Restaurant Reco: New Mississauga resto has mac and cheese with spicy popcorn chicken

Mac and cheese is one of the ultimate comfort foods out there, combining cheesy deliciousness with the convenience of being easy to make.

But if you’re tired of KD and want something to spice things up, I can say this new Mississauga restaurant definitely scratches that itch.

Quebec-based restaurant chain Flamos Peri Peri recently opened their very first Ontario location right here in Mississauga, located in the city’s west end at 3041 Argentia Rd near Winston Churchill Blvd.

The restaurant offers a house-smoked twist on the classic Peri Peri Chicken (named after the hot pepper originally produced by Portuguese explorers in Portugal’s former Southern African territories). Flamos combines those South African roots with classical European spices for a very unique taste.

The menu features a variety of chicken dishes, strips, wraps, sandwiches, signature bowls, poutines, salads and more. For dessert there’s natas, mini beignets and churros stuffed with Nutella.

THE DISH:

I can always go for good mac and cheese, so the “Coq Mac n Cheese” caught my eye while I was browsing the menu. The Cavatappi pasta is topped with Karaage popcorn chicken, Canadian aged cheddar cheese, mozzarella cheese, parmigiana Reggiano cheese, Grana Padano cheese, green onions, and slathered with a generous amount of spicy chipotle aioli sauce.

The Karaage popcorn chicken is definitely the highlight of this signature bowl. Every one of the bite-sized chunks of Japanese style fried chicken were perfectly crispy and flavourful, and the chipotle aioli sauce added even more flavour and a nice bit of heat that I could definitely appreciate.

Digging through the chicken at the top of the bowl rewards you with a generous amount of mac and cheese, and you can tell the restaurant went all out — the blend of four different cheeses results in that perfect cheesy texture and taste that all good mac and cheese should have.

As for customization options, you can get this bowl with extra green onions and extra Grana Padano. Overall this is a great dish if you’re looking for something that’s both delicious and will keep you full for a good while.

THE UNIQUE:

Flamos Peri Peri in Mississauga is the franchise’s first Ontario location, currently operating three other locations in Quebec. The franchise is continuing to expand and plans to open a restaurant in Kitchener by the end of the year.

THE VERDICT:

If you want good mac and cheese with a spicy kick to it, take a chance on this new resto and you might just be surprised. From what I’ve tried so far, Flamos’ delicious chicken has me excited to eventually go back and try some of their other Peri Peri creations.

1. Flamos Peri Peri