My introduction to Perky’s came a few years back when I decided to host a party and serve up Michigan Upper Peninsula-style pasties.
For those unfamiliar, pasties are meat-and-potato-based handheld pies shaped somewhat like stromboli. They were a staple of the Upper Peninsula miners because they could be eaten on the go and were warm or room temperature.
My search for them in San Diego proved fruitless, but I did discover a place called Perky’s South African Food & Catering, run by chef/owner Graham Perkett. This place offered a variety of savory pies that were very similar in shape and texture to my beloved pasties. I ordered up a few dozen, and they were a big hit!
I should also note that my familiarity with South African cuisine, and in general, was pretty limited, besides the movie “Searching for Sugarman,” which detailed the wild popularity of Detroit singer-songwriter Rodriguez in South Africa, was hugely popular, and I highly recommend it.
Additionally, my longtime Encinitas friend Tony Yannakakis was born and raised there, and recently moved back. Tony is familiar with Perky’s, having known Graham for over 20 years. He had this to say about their food and the cuisine of South Africa in general:
“Graham is a great chef; his pies are to die for, especially the pepper steak. Whenever we had work projects, I took the guys there, and everybody loved them. The philo dough was prepared perfectly and the filling was always tasty. On weekends he would cook meals that were very good too.
“The fish and chips were solid, and there was an incredible bunny chow (bread hollowed out and filled with scrumptious chicken curry). Desserts included three of my favorites. Melktert — milk pudding, Koeksusters — twisted dough soaked in syrup with cinnamon, and the best fudge in San Diego. He also has a frozen section that is well suited for several South African meats and meals.
“Graham also makes the best Biltong — a beef jerky and Droe Wors, a South African sausage — in the area. All the canned goods he has on the shelves are favorites that any South African will relate to, and this food should be explored by foodies looking for something new and delicious. I should also note that while there are a lot of Greeks in South Africa, their primary influence is only Greek salads and gyros.”
Fast-forward a few years, I noticed Perky’s opened a second location inside a Shell station in Carmel Valley. I thought it would be fun to visit and learn a bit more about their cuisine.
First, any preconceived notions about food at gas stations should be put aside. Sure, standard fare at one is usually not worth seeking out, but I’ve had some delicious meals that originated from them.
I’ll start with what I was most familiar with: their signature savory-filled pies with perfect, flaky crusts. I tried the Chicken Curry and Cornish Pasty, and they were both flavorful, hearty, and truly unique for the area. I admit the Chicken Curry pie did not survive the drive home from Carmel Valley to Leucadia.
Next up was the pork sausage roll, and oh boy, I liked this unique concoction. Savory pork was wrapped in light flaky pastry, similar to the meat pies. It’s a sizable roll, around ten inches, which makes it very easy to handle and devour. It also comes as a Beef Sausage Roll if pork is not your thing. Lately, on Fridays, they have also been offering Fish and Slap Chips, as they call them.
I should also note that besides the new Carmel Valley location, Perky’s has had a store on Clairmont Mesa Boulevard in San Diego for years with an expanded selection. This store also functions as the prep kitchen for their extensive catering services.
Some options include Biltong, a dried beef jerky, Drywors, a dried sausage, Boerewors, a house-made sausage and Breakfast Sausage.
Bobotie has been described as South Africa’s national dish. It consists of sweet and savory ground beef with walnuts, raisins, and apricots topped with an egg, baked to delicious goodness and served with yellow rice.
Samoosas are another favorite. They are thin, crispy, wrapped pastry with potato, chicken, or beef fillings. Chef Perkett is known for his Chicken or Lamb Curries and Cottage Pie, a South African-style shepherd pie.
Besides prepared foods, Perky’s has a great selection of canned goods and other South African staples. Some of those include Mrs. Ball’s Chutney, Birds Original Custard, Rajah Curry Powder, Lyles Golden Syrup, Koo Baked Beans, Branston Original Pickles, Cross & Blackwell Trim salad dressing, All Gold Tomato Sauce, Braai Salt, Ouma Flavored Rusks and Nuttikrust Oat Biscuits to name a few.
Given the wide variety of culinary influences from all over Europe and beyond over its history, it makes sense that South African cuisine is a melting pot of cuisines, and the fusion of those happens often. That is evident in many of the dishes I’ve mentioned above.
My point is that it’s good stuff and worth exploring. Please keep them in mind for your next event that requires catering. It’s different and will definitely please your guests!
The new Perky’s is inside the Shell gas station at 3861 Valley Centre Drive. The original location is at 8280 Clairmont Mesa Blvd, San Diego. Visit them online at www.perkysfoods.com.
