Piri Piri Kitchen — Restaurant in Somerset

The Service:

The employee answering the phone had wonderful phone etiquette. She gave a friendly greeting and was very helpful in answering questions. Upon arrival for pickup I was greeted with a kind smile and welcomed into the establishment.

This fast casual restaurant was very neat and orderly. All table tops were clean and chairs were tucked in which indicates an owner paying attention to the small details that leave an impression.

Inviting and comfortable atmosphere relative to the venue.

The Food:

The overall meal fell short of expectations. I appreciate the delicate but vibrant flavor profile of Portuguese cuisine. However, I experienced very muted flavorings. The steak was cooked well but very under-seasoned and the house gravy wasn’t spiced enough to compensate.

The shrimp was cooked perfectly and nicely absorbed the house gravy to lend some taste. Fries were as expected but the jasmine rice was overcooked losing the signature texture and fragrance.

There were large chunks of onion in the rice which adds moisture during the cooking process resulting in a slightly mushy consistency.

In my opinion, the house gravy was lacking in citrus (lemon zest), allium vegetables, fresh herbs and toasted spices. Given the name of the restaurant I was disappointed the house gravy lacked undertones of heat associated with red chili peppers.

Nonetheless, it’s evident this restaurant seeks to pay homage to their culture, and there is love in the cuisine. As such, I’m looking forward to further exploring the menu.

The Opportunity:

I would recommend alternative packaging for this type of order. Placing the hot steak, shrimp and house gravy at the bottom of the styrofoam container, lined with aluminum foil, traps moisture that created condensation on top of the rice and fries- further altering the texture of the rice and made some fries very soggy. I think using paper pail boxes for fries and rice would yield a better result.

UPDATE:

As recommend, I tried the Azorean steak; I also ordered the Shrimp Mozambique. Firstly, I remain very impressed with the restaurant’s customer service, and the owner’s attention to detail. I also appreciate the steak being packed in a separate container because of the sauce.

The Azorean steak introduced me to a new flavor profile, so I’m thankful for that cultural experience. The shrimp was once again cooked perfectly; the Mozambique sauce was light in spices and heat, but enjoyable nonetheless.

The rice was cooked perfectly and tasted good. A welcomed improvement from...

I am sorry to say but those are costly. A soup cost 5.50 ?! Are you kidding ? In my local hometown in San Miguel cost only 1 euro is 1.09 USD and many food are so overpriced and they dont taste right. BIFANA -- 10.99 ??! Thats stupid. I ordered it for only 2 euro about 2.17 usd. And taste is wrong too. Not authentic at all. Not recommended. A beer and wine are expensive. A bottle of beer in my home town cost between 80 cent to 1 euro and a wine a big glass of wine is only 60 to 80 cents depends on local and sometimes 1 euro. CHEAP CHEAP! This is expensive. Dont understand Portuguese people here. They dont attention at all. THUMB DOWN!

Edit: Why do you say that ? For Flight int he summer, no. I will avoid that because of religion festival in Azores cost more from Boston to Azores however Azores Airline is cheaper than Portugal Tap. Did you know that from Azores to Portugal or anywhere in Western Europe is cheaper ? In the USA, flight anywhere in the 50 states only cost more. Yeah, America is tooo expensive and many retirements are suffers and many of them are moved out to Mexico and Portugal due to the cost of living. You would hate to see bad review about flights ? Yeah, it is necessarily. They cost baggages too much. In 1980s the baggages were free. The future is about greedy and dirty!

Edit: I understand about beers and wines but from what I know for those price. The review is about the honest, not base on lying. That's why I am telling you what I know and from my experienced and my grow up authenticate food is very very important and remain old culture through grandmas recipes. Here in America - Portuguese restaurants are NOT absolutely authentic at all. They dont followed exactly like grandmas recipes in old culture. They are just close or so-so tasty.....

I recently moved to Somerset and as most Somerset residents know there is limited dining options, so when I caught Piri Piri out of the corner of my eye I had to try it. First, I ordered takeout and it was nothing less than amazing. The food was hot, fresh, and the portions were incredible. Next, I decided to try a dining experience and had the pleasure of talking with the owner during most of my meal. She was personable and clearly had a love for the food business with the goal of bringing fresh Portuguese food to Somerset. Then, I tried them again using a delivery service and the food was packaged perfectly, hot, fresh, and just as perfect if I was dining in. I was recently hospitalized and my 13 year old daughter stopped in with a friend of mine to pick up my favorite dinner and the owner recognized her. When she told her I was in the hospital the owner allowed her to pick a dessert out of the refrigerator to bring to me and wished me well. This is the epitome of a caring and compassionate small town business who cares about the customer. The owner made my night and my daughters. It is the little things that go along way! Tonight I went back to say thank you and support an amazing soul. I am a regular now! The food will not disappoint and either will the friendly faces behind...