Five Star Chicken is a venture of the multi-national conglomerate CP (Charoen Pokphand) Foods which has been in existence in Thailand for almost a century. They started their foray in India which the shrimp, prawn and chicken business in the early 90's in Bangalore and Chennai and it was only in 2012 that they started their first food business with the Five star brand. It is prevalent in 9 countries across the globe having more than 7000 outlets with a rapidly growing presence in Asia and India being the latest addition to the fold.
It started in Bangalore in 2012 based on the informal kiosk model which is believed to have worked well in the other countries especially Thailand where the concept of street food is quite popular. However it was met with a muted reaction prompting them to adopt towards a shop/store format with branding and visualizations prodding towards ready to eat/take away model which went a long way in achieving some head way as a fast food chain. They have come a long way since then with over 100 outlets in Bangalore and more than a quarter century in Chennai.
They are more a South Indian centric chain with outlets spread across Chennai, Bangalore, Cochin, Hyderabad and Vizag. They were more chicken focused in the beginning but however over time things have changed with 40% of their SKU's forming vegetarian and the need is to go towards the 50-50 ratio of chicken:vegetarian. In the pipeline is a name change from "Five Star Chicken" to "Five Star" to bring it a more universal appeal and broader the horizon in the market. They can be categorized as more of a neighbourhood friendly chain giving high importance to the customers and tweaking their products from time to time based on the need of the hour and requirement. Their target group is predominantly youngsters ranging from teenagers to college going kids and they have ensured to bring in a unique personal touch by having competitions, conducting birthday events etc. They have also been adaptable to local taste and flavor by bringing products appealing to the masses in a particular region/community and their motto is to provide great taste and great value at best quality. They
We were here for a tasting session of some of their signature products. The event was held in the 3rd floor of a complex in which their registered office is situated. The tables were well arranged with all necessary ingredients ready even before the lunch meal got underway. Being veg, these were the items served to us.
It started in Bangalore in 2012 based on the informal kiosk model which is believed to have worked well in the other countries especially Thailand where the concept of street food is quite popular. However it was met with a muted reaction prompting them to adopt towards a shop/store format with branding and visualizations prodding towards ready to eat/take away model which went a long way in achieving some head way as a fast food chain. They have come a long way since then with over 100 outlets in Bangalore and more than a quarter century in Chennai.
They are more a South Indian centric chain with outlets spread across Chennai, Bangalore, Cochin, Hyderabad and Vizag. They were more chicken focused in the beginning but however over time things have changed with 40% of their SKU's forming vegetarian and the need is to go towards the 50-50 ratio of chicken:vegetarian. In the pipeline is a name change from "Five Star Chicken" to "Five Star" to bring it a more universal appeal and broader the horizon in the market. They can be categorized as more of a neighbourhood friendly chain giving high importance to the customers and tweaking their products from time to time based on the need of the hour and requirement. Their target group is predominantly youngsters ranging from teenagers to college going kids and they have ensured to bring in a unique personal touch by having competitions, conducting birthday events etc. They have also been adaptable to local taste and flavor by bringing products appealing to the masses in a particular region/community and their motto is to provide great taste and great value at best quality. They
We were here for a tasting session of some of their signature products. The event was held in the 3rd floor of a complex in which their registered office is situated. The tables were well arranged with all necessary ingredients ready even before the lunch meal got underway. Being veg, these were the items served to us.
- Peri Peri Fries: These were thin, long and suffused lavishly with peri peri coating and tasted really good. Definitely one of the better fries I've tasted.
- Veg Fingers: Comprising of Corn, potato, carrot and herbs, this was minced but felt a bit dry and didn't really set the tongues rolling. The pasty mix inside could be worked on a bit.
- Chole Chatpata Roll: One of their newer offerings and I would say the show stealer of the evening. The chole masala was nicely interspersed inside a thich chappathi based maida roll. The stuffing inside held really well and never felt like falling off. It retained its strong hold and the masala was nicely blended. Definitely a great move to introduce this Indian friendly item.
- Veg Burger: This was big in size and the cutlet inside was loaded with abundance of potato over a layer of mayonnaise and salad veggies.
- Veg Roll: It followed the stuffing of the Veg Burger to the "T". It felt like a replica of the burger with the bun replaced with the chappathi roll. However I believe the whole Roll menu is being revamped and that should provide more varied options.
- Aloo Paratha: Another innovation and they were quite well made with a mx of aloo, green chilli flavors and some mild spices. Tasted decent stand alone and looks like a good item to eat along with pickle.
- Chocolate Samosa: This was again a unique dish. Samosas infused with dripping chocolate sauce. What really worked in favor was the influx of nuts in it which gave it a punchy taste. Another unique and well innovative dish.
The food on the whole turned out to be more than decent and it was a lovely way to spend the lunch time getting to try the different stuff from within Five Star's ambit and hearing their perspective. Another high point is in the pricing front which seems to be really competitive and great value for money.
Overall it was a good experience to get a chance to visit Five Star Chicken. The team was very friendly and explained in detail about the concept and all of their products. They were also very receptive to feedback and suggestions. Here's wishing the team of Five Star all the very best in its endeavours.
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