I can't believe the government has accepted KFC in Viet Nam, first in Ho Chi Minh city a few years ago and now in Ha Noi.
It seems that Vietnamese people love this kind of fast food. However, lots of my friends have told me that this is not special at all and quite expensive but kids are loving it. I dont understand why adult people also eat it alot. I tried it once in Saigon in the last few years, another time on the way to Anglesea in Australia and I hated it.
To compare the income of the average Vietnamese and the price of KFC in Viet Nam, you can see that not many people can afford this kind of fast food. There are a few Vietnamese fast food restaurants in Hanoi such as 123 or ABC and so many small fast food restaurants in Ho Chi Minh City which are quite sucessful with some dishes similar to those at KFC. I wonder why people like to eat fast food when they have so many options to choose from on the street in Vietnam, as well as some good Thai food, Indian food, for a more reasonable price. We can easily understand why kids love to try these foods but parents should say something to them and they don't. In the evening most days, especially on the weekend, these places are packed and hard to get a seat. Why is that?
33 comments:
I personally don't like KFC but it comes from my state. This is where it was first started and this is where Colonel Sanders is from. The initials K.F.C. stand for Kentucky Fried Chicken.
KFC is VERY popular here, although we have many other Fried Chicken reataurants here also.
Agreed, KFC is prevelant in Canada too! I don't eat it anymore because it is incredibly unhealthy for you. It has been deemed one of the most unhealthiest foods around.
For a kid, it tastes really good and I understand the attraction with it. Heck, I was one of those kids back then
I agree with you about the quality of KFC when there are so many great Vietnamese food stands around, but I don't agree about the affordability -- at 39,000 VND for a plate of two chicken pieces, french fries, and a soft drink, that compares favorably against the typical Vietnamese table-seating restaurant at 30,00 VND and up for a single chicken, beef, or pork dish.
-- Mel
They opened a their first restaurant here in Bombay, India also. KFC actually entered India about 2000 but they failed the first time around and had to relaunch.
People are always looking out for something new I'm sure it would do ok in the starting and it's popularity will die down eventually.
welcoming the western culture....not a good idea
In the U.S., fast food chains such as KFC tend to be marketed to the middle/low income population, and are increasingly being viewed by informed consumers as being terribly unhealthy and irresponsible (since the foods are transported frozen from far off mysterious destinations). In Asia, I've noticed that fast food chains tend to be marketed to upper-middle-class people. Their attraction perhaps is that they falsely promise something exotic, something more "modern", something more Western, but not necessarily something more healthy or tasty. I hope Vietnamese consumers realize how profoundly complex and healthy their cuisine is, so as not to defer to American-style fast food and its obese consequences. I'll take a quicky banh mi anyday over a flabby KFC thigh.
KFC is very popular with the Chinese also. When my husband was a grad student, the Chinese students would go to a Bible study class just for the free KFC chicken that was offered!
In China it is the same as Vietnam - KFC is just for rich women and children.
Of all the fast foods, fried chicken is the absolute worst for one's health. I hope Vietnam does not turn it's back on the delicious and healthy native cuisine. And any one who is cost-conscious would certainly buy the less expensive native food. I live in the U.S. and can't tell you the last time I had KFC. It's just too unhealthy and expensive. I do eat fast food maybe once a month but never KFC.
With so many other beautiful food options avaialbe in Hanoi..it seems a shame to waste time eating KFC. Great pictures and commentary and very interesting.
www.bionicbuddha.com
I was living in Thailand in the 80's when fastfood hit Bangkok. Thailand, like Vietnam, has wonderful food but McDonald's and KFC are all over the place - and packed with Thai people. Going out to the mall and eating at these fast food places has become a new status symbol.
Oh my gosh, the first ever fast food chain in Hanoi!When I was there I had no choice but to eat Vietnamese food, which was really delicious. Since I got used to fast food since I was kid, the first place I went to when I arrived Manila was Mc Donald's. I just had to have my cheeseburger and fries!
What Virtual Doug said. If you eat Vietnamese food (and you are Vietnamese), it means you are nhà quê. If you eat junk food like McDonald or KFC, you are modern and sophisticated like the «Tây». It has nothing to do with the taste of the food and everything to do with being westernized, therefore «cool». That's why young people all over the world would rather wear jeans and T-shirt than their traditional/national clothes.
frankly i stopped taking fast foods such as KFC more than 10 yrs ago..so unhealthy with all the trans fat!
Wow, amazing. I never thought it would actually happen to Hanoi!
So sad! Why would anyone wants to eat greasy, fast food KFC when you have such great food selections in Vietnam - and more affordables too. Watch out - McD's are probably coming soon.
Also, I would like to know - what kind of people are eating at KFC and what kind of people can afford it? How often do they eat there? How much does this set them back a week? Do Vietnamese people eat out alot? In America, we eat out at fast food for convenience because we're always "on the run".
Kia Ora Tu, How are you ??? It's the same the world over with the big name fastfood places moving in and setting up where they can, to try and make a buck because they have over-run their own home market. If I was a tourist to your country, I would want to eat the food of your country, not something I could eat at home.
Great posts as always.
I was in Saigon last week and pleasantly surprised there is no MacDonalds in the country. I got five videos up of my time in Saigon...I imagine you would get a kick out of them...
kfc is soooooo bad for you. Also, they're called KFC not Kentucky Fried Chicken anymore, because they use GMO'd chickens, and when you look at one of those, it don't even LOOK like a bloody chicken.
Don't eat there dude, it's greasy fried disgustingness. Also, my friend Jen worked there, and she quit when she found maggotts under the skin of a chicken breast.
BOYCOTT IT!
hello. there are a lot of kfc in my country. i dun despise them. a lot of ppl here loves kfc:)
but i like mc donalds if i were to choose a fast food..
the local fast food here is equally expensive as the 'imported' ones..
I was sad to read your post about KFC coming to Hanoi. On the one hand, I can understand American fast food chains opening in order to cater to American tourists (I've been known to visit a McDonald's in Europe when I wanted a quick bite). On the other hand, there is so much good and cheap food in Vietnam that just about anything is a better alternative than American chains. In order to fight the onslaught of fast food, perhaps someone can create a Vietnamese healthy fast food chain with nice and clean decor. We have things like that in the U.S.-- for example, Subway sandwiches and Jamba Juice.
I hope people in Vietnam read your blog and see all your comments. Seems like everyone here agrees, KFC is bad for your health and bad for your culture.
I can only hope that they try the food once to get it out of their system and make an educated decision to choose their neighborhood restaurant and support the local businesses.
The second day after it is opened ,i went to that KFC Rest.Unfortunately,i was refused by the Vehicle keeper to park my moto there.Therefore,now, i don't really want it anymore;)...
I wonder why people like to eat fast food when they have so many options to choose from on the street in Vietnam
Maybe because they already know their food and want to try something else. But let be realistic, eat 2 kfc in the month does not mean that people here kick out their gastronomy. And Peperonie and Alfresco are selling the same junk food too.
Eating junk food is for some people here a outward sign of wealth.
Ah yeah, somebody here, that you may know, is actually dealing with Mac Donalds, somebody that you already talked in your blog i think.;)
Well I hope all those people eating KFC have enough "wealth" when they need a triple by-pass.
Hi am from Malaysia. KFC, McDonalds, they're the craze ard here. I use to take it often. I must say, its delicious. But after learning how unhealthy i tis, I stop entirely. What disgust me tho was McD's strategy trying to make it all healthy and Zen with their posters of a slim person doing yoga next to their newly launched FOLDOVERs or SALAD. Pullleeeeze, how pathetic. But then many ppl buy the idea, coz.. oh well I guess we're all in denial. Good blog by the way, I wanted to feel wat vietnam was like hehe, nevr been to your country, hoep to go very soon.
Thanks for all comments, there is another KFC's just opened the other day in the city center. BAD!
KFC sucks. Hanoi needs a McDonalds for emergency tourist cravings. Oh, and Ho Chi Min City needs one too!
Yummy!
Perhaps they like KFC because of the coronal's resemblance to Ho Chi Min.
There are a lot of hygienic problems with the small street restaurants in Vietnam. The cholera outbreak some months agao was an evidenc for that. Therefore quite some people are happy that they can quality food (you should just see from where some small restaurants get their meat) prepared in a hygienc way. Thereofr its stupid to say all this bullshit about american food and culture etc. etc.. It is a restaurant like many others. Now I am still waiting for Mac D to come to Hanoi. PLEASE COME SOON or have to open it myself.
Whatever happened to personal choice when it comes to our dietary decisions? Seems like a lot of these comments are trying to dictate what I can do with my life. There's still enough of that left over in Hanoi, we don't need more.
When I was in Vietnam I was so very happy to see KFC. At least I could eat something without getting sick or food poisoning. KFC and Diet Pepsi saved me.
To my mind everybody have to glance at it.
I like KFC
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