Last Wednesday I was invited to the media preview of Nando’s new menu. Nando’s needs no introduction and is an age-old, casual dining favorite for many. It is the reliable option when one is in the mood for some well-cooked, flame grilled chicken of varying spice levels depending on your choice of sauce; in an unpretentious, laid-back and always-fun environment.

Recently, however, Nando’s has introduced ten new menu items; offering more options for vegetarians and, people like me, i.e., carb-lovers.

New additions on their menu include a Chicken Breast Wrap, Chicken Pita, Roasted Veggie Wrap, Veggie Burger, Black Mushroom and Hallloumi Wrap, Nando’s Choice Burger, Chicken Ceasar Wrap, Chicken Breast Burger. They also have an upgraded Espedata, a plethora of new desserts, and some insanely refreshing drinks to boast.

Of these, I tried the Choice Burger, which was a thick, juicy, grilled chicken breast under a heap of crunchy coleslaw, sandwiched inside a garlic toasted bun. Uh, YUM.

I also tried the Chicken Ceasar wrap, which was not your average Ceasar Salad in a wrap. No, Sir; this one had sun-dried tomatoes instead of raw tomatoes, and I really prefer the former over the latter; so this one won me over in the first bite.

Two details that really catch the attention of regular customers were: the new Red Pepper Dip they’re serving up with soft warm Pita strips as a bottomless appetizer; and the fact that their signature fries and wedges now come with a generous topping of Peri Peri Salt! Mmmm!

My blogger- friend, who tried all their vegetarian options, was thoroughly impressed but how flavorsome they were.

I simply could not get enough of their Lorenzo Berry drink, which had whole, fresh blueberries and unlike other drinks was not fizzy at all. This was one uniquely refreshing mocktail!

And how can I possibly forget that green Algarve Salad which was so simple, yet so fresh and elevated with the addition of roasted cashews and sun-dried tomatoes.

One aspect I really want to elaborate on, is their dessert menu. It is rare to find such rich, moist and indulgent desserts in a casual dining spot. Every single item on Nando’s dessert menu is SO good (yes, I tried every single item, but who’s counting and who’d judging?), that I find it hard to pick a favorite. If I had to, though, it would easily be the carrot cake. That soft, moist cake was made to perfection, and it’s cream cheese frosting didn’t fall behind either.

I have been a fan of Nando’s marketing for at least a decade (yes, I’m old). Their clever one-liners always make me chuckle. This event, was perfectly in line with their brand’s image: it was quirky, laid-back, fun and full of laughs! Great job by Tish Tash PR and of course Nando’s. Thanks for having us over.