashed potato was a well loved combo, delightfully complemented by the gravy which was rich and creamy. The addition of sweetcorn added texture, a sweet flavour and a healthy element to the meal. The choice of an Italian melted cheese for the topping was a surprise and a rarity to see at KFC, but one that was pulled off without question of a doubt and made me wonder why other Italian and more exotic cheeses aren't used more often in the standard menu. All in all, the Fuller was a great, light meal, full of flavour and reasonably priced. My advice: Introduce this to the UK, also throw it in a box meal with a Mini Fillet burger and fries alongside and you've got a strong seller (I imagine it would make a great hang over cure too).

I left Slovakia in high spirits and with high hopes. If every KFC across the world could serve up something as innovative and delicious as what I had sampled in Bratislava, then I would be in for quite an eye opening experience. Of course, further testing would be required...next stop, Austria!