Peli Peli Kitchen

Overall had a good lunch here. The food is overall delicious and the restaurant has a good vibe. My only grip is that this place is super unhealthy and the chicken wings are dry.

Bottom line...come here for some authentic South African food. All the dishes and desserts are great except the wings. Be prepared though that this food is not healthy!

Pros
Lots of parking
Clean and causal ambience
Cookies and plated dishes are good

Cons
Fried chicken wings are dry
Unhealthy food overalll

First time I've eaten at this place and I really enjoyed my food! I opted for the chicken curry with the sweet potatoes as my side. Both were delicious! My only gripe, has to do with the cafeteria style set-up. I appreciate how quickly my food was ready, but you could definitely tell that some of the food had been sitting out for a little while and appeared to be more on the dry side. My meal was not dry in the least bit, but I also based my decision off of what I was seeing in front of me.

I can't speak for the other menu items, but mine was flavorful and delicious! I def recommend this place if you are looking for a place to grab a quick bite!

I still have dreams of this place. I walked in by accident. I asked the guy for something- anything- I was feeling spontaneous. I'm so happy I did!! I'd sell my shoes for a meal there again (But I don't live in Houston)!! Ahhhh, if I wasn't 5 hrs away I'd be there eating the yummy chicken goodness plate with its fixings right now!!!!! You've gotta try this place! Don't be afraid to try it- IM TELLING YOU ITS THE BOMB DOT COM!!!! GO! NOW!
Note: it's been 3 months and I think about this place every other week hahaha!

The food is simply stunning

Pros:
+ I would highly recommend this restaurant for a celebration
+ The food is divine! - You have to try the Chicken espetada. The chicken is beautifully roasted and has an incredible amount of flavor.
+ Delicious sides - the Brussel sprouts are simply divine.
+ Friendly staff
+ Pinotage - I want to buy a case of this incredible wine. They are the only place here that makes it and it is such a gorgeous blend of a Pinot and a Malbec.

Cons:
- Pricey

I used to love this place so much, but a lot has changed over the years. They used to give you 2 sides with all their plates, but cut it back to 1 side. Then I started noticing portion sizes were smaller too. I went back recently and all their good dishes are gone, including the oxtail and pork belly. I won't be returning here unfortunately and it's sad to see what made them great is now gone.

WOW instant love for Peli Peli! It's right off I-10 and as a bonus, is located a block away from an Hmart, 99 Ranch, and 85 degrees bakery!

I got to try the Peli Peli shrimp naan tacos ($14), the fried chicken sandwich ($8), Huguenot pork belly plate ($12), and the braised short rib plate ($13). I highly recommend the naan tacos and saying yes to ALL the toppings. The rice that comes with the plates is super flavorful and light, which complements the fatty meats really well. I'm already thinking about my order for the next time I'm in Houston!

Free sticky toffee cupcake with Yelp check in! It was a little bit too dense for me, but satisfies the sweet tooth.

This was my first time trying out South African food and I did not know what to expect, but I was not disappointed!

This place is self-service, but that said, the employees were generous and gave their recommendations. The atmosphere was chill; the music was not too loud for me to have a decent conversation with my friend.

My friend ordered pork belly rice plate. I ordered the beef curry stew over a rice plate with grilled cauliflower and seasoned mushrooms. The overall portion was enough to fill me up, but I wish I had more beef because it was SO TENDER and delicious!
Both sides complimented the curry because both were well seasoned and well portioned.
Side note: Like the beef, the mushrooms were SO TENDER!

Coming from a Vietnamese background, this beef curry dish was not new to me. But I was surprised by the mixture of all the flavors and (SUPER TENDER) textures (Vietnamese food tends to lack spices with strong aromas).

I would definitely revisit this place to try out their other menu items.

Pros:
- Awesome employees and chill atmosphere
- Great flavors and textures (AGAIN, SO TENDER!)
- Good overall portion

Cons:
- I wanted more beef
- Food is not very aesthetic (but the explosion on the plate translates to an tasty explosion in your mouth, so this con is acceptable)

ADVICE: If you check-in with Yelp, you get a free Toffee Cupcake (cute little dessert but I ate it before I could take a picture lol)

I'm saddened to give Peli Peli Kitchen this review... because I typically love the place... but today my husband and i noticed some pretty significant changes.

I had the Braised oxtail plate with macaroni and cheese... the oxtail that was put on my plate was 80% fat and bone... so I barely had any meat, and the woman filling the sides of macaroni and what not filled the portioned containers half full... normally I would have been indifferent about that part, but their macaroni is delicious... and I want my whole portion!!!

My husband tried the New Spicy Fried chicken... I'll just quote him "that was a piss poor excuse for fried chicken" as for me... I tried it, it was not only extremely dry... but the crust could break your teeth. Very unappetizing... he left the entire piece on his plate and threw it away! All these things combined with a really unfriendly cashier, who couldn't crack a smile if her life depended on it...

Is just plain disappointing. I hope it's better next time... the manager is so friendly and personable, I wish he would hire more employees like himself.

We visited this spot and..... I don't think I will be back. It is cafeteria style, but nothing taste amazing. The rice taste over cooked, the chicken was okay, but I had the beef and it was freezing cold. I didn't tell them, because I don't think it would have even taste good piping hot! It is just not a place for me. I was expecting something different. Like a full service restaurant. But because we came here, we probably won't visit their full service restaurant.

The best thing I had was the Topo Chico.

Oh! The gentleman who worked there was extremely friendly! So that is a plus.

Hands down, best customer service I've EVER had for the type of restaurant. ( for the price you pay, customer service is impeccable) Before I even tried the food, I was already amazed at how personable all the staff are, and I think my comment just now is an understatement. The flavoring and tenderness of the oxtail is perfect and this is now my standard of what good macaroni and cheese should taste like. Yams are on point! ( normally not a fan of yams but I gave it a try and not disappointed) Free desert with the yelp check in is the perfect icing on top. The price is unbeatable for how great all the food is. I totally understand why so many people rave about this place. Will definitely make my way across town for peli peli kitchen again.


Lastly, I love how peli peli serves the Houston community selflessly, for Harvey and for the community around them. Definitely respect this restaurant!