” Food crosses the invisible borders of countries,outwits visa authorities and gives you a glimpse of another world,all while you sit and work your knives and forks”- Noorain
Nando’s,is properly pronounced as ” NAN-DOUGHS” as opposed to it taking a very indianized version ” NANDU’s”. I find that as annoying as a colicky baby.. 😖😖
Nando’s has been around for quite sometime now, existing at church street and hugging our love handles with every bite. It was quite a surprise when I saw them bid their ” au revoir’s” to us…. Teary eyed I tried to forget them by finding recipes for ” Nando’s peri- peri chicken” on the web..which lemme tell you were epic fails 😞 I even went all the way to ” Sheikh Zayed Road” in Dubai for a taste..
And then one day,just like how you see your long lost school crush and skip a heartbeat .. I saw them again,running at a full fledged pace at ” Park Square Mall,Whitefield.” I promised myself that,no matter what.. Irrespective of the dreaded choking traffic, I was gonna return again.. One thing led to another and I always falterd 😢
It was just a few days ago,that the ” Nando’s” P.R team aka ” Shambhavi Mishra” got in touch with my dear blogger friend “Vidyalakshmi” and invited the Food bloggers over for a tasting session.
Nando’s was launching a new menu.. Yumm..And that was a motivation enough.. I had to forget work,appointments,meetings and all that jazz and I had to go… Or else.. I knew it that I wouldn’t ever forgive myself. 👍🏻
I found myself here on a balmy evening,it was like God had set things for me. Balmy evening and mildly spiced ” Nando’s” peri peri = Cloud nine.
The atmosphere from the moment you entered was pure contagious. As soon as you enter, you see the staff with colourful Mohawks,colombina masks and faux glittery Homburg hats,and that very moment you know that you’re in a right place.
The decor has been kept neat and crisp with heavy tones of a cross between ” Red Beech wood and English Walnut wood”. I loved the sense of cosy warmth with a hint of vintage feel. The wooden chairs and tables were such a refreshment from the usual plushes.. So on the whole,the ambience is perfect for a date,family dinner or a professional follow up..👍🏻
Now,let’s get down to business,shall we?? A breakdown of the dishes I sampled.. Well,to be honest.. I broke down into tears of joy after having some of them 😢😢
At Nando’s they have a special Summer Menu,well,it’s 17 times more special. With 17 new entrants to strut into your cravings list. The veg menu is to kill for,it any day beats the living daylights outta pure veg restaurants.. And my dears,things are just getting better here:
- The Peri crusted chicken wings: All The chicken at “Nando’s” are left mercilessly for a 24 hour marination and this gives you that guaranteed flavour,which comes from within..
The original chicken has a soft spot for me,but the new Peri-Crusted Chicken??? Well,it’s just got me begging for more. If you loved the original,you’re gonna be obsessed with the Peri-Crusted one..
The flavours are amazing and that distinct flame grilled marks?? Aaah.. Heaven. The smokiness coupled with different kinda heat was a something you ought to not miss.
- All together now(Rs.450/-):Some dishes need a pause,for the sole reason of it being overwhelmingly delicious. Having been bought up in the Middle East,any mezzeh platter always has a big soft spot for me.
The” All Together Now” had a mix of brined black and green olives, a spicy veg dip( as innocent as it looks,it was a killer) , hummus with the peri peri drizzle.. Served with warm pita triangles.
This was just what I needed..nostalgia overdose 😁 it’s something I wouldn’t miss if I’m dining here.
- Something Exotic(Rs.190/-): When our maître d’ came up to our table and served us this extremely innocent looking medley of watermelon and Cottage cheese squares on a skewer,I asked him,” what’s it called?”.. He replied,” Something Exotic” and I said,” I see that but the name??”… It was only after our host “Shambhavi” explained.. Did I understand that, it’s named as one.
Well,lemme tell you.. I absolutely loved this.. The freshness of those watermelon squares when combined with the cottage cheese was such a palate cleanser,that I just had to gorge some more. Outta the world combination.
- Algrave Salad(Rs.240/-):I have a penchant for delicious crunchy greens. I love salads. The”Algrave Salad” was a hearty mix of fresh bell peppers,cos lettuce,rocket leaves,some delicious roasted cashews with melt in the mouth feta cheese. They had also added the peri sauce chicken tenders to the salad. You could absolutely exclude the chicken if you’re a veg.The dressing was a lovely vinaigrette and struck the right chord with my tastebuds.
- The Gourmet Mushroom and Halloumi burger(Rs.280/-) :I get those ” Pehla Pyaar” ( first love) kinda tingles when I even talk about this burger. I mean,who in the world… In their right sense of mind.. Turn a blind eye to this burger?? No.. Really…
Nando’s played the part of a seductive temptress with this burger. The beauty of it was the flavour… Oh! Dear me.., the flavour!!! Black mushrooms and a Halloumi?? I need to “hello me” to snap myself out of the reverie.
Ambrosial bulbous black mushrooms which just burst with flavour on sinking your teeth in,only to be complemented by the brine-y soft Halloumi,with rocket and sweet chilli sauce.. This is on my “Comfort food” list. I also had a little side of coleslaw with my burger,which was just fair enough.
- No Bones About it Platter: Delectable pieces of chicken flame grilled and adjusted to your spice level with sides. I’m not that much of a spice lover,but the chicken was just marvellous,though I had a spare tear and a itchy ear,I loved it.. It has your favourite butterfly chicken and chicken thighs in this platter. Served with sides,which I skipped.
- Angry Mango Burger: I just had a little bite of this,it was such a summery thing.. The acidity of mango just cut thru the heat of the chicken and the explosion was all ” mangoes and love”. Someone who has a mango thing going on.. Must check this out..
- Citrus Bliss(Rs.180/-): This was the first thing to grace my table,an extremely mint-orangey medley going on here,made my food worthwhile..
- Veg Espetada Carnival (Rs.280/-): Again,I couldn’t sample much of this,save for a bite. Nando’s is well known for their Espetada’s.. The deliciously juicy meat on skewer stands. Hold on… Hear me out.. They have introduced the ” veg Espetada’s” so that the vegetarians don’t feel left out..
Beautifully well marinated cottage cheese,bell peppers strewn across waiting to be devoured is a sight worth your money. The colours are ever so vibrant on it.. Yum factor sores across and hits the roof.. I’m an occasional non vegetarian(only chicken),and il tell you… This veg Espetada can give the Espetada Rustica a run for its life.. 😋😋😋 but oh well,that’s my perception..
And with that my short sojourn at ” Nando’s” ended.. I had no room for desserts,so I skipped that.
Here’s the butterfly chicken trio,(trio because it had various heat levels..)that I dint sample:
The bloggers meet was a very successful one,with lots of beautiful faces to grace the meet. Made a bunch of new friends and had a superb time..
Vidyalakshmi, Shambhavi,shruti suresh, nita Mehta,Rumana, Tejas,Suman,captain hari,lohith, Nameesh,Shiju,Sridhar… You guys were just the best lot.. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
Sorry for the digression,so go ahead, satiate those cravings with a plate of love from NANDO’S..
** P.s. All the pricing quoted is for just the own its own,without any sides. No combination pricing included.
The Plate Memoirs 