Aberdeen has got that little bit spicier with the arrival of new Afro-Portuguese flame-grilled chicken restaurant Chilli Flames.
Surfing the hot sauce revolution pioneered by Nando’s, Chilli Flames has opened on Bridge Street this week with a menu offering grilled marinated chicken, chicken burgers, rice boxes and pitta wraps.
The branch is the fifth venue in Scotland after Glasgow, Dumfries, Livingston and Kirkintilloch. A sixth store, in Paisley, is due to open soon.
Other Chilli Flames outlets are dotted around the UK.
“We are absolutely delighted to open our store in Aberdeen,” store manager Ahashan Habib said.
“We have been planning to come to the city for a long time.”
The peri-peri uprising
A number of Afro-Portuguese chicken restaurants, with their signature peri-peri chili sauce, have opened in the city since Nando’s first set up shop in Union Square in 2009.
A second Nando’s sits on Belmont Street, Zee’s Peri Peri Grill is on Stocket Parade while Pepe’s Piri Piri caters to King Street.
Bridge Street, where Chilli Flames has opened, already hosts Zulu’s Peri Peri, setting up a chicken hot sauce face-off on the city centre thoroughfare.
Chilli Flames aims to get off to a strong start in Aberdeen’s competitive takeaway scene with a half-price offer on all food throughout this weekend.
Regular prices range from up to about £10 for a whole chicken in hot sauce to burgers priced from £3.99 to £9.
Mr Habib recommended Chilli Flames’ £5 loaded fries and loaded nachos, which come with chicken, salsa, sour cream, and jalapeno topped with cheese.
“You don’t get anything like this in Aberdeen,” he said. “These are different from all of the other places in town.”
Mr Habib said Aberdeen’s Lord Provost, Barney Crockett, will officially open Chilli Flames on Thursday at a ribbon cutting ceremony. Other local councillors will also be in attendance in a show of support for Aberdeen’s takeaway scene.
Meanwhile, Mr Habib said he has “full confidence” in a restaurant sector hard hit by lockdowns and pandemic-related closures.
“It’s the right time to be opening,” he added.