It's like a zen koan:
If a sandwich has no bun, is is still a sandwich?
There are few times in life when you find yourself in the position to experience something like KFC's Double Down. So when opportunity knocks, you best let the bitch in.
--
I first heard about the Double Down almost a year ago, through a blog any real foodie is familiar with: This Is Why You're Fat. That led me to Food Geekery's review of the sandwich, which led to me calling KFC to see if they still offered it. They didn't.
Fast-forward to April Fool's Day of this year. All of a sudden, it seemed as if KFC would be bringing the Double Down back. I didn't believe--couldn't believe it, at first--but it soon looked to be true.
April 12th.
So Danielle and I got in the car, along with three of our friends, and made the trip to our nearest hormonally-plump chicken outlet to experience life bun-free.
Your first clue that the Double Down isn't just some value-meal snacker-style "sandwich" is that it comes in a box. Or a coffin, depending on how you look at it.
Me, Joe, Kerry, from left-to-right. That's a lot of meat. And no sight of a bun for miles.
(Actually, I'm sure there were buns behind the counter, but--ride with me, okay?)
The sandwich. Our group wound up ordering 5 DD's. The first two were made with chicken that had already been cooked, which explains why the cheese isn't melted. The other three were made with chicken they cooked when we ordered. Honestly, I almost wish I'd gotten the "older" chicken, because mine was too hot to hold.
That's a fresh one. The Double Down is a big sandwich. The value meal, which came with a soda and potato wedges, is definitely a meal. I mean, I say that having ordered a biscuit too, but you get the picture.
I had to pull out a bit just so you could get an understanding of just how large this sandwich is. And for all of you shaking your heads, remember something--it's got less calories and fat than a Big Mac.
Danielle had to rip-and-gnaw into hers because it was so hot. That's still a sexy cross-section.
Danielle is sort-of cradling it there, but this is another great example of the size.
I don't normally post blurry shots, but this was too good to pass up, from a marketing standpoint. If KFC had any balls, they'd caption this picture:
LOOK AT THOSE BREASTS!
Kerry and his grease-stained napkin. With no bun, grease is inevitable, I suppose.
You'll hopefully see this on This Is Why You're Fat soon. It's the "Double Down Dirty," which is a Double Down, except with a biscuit in the middle, and dipped in KFC gravy. The biscuit was Danielle's idea, the gravy, Joe's. Joe was adamant that the Double Down would be much-improved by ditching the "Colonel's Sauce" and adding gravy.
--
So how was the Double Down? It was delicious--in that KFC-you-know-this-is-terrible-for-you-but-shit-it-tastes-good way.
Is it a sandwich? I'd have to say probably not--the bacon, cheese, and sauce don't hold up between two big chicken breasts--especially on the thick end.
Will I make a habit out of eating three a week? Probably not. But I like what KFC is doing here--attacking the chicken sandwich on a meta level.
KFC--reinterpreting the sandwich status quo since 1952.
UPDATE
Reading this review of the Double Down by Slashfood reminded me--the Double Down is VERY salty. This most likely comes from the fact that you're essentially eating two chicken breasts at once, but still 1,380 mgs of sodium will surely have you guzzling water for the rest of the evening.
If you'd like better quality versions of the above images, check out the gallery:
The KFC Double Down
More soon.
JS
