A Taste of South African Food at Peli Peli Restaurant

I had the [absolute] honor of dining at Peli Peli Restaurant. Peli Peli is a South African infusion restaurant with locations at Vintage Park and The Galleria. The restaurant has been around for 9 years, but recently open a new location inside the loop.  

As you walk into the Galleria location, you'll be welcomed by a rainbow of LED lights that are perfectly assembled from the front room, the bar to the back rooms.  As you arrive in the middle room, depending on the time of day, you'll witness the ceiling lighting change from sunrise to sunset. And as you look to the walls you'll see maps of Johannesburg and " South African Flavors" printed on the walls. You'll also get to see some unique art pieces live painted by performance painter David Garibaldi.  

Peli Peli is owned by Thomas Nguyen, Michael Tran and Chef Paul Friedman( who is of South African decent). Together they want to introduce you to South Africa, through through the dishes on the menu. You’ll notice some influences from other cultures, which in part shows how diverse the country really is. We tasted some popular South African dishes like; Bobotie, Melktart(meaning Milk Tart in Afrikaans) and the South African KingKlip fish.

If you're not familiar with South African food, like most people, don't fret. Their well-versed and knowledgeable staff will be right there to walk you through the menu. But, one thing I can tell you about your dining experience at Peli Peli is, you will not be disappointed. 

Bobotie: A traditional South African dish consisting of spiced mashed meat baked in a "pot-pie" way. Very flavorful, 2nd best thing on the menu.

Prawn Bisque: This soup was so comforting and filling. It was topped with lobster meat.

South African Kingklip & Scallops: Special South African fish, imported from the motherland. The fish has a tougher texture but was very well seared and went perfectly with the slaw. The Shrimp was cooked as well.

Side Slaw w/ a mixed veggie/potato dish

Huguenot & Madagascar Filet  Medalions & Lamb Chop: 6 oz. filet topped with creamy clue cheese & bacon, and Green Peppercorn sauce. Perfectly prepared, to.die.for.

Melktart Brûlée: Traditional South African dessert adapted by Chef Paul, topped with brûlée crumble. You will feel perfectly at peace, joyful and in love with your first bite. Then you will come for more of this heavenly dessert. ( You've been warned!)

M Bistro Restaurant Ritz-Carlton Hotel - New Orleans

Restaurant:
M Bistro Restaurant

Location:
921 Canal St.
New Orleans, LA 70112

Hours:
M-Su 12a-11:30p

Ambiance:
I spent a week working out of New Orleans early this month, during our yearly client conference. Along with the work that we did there, we also got the opportunity to experience the city. Staying in the French Quarter near Bourbon St. M Bistro is a New Orleans restaurant located just inside of the Ritz-Carlton. The hotel was once a warehouse, explaining confusing bottom floors. This classic, elegantly decorated hotel was home to the Spurs and Mario Batali the week we were there.

M Bistro was rated one of the best farm-to-table restaurants by Travel + Leisure magazine, and serves southern fare eats. Funny thing is, I never actually dined inside. I Opted to have my first day meal in the hotel courtyard(you should google it, it's amazing). My last meal was in room as I prepped for my flight back into town.


What I ate:
I arrived during lunch hours and immediately wanted something to eat. I walked down to M Bistro and ordered the Redfish and fried shrimp tacos, which were served with a side salad. The tacos were so delicious, even thinking about then now makes me want some. Although they were both good, the fried shrimp takes the crown. To drink, I decided on a cider( I love ciders & dislike beer). Stella Cidre  was refreshingly fruity with just the tiniest kick.
One my farewell brunch, I ordered the buttermilk pancakes, with bacon and a plate of beignets. There beignets taste different from those at Cafe du Monde; they are less airy but both delicious.

Jack's Wife Freda - New York, NY

Restaurant:
Jack's Wife Freda

Location:
224 Lafayette St, New York, NY 10012
50 Carmine St, New York, NY 10014

Hours:
M-Sa 8:30a-12a
Su 8:30a-10p

Ambiance:
I had the pleasure of brunching at this cute little gem while in New York City for work, this past week. My time in NYC felt like a freeze, but I wanted to make sure I dined at at least one interesting place. Jack's Wife Freda is a 4 year old restaurant in New York, with location on Lafayette St and Carmine St. Portraying the all American dream, Jack's Wife Freda tell the love story of the owner's grandparents. The restaurant's owner(Dean), always dreamt of living the American dream. So he left his hometown of Johannesburg and left for  the big Apple, where he later opened a restaurant with his wife(a transplant from Israel). Dean and his wife decided to name the restaurant after his grandfather's wife, Freda, who apparently was an "incredible host, gracious & warm, always having family, friends, and couple strangers over- and always lots of food." Jack's Wife Freda is a quaint, New York style-bistro, with a hip, fun and hospitable environment.

What I Ate:
I was pretty excited when I arrived, it was a cold rainy day but I had made the decision to walk a couple of blocks just to try it. I sat at the tiny cute bar, right in front of the staff, and ordered hot coffee with milk. Their staff is young, and hip(one of the waiters was wearing the cutest ninja turtle t-shirt). After looking over the menu, I asked for well with my order. As hungry as I told them I was, they recommended I have "Madame Freda," consisting of a pressed sandwich with duck prosciutto, Cheddar Bechamel, Gruyere w/ a sunny side up egg. The order came with an Arugula salad which went well with the pickled onions served with it.

Family Affair at Cheddars Scratch Kitchen

This past weekend, Cheddar's Scratch Kitchen(whom you might remember as Cheddars Casual Cafe) treated my family and I to lunch at their Sugarland, TX location. There's nothing that makes me happier than to spend time with the ones I love, over food and great conversation. Cheddar's Scratch Kitchen is a casual, family oriented restaurant that serves quality food at a reasonable price.

As we arrived, we were escorted by a host to our table where we were greeted by Haley(our server). As we looked around, we could see other families, friends and couples all there sharing a meal(this is probably why I refer to it as a family oriented establishment). Our server was enthusiastic and friendly; partaking in conversation as well as recommending some of her favorite items on the menu to us to try.

Before we could even think, she recommended we start with their Croissants( not on the menu), her excitment and enthusiasm made us decide to have 2 orders of their Croissants. WOH! this girl knows what she's talking about. They may look like your ordinary Croissants in the picture below, but what you can't see is the melted honey butter on them, so good.

Following our indulgent, we ordered our drinks and meals. To drink, as pictured above: Cabernet, Maui Margarita w/ a shot, Frozen Sangria, Coors Light, and the Passion Punch. Having double the number of cooks than any other restaurant, Cheddars Scratch Kitchen invest a lot time in the preparation of meals. Therefore, they invite guests to use the food preparation time to engage in conversation. I appreciated that time, because sometimes you can go eat some place and not find any time between ordering and eating to truly enjoy your company through laughter and conversation.

Speaking of laughter, during our conversation time. My brother noticed a song that was playing softly in the background. As we all quieted down to listen, we realized they were playing Tabu Ley & Mbilia Bel's Tonton Skol; one of our father's favorite songs. We all broke out in laughter, wondering how this song was playing in an American restaurant, while we were there to add to that. That small moment right before the food came was priceless. Now let's get down to the good stuff;

Key West Chicken & Shrimp: Grilled Chicken & Shrimp, topped with a pineapple  pico de gallo over rice. A side of sweet corn & cheesy rice and brocolli 

Dijon Chicken & Mushrooms: Grilled Chicken drizzled with honey dijon, served with mushrooms and a side of fries and green beans.

Grilled Salmon: Hand-cut in house, grilled to order and served atop rice  and a side of mashed potatoes and beans

Steak: Served atop fried onions, served with a side of cole slaw and mashed potatoes with gravy

Chicken Fried Chicken: Hand-battered and served on atop Texas toast with mashed potatoes and gravy, and a side of green beans

Real Trix Rabbit is From Houston, Texas

Photo courtesy of General Mills

After months of searching for the #RealTrixRabbit in a nationwide search, with more than 7,500 entries, General Mills has selected Houston's very own Cinnabun as the real face of Trix Cereal. Cinnabun was celebrated yesterday morning at a red-carpet event with a never before seen unveiling of a limited edition Trix Cereal box.  The new boxes, featuring our local celebrity, are now available in stores.

Trix Cereal manufacturer, General Mills, is out to make our everyday breakfast(lunch or dinner) cereal better, and by listening to what consumers want, they were able to make the necessary changes. The changes include ridding all General Mills cereal of all artificial flavors and colors. GM's plan was to have 75% of their cereal be free of artificial flavors and colors by January 2016. In your new box of Trix Cereal, you'll find Whole Grain as the first ingredient, no artificial flavors or colors from artificial sources, and no high fructose corn syrup.

Chelsea's Kitchen- Phoenix, Arizona

Restaurant:
Chelsea's Kitchen

Location:
5040 N. 40th St., Phoenix, AZ 85018 

Hours:
 M-Sa 11a-10p
Su 930a-9p

Ambiance:
Rolling through PHX with my suitcase. A friend of mine recommended I try Chelsea's Kitchen before leaving Phoenix, Arizona. Pointing out it is one of the best places to eat if you find yourself stuck at the airport and starving. Chelsea's Kitchen has two locations in Arizona, one at Sky Harbor Terminal 4 and the other on East Camelback between Phoenix and Scottsdale. The restaurant prides itself in providing high-quality honest foods while paying tribute to the history of the area. The environment was busy, leaning towards the business kind of business, as everyone seemed to be a passer-by headed somewhere else. The service was spectacular, I had two waitresses. One was new and the other was around making sure everything was going smoothly.

What I Ate:
If you know me, you know it's pretty hard to pass off tacos, so I ordered Ethan's Vegetarian Tacos with an addition of Chicken(hah! Yes, I did). The dish consists of a selection of locally farmed vegetables, pictured below. I must say, I thoroughly enjoyed my meal, it tasted fresh and was well prepared. All the ingredients, which are pretty easy to see, brought so much life to this dish and to my last few hours in the city.

Sylvia's Enchilada Kitchen Houston Restaurant Week Preview

A group of food bloggers and writers were invited to a menu tasting at Sylvia’s Enchilada Kitchen, on July, 21(My birthday!!!). Sylvia’s Enchilada Kitchen is a Tex-Mex restaurant owned by Sylvia Cesares, serving authentic Mexican food. Having been a food scientist at Uncle Ben’s Rice, Cesares has been able to combine her food expertise and her southern family cuisine to bring to Houston uniquely crafted dishes. At a young age, Cesares knew she wanted more from life, so whether in the kitchen or at work, she always knew that there was always something better. While working behind the scenes in the food industry, Cesares knew that she wanted to own a restaurant of her own.

It wasn’t until she had a conversation with a stranger on a plane ride, that she became inspired to be courageous and make a change. "It became clear to me that it was about fear," Cesares said about her big “Aha moment.” Then after that, the rest is history. Cesares shared with us her dishes for Houston Restaurant Week, which were exquisite. Hearing the story of how much love, care and sweat is put into making the perfect dish, added to the whole experience. The food itself was already good, but hearing the work that goes into crafting the perfect dish, makes one appreciate every bite.

For more information on Sylvia’s Enchiladas and Houston Restaurant Week, click here.

Sylvia’s Enchiladas has 3 locations in Houston:

Woodway

Dairy Ashford

Eldridge Parkway

"Great food, great service" - Sylvia Cesares

 Here's a quick look of what to expect;

Guacamole: Better than whatever guac you are eating, and no Chipotle doesn't count.

Coctel de Camaron: Sweet little shrimp cocktail sauce, can be eaten with crackers or chips.

Ceviche: Marinated with fresh line juice and spices, goes well with tostadas or chips

South of the Border Enchiladas Flight: A diverse platter of flavor 

North of the Border Enchilada Flight: A lighter combination plate of flavor. Recommend the Cheese, Calabacita and Crab Meat Enchiladas. 

Mesquite Mixed Grill Platter: The top dog platter. Highly recommended Quail, Shrimp and Carne Asada

Chocolate Tres Leches: Have you ever had one? Off course not. Try this unique delicacy. Only found at Sylvia's

Flan: Baby, baby...Just order it, that's all. FLAVOR, FLAVOR but still having a smooth taste.

Mexican Chocolate Ice Cream with Kahlua and Strawberries: YUUUUUMM!!!

Local Foods - Houston, TX

Restaurant:
Local Foods

Location:
Kirby
2555 Kirby Dr
Houston Texas 77019
The Village
2424 Dunstan Road
Houston Texas 77005

Hours:
Kirby: M-Su 10a-9p
The Village: M-Su 10a-8:30p

Ambiance:
A friend and I went to Local Foods for a little food and conversation earlier this week. Local Foods, as it says so in the name is a local Houston restaurant, serving up a gourmet selection of sandwiches and salads prepared with fresh local ingredients. Local Foods has 2 locations, one at the intersection of Kirby and Westheimer, and the other in Rice Village. The restaurant environment is very casual cool, reminds me of Adair Kitchen; with the hip, old country decor. Just like Adair, you grab a menu as you enter and are given an order number after you've ordered.

What I Ate:
My friend recommended the " Crunchy Chicken." which is a chicken sandwich with nut crumbles, provolone cheese, buttermilk ranch, pickles, and a tomato. Having the option of 2 sides, I went for the Cabbage Slaw which was mixed with what tasted like a peanut vinaigrette, and watermelon. The Crunchy Chicken was Ah-mazing, once you bit into the sandwich and as the ingredients met with the buttermilk ranch and crunch, everything was perfection. I was so into the sandwich that I didn't get much of the slaw, but it was good. I saved the watermelon for last, it was so refreshing in these 90 degree weather.

The Waffle - Hollywood, CA

Restaurant:
The Waffle

Location:
6255 Sunset Boulevard
Hollywood, CA 90028

Hours: 
M-F 7a-4p
Sa-Su 7a-6p

Ambiance:
When in LA, get breakfast at The Waffle. I had the honor of touring LA and some surrounding cities with my sisters as part of my #CityTour for the year. After waking up one Saturday morning, on Golden Globes weekend, we walked from our hotel down to The Waffle on Hollywood Boulevard. The eatery has a casual, neighborhood diner feel, and serves deliciously fresh foods that are sure to make your taste buds dance.

What I Ate:
I ordered hot chocolote, which came with whipped cream and a little chocolate drizzle fo' shizzle! To eat..after weighing my options between the Red Velvet Waffle and French Toast Breakfast, I settled for three slices of French toast soaked in vanillas custard and topped with fruit and a side of potato hash, eggs and veggie sausage. So good and so filling, the french toast and hot chocolate were all of it, everything.

Tilapia with Mango and Beet Salad

Here's the story. Young girl gets home from work, turns music on and starts jamming out. She realizes, she kind of wants to make food, so she proceeds to check the fridge for food. In the midst of her search, while still dancing to her favorite tunes, she comes up with an idea. An idea so broad, she isn't even sure what it is. She looks around the fridge and pantry for ingredients that would satisfy her creation. As she becomes stuck with a missing ingredient, she improvises. And BAM! a new recipe arrives. Enough of my storytelling, let's get to the recipe.

Ingredients:
Tilapia
1/2 Onion
1 or 2 Mangos
Vinaigrette(home made or from the store)

Directions:
1. Bake the Tilapia as desired. I usually put a little lemon, pepper and salt and top it with white onion
2. Chop up the beets and Mangos into small square pieces
3. Set aside
4. Make a vinaigrette with onion or use one from the store
5. Mix Vinaigrette with Mango and Beets
6. Store in the fridge
7. Once everything is ready, you can serve

Killen's Barbecue - Houston, TX

Restaurant:
Killeen's BBQ

Location:
3613 East Broadway Street
Pearland, TX 77581

Hours:
Tu-Su 11a-3p ( or 'til they run out)

Ambiance:
I had the chance of going to Killen's BBQ as part of my Tastemade Houston launch appisode series. Killen's BBQ is located South of Houston in Pearland, TX. A friend and I decided to take a trip down to an unfamiliar part of Pearland, to get a taste of Houston 'Que.  After reading reviews, we decided to get there around 11a, as they opened at 11a. The line was long, but as excited as we were- we didn't notice(Make sure you bring a friend). Killen's is a very casual restaurant, with a cafeteria dining style. It reminded me of the lunch lines back in school, where you get in line, grab a tray and tell the lunch lady what you want to eat. The staff was kind, helpful, funny and had no problem being in my Tastemade appisode. You have the option of seating inside or outside, and off course we opted to sit outside. Want a closer look? Watch my Tastemade appisode here.


What I Ate:
My God, what didn't we get? From short ribs, sausage, potato salad, Mac-n-cheese, cole slaw, peach cobbler, bread pudding. The food is worth the wait and drive, but I would recommend you come hungry. Maybe starving, because there's a lot of food and its extremely heavy. Everything was equally good, but obviously tough to finish all together. My favorites were the brisket, Mac-n-Cheese, 'tato salad, and bread pudding(not pictured). Overall, great place to visit one weekend or day, when it's sunny out so you can sit outside and enjoy.