Peri-Peri Charcoal Chicken
BRYAN Tiu was only 18 years old when he ventured into his own business with the support of his parents who owned textile stores in Tabora, Divisoria. His first attempt at franchising (Domino’s Pizza) may not have lasted, but his strong entrepreneurial stance somehow fixated on food, which he will pursue with passion. With a fascination for Japanese culture he was exposed to in his father’s business, he saw a potential niche for affordable casual dining and started his own brand, Teriyaki Boy, which grew into a chain of 10 stores. A visionary, Bryan loves building brands, with the middle class diners taken into account. He would put it, “Food defines me.”
After garnering an award as one of the Ernst Young’s Youngest Entrepreneurs in 2005, Bryan slowly established his business empire, IFoods Group Inc. that offers different culinary destinations from Asian to continental flavors—Tokyo Café, Peri-Peri, Stackers Burger Café and Kogi Bulgogi, among others. A local food trendsetter, 40-something Bryan takes pride in his Filipino brands. To date there are 10 branches of Peri-Peri all over the Philippines with one in Myanmar. The 12th branch recently opened at the newest lifestyle destination in Cebu, Meerea High Street along North Reclamation Area in Mandaue City owned by Eric Mendoza.
Peri-Peri BBQ Back Ribs
Peri-Peri actually comes from the word “piri-piri,” a Swahili word for a cultivar of capsicum or chili family that grows in Africa, which was discovered by the Portuguese in search for the famed spice route. An African/Portuguese dish, Peri-Peri Chicken has gained popularity because of its unique
flavor. Bryan, who works very closely with his team of excellent chefs, explains but does not reveal the secret marinade of herbs and spices. The chicken is marinated for 24 hours, thereby absorbing all the flavors. Eric Mendoza says that it takes only 10 to 15 minutes to order the turbo-spitfire charcoal-grilled chicken. Their wide range of sauces spells the difference in enjoying the chicken.
3 Fernando’s Spicy Chicken Fillet
An indoor barbecue place, Eric wants to capture the ambience of typical outdoor joints with a touch of sophistication for comfort and style. A hug spitfire grill dominates the back of the restaurant with red-hot charcoal embers. As we took our seats, a big platter of Chori Cheese Nachos greeted us, a nice crispy appetizer while we eagerly waited for our Peri-Peri Charcoal Grilled Chicken with the eight different sauces. I tried all the sauces, namely: Seik Chic’s Harissa Exotica, Poulet Vous Cajun Remolade, Foul-Mouthed Chili Peppa, Count Chucula’s Garlic Brew, Ka Tuka’s Honey Pinakurat, Hen Dynasty’s Hoisin Sesame, Apachee Kin Mesquite BBQ and Tokyo Tori’s Sweet Soy. The grilled chicken was deliciously succulent and extra tender, characteristically so after the turbo process before grilling. Equally as good is the finger-licking BBQ Back Ribs.
After the smoky and savory chicken, my palates welcomed Torta Gorilla, a tangy lime pie with dulce de leche, whipped cream, caramelized bananas and El Fuego with layers of chocolate fudge, vanilla ice cream, covered with torched marshmallow fluff.