KFC Original Tongdari Boneless Chicken Review [Korean Food]

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Hello! Today’s new KFC menu is the KFC Original Tongdari, a reimagining of the classic Original chicken as a thick, boneless-style piece. It’s KFC’s first Original-style new chicken in a while, so I was quietly excited! It’s a boneless KFC chicken with 11 herbs and spices seasoning, pressure-cooked at high heat for a tender texture, available for a limited time through July 20. The size felt a touch smaller than the ads suggested, which was a slight letdown, but the flavor itself was genuinely good overall, and the recommended Big Gravy sauce was a nice touch. So let’s take a closer look at this KFC Original Tongdari, shall we?

Table of Contents

📋 At a Glance

Product: KFC Original Tongdari (boneless whole-leg chicken)
Store: KFC
Price: 1 piece — 3,800 won in-store / 3,900 won delivery (3 pieces 11,200 won+, 8-piece bucket 29,000 won); Big Gravy sauce 2,100 won sold separately
Availability: limited, through July 20
Main components: boneless chicken thigh (11 herbs and spices, pressure-cooked), Big Gravy sauce (sold separately)
Verdict: ★3.5 — tender boneless meat with KFC’s Original seasoning, and the Big Gravy sauce is the highlight! Size and value are a slight letdown.

Original Tongdari: Price and Key Points

The biggest feature of this menu is probably the Big Gravy sauce! One thing that caught me off guard when ordering was that the gravy sauce isn’t a default item. It’s worth double-checking when you order! The Original Tongdari itself uses an 11-herb-and-spice seasoning with a pressure-cooking method to bring out a tender chicken texture. Fronting a big chicken thigh in the ads is a defining feature too.

For reference, this menu is only on sale for a limited time through July 20! Let’s check the prices!

1 Original Tongdari piece + Big Gravy + salsa sauce, 5,600 won (delivery)
Big Gravy sauce, 2,100 won
In-store 3,800 won / delivery 3,900 won
3 pieces: in-store 11,200 won / delivery 11,600 won
5 pieces: in-store 18,300 won / delivery 19,100 won
8-piece bucket, 29,000 won (only listed on delivery apps)

For reference, overall it doesn’t differ much from the Original chicken! Which menus are available for delivery varies by location, so it’s good to check before ordering. I ordered this as a 3+1 piece set and added the Big Gravy sauce separately. Being KFC, the setup itself is quite minimal! Order the rest to taste.

Unboxing the Order

So let’s unbox it! The smell was quietly appealing, so I was already looking forward to it before even opening the box! Once I opened it, unlike what the ads showed, the chicken thigh was a bit smaller than expected. Still, as long as it tastes good, that’s what matters, right?

The Boneless Thigh: Size and Cooking

When I first heard about the release, “big boneless whole leg” made me a little worried, and as you can tell from the size (!), this one uses domestic chicken thigh. On top of that, they maximized the tender texture with a high-heat, high-pressure cooking method! Then again, most KFC chicken menus are similar.

This menu is said to use KFC’s special 11 herbs and spices, though exactly what they are isn’t spelled out even in the press release, so I figured it’s basically similar to the Original chicken. That said, it’s not just an ad-image thing; even the TV commercial quietly showed off a big size. Compared to other franchises’ boneless menus it is bigger, but it feels a little smaller than I’d expected.

The Highlight: Big Gravy Sauce

Of course, the most important point of this menu, the Big Gravy sauce, can’t be left out! On a small taste, it didn’t feel much different from the sauce you’d drizzle over French fries or mashed potatoes. Looking it up, there was some viral content a while back about dipping chicken in this sauce, so I wonder if that’s where the idea came from!

Taste Test: How Does It Actually Taste?

Now let’s dig into this menu! Even though it’s a boneless-thigh version of the Original, this menu should have its own character, so I tried it once without the gravy sauce first! Then I dipped it deep in the gravy sauce and tried it.

First I picked up the biggest of the four pieces I ordered and tried it right away! As the ads said, the thick boneless thigh has a moderately rich feel, and with KFC’s distinctive seasoning added, it was a pretty tasty experience.

Compared to a regular Original thigh, the texture was clearly much softer! Versus the usual boneless chicken that turns almost like sweet-fried chicken, I could sort of see why KFC emphasized it so much. The overall size falls a touch short of expectations, but even eaten as-is the satisfaction is quite high. It’s KFC, after all!

Pairing With the Gravy Sauce

I also gave the Big Gravy sauce, recommended as a good pairing, a deep dip! The salty, savory sauce plus the tender chicken thigh really brought the flavor to life. If you find chicken alone a bit greasy or heavy, pairing it with the sauce would suit your taste!

That said, the gravy sauce’s own flavor is so strong that it slightly masks the chicken’s natural taste, which is a not-quite-drawback drawback! If you prefer a regular seasoned-chicken flavor or a slightly spicy dipping sauce, the sauce on its own might feel a bit greasy.

On top of that, since this menu is boneless, it does feel a little soft and mushy! This isn’t a flaw exactly, but compared to fully crunchy boneless chicken tenders from other franchises, the tender thigh plus KFC Original chicken’s signature easily-peeling batter made it feel very soft and floppy.

Final Verdict

This menu is hard to call a great value, but the overall satisfaction was quite good. It’s a boneless menu, and with the tender texture plus the gravy sauce, that signature KFC originality came through nicely! If you’re curious, it’s a menu worth trying once.

To sum up, even if the size and value fall a touch short, the tender boneless texture, KFC’s Original seasoning, and the Big Gravy sauce combine for a solid, satisfying limited menu. Chicken alone can feel a bit greasy, so to enjoy it properly I’d recommend ordering the Big Gravy sauce alongside! For travelers in Korea, it’s an easy KFC grab while it lasts.

For launch details and the sales period of the KFC Original Tongdari and Big Gravy sauce, you can read the (Korean source) FoodToday report on the Original Tongdari launch.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. How much is the KFC Original Tongdari?

One piece is 3,800 won in-store and 3,900 won for delivery. Three pieces are 11,200 won, and the 8-piece bucket is 29,000 won. Note that the Big Gravy sauce isn’t included by default and costs 2,100 won extra, so be sure to check when ordering.

Q. What does the Original Tongdari taste like?

Personally, the thick boneless thigh with KFC’s Original seasoning was tender and tasty. Dipping it in the Big Gravy sauce brings out a salty, savory depth. That said, being boneless it’s a little soft and floppy, and the strong sauce slightly masks the chicken’s natural flavor, so it may be divisive.

Q. Until when is the Original Tongdari available?

It’s a limited menu on sale through July 20. It’s available at KFC stores nationwide plus the app, website, and delivery platforms, but the delivery-eligible menu varies by location, so it’s best to check before ordering.

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