It’s amazing how much Japan loves KFC. I pass by more locations of the world’s most popular fried chicken chain on an average day in Tokyo than I ever did in Los Angeles, and it’s even the meal of choice for most Japanese diners on Christmas Eve.
Now, just as Japan has embraced KFC, KFC is embracing Japan by expanding the number of locations where you can get your hands on one of the restaurant’s rare Kentucky Fried Chicken rice bowls.
The word donburi refers to any bowl of rice with toppings. It gets truncated to just “don” at the end of compounds, such as gyudon/beef bowls or oyakodon/chicken-and-egg bowls.
▼ Gyudon
For some time now, fast food fans in the know have been whispering about the Kentadon, which combines the Colonel’s crispy chicken with shiitake mushroom, sweet potatoes, and the spicy, compact green peppers called shishito. Served on rice and drizzled with a piquant sweet sauce, it’s been described by some as a cross between a bucket of KFC and a bowl of mixed tempura.
Previously, the only KFC branches that served the Kentadon were located at the Tokyo Skytree’s Sola Machi entertainment complex and at handful of baseball stadiums and horse tracks. Now, though, KFC is bringing the Kentadon even to people who have no interest in sports, gambling, or gigantic spires. A recent announcement on the company’s Facebook page says the Kentadon’s availability will be expanded to the following 15 branches.
Tokyo
Yomiuri Shimbun Tokyo Headquarters
Nakano
Hatanodai
Fuchu
Hon Isshiki
Hachioji Owada
Shinjuku Nishi Guchi
Shinjuku Minami Guchi
Kanagawa Prefecture
Totsuka (Yokohama)
Mark Is Minato Mirai (Yokohama)
Sagamihara Onodai (Sagamihara City)
Chiba Prefecture
Motoyawata (Ichikawa City)
Aeon Inage (Chiba City)
Saitama Prefecture
Aeon Mall Yono (Yono City)
Higashi Kawaguchi (Kawaguchi City)
Sadly this still leaves people living in many parts of the country, such as Osaka, Kyoto, and Hiroshima without access to the Kentadon. Still, this is a step in the right direction, and even for Japanese residents an travelers outside the Kentadon zone, a trip to Kyoto is still a lot shorter than one to Kentucky.
Source: Niconico News
Top image: KFC Japan Facebook page
Insert image: FC2