Two months is a long time
Being a fan of Nando's, it was a little surprising that it had been over two months since my last visit.
So what is PERi-gula Melaka?
Gula Melaka is the dark palm sugar Malaysians put in everything from cendol to kuih. Nando's has blended it with its PERi-PERi sauce. They describe the result as smoky and caramelised, the way Malaysians like it.
On paper it sounds like a strange marriage. Sweet palm sugar on spicy grilled chicken? I was sceptical. That said, Malaysians have been pairing sweet with heat for generations, so maybe I shouldn't have been.
What we ordered
My wife went straight for the chicken wings in the new gula Melaka glaze. They arrived sticky and glossy. She was sold within a couple of bites.
I played it safe with a wrap in Lemon and Herb. Old habits die hard. It was exactly what I wanted, light and fresh with that familiar zing.
The real surprise was the Fully Loaded Chicken Chips we ordered to share. Picture a pile of fries topped with chunks of PERi-gula Melaka chicken. It sounds like a mess. It works brilliantly. The sweetness of the chicken plays off the salty chips in a way I didn't see coming.
The verdict
It's a weird mix. I won't pretend otherwise. Yet somehow it really works.
Nando's tried a local flavour once before with Soy PERi-PERi back in 2021, but that one came and went. PERi-gula Melaka feels more confident. If it sticks around, I suspect we'll be back sooner than two months.
Sweet, spicy and a little bit Malaysian, it's a Nando's I'll happily go back for.
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