KFC is by far the most popular fast food chain in China and it's nothing like the US brand — here's what it's like

• KFC is by far the most popular fast food chain in China.
• Key to KFC's success in the country has been catering its menu to local tastes.
• I tried a number of dishes at a KFC restaurant in Beijing and found the food to be tastier and fresher than its American counterpart.

With more than 5,000 restaurants in 1,100 cities in China, KFC dominates the country's fast food landscape.

KFC was the first American fast food chain to launch in the country, opening its first China branch in 1987. It quickly became a symbol of the country's rapidly reforming economy and newfound openness to the world.

The three-story, 3,600 square-foot restaurant was KFC's largest branch — with seating for 500 people — and just a short walking distance from Beijing's Tiananmen Square. The restaurant was an instant success, with customers lining up outside the restaurant for months on end after it opened.

As of 2016, KFC still holds 11.6% of the market share in China, according to Euromonitor, far ahead of McDonald's 5.6%. McDonald's only has around 2,500 restaurants.

Key to KFC's success in the country has been its aggressive catering to Chinese tastes, with menu items that will never make their way to US restaurants. While KFCs in China serve fried chicken, they also serve a variety of local dishes like egg tarts, congee (rice porridge), and the "Dragon Twister."

While KFC, and its parent company Yum China, suffered a number of hits recent years thanks to a tainted meat scandal in 2014 and problems with avian flu in 2016, the chain has continued to push aggressively in the market. Last year, it launched KPRO, a health food-focused concept restaurant, in Hangzhou, China to test the country's growing interest in healthy eating.

I decided to give KFC a try on a recent trip to China to see what it was like.

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With over 5,000 branches, KFC is the most popular fast food chain in China. I headed to a branch in Beijing not far from Tiananmen Square.

China is littered with fast, cheap food from street vendors. When KFC first opened in China, its American-style sit-down restaurants were seen as a luxury. For many Chinese consumers, the chain guaranteed cleanliness and freshness, an image that has taken a hit in recent years.

At the time, KFC was seen as an "exciting, unique, and brand-new experience never before encountered… like taking a tour of America, with all its connotations: political, cultural, time, and space — real or imaginary."

Source: KFC in China