You’ve probably been to Old Orchard mall in Skokie many times with friends and family members. You may think you have tried food from every restaurant that the mall has to offer. But a few weeks ago, your variety of meal options just grew a bit more. On Sunday, Nov. 13, Nando’s PERi-PERi opened for the first time at the local mall.

Its recent opening in Skokie marked the tenth Nando’s PERi-PERi location that has been opened in the Chicagoland area. Nando’s PERi-PERi is a South African/Portuguese restaurant that has been around for years. The restaurant is known for its famous chicken marinated in Peri-peri sauce. The sauce was created centuries ago when European settlers discovered the African bird’s eye chili, which is now known as Peri-peri.  The restaurant is not only known for its famous PERi-PERi chicken — it also serves a variety of foods, from salads to wings to desserts.

When I first entered the new Nando’s PERi-PERi in Old Orchard mall, my first impression was not what I had expected. The waiters at the restaurant were very welcoming and they seemed interested in their customers, which is something that restaurants often fail to do. Nando’s PERi-PERi looked really well-put together, from the color of the chairs to the kinds of furniture they had.

Although I did not get the famous Peri-Peri chicken dish, I did get one of its close relatives, the traditional PERi-PERi wings — specifically, the ‘hot’ flavor. From the looks of the wings, you could already tell you were going to have a good meal. The smell of the food was to die for, and the appearance was even better. Although I thought the wings were delectable, I did feel that there should be an option in between hot and medium because the ‘hot’ flavor was too hot, and the ‘medium’ was not hot at all.

When compared to Buffalo Wild Wings, which is also located in Old Orchard, I would say the wings at Nando’s PERi-PERi tasted like actual, non-processed wings, which is a standard that Buffalo Wild Wings just does not reach. But because of the lack of variety at Nando’s PERi-PERi, I would have to say I prefer the wings at Buffalo Wild Wings.

At the restaurant, I also got a side of Peri Chips (fries) along with one Flamed-Grilled Corn on the Cob, which came with Peri-Peri Mayo.

I loved the fries; for comparison, I think they tasted almost identical and looked very similar to the fries from the Johnny Rockets at Old Orchard mall. To top it all off, the prices were generally low, with a side costing only $2.75. Just like the wings, the corn on the cob tasted authentic and juicy.

I thought the restaurant did an amazing job of bringing the cultural background into their food and making the customers feel like the food they are being served is more than just fast food. All in all, if you happen to be walking around Old Orchard mall one day and you get hungry, you should definitely give this restaurant a try. The food tastes very real, the service is good, and who knows, you might fall in love with the new restaurant. Out of five stars, I would give Nandos PERi-PERi four because of how well the food was made. I hope to see you at our now-local Nando’s PERi-PERi at Old Orchard Mall.