Nando`s Chicken

Time to fire up the grill! It's BBQ season! I guess it isn't much of a big deal in places such as the Southern US; but it is for us in the GVRD. Actually, I've already barbecued a dozen times already, even during our chilly spring. I have barbecued ribs, pork chops, strip loin, burgers, salmon and chicken. Mmmm. BBQ chicken... The thought of BBQ chicken made my mouth water. Hold on! But I was at work, how am I going to satisfy the BBQ chicken urge. If you know me, when I start thinking about food, it won't go away!

Searching for BBQ chicken (can't believe I'm on a BBQ chicken quest), it led me to Nando's at Strawberry Hill. This is not the first time I've been to Nando's; but I haven't been in quite awhile. I took this opportunity to use my Entertainment coupon. I don't even know why I get the book, I always forget to use it! Don't get the wrong idea, I didn't get 2-for-1 to eat all by myself. Actually I could if I were really hungry; but instead I split it with a co-worker.

So what exactly is Nando's? Well, it's essentially African-inspired Portuguese BBQ chicken. If you check out their website, you can read all about it's history. The Peri-Peri hot sauces used at Nando's comes from African Birds Eye Chili and it has been said to be an aphrodisiac. Hmmm... I'll leave it at that. Anyways, I went for the Double-Leg meal and chose the Spiced Rice as my side. Since I was on my lunch break, I decided to go for medium heat for my Peri-Peri chicken. I didn't want to have a fire in my stomach for the afternoon.

Some of you might be wondering what is so special about Nando's chicken. After all, how hard is it to barbecue some chicken? Well, it's not really how they barbecue their chicken that sets them apart. Rather, it's all in the sauce. The fresh (never frozen) chicken is marinaded in the Peri-Peri sauce for 24 hours and then barbecued. As you can imagine, the chicken is quite flavourful and spicy (you can choose the level of heat). I've had the spiciest version once and it's actually quite hot.

I personally like Nando's chicken, it's generally quite tender and never lacking in spice. The only thing that keeps me from going more often is the price. It's actually quite pricey for this class of restaurant. Moreover, for the expert barbecuers out there, you can probably make a pretty mean BBQ chicken at home too.

The Good:
- It's a BBQ chicken place and the chicken is good
- Lots of spice and heat
- Peri-Peri sauce is good stuff

The Bad:
- Pricey

Nando's
#144 - 12101 72nd Avenue
Surrey, B.C.
604-502-8010
www.nandoscanada.com