New Jersey Spots of the Month (August-September)
We visited three New Jersey establishments: The Port of Peri Peri (East Rutherford), German Doner Kebab, Crepe & Chill, Jinsoy
The Port of Peri Peri (East Rutherford)
Food: 8/10
To start off, we got their cajun peri peri flavored wings, which was a fun new flavor to try and we liked it a lot! It’s pretty spicy. We also got the 1/4 dark meat (leg and thigh) with a special mix of lemon and herb/mild sauce and were very happy with the decision, which was fresh off the grill. Will recommend it for people who want lemon and herb but also experience the spice. The lamb chops we got as mentioned in a previous post cut like butter! Despite it being almost well-done. That was a serious shock to us. Because it tasted so good and the texture was so soft. Their sizzler sandwich had a clean cut piece of white meat cooked to perfection, juicy and tender not over cooked or dry. It comes with your flavor of choice plus bbq sauce for anyone that enjoys sweet and spicy. The sides were all fresh and tasty similar to what you’d find at other peri peri joints, all completing the meals. Bite size cassava fries are a must try. Paneer strips were nice and soft and doused in peri peri sauce. Peri fries were on point. Falafel was super flavorful and fresh. Hummus and pita, and veggie salad were nice side dishes to cool down the heat.
And they have a freestyle soda machine! We got Sparkling Pink Lemonade and Peach Sprite.
Price: 8/10
Standard for similar foods. Can seem a little on the pricier side, but quality of food is good.
Atmosphere: 10/10
Big, spacious, clean. Wonderful loft style space. Great for friends and family.
Service: 10/10
Tons of staff on deck. Super friendly; very welcoming and interactive with all their customers (as we’ve seen).
The Port of Peri Peri (East Rutherford)
Liberty Commons 51, NJ-17 Unit 49
East Rutherford, NJ 07073
2. German Doner Kebab
Food: 8/10
We got the original doner kebabs, doner quesadillas, doner nachos, and doner box with fries. Each item comes with three sauces in a little container, which are a spicy tomato-based sauce, chipotle-like mayo, and garlic sauce. We thought everything was pretty delicious - the chicken and beef meat itself was good, but the only qualm we had was that some of the food were cold. We assume that some items were made first and other items took longer to make. Other than that, it was fun to try out different sauces for each items. We really loved the doner quesadilla - it was cheesy and nice and delicious. For the nachos, we were a bit surprised that they used Doritos instead of nacho chips. It was topped with salsa, cheese sauce, and some spices, and jalapeños. For the doner kebab itself, it was really good. The salad inside gave it a fresh and crunchy bite. The doner box with fries is something we find ourself munching on because it’s so conveniently packed into one box and you just eat it with a fork.
Price: 10/10
No item goes for more than $10 here. Nuff said.
Atmosphere: 9/10
It’s a decently sized fast-casual restaurant. Their aesthetic is sleek and dark, we loved it. There’s plenty of booths and high top tables.
Service: 8/10
We went when it was super busy, line out the place. Waited about 15 minutes to get up to the register to order. We can imagine the line gets even longer and wait times can be up to an hour. It’s advertised everywhere in the mall so that’s probably why there’s a huge line lol. You’re handed a buzzer after you place your order and ours came in about 15ish minutes. The staff here are super professional and so nice.
German Doner Kebab
1 American Dream Way
East Rutherford, NJ 07073 | Court A Level 2
3. Crepe & Chill
Food: 6.5/10
Let’s start sweet, the crepe in itself was crispy cooked under the perfect heat and time. The sweet crepes were packed with toppings and were generous with the type of sauce/spread. We felt the same about the waffles as well! Both tasted very good. The savory crepes we got were the buffalo chicken and steak filled with lettuce and a variety of veggies. The concept is nice, however the meat alone was a little dry (which we politely told them, but nothing a little marination or right heat can’t change), they do add a bunch of sauce which helped! Wings and fries were also a nice addition on the menu. The milkshakes were made with fresh fruits with natural sweetness which we really enjoyed drinking! Overall, the menu has a good variety to choose from so we will definitely go back to try other things as well.
Price: 10/10
More on the affordable side in ratio to the generous portions you get. All items are under $10.
Atmosphere: 7/10
Like the name suggests, it’s more of a chill/casual vibe inside. However not much seating. They are still renovating though.
Service: 9/10
The food was made right infront of us after we order, took as much time as it should for most things. Very nice and accommodating staff.
Crepe & Chill
163 Monticello Ave
Jersey City, NJ 07304
4. Jinsoy (reservations required)
Food: 9.5/10
We were on a time crunch to decide what we wanted to order, so we picked five items very quickly: Dynamite Chicken, Jinsoy Chicken Dry, Crispy Beijing Beef, Vegetable Fried Rice, Jinsoy Chow Mein. For drinks, we got the Ginger Tea, Lychee Mojito, and Raspberry Mojito.
The Dynamite Chicken was prob our favorite. Someone who came along with us (who doesn't eat halal btw) said it tasted like McDonald's chicken nuggets 😂 which is likely a good thing since their chicken nuggets is acclaimed to be legendary. The dynamite sauce was spicier than any dynamite sauce we had, which is a plus! The Chicken Dry was also super good - crispy, perfect crunch to chew ratio and overall excellent flavor. The Crispy Beijing Beef was another favorite of ours. This one was similar to the Chicken Dry, but had more of a soy-sauce base. It also comes with a nice, buttery rice on the side! Both the vegetable fried rice and Jinsoy Lo Mein were great as well. No qualms about them. Perfect sides for our plates. In terms of the drinks, we thought the Lychee Mojito could taste more mojito-y if that makes sense. It tasted like sprite. We feel the mint leaves and lychee could be muddled a bit beforehand. Lemon Ginger Tea and Raspberry Mojito were very good though. One thing we regret was not trying more items on the menu! We were limited on time and wanted to give the kitchen staff a break for sure - but next time we come we are definitely gonna wanna order other things, like the Kai Chi or the lamb dishes.
Price: 7/10
Definitely more on the pricier side, but portions and quality make up for it. Main dishes run from between $13-$22.
Atmosphere: 10/10
It’s a beautiful fine-dining concept and is open-space, with booths along some perimeter. Beautiful accents, chandeliers, and it’s pretty big! Great for families, groups, couples, homies.
Service: 10/10
The food was busted out within 10 minutes and it all tasted AMAZING. How?! We don't know and don't want to bother speculating but all we have to say is that we were extremely impressed. Despite coming late, the staff was still nice about it and kept checking on us to see if we needed anything. They also own Chai Chenak (@chaichenakrestaurant) on the next block.
Jinsoy
335 George St
New Brunswick, NJ 08901