A cool place where chicks are hot

These are exciting times for adventurous taste buds. So many dining places to explore… so many dishes and food products to indulge in… a huge variety of delicious food concepts/trends popping up right and left to savor! There’s just so much food going around and such little space in our tummies to accommodate all the glorious blessings!

And then there are the reliable ones — those places we keep coming back to time and time again, even after the initial excitement wanes. In a world of hits and misses, we always revisit restaurants that have measured up to our taste, where we’ve gone past the second visit to confirm whether the first delightful experience was a fluke. It feels like coming back home — to the familiar and to the comforting.

For a food establishment to hit the three-year mark means that the place and the food has certainly created great memories worth reliving. One such restaurant would be Peri-Peri Chicken House located at the Promenade in Greenhills. Loyal customers just keep coming back for a taste of its famous Portuguese–style grilled chicken. I myself have been there more than a couple of times after a night at the movies with the family.

Personally, what’s great to me is the chicken’s distinctly grilled flavor similar to our local inasal: succulent and tender to the bite, and charcoal-flamed to reduce fat content. I have never been a fan of hot sauces so I always order mine with a hint of lemon zest and garlic and enjoy it simply as it is. However, in doing so I have missed out on why the restaurant is so popular in the first place: its signature hot sauce which the place stakes its name on — Peri-peri, which literally means “African bird’s eye chili.” Many centuries ago, Portuguese explorers in search of spices not only discovered the famous Spice Route to the East but also stumbled upon what used to be Southern Africa’s best-guarded secret: pili-pili or piri-piri as it is known in other regions. This tiny capsicum is packed with flavor, not to mention claims for the following health benefits: it provides high levels of vitamin C, an antioxidant essential for the formation of collagen, plus it’s a good source of vitamin A, folic acid and potassium.

Add to that capsaicin, which is the heat component in chili which helps to thin the blood and prevent blood clots, and it has a lowering effect on cholesterol levels. Of course, it makes an effective nasal decongestant as many a teary-eyed customer will confirm. It is also believed to trigger the release of endorphins, the chemicals produced by our body which tend to lift one’s spirits. It’s no wonder loyal patrons keep coming back! Maybe one day, on my next visit, I will try out this happy feel-good sauce and see if it has the same effect on me.

The fiery range of chili sauces is not just hot but flavorful. They are bottled should one want to buy some for use at home as a condiment or cooking ingredient.

Besides the signature dish, and the fiery hot sauce, Peri-Peri Grill House offers a pretty diverse menu. There’s grilled specialties such as Texas-style ribs, Peri Pepper chops and garlic mustard beef skewers; plus pasta dishes like Parmesan shrimp ,salmon mango cream and seafood marinara (servings are meant for sharing) and jumbo sandwiches such as pepper-crusted burger made of 100 percent premium Angus beef. Desserts are your basic, never-fail-to-please classics like tiramisu, New York cheesecake and blueberry cheesecake, among others.

Tagged as a popular dining destination for families, Peri-Peri Grilled House just recently had a makeover. The newly renovated diner now looks more sophisticated than casual, more cozy than homestyle comfy, as it goes for a chic, modern (rather than conventional classic) decor. I like its new polished look. I’m sure it will now capture a wider market, particularly the corporate crowd and the weekend partyphiles. On a Saturday night I guess you can say Peri-Peri Grill House is a cool place to chill where the chicks are hot!

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