In the last few weeks I’ve made the long drive down to Busselton or Bunbury and back about ten times. Today, on my last drive back to Perth for, I think, a week or so, noticing my eyes were getting that droopy feeling, I stopped at one of the roadside service centres to get a coffee. I decided to pass on the coffee, which I knew would be either too milky or too bitter. A splash of cold water in my face did the trick to snap me out of highway fatigue.
But I was feeling peckish. Against my better judgment I went for one single piece of KFC original recipe chicken. KFC is one of my most reliable disappointments with Australian fast food. I should add that I judge all fast food by Japan standards — a very high bar. It’s either too soggy, too oily or too dry. But I just needed some calories to keep me going.
When I got back to my car (air-conditioning and good music) I opened the little one-piece pack to find the platonic ideal of KFC — crispy, flavourful and perfectly cooked inside. My faith in the fast food gods have been (temporarily, I’m sure) restored.