Just One Food - Nando's Coco Cataplana

I don't eat Nando's very often.  The last time I was here to try a new flavour, I ended up enjoying their rather tangy and zesty Mango & Lime flavour very much.

So, when I read about their introduction of a new dish, I knew I wanted to try.  So, after completing my grocery shopping one morning, I stopped by Nando's for breakfast cum lunch.

This new dish of Coco-Cataplana @ RM29.90 is actually peri-peri chicken basted in a mix of a new coconut and peri-peri sauce.  You get to choose the part of the chicken you want, either drumstick or wing portion, and the flavour from Mango & Lime to Lemon & Herb, Mild, Hot or Extra-Hot Peri-Peri (I picked Lemon & Herb).

First of all, the dish came served in a cataplana, or copper pot, a kind of traditional cookware used in Portuguese cuisine.  What a unique presentation :)

Once the copper pot is opened, you get a whiff of this lovely aroma of "santan" (coconut milk) permeating from the dish.  Oh, it smelled really good....I was stoked.

The dish was filled with the Lemon & Herb drumstick portion I wanted (cut into two) and grilled vegetables on a bed of fluffy Mediterranean rice.  A squeeze of lime and sprinkling of coriander gives the dish a lift of freshness.  The chicken is like any Nando's chicken, moist and juicy, drenched in a fragrant, rich and slightly sweet coconut-y sauce and with the rice, cooked in a tomato-based sauce, blend together for a rather flavourful combination.

The grilled seasonal vegetables of carrots (could be softer), green & red bell peppers, onions, zucchini and broccoli, together with fresh button mushrooms, were lightly charred to instill a bit of that smoky flavour (I wouldn't have minded a tad more charring).

A glass of Citrus Iced Tea is recommended with the dish but I loved the zesty and refreshing Tropical Fruitea @ RM9.90 so much the last time out that I just had to have it again.

I did enjoy this Coco-Cataplana dish.  The menu said that the dish can be shared by two (maybe two kids...haha!).  Well, I think it's just nice and filling for one with a good appetite! ;)  In the end, RM30 for a dish of chicken and rice may seem pricey to some (especially those who associate it with fast food).

I think this new Coco-Cataplana is going to be yet another hit...especially to those who love the flavours of the rich and creamy coconut sauce though some might find the sauce a tad too rich and (perhaps) a bit on the sweet side.