Food that tickles your taste buds

My emotions on August 18, 2009 were nondescript. My six-months vacation in Sharjah, one of the emirates in United Arab Emirates had come to an end. I was sad to be leaving and at the same time happy that I was returning home. I will regale you with one of my fond memories in Sharjah.

Meal times were a festivity of sorts and treated with high regard. I was fresh from high school and blessed with a heavy appetite. So, I often ate with extravagance (my colleague Grace calls it eating for everyone who is absent).

One of my new friends observed that I enjoyed “giving my mouth a treat” and she offered to give it a better one.
The venue was a food court in a neighbouring mall. When we were served, I did not think much of the food before me. It was sheer French fries and chicken. Hardly two bites off the crunchy drumstick, my opinion of the food had bettered. In a nutshell, that was my first encounter with Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC).

On my return, I realised that the KFC lookalikes we had in the country were Kampala, Kyambogo and Kansanga fried chicken.
The nearest they got to the original KFC was in the initials of their names but not in the quality of chicken offered.

The difference
Last Tuesday, I checked out the newly-opened KFC restaurant at Village Mall in Bugolobi with my previous experience of Sharjah in mind. The dominating red and white colours in the interior are a hint that you are in the rightful KFC.
The waitresses at the entrance, clad in red tops, black caps and pants, make you feel important with their smile-first-then-greet, welcoming approach.

Two words were readable from most of the faces that I saw in the queue, nostalgia and excitement. The air was inundated with impatience from the lot that wanted to compare the real KFC offered and what they have eaten elsewhere, as well as those that wanted to have a taste of the hyped chicken.

Culinary treat like no other
I picked the menu and looked at the various items on offer.
I could not contain my cropping smile after seeing the popular KFC bucket. The bucket is a recommended prescription for chicken freaks. It contains 21 pieces of chicken at Sh91,000. Instead I ordered for the streetwise three which entails three chicken pieces with chips, at Shs21,000.

The journey from the collection point of my order to my potential seat was a long walk. I sat in one of the red sofas inside the restaurant. I started with chicken. I sunk my teeth in the first flaky drumstick and chewed. I could hear the cracking.
The salivary enzymes were also delivering a message that the chicken I was eating was spiced, as I had requested. By the time I swallowed I had no speck of doubt that the real KFC was in town. The fries were equally good. I only forgot to taste the coleslaw. But it is served.

There are also burgers on the menu and ice cream for dessert. Chicky’s choice (a piece of chicken, children’s size chips and a drink) which is the children’s meal on the menu, comes with a free toy. Children are entertained with free face painting.
Many were lining up for the experience which was being conducted by an elderly muzungu painter – and kids like bazungu.

The manager of the restaurant says that it can accommodate up to 160 patrons. It is open from 10am to 10pm. There is sizeable parking space.

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