Chicken. It’s seldom that you browse a menu and fail to spy a mention of the meat – that is unless you’re visiting a vegan or veggie eatery, of course.
However, it can prove dry or bland on occasion.
But when a shop opens its doors specialising in all things chicken, then you can rest assured knowing it will prove faultless, right?
Well, ever since Aberdeen’s new chicken shop Chilli Flames launched last month, it has been on Julia and I’s radars.
Both being lovers of meat, we decided to pay the venue a visit for our latest Drive-Thru Diners stint.
Chilli Flames: What is it and what’s on offer?
Chilli Flames is an Afro-Portuguese flame-grilled chicken restaurant with a menu offering grilled marinated chicken, burgers, rice boxes and pitta wraps.
The branch, located on Bridge Street, is the fifth venue in Scotland after Glasgow, Dumfries, Livingston and Kirkintilloch. A sixth store, in Paisley, is due to open soon.
The chain prides itself on serving chicken that “is always fresh and never frozen”, according to its website, and each piece of chicken is marinated for at least 24 hours in the brand’s secret marinade.
Customers can choose the level of spice they would like their dish to be. Options include lemon and herb, medium, hot and fiery hot.
The order:
The results
So, what did Julia and I think of the dishes we tucked into from Chilli Flames?
Flama wings
First up were the flama wings – a menu item that our server recommended we try.
We opted for lemon and herb on the spice front (or should I say, we opted for no spice), so it was time for the chicken to do all the talking.
There were four grilled wings inside the bag, which we thought looked rather sad.
The negatives. They lacked a crispy outer layer, some segments of chicken were rather fatty and they proved a challenge to eat.
However, they were juicy and there was a sound amount of meat on the go.
Presentation
Julia: 1.5/5
Karla: 1.5/5
Taste
Julia: 3/5
Karla: 3/5
Loaded Mexi fries
The loaded Mexi fries were a highlight for Julia, who complimented the dish from the get-go due to the crispy potato sticks sprinkled across the top – a unique and interesting addition to loaded fries.
Also in amongst the mix was a bed of chips, of course, topped with beef (which can be swapped for chicken), salsa, cheese, peppers, onions and perinaise.
While my fellow Drive-Thru Diner tucked into the vibrant and inviting dish, I was rather conflicted on this one.
On the one hand, I thought the chips were of good quality and the veg added a nice crunch, but the beef was a tad bland and the cheese hadn’t melted.
All in all, there were good elements but also things that could be improved on.
Presentation
Julia: 3/5
Karla: 3/5
Taste
Julia: 3/5
Karla: 3/5
Flamin panini
The flamin panini was something I’d happily order again from Chilli Flames, to be honest.
Comprising a toasted panini with chicken, cheese, onions, peppers, garlic mayo and sweet and sour sauce, it was a feast for the senses.
Okay, it didn’t look the part. However, the variety of ingredients provided a number of different textures that worked well together.
Julia wasn’t sold on the dish.
To be fair, the cheese (again) hadn’t fully melted, the chicken was on the cold side and it could have done with more filling – three aspects that I wasn’t overly happy about either – so it’s understandable.
Presentation
Julia: 2/5
Karla: 2/5
Taste
Julia: 2/5
Karla: 3.5/5
Flama kofta
The flama kofta consisted of a soft pita filled with kofta pieces, lettuce, onions, tomato and a chilli mint sauce.
It was simple, yet effective. The lamb was succulent and the vegetables tasted fresh. However, neither of us were overly keen on the sauce.
If a flavoursome tzatziki was thrown into the mix instead, it would have gone down even better.
Presentation
Julia: 2/5
Karla: 2/5
Taste
Julia: 3/5
Karla: 3.5/5
The loaded Mexi fries came out on top at Chilli Flames, racking up a score of 12/20.
Can you think of any local venues or dishes you would like the Drive-Thru Diners to try?
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