KFC in Korea
I’ve been in Korea for 10 days and have already been to KFC 3 times. Here’s what makes it so special here compared to the US.
By Kate Taylor From Business Insider
I visited KFC in Seoul, South Korea and was blown away by the menu items that aren’t available in the US.
In South Korea, you can order beer, the infamous Double Down, and chicken gizzards at KFC.
I kept finding myself returning to KFC while I was visiting Seoul, drawn by the cheap beer and seemingly endless array of menu items you can’t get back in America.
SEOUL, South Korea — KFC in South Korea has what KFC in the US wishes it had.
Sure, Kentucky Fried Chicken might have the United States (or at least one state) at its core. But, South Korean locations of the chicken chain are filled with forbidden fruit that only appears on the American menu in my fast-food filled dreams.
Over my last 10 days in Seoul, I have visited KFC three times. I’m not proud of this, but, as a fast-food fan, I also refused to be ashamed for returning to a restaurant that continues to churn out delightful things I cannot find in the US.
Here is what it is like to visit KFC in South Korea.
The crowning glory of KFC’s South Korean menu is something that has disappeared from the US: The infamous Double Down.
For those who blocked this sandwich from their memories, the Double Down hit menus in the US in 2010. The Double Down has since been taken off the American menu, but it lives on in South Korea as two pieces of fried chicken, sandwiching together a hash brown, cheese, and bacon.
It’s a beast of a sandwich, with greasy layers atop greasy layers. It is also fantastic if you like this sort of fast-food, deep-fried decadence. The hash brown is an inspired addition, adding a much-needed carb element that brings the dish together and elevates it over the original American version.
The Double Down was not the only thing that drew me back to KFC again and again.
There are the ordering kiosks, which are a nice cheat when you’re in a country and don’t speak the language.
There is beer on the menu. It’s served in a paper cup and it only costs 3,000 won, or about $2.50.
“Many KFC markets around the world offer beer to pair with the Colonel’s finger lickin’ good fried chicken, including in Asia at select restaurants in Japan, Korea, and Hong Kong,” a KFC representative told me in an email.
“You can also find beer served in some of our markets across Europe, Russia and CIS,” the email continued. “Local regulations play a large role in determining whether or not beer is included on the menu in a market.”
