August 19th 2008
Perilla – "a neighborhood gem"
For those of you who watch "Top Chef," you are probably familiar with the season one winner, Harold Dierterle. He opened Perilla in the heart of the
APPETIZERS:
Spicy Duck Meatballs with mint cavatelli, water spinach and quail egg
****MUST ORDER DISH****
If you speak to anyone who has dined at Perilla, you will hear the same shpeal, "You have to get the meatballs!" Since I am not one to go against the grain, I reluctantly ordered them and couldn't agree more. The texture was perfect, not too stiff, but at the same time, not too moist as they stayed packed together during each delicious bite. The meatballs were served in a bowl with a spicy dipping sauce which went together wonderfully. I realize that I am going overboard here, but I really want to emphasis just how much I loved this first dish. I would bet that if Harold (who was in the kitchen on this night) can make meatballs like that, he could make some killer Matzah Balls. The portions were just right for an appetizer. It was packed full with spicy flavors; however, the presence of the mint was a refreshing contrast to the duck's zing.
Crispy Berkshire Pork Belly with pea tendrils, trumpets & banyuls-vanilla gastrique
I realize it sounds a little obscure and foreign to a novice eater, but I can assure you, pork bellies are quite tasty. Surprisingly, I have to admit that the only time I had really heard of pork bellies was in my Finance 410 class when we talked about commodities that were traded at the Mercantile Exchange. With that being said, this was my first real encounter with the pork belly, and trust me, it will not be the last. The pork bellies were perfectly caramelized with a sugary-vanilla extract which really ignited my sweet tooth.
ENTREES:
Romesco Oil Poached Chatham Cod with black olive gnocchi, oyster mushrooms & summer zucchini sauce
I loved the fish component of the dish, but was not crazy about the black olive gnocchi. I must admit I am not a huge olive fan to begin with, so my opinion here is not valid. Although, I really enjoyed the zucchini sauce which was peppered on top of the fish. The texture resembled bacon bits because of the colors but had a tomato-pesto flavor.
Sauteed Trigger Fish with quinoa, heirloom tomatoes, sweet & sour eggplant-basil sauce
I had never tried Trigger Fish before, but I was more than willing to accept a recommendation from the server. Trigger Fish is similar to a Grouper. It's a very flat boned, meaty fish. The dish was served as a few thick filets over tomatoes and a sweet and sour basil sauce. The Trigger Fish was much more of a complete dish than the cod. The thick meaty filets were filled with flavors and were not overpowered by the sauce. I highly recommend this dish.
In closing, Perilla was a great dining experience with an interesting menu of high-quality ingredients. Luckily, I was there to eat while Harold happened to be in the kitchen; maybe you will get lucky, too.
| Restaurant Review Rating Scale | ||||
| Total Points Available | ||||
| Food | 9 | 10 | ||
| Service | 9 | 10 | ||
| Ambiance | 9.5 | 10 | ||
| Bang for the Buck | 8.5 | 10 | ||
| Overall | 9 | 10 | ||
| 45 | 50 | |||
Perilla ($$$$$)
9 Jones St, New York 10014
Btwn Bleecker & W 4th St
Phone: 212-929-6868
Fax: 212-929-6882
