I wish I could say that the main catalyst for my trip to South Africa was my love for Nando. While this is not the case, I took this unique opportunity to visit as many Nando branches in South Africa as possible.

The first difference that is obvious is that some branches offer table service. My experience was that this didn’t seem to be based on how busy a branch was, but simply how willing the staff were to take table orders. If you order at the checkout, the experience is almost identical to the UK. Regardless of whether you order your food at the table, a waiter will bring you cutlery, napkins and a straw if necessary.

When you arrive at the table, a selection of four sauces will be waiting for you in a handy holder complete with handle. The sauces were usually Nando brand garlic, lemon and herb, spicy and tomato sauces. These were complemented with a normal salt shaker on one side and perisal on the other. The perisal salt shaker was perhaps the highlight of South African Nando’s for me, as in the UK we seem to have been conditioned to think it’s acceptable to pay 10p for a pinch of paprika mixed with salt and dry spices. In addition to charging for the perisal, the amount offered can be very variable, sometimes being barely visible and other times the suffocation too intense for pleasure. Pouring it on yourself certainly makes a lot more sense, and given the free offer of unlimited amounts of peri-peri sauces, why can’t we have the free peri-salt too? It’s meant to be part of the Nando experience after all, and it’s also offered for free in the US, Canada, Australia, and Cyprus, to name a few.

Peri-salt rants aside, the wait for food came next and always seemed like 5-10 minutes to me, regardless of how busy the restaurant was or how big the order was. This also included all food for up to six people arriving at the same time. As well as helping tremendously with timing when planning a Nando’s meal, it is obvious that maintaining a consistent average delivery time is more desirable than the highly variable times that UK branches can take (between 2 and 45 minutes in my experience ). It also reduces the risk of finishing a meal before some food arrives, a common problem when visiting with groups of 6 or more at home.

When the food arrives it is on different crockery than in the UK, and apparently the same as found in Canada. My first meal was burger, fries and rice, but the rice was soon removed as it wasn’t as good as in the UK (although identical to the rice in the US and Cyprus branches). UK Nando’s seems to have the perfect rice, and it’s definitely the aspect of UK visits that I look forward to the most. Instead of rice, at future meals I opted for a chicken breast quarter, which was substantially larger than UK ones, and a justifiable meal in its own right. Each burger also featured a larger piece of breast fillet, and it was hard not to remember when portions in the UK were substantially larger than they are today. The steak always filled the entire bun and so there was never any unwanted bread long after the chicken had been eaten. I even tried a chicken wrap on one occasion and it was filled to the brim with tender cubes of chicken breast, no rationing, resulting in a wrap made up of mostly lettuce and mayonnaise. As for the chips, they were thinner, similar in quantity to a regular UK serving, and always cooked to perfection (no undercooking or burnt chips like in the UK).

One of the most important comparisons to make is undoubtedly the one between the different sauces that are offered. Instead of the four spice levels offered in the UK (I won’t count extra extra hot as it’s not available over the counter), there are five levels: Mediterranean, Lemon & Herb, Mild, Hot and Extra Hot. So the jump from mild to spicy seems a bit sudden for a seasoned British veteran. Medium lovers in the UK may be unsure whether to take the perceived step towards lemon and grass, or break the psychological heat barrier. Luckily this wasn’t a problem for me, and extra-spicy was always just as satisfying in South Africa as it is in the UK, with an almost identical taste.

Probably the main question regarding food is whether I prefer Nando’s in South Africa to Nando’s in the UK. The answer is not simple, as a finely prepared British meal would be preferable to a South African meal (mainly because of the rice). However, the sheer number of variables in the UK means it would be hard to recommend it in South Africa, as one can expect as much (if not more) below average food as one can expect an exquisitely prepared example.

While eating all this food, it was necessary to find time to enjoy the decoration that was offered in each branch. Five of the six I went to were almost identical and what I would clearly describe as “average Nando”. The one exception was Eastgate, Johannesburg, which had some interesting artwork and designs on the walls. So in the decor category I would definitely suggest UK Nando’s is better.

The last thing to consider is the price of a meal. In South Africa a hamburger with fries costs just under 3.50; something that would cost twice as much in the UK. Clearly there are big economic differences between the two countries, although I still feel the UK Nando is too expensive (and is getting more so as time goes on). With the price of a double burger, two sides and a drink at over £15 currently, it’s hard to see how much more Nando’s UK can stomach the price increases.

It should be obvious from reading the above that Nando’s experience in South Africa is a much more homogeneous affair compared to Nando’s in the UK. While this clearly demonstrates better overall management and a commitment to a fast food ethos, it lessens the need for a website like Rate YOUR Nando’s. So perhaps you should be pleased with the ups and downs of UK Nando’s food as they add infinite value to the Nando’s rating experience this side of the equator.