Nando's

Nando's is a Portuguese-style peri-peri chicken chain with a branch in the Manda Hill Shopping Mall on Great East Road in Lusaka, Zambia, known for consistent quality. The brand began in South Africa and draws on Portuguese-Mozambican grilling traditions, so there is no individual chef lineage or Michelin context; its value to visitors is a dependable, quick and relatively inexpensive meal in a clean mall setting.

Peri-peri chicken is the signature dish and the reason most visitors come: a flame-grilled chicken, whole or in halves and quarters, marinated and then basted in a peri-peri sauce chosen from a heat scale ranging from lemon-and-herb to extra hot. Wraps are the other main option and suit a lighter or faster meal. Sides such as chips, spicy rice, coleslaw and corn on the cob complete the usual order.

The dining room is modern, bright and informal, with an order-at-the-counter or table-service style depending on the branch, and a moderate noise level. Dress is casual, and meals are quick, which suits lunch breaks and families with children. It is not a venue for a long, leisurely dinner.

Beverages include soft drinks, juices, beer and a short wine list, and bottles of sauce are sold for taking home.

Prices are among the lowest in the mall, with meals costing about K100-220 (roughly $5-12). The restaurant is open daily from 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM. Reservations are not usually necessary, though a phone call is sensible for groups on Friday and Saturday evenings. Because it sits in Manda Hill, parking, cash machines and other shops are close at hand.