KFC drops the all-new smoky kecap manis chicken and a stylish bottle for your on-the-go sauce needs

Just as quickly as KFC rolled out its limited-time fiery la zi ji and those collectible fortune cat blind boxes for Chinese New Year, it’s switching it up again — this time towards the coming Ramadan and Hari Raya season.

The festive turnover is swift, and the brand is ready. This round, it’s the smoky kicap manis chicken, available from February 25 to April 7.

We think it’s a pretty smart move. Kicap manis is a flavour almost everyone loves — sweet, savoury, and rich enough to drizzle over plain rice and call it a day. 

Paired with KFC’s signature hot and crispy chicken? Quite brilliant, actually.

If you’ve not tried it before, kicap manis is a well-loved Indonesian condiment made from black soy beans, simmered with sugar, salt and water, until thick and glossy.

It’s loved for its versatility, too — it can be used as a dipping sauce, drizzled over dishes, or worked into marinades for that caramelised sweetness.

You can get the KFC’s smoky kecap manis chicken in two variations — its iconic hot & crispy chicken (from S$4.80), or wings (from S$2.95 for two pieces) — both coated in that glossy, moreish sauce.

Either way, it’s topped with fried shallots and green onions, adding fragrance and crunch to the sticky sweetness.

For bigger appetites, there are bundled options. The smoky kecap manis chicken box (from S$13.80) and smoky kecap manis wings box (from S$12.50) both come with tenders and an extra whipped potato, on top of the usual KFC meal components of fries and a drink.

If you’re sharing, the smoky kecap manis Buddy meal (from S$23.95) includes two pieces of chicken and six wings coated in the sauce, two medium whipped potatoes, and two drinks.

Then, there’s the smoky kecap manis Family Feast (from S$44.95), that’s perfect for the family gatherings. It has five pieces of chicken and eight wings in the sweet-savoury sauce, two tenders, four drinks, two medium whipped potatoes and two medium fries.

There’s also something new to bring home this time — a little keepsake after your meal: A portable 300g smoky kecap manis sauce bottle (from S$6.95).

Designed by visual artist Aida Sa’ad (or also known as Yellow Mushmellow), the bottle is cute and stylish. After all, if there’s any sauce worth carrying around, it’s kicap manis.

If you’re still reading, here’s one more perk to note: There’s a delivery-exclusive promotion.

With the purchase of the smoky kecap manis Family Feast on the KFC delivery app, you’ll receive a free KFC x Coca-Cola Radium bag, while stocks last. It’s a shiny, merch-style exclusive that you can carry by hand or wear as a crossbody — a collectible with practical use.

And if you’re angling for even more KFC-exclusive merch, you can tag KFC Singapore and use #KFCSmokyKecapManis in your social media content — the most creative post will win a family matching baju kurung set inspired by Yellow Mushmellow’s bottle design!

This was a media drop.

For more ideas on what to eat, read on Joong San at Telok Ayer for its authentic Korean fare and Diff, a new specality coffee bar, located in a kopitiam.