In a world first, KFC partnered this week with a hatted chef to bring a select lucky few Sydneysiders an 11 course degustation, echoing the Colonel’s 11 secret herbs and spices.
The announcement of the planned set menu, in a secret location in Alexandria, immediately went viral. Friends tagged their chicken enthusiast friends, tickets were in extremely high demand, and likes and shares abounded. In collaboration with renowned Sydney chef/alchemist Nelly Robinson of Surry Hills’ Nel, the event was bound to be a roaring success. Or so we assumed.
After the much anticipated announcement of the location, an expansive warehouse space in Alexandria’s industrial area, guests walked a red carpet to a waiting bay, glasses of Champagne offered by roaming waitstaff. Above our heads, an ethereal cloud-like chicken drumstick, illuminated from within as acoustic covers of pop songs filled the air.
A roller door slid open and eager diners were ushered to their tables in the purpose built room within a room – black walls decorated with stencilled gold string bow ties. Wetnaps stamped with ‘La di da napkin’ sat atop folded linen napkins. Waitstaff set and lit candles in the centre of the table before Chef Nelly Robinson appeared and ran us through the events of the evening, explaining how this collision of the dirty bird and fine dining came to fruition, then onto the marathon meal.
The first dish set the tone; a cube of marshmallow dusted in the hallowed secret spices, garlic crumbles on top. It hit the tongue and was gone in a flash. Ok, we see what’s happening here. Up next, the Nel version of a Zinger burger, paired with a bone dry semillon sauvignon blanc. If they had served 10 more of these, we could die happy. A bite-sized, thrice-cooked duck fat potato, a tiny crumbed chicken tender with a dusting of dill powder and a swirl of punchy curry mayonnaise with a truly pleasing amount of heat. At lightning speed, the next course appeared, the swiftness of the service another wink to the fast food concept. A KFC crowd favourite, a supercharged Wicked Wing on a bed of ornamental charcoal was finished with a quick spritz of ethanol and a flash of fire that brought the theatrics for almost four thrilling seconds.
It was at this point that our candles fizzled out and the waxy whiff of birthday parties filled the room. Strange happenings are afoot. It was revealed that the candle was in fact a stick of frozen beef tallow, which with a flourish of room-temperature chicken gravy and a rosemary heavy bread roll was the interactive next course. The flavour of the candle wick permeates the tepid fat as it coats the tongue. A fun concept, a messy execution. Respite came by way of the first fish dish to ever grace a KFC menu. A sensational pescitarian version of the famous Zinger; Kingfish marinated in intensely hot sauce, blushing the fillet with a little heat on the exterior but leaving the centre of the cured fish clean and unblemished. A bed of smoked yoghurt ‘coleslaw’ and lobster is an exceptional and refreshing break and probably the most Robinson-leaning dish of the evening.
That late night staple, popcorn chicken, got a serious glow up after taking a dip in a celeriac and mushroom soup that was earthy and packed with umami. Perfectly delicious mushroom gnocchi float by but we’re all here for the chicken, which retains its integrity and doesn’t deviate one iota from its original recipe. You know you love it.
Next came the most hyped dish of the night by far, the La Di Da Drumstick aka Fried Gold – a chicken drummie topped with dehydrated quinoa rolled in edible gold powder, with the added element of a smoke filled cloche. A mushroom puree absorbed the lion's share of the butane smoke, which seemingly made zero impact on the chicken drumstick, whose tender and juicy interior was topped only by the paperthin and deeply flavourful breading.
But sometimes, all the planning and scene setting in the world can fall fowl (geddit?) of unwelcome guests. At one point in the meal, Chef Robinson appeared again, all eyes on him with a backdrop of a vast polished concrete warehouse. It was also at this stage that a particularly charismatic cockroach found his 15 minutes of fame, strutting his way across the floor just behind Robinson. A waiter eyed the cockroach, screamed internally and walked away. Not today, Satan. Another, bolder waiter then entered, dramatically stomped on the beastie, panicked and picked up the late insect by hand. That’s showbiz, kid.
Finally, Robinson introduced the crescendo of the evening: the desserts. Yes, plural. The first of two sweets was a chocolate mousse and popping candy on a bed of smooth pebbles and that ubiquitous degustation element, dry ice. Served sans cutlery, diners were encouraged to scoop the rapidly melting choccy mousse by hand from the crevices of the bedrock. Then came the final bite of the evening. For those that remember the KFC Krusher, they will know it was one of the menu highlights and hearts across the country were broken when it was retired back in 2019. However, Chef Robinson was determined for it to rise once more. Waiters instructed us to eat a delicate-looking truffle in one bite, the chocolate shell shattering releasing a torrent of mouthwash-esque liquid across our tongues. The final flavour of the night is that of crushed coriander seed and Listerine.
From a foodie's point of view, it’s a hit and miss affair, with some delightful moments, but also many baffling riffs on fast food favourites that are perfectly fine as they are, thank you very much. So, what was the point of it all? It’s best to take this event at face value and for what it is: a kitsch gimmick that should be a bit of fun. While it appears quite a lot has been lost in translation, there is something delightful about a room full of grown ups giggling and letting go of their sensible selves, diving headlong into the silliness of licking the face of Colonel Sanders off their plates. Is it something we would do again? Possibly not. Is there room for it in this world? Evidently.