Restaurant: Peli Peli
Address: The Galleria, Houston, TX
Buffet or a-la-carte: A-la-carte
Date of visit: 11/5/18
Background:
Salam/hey guys! Today I will be talking about my experience(s) at one of Houston's most well known spots in town: Peli Peli. Peli Peli is a South African restaurant that is run by co-owners Paul Friedman and Thomas Nguyen. So how did I find out about this place? Well, let's flashback to 2015. They had just opened their Galleria location, which was their second location after Vintage Park, and they invited bloggers to go. Being a person who just joined a food blogger group, I decided to go so that I could network with other bloggers. I remember having their shrimp, and I had really enjoyed them. At that time, I really wished that they would serve halal options, since the food was really good. Over time I'd see them be featured for their food. They were featured on the CNBC show Restaurant Startup. They won the 2017 People's Choice Awards, which was conducted by the Greater Houston Restaurant Association. They are rated top 10 in Houston by both TripAdvisor and Yelp. They even won the best food at the 2017 Menu of Menus Event, where restaurants come in and people vote on who has the best restaurant out there. A Facebook video of their espetada went viral recently. And their food looked absolutely mouthwatering. They then opened up a location in Cinco Ranch at LaCenterra. Fast forward to last Saturday (11/3) and someone had just tagged me in a comment. And I couldn't believe it. The restaurant said that they were going to start serving halal chicken (except the wings) and lamb the following week, and then by Spring they'd have halal beef. I then inquired about their fast casual concept Peli Peli kitchen (locations in Heights and Spring Branch). They were going to start with the halal items in two weeks. Alas, a prayer answered, Alhamdulilah. I then went ahead and made a reservation for lunch the following Monday. But that's not all. That Monday was also one of my best friend's birthday. His wife wanted a nice place so that she, her son, and all his friends can come and dine for the occasion. After studying for my GRE, I went for lunch. And after studying more, I headed to the Cinco Ranch location.
Let The Experience Begin!
The Galleria location of Peli Peli is located at one of the main entrances to the Galleria. You can calmly park at the Galleria garage and then walk, or you can park in the open lot as well. The inside was really nice. In the front you have a patio outside, and the inside has tables. The Cinco Ranch location had a great vibe as well.
Let's Eat!
For lunch, I ordered the Cape Malay Chicken Potjie Pot as well as South African Seafood Cakes. Potjie is basically a pot for a stew. Thus, the dish was basically a stew. It consists of chicken, potatoes, carrots, peas, cilantro, chopped red onions, chopped tomatoes, toasted coconut, mango chutney, and South African Rice. The Seafood Cakes had kingklip (a fish native to South Africa), prawns, their special seasoning and breading, and peppadew tartar sauce. The Potjie Pot was $12+ tax for lunch, and the Seafood Cakes were for $16. I got the Cakes for free because there was a special promotion going on. The waiting time was about 13 minutes in total.
For dinner, I and the majority of the guys got the chicken espetada. It's chicken that is hung vertically with garlic herb butter on top. Just like that video on Facebook but with chicken instead of beef. And it floats! It came with sauteed baby spinach, onions, roasted red potatoes and carrot bredie (a type of South African Stew). The dinner price for the espetada is $28 + tax, while the lunch price is $17 + tax.
Menu: https://www.pelipeli.com/pdf/menu/FullMenu01232018.pdf
As mentioned above, only the chicken (except the wings) and the lamb are halal. I met with one of the managers at the Galleria location. I confirmed that the items were indeed halal. I also asked them to clean the grill. But wow, a whole new cuisine that has halal options available in the Houston area! The seafood items look great as well.
The Verdict:
What can I say. This place was incredible. The Potjie Pot was wonderful. One thing though: everyone suggested that to get the best taste, you mix everything inside the pot, and then eat. The seafood cakes were some of the best seafood I've had, especially the peppadew sauce. As a first time eater of Kingklip, it was wonderful. The espetada was amazing as well. The garlic butter fits perfectly with the meat. The sides were also great. The rest of the guys enjoyed the food that they ordered. I had a few bites of their chocolate dessert and it was great as well. Overall, two thumbs up.
The service was amazing as a whole. Though it was a little slow at the Galleria location because it became busy, the Cinco Ranch location was wonderful. The folks there are really nice and are attentive.
Conclusion:
Peli Peli is a wonderful place to go if you're going for lunch or for a special occasion. The lunch prices are reasonable, though the menu options are limited. The great part is that both the Galleria and Cinco Ranch locations were consistent in their food quality. I can't wait to go back and try the other dishes as well as their halal steaks that come out in 2019.
Grading:
Service: 9.5/10 overall
Food: 9/10
Total: 18.5/20 = 92.5% (A)
Pricing: $$$$ out of $$$$
Restaurant Information:
Peli Peli
Locations in Galleria, LaCenterra (Cinco Ranch), and Vintage Park, Houston, TX
Phone: (281) 257-9500 (works for all thee locations)
Website: https://www.pelipeli.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/peligalleria (Galleria location)
https://www.facebook.com/pelicincoranch/ (Cinco Ranch)
Instagram: @pelipelihouston
Timings: Galleria- Sun-Thu: 11 AM - 10 PM; Fri-Sat: 11 AM - 11 PM;
Cinco Ranch: Mon-Thu: 11 AM - 9 PM; Fri: 11 AM - 10 PM; Sat: 10:30 AM - 10 PM; Sun: 10:30 AM - 9 PM
Caters: Yes
Reservations recommended on weekends.
Feel free to comment below, send me a message on Facebook, or email me!
Cheers!
Zain Mohammed
Address: The Galleria, Houston, TX
Buffet or a-la-carte: A-la-carte
Date of visit: 11/5/18
Background:
Salam/hey guys! Today I will be talking about my experience(s) at one of Houston's most well known spots in town: Peli Peli. Peli Peli is a South African restaurant that is run by co-owners Paul Friedman and Thomas Nguyen. So how did I find out about this place? Well, let's flashback to 2015. They had just opened their Galleria location, which was their second location after Vintage Park, and they invited bloggers to go. Being a person who just joined a food blogger group, I decided to go so that I could network with other bloggers. I remember having their shrimp, and I had really enjoyed them. At that time, I really wished that they would serve halal options, since the food was really good. Over time I'd see them be featured for their food. They were featured on the CNBC show Restaurant Startup. They won the 2017 People's Choice Awards, which was conducted by the Greater Houston Restaurant Association. They are rated top 10 in Houston by both TripAdvisor and Yelp. They even won the best food at the 2017 Menu of Menus Event, where restaurants come in and people vote on who has the best restaurant out there. A Facebook video of their espetada went viral recently. And their food looked absolutely mouthwatering. They then opened up a location in Cinco Ranch at LaCenterra. Fast forward to last Saturday (11/3) and someone had just tagged me in a comment. And I couldn't believe it. The restaurant said that they were going to start serving halal chicken (except the wings) and lamb the following week, and then by Spring they'd have halal beef. I then inquired about their fast casual concept Peli Peli kitchen (locations in Heights and Spring Branch). They were going to start with the halal items in two weeks. Alas, a prayer answered, Alhamdulilah. I then went ahead and made a reservation for lunch the following Monday. But that's not all. That Monday was also one of my best friend's birthday. His wife wanted a nice place so that she, her son, and all his friends can come and dine for the occasion. After studying for my GRE, I went for lunch. And after studying more, I headed to the Cinco Ranch location.
Let The Experience Begin!
The Galleria location of Peli Peli is located at one of the main entrances to the Galleria. You can calmly park at the Galleria garage and then walk, or you can park in the open lot as well. The inside was really nice. In the front you have a patio outside, and the inside has tables. The Cinco Ranch location had a great vibe as well.
Let's Eat!
For lunch, I ordered the Cape Malay Chicken Potjie Pot as well as South African Seafood Cakes. Potjie is basically a pot for a stew. Thus, the dish was basically a stew. It consists of chicken, potatoes, carrots, peas, cilantro, chopped red onions, chopped tomatoes, toasted coconut, mango chutney, and South African Rice. The Seafood Cakes had kingklip (a fish native to South Africa), prawns, their special seasoning and breading, and peppadew tartar sauce. The Potjie Pot was $12+ tax for lunch, and the Seafood Cakes were for $16. I got the Cakes for free because there was a special promotion going on. The waiting time was about 13 minutes in total.
For dinner, I and the majority of the guys got the chicken espetada. It's chicken that is hung vertically with garlic herb butter on top. Just like that video on Facebook but with chicken instead of beef. And it floats! It came with sauteed baby spinach, onions, roasted red potatoes and carrot bredie (a type of South African Stew). The dinner price for the espetada is $28 + tax, while the lunch price is $17 + tax.
Menu: https://www.pelipeli.com/pdf/menu/FullMenu01232018.pdf
As mentioned above, only the chicken (except the wings) and the lamb are halal. I met with one of the managers at the Galleria location. I confirmed that the items were indeed halal. I also asked them to clean the grill. But wow, a whole new cuisine that has halal options available in the Houston area! The seafood items look great as well.
 |
| The Trio of Seafood Cakes |
 |
| Cape Malay Chicken Potjie Pot |
 |
| Chicken Espetada |
The Verdict:
What can I say. This place was incredible. The Potjie Pot was wonderful. One thing though: everyone suggested that to get the best taste, you mix everything inside the pot, and then eat. The seafood cakes were some of the best seafood I've had, especially the peppadew sauce. As a first time eater of Kingklip, it was wonderful. The espetada was amazing as well. The garlic butter fits perfectly with the meat. The sides were also great. The rest of the guys enjoyed the food that they ordered. I had a few bites of their chocolate dessert and it was great as well. Overall, two thumbs up.
The service was amazing as a whole. Though it was a little slow at the Galleria location because it became busy, the Cinco Ranch location was wonderful. The folks there are really nice and are attentive.
Conclusion:
Peli Peli is a wonderful place to go if you're going for lunch or for a special occasion. The lunch prices are reasonable, though the menu options are limited. The great part is that both the Galleria and Cinco Ranch locations were consistent in their food quality. I can't wait to go back and try the other dishes as well as their halal steaks that come out in 2019.
Grading:
Service: 9.5/10 overall
Food: 9/10
Total: 18.5/20 = 92.5% (A)
Pricing: $$$$ out of $$$$
Restaurant Information:
Peli Peli
Locations in Galleria, LaCenterra (Cinco Ranch), and Vintage Park, Houston, TX
Phone: (281) 257-9500 (works for all thee locations)
Website: https://www.pelipeli.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/peligalleria (Galleria location)
https://www.facebook.com/pelicincoranch/ (Cinco Ranch)
Instagram: @pelipelihouston
Timings: Galleria- Sun-Thu: 11 AM - 10 PM; Fri-Sat: 11 AM - 11 PM;
Cinco Ranch: Mon-Thu: 11 AM - 9 PM; Fri: 11 AM - 10 PM; Sat: 10:30 AM - 10 PM; Sun: 10:30 AM - 9 PM
Caters: Yes
Reservations recommended on weekends.
Cheers!
Zain Mohammed
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