Everyone wants a little KFC, but Asia in particular has embraced the greasy wings served up by everyone’s favorite self-made restaurateur Colonel Sanders.  In Japan, the Colonel is so beloved his statues can be found outside of nearly every franchise – often in costume.  He even enjoys the same privacy rights as other citizens.

He is also the victim of various copycats this side of the Pacific. In Korea there is said to be a knock-off restaurant operating right next to a legitimate KFC in broad daylight.  We sent Kuzo in for reconnaissance.

After flying into South Korea, Kuzo made his way to the bustling downtown of Busan where this counterfeit Colonel’s is said to be.  The real KFC was easy enough to spot.

Walking past the towering two-story restaurant that cloud of spice aroma that often comes out in lower temperatures hit Kuzo’s nose.  He had to fight the urge to eat a bucket of extra-crispy.  He had bigger chicken to fry.

He only needed to take a few more steps until he came across another smiling man in an apron against a red background.  But this sign read “LSH Pork Cutlet.” So this place wasn’t a chicken restaurant but a tonkatsu (fried pork cutlet) joint.

Going in to try it out, any resentment he had for the place’s blatant trademark infringement melted away.  The breading was nice and crispy and even without the sauce the taste of the pork alone held its own.

Continuing his mission, Kuzo inquired to the staff what the deal was with the sign. They said that the guy was the restaurant’s manager, but it may have been influenced by the Colonel Sander’s sign.

That doesn’t seem like a compelling argument, and hanging that sign just a few feet from a KFC shows some huge cojones.  However, looking at the sign, those are clearly different people, and their aprons are different color.

Most importantly the shading on each man’s identical Western string tie (a tie only popular by old men in the southern US and historical reenactment workers) is completely different. And the final nail in KFC’s legal coffin is this!

LSH’s registered trademark symbol is larger in scale which according to Korean intellectual property law makes it more valid. Go ahead, look it up. I dare ya.

So, LSH Pork Cutlet will likely continue to operate impudently next to the more famous fried chicken outlet.  And if the delicious dishes keep coming, then we hope they do. If Obama can why can’t they?

Original Story by Kuzo

http://youtu.be/uhMCRTGMMMQ

That’s the real crime. Only two fries!

[ Read in Japanese ]