Nandos

The first time I ate at Nando's was in Kuala Lumpur. The Afro-Portugis flame-grilled chicken was so good that I wished they have outlets in Singapore. A few years later my wish came true but unfortunately Nando's outlets in Singapore were not certified halal until just recently. A few days ago I had the opportunity to try out their Espetada Carnival, a newly created dish to add on to their Espetada selection.

The dish came in a very unique presentation - skewered 'balls' of Peri-Peri boneless chicken thighs hung from a metal stand. Really exotic.

Each skewer comprised five pieces of flame-grilled succulent chicken meat stuffed with a generous amount of feta cheese, garlic and parsley. The meat was full of flavour, combination of Peri-Peri marinate and saltiness of the feta cheese which melted and coated the chicken meat nicely.

Either you eat it just on its own or you can dip into one of Nando's Peri-Peri sauces. Try the Hot Peri-Peri and your exotic Espetada Carnival epitomises the perfect symphony of exquisite flavours - salty, spicy and lemony - Superlicious!      

It is more economical to order the Espetada Carnival set comprised two side dishes and a hot fiery designer drink called Spicy Mango Sangria. Choose the side-dishes that suit your palette. The selection comprises coleslaw, baked pumpkin and grilled corn, potato chips and Mediteranean-style rice.

I tried the baked pumpkin and grilled corn. Pumpkin has never been one of my favourite vegetables unless its a pumpkin pie, haha. The baked pumpkin was served cold and the texture was soft - mushy-like. I thought it just didn't go well with the hot chicken..

As for the tangy Mango-infused drink with a spicy kick, it pairs brilliantly with the savoury Espetada Carnival. But be warned, the 'side-effect' kicks in a few minutes later -  a 'sore-throat like' feel in my throat that lasted about 15 minutes or so. It was a great experience nevertheless. A must try.

The set meal including the designer drink costs $25.90. Without the drink its only $22.90. Its available all day at all Nando's outlets.

These Peri-Peri sauces a must-have in your kitchen or rather on your dining table. You can buy them from Nando's.  Not only are they excellent with flame-grilled meat/chicken but with any other kinds of food that requires a dip.

Espetada Carnival is available throughout the month of June but very likely will be put on the menu permanently.

Nando's outlets:
Open from 10 am to 10 pm. Two new outlets just opened - Lot One Shoppers' Mall and NEX.