I love fried chicken and I love KFC. When I was pregnant and suffering from morning sickness, KFC was the only place I could go to make me feel better. I know it’s not the healthiest of foods but well I didn’t really care.
When I came to Saudi Arabia I started hearing about Al Baik ,which is a local fast food chain that apparently sells the BEST friend chicken in the Kingdom. Every time we drove by a branch we would see lots of people and long lines. Even in KAUST people bemoan the fact that we don’t have Al Baik and the closest branch is in Jeddah, at least an hour away.
I’d had their chicken nuggets and chicken burgers but never their fried chicken. Until the other night.
Someone brought back lots of Al Baik fried chicken from Jeddah for a farewell party we threw for our friend.
The skin wasn’t so crispy but I’m not sure if it’s because they are cooked that way or because of the long travel time. The meat was tender and melt-in-your-mouth good. The real difference between Al Baik and KFC is the spices. Al Baik tastes more Arabian while KFC is more well, American.
So which one is better? Well…I still like KFC just because it’s a familiar taste but I might just have to try more Al Baik to really make up my mind!
Edge of the Desert 
The crispiness of AL Baik was affected because of the long travel. It is usually crispy and the smell, when hot sinks deep within your system. Now that I’m pregnant, I like Al Baik and its garlic sauce.
I find KFC Philippines’ style better plus the gravy. Here, the KFC is milder in taste. 🙂 the sauce is not that consistent.
LikeLike
Yum sounds good. I MUST have more!
LikeLike
Hola! My name is Cecilia and I from Spain. My husband and I are preparing our move to Kaust . As you guess, we still have many questions about life at KAUST for this reason we are trying to reach Spaniards who live there. I read that your husband is postdoc and my husband is too. It would be helpful for us if we could talk by mail or mesenger. Let me know if you are interested and I will give you my email.
LikeLike
I love Al Baik, very YUMMY,
However KFC I like it’s popcorn chicken
LikeLike