Oporto Spice Level Selector

The four Oporto bastings in order

Lemon & Herb is the safe starting point, bright and tangy with almost no burn. Original Chilli is the classic Oporto flavour and brings a steady, noticeable heat. New Portuguese BBQ leans smoky and savoury. Extremo Picante is the hottest basting on the menu and is built for people who go looking for pain. Every basting goes on the same flame grilled chicken, so the choice changes flavour and heat, not the cut you get.

Chicken can also be ordered with no basting at all. That suits kids, or anyone who wants to add heat later with a dipping sauce instead.

Heat builds over a meal. A basting that feels mild on the first bite tastes hotter by the last piece, so pick one level lower than you think if you are new to Oporto.

Which chicken to try each heat on

A Quarter Chicken at $9.50 is the low risk way to test a new basting. If Extremo Picante proves too much, you have not committed to a whole bird. The Half Chicken at $13.50 suits one hungry person who already knows their level. Start small, then size up once you know the basting you like best.

Groups with mixed tolerance often order a Whole Chicken at $20.00 on Lemon & Herb and put the heat on the side, so nobody is left out. Crispy Wings at from $6.50 bring a different kind of crunch to the same table.

Wings and burgers bring heat in a different way. The Bondi Burger uses Original Chilli sauce, so it suits medium fans who prefer a burger to a chicken cut.

Heat up or cool down with sauce

A dipping sauce lets each person set their own level. The Extremo Picante Dipping Sauce at $1.50 adds a hit of the hottest flavour to mild chicken. The Original Chilli Dipping Sauce does the same at a gentler level. Extra dips cost $1.50 each at our base store, so testing two or three heat levels in one meal is cheap.

To cool things down, Garlic and Mayo dipping sauces balance chilli well, though Garlic is the heaviest dipping sauce at 812 kJ. Lemon & Herb Dipping Sauce reads just 310 kJ. Fans of the classic heat can take it home in an Original Chilli Sauce Jar at $10.00.

A mix works too. Plenty of people order Lemon & Herb chicken and dip each bite in Extremo Picante, so the heat stays under control from start to finish.