KFC World Tour, Part 3: Poland

Already en route to my 3rd international KFC location, there was no time to dwell on the disappointment suffered in Austria. Onwards and upwards, as they say...and upwards I travelled, north through Europe; next destination, Poland. I headed directly for the heart and soul of the country, the historic city of Krakow. One of the oldest cities in Poland, it dates back to the 7th century and is also the unofficial cultural capital, thriving with museums, art galleries, bars, clubs and many world class eateries - one of which, of course, belongs to the Colonel himself.

On a brisk Autumn lunchtime, I ventured to the most central, flagship branch located just off the main square in Krakow. Upon approaching the main entrance, I was greeted with a wonderful site - not only was the original converted brick frontage a delightful architectural sight to behold, but the Colonel Sanders living statue busker out front added to the ambiance and was a fitting tribute to the great man himself. Tossing 1 złoty into the grateful buskers collection, I entered and made straight for the counter.



Browsing the menu (which was nearly identical to that of Austria) I decided to make a very tough choice and give the "Grander" a second chance, for 2 main reasons: firstly, the "Grander" here was a slight variation called the "Texas Grander", which appeared to have thinly sliced bacon/ham in the stack, along with a Texan smoky BBQ flavour...and secondly, something about the atmosphere, neat interior and attentive counter staff told me that this could be an entirely different burger experience.



My bravery was rewarded, this was indeed a very different experience. The bun was fresh and firm, perfectly toasted. The chicken was plump, moist and tasty. The construction was neat. Admittedly, the size of the chicken breast still pales in comparison to that of the UK, and the lettuce could have been a little more fresh and plentiful, but all in all this was one tasty burger. The addition of thinly sliced cured ham, reminiscent of pancetta or prosciutto, was a wonderful and decidedly upmarket addition and makes complete sense - I would especially like to see this in place of the typically fatty bacon used in the Daddy Burger back home.



Although I had uncovered some interesting regional differences in my trek across Europe, this was nothing compared to what lay ahead. It was time to experience something totally different, something from the other side of the world, in a totally different culture and way of life. Next stop, China!