With grey skies looming overhead, it’s the perfect time to try out some steamy grilled chicken. We’re at Zango’s Grill, located near the NH 17 entrance of Lulu Mall. A quick run-through of their displayed menu reveals that this eatery is a hangout solely for chicken lovers. Sorry vegetarians!
If you’re looking for ambience, you won’t find it at this 10-cover eatery. However, the main fare manages to compensate for the lack of dining space. The outlet is the brainchild of Zahir Shah, a Dubai-based food experimentalist, who was inspired by the food served at Nandos, a South African cuisine-based restaurant. With an amiable smile, he walks us through his journey in the food industry—which started with a six-year-old seafood speciality restaurant called Fort Kochi at Al Qusais in Dubai.
Fire it up
“Having already started two successful outlets in Bangalore and Mangalore, I felt it was time to venture into my home state. The idea was to serve soft chicken with a myriad of coastal flavours, far-flung from the mainstream American flavours,” says the restaurateur, as he hands out a selection of grilled dishes from his first-ever outlet in Kerala. Surprising us with its sweet albeit sour distinctiveness, the chilli milli variant is a clear winner for us.
Next, we sample their Mexicano chicken, and it probes our tolerance for fiery seasonings. “I’ve spent over three years to find the most appropriate spice for this dish. This eventually lead me to use byadgi chilli as the core ingredient in the Mexicano option,” explains Zahir, egging us on to pair the charred white meat. The kuboos, mayonnaise-based dips, acidic pickled radish and cauliflower, makes for delightful pairings with the dish.
Eastern influence
To top off the predecessors, Zahir challenges us to try one of his personal favourites, paprika heat. What with its salty and slow-to-hit intense flavour, we look for beverages to calm the aftermath of the serving but couldn’t find any.
This eatery also serves wraps akin to shawarmas, the West Asian delicacy, and fries topped with cheese. With the inaugural of new Thai-infused and Hawaiian flavours, Zango’s Grill appears to be a good spot to have a light meal.