As a food journalist, when I visit a newly launched place with no prior history, I base my review purely on my experience and judgment. But what can be said about a place established more than 35 years ago? The thought comes as I sit to write about my recent visit to a Nando's outlet in Pacific Mall, Tagore Garden, Delhi. While Nando's is a popular brand that may need no introduction, for the unversed, Nando's is a South African multinational fast-casual chain, founded in 1987, that specialises in Portuguese flame-grilled peri-peri style chicken.
Coming back to my question, I realise whether the restaurant is new or old, running its day 12 or day 12,000, my review really goes back to the experience. So without much ado, let's dig into what I ate at Nando's in Delhi.
Photo Credit: Nando's
Nando's PERi-PERi Sauces
Before we chew on the wonderful items on the menu, the first mention goes to the sauces. Nando's is known for its in-house sauces, each adds a new kick and flavour to your meal. My table was decked with four flavourful PERi-PERi sauces: Garlic, Wild Herb, Mild, and Hot, along with Salad Dressing. Each sauce is packed with flavour and just a little can go a long way. Now let's head to the food.
Photo Credit: Jigyasa Kakwani
SALAD
Caesar Salad With Mild PERi-PERi Chicken
I am a big salad lover and was happy with this Caesar Salad that included cos lettuce, parmesan cheese, croutons and pieces of juicy chicken. All the ingredients were fresh and the quantity was great. Do not forget to add some more salad dressing to bring more flavour to your salad.
Photo Credit: Jigyasa Kakwani
DRINKS
In cocktails, I tried my server Deepak's recommended Grapefruit Soi. It was fruity, nice and refreshing, made with a good mix of pineapple juice, vodka, grapefruit syrup, passionfruit puree, and lemon juice. It also nicely complimented my food.
Photo Credit: Jigyasa Kakwani
From the Designer Drinks (non-alcoholic) section, I tried the Portuguese Lemonade. The lemonade was certainly refreshing with mint and lime, however, I found the PERi-PERi sprinkle a bit too spicy for my taste in lemonades.
Photo Credit: Jigyasa Kakwani
BIG MEALS
Espetada Carnival with a side of Corn-on-the-Cob
The flame-grilled PERi-PERi chicken came on a skewer lined with mixed peppers. The presentation looked stunning, complete with a side of sweet Corn-on-the-cob. The quality of Nando's chicken is always top-notch, super meaty and juicy. The chicken pieces were stuffed with feta cheese and parsley. Since the flavours were more on the subtle side, I was happy to experiment with all the sauces at my disposal.
Photo Credit: Jigyasa Kakwani
Pulled Chicken Burger
The pulled chicken burger was good enough, but not something I was very impressed with. There was not much for the presentation. Since the burger was packed with plenty of flavours, none of the sauces could complement it as it would start to feel excessive of the same flavours.
Photo Credit: Jigyasa Kakwani
PERi-Cashew Chicken Molho and Butter Naan
I am so happy with my decision to order this dish. While I was hooked on the idea of trying a Butter Naan at Nando's, I was not expecting that the chicken gravy dish would turn out to be quite similar to a Butter Chicken with lots of lemon juice in it. The Butter Naan had lots of garlic in it, much to my liking, and the bread was soft, unlike the excessive chewy naaans at some restaurants. The PERi-Cashew Chicken Molho was delicious and came with a kuchumber-type salad that worked well with the main dish.
Photo Credit: Nando's
Time For Dessert
Quite full by now, I managed to make room for dessert. I ordered the Churros, which were warm and absolutely perfect. Dusted with cinnamon sugar, these were served with a thick chocolate sauce and were the perfect ending to a hearty and flavourful lunch.
Photo Credit: Jigyasa Kakwani
Where: Unit SH/2F/12, Second Floor, Pacific Mall, Najafgarh Rd, Tagore Garden, Tilak Nagar, Delhi