Chickita® - Flame Grilled Chicken (Highpoint) — Restaurant in Melbourne

So some caveats with this lengthy review. I think(?) Chickita at Highpoint has only recently opened at time of writing so some or all of these issue could be well and truly sorted as you read this. Also obviously my subjective tastes are my own.

First up - service staff were amazing! Genuine smiles, happy to see you. Whoever is doing people managing and hiring is doing an amazing job (as of course the individual staff!)

So the parallels to Nando’s are the elephant in the room. We know it’s Nando’s inspired (it’s on one of their old sites for goodness sake!) and they want you to pick the spicy-ness level like Nando’s, so far so good. One issue potentially is for dine-in orders there are these tablets to order from the table.

Look I’m not against innovation, but is it needless innovation? I gotta think they’ll need to wipe those screens down so much and perhaps that the tech will fail that maybe a nice little point of sale system in conjunction with a pencil could work just as good? But hey what do I know about the business side of things? Just hope they wipe those touchscreens down well.

But you’re here for the food review and sad to say: it was mid. Not dreadful. But I found myself yearning for the Nando’s on a different level of Highpoint (but with the Chickita’s staff!).

I ordered the Chicken Original Burger with chips. Perhaps burgers are not their speciality - at least I hope not.

For one there was a crazy amount of chicken in this thing. I’m a person who loves their tucker (with the booty to prove it) but the amount of protein in this thing was obscene. Basically two breast fillets instead of a more sensible one. Perhaps they were just feeling generous but it was hard to eat and just wasteful (and this was coming from a BIG person). I would much prefer a few dollars knocked off the price than a slab of chicken left on my plate.

It had cheese on the burger from memory and perhaps that’s was giving my burger some weird top notes as per flavour. I’m no foodie but I know what I like, and like I say, this was… fine.

Once again, I’m hesitate to say don’t try this place out, but neither would I say it’s a must visit food spot at Highpoint.

TL;DR great service, mid-level burger with way too much...

I heard the owner is from Vietnam, so I wanted to support my country’s business brand. The concept feels a bit like Nando’s, but the sauces lean more towards a Southeast Asian style. Most of the spicy sauces are more on the sour side, with different layers of flavor and spices.

I ordered: • 1/4 plain chicken leg • 6 chicken wings with Sweet Baby sauce • Grilled corn • Prawn tacos • Signature chicken rice • Lychee tea

The plain chicken had a slightly bitter aftertaste, which was balanced out when paired with the Sweet Baby sauce on the wings. However, I found the chicken in both dishes a little dry, not as juicy as some other reviews mentioned.

I mixed 3–4 of their sauces together to get a nice blend of sweet, spicy, savory, and tangy — that combo went well with everything.

⭐ Highlight of the meal: the prawn taco & grilled corn 🌽 Tbh, I wasn’t a big fan of the prawn they used, but overall the taste and flavor were really good. Just a little messy to eat if you’re not careful 🤣. The grilled corn was buttery and fragrant, but I wish the garlic flavor came through more — I could barely taste it 🥹 I still like this dish tho.

The Signature rice was just okay for me; I’d prefer plain steamed rice to cut the richness. The lychee tea smelled fragrant but was a bit too sweet for my taste. It mentioned citrus, but I mostly got lychee and jasmine 😅.

The staff were super nice and friendly. I accidentally dropped a bottle of sauce — luckily it didn’t break — but they immediately replaced the whole sauce tray for me. I also loved the thoughtful touch of having a little hand-wash corner with soap and paper towels.

Extra star for those small details 🙂‍↕️

————————— I’m keen to come back soon to try the prawn cheese dip and the mango...

A Hidden Gem That Deserves the Hype, this place completely blew me away. From the moment the food hit the table, it was clear this wasn’t your average chicken spot. Everything we ordered was absolutely on point — full of flavour, cooked to perfection, and made with real care.

We had the full chicken with the dynamite sauce, and let me just say: wow. It didn’t just bring the heat — it actually had depth. The spiciness was balanced with a subtle mango sweetness that gave it a unique, addictive flavour. It’s not often you find a hot sauce that’s both bold and nuanced, but they nailed it.

The sides were far from an afterthought. The Asian greens were cooked just right — crisp yet tender, with a punch of seasoning. The corn was juicy and full of flavour, the rice was so good I could’ve eaten a bowl of it on its own, and the coleslaw was fresh, crunchy, and not overdressed (a small but important detail).

But the real surprise highlight? The cheesy chicken dip. Creamy, savoury, and packed with tender pieces of chicken — it was unlike anything I’ve had before. A must-try starter that totally set the tone for the rest of the meal.

This place reminds me of Nando’s, but honestly, it’s on a whole different level. Fresher, tastier, and with so much more attention to quality. If you’re a fan of grilled chicken, bold flavours, and well-seasoned food done right, this is the spot for you.

I’m already planning my next visit and seriously hoping they open a location on my side of town (South-East Melbourne, please!). This is the kind of franchise that’s going places —...