#FastFoodFriday: KFC Hotblaze Grilled Chicken Review: Much Spicier & Less Salty

A wise food blogger once said, “KFC will never have healthy food. That’s like saying that McDonald’s will one day sell fish & chips.”

Suffice to say, the food blogger has lost his job and is now working as a lifestyle influencer, because he wasn’t just wrong in one foot: he was wrong in two foots feet.

McDonald’s now has fish & chips (known as fish & fries) while KFC has introduced a permanent healthy menu, the grilled chicken that’s only 358 calories per leg.

For the record, the fan-favourite Zinger burger has a total of 633 calories.

Launched in July last year, it got a Goody Stamp of Approval from my colleague who gave it ten thumbs up.

I agreed with him back then, but throughout the months, as I opted for a healthier option in KFC, the grilled chicken somehow became…saltier.

I tried asking everyone around me whether it was just me, but because I’ve no friends, I failed.

(Actually I managed to lah, but they all just have it once)

So it’s apt for me to try the new grilled chicken from KFC, given that I’m the only one who seems to be buying it in the entire island. Called Hotblaze Grilled Chicken, it’s supposed to be “spicier” and with a “different marinade”.

How true is that statement?

Let’s find out, because it’s #FastFoodFriday.

First Look

Look at that.

And look at this.

Can you tell the difference?

No?

So do I.

The first image is the Hotblaze Grilled Chicken while the second one is the original one. It’s safe to say that they look exactly the same, so even if the staff has given me the original one, I won’t have known.

But anyways.

No one buys the grilled chicken for Instagram, so here’s the taste test.

Taste

To be honest, I can’t remember much about the original grilled chicken except that it’s rather salty and a tad bit spicy.

But I remember specifically that the saltiness overwhelm the spiciness.

And in this HotBlaze Grilled Chicken?

There’s a significant improvement (unless you’re the type who prefers seawater to plain water).

For a start, it comes piping hot even when we’ve ordered it via delivery. And secondly, upon my first bite, my taste buds didn’t register the saltiness; instead, it’s a strong spicy feel, almost akin to those of Zinger, that greeted me first.

The skin is, as usual, thin and crispy, while the meat itself is soft and savoury.

It’s like falling in love with the grilled chicken once again, for a second and third bite later, I still won’t use “salty” to describe it. Instead, the more I down the chicken, the spicier it gets: so spicy, I wonder if I’ll laosai tonight.

You can almost see the red spice beneath the skin, as if it’s tempting you to try it.

In other words, if you’re like BuffLord95 who’ll cry when he smells a chilli from miles away, then this might not be for you. Go have some salad instead, you weakling.

But even if you live for spicy food, here’s the thing: I’m not certain whether the calories are the same, given that it seems oilier.

If you’re one who counts every calorie intake, you might want to check with KFC on whether it’s still 358 calories.

Should you be like me who makan just for the sake of makaning, and could easily down a plate of sambal chilli without breaking a sweat, then this is well worth a try.

Rating: 4.5/5