Sokah2Soca

Image © Royal Castle Trinidad

"Lord fadda look ting... We in front Royal Castle and ah salivating for some crinkle-cut fries and mouthwatering fried chicken."

"Hello yuh mean yuh want "ah box ah dead!" But what de hell is dis, yuh spen' two months in New York and yuh want crinkle cut fries and fried chicken? Choops, Steups and yes Steups again!"

"Look fren' if yuh want to be proper den ax for ah box of chicken and chips. Yuh go make meh shame here oui."

"Pardna gimme ah box ah dead dey nah and...steups (not ah real choops just a short suck teet') ... Add ah extra leg dey nah!"

Now if you are a true Trini, nothing beats eating Royal Castle chicken and chips, eh? Hey, some people love KFC, but after some serious sours or a few Carib (ahh!... ah, beer is Carib), the best thing to eat is Royal Castle 'dead' loaded with as much ketchup as you can tolerate on 'dem chips'. Now we are talking about niceness, and, oh yes, a piece of breast meat will do. I personally like the bony pieces to chew, grind, and swallow just the way most Trinis like to do it (don't deny it, eh).

"Ah Box, Ah Dead": Now everyone wants to know if you had Royal Castle when you went home or better yet... "Yuh, bring any dead," or "Yuh, went all the way to Trinidad, and yuh, eh, bring back some dead boi.". 

I know if you visit most of the sites on the web and search for "ah box ah dead," you may find this: "A takeout meal of fried chicken and French fries, typically KFC (http://www.skettel.com." However, it is my humble opinion that Royal Castle is better simply because of the crinkle-cut chips. That, in my opinion, puts them over the top and leaves KFC in the dust. 

So, the next time you visit Trinidad and Tobago, make it your business to try out both KFC and Royal Castle by purchasing "ah box ah dead" from each (to sample nah). But wait, do it after a few beers, and then come here and post the result with a comment on which is better. "Ah, I bet you it will be Royal Castle."

OK, just out of curiosity, please leave a comment if you can recall when this phrase, "ah box, ah dead," came into vogue. Only in Trinidad, folks, and only ah Trini can put the 'dead' in such a tasty and, should I say, 'tasteful parlance'?

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Production Notes/Music Credits:

YouTube Video: Royal Castle TV Advertisement

Posted to YouTube: 2012

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