I never associated Belgium with fried chicken, but then I learned about Belchicken.
The fried chicken shop popped up in Google Maps while I searched for food near my hotel in Brussels, Belgium, earlier this month. I had tried copious amounts of food during my 10-day vacation in Europe, but a long day of travel left me exhausted and willing to eat anything that could be delivered.
I didn’t have high expectations for Belchicken, but I stumbled across articles from Dutch publications saying it was competing with America’s KFC in Belgium.
Belchicken is aiming to operate 300 locations across Europe — including France, Germany, and the Netherlands — by 2025, the company’s CEO Fevzi Yildirim told Belgian newspaper De Tijd. While that’s smaller than KFC, which says it has 25,000 restaurants around the world, KFC had originally planned to open 40 branches in Belgium by 2024 but revised that number down to 17 by 2025, according to De Tijd.
The unofficial chicken shop competition piqued my interest, so I had to try Belchicken.
I ordered a smokey chicken burger and large fries for €17.30, but there are many options to choose
Belchicken has a well-stocked menu with a mix of chicken, beef, and fish choices. Options include buckets of fried chicken, burgers, salads, wraps, desserts, and sides like mozzarella sticks.
Belchicken says its products are made with 100% halal ingredients, for anyone who follows the dietary restriction.
I ordered the smoky chicken burger, which featured fried chicken paired with cheese, lettuce, pickles, and a Belchicken sauce. I also ordered a large order of fries, costing €17.30 EUR (or about $18.50 USD) in total for the order.
I was skeptical at first glance, but Belchicken’s food tasted better than expected
Once the Uber Eats driver dropped off my meal, I laid it on the small desk in my hotel room. Despite being a late-night order, my smoky chicken burger looked well made.
The bread was fairly fresh and didn’t become soggy from the stacked ingredients, which is always a plus. The lettuce was crunchy, the chicken felt juicy, and the cheese melted well. The only ingredient I frowned at was pickles, but that’s a personal grievance rather than a valid critique.
Fortunately, I had very few criticisms when it came to Belchicken
When I took notes about Belchicken earlier this month, I wrote verbatim: “For fast food chicken, Belchicken is a 7 out of 10 off the rip.”
Something chicken shops sometimes struggle with is keeping the meat moist during the frying process, but Belchicken’s smoky chicken burger was so tender. The entire piece of chicken was coated in cheese, meaning I got some in every bite, and the Belchicken sauce they added was surprisingly tasty. The pickles and lettuce also added a nice crunch to the burger.
The only item I didn’t fully enjoy was the french fries, which is a shame because the thick crinkle cuts looked delicious. The fries could have been crispier, but I acknowledge it may have been because I ordered late.
Belchicken isn’t ready to trade blows with Popeyes or Chick-fil-A yet, but KFC could have competition in the future
Choosing the tastiest fried chicken sandwich is definitely subjective. For me, Popeyes still reigns supreme followed by Chick-fil-A and then KFC in third place.
After tasting Belchicken, KFC’s third-place spot feels less secure, especially if Belchicken continues to expand while also keeping a quality menu. In that case, the restaurant might find footing one day in the US.
Undoubtedly, cracking the American food market could be a challenge, but if places like Jollibee can succeed in the States, so can Belchicken.
Source: Business Insider India