Mar 04 2008
KFC in Phnom Penh
Honey wasn’t feeling well yesterday and didn’t go to work. To cheer him up and make him feel better, I thought I’d bring him home some pasalubong. Something that has never been seen before in Cambodia. Something that has never been tasted before in Cambodia. Something that has never been savored before in Cambodia. Someting like… like… like…. tadah!
You see, although we are very happy living in Phnom Penh for the past 5 1/2 years, since we arrived here in July 2002, there are a few things that we sorely miss – malls, movie houses, Mc Donald’s, Starbucks, and most of all, KFC. We miss KFC so much that everytime we go abroad or go home to Manila, the first place we go to and the first food we eat is KFC. Even the borloloys (my little nephews and nieces) know that whenever they pick us ap at the NAIA, they have to bring Auntie Toe and Uncle Honey to KFC.
So on the way to work yesterday morning, my eyes lit up and my whole body started to shiver with anticipation for I passed by this sign:
Oh what joy! KFC in Cambodia finally opened during the weekend. I could hardly wait for the day to end so that I could surprise Honey and bring him KFC so that he could feel better. Okay, so it’s not exactly chicken noodle soup, but it’s still chicken, and it does contain the happiness ingredient.
I left the office at exactly five (a leisure that I could enjoy only here in Phnom Penh and not in Manila) and proceeded directly to KFC. To my surprise, the entire expat community of Phnom Penh, as well as the locals who have been abroad and know of this (not all Cambodians are familiar with the Colonel) came in droves and throngs. And I thought that we were the only ones who loved KFC. They were all there – high school students from the international schools who must have been daydreaming about the Colonel during Geometry class, office workers who were starting to see mirages of chicken on their computers, locals who have only tasted KFC during their trips abroad – all trying to be the first to taste this chicken in Cambodia.
Everyone was so excited and the lines got twisted. The locals, I think, were not yet used to ordering from fastfoods and there was an entire family in front of me. I wanted to tell the father that they didn’t all have to line up… the little kiddies could get a table and he could just bring the food to them. 
The lovers behind me were pushing to get a peek at the menu. Of course there were Filipinos too.. I could hear them talking loudly on their cellphones while queuing up. So I had to fight tooth and nail through this queue to get to the end of the line and order me some chicken.
I must say that I was quite impressed with the crew (who trained for a month in Malaysia). They were very patient and courteous and got all (well most) of the orders right despite the melee. I remember that in Manila before 2002, KFC had such terrible service… they could never get my order right… yet I always go back because it tasted good. Anyway, it took me an entire hour before I could disentangle myself from the crowd and bring home my loot. That’s how much I love KFC my Honey.
As I was being pushed and jostled in line, I mused on the advantages of KFC Phnom Penh over KFC Bangkok. First, the chicken came with gravy. Yehey! Not unlimited gravy though… like in the Philippines, but there’s gravy nonetheless. And second, they offered rice meals – chicken rice and not plain race, to the dismay of the Cambodians who like us Filipinos, like all our meals with plain rice… even if we were already eating noodles or bread or fried rice. (Hehe— fried rice is our ulam and the plain rice is our real rice).
Anyway, this is my loot: two sets of chicken rice combo which came with a one-piece chicken, cole slaw, chicken rice, gravy, and a drink; one large whipped potato (what they call the mashed potato)… which I ordered because I wasn’t sure when I ordered if there was gravy; and a 3-piece chicken meal. And that was just for me… Honey had… Hehe… just joking… that was for both Honey and me.
The verdict? It tasted like KFC (I was afraid it might taste a little different)… finger lickin’ good. Honey is feeling better now and was able to go to work this morning. And so goes the saga of the KFC in Phnom Penh.
Burp!
Technorati tags: KFC
KFC in Phnom Penh
Kentucky Fried Chicken
Phnom Penh
- Hainanese Chicken Rice and Pasta with Garden Herbs
- Recall Order!
- Filipino Food in Cambodia
- On My Way Home
- My Manila Food Diary
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These fastfood places are really taken for granted here in PI noh coz we have lots of them here. I wonder what’s gonna happen if all of a sudden mawala ang Jbee, Mcdo, KFC, Chowking, Pizza Hut, Greenwich, Sbarro etc etc…masaya cguro, mag wild ang mga tao hehe
Seriously, we are actually pretty lucky here coz we get to enjoy these places. Like if you feel like eating this, you can just go to the mall and enjoy the food unlike if you’re in another country, minsan hanggang imagination na lang.
I’m happy may KFC na jan Toe…sana someday soon magkaroon na rin ng Kashieca hehe
hahaha. tumawa ako sa “And that was just for me” line.
I used to like KFC but they’re so expensive here in the states and their portions are so small, that I don’t go there anymore.
I do like how the “Colonel” started the business when he was in his 60s. Just shows that it’s never too late to be successful. You just need a gimmick like calling yourself the “colonel” and talking about a “secret recipe”. hehe.
They have gravy!! Buti pa dyan. Sa Malaysia wala. Nung pumunta kami di kami magkaintindihan ng tindera. She kept on giving me catsup and chili sauce. I wonder what would happen if Jollibee opened there?
You’re making me hungry for KFC Zinger. Hehehehe.
i always like KFC because of their chicken strips, sila ang nagpasimula nun. minsan lang di consistent yung gravy, sa ibang branch malapot tapos sa iba naman parang tubig na nilagyan ng gravy para magmukhang gravy.
i used to like their coleslaw, pero parang iba na yung lasa ngayon at minsan din “masabaw”
wala bang zinger dyan?
kapag sinusuwerte nga naman, hehe! yey may KFC na dyan! i am happy for you Toe. Isa sa mga disappointments ko ay ang hindi makakita ng Jollibee or KFC dyan sa Cambodia.
buti na lang may gravy at rice! i just had my KFC last week. ako yung tao na mukhang gravy kaya lugi ang KFC sa akin. actually pagdating sa crispy hot chicken KFC ang number one ko. pag regular, Chicken Joy ako. kahit ata araw-araw chicken ang ulam ko, di ako magrereklamo.
May gravy ba KFC nila? sa Japan walang gravy sa KFC. weird ano? Sa Korea naman kakaiba ang spiciness ng chicken nila, talagang luluha ka
Oh my goodness. KFC in Phnom Penh? Although I am not a fan of fast food restaurants, I am quite surprised that it took them so long to open up a shop in the Cambodian capital.
[...] 4, 2008 Along with roughly 4 brazillion other people, Toe faced the crowds at KFC and reports back. Honey wasn’t feeling well yesterday and didn’t go to work. To cheer him up and make him feel [...]
KFC is ver bad for your health…all that transfat!…eh, can I have some?
I don’t life KFC here, it tastes different. Mas masarap ung nasa pinas ewan ko baket.
iba talaga chicken sa kfc no? sana meron din silang 3 piece chicken dito hehehe. gusto ko rin dini-dip yung fries nila sa gravy.
I can see rice ! That’s what’s great about KFC in Asia – rice is always on the menu. That’s the very first thing that frustrates Pinoys who move here – walang rice ang KFC kaya sa Popeye’s na lang kasi my Cajun rice
Hu-waaaaaaaaaaaaw! Tsalap-tsalap naman! And since you gave your approval, it must be really good.
Humanda ang KFC pag uwi ko bukas ng gabi – susugod rin kami ni R!
Oops, na-carried away yata ako.
I’ll drop the book off at your office, if you like
. Natapos ko na, kakatuwa! You are right, I got it from D’s bookstore, and there is one more copy left!
Hmm, do you have the exact address of this KFC? (: Can ya email it to me please?
I’m looking for someone who lives near there, and hoping to plan my trip there from the airport when I get to Phnom Penh in about, 3 weeks?
Many thanks!
Uuy! Nagkaroon na rin sa wakas ng KFC diyan!
Wala bang Zinger or Hot and Crispy chicken? I seldom go to KFC these dyas but when I do… it’s always those two that are on my on my list. 
Do you know that KFC mistreat their chickens…?
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/133370628
Burp indeed!
Verns, that’s what’s funny… when I was still living in Manila, I didn’t really care much for fastfoods. I preferred lutong bahay and real restaurants. But when there is absolutely none, I crave for them.
Siempre nagkaron ng KFC dito yung pauwi na kami. 
Wil, omg… pati KFC… nagka-inflation na? Even in Manila, the chickens are very small… I find them tastier though. But I know why you don’t eat at KFC… it’s because you’re such a health buff.
Oh, so Colonel Sanders is a real person pala.
Kongkong622, yes they have gravy! I was so happy. Sa Bangkok din… it was so frustrating because they had no gravy, and what’s KFC without the gravy?
I haven’t heard of plans of Jollibee opening here yet though they have a few branches in Vietnam.
Ade, that’s the next mission… to get a zinger.
Zherwin, hindi ko na yata naabutan yung chicken strips. They don’t have it either. Yes, our next mission is to get the zinger.
Rayts, naku, kindred spirit tayo sa manok… ako din, kahit everyday! It was horrible when there was bird flu here a few years ago and I thought I wasn’t allowed to eat chicken. I had to make do without chicken for months!
Yes, we take KFC and Jollibee for granted pero pag nawala, nakakamiss talaga.
I also love the chicken joy… that’s one of the few items I eat in Jollibee.
Allan, yes they do. May rice pa.
Linguist-in-Waiting, yes, KFC didn’t want to open here at first… they said that there was no market. It could be true… the crowds could be just for the first few months. That’s what happened with a Thai pizza franchise… packed for the first months and now, nilalangaw.
Cambodians are like us somehow… they like their food made from home. 
Pinayhekmi, I think so too… the best KFC is the one in Manila… siguro talagang suited to our taste.
Oh, didn’t you know that it’s a proven scientific fact that KFC has absolutely no calories when you eat it on a Sunday? Hahaha…
Carlotta, iba talaga. It’s my favorite fastfood chicken.
Yeah… fries with gravy… 
BW, surprisingly, KFC Bangkok doesn’t offer rice either. Oo nga… I remember that my sister in the States always prefers Popeye’s.
ZJ, hahaha… nakaka carried away talaga ang KFC. I could hardly believe they opened here.
Make sure you go during an alanganin oras or it would take you hours to line up. 
Oh, I don’t want to bother you to go to the office pa.
I’ll try to get the last copy at D’s. Thanks ZJ! 
Natalie, it’s on Monivong Street… you won’t miss it. But surely, you’re not going to Phnom Penh to eat at KFC?
There are other exciting restaurants to go to. I only like KFC because I’ve been living here so long. It’s easy lang here in Phnom Penh… go to the Royal Palace, National Museum, Killing Fields, Genocide Museum, Toul Tompong Market, and Central Market. 
Snglguy, siempre, nagka-KFC kc malapit na kami umuwi.
Yes, they have Zinger and the hot and crispy recipe… that’s our next mission. 
Sidney, I looked it up… it is possible that it’s not true… KFC said that it gets its chicken from trusted suppliers (it doesn’t farm its own chicken). It could be possible that it’s part of the move to discredit KFC… like the urban legend that has been going around that KFC doesn’t use real chicken. Besides, I don’t think the US FDA would approve KFC if it uses illegal practices.
Daphne, hehe… now the extra pounds are creeping in again.
wow…isn’t it nice that you’ve finally have one! mukhang nag shopping ka mdm! i love KFC!
Kung ako nandyan, makikipila din ako. Hooray to KFC!
Ipanema, of course KFC will arrive here when we’re about to go home.
Yes, I did go shopping a little. 
Abaniko, hehe… I think that’s the idea of every expat in the city too.
hey, I’ve forgotten all about that “finger lickin’ good” ad of KFC…I don’t see it here or maybe it’s printed in Thai and I’ve never bothered to read it. Anyways, KFC! The chicken that tastes soooo good, that even if I always feel funny in my stomach after I eat it, I still crave for it. I always buy mashed potatoes to go along with it, because mashed potatoes come with gravy, and also because the chicken is too spicy without it. You know, one time, I sneaked in rice from the food court to eat with my chicken… (yan kasi they don’t serve rice!)
Our KFC order here doesn’t come with rice. It comes with biscuits, coleslaw, gravy, and mashed potatoes. Though I can’t remember my last trip to KFC because I am currently crazy with veggie delight sandwich at Subway.
How nice! You were so patient waiting in line huh? Hopefully the excitement dies down and you and your honey can order and eat in the restaurant.
I havent had KFC in a long time. Makapasyal nga.
They’re supposed to be using zero transfat now…I certainly hope so.
IA, si Honey din… he always orders mashed potatoes in KFC Bangkok kc nga may gravy yon.
But diba in some branches, they have gravy (if they understand you), but you have to pay 15 baht or something. Hahaha… that’s so funny… sneaking rice… bakit nga kasi walang rice e rice-eaters din naman ang mga Thai. 
Belle, in Manila, I don’t go that often to KFC either… dito lang sa Cambodia… feeling-deprived e.
If Subway opened here, I’d be raving about it too. 
Leah, if they use zero transfat, that’s more reason to come back.
I’m sure the excitement will die down in a few months… that kind of frenzy also happened when a new Thai pizza franchise opened… it died down as well. 
Wow jampacked! I remember when the first jollibee opened its branch in my province, we queued for ages.
Trivia, according to my russian colleague when McDonald’s opened in Moscow there was a queue for 3 days!
Auee, haha… pareho pala tayo.
Parang probinsiya nga dito sa Phnom Penh. 
OMG! That is so interesting! Imagine, Muscovites craving for McDo.
That must have felt like V day — the day KFC invaded Cambodia. And just when hubby needed some cheering up. But you got the 3-pc chicken set? For shame. hehehe
Gravy is what makes KFC, I understand. I take mine with ketchup and hot sauce … my children think i am blaspheming the chicken that way. I am not really a fried chix person though I cook it and go to KFC like the suffering, selfless mom that I am.
sarap nyan original recipe
sa KL lang ako nakatikim ng KFC abroad kaso iba lasa
i like the hot & crispy chicken of KFC too, but only here in Germany… naliliitan kase ako sa chicken sa pinas…
I haven’t gone to KFC since I came to the UK–sobrang mahal! I just tell myself na tiisin lang at babalik din naman ako ng ‘Pinas soon…:)
Annamanila, we got two 1-piece chicken rice sets (so that we could have rice) in addition to the 3-piece chicken… so that’s 5 pieces between the two of us.
Yes, the gravy is what makes KFC that’s why I find it so strange that there countries like Thailand where they don’t serve gravy in their KFC. 
Suffering selfless mom… mwahahahahaha… I like that.
Pagaya… suffering selfless housewife din ako… lining up and battling the crowds to satisfy my Honey’s craving. 
Curacha, yes, I agree that paliit nga ng paliit yung KFC sa Manila.
Here, it’s also quite big. Kami naman, we like the original recipe. 
Gypsy, my goodness… it must be really expensive in the UK if KFC is not affordable! For all that we ordered, I think we spent less than $8.
me, too, wherever i am, i look for a kfc. my observation, though, is that in each country, there would always be a small variation, to suit the taste of the locals. beijing’s kfc was, among all others, the one with the most different variance. i can’t remember now, but it was something that i have tasted in some of the local food there.
swerte Toe, if i were in your position , living in phnom penh, having a kfc is a big blessing to me. kasi i like kfc and mc do and pizza hut and kfc!
happy international women’s day!
Sexy Mom, yes, I noticed that too… they do that in all fastfoods. I think the Philippines is the only country where they serve spaghetti in McDonald’s and KFC.
Hehe… of course they had to put up KFC here when we’re about to go home already. 
LOL!! kakatawa ka talaga! KFC here does not taste like KFC in Phils
At ang manok dito sobrang laki hehehe..
Momoftwo, oo nga… mas masarap yung Pilipinas. Achaka mas gusto ko din yung maliit na manok kc malasa.
Bakit kaya dito sa PP, malaki din yung manok? 
hi! sobrang I’m so glad to hear there’s KFC na there. at least I would have an alternative na from Lucky Burger. Looking forward to trying KFC Phnom Penh when I get back there in May.
hopefully, by that time medyo konti na pila…:) My friend there was telling me its always traffic along Monivong..
Pinaywife, hehe… that’s so right… you won’t miss KFC because of the traffic. We try to avoid Monivong nowadays. But then, it’s traffic everywhere in Phnom Penh.
It’s definitely a great alternative to Lucky Burger though we love the Italian gelato there.
kakatuwa naman nito…
Jasmin, oo nga… tuwang-tuwa talaga kami ng nagka-KFC dito.