KFC Manda Hill

[left eye]

Dear Zambia,

is it just me or the new Kentucky Fried Chicken just doesn't quiet taste like the real thing? I honestly can't tell the difference between KFC and Hungry Lion. I've been to Gaborone,Johannesburg, Durban,Mumbai and Frankfurt - I think I know what KFC ought to taste like.

[Trained Chef]

I totally agree with people who are complaining. I took my family for dinner for an experience but it turned to be another Hungry Lion night but just as tasty. We felt robbed by KFC and they should change the name to Hungry KFC. What a loss

[Bobilos]

I totally agree. That's a Hungry Lion reincarnation

[Sous Chef]

Trained Chef et al,

Perhaps it's the cooking oil? It makes a big difference. Or maybe it's got something to do with our home grown (reared) chickens, who suffer a life of poverty and corruption, and as a result are slaughtered in a depressed state. Depressed chickens just don't taste good.

[Grease]

KFC's Corporate Address for Customer Comments
P.O. Box 725489
Atlanta, GA 31139

[Agent Amos]

Grease,

Snail mail? A P.O.Box? You gotta be kidding. Besides, don't you think before mouthing off to KFC HQ in US, it would be better (and easier) to first get a response from their Zambia office? Give them a chance to respond at least.

[Grease]

Amos,

Pardon me.

The KFC website has customer service phone numbers for fried chicken munchers who reside in the US and Canada only. For other international customers, they have a form where you can fill out your personal info and your gripe. Then you can submit that form, sit on your ass and wait for feedback. If it ever comes.

I don't know about the Zambian KFC office. But my guess is if this KFC at Manda Hill does not bother to conform to proper KFC standards, then maybe the local office don't give a rat's ass. That's why I thought maybe the fat boys in Atlanta might be interested to hear how their name is being diluted and being confused with some hungry lions over in Zambia.

I'm not a big fan of greasy food myself. So if that P.O. box is useless to you, I will not lose any sleep over it.

[Agent Amos]

Grease,

It feels like we've discussed McD's before, just a few weeks back...

You may have done a good thing by posting KFC's contact details, but to say KFC Zambia don't give a rat's ass would be unfair without giving them a chance to respond to these complaints. It may well be that they are unaware of their greasy chicken tasting like Hungry Lion's and going by their sales figures, they might be under the illusion that all is OK.

I can tell you of a similar scenario right here in Zambia of a disappointed Subway customer emailing the US to bitch about something not right at one of their outlets here. They responded to the Subway outlet in question. These guys in turn called the customer and asked why she didn't bother to bring forth her complaint right then when she was first disappointed. It's not like they refused to listen to her. The manager was right there.

Back to KFC, one reason I reckon their chicken doesn't match up to international standards is the chicken itself. As far as I know, chickens in other countries are juiced up with all sorts of steroids and hormones to reduce their time to shelf. Here, I like to believe that though reared in cages, the chickens don't get injected with these chemicals, hence the different taste.

[Rogue Trader]

I think I have an idea why their chicken is different. I did a bit of research into the fast food business as I once thought of establishing a similar but independent outlet.

The difference lies in the way the chicken is fried. KFC and most fried chicken joints in the west use a
process known as pressure frying (conceptually similar to pressure cooking). Hungry Lion and KFC Mandahill do use pressure fryers but I reckon they get their pressure settings wtong which males their chicken hard and oily (much like ordinary deep frying).

Pressure frying makes the chicken soft inside whilst giving it that nice fried outer layer. This is partly caused by moisture retention and a change in pressure enabling more efficient use of heat. Sorry I digress....

[beiber]

yaba KFC is just another hungry lion, even their chips/fries are just so not KFC, isnt it that these pressure cooking methods are suposed to be established before the business begins to make sure its the right way of doing things? i guess nimu zed muno,

[Packman]

The fried chicken they are selling is definitely different. I have been to KFC in several countries including USA. The Zambian one is a copy of Hungry Lion and Zamchick. The coating on the chicken has a different formula and taste. It seems to me that the Zambians are probably cutting corners and maybe diluting the spices or selling them and then buying the cheaper local stuff. I am doubtful it is the oil or the pressures. The whole point of a franchise is to make it as identical as possible to the standards abroad and if the Zambian branch has failed, they should be closed down. I see no point in going there.

[Dizo]

I went to a South African mall some years ago and was I delighted to see KFC! I ordered myself some of their famous chicken and boy was I impressed with the size of the food pack. After eating the food, however, I could not see what the hype about KFC is, its just ordinary chicken, just way overrated. Zambians this is the real deal, get used to it or buy Hungry Lion.

[Grease]

Agent Amos and Rogue Trader,

Thanks guys for your interesting insights. I'm always interested to learn new things. Whether or not I'm in the business of swallowing steroid filled greasy chicken.

So ba Amos, if you may please allow me to paraphrase what you are alleging. KFC customers in Zambia are complaining about the fried chicken because it does not have enough steroids and enough hormones and enough weird chemicals injected into it. hmmm.

[Packman]

Abena Grease, I think the issue here is that there is no point in having another Hungry Lion and KFC are supposed to be different from everyone. I understand their blend of spices is some secret formula and out there it is very nice. The spices have nothing to do with hormones or grease.

[Grease]

abena Packman,
Thank you for the education. I see your point. Although forgive me for saying so please, but this ka complaint about Zambia's KFC is starting to sound more and more trivial.

I don't know abena Packman, maybe it's time Zambia's KFC consumers start to appreciate their own blend of this fried chicken, be it a copycat of hungry lion's or whatever. Maybe the unlucky ones are those in US ghettoes who eat buckets of KFC like there's no tomorrow. And if we are to believe abena Agent Amos, those American ghetto dwellers are swallowing more than just chicken.

It's scary stuff. One study suggests that those hormones and steroids in food that abena Amos alluded to, are causing the onset of puberty in girls to drop. In the US about 10% of white girls enter puberty by age 7. In the Black and Hispanic population 15% of 7yr olds enter puberty. These numbers are much higher than they were just a few decades ago.

Anyways guys, sorry to diverge. We were just talking fried chicken here. Bon Appétit! To your health! Cheers!!!

[p]

ID sous chef cracked my ribs lol

[Savage]

I agree, what the sous chef wrote is funny but it's also true.

In the West some farmers specialize in rearing pampered cows, pigs and chicken for the consumption of the rich. These farm animals are treated like kings because the theory is that meat from stress-free animals tastes better and is healthier.

Of course it costs you an arm and a leg, because you have to pay for the blanket and the mattress the cow sleeps in, the hot showers the pigs enjoy, etc etc.

[Ironic]

Ironic indeed!

Zambians living in Zambia are causing an uproar over American food. There is that Zambian bloke living in north America who was chasing women and talking incoherently here over a plate of nshima.

Do you see the irony?

[Query Kweli]

guyz, any updates on the fake KFC? did DZ manage to shame them into raising their standards a bit?

some of you Manda hill KFC customers should try and print out this entire page and hand it to the manager over there. Tell him, look how your restaurant has been debased on the Internet. Maybe he will think twice before he fries another sub par chicken.

[irritated guy]

i have had enough some of you should just shut the f*ck up!!!! you just keep complaning.typical of black people. no onew puts a gun to your head forcing you to buy KFC. !!!! if you dont like it simply don't buy as simple as that. please