To be perfectly honest, I knew nothing about Peri-Peri Chicken except that they are supposed to be "spicy". I have heard about this chicken dish but had never eaten such until now. So I do not claim to be an 'expert' on this subject I'd be tackling on this blog post as I do not have any comparison nor authenticity issues. What I can only share with you is my personal experience in dining at Tornado Peri-Peri Chicken at their newly opened second branch in E. Rodriguez corner Los Angeles Street in Cubao, Quezon City (Their first branch is located in Maginhawa Street, Diliman, QC).
"The secret of Tornado's Peri-Peri Chicken lies on its secret sauce which was perfected by my business partner who happens to be a Chef," says co-owner, model and TV personality Arianne Bautista. "But to match the goodness of our secret sauce, we make sure that our chicken undergoes the three important steps in making Tornado Peri-peri chicken: marination, roasting and grilling," adds Arianne.
Ms. Arianne Bautista, co-owner of Tornado Peri-Peri Chicken
Tornado Peri-Peri Chicken is basically another hole-in-the-wall restaurant along that long stretch of E. Rodriguez (it's near New York Street and the Immaculate Conception Cathedral is just a stone's throw away). The al fresco dining set-up will certainly make you at ease and comfy right away. The prominent colors of bright red, yellow and black decor gives off the idea that you should brace yourself for one heck of spicy chicken meal. Judging from the aroma that whiffs the air straight from the grill from the open-mirrored kitchen, Tornado Peri-Peri Chicken aren't for those who do not like spicy and intense flavors. To be fair, Tornado Peri-Peri Chicken had three different dipping sauces: original (made for those who aren't into spicy food); Tiger's Fury (for an added kick/mild or tolerable hotness) and Dragon's Breath (for optimum spice).
I liked the fact that the dips are poured into small ramekins rather than the usual plastic ketsup containers. If you want some more sauce, you can get them for an extra Php15 each. But for me, the dipping sauce served on a a ramekin will suffice for the entire silo meal. Tornado Peri-Peri Chicken has combo meals to make it easier for you to choose your meals. It comes with 1/4 chicken and a cup of rice, plus your choice of side dish: mashed potato, buttered pumpkin, buttered corn, buttered veggies or even fries! And it's reasonably priced at Php120! You just need yo add in a little to get a drink and complete your meal.
Tornado Peri-peri chicken with mashed potato
My verdict: I loved its charred-taste + its dragon's breath dipping sauce. The said sauce had that creamy cheesy look and taste. I'm a huge fan of anything spicy. Since I'm used to Korean and Indonesian level of spiciness, Tornado's Peri-peri chicken isn't 'that' spicy to me at all. Don't get me wrong though, their Tiger's Fury and Dragon's Breath sauces are both spicy but on a more tolerable level for my palate. In fact, for the Dragon's Breath sauce, as you eat, it gets more intense, and that'll only be the time when you realize you're actually dipping your peri-peri chicken in a spicy sauce. But I liked their Dragon's Breath sauce more than the Tiger's Fury. Both spicy dipping sauce perfectly complements any Tornado Peri-peri chicken meal.
Tornado Peri-peri chicken with buttered pumpkin
Their buttered pumpkin side dish was a revelation. Never had I expected that half-cooked thinly sliced buttered pumpkin would make a great side dish to a chicken meal. But hey, it worked! Everyone enjoyed it. It may look a little bit weird at first, but it's worth a try. Of course, the other side dishes are also worth trying out. I just hope that the veggies aren't sliced into tiny bits and the thinnest vegetable slices I've ever seen served on a meal! It was an honest total turned-off. Maybe instead of veggies, Tornado's Peri-peri chicken may use coleslaw or corn and carrots as veggie side dish instead.
Tornado Peri-peri chicken with corn cobs.
Tornado Peri-peri chicken with vegetable sidings
Tornado Peri-peri chicken with rice and fries
As for the pasta, I've always said I seem to have some sort of a 'high standard' when it comes to pasta simply because I'm used with my French and Italian-educated friends who'd often cook freshly made pasta for me. So all these years of eating pasta made me a little bit meticulous when it comes to pasta. And unfortunately, on my personal pasta meter, Tornado's Bolognese pasta has failed to live up to my standards. For one, their pasta wasn't al dente. It's overcooked and a bit soggy. The sauce is perfect for little kids who'd love to have them during kiddie birthday parties. In short, Tornado's Peri-peri chicken's take on their bolognese pasta is best for those looking for the usual "home-cooked" sweet spaghetti pasta and not the way bolognese pasta is supposed to taste like. Nevertheless, if you have kids with you or those who like putting ketchup and savoring sweet spaghetti, order their bolognese pasta and it'll surely be a delight for him/her.
There's a lot more to try at Tornado's Peri-peri Chicken. They also have quarter slab baby back ribs (which I hope I could try on my next visit), chicken wings and steaks ( T-bone and porterhouse). Oh, and do order their Blueberry Cheesecake to cap off your meal. It's really good. Although the portion you're seeing on top was specifically made for food tasting.
Follow them on Instagram @tornado_periperichicken or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tornado-Peri-peri-Chicken/245333198980183.
Special thanks to Ms. Arianne Bautista and Zheyme Manahan.
Disclaimer: I am not compensated for this post. Opinions expressed are 100% my own.
Nice! Hope to post mine soon! Lol! :)
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