Nando's Peri-Peri

I walk past Nando's Peri-Peri in Chinatown on an almost daily basis. For the past 8 months I've wondered what sort of chicken would be in store for me if I went in, but it wasn't until yesterday that I ventured into the tastefully decorated chicken dispensery.

The restaurant was fairly empty when I came in--though I'm sure that's a byproduct of the time of day I went and not the quality of the food. "Cupcake" who greeted me was helpful and pleasant to order from for my first time.

I ordered a half chicken, prepared "hot" and a side of coleslaw. After placing my order I picked up a fork, some napkins, a glass of water, and a bottle of the Nando's Extra Extra Hot Sauce and sat down at the table.

Over the corner of booth I could see the chicken I'd ordered being toss on an open flame and was almost salivating with anticipation. The chicken came about 8 minutes later and I dug right in. (At Nando's the encourage you to eat with your hands and even supply a sink in the middle of the restaurant for cleaning purposes once you're finished.)

The skin was crisp, the chicken was moist, and the flavor was great. The hot level of spiciness was indeed spicy, but no so much so that it overpowered the other flavors in the chicken. Even dipping it in the Extra Extra Hot Sauce didn't mask the flavors.

The coleslaw proved both crisp and creamy. It was a great dish to have by my side when I needed a respite from the heat of the chicken.

It was 10 dollars and change for half a chicken with a side. While not the least expensive lunch I've had, I will be back at Nando's and regret having not ventured there before.

Neighborhood: Chinatown
819 7th St NW
Washington, DC 20001

http://www.nandosperiperi.com/