Some Like it Hot: Nando’s Flame-Grilled Chicken

Peri-Peri sauce

Hubby and I discovered Portuguese chicken back when we still lived downtown where there were a few great Portuguese chicken places nearby. We love the lemon-herb marinade of the chicken basted and then dipped in Piri-Piri sauce. Potato balls and fried rice on the side complete this hearty meal.

So, having tried other Portuguese chicken before, I wasn’t really expecting anything new from Nando’s when I went there with DD#1. But it was not quite the same. The system in the Richmond Hill location was to order what you want at the counter, grab a number and they will bring your order to your table. I got a kid’s meal of chicken skewer and a side of fries for DD#1 and I ordered a combo quarter chicken (dark meat, of course!) with a side of garlic mashed potatoes for myself. You can then choose what sauce you want to baste your meat. I got a lemon-herb for DD#1 and a medium (hot sauce) for me.

They flame-grill the chicken to order so you won’t immediately get your order. But service was not too slow. They provide several bottles of Peri-Peri sauces along with your meal—garlic, hot and extra hot. Whether you call it Piri-Piri or Peri-Peri, this sauce was delectably scorching! Made from African bird’s eye chili, this thick, orange-coloured sauce makes the Portuguese chicken absolutely YUM. Spicy with a bit of tang, the Peri-Peri sauce gave our tastebuds a delicious workout.

DD#1 who tends to go for spicy stuff, enjoyed dipping her chicken in the hot and extra hot sauces—well, along with sips of water and juice in between bites. I actually suggest getting juice or pop with your meal as the water does absolutely nothing to take away the heat from your tongue. In between sniffles from the spice, DD#1 and I agreed that the chicken and most especially the sauce, have already sealed the deal for our return trip to this place.

Nando's Flame-Grilled chicken

The chicken was tender and moist and the skin had a grilled crisp. The flavor of the marinade goes throughout the chicken and the addictive Peri-Peri sauce perfectly complements the meat. The variety of side dishes was substantial as well. Each order was under $10 but they have family packs (for whole chicken and sides) for under $30. We cannot wait to go back, with the whole gang next time!

A Sunday evening filled with songs of hope and healing: Bukas Palad’s Huwag Kang Mangamba (Be Not Afraid) North American tour

I do not like Sunday evenings. Sundays signal the end of the weekend and tell me that Monday is coming soon. So, it is quite easy to understand I will take what I can to ease the transition—even if it meant traveling all the way to Brampton!

A couple of Sunday evenings ago, we caught Bukas Palad’s “Huwag Kang Mangamba (Be Not Afraid)” show. They had it at the St Marguerite d’Youville parish to help raise funds for the building expenses of the parish and also to support World Vision. Hubby was quite excited to go, given that some of the members/writers were his teachers in school. I was also looking forward to hearing the chorale sing some of my favourite mass songs. My mom knew some of the songs as well, but the girls had no clue. 

Bukas Palad is a Catholic Filipino music ministry with roots in the Jesuit Music Ministry of the Ateneo de Manila University. They had produced over a hundred original songs in almost 30 years. This particular North American tour was focused on hope and healing.

Doors opened one hour before the show, which started promptly at 5pm (no Pinoy time here!). It was a sold-out event, but good thing was, the church had sufficient parking. 

At 5pm, recordings of the national anthems of Philippines and Canada were played. It was on the ear-splitting side, not quite apt for the wonderful music we were expecting. It was quite reminiscent of catching the last full show at the cinemas in Manila, sounding like an overplayed and scratchy vinyl record. Wish these were sung instead by the choir or one of their soloists. Anyway, there were a couple of opening remarks before the show went underway.

The group entered in brightly coloured tops singing, “In Him Alone” and encouraging the audience to join them in sign language. My girls were in rapt attention. This first song was promptly followed by one of my favourite songs, “I Will Sing Forever. “ They also sang other crowd favourites such as Tanging Yaman (loosely translated: My Only Treasure) and Sa ‘yo Lamang (again loosely translated: Only Yours) as well as new songs. 

 They had divided the show into several parts with songs marking God’s promise, our suffering and our hope. There was an intermission after the first hour where the guest speaker, a former World Vision sponsored child, spoke about the work of World Vision in the world. Check out their page to see the many ways to help transform lives of children around the world. 

After the intermission, the group came back in more somber black tops. They sang the rest of the songs with impeccable blending for about another hour. It helped that the projectors showed the lyrics—allowing the audience to internalize the wonderful words composed by Bukas Palad, including Fr. Manoling Francisco SJ.

 There was a time for reflection as the audience meditated. There was also a time for interaction, where the audience sang along to newer versions of mass songs (“When We Eat This Bread”). 

It was a beautiful concert and the songs were very uplifting. I can’t think of a better way to spend a Sunday night or a better way to prepare for a Monday. Talagang hindi mangangamba!