Polynesian/Portuguese Restaurant Coming To Skokie

Attention, adventurous eaters. 

It takes a lot for a cuisine to be viewed as exotic these days, but one most Americans haven't tried is slated for downtown Skokie.

The owners of Fogos Peri Peri have signed a lease to open at 4915 Oakton, said Leslie Murphy, the village's economic development specialist. 

"According to the owner, "Fogos" means fire or flame and "Peri Peri" is an African spice," she told Patch.

The specialty dish is a marinated, steamed, then grilled, chicken cooked in a Peri Peri sauce and served in a sandwich or over rice. 

The recipes derive from Polynesian and Portuguese influences, she said, and the concept was test-marketed in London.

An Internet search led Patch to another chain, Nando's, which features a grilled chicken marinated in peri peri sauce. It has outlets in Malaysia, London, Singapore, South Africa and Washington, D.C. Nando's website says Portuguese explorers first discovered the peri peri spice in Africa and adapted it into dishes.

Murpy described the Fogos Peri Peri restaurant coming to Skokie as fast casual, and said it will also offer lamb and veggie burgers, wraps, salads and other rices.  She anticipates a late fall opening.

Get Skokie news in a free daily email from Patch.

Like Skokie Patch on Facebook