Peli Peli – A South African Delight
I recently went to a very unique restaurant that made me reminisce about my trip to South Africa four years ago. It’s an upscale casual restaurant located at the Vintage Park shopping center in North Houston (Hwy 249 & Louetta). And, I had a delightful South African experience there.
When you walk into the restaurant, you see a large wood Acacia Tree made of walnut wood and lighted with changing colors. Guests are invited to dine under Peli Peli’s 30-foot tall, one-of-a-kind Acacia Tree with an illuminated sky while enjoying live jazz, avant-garde architecture in the spacious dining area. It really provided a great ambiance.
The significance of the Acacia Tree is that lions rest and dine under these trees in South Africa and since you are “king” so should you. There are also TVs located in the dining area that features Chef Paul Friedman, the Master Chef of Peli Peli preparing some of his signature dishes. It was all very entertaining.
So what is Peli Peli?
Peli Peli (also known as Piri Piri or Peri Peri), which means Bird’s-Eye Chili, is a spice found by the Portuguese in the 15th Century on the plains of Southern Africa. The spice rapidly became popular when used to prepare sauces and marinades for Portuguese and African foods.
The Bird’s-Eye Chili is the cornerstone spice for the cuisine and concept. Peli Peli presents a fresh new dining experience by combining our signature Flame Pepper chicken recipe, as well as traditional family recipes and dishes collected from around the world.
Peli Peli’s menu featured its signature Flame Pepper Chicken that is marinated in guava, grilled over Applewood smoke and served with a variety of dipping sauces ranging from sweet to spicy. This was dish that I had, and it was scrumptious. The chicken was fall-off-the bone tender and spiced to perfection with Peli Peli. It was served with a hot dipping sauce for the chicken, and a wonderful mango coleslaw and couscous.
The Peli Peli menu items are infused with their unique line of dipping sauces that include sweet specials such as Passion Fruit and Mint Mojito, original favorites like Citrus Lemon Butter and Roasted Garlic, and of course the signature hot sauce Spicy Peli Peli and the Spicy Ginger.
Peli Peli’s dipping sauces are available for any entrée and help bring out the bold flavors of the cuisine, as well as make each dining experience interesting and memorable.
For dessert, my friends and I shared the Sticky Toffee Pudding. It’s a rich pudding cake smothered with homemade sticky toffee. It’s a European favorite that was brought to South Africa during the English occupation.
In addition to this amazing blend of innovative cuisine, guests entering Peli Peli will embark on a journey that will capture their heart, soul and belly and discover an extraordinary atmosphere of live music, extravagant design and attentive staff.
About the Chef
Paul Friedman is the Master Chef of Peli Peli. Chef Paul has had over 35 years of experience in the restaurant industry, having owned and operated successful restaurant concepts in South Africa and Germany, as well as being the creator of Paul’s Pizza Shop, a nationally-recognized pizza concept in North Houston.
Check out their website and enjoy a unique South African meal – http://www.pelipeli.com/
Here are some photos of South Africa that I took when I went on safari and a visit to Cape Town.
