Fried tender chicken dipped in spicy peri peri sauce and a sip of iced tea is a great combination to tantalise the taste buds at the Marrybrown quick service restaurant (QSR) here.
But that is not all. Marrybrown outlets also offer other different global flavours of sauces and seasoning and several new dishes at its The Great Marrybrown Chicken Festival as part of their 15th anniversary celebrations till Jan 15.
"At a time when foreign QSRs are Indianising their international dishes, we decided to offer different international flavours," S. Ajith, director, MGM Entertainments Pvt Ltd, the master franchisee for Marrybrown in India, told IANS.
The flavours on offer are: Brazilian, Moroccan, Cuban, Manhattan, Caribbean and Peri Peri.
The journey of fried chicken or burgers from the plate to palate may be very short but for Marrybrown, which offered the dish for the first time in this part of the country, the journey was not only challenging but also interesting.
And there is nothing to equal hearing a good story while having a meal.
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"We saw the entry and expansion of big global QSRs as well as the entry and exits of several other competing chains," Ajith began.
While one heard him out, the challenge on hand for the listener was the difficulty in choosing the seasoning and sauces listed in the festive menu. The interesting decision was to go for all!
"We saw the huge growth of KFC outlets in Malaysia. It was then we decided to sign up the Malaysian chain to be their Indian franchisee. At that time, KFC was only in Bangalore and Delhi and people used to bring fried chicken here from there," Ajith said.
Though the QSR space is currently marked by the presence of 90-100 brands with 2,900-3,000 outlets across India and there are now around 200 organised fried chicken outlets here now, the scenario was very different 15 years ago, he said.
Meanwhile the vegetarian and non-vegetarian burgers, fingerfood (French fries, vegetarian poppers) and the sauces and seasoning arrived at the table.
The sauces and the seasoning have different levels of spiciness. One has to taste in ascending order of spiciness to savour the different flavours.
In terms of spiciness, the Cuban is in the mildest, followed by Brazilian (tangy and spicy), Moroccan, Caribbean, Manhattan and Peri Peri. (The middle order may change based on individual tastes but the hottest is the tailender Peri Peri).
While dipping the French fries in a sauce is easy, it is suggested that the different seasonings be sprinkled before you start munching.
Speaking of expansion, Ajith said the chain is looking at tier-three towns in Tamil Nadu and also software parks where small outlets can be put up. The company follows a mix of owned and franchisee-owned outlet models.
"Already we are seeing good demand at our outlets in two car companies," Ajith said.
There are around 50 Marrybrown outlets in the country.
By this time, the hot fried chicken arrived at the table along with the different sauces and seasonings.
The Cuban sauce dipped chicken is subtle. However, the Brazilian sauce dipped piece is sure to surprise one with its spiciness, especially when taken immediately after the Cuban one.
The surprise element is the Moroccan sauce with oil. It gives a unique taste to the chicken piece with its pungent smell.
The Caribbean and Manhattan sauces are for those who want slightly higher spice levels.
However the Peri Peri sauce and seasoning are for those who really enjoy hot and spicy food.
A sip of iced tea along with chicken pieces dipped in spicy sauces is a nice combination.
Continuing the chain's story Ajith said: "Our growth was slow till 2005 and after that it was relatively fast. From sourcing 500 kg of chicken per month we are now sourcing around 45 tonnes per month.
Looking forward, Ajith said the company is looking at other southern markets like Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Kerala and will venture into northern markets post 2016.
Meanwhile spicing up the 15th anniversary celebrations Marrybrown is holding slogan contests for its guests.
The grand prize is a free trip to Malaysia, including a stay at a five-star hotel for a couple sponsored by Tourism Malaysia and for two individuals to win a trip along with a stay at a three-star hotel in Malaysia.
As consolation prizes for the slogan contest, 10 couples will win a stay at the MGM Coonoor Resort.
FAQs:
* Marrybrown outlets in Chennai are located at Abirami Mega Mall, Ampa Sky Walk, Avadi, Central Railway Station and DLF IT Park, among others. There are also outlets at Madurai, Puducherry, Bangalore and Kochi.
* A meal for two costs Rs.300-Rs.500.
(Venkatachari Jagannathan can be contacted at v.jagannathan@ians.in <mailto:v.jagannathan@ians.in>)