How does this sound to you: a well marinaded and perfectly grilled chicken, drenched in a fiery hot African sauce? I don’t know about you, but that sure made me salivate!
As soon as I hear that the UK fast food chain, AJ’s Piri Piri Chicken, has set up its first franchise outlet in Singapore that promises to bring us the aforementioned chicken, I make a mad rush down to grab a piece. It’s on the 5th level of Iluma, the new shopping mall at Bugis.
So what is piri piri? It’s a tiny red chili pepper that is found in Africa. The Portuguese blend it with various herbs and spices and voila! There’s your hot hot piri piri sauce!
The restaurant serves the Afro-Portuguese chicken in different tantalising styles like hot plate, burgers, wraps, pastas and more.

SGD7.20+
Of course, a virgin taste test should start off with the piri piri chicken in all its naked glory. So I order the quarter-chicken with fries on the side, but you can opt for sweet corn if you wish. With 3 different sauces to choose from — mild, very spicy and lemon herb — I go for the first. When unsure, always err on the safer side.
For SGD7.20, the lone piece of chicken thigh sure looks puny! I tell myself that quality is more important than quantity. But disappointingly the sauce is nothing to shout about. It is more salty than anything else, without any hint of other herbs. This can’t be what the real piri piri sauce tastes like, can it?
On top of it all there is way too little sauce. It would help a lot if the dish comes with a small tub of the sauce on the side.

SGD6.80+
Thankfully, the Super Slimmer chicken wrap fares much better. Again, the chunk of chicken in the wrap is pretty small. But it also tastes very good, with the seasoned flavors penetrating all the way to the center of the flesh.

This also happens to be a healthier dish, where the less fattening chicken breast meat is used and layered with vegetables.
Earlier on, I’ve asked for warm water as I’m nursing a nasty cough. Unfortunately they are unwilling to do that. (The staff asked the manager, who said no right in front of me.)
The soreness soon dissipates when I make my payment and notice a 25% discount on my bill. Suddenly the meal seems a whole lot more reasonably priced! They are “not sure” when this promotion would end, so do take advantage of the discount while you can!
Clearly, the restaurant’s isolated position in an already uncrowded mall does not work to its advantage. It is overshadowed by the Filmgarde cinema on the same level and an entire level of eateries just one floor down. Most people would simply head straight to the more accessible restaurants and miss it altogether.
I hear that Nando’s is the “original” fast food chain that specialises in piri piri chicken. Here’s my review of Nando’s in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Gotta check out the one in Singapore soon!
Is there any other eatery in Singapore that sells piri piri chicken?
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28 responses -
You made me hungry. :D
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your blog design is excellent! well done!
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Hi, Veron
ur blog design is fabulous ,It would really be great if you could include fairytale stories in ur blog.Also do let me know which are ur favourite fairytales???
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Nice review – I’ll also be flying to KUL next week. :)
I rarely crave for piri-piri or peri-peri, but if I do, I go to Nandos. I miss oPorto’s in Sydney, though… they make great peri-peri burgers.
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hey veron..
dun hv to go to KL to get a taste of Nando’s…at Bukit Indah Jusco, they hv one outlet. jUST 30 minutes drive via 2nd link. A&W is also there!! Blissful! And i love Nando’s to the bits!
Another one to try is Charco’s at bLK 608 AMK ave 5..situated at the old neighbourhood coffeeshop, they serve yummylicious grilled chicken, original and portugese alongside with variety of salads to choose from their bar. reasonably price too…
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the address should be 201 Victoria Street #05-11
Singapore 188067 not 188607
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hi there, coffee club sells piripiri chicken & pasta :)
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shall have to make my way there! i wait until we have nandos. mmm…piri piri
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Aj Piri Piri Chicken,yum yum.
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i need to know is it halal? as nandos is halal can any one tell me plz?
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AJ Chicken has closed down. Its no longer at Iluma mall.
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Hi!
I am sure that you have never actually had proper Portuguese piri-piri chicken or you would despise a visit to such place.Take what you so called the “original” Portuguese chicken chain…they are not even Portuguese! Everyone know that of course but what bothers me most, as a proud Portuguese, is the fact that places like such depict our good name with their food. You may think: “But Nando’s food is great!” No it is not! Ever been to Portugal and tried actual CHARCOAL flame grill chicken? Even the worst place can make a better chicken than Nandos or AJ’s.
Even though Nando’s is spread over 25 countries, with hundreds of restaurants, why do you think they have 0 (as in zero!) restaurante in Portugal? Or AJ’s? Why has no one in Portugal ever heard of them?
Simple: their products could never survive in the Portuguese market, being we a country proud of our great food first and foremost. Of course we have fast food chains and they are very successful, but no foreign company could ever enter our market trying to sell one of our own products…
There is one simple reason why they are reluctant to do so. The benefits of trying and succeeding at the Portuguese market are by far smaller than the losses of trying and failing.
Why are there no Starbucks in Italy?
I leave you with that thought….
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Nando’s have opened an outlet at Bugist. It was even featured in the Sunday papers (23th May 2010) Went yesterday, it was very crowded and seems to be a favorite with foreigners (lots of Ang mo).
Wanted to comment on the customer service, while waiting for my food to be serviced, the boss offered a soup or starter to pass the time as apology for the long wait. I replied “its ok”. But he insisted sayings its unreasonable to wait and its on the house.
When I got the bill, I checked to see that indeed the starter was excluded. When I wanted to pay, the boss rushed over to stop the payment and say the whole meal is on the house. I thought it’s just the starter!!
That is what I call good customer service.
Won’t comment on the food so as to contradict other people, go be your own judge and try it yourself.
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