You've all probably heard way too much about the KFC Double Down this week already (Monday, Oct 18th being the first day it was out in Because I’m a woman of my words, I must try it now that it is here in Canada.
And to make it loud and clear...
I do not care that it has 540 calories, nor that it has 32 grams of fat, nor that it has 1,380 milligrams of sodium, nor that the sandwich wrapper is covered in grease. I DO NOT CARE. Why? Because I know I'm not going to eat this day-in and day-out, as simple as that. I honestly have no idea why people make such a big fuss about its nutritional content, everyone is suddenly soooo health conscious! Really, there are MANY things out there that is just as, or if not more, unhealthy than the Double Down, you just don't know it (for example, this article shows that chicken shawarma packs more calories than a Big Mac with large fries). The Double Down is also similar to many burgers at fast food joints in terms of nutritional (or lack there of) content. When you get down to it, everything is about balance. Just eat healthier for your other meals that day if you know you're going to try this sandwich - It is YOUR responsibility to control YOUR weight and what YOU eat. There. End of rant =D
My boyfriend and I decided to grab the Double Down Wednesday night for dinner. Earlier in the day, he joked and said he may need to wear jogging pants for it. I assured him that it's not necessary. I told him that people, especially the ones on TV getting interviewed, are so dramatic and totally exaggerating by saying stuff like "I feel my arteries clogging up as I was eating it" or "it's better to share it because you won't be able to finish one by yourself!". OH PLEASE! On the contrary, I told my boyfriend that one will not be enough for him. He listened and substituted his fries for a poutine.
One thing I need to point out, with all the marketing and promotions and the hype surrounding this "sandwich", we were very disappointed that it didn't even have its own branded box. Come on! Especially when they are charging so much for it, I expected it to have its own box.
Uncovering greasy wrapper, we were quite disappointed at how tiny the sandwich was. Like I knew it was gonna be small, but not this small! It wasn't stacked up nicely either - I know usually the real thing never look as good as how they are promoted in pictures and ads, but really, the Double Down pictured below is a far cry from its advertisements.
As for the taste, it was indeed VERY VERY salty. We had to refill our pop 3 times. And a couple of hours later I was still thirsty. But besides the saltiness, I thought the Double Down was not bad all. If they seasoned the chicken like how they do with their regular KFC chicken (as in, with less salt), I think I would actually enjoy the thing. The chicken pieces were not dry (I have heard other people say theirs were dry, but luckily not mine), and it was crispy on the outside. The sauce was tasty with a sufficient amount of cheese slightly melted with the bacon in between. The bacon, however, was not crispy =(. Half way through, we started missing the bun, like, we were longing for one. I guess we thought the bun would've been a good "buffer" for the the saltiness. We later thought how it would be nice to have the whole Double Down in a bun. That would sooo work.
The poutine was not bad considering its from a fast food place. I never had KFC's poutine before but have always heard good things about it.
We both finished our Double Down easily. If it wasn't for the poutine, I wouldn't be full (although I was sure I could eat more if there was food in front of me). My boyfriend, on the other hand, was still hungry.
So will I eat this again? The answer is NO. Not because it is not healthy, but because it is not worth it! $6.99 for only the sandwich and $8.99 for the combo? Look at our bill.
We spent $20 bucks on a fast food meal for two, and we weren't even full! That's just wrong on many levels. So unless they mark down the price, I don't know how this Double Down sandwich can stay on the market for long in this economy. But then again, KFC is only offering it until mid-November anyway.
Conclusion: Yes, it is over-hyped, over-rated, and expensive. But still, I see no harm in trying it, just once. At least then you can say "I had it" =) My theory is, if you love fried chicken, cheese, bacon by themselves, how bad can it be possibly be combined? =P