Spot the difference

Desi-style fried chicken outlets in Coimbatore are adding a local spin to global brands like KFC and slowly emerging as popular food joints

October 31, 2015 04:01 pm | Updated 04:01 pm IST

As finger-lickin' as any other: The dishes at Arabian Friend Chicken Photo: M. Periasamy

As finger-lickin' as any other: The dishes at Arabian Friend Chicken Photo: M. Periasamy

The ambience is familiar — the white-and-red walls, the smell of deep-fried chicken, waiters sporting red caps and red t-shirts. An elderly man with a beard wearing a tilted topi surveys you from one of the walls. For a moment, it feels like I am in KFC. But wait! On a closer look, I have mistaken him for Colonel Sanders, the founder of KFC. This is the logo at Labbaik Fried Chicken (LFC), a Coimbatore fried-chicken outlet.

Welcome to the desi- style fried chicken outlets in Coimbatore, which add a local spin to global brands like KFC and are slowly emerging as popular food joints for the youngsters. They adapt their menu to the taste-buds of the Indian diner by adding local dishes such as biryani, shawarma, kulfi, grilled and tandoor chicken and kebabs .

LFC is one of the more popular local fried chicken chains in the city. The menu resembles the finger’ licking platter at KFC — the same set of burgers, fried chicken pieces, hot shots and chicken wings. The difference? It is spicier and cheaper.

At LFC, you can accompany your garlic-flavoured fried chicken legs with cheese-flavoured fries, and round off the meal with kulfi or a brownie with ice cream! The brownie might not sizzle like those in global coffee chain shops but it tastes yummy with a scoop of vanilla ice cream! “The kulfis are prepared at our factory. We have our in-house brownies too, which we recommend that our customers to have hot. These are prepared in our warehouses,” says Mohamed Faizur of LFC.

Many LFC outlets have been franchised; they have four branches in Gandhipuram, Cheran towers and NSR Road (the last two are under renovation). The waiters are trained to be courteous and “answer in English”.

The idea of an outlet modelled on the lines of KFC came to Faizur and his brother on a visit to a restaurant in Kerala. The main attraction is the ease of maintenance, he says. “You are playing with a default menu. There won’t be much fluctuation in taste.” The outlet has grown popular since it began two years ago. Now, they have outlets in Chennai, Dharapuram, Udumalpet, Pollachi and Tirupur.

Arabian Fried Chicken (AFC) is another local brand popular for its fried-chicken hot shots, nuggets and burgers. However, they are more famous for their shawarmas and Hyderbadi biryani. Just like KFC, they too come with combo meals along with fries and coke.

During the evenings, the young crowd in Race Course makes a beeline for this outlet. “If you wallet is light, this is the best place to be in,” laughs Vivek, a college student. Vipin and his two friends, Vivek and Ruban, frequent AFC because “the delivery is faster here. And, you have more options,” says Vipin. “Here they serve you biryani and milkshakes along with fried chicken. There is variety in the menu. And we are Malayalis, we love spicy non-vegetarian food any day.”

All these restaurants ensure that the dishes suit the Indian palate. At City Fried Chicken (CFC), part of the Hotel City Towers, Ramnagar, the menu has actually been designed by a chef who works in a KFC branch at UAE! “The idea is modelled around the KFC concept,” says Jacob John, the general manager . “Keeping the local taste buds in mind, the chef made sure the chicken is more spicy.” You can actually spot the layer of chilli paste sticking to the batter-fried meat. The outlet is a hit with foreign tourists too, says Jacob.

Ashwin and Indrajith, two college students who are regulars at CFC, get a little agitated when one interrupts them and bombards them with questions during their meal. They come here mainly because it is close by their home. “You are asking too many questions. Every fried chicken is the same, isn’t it? What’s the big difference?” smiles Ashwin, as he bites into a crunchy leg piece.

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