Nando's Finally Hatched in Kuching!

What is new?

Yes! You are right, Nando's is finally opening its doors in Sarawak and their first stop is in Kuching, Vivacity Megamall! I'm so honored to be invited to their grand opening on the 12th December 2015! And it so happened that it was also the opening of Vivacity Megamall as well. To be frank, the traffic was pretty crazy and it was super crowded. 

This is me while awaiting for the commencement of their launching ceremony. 

Soft drinks were served for the media and bloggers. 

Now if you have been wondering, Nando's is not a fast food chain, but rather a good food franchise restaurant that served fast casual food and awesome Peri-Peri Chicken. Hence, Nando's has now grown into one of the world's leading fast casual restaurants brands with restaurants located in over 30 countries across the world. No doubt that everybody's getting a piece of the hot action, a sensation that gotten everybody crowning.

I was told that I can bring along some family members, so tada~ with me here is my brother, Ares. Thanks for coming :) 

Upon arriving the grand opening event, I received a simple leaflet on this. I am impressed because they have a strong marketing plan with active social media sites. Not to mentioned that they do have their very own apps. It says "Every Genius Guide to downloading FREE AYAM". Cool tagline! Download Nando's App from your app store now and start earning FREE chickens! Visit perivilege.com.my for more info :D

A close shot of the Chief Operating Officer of Nando's, Mr Daniel Thong. 

Me, selfie using my Casio EX-ZR1000, f/3, aperture 3.2, ISO 100. It's been awhile since I last touched my Casio camera. 

Opening Dance for the Grand Launch, the Chicken Dance! 

Our Emcee of the day, AL Mr emcee.  

And, the kids were literally scrambled over the Nando's balloons. 

Meet Barci, the mascot of Nando's!

Together with hit of the Spatula, on the count of 1, 2, 3! The egg is hatched! 

Congratulations once again for the opening of Nando's first branch in Sarawak, Kuching!

Once we finished with the launching ceremony, the guest/medias/bloggers were all invited to have a meal inside.  

Aren't I'm lucky to be the firsthand of people to try Nando's Peri-Peri Flame-Grilled Chicken on their opening day!

Me with Barci, the mascot of Nando's!

We were served with Nando's Appeteasers first! And this is the Peri-Peri Drizzle!

It was told you have to pour the smoky drizzle to mix with the creamy hummus and eat it with the bread pita. 

I am honored to have a picture taken with Mr Daniel, the Chief Operating Officer of Nando's! Thanks for your kind words and assistance!

The Appeteasers consists of Red Pepper Dip, Spicy Mixed Olives, Hummus mixed with Peri-Peri Drizzle, and warm strips of pita bread. 

The interior view from my seat. The staff were friendly and extremely attentive. The restaurant ambiance is cozy and warm with the picture window styles that allows the natural lights to shine in. The design of the ceiling was made high to create an ample of  breezy space for the diners.

After the Appeteasers, we were served with side dishes of Peri Wedges, Peri French Fries, Grilled Vege, Corn-on-the-Cob with Mild Peri Sauce, Mediterranean Fried Rice, and Coleslaw. The side dishes were great except that the wedges and fries are abit salty. 

Here comes the highlight of the day! The long awaited juicy and tender Peri-Peri Flame-Grilled Chicken! When it comes to chicken, Nando's Peri-Peri Flame-Grilled Chicken is second to none, it's simply the best! You just can't get enough of it! We were served with 4 unique flavors of PERI sauce! My personal point of view? It was so taste-bud tantalizing that the chicken meats straight away succumbed in my mouth savoring the fresh aroma.

Did You Know That?

Peri-Peri (pronounced as Piri-Piri) is the Mozambican word for the African Bird's-Eye Chili. Nando's has included a different levels of heat for their sauces. The PERI-o-meter provides a guide of the heat level and will help you in personalizing your chicken to suit your taste buds. For me, I can't take too spicy so "Mild" Peri sauce suits me the most along with "Lemon & Herbs" Peri Sauce.

If you are a Nando's virgin, there's few facts that you have to know! All of Nando's chicken are marinated for 24 hours for the heavenly taste, they use only A-graded chickens with trimmed of excess fats, they use 100% natural ingredients for their PERI-PERI sauce and marinade and lastly they flame-grill their chicken to perfection for a healthier touch because most of the excess fat will be burned during this process. Nando's chickens are definitely a healthier choice! Most cool part is you can check each of the nutritional value facts of each meal on their detailed menu.

Me with Audrey and Jason :) We definitely enjoyed our experience here in Nando's and I like it when they going for extra mile to ensure good food and good hospitality received by the diners. 

Lastly, I'm not sure how you call this, but it taste like Batik Cake with slightly different chocolate flavor from the normal one we had. 

Thank you Nando's for the goodie bag and free Peri-Peri Sauce! I'm grateful for it. 

Once again, thank you Nando's for the invitation to the grand opening. So, who wants to follow me to the next trip? :)

P/S: All the pictures taken was using my CASIO EX-ZR1000 with slightly editing made. I'm now considering either to repair my Canon 7D or to opt for a new DSLR. Any good recommendations? 

BUSINESS HOURS: 10am-10pm.

INSTAGRAM: www.instagram.com/NandosMY

FACEBOOK: www.fb.com/Nando's

TWITTER: www.twitter.com/NandosMY

WEBSITE: www.nandos.com.my

ADDRESS: 

G-051, G-05/S & G-065B, 

Ground Floor, 

Vivacity Megamall, 

Jalan Wan Alwi, 

93330 Kuching, Sarawak.  

TEL: 082-263655 (O)/ 082-263665 (Fax).



xoxo,

ellycharlene.c

New in town: The Granary- Kitchen & Bar

When I tried to search for this place in Kuching, it really caught me off guard. I didn't realize that this place is very hidden. To find such a place in Kuching was like finding a hidden treasure spot.

Spot their logo when you first arrived at the entrance slope. :)  

Walking along the slope, the place was skillfully planted with garden grass and beautiful outdoor scenery. 

They have a very cute and romantic outdoor settings with lightbulbs hanging across several wooden post, which also serves as outdoor seating area.

A closer view of The Granary-Kitchen & Bar! The signage is very bright and simple. As the name itself mentioned, granary literally means a storehouse or room in a barn for threshed grain or animal feed. So hidden yet so exposed.

And according to the co-owner, Ms Joanne Chin, she exclaimed that this is the first establishment of granary look-alike restaurant in Kuching. This building itself is indeed a granary building which was abandoned for many years. The whole place took about 3,000 sq ft. Ms Joanne Chin has an unbeatable passion in F&B industry and with her many years of experience in F&B line, she intended to create a fresh and new experience to patrons in Kuching with top-notch services.

Once you entered The Granary, you will spot an impressive bar on your left which serves classic cocktails, beers, and fine liquors. 

Special boards with chalk written drawings can be spotted hanging on each wooden pillar. All the pillars including the building space is being kept original. 

It's a warm hearten environment with cool yellow lightings, creating a relax and cozy vibes. 

As you can see, there's a staircase going up to their mezzanine floor, which in future will serve as a function rooms. You can have your birthday party, Christmas party or any gathering held inside this function room. It's time to be creative Kuchingnites! It can be your wedding reception party as well, at a granary! 

All the decorations are wooden and rustic theme. The furniture are all custom made with reclaimed woods, up-cycled tongs and materials. 

Once seated you will be served with a glass of lemon flavored plain water while deciding on your order. Currently on the menu is just cakes and drinks with interesting options like the Guinness Chocolate cakes. (Psst! Try it if you haven't!) The kitchen will be operating soon at the end of November. So stay tuned!

Thanks to Ms Joanne Chin for the Real Brownie sample, which tasted superb and delicious! 

As a part of the granary-barn-like feature, it includes the high ceiling and a grand size kind of a fan! Tinted windows panel and brick walls are the original parts of the existing building, so classic. 

The view from Life Cafe, Carpenter Street. 

Yep, this place was officially launched on the 19th September 2015 but they are now currently opened for cakes and drinks only. The kitchen will be ready by the end of November! So if you on a carnivorous quest, don't forget to drop by this month end as they serve western dining food with lotsa meat selection! So, stay tuned for more updates. 

Facebook: www.fb.com/granarykch

Instagram: @THEGRANARY_KCH

Website: www.thegranary.my

Address: 23, Wayang Street, Kuching, 93000
Booking: 011-2508 9321
Email: joanne@thegranary.my

xoxo,

ellycharlene.c

Advertorial: Aurora Saturday Dinner Buffet

First of all, special thanks to Irene for inviting me to the food sampling of the Aurora Saturday Dinner Buffet on their launching day, which was on the 17th October 2015.

Merdeka Palace Hotel & Suites' all-day dining restaurant, Aurora Court, is now introducing its new signature buffet, Aurora Saturday Dinner Buffet, starting from 17th October on wards. Now you can fill up your tummy with some gastronomical bliss on your Saturday with amazing buffet ranging from smoked and grilled delicacies to local delights!

Coming into the restaurant, you will be greeted by the friendly staffs and immediately you will see a wide spread of desserts on your left.

 As you can see, the desserts are served in bite-sized portion and it's oh so taste-bud tantalizing that it will melt right away inside your mouth. 

The next island will be Salad with dressing of your own choice. They even have wide spread of appetizers such as acar and kerabu dishes. 

 They even have rojak and Gado-Gado; also ulam-ulaman with sambal belacan and cincalok!

 Wow, I'm in love with this! This is called Braised Mutton with Massalla Spice and Tomato! Anything with tomatoes goes well with me. Delicious is an understatement, it's heaven! Of course, there are also other hot dishes can be found in their buffet line such as Oxtail Rendang, Steamed Whole Red Talapia, Chicken Gong Pao Style, etc. They also have different soups available every week ranging from Soto Ayam, Szechuan Hot & Sour Soup, or Sup Tulang Kambing. These flavoursome soups are great to go with their homemade bread or eat alone on its own. 

 Next buffet line station is Chicken Rice. It's pretty much our Malaysian's comfort food. This most sought after chicken rice serves well with roasted or steamed chicken or both with soup and sauces that shall not be missed! 

The roasted chicken on the grill. 

Next, we shall proceed to Grilled Station and Mongolian BBQ Station. There are a spread of fresh ingredients such as vegetables, mushrooms, chicken, squid, fish fillet, beef, chicken frank, cocktail sausage and more from the Mongolian BBQ Station and meat on ice section. Select your condiments and hand it over to the Chef and watch them grill your food to perfection!

Of course, not to be missed the Fruit Station! Variety of fruits can be selected with your own choice!

 The highlight of the night! Their Carving Station which serves Hickory Smoked Lamb Shoulders! The must-have for this buffet! The natural, smoky , aromatic flavours with the tenderness of the meat will make you come back for more. They also serve succulent and juicy rotisserie chicken and duck at this Carving Station!

And the fact has been proven. So so so juicy and tender! You won't regret it! 

 Special thanks to the Chefs for their hardwork and effort for preparing the food for us! They are indeed very friendly  :)

Overall, Aurora Court is a tranquil spot to spend your Saturday night with their Aurora Saturday Dinner Buffet which priced at RM86nett per adult while child (5-12 years old) can enjoy 50% off. The price is inclusive of free flow cordial drink for all the diners. 

For further inquiries and details regarding Aurora Saturday Dinner Buffet, please contact 082-258000 ext 8061 (Aurora Court) or F&B Office ext. 8004 (8.30am-5.00pm). 

Aurora Dinner Buffet is available every Saturday night from 6.30pm to 9.30pm. 

Website: www.merdekapalace.com
Facebook: www.fb.com/MPHSKuching
Tel: 082-258000 ext. 8061; 8004.

xoxo,

ellycharlene.c