Nando’s – Now Open in Central at Garden City

Did you know? Nando’s first location in South Africa opened in 1982, and they are the first and only South African restaurant brand to go international. Their first Canadian location was actually in Richmond, BC – 23 years later, they now have close to 40 restaurants spanning 3 provinces in Canada.

Nando’s new “casa” at Central at Garden City features a gorgeous, spacious seating area, decorated with exquisite African artwork on the walls. The abundance of booth seating encourages family-style sharing when it comes to the menu, and a long table in the centre invites parties to enjoy their meals together.

Despite their South African heritage, Nando’s is actually famous for their Portuguese-style flame grilled chicken with their own twist – their signature PERi-PERi sauce with its spicy kick, thanks to the African Birds Eye Chilli. Fun fact – Nando’s grows their own chillis in Africa!

As part of their grand opening, Nando’s invited their guests to create their own PERi-PERi sauce. This was a fun challenge, as I had absolutely no clue what ingredients and how much of each ingredient to add in.

We were told to use the vegetable oil as base, lemon as zest, and onions as flavour. And of course, we can’t forget the signature African Bird’s Eye Chilli!