[2011 Throwback] Peri-Peri Charcoal Chicken

[updated]

The Project 12x2-1 Page 

Dahil napadpad kami minsan sa Megamall, dun na lang kami naghanap ng makakainan for our mid-April report. Si Gio the Officemate ang nag-suggest nito.

Ang Pasakalye: 

I had peri-peri chicken in Sydney (Nando's) waaay back, and I remember loving the spicy grilled taste! Dito sa Pinas, I only heard one resto that served peri-peri food and there haven't been any chance for me to visit it, hanggang sa makalimutan ko na siya altogether.

Until ayun, we were referred to Peri-Peri Charcoal Chicken in Megamall and the peri-peri craving resurfaced.

megamall bridgeway 3/F

Peri-peri or piri piri in Portuguese is an African plant that produces chilli peppers. They use these to manufacture various peri-peri sauce that are famous around the world. The most common application in Portugal and Africa is as marinade for grilled chicken.

Peri Peri Charcoal Chicken serves just that and more. Kaya nung nalaman namin na may gento, sureball na agad kami na dito ang next grub destination.

It's along the third floor bridgeway connecting Buildings A and B kaya hindi mahirap hanapin. Malapit lang ito sa Atrium, left side if heading towards Building B.

Ang Nilamon:

• Shrimp and Chorizo Arroz (P165)
• Half Peri-Peri Grilled Chicken (P205)
• Soup and Beverage All-You-Can (P49/pax)
(Barley Tea, Brocolli and Cream Soup, Cox and Rootbeer, Kape)
• Mango Mania Tower (P95)

ersatz paella

The shrimp and chorizo arroz is lined-up in the menu as a paella of sorts so it's kind of disappointing that it looks (and tastes) a bit far from the usual paellas that we've had before (expensive man or cheap). Para sa amin, it's just flavored rice topped with garnish. Sa ganung point of view (plus the relative cheapness nung presyo), yes it could be worth it. But no paella BS please.

Masarap yung chorizo. Walang lasa yung shrimp. Hindi ako kumakain ng kamatis. Pero masarap yung tomato sauce sa kanin. Pang dalawa hanggang tatlong tao yung servings. Pwedeng eto pa lang, ulam at kanin na.

lemon and garlic by default

Next yung star of the day, the peri-peri chicken! By the time of this writing na lang namin nalaman na may tatlong choices of flavors yung manok: Lemon & Garlic, Hot, and Mild. By the looks of it, Lemon & Garlic yung binigay sa amin that day at tingin ko ito yung default na binibigay nila KUNG walang preferred option. Pero ang bad trip dun ay hindi man lang kami tinanong na may ganung choices pala! "Hot" should be an obvious choice for us... *grumble* *grumble*.

Anyway, moving on. Panalo pa din naman yung lasa. It's not that spicy (doh!) but the hints of peri-peri chilli is there na unti-unting nagbi-build up yung anghang habang tumatagal siyang kinakain. Malaki yung servings. Hati na kami ni K sa half-chicken pero parang andami pa din ng inubos namin.

Juicy yung manok, malambot, at gusto namin yung smokey taste.

peri-peri sauce and chilli oil

May peri-peri sauce at chilli oil na available as condiments for each table. The peri-peri sauce is a disappointment dahil hindi outright ang anghang nito (as we would expect) but something that builds up as well. So take it in quantity kung gustong magka-almuranas ng mas mabilis. Yung chilli oil naman ay katulad ng chicken oil ng Mang Inasal, only with a spicy bite.

The gravy is great. Oddly though, siya yung nagbibigay ng grilled taste dun sa manok. At syempre konting tamis. K might contest that the chicken is good by itself pero tingin ko mas okay ito in combo with the gravy. Whatever the preference is, panalo pa din yung peri-peri chicken as a specialty of the resto!

sult na 49'er

For 49 pesos, may soup and beverage all-you-can sila na nag-avail kami. Una namin sinubukan ay yung barley tea. Lasang tubig na pinakuluan na may kasamang kahoy. It's functionally a hot tea pa din naman, so digs namin ito.

Next ay yung brocolli cream soup. Tastes like an ordinary cream soup, meron lang bits of brocolli. I didn't find it any special.

Nakarami kami ng cox at rootbeer at kape. Dito namin nasulit yung 49 pesos and come on, for the cost, steal na yun! Sa ibang resto yung 49 pesos ay large softdrinks pa lang eh. Hindi pa refillable.

Yung kanilang iced tea and flavored juices ang hindi na namin nasubukan.

give meh!

Ang mango mania tower (dessert) ang super patok para sa amin. It's sliced mango sandwiched in crispy taco shells, lathered with chocolate syrup and served with ice cream and whip cream! Sobrang recipe for obesity pero kung may babalik-balikan kami dito, ito yun! Isipin ko pa lang, naglalaway na ko. Give meh!

Ibang Chechebureche:

"tea?"

Relaks yung ambiance kahit typical fastfood type yung setup ng place. Pleasant yung mga staff at napaka-accomodating. Sobrang na turn-off lang talaga kami na hindi nila in-offer na may iba't-ibang flavor yung specialty nilang peri-peri chicken. It might be on the menu (most likely nandun) at malamang lang talaga namin nabasa, but they should NOT have defaulted any order to Lemon and Garlic kung walang mention from customers. Tinatanong yun, oi!

Maganda ang menu at madaming ritrato. Hindi ganun ka-informative yung mga brief description but there's nothing much that common sense can't figure out among the lineup.

chicken

Mabilis na-serve yung mga pagkain, saglit lang ang waiting time. Walang service charge. Malinis yung lugar at mga kagamitan, in general.

Kaching!:

Price range is from P140 to P220. Mura na ito para sa quality ng pagkain nila at para sa lugar.

If on a total budget, one can even scrimp by trying out just a quarter-part of their peri-peri chicken and the 49'er all-you-can. Around P150 lang yun, pero for sure busog nang lalabas. Toss in a hundred bucks more for their very delectable desserts and naka-complete meal na at P250. Alalahanin na pang-dalawang tao ang servings ng dessert.

ngiting aprub

Mas makaka-mura kung may kasamang kakain. For casual dates, at P200 each, there's already a lot that a couple could try out from the menu.

Update: Price range by this time (2015) is now at around P220 to P270.

Ang Hatol: 

Tingin ko walang ibang dapat kainin dito kundi yung peri-peri chicken at yung dessert towers. Worth it balik-balikan ang mga ito, hindi lang dahil sa presyo, pati din sa lasa.

Malaking factor yung soup and beverage all-you-can deal nila para makadagdag sa ka-sulitan nung lugar.

may karapatang mamili! gamitin ito!

Wag kalimutang may choice between Hot, Mild, at Lemon and Garlic sa manok nila!


Rating:
5 out of 7



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