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News.com.au
15 hours ago
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
Food chain El Jannah takes swipe at KFC over kebab
El Jannah has taken a swipe at the world's biggest fried chicken chain after it released a limited edition item. KFC released its Zinger Kebab on Tuesday and social media users were quick to share their thoughts on the twist of the iconic meal. El Jannah was seen lurking in the comment section of a lot of the videos. On one clip, it shared an iconic clip from The Devil Wears Prada where Miranda Priestly uses the term 'groundbreaking' when it comes to florals for spring. 'The spooky music is real because what's that? I'm scared — come see me bro I'll show you a real chicken roll,' the brand said on another. On another, it commented: 'Come see me girlie, I'll show you a thing or two about garlic sauce and tabouli.' Adam Issa, El Jannah's chief marketing officer, said the brand was all for Middle Eastern flavours making it's way onto more menus as it's a win for culture. 'That said, when it comes to Lebanese-style wraps, Aussies know exactly where their hearts (and stomachs) belong,' Mr Issa told 'KFC's latest 'kebab' might be an attempt to ride the trend, but El Jannah has been setting it for decades – with fresh, hand-cut tabouli, our legendary garlic sauce, and smoky charcoal chicken that's become an icon. It's the combo that keeps loyal fans and the curious coming back again and again. A KFC spokesperson responded to the sassy comments from the charcoal chicken brand. 'We love a bit of cheeky banter, but let's not forget – we've been serving up fried chicken for over 50 years and the Zinger Kebab is KFC's twist on an Aussie favourite,' the KFC spokesperson said. 'Our focus has always been to bring the heat in the kitchen, we'll leave the others to bring it in the comments.' The Zinger Kebab, which features a Zinger fillet, lettuce, tabouli, garlic sauce, Supercharged sauce and flat bread, was met with mixed reviews after it's release. Kayla Schembri said it 'might just be KFC's best menu item yet' and that her followers 'weren't ready' for it. 'I love that it comes in a kebab wrapper, that's so cute,' she said. 'Oh my god, this looks so good.' After taking a bite, Ms Schembri said it tasted like a big version of the slider and she was 'really down for that'. 'The filling is just super fresh,' she commented, adding that the garlic sauce was 'incredible'. Meanwhile, food content creator Dub Eats Everything said while it was likely to bring lines to KFCs around the country, he wanted to try it for himself to see if it was 'worth it'. 'That garlic sauce and tabouli hits you in the face as soon as you bite in,' he told followers. 'I would like a bit more chicken in there. It's giving heavy Middle Eastern vibes. The Supercharged Sauce adds a nice kick too.' He even added some chips to the kebab and said he'd like if the flatbread was more toasted. Overall, he declared it didn't contend with the brand's other releases but it was full of flavour. Katie Gulle also was one of the first to dig in. 'It definitely doesn't taste like a kebab, like it's just the bread. It's giving a chicken wrap. But it's really yum,' she said. 'I saw some people's and it was just bread and chicken, like there was no sauce, but there is heaps of sauce on mine. Overall, she said she 'really enjoyed it'. Nick Vavitis, who owns brownie company Choclt, also weighed in, saying it wasn't often that he went to KFC but for a Zinger Kebab and a snack pack he was willing to make an exception. After taking a few bites, he delivered his verdict. 'I don't know if I just got a really bad one or there wasn't enough tabouli in it but when I eat a kebab I'm thinking spices like garlic, paprika and onion,' he said. 'Mine's actually really, really bland. I'm not getting much flavouring at all. You'd at least want a really strong garlic taste from a kebab. I'm not even getting that.'
Time Out
29-07-2025
- General
- Time Out
Sydney has been crowned Australia's late-night food capital with the most all-night eateries
Despite popular opinion, Sydney has more late-night food venues open 24/7 – a total of 157 24-hour venues open seven days a week – than any other city throughout Australia (yep, even more than Melbourne). That's according to new research done by charcoal chicken lords El Jannah. So, where are the highest concentrations of late-night eats in Sydney? Bankstown, Mascot and Auburn were found to have the most eateries open day and night, so if you're itching for a late-night snack, you know where to head. Melbourne was the Australian city that followed closely behind Sydney, with 127 venues, while Brisbane is home to 115. The ACT was found to be the worst place for late-night eats, with nothing at all open all day and night (sorry, govt). Before the haters come for me in the comments, yes – El Jannah did indeed include fast food joints like Hungry Jack's and McDonald's in the count, but when I'm starving at 2am, I reckon chicken nuggets go down a treat. And there were plenty of non-chain restaurants rounding out the 157, including some of our fave late-night eats. Marosh Bakery Cafe in Bankstown is one of those places open all the time, as is City Extra Café, right by the water in Circular Quay – perfect if you've just hopped off a train or ferry and are feeling ravenous. So, how did El Jannah land on these numbers? To find the Aussie suburbs and cities with the highest number of late-night and 24/7 food venues, the number-crunchers used Google Places data, as well as data from the Australian Towns List, to pinpoint how many food offerings were in each place. They then filtered through the F&D venues using closing times and 24/7 tags to determine how many were truly open late. Adam Issa, head of marketing at El Jannah, says: 'This study honours the places and people that keep Australia fed late into the night – whether you're finishing a shift, heading home from a night out, or just can't sleep without something delicious.' 'At El Jannah, we stay open late across all stores because that's when some of our most loyal guests show up," he adds. Note: El Jannah isn't open 24/7, but you can order up until 11pm if you're craving charcoal chook and their famous garlic sauce.
News.com.au
26-07-2025
- Business
- News.com.au
Cult Western Suburbs chicken chain opens in Sydney's East
Western Sydney's cult-favourite charcoal chicken institution, El Jannah, has officially landed in the Eastern Suburbs. The iconic Western Suburbs institution, which launched in Granville in 1998, is famous for its mouth-watering chicken and legendary garlic sauce. It has now opened its first store in the city's east, with the Randwick location on Belmore Road celebrating its grand opening on Saturday. To mark the milestone, anyone with the name Charlie (or any variation – Charles, Charlotte, Charlene, etc.) eats for free, provided they bring ID. For everyone else, their famous quarter chicken meal (with chips, garlic sauce and a drink) is just $5. Videos posted on the business's social media show huge lines snaking around the block, as families, couples, friends and singles waited their turn to get their hands on the famous chicken. The foodie corner of the internet has lit up with excitement and rave reviews. DJ Mistah Cee posted on TikTok that he was excited about the 'greatest chicken known to man' coming to the East. Meanwhile, Miss Double Bay, a local influencer, told her followers: 'El Jannah has infiltrated the East, nature is healing'. Other customers called it 'the best' and the chicken 'juicy'. The Randwick outpost will offer the full menu, including their famous falafels, pickles, fresh rolls and tabouli. 'Opening in Randwick is a milestone moment for us and a reflection of Sydney's ever-growing love for charcoal chicken,' said Adam Issa, Head of Marketing at El Jannah. 'What began as a single family-run store has grown by keeping true to our founding principles; serving honest food, made with care, and shared with community.' The store was founded by Lebanese immigrants Andre and Carole Estephan, who waited 11 years until they opened a second store in Punchbowl. Now, El Jannah is a huge franchise with over 40 locations across New South Wales and Victoria. The Randwick opening has redrawn the city's 'Red Rooster Line' – an online theory that if you plot Red Rooster locations across Sydney, a boundary emerges between the city's north east from the south west. It's also known colloquially as the Latte Line, the Colorbond Fence and the Quinoa Curtain. Honi Soit expanded on the idea when they said it wasn't just Red Rooster that defined Sydney geography, but other chains that also helped shape the city's boundaries. El Jannah's Randwick store is the sixth outpost to cross the Red Rooster Line.
