There are many ways to find out whether your grub is truly as good as they say it is. From simple taste tests to elaborate searches for online reviews, the list is endless. Heck, you can even pit it against a famous Michelin star chef if you’re feeling really confident.

To me, the ultimate testament to good food is whether you can still savour it when you’re sick – or down with a stuffy nose, to be precise.

Hear me out here; I know we all have our good ol’ comfort food to soothe our troubled selves when we’re down, but what’s a girl to do when she has a date to keep? Without that oh so important sense of smell, what else is left to enhance the flavour of our food? Nothing much.

So when I stepped into Nandos at Plaza Singapura a couple of nights back, I knew their signature Portugese grilled chicken was in for a real test against the tastelessness that had long overtaken my taste buds. Even the decor and menu which practically screamed “Spicy!” did little to convince me otherwise.

Turns out, I was so wrong.

Nandos’ claim to fame is its “Peri-ometer” which rates the spiciness of their special sauce from mild to extra-hot to add a little kick to their PERi-PERi Chicken selections. So intense is their sauce that even the mildest mix goes straight through ’em chickens!

I’m not too keen on picking bones, so I chose Butterfly Chicken Breast with a Grilled Veg Fino Side (that’s Portugese for ‘posh’) for S$16.90 – too high a price for just a piece of marinated chicken and a serving of vegetables I’d say! You’d probably get more bang for your buck with 2 regular sides for the same price. :C

But once I had that first bite, I just couldn’t stop.

Crisp on the outside, and tender and moist on the inside, this is definitely one of the chicken dishes I would die for. Not once did I stop marveling at how Nandos’ chefs managed to nail this deceptively simple meat, as it was succulent and not too tough to slice through.

And that sauce? Just the perfect medley of sauces that hit the spot. 😉

It wasn’t long before we had to re-fill our glasses; who would have guessed that a blend of sun-ripened lemons, garlic, spices and PERi-PERi would be so potent? :O And we were just at the bottom of the spice meter here.

Back to the Grilled Veg, it wasn’t exactly close to fantastic; just your regular dish of (oily) vegetables, but it made a relatively healthy accompaniment to the star of the show. C:

Also available was a selection of sauces to go with our food; I had mine with Garlic PERi-PERi but there are also classics like Tomato Sauce (can’t recall what the other two were!).

And if you’re in the mood to share, just go for their Meal Platters which are priced between S$40++ to S$80+++ with sides and bottomless soft drinks (that’s free flow for you!).

I truly forgot I was fighting a losing battle against my non-functioning nose that night, as the mix of spices and other flavours completely tantalized my palate. If it tastes as awesome as it did, I can’t wait to find out what the real deal is like once I’ve fully recovered! 😀

P.S. Special shout out to that spunky manager who kept the long queue cool by going round to get everyone’s orders in advance; three cheers for great service! 😉

Address

68 Orchard Road

#04-10/11 Plaza Singapura

(Other branches: Tampines Mall, 112 Katong, Bugis Junction, Tanglin Mall)

Website: http://www.nandos.com.sg/ https://www.facebook.com/nandosSG

Contact: 6336 2555

Opening Hours: 10am – 10pm

chueonit.