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

The Food Gallery @ Tun Jugah (Revamped Version)

Recently, I've been invited for a food tasting session at The Food Gallery @ Tun Jugah. According to the Food Court Manager, Sam, she said that the management was seeking for a new changes as an improvement to keep up with the IT savvy society and also continually drive traffic to The Food Gallery while provide fresh experience to the patrons there. Hence, the new face lift! I must say the experience was nostalgic :x

From the Popular Bookstore, you can easily spot the entrance of The Food Gallery. The wall was decorated with antique vintage looking enamel tin plates with. I think the designer wanted to bring out a retro style :D

The interior design gave me a mixed feeling of contemporary and homey style. The new addition of woods tables and chairs give off the nature-themed furnishing looks vibe. 

There are few racks on showcase and we can found several antique vintage enamel tin mug with lids. Super awesome! 

I like their light bulbs, super retro! I heard there are about 150-200 light bulbs hanging over inside the food gallery.

Below are the few dishes that I managed to capture for the food tasting session :)

The Nasi Lemak Stall has very nice and comfort food.

Finally, a picture of us! From the left is Sam (The Food Court Manager), Jacqueline (my blogger friend), and lastly me at the right. Thanks for this opportunity and thanks for having me!

 Overall, they have 13 stalls and 6 of them are new stalls. Head over  now for your brunch, lunch or dinner :)

1. Chicken Rice

2. Thai Cuisine

3. Korean Cuisine

4. Crispy Chicken

5. Claypot

6. Nasi Lemak

7. Sizzling 

8. Mixed Rice (Chinese style)

9. Yong Tau Fu

10. Beef Noodles

11. Nasi Campur (Malay style)

12. Dessert  

13. TBA

HOURS
MONDAY - SUNDAY : 10am - 9pm

PHONE : 082- 245 587

WEBSITE : www.tunjugah.com

ADDRESS: 

Lot 3-01 Level 3, Tun Jugah

18, Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman

93100 Kuching, Sarawak.

xoxo,
ellycharlene.c